Chapter 3: Wonderful Tonight

A week had passed since Pikachu's catastrophic double-bet loss and much had happened since then. Starly had evolved into Staravia, Bonsly evolved into Sudowoodo, Dawn received her Pokétech and the group met another coordinator named Zoey who actually seemed pretty nice compared to Paul. In fact, Dawn and Ash faced off against Zoey in the Jubilife Contest. Ash used Aipom while Dawn used Buneary. Both came pretty close to beating Zoey's glameow but in the end, the red-headed tomboy won and took home the Jubilife Ribbon.

Still, Pikachu was majorly impressed with his friends' performances, he could already tell that that Zoey girl had potential. Throughout Buneary's contest battle with Glameow, Pikachu couldn't take his eyes off both her finesse and ingenuity, especially when the floor was frozen and Buneary managed to score several hits using Dizzy Punch and Bounce.

He wouldn't lie, when he watched her jump, evade and counterattack, he simply couldn't help but feel his heart go a million miles an hour. He figured that it was just the excitement of seeing a new contest as he hadn't seen one since traveling with May.

That was it...yeah.

After the contest, everyone was on the road to Oreburgh City for Ash's first gym battle. The gang had been travelling for most of the day before setting up camp in a nice grassy field. As the trainers prepared the camp and dinner, Pikachu enjoyed his free time hanging out with the other Pokémon. With all of the craziness from the past few days with Staravia and Sudowoodo, Pikachu didn't have any time to properly congratulate Buneary on her performance aside from the brief moment he saw her after the contest ended but she had to return back to her Pokéball so they could get on the move again.

It was strange, he couldn't explain why but the more he congratulated her, the more he began to gush over her performance like he was her personal cheerleader. Heh, given what he said to her last week, it wasn't too surprising.

"(And then you kept jumping on that glameow backwards while she was sliding on the ice!)" Pikachu declared, waving his arms in the air for dramatic effect. "(She didn't stand a chance!)"

"(Teehee oh stop~!)" Buneary beamed, her paws on her cheeks, trying her best to act like she wasn't soaking up the compliments like a sponge.

"(I'm serious, freezing the floor like that was super clever! I dunno if I would've thought of something that smart in battle.)" He said, briefly looking away in a moment of modesty.

"(Tsk, oh puh-lease!)" Buneary exclaimed, rolling her eyes before hopping over to Pikachu and began to pet his head with an unrolled ear. "(That's rich coming from you Mr. Bubble Jumper!)"

Pikachu was a little surprised both by the nickname and by the sudden display of affection. Come to think of it, that was another thing that's happened in the past week. Ever since that double-battle, Buneary had become a lot more confident around others. She seemed to be hiding behind her fluff a lot less these days and was much more open to talking. There were times when she would eat next to Pikachu without any sort of awkward shyness or times when she would talk to him and she would be the one to start the conversation or times when she would make jokes with him without any problem.

...Huh. Actually it seemed that all of those moments of shyness involved him. Was it something he said? Did he give some sort of off-putting vibe? Or did he usually have something on his face and she was too polite to say anything? Well regardless, he was sure she was shy around everyone else and he just didn't notice it.

Pikachu felt Buneary's ear continue to pet his head and his thoughts circled back to the little nickname she gave him.

"(Mr. Bubble Jumper huh? Don't know if that'll stick.)" He said, trying to stifle an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his head.

"(Sure it can! I think it's catchy, just rolls off the tongue.)" Buneary giggled, ceasing her petting.

Pikachu felt a tingle go up his spine. Good lord a nickname now? And it's something as silly as Mr. Bubble Jumper? Nothing more intimidating or cooler? Oh man if Aipom didn't have enough material to tease him with before, she'll have a field day with this.

"(Ummm, I'm not sure...)" He began to say, feeling a wave of shyness beginning to overtake him.

Buneary momentarily stared at him, just long enough to notice his expression. She giggled, "(It's okay, it can just be between us, like an inside joke or something.)"

"(Really?)" He asked somewhat bashfully.

"(Sure! In fact I can just use the initials. So you can be Mr. B. J-oh...)" She suddenly paused before seemingly starting to stare past him. Pikachu only blinked in confusion, not catching on at all.

A few moments passed before Buneary suddenly bust into a fit of laughter. Pikachu continued to stare at her. Yup, still not getting it.

Finally calming herself down, Buneary wiped away a tear. "(Okay maybe that wouldn't work, we can think of a new nickname.)" She said, her smile remaining.

"(Okay good.)" Pikachu said relieved, his ears flattening against his head.

"(Hmmm…)" Buneary thought aloud, placing a paw to her chin, in deep thought. She stared back at him. "(How about Mouse? Or Mousey?) She asked, smiling even wider this time, a hint of tease behind it.

Pikachu felt his face begin to heat up. Oh heavens above that almost sounded worse! He almost wanted to go back to Mr. Bubble Jumper!

"(U-umm...)" He stammered, unable to think of anything to say in response.

"(Hmmm yeah, that's a little too simple I guess. I mean, clearly you're a mouse, I might as well just call you by your name. Hmmm...)" She said before taking up the same contemplative look. "(Oh wait! How about Pika?)" She exclaimed, suddenly beaming and looking directly at him.

Pika? That's…better? It was certainly better than the other nicknames. Still, something about it seemed a tad…what was the word? Flirty? Almost?

"(I-I guess that's better.)" He managed to say, still feeling a little embarrassed, he looked away.

"(Then it's settled! From now on, you're Pika…t-to me.)" She said suddenly going from excitement to her old shy, stammering ways. Pikachu tried to avoid eye contact but he swore that he could see her face getting a bit redder.

"(Sounds good I guess heh.)" He chuckled when he quickly realized something. "(Say...actually if you're giving me a nickname, I should give you one!)" He said pointing at her.

"(Huh? Oh umm sure?)" She said, a little taken by surprise.

"(Okay let's see...)" Pikachu said before adopting the same thinking pose that she used. "(Oooh, how about Vortex Climber? Or Backwards Bouncer?)" He said feeling a sudden thrill.

Buneary suddenly looked somewhat horrified at the suggested new names. "(Ummm a bit...action-y don't you think?)" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"(Really? I think it sounds cool! I can shorten it to V.C or B.B if you want!)" He chuckled.

Buneary herself couldn't help but laugh again. As ridiculous as the conversation was, she was clearly having a good time. And so was he.

"(Okay, okay, maybe I can just do the same thing you did. How about just Bun?)" He asked when he was finally done laughing.

"(Works for me!)" She said before taking a moment to think before her another smile appeared on her face. "(Well that or Bun Bun works too~)" She said, winking at him.

"(S-sounds good.)" Pikachu stammered, again caught off guard by her display of affection.

It seemed that with her increasing confidence, she was definitely showing more apparent fondness. It was starting to become a routine thing. The first time was when she nuzzled him after the double-battle and stuff like only kept happening as the days went on. Like petting him on the head with her ear or playfully punching him on the arm when making a joke and now nicknames. It must be because she was an affectionate Pokémon at heart. Yeah, like when she showed the same affection to Staravia when...no wait actually he couldn't remember anything like that happening with them. Well he was sure with Piplup she...nope nothing. Surely she and Turtwig at one point...no wait, he couldn't think of anything either. Huh.

Actually speaking of that double-battle, it had already been a week and Pikachu still couldn't figure out what that strange feeling was. And that trance he went into when he looked into her eyes. It certainly wasn't anything he felt when he saw and helped his teammates in the past win a battle. This was just...different.

...Not to mention that Aipom was taking her sweet time with that double bet. She must be giving it a lot of thought. Ooh boy it's probably gonna be a doozy huh? Still, he didn't regret losing the bet if it meant he helped Buneary win. Especially after that ice bubble vortex display.

Pikachu turned his attention back to Buneary's smiling face. He could feel a warmth spread out from his chest just like when he saw her twirling in midair. Trying to ignore it, he tried moving on to another subject.

"(Seriously though, you were really something out there in that contest.)" He said sincerely though he could feel his heart beginning to beat faster.

"(Thanks! Even though we didn't win...)" She said somewhat dejectedly.

"(It's okay! You'll only get better with more practice. Actually, just do that same quick thinking you did with that bubble vortex and I guarantee nobody else will stand a chance!)" He said reassuringly, trying his best to lift her spirits.

"(Yeah totally! Actually, I do have some new ideas for future contests. Like maybe I can try ice skating or making ice sculptures!)" She said, bouncing back from her depression.

"(That sounds great! You've gotta show me when you've got it down!)" Pikachu said, glad to see her smile return and feeling pumped for seeing more of what she had in store.

"(All in due time, and I expect you'll be there cheering me on~?)" She asked, holding onto her fluff while stepping closer to him.

"(You bet! All the way and back!)" He said with a confident smile.

"(Good, 'cus I'll be cheering you the whole way on too~)" She said before nuzzling into his fur.

"(C-can't wait.)" Pikachu managed to stutter, feeling all of the blood rushing to his face.

The next day, Ash's group continued their journey to Oreburgh City. After spending the morning walking down the forest trail they finally came across a little village. Soon after walking around, they stopped at a restaurant to discuss how long it would be until they reached their destination. As they were discussing this, Dawn couldn't help but glance at something across the room. Curious, she got up from their table to grab a flyer off the wall. It was a flyer that they had all actually seen a few times scattered around the village and even prior to arriving here. As she got up, she left Brock and Ash who were enjoying some coffee and pastries at the table. Pikachu was sitting on the table with them eating some specially-prepared Pokémon food.

"So if we keep going the way we're going, we'll be there in about three days." Brock said looking at a map before taking a sip of coffee.

"Awesome! I can't wait to really get my journey started with my first badge!" Ash exclaimed, leaning backwards and nearly causing his chair to tip over.

"(Me too!)" Pikachu said in between bites.

"Hey guys look what I found!" Dawn said as she walked back over to the table, carrying the flyer.

"Huh? What's that?" Ash asked, looking at what Dawn was holding.

"Check it out!" She said as she held the flyer to her friends' faces. Both of them blinked in unison as they read it. Pikachu leaned over to also get a look. On the top of the flyer was a golden crest with the initials "B.B". Below it was a description:

Buckingham Blue Palace Night Gala!

Any and all with a Sinnoh contest pass are able to come and bring guests! There will be food, entertainment and an opportunity to make connections in the exciting land of Sinnoh and beyond! All are welcome!

This gala is fundraising for charities, foundations, Pokémon Centers and university research among many others. Any attendees may bring up to two Pokémon. Hosted by the charitable billionaire philanthropist, Bartholomew Buckingham III.

"A gala? Isn't that for fancy people?" Ash asked curiously.

"It's an event where you can meet new people, enjoy great food, wonderful music and oh the outfits!" Dawn beamed, becoming lost in her imagination. Soon she came back down to earth and continued smiling widely. "Plus, it says that all we would need to do is scan our Sinnoh contest passes and we could get in! Looks like there's plenty of available spots too!"

"That's a bit unusual, usually you need to get invited to attend galas like that." Brock said, a little disbelieving.

"It's hosted by one of the richest people in all of Sinnoh at one of the largest estates, it's gotta be a huge event where almost anyone can go!" Dawn excitedly said.

"Er, that's great and all Dawn. I'm assuming you want to go?" Brock laughed.

"Sure do! C'mon it'll be fun! Besides we've been on the road for waaay too long now!" Dawn beseeched with a look of hope on her face.

"But…the gym battle…." Ash muttered, although he had to admit he was a little intrigued by this. It wasn't often he got to meet potentially important people so soon into his journey.

"The gym battle can wait. Just think of all the trainers and Pokémon there! People from all over Sinnoh are going, plus you might actually pick up some good advice here and there if you mingle." Dawn said, trying to sound enticing.

"Well…." Ash trailed off, his eyes going towards the ceiling. He finally smiled and shrugged. "Sure why not?"

"Woohoo yess!" Dawn pumped a fist in the air.

"(This'll be interesting…)" Pikachu muttered with a smile as he let out a small, exasperated sigh, ears drooping.

"So when's the event?" Brock asked, lifting his coffee mug to take a sip.

Dawn held the flyer up to her face to re-read it. "It says two days from now. It also says that formal attire is required, including the Pokémon. So we'll have to get you guys some tuxes."

"Aww man! What about hats?" Ash asked while gripping the aforementioned headwear.

"Hmmm, looks like you'll have to go the night hat-less Ash." Dawn remarked, feigning sadness.

"Oh great…" Ash said, folding his arms and leaning back.

"Then it's settled, you guys get some tuxes and I'll go shopping for dresses!" Dawn said putting her hands on her hips. "That includes you Pikachu!" She winked as she pointed at Pikachu who merely laughed awkwardly.

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Brock said smiling as Ash nodded. Brock's expression changed as he thought of something else. "Wait, it says we can bring up to two Pokémon. So who are we bringing?"

Both Ash and Dawn looked at each other and then to the ceiling in deep thought.

"Well I think I'll bring Pikachu, that's for sure." Ash thought aloud.

"(Naturally.)" Pikachu said with a proud smile, paws on his hips.

"And I only have Piplup and Buneary, so that settles that." Dawn said shrugging.

"Hmmm, I'll have to see if Croagunk and Sudowoodo even want to go to this. Ash you'll have to think if you want to bring another Pokémon." Brock said before downing his coffee.

"You can think of that as you're picking out your tuxes so c'mon!" Dawn shouted as she grabbed both Ash and Brock's arms and led them to the front counter to pay for their food and drink.

"(Hey wait up!)" Pikachu exclaimed as he ran behind them.

Two days later, the eve of the gala was upon them. At the hotel room Pikachu stared at himself in the mirror as he adjusted his bowtie. He was dressed in a miniature black and white tuxedo curtesy of yesterday's shopping spree. He always found wearing clothes so strange though, it was such a human thing to do and even though he'd worn more unusual things in the past, this suit was certainly more high-maintenance.

After scanning their Sinnoh contest passes, Ash and Dawn received their tickets to the gala, bringing Brock as their guest. Likewise, everyone else was formally dressed, both Ash and Brock in suits and bowties and just like Pikachu, Ash wasn't very accustomed to wearing something so high-class, especially without his hat. Likewise, both Piplup and Croagunk were wearing their own miniature tuxes.

Dawn meanwhile had put a lot more thought into her outfit as she had chosen a stunning golden dress with matching bows and heels. Aipom wore an emerald-green dress that sparkled which was something that she absolutely insisted on when shopping with Dawn. Buneary notably was wearing a radiant baby blue dress, almost metallic appearing with light blue flowers on her ears to match. As he continued to adjust his bowtie, Pikachu couldn't help but give a small smile upon remembering when he first saw her in that dress.

All the guys were in the same hotel room, putting on the finishing touches to their suits before they heard a knock at the door.

"C'mon in!" Brock said as he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt.

Dawn slowly opened the door and waltzed in, making sure to show off the fabulousness of her dress. "What do ya think?" She asked, twirling in place.

"Nice dress Dawn! Really suits you!" Brock said with a smile.

"Yeah totally!" Ash said with equal enthusiasm.

"Thanks! You guys don't look too shabby yourselves!" Dawn happily said.

"(Naturally!)" Piplup said, flippers on hips.

"And now, I present to you, the gals of the gala!" Dawn proclaimed as she stepped to the side to introduce Buneary and Aipom who both twirled into the room before curtsying.

All in the room applauded in approval, Pikachu a little harder than everyone else.

"(Thank you, thank you! You're too kind!)"Aipom said with a smile.

"(No prob! You both look amazing!)" Pikachu said.

"(Thanks and you-huh?)" Buneary said as she looked up from her curtsy before her expression suddenly changed. She merely stared at him, causing him to feel a little nervous.

"(Umm…do I have something on my face or something?)" Pikachu asked confusedly.

Buneary hopped over to him. "(No, it's just that…you look so…)" She said as she eyed him up and down. Pikachu suddenly felt very self-conscious before she looked into his eyes."(Adorable!)" She proclaimed with a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling.

Not exactly expecting that, Pikachu couldn't help but let out a sudden chuckle. "(Oh um, thanks?)"

Seeing his reaction, Buneary's smile dipped a little. "(Oh, maybe not adorable.)" She said before her smile returned full force and started batting her eyelashes at him. "(You definitely look more handsome~)"

Oooh boy, definitely wasn't expecting that either. Pikachu felt his cheeks beginning to burn again. "(T-thanks, you uhh, definitely look wonderful, c-color really suits you.)" He managed to stammer as he rubbed the back of his head.

"(Thanks!)" She said as she did another twirl. "(I picked it myself! Baby blue is definitely my color-type! Had to look my best for tonight after all!)"

Unbeknownst to either of them, Piplup and Aipom exchanged excited glances before trying their best to stifle their giggles.

"Alright guys, we're practically ready, if you need us, we'll be in our room.)" Dawn said beaming.

"(Alrighty see you in a few! Just need to make sure we got everything!)" Ash said with a smile before Dawn and the girls left the room.

Heh, Buneary sure was a quirky one. Still, Pikachu had to admit that she definitely made things a lot more interesting than they would otherwise be. After adjusting his bowtie, Pikachu reached for a small bottle of cologne and spritzed it on himself. Can't go to a fancy gala smelling like he just came off the battlefield can he? Taking one last look in the mirror, Pikachu nodded with a smile. Showtime!

After following the directions on their passes, the group finally walked up to the front entrance. Or rather the gate that led to the massive garden that eventually led to the entrance of the luxurious mansion.

"Woah, they weren't kidding when they called it a palace!" Ash exclaimed as he gazed upon the estate that made any other mansion he'd seen look like studio apartments.

They stood outside the incredibly large, ostentatious golden front gate that had the initials "B.B" on it. Behind them some cars and limos went in and out of the large gravel parking area, trying to find a place to park. It may have been a small trek to get there but it was worth not fighting over finding a spot to leave a car. By some miracle, they managed to avoid waiting in the line for too long to get their tickets checked.

The turnout looked insane. It seems everyone from the four corners of the world heard about this event and made it their priority to attend. Jeez, the attendance must be in the hundreds.

"Hello there!" cried out a voice that made everyone nearly jump and stare in the same direction. Approaching them was a fairly young woman with light brown hair that bordered on blonde. In her hands she was holding a touchscreen computer and had an energetic look in her eyes.

"Welcome to the Buckingham Blue Palace or Buckingham Blue for short! My name is Laura Nicks and I'm the event organizer for this gala!" The spunky lady said.

"Hi there! I'm Ash, this is Dawn and Brock. We heard about this event and wanted to come check it out!" Ash said smiling.

"Well do please enjoy yourselves! We have plenty of food, dancing, music and even later, karaoke!" Laura said.

"Awesome, I can't wait to meet some other coordinators here!" Dawn excitedly said.

"And I can't wait to see the other trainers and their Pokémon!" Ash followed.

"And I can't wait for you to see my performance at tonight's karaoke!" Brock suddenly proclaimed as he ran up to Laura, grabbed her hand and knelt down in front of her. "My love for you can only be expressed in the most romantic of songs!" He said before suddenly getting up with a fire in his eyes, his fist clenched and raised to the heavens. "It's the only way to show the burning passion in my heart for you!" He exclaimed before suddenly feeling a familiar jab in his side.

"Just…like…the burning pain in my siiiiide…" Brock managed to say before he groaned and keeled over and was promptly dragged off by Croagunk to parts unknown. Everyone -as usual- stared at them before changing the subject.

"Umm anyway, there'll be plenty of time to mingle and then in two hours Mr. Buckingham will be hosting the charity event! After that, any recreational activities will be available for the next two hours." Laura said, her smile returning.

"Great! Can't wait!" Ash said.

"Enjoy yourselves then!" Laura said before walking off to greet more approaching attendees.

It didn't take long for the group to get their passes checked and were allowed to pass through the gate into the impressively large front garden. They walked in between the red velvet ropes to the large porch and finally entered the palace.

The palace was just as they expected: large, opulent, marble and incredibly shiny and clean. Adorned along the walls were exquisite pictures and paintings that - they were almost certain - were rather expensive. Occasionally they saw the same golden "B.B" crest on the walls and marble statues of people and Pokémon as they passed several rooms to get into the ballroom where most of the attendees were.

To say that the ballroom was massive was a major understatement. It could easily fit over a hundred people with plenty of room to spare. Upon entering the room, to the left was an entrance that led to a rather large conference room. Opposite to that was a stage with a podium and microphone, no doubt for speeches or for a band to play.

Seeing the attendees appearing to enjoy themselves and mingling, not to mention more of them coming in with each passing moment, the three young trainers looked at each other and nodded.

"Alright everyone, whaddya say that we introduce ourselves?" Ash asked with a confident voice.

"Alright!" Dawn said.

"Sure!" Brock followed.

"(Can't wait!)" Pikachu and the rest of the Pokémon said in agreement. Well except for Croagunk who just stared blankly.

With that, the group walked throughout the ballroom full of people and began mingling with anyone that had a friendly face. This event was sure to be an interesting one.

Author's Notes:

And so it begins…

Not much to say for now other than that this chapter and the next two were originally going to be one, very long chapter but as the word count started reaching 15K, it was probably best to split them up into a mini arc.

Funnily enough, as I was halfway writing through this part of the story, I ended up attending an event for a gala, completely out of the blue! Strange how life can be sometimes eh?

Up next, an actual long chapter. Until then, Carson55 signing off!

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to any American readers!