A/N: Team Roster: Jackson (Raboot), Sap (Vikavolt), Hudson (Mudsdale), Rosa (Bellossom), Mateo (Riolu), Dia (Meowstic)

Chapter 12 - Specks of Gold

They had been traveling for hours, weaving in and out of branches, bushes, mushrooms, and quite a few Impidimps. Dolly found an Indeedee, missed with her Poké Ball, then Mateo obliterated it with a critical hit Metal Claw. So much for a cool Fairy-type Pokémon. After much more trekking and training, the group found a nice clearing and settled in for some dinner.

"You're fanning too fast, you're going to burn it!" Dolly laughed, pushing Hop away from the curry pot.

"It's gotta cook, Dolls, this man needs to EAT! I'm so hungry I could chew my own arm off," Hop replied, furiously shaking his fan up and down.

The Magikarp design flopped lazily, as Hop had broken part of the stick moments ago with his overzealous fanning. Hop's Thwakey gleefully climbed up his shoulder, cheering them on with his squeaks and drumming on the top of Hop's head.

"Cur-ry, cur-ry, cur-ry!" Jackson chanted beside them, his eyes glued to the large pot before him.

"Cur-ry, cur-ry, cur-ry!" Mateo joined in, circling the pot. He trotted around in circles chanting alongside Jackson, the Pokémon forming a two-'mon conga line.

"See," Hop said, waving his fan toward their curry-making peanut gallery. "Even our Pokémon are starved! Let's get those berries BROILING!"

Hop raised his fists in triumph as the Magikarp fan snapped off and smacked him square in the face. Thwakey fell off his shoulder, laughing all the way down as Hop clutched his nose. Thwakey joined into the Raboot and Riolu's conga line, until the three were dancing around the curry pot. The rest of their teams sat scattered around the camp, watching the commotion and the young Pokémon's chaotic dance moves. Music filled the air when Sap buzzed a tune with her wings as they hopped around.

"What're they saying, anyway?" Hop asked nasally, clutching his throbbing nose.

Dolly rolled her eyes and let out another laugh, fanning at the fire. She had to wave the three chanting Pokémon out of the way when their conga line danced beneath her legs.

"They're all just chanting 'curry.'"

"Smart Pokémon! I encourage such chanting," he replied, joining the chorus of Pokémon cries for dinner and the now three-Pokémon, one-man conga line.

Even though she had to kick him when he tried following the conga line beneath her legs again, Dolly's heart swelled to see Hop smiling. He had certainly been in a funk lately, and hearing him talk about how depressed he was feeling before their battle certainly made her worry. She heeded Hudson's words from before, and vowed to stay by his side and support him during this phase. Even if she couldn't fix everything he was going through, if she could offer him a small respite from his gloom, then that's what she was going to do. That didn't mean, however, he could conga wherever he wanted. When he tried crawling under her again, a loud thwack echoed in the clearing, and the laughter of three dancing Pokémon followed.

After a bit more cooking, chanting, and conga-ing, the curry was finally ready. The succulent scent wafted into the air - and into the noses of the drooling Pokémon - as everyone lined up.

"All right you lot, it's coming, hold your Ponytas," Dolly smiled as she spooned out the curry to her and Hop's team.

They all eagerly held out their plates, received some curry, then took their seats around the fire. Some sat on the surrounding logs, others on the ground, some on each other, all enjoying the homemade curry. Dolly scraped out the final bits from the pot and took a seat next to Hop on the log by the fire, though she barely spooned the curry into her mouth before Jackson and Mateo bounded up to her.

"Dolly, hey Dolly, ask Hop to tell us a story!" Jackson said with a large smear of sauce in his fur.

"Oooh, yeah," Hudson added from across the fire. "He's a good storyteller."

Sap buzzed in agreement.

"What? What about me?" Dolly pouted, rubbing at Jackson's cheek with her thumb to get the sauce remnants off. "I thought you liked my stories?"

"He does all the voices though!" Jackson said, pushing her hand off his cheek. He whined when she licked her thumb to clean off the pesky curry.

"Yeah, pleeeaasssee Dolly?" Mateo asked, folding his paws together. "We never get to see Hop! I've only heard from Jackson about his stories, and I want to hear one too! Please please pleeeaassee?"

Dolly rolled her eyes and turned to Hop, who also had sauce smeared on his cheek. Was it really that challenging for them to get the spoon into their mouths?

"They want you to tell one of your stories."

Hop almost glowed, sitting up straighter on the log.

"Really?"

"Yeah, apparently mine aren't good enough," she laughed.

She reached forward and wiped the sauce off his face, too. When he froze, she shot her hand back apologetically. Jackson and Mateo both bounded up to Hop.

"Hey come on, focus here!" Mateo said, snapping his fingers. "Change your aura back!"

"Yeah quit staring at Dolly and tell us a story! And put ninjas in it!" Jackson enthused.

"No, pirates!" Mateo said, pushing Jackson.

"And a passionate romance!" Rosa added from across the fire.

"Ew, don't do that," Mateo said, both him and Jackson pretending to barf.

Dolly rolled her eyes again and relayed her Pokémon's requests to Hop. He nodded, then shooed all of the Pokémon to their places around the fire. An excited silence blanketed the clearing, and Hop seamlessly incorporated all of their requested elements, weaving the introduction to a tale of the star-crossed romance of a Skitty pirate and a Wailord ninja.

As Hop introduced the main characters, Dolly peeked at their Pokémon sitting around the fire and she quietly chuckled to herself. They were all fully and immediately enraptured by Hop's storytelling - she had never known Jackson and Mateo to sit quietly for this long. Jackson missed his mouth again and smeared more sauce on his fur, too entranced by Hop's narrative.

Then, she looked to Hop too, smiling despite herself as she watched him act out small scenes and introduce a slew of characters. He was grinning ear to ear, luring his audience into the story with everything he had. Dolly tucked her knees up to her chest, setting her chin on top of them as she listened. He really seemed to come alive, entertaining their Pokémon like that, and Dolly was glad to see he was feeling better. Hop had such a nice smile.

As she watched Hop bounce around in his seat, weaving his odd story for their Pokémon, she couldn't help but smile at his energy. He knew just what to say to make them all laugh, knew just what to say to make them swoon (well, Rosa at least. Jackson and Mateo pretended to barf again). Even though he didn't know what they were saying, Hop seemed to have a knack for understanding her Pokémon anyway. They all loved him, and she couldn't blame them. He was fun, kind, caring, among a slew of other characteristics.

Their fire popped, casting glowing embers into the air. Dolly's eyes followed one, then her gaze landed on Hop again. The orange glow back lit his profile, and Dolly thought that yeah, Hop had such a nice smile.

Then, her eyebrows pulled together.

But...

...Did he always have such a distinct jawline?

...Or such… long eyelashes...?

She shook it out of her head, trying to focus on how this pirate Skitty had to be catapulted into the villain's lair via Wailord tail. Their group of Pokémon laughed at the ridiculous villain's monologue, and as Hop smiled again, something tightened in Dolly's gut.

Where did that come from? Did she use spoiled ingredients?

Every once in a while, especially after a particularly clever line or funny quip, Hop's eyes darted to Dolly's. That tightness turned into an odd fluttering, as if a dozen Butterfree were set loose in her stomach every time their eyes met.

She waved it off as curry digestion and hugged her knees closer to her chest.

No one else seemed sick, so she did her best to shove it down, despite now being acutely aware of how often he would look at her. She suddenly became much more conscious of how she was sitting, how her hair laid, how dirty her face was. He was just telling a story though, and eye contact was important for audience engagement, right?

Right.

Her eyebrows pulled together as she started noticing more little details about him, like his forearms, his hands, his collarbone. Was that a dimple? What was going on with her?!

He finally finished his tale with a bow and a smattering of applause from his small audience. Dolly couldn't help but smile too as he looked at her and grinned, that odd sensation in her gut intensifying.

After Dolly denied Jackson and Mateo's request for a sequel (and after a series of 'boo's, 'laaaaame,'s and a 'why can't you be cool like Hop'), it didn't take long for Pokémon and Trainers alike to be droopy-eyed and relaxed after their dinner theater showing. Hop let out a yawn and stretched, relaxing his arms behind his head and leaning against the log behind him. Dolly hugged Jackson to her chest as he lay sleeping, worn out from leading their tiny conga line and re-enacting a ninja pirate fight scene with Mateo. The occasional muttering of 'curry' escaped his mouth.

"So... did they like it?" Hop asked, cautiously glancing toward Dolly.

"Like it?" Dolly laughed. "Did you not see those Raboot and Riolu re-enacted fight scenes? Hop, they loved it, and they adore you."

Hop bit his lip and grinned, looking back to the fire. Dolly watched his shoulders ease down.

...Were his shoulders always so broad?

Maybe she would stop identifying these physical characteristics of his if she wasn't so close to him. She trotted over, careful not to wake Jackson, and leaned against her Mudsdale who sat gazing at the fire. Sitting by Hop made her feel weird and sitting by Hudson didn't.

The rest of her team had settled in for the night, snoozing safely in their Poké Balls, and Dolly looked beyond the Mudsdale into the forest. It was certainly an odd place. Though she wouldn't outwardly admit it, she was glad to have Hop and his team here with her. She knew her team was fully capable of handling anything untoward, but there was still something off about the Glimwood Tangle, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

It was charming, sure, what with its glowing mushrooms and tall, dark trees. There were a few Trainers scattered throughout the forest, but she and Hop hadn't interacted with many that day. Now that their curry was cooked and everyone was winding down, the forest seemed to take on a new life. Purple figures appeared in the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look directly, there was nothing there. Little shimmering specks floated about their camp, wafting down from the tops of the trees. They danced with the embers - had those always been there, or had she just now noticed them in the light of their glowing fire? The air seemed thick, too. It smelled of campfire smoke and… something else, something else she couldn't quite place her finger on. A shiver went down her spine, and she hugged Jackson closer. Although it helped a little, it wasn't the air that was cold.

Their fire cast warped shadows on the ground, and Dolly dared to look directly into the forest. The darkness swirled, though she wasn't sure if it was just the leaves swaying in the trees. When something rustled in the bushes, Dolly's skin started to prickle. Maybe having Hop beside her too wouldn't be so bad.

"Hop, do you mind sitting over here?" Dolly asked, peering around Hudson's flank.

"What, you scared?" he snickered.

"No…"

She heard Hop snicker again and she saw his purple hair poke up from behind Hudson.

"Scared a Duskull's gonna getcha?"

"Just get over here, would you?" she huffed.

He laughed and took a seat next to her, and Dolly tried to discreetly shuffle closer to him when the bushes rustled again. They sat in silence for a while, the breathing of her Pokémon partners slowing as they settled in for the night. Hop had returned his team to their Poké Balls, so it was just the four of them out by the fire. Beyond the occasional muttering of Jackson in his sleep, the only noise came from the crackling of their fire, and from the forest around them.

The air seemed thicker than even minutes before, and a light pink mist seemed to be wafting through their camp. It smelled a bit like vanilla, or maybe a bit of honeysuckle. Little bells, or something similar, tinkled throughout the trees. It was odd, but having Hop sit next to her certainly made her more at ease... But, at the same time, a little more nervous. She tingled in the spots where their almost skin met; it made the hair on her neck stand on end as if lightning were about to strike.

"Traveling with your team is fun," Hop said. "I've always liked telling ridiculous stories, but my favorite part is making them laugh... making you laugh..."

Ahem. What?

She tucked her chin into Jackson's fur.

"Well, you're pretty good at it…" Dolly mumbled.

They sat and gazed at the fire again, Dolly attempting to deflect the barrage of thoughts erupting through her mental defenses. Her? Making her, specifically her, laugh? Why did he pause like that? Did she even hear him right? What did it matter, though, he was funny and charming and handsome and a good storyteller so of course he'd want to make his audience laugh, right? But why wasn't she grouped into the category of 'them'? Wait, no, he wasn't charming or handsome, Leon and Rose were charming and handsome and Hop was…

...Hop.

This was getting weird.

"Hey Dolls,"

Dolly turned her head, only to jump back a few inches - Hop was sitting much closer than she anticipated and that odd electricity tingled again. The light from the fire accented his face, adding a warm glow to his skin. Dolly cleared her throat.

"Hm?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for being my best mate."

"Oh, yeah, you too, Hop."

She guessed Hop always had odd-colored eyes, but had they always been so… striking...? Did they always have those specks of gold? Had his eyelashes always framed his eyes like that? Perhaps it was just the firelight casting shadows… Or perhaps she had just never noticed before now, or perhaps her Meowstic added something funky to the curry. Yeah, that was it. Her memory seemed foggy.

"Ever since I was curb-stomped by Bede I've had to do a lot of thinking, about what I want, what my goals are, and stuff like that. I do know it'll involve Pokémon," he said as he reached around Dolly to pat Hudson on the head.

As he leaned over her, her heart skipped. She tried to ignore it as he continued.

"And I do still plan to beat Lee and be the next Champion, but what Bede said about me dragging Lee's name through the mud… I dunno. Anyway," he continued, folding his arms. "Even with a wally like that, you've been a good mate through my weird funk, and for as long as we've known each other,"

He turned from the fire, and again Dolly noticed those specks of gold.

"I'm glad you moved to Postwick," he ended as his face broke a soft smile.

After being friends for so many years, Dolly had seen his megawatt grin a thousand times before, but never such a tender smile. Why was this time… different? Why did it make her stomach feel tight? What was that odd sensation as if another thousand Butterfree exploded into her gut?

"And I know things have been hard for you too lately, what with the whole country learning about this rubbish… Numel… noodle…"

"Nuzlocke."

"Right, Nuzlocke Curse. I think you're doing an ace job despite all of it, and I'm happy to call you my rival. You're always pushing me to be my best, and I'm glad you respect me enough to never go easy on me. It's really helped me grow."

Dolly had never seen such sincerity in his eyes before. She swallowed. The air definitely seemed thicker, and she wondered if Hop could hear how hard her heart was beating. She needed to focus on what he was saying, and not the way he was looking at her. Or how close he was sitting. Or the gold specks that shone in his eyes in the glow of the firelight. Or how soft his lips looked.

She tore her eyes away from his and to the fire, which was almost out at this point, and tucked her nose into Jackson's fur. Hop's hand brushed hers and electricity shot through her, sparking a current in the nerves that were otherwise silent, and Dolly hesitated before turning again. Hop had inched his way closer still, and his eyelids drooped as the glow of the forest highlighted his face.

"I know we can get through these things together," he said.

She nodded. Together. Right. Together because they were friends. Best friends. Even throughout all of their time being best friends, they had sat this close before, but why was this time… different? Why, of all times, was she just now noticing these little aspects about him?

Was it a trick of the light or was he leaning in? Why would he be leaning in? Did she want him to be leaning in? Why were his half-lidded eyes so overwhelming? Why did her skin feel so hot? Why was she so sweaty? Had she never looked at his lips before now? She looked from his jawline to his nose, his lips, to his eyes, his lips again, up to his pink hat, his cheekbones, his lips… Dolly shook her head.

Pink hat...? She squinted harder and gasped.

"There's an Impidimp on your head!"

"What?"

The Impidimp stuck out its tongue, spun around, smacked its butt, and leaped onto Hudson's mane. Dolly jumped forward as it started pulling on her hair, then it clambered over her head, slung down her bangs, snatched her glasses, used her face as a springboard, and ran towards the forest. Pink splotches littered their camp as Dolly squinted to make out any semblance of a figure, but unfortunately the darkness and her sub-par eyesight was not a helpful combination.

"Hey, get back here!" she yelped, rising to her feet and accidentally tossing Jackson to the ground.

Hop was up before she was, yelling obscenities at the retreating Impidimp. She could just make out the blue of his jacket before she heard a whinny from Hudson, a snap, and the tinkle of glass.

"Whoops…" Hudson muttered.

"Dolls, this place is filled with Ponyta! Sprtizee, too! No wonder it smelled so weird!"

Dolly squinted around, to no avail, as she only could make out blobs of color throughout their camp.

"Ugh, what's going on?" Jackson mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes.

From the dark fuzziness came Hop, holding a Spritzee in his arms. It mewed softly and a thick sweet smell wafted around them - vanilla and honeysuckle. Dolly had to move her head close to the Pokémon to get a good glance.

"What's the deal, Spritzee?"

The Pokémon giggled.

"Ponyta mentioned," it said as it flapped a wing toward a white and pink lump by the fire. "That there was a lot of intense emotions somewhere around here, so we came to investigate. It's so rare we find two cuties like you both, so we simply had to make the romantic ambiance perfect!"

The heat in Dolly's cheeks flared again as she quickly glanced to Hop, who was watching her as the two of them conversed.

"Well," she coughed out. "Um. I don't know what that could have been about. So that really wasn't necessary... and, you also attracted some Impidimps, and now my glasses are broken. How do you expect me to get out of the Glimwood Tangle now?"

"Oh, those Impidimps…" the Spritzee grumbled. "Always ruining our matchmaking plans. Well, all you have to do is follow the green mushrooms!"

It squirmed out of Hop's arms and fluttered to the ground.

"But don't let us interfere, back to where you were, now!" the Spritzee said, pushing behind Hop's knees. He stumbled forward into Dolly and she braced her hands against his chest, their faces only inches apart.

Ahem. Wow. He was… uh. Firm. That. Yeah. Wow.

The Spritzee giggled and skipped off toward the other pink and purple shapes surrounding the glowing embers. The bushes rustled as the colors faded into the blackness behind them.

After a moment, and then a moment after that, Hop stood up straight and cleared his throat.

"Um, s-sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"Y-yeah, you're fine," she mumbled, jerking her hands off his chest and into her pockets.

"What did the Spritzee say? What were they gathered around us for?" he asked, still standing a hair too close.

"Uh, it said that…"

She couldn't bring herself to look into the eyes of her best mate, partially because she actually couldn't see him. But, even now that the thick, pink air was starting to evaporate, the fluttering in her stomach was still full force.

"It said that they came to investigate because we..."

She froze. No, that couldn't be it. There… that… no. That would be weird. There was no ambiance, that Ponyta probably just ate a weird mushroom… or something.

"Because they smelled the curry! Yes, that's what it said," Dolly continued. "They stopped by to see if there was any more."

"That's not what it said!" Jackson protested, hopping up at her.

She could still feel Hop's eyes on her. She wondered if he could see the sweat beginning to prickle on her brow.

"Huh, we should have made extra, they were probably hungry then," he huffed, setting his hands on his hips.

Dolly let out a puff of air she didn't realize she was holding.

"That doesn't fix the situation about your glasses, though. Sorry about that, Dolls… maybe once we get to Ballonlea we can get you another pair."

"Hopefully," she replied. "Not sure how I'm going to get through the rest of the forest when everything looks like a green fuzzy blob."

"Not sure either, but right now I'm knackered," Hop said, letting out a yawn. "Let's get some shut eye and figure it out tomorrow. Assuming it's still night-time. I can't tell anything in this bloody forest."

Dolly agreed and resumed her position laying against Hudson. She rustled through her bag to find a blanket, and yawned again as Jackson clambered back into her lap.

"That's not what that Sprtizee said, why'd you lie?" Jackson huffed as he curled into a ball.

"I, well… just go to sleep, Jackson."