Hey there, it's Rider of Black here and I'm here to present to you my new story for Valentine's Day. It'll be a one-shot based on Pokémon Desolation that'll revolve around an OC of my creation and Rosetta. Note that as I've mentioned in my bio, it has no connection to Julius and his story arc. With that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy my latest work.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Desolation, it's the property of its creators.

Celia City, the City of Moonlight. Nestled right in the middle of the Ayrith Region, it served as the region's capital city. It boasted a population of just over 3 million, with people from all over the world calling it home. The city was separated into five distinct areas, each one different from the last. The docks to the west is where a majority of tourists arrive, either to enter the city or take a ship to Blackview City. The entertainment district to the east houses a gigantic amusement park, though it's been closed for over a year in order due to all the rides being in need of repairs. The northern district of the city serves as the industrial heartland of Ayrith, as well as being the main base of operations for the infamous Black Foxes. The southern district was where all the less fortunate people resided and was also home to the Cellian Police Force. And then there was the central district, the heart of the city. Featuring large skyscrapers that are as bright as the stars at night, it was no wonder that many refer to it as the 'Jewel of Ayrith'.

The central district also housed several other attractions, such as the Cellian Battleview Dome where the best trainers compete in a tournament for the privilege of challenging Rosetta to a Gym battle. As the region's Fairy-type leader, and the mayor of the city, she is often regarded as one of the most powerful people in the entire region. But despite wielding such power, she goes above and beyond in keeping the city populace happy and in good condition. Her place of residence is the Celia Manor, a three-story mansion that lies 1.5 kilometers south of the Battleview Dome. She lives there alongside Mana, a shiny Gardevoir that acts as her maid, and Richard, a young teenager that acts as her personal assistant. Though he was born in an overseas region, his diligent attitude and optimistic outlook on life was able to win her over.

The alarm in his room began blaring, the groggy teen sliding his arm from underneath the quilt and pressed the snooze button, a tired look in his eyes. Sitting up in bed, he rubbed his eyes for a few seconds before climbing out of it. Approaching the mirror, the young teen got to work tiding himself up, staring off by brushing his messy blonde hair. His calm blue eyes were fixed on the mirror, a charming smile plastered on his face as he finished tiding up his hair. From there, he proceeded to get dressed for the day, putting on his recognizable black and red jacket over a white t-shirt, topped off with navy blue jeans and red sandshoes. Taking his blue and red baseball cap off his desk, he placed it over his head and made his way downstairs, awaiting his orders for the day. Upon arriving downstairs, he took a seat by the large dining table in the entrance hall, his attention soon directed to the front door as a familiar face stepped inside the manor.

"Ah, good morning Richard. Finally decided to wake up, eh?" Rosetta greeted her assistant, an amused smile on her flawless face. Asides from her leadership over the city, the one thing she was most well-known for was her good looks. Her long, luscious purple hair reached her back, her body slender yet had abundant curves in all the right places. But what was a little surprising was her choice of attire; instead of her usual Grand Idol outfit, she was wearing a black business suit. Perhaps she had been at an important meeting while the young teen was asleep. Whatever the case, it seems that she wasn't finished for the day.

"Good morning, ma'am. How can I help you today?" Richard greeted back.

"No need to act so formal around me…" The Gym Leader giggled lightly, flicking through her folder before taking out a sheet of paper. "Anyway, I've got some important business in Blackview City that'll last until this evening. If you can sort out these minor requests for me, that would be greatly appreciated."

"Certainty. I need to head out into the city anyway, so it should be easy to complete these requests." The blonde teen accepted, receiving the paper from his boss as he read it carefully. The first request is from the Cellian Police department, something about a rogue Pokémon running wild. Guess he'll have to team up with Garret again, not that he disliked it or anything.

"Try not to take too long with the first request; last thing I want is for his attitude to rub off on you." Rosetta told him, picking up her handbag off the kitchen counter. "Well, I'm off, I'll see you later tonight."

"See you later, ma—Rosetta!" Richard called out, watching his boss exit the manor as he now had some time to himself. He was blessed with an opportunity to prepare a special Valentine's gift for her, without her knowledge about it. Eager to win the praise and affection of his long-time crush, he stormed out of the building in a hurry, and made his way to the cities southern district, making sure to bring his Pokémon with him, as he knew just how dangerous the place could get at night. Around fifteen minutes later, the blonde teen made his way through the security post and entered the rundown district, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. Making his way down the dirty streets, he passed by several members of Garret's crew, the scruffy men giving him stern, unfriendly glares. While they didn't care for Richard on account of him being Rosetta's assistant, they knew that Garret liked him, so they kept their distance from him. Eventually, he made it to the district's police headquarters, which also served as Garret's gym; knocking briskly on the door, he was given permission to enter the building.

"'Bout time you paid me a visit. Come, take a seat!" Garret called out to the teen, gesturing him to take a seat in front of his desk. He was a fairly tall man with dark-brown skin, short white hair and brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a tan long-sleeve jacket and matching pants, with a dark blue undershirt and a pair of boots. He also wore a brown wide-brimmed hat that had the logo for the Cellian Police Force. "Now then, I take it you're here for business?"

"Yes and no." Richard replied, the older man raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "I was asked by Rosetta to assist you in handling a rogue Pokémon."

"Heh, she knows she isn't welcome here, so she sends her lapdog in her place…" The older man muttered under his breath, redirecting his attention to the teenager before him. "Anyway, we've received reports about a Nidoking running rampant in the city sewers. I have no idea how it got there, nor do I care about it, but we need to take care of it as soon as possible."

"Sounds easy; I'll take care of it in a flash." The blonde teen replied confidently, an amused chuckle escaping from the police chief.

"Now that's what I want to here! I'll take you to where it's been sighted; I could use some entertainment today." Garret smiled, an amused look on his face as he hopped off his seat and escorted Richard out of the building. From there, the duo made their way to the alley behind the building, stopping before a big manhole. Gingerly removing the lid, the duo began their descent into the dimly lit sewers beneath the city, an indescribable odor attacking the pair immediately.

"Ack! The stench here is awful! Can't believe I have to walk through this dingy place…" Richard complained, pinching his nostrils closed.

"Seems your master's daintiness is rubbing off on you…" The tall man snickered to himself, his gaze fixed on a series of tracks on the ground. "Well, what do you know? The rogue Pokémon wants us to find it. Can't complain, it makes things easier for us."

Opting to follow the tracks, the duo made their way through the sewers, making sure to avoid falling into the dirty water rushing beneath their feet. A few minutes later, they arrived at a T-junction connecting the southern district to the central district, an ominous sight before them. Standing at the point where the two paths meet was the Nidoking, an enraged snarl on its face. It began slamming its thick tail into the metal wall, creating a very large dent that grew with each slam.

"If that thing keeps it up, who knows how much damage it could cause. I'm going to fix this right away!" The blonde teen called out, sending out his Krookodile to handle the situation. Eyeing up the Nidoking, the crocodile lunged at the imposing creature, sweeping it off its feet with its thick tail as the Drill Pokémon cried out in surprise. Picking itself up off the ground, the Nidoking glared at the Krookodile and jabbed it with its sharp horn, causing the latter to stagger back and put a hand over the wound. Snorting in anger, the crocodile slammed its tail into the ground, creating a powerful tremor that caused the Drill Pokémon to stagger on the spot, rendering it vulnerable. Seizing this opportunity, the Krookodile lunged at it and tackled it, sending it flying into the wall as it banged its head against the steel surface, falling onto the ground and remained motionless.

"A little too short for my liking, but I can't complain…" Garret commented, pressing a small button on his phone to notify his crew. A few minutes later, four men armed with a net arrived on scene, placing it over the injured Nidoking and began the extraction process. "Once we patch this thing up, we'll ship it to an uninhabited island and release it. They're a durable species, so it shouldn't have any issues surviving out there."

"That's good to hear." Richard replied, watching the officers carefully make their way back out the sewers. "I'd still like to know how it got down here."

"Could've been property of the Black Foxes for all I know; doesn't surprise me that they aren't strong enough to keep it under their thumb." The police chief proposed, redirecting his attention to the teenager. "An earlier comment you made got me curious; what other business do you have today, asides from small requests here and there?"

"Well…" The teenager began, a faint blush of embarrassment forming on his face. "I was hoping to find the perfect Valentine's gift for Rosetta today…ehehehe."

Garret quietly stared at the blonde teen for a few seconds, before a toothy grin soon formed on his face. "Well, well. I didn't know you had it in you, you sly dog. Guess you had an ulterior motive all along when you decided to become her assistant."

"I-I have no ulterior motive!" Richard retorted quickly. "I genuinely enjoy being her assistant. It's just that I felt like treating her tonight…"

"Well, I hope you don't mind shelling out, because she's got expensive taste, if you know what I mean." The tall man warned him, an idea forming in his mind. "As a matter of fact, I know where you can start things off. There's a candy store in the central district that I frequent often. I'm sure there's something there that'll suit her taste."

"Thanks for the suggestion. I'll go there right awa—" The blonde teen began, only for Garret to rest his hand on his shoulder.

"No so fast, kid. As it turns out, that candy store is connected to another one of your requests; I read the paper while you weren't looking. Apparently, the Black Foxes are using it as a base of operations, and it's your job to clear them out. But because I'm such a nice guy, I'll help you out on this one." Garret offered, although Richard knew that he was only interested in the candy.

"I appreciate your kind offer, thank you very much. Now then, let's deal with the matter as soon as possible." The teenager accepted the offer, the duo thankfully making their way out of the sewers.

0000

Having arrived at their destination 35 minutes later, the duo surveyed their surroundings, but weren't able to find anything that indicated the Black Foxes were here. Garret made his way to the front door and opened it, but it was locked up tightly, much earlier than it should've been. Quietly taking out his lockpicking kit, he got to work unlocking the door, a look of confusion on Richard's face.

"I didn't know you had a lockpicking kit; I thought you would've busted the door down like you did back then." The blonde teen commented.

"There's a time and a place for busting things down, and now isn't the time. Last thing I want is Little Miss Rosie chewing me out for breaking down a door." Garret replied, a light 'click' emanating from the lock as a look of satisfaction formed on his face. "There we go; now to smoke some Foxes out of their hole!"

Quietly entering the candy store, the blonde teen was taken aback by the sheer variety before his eyes. There were hundreds—no, thousands of different sweets stacked neatly into the shelves, ranging from gummies to lollipops to chocolates and even some overseas candy. As tempted as Richard was to pick something out for his gift, he knew he had a job to do. Making his way to the backroom with Garret in tow, the teenager opened the door and crept inside, hiding behind a few boxes as the duo eavesdropped on the ensuring conversation.

"Are you sure it's wise to set up a base here? It'll only be a matter of time before we're caught." A Black Fox asked their superior.

"Don't be ridiculous, the owner's one of us. We can disguise ourselves as employees to avoid rousing suspicion. Besides, sinking our paws into legitimate operations is a great way to earn additional funding for our operations." The lieutenant answered, their somewhat deep tone indicating they were male.

"It'll take more than a simple candy store to rake in the dough, boss." A second Fox chimed in.

"I know, I've been working on this plan for at least three months now. I've been eyeing up that Evolution Store in the north, a few carnival stands in the eastern district, and even that underground fight club in the sewers. It'll take some honeyed words, but I'm confident that our plan will succeed." The lieutenant reassured his sub-ordinates.

"Better save those honeyed words for the pol—" Richard emerged from his hiding spot, only to step back in surprise at the sight before him. "H-Hardy?!"

"Richard?!" The now-named Hardy exclaimed in surprise as well, not expecting to see him in a compromised position like this. He was in his everyday outfit, which consisted of a black jacket, grey undershirt, black tracksuit pants with a white stripe running down the this wasn't the first time the teen encountered his friend working with the Black Foxes, it never ceased to surprise him. "Look, I know this may look bad, but I can explain."

"By all means, go ahead…" Garret called out, a look of interest on his face. "Don't mind me, I'm just here for the drama."

Eyeing up the police chief wearily, the Black Fox lieutenant ran his fingers through his messy brown hair as he began his side of the story. "Long story short, the Black Foxes are in need of additional funding, so we decided to infiltrate a few businesses here and there, hoping to generate the revenue we need. What we need it for though, I cannot tell you."

"So in other words, The Black Foxes are preparing something big?" Richard began, his friend's sub-ordinates reaching for their Pokéballs. "I'll be honest here, if you're hoping to eliminate a rival gang or something, try not to cause too much damage. The last thing I want is to spend the next week or so assessing damages to the city; trust me, that is not fun at all. Moreover, I have some important business here, and I am not interested in paying your leaders any hidden fees. So, if you could set up shop somewhere else, that would be appreciated."

"The kid's got a point; I couldn't care less if you Foxes wipe out the rest of the scum infecting the region, it makes things easier for me after all, but don't drag this store into it. This is the ONLY place in the central district I care for, and I won't let you crooks tarnish it's good name!" Garret chimed in, reaching for a Pokéball as well. The air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife, both sides itching for a battle. However, Hardy was willing to defuse the situation, an idea forming in his mind.

"Very well, we'll keep our hands out of this store. We were caught red-handed, so it was only a matter of time before we'd get thrown in the slammer." Hardy conceded, gesturing his sub-ordinates to stand down. Shooting a quick glance at Richard, a cocky smile started to form on his face. "It's been a while since we last battled, eh? As much as I would like to do so now, you seem to be on the busy side of things today. So, we'll settle it the next time we meet; catch you later!"

Within an instant, the Black Fox lieutenant took out a smoke grenade and threw it to the ground, blanketing the room with thick smoke as the duo covered their faces. When the smoke died down, they saw that the Foxes had evacuated the premises. "They sure know how to make a hasty retreat…" The police chief commented to himself, the duo making their way back to the storefront.

"So now that the coast is clear, shall we pick something out for ourselves? I wonder what sort of candy I should get for Rosetta." Richard mused to himself.

"From what I've heard, she has a real soft spot for Urobos-made Sweet Hearts. As you can suspect, they're made in the Urobos region, which is well known for their top-tier chocolate. Unfortunately, they're also very expensive, so you better have enough cash on hand." Garret informed him. The blonde teen made his way to where the Sweet Hearts were and bought a couple, making his way to the automatic register in order to buy them. The price showed up on the digital screen, the teen's eyes widening in surprise; they really were as expensive as he heard about. Opting to suck it up, he paid for the chocolate and kept them inside a cooling bag to keep them from melting. Satisfied with his purchase, he made his way to the front exit, turning his head towards Garret.

"Thanks for helping me out today!" Richard thanked his friend.

"No worries, you helped take a lot off my plate today. Who knows, the day could come where you're my lapdog instead of hers." The tall man grinned, only to chuckle to himself. "I kid, I kid. I would never treat anyone like that; after all, that's no way to win someone's loyalty."

"Exactly." The blonde teen began, glancing at the sheet of paper in his hand. Seems he had two more requests left; assisting the florist with sorting out the cargo and stocking the jewelry store shelves. "Anyway, I have to get going. See you later, Garret!"

"See you later, Richard. Tell your master I said hello!" Garret smirked, watching the teen exit the building as he was now on his own. With all this candy before him, the police chief could tell that today was going to be a very good day.

30 minutes later

Richard had finally arrived at his next destination; the florist shop located at the docks to the west of the great city. As he expected, the area was full of dock workers transporting crates to and from the various ships resting at the docks. Briskly knocking on the door, he was soon given permission to enter by the florist, the young woman shooting a smile at the teenager.

"Good after Richard, how can I help you today?" The florist greeted him.

"I'm here to lend you a helping hand, ma'am." He replied, showing her the slip of paper. "Just point me to the cargo and I can start sorting things out."

"Wonderful! It's in the back room behind me." She gestured him to follow, the blonde teen opting to do so. Upon entering the room, he saw around half a dozen wooden crates lying against the left wall of the backroom, a series of tables lined up in front of them. "Your job will be to sort the flowers and put the on the table; for instance, the tulips go on one table, the irises on another, and so on. Please be careful with them, I'm sure you can understand why."

"Got it! I'll make sure not a single bunch is damaged." Richard pledged, the florist nodding in appreciation as he opened the first crate and began placing the bunches on the table. He sorted them as she had requested; tulips on one table, irises on another, roses on a third table, the list went on. It was nice, consistent work if a little dull; nowhere near as exciting as the previous requests. He began mulling over the ideal bunch to buy for Rosetta once he was done here, but there were so many options available. While roses were the most iconic flower to gift to your Valentine, it was also a bit cliché to do so. But at the same time, he didn't know all that much about flowers and their meanings, perhaps the florist would be happy to answer his query once his task was done. Around ten or so minutes later, he had started to build up some momentum, enabling him to sort the flowers at a quicker pace, without sacrificing carefulness. Soon enough, he had completed the first crate and moved onto the second crate, before finishing it fifteen minutes later.

As he got to work opening and sorting through the third crate, he heard someone enter the shop and began striking a conversation with the florist, his ears immediately recognizing the voice.

"Has the latest shipment been delivered?" The voice inquired, matching that of his childhood friend Ava, who happened to be the region's Grass-type Gym Leader.

"Indeed. As a matter of fact, Richard's sorting them out as we speak." The florist replied.

"Richard's here?!" Ava exclaimed, the florist nodding calmly as she gestured the green-haired girl to enter the backroom. Upon doing so, she was greeted with the sight of her friend sorting out her freshly grown flowers. "Richard, it's so good to see you!"

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Ava. I really like that new outfit you're wearing." Richard commented, noticing her new attire. Her outfit consisted of a black t-shirt that showed her midriff, and a pair of purple shorts. Additionally, she wore a purple jacket over her shirt and a pair of deep green stockings. Finally, she wore black fingerless gloves over her hand, her short green hair in a bob-cut style.

"Thanks, I decided to get some new clothes the other day; the old ones were starting to become a little too tight for my liking." She chuckled lightly. "So what brings you to this part of town?"

"Rosetta gave me a few requests to handle while she's in Blackview City. I've only got one more after this one." The blonde teen answered, continuing to sort the flowers onto the table. "By the way…what flowers would you recommend I buy for her?"

"Y-You mean to tell me you wish to buy Rosetta something for Valentine's Day?!" The Gym Leader exclaimed, taken aback by what she had just heard.

"W-Well, she's been so nice to me, and I-I figured I'd do something nice for her…" Richard answered timidly, a fierce blush starting to form on his cheeks. It was from these words that Ava knew what her friend was feeling right now.

"Awww, someone's got a crush. How adorable…" She teased him playfully, her friend flinching on the spot as his blush intensified. "Don't worry, I'll be happy to help you! As a matter of fact, I'll pitch in with the flowers as well."

"T-Thanks Ava." Richard thanked her, the green-haired girl making her way to the fifth crate and began sorting out the flowers within, opting to give her friend a rundown of their meaning at the same time.

"I'm sure you know about roses, right? They're the symbol of everlasting love; romantic, but not something I'd give to someone on the first day. Now as for the orchids, they're meant to represent luxury, fitting for someone of Rosetta's standing, but not what I would recommend. In fact, my recommendation would be the tulips, or the daisies." Ava began, placing the bunches on the table as she talked about them.

"Why would you recommend them?" The blonde inquired.

"Well, the red tulips represent love and are usually given during the first date, indicating that you would like the relationship to become more serious. But looking at you, the best gift to give her would be the daisies. These are best given when you want a friendship to develop into a more romantic relationship." She continued, the duo moving on to the final box and began sorting out the flowers. Thanks to their impeccable teamwork, they were able to sort out the flowers within a matter of minutes, the blonde teen eyeing up a pair of particularly beautiful daisies.

"I think I'll go for the daisies as you suggested." Richard replied, gently picking up the bunch. "Now all I need to do is pay for them and I'll be on my way."

Making his way to the front counter, he reported his success to the florist before asking to buy the bunch of daisies. With a polite nod, the florist scanned the flowers and stated the price, the blonde teen handing over the required payment before handing him the bunch of flowers. "Thank you so much for helping me. I've got a good feeling that I'll have a lot of customers this afternoon."

"Not a problem! I'm always happy to help you out." The blonde teen replied, directing his attention to Ava. "It was nice to see you again, Ava. Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome. I hope your little date goes well." She smiled, choosing to keep the identity of his date a secret. With a nod of appreciation, Richard exited the florist shop and made his way back to the central district for his final task.

25 minutes later

Upon arriving at the jewelry store, he was immediately greeted by the store owner, a relieved look on his face. "Thank goodness you arrived when you did; my assistant had caught a fever and is unable to help me stock the shelves." The owner thanked the young teen.

"No need to thank me; just tell me what to do and I'll be happy to help." Richard replied, eyeing up the cardboard boxes by the shelves.

"It's simple, really. All you have to do is place the merchandise in the right spot; it's fairly simple, if a bit time consuming. But if we get it done together, then you'll be able to buy something sooner." The owner informed him.

"H-How'd you know I was looking to make a purchase?" The teen inquired.

"I saw the flowers and candy you were carrying. It's easy to assume you were looking to buy something else for Valentine's Day. I won't ask who's it for, as customer privacy is one of our policies. But enough rambling, let's get a move on!" The middle-aged man answered eagerly, the duo getting to work immediately. Just as he said, the process was very easy, all he had to do was put the merchandise on the right shelves, rinse and repeat. Like with the flowers, he had to be gentle, lest he accidentally damages something. But his previous work at the florist was engrained in him, his nimble hands managing to make quick work of each box. He was so caught up in his work that he didn't hear the shop door opening, a familiar figure walking up to him.

"I'm not surprised you're doing something so trivial; it suits you if I have to be honest." The voice commented, the blonde teen turning his head and saw Connor standing over him, his piercing red eyes locked on him. He wore his usual three-piece black suit, his spikey red hair held up by a small amount of gel. Adjusting his reading glasses gently, he continued to stare at his diligent friend. "Keep at it and you might make it to assistant manager, Richie."

"Whatever you say, Scrub Lord." Richard retorted. While they didn't hate each other, they were more than willing to poke fun at one another, with Ava stepping in to break things up before they escalated out of control. "I assume you're here to get something for Scarlett?"

"N-No! I-I was just curious, that's all…" Connor stammered, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. "I-I've heard that those luxury watches had finally arrived, so I figured I'd see what the fuss was all about."

"Luxury watches?" The blonde teen inquired.

"The latest batch to be shipped here from Tandor; not only are they made out of platinum, but the clock face has a gemstone embedded in it based on the number. For instance, 1 would have garnet, the gemstone of January. Two would have Amethyst, the gemstone of February, and so on. To top it all off, the face of the watch has small pieces of jade and lapis lazuli embedded around the edge of the case." The redhead explained, a sense of glee brimming in his voice. He always acts like this whenever he's educating someone, no doubt getting a thrill out of flaunting his superior knowledge.

"Sounds like a lovely gift. Once I'm done, I think I'll buy one for myself." Richard mused to himself, though it was a lie. Just the other day, he remembered Rosetta commenting about her desire to buy a new watch. Perhaps this will be the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Look kid, I get that you want to look as stunning as I do, but those watches are way out of your price range." Connor retorted, folding his arms over his chest. "And don't even think about asking for a loan. As amusing as it would be to boss you around, I've got better things to do."

"Out of my price range you say? I'll be happy to prove you wrong one I'm done stacking these shelves." The blonde teen countered, picking up the pace on his duty as the redhead continued to watch him. He stacked the shelves at record pace, eager to shove a slice of humble pie down Connor's throat. In fact, he was so fast that the store owner could help but stare at him in awe. Thirty minutes later, the teenager placed the last piece of merchandise on the shelf, wiping the sweat off his forehead as a sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.

'There, now to give Connor a well-deserved take that!' Richard thought to himself, making his way to the front counter. "Good afternoon sir, I would like to buy one of those new luxury watches that was shipped here today."

"Certainly, just tell me the size and I'll get it for you." The owner replied eager, the blonde ten whispering his desired size to the middle-aged man. He had a good idea on what size to get, given that he had handled her previous watch before, and was more than willing to resize it just in case it didn't fit right. Soon enough, the owner arrived with the watch inside a velvet box, the price tag in plain view on the top. Richard's eyes widened slightly at the price; guess Connor wasn't bluffing about the price.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" The redhead smirked, watching his friend take his credit card out his wallet, awaiting the all-too familiar beep of his purchase failing. However, a light 'ding' emanated from the register, indicating that it went through. "How in the…?"

"Let's just say that I've spent a fair amount of time in the underground fight club. Give my regards to Scarlett when you see her." Richard smirked back, exiting the store as a flustered look formed on Connor's usually smug face.

0000

Having spent the rest of the day relaxing at the manor, Richard made his way to the manor balcony and waited for Rosetta, his gaze fixed on the night sky. While a little worried about his boss being late, he chalked it up to the meeting going on for longer than anticipated. He began mulling over what he would say to her, an internal panic welling up inside him. What if he messes up this one critical moment? What if she wasn't interested in his gifts? What if she already had someone special? These thoughts were soon tossed aside when he heard the front door closing, his blood freezing in fear.

'S-She's home! This is it, no backing out now…' Richard thought to himself, his ears picking up every sound as he heard her make her way upstairs to her room. She's probably getting changed into more comfortable attire. No matter, the longer she took, the more time he had to plan things out. Quietly thinking to himself for a few minutes, he was able to find the exact words he was looking for, promptly making a mental plan on his declaration. It came in the nick of time, as he heard the sound of footsteps walking up to the rooftop balcony. Mustering up all the courage he could, he turned around and watched Rosetta climb up the stairs, gulping slightly at the sight before him. She was wearing a stunning pink dress that reached below her knees, the garment accentuating her magnificent curves.

"Ah, decided to gaze up at the night sky tonight?" Rosetta smiled at him, walking up to him until she was beside him and opted to join him. The view up here is magnificent, no?"

"Y-Yeah, it is ma—Rosetta." Richard stammered, before quickly regaining his composure. "I've completed the requests like you asked me too."

"So, I've heard. The clients were more than willing to tell me about how diligent you were in your tasks, including Garret. I'll admit, I didn't not expect to have a conversation with him that didn't leave me in a bad mood." The purple-haired woman replied, a hint of surprise in her tone of voice.

Opting to seize this golden opportunity, the blonde teen presented his gifts to her. "H-Happy Valentine's Day, Rosetta." He replied, catching her by surprise.

"R-Richard?!" She exclaimed, unsure on how to react.

"I-I just wanted to show my appreciation to you for looking after me. Working beside you has been one of the best times of my life, and I will always stay by your side." Richard began, taking in a deep breath to settle his nerves. "Rosetta…I love you."

"O-Oh my. T-Thank you so much…" The Gym Leader replied, accepting the gifts from her assistant as she took the time to mull over his last words. She knew that he looked up to her in admiration, but she never expected him to develop a romantic attraction to her. Truth be told, she did care for him greatly, but she wasn't sure if it was romantic or not. Still, she did appreciate his kind gesture, and she wasn't opposed to a relationship with him, given he was of legal age in Ayrith. Gently placing his gifts on the small table, she embraced the young teen and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "I really appreciate your kind gesture, Richard."

"T-Thanks ma'am…" He stammered, a fierce blush forming on his face.

"What have I told you about formality, young man?" Rosetta giggled, breaking off the hug before turning to face the night sky once more. "Truth be told, I'm not opposed to forming a romantic relationship with you, but we've got to keep it within these walls. I don't think the city is ready to accept the idea of their mayor getting into a relationship with the region's best trainer, her assistant nonetheless."

"I understand; I'm more than happy to keep it between us. For now, let us enjoy the moonlit sky as mayor and assistant." Richard replied, the older woman taking his hand in hers.

"As lovers, my dear Richard. Let tonight herald the beginning of a new love." She smiled at him, the duo gazing at the moon. Though their relationship would have to be kept secret, it'll only be a matter of time before they're able to inform the public of their unshakable love.

And that concludes this Valentine's one-shot, I hope you all enjoyed it everyone. I know this scenario is impossible given that you're unlikely to get into a relationship with Rosetta in Desolation, but it doesn't hurt to fantasize, does it? Regarding the character ages, it's easy for me to assume that the MC for games such as Reborn, Rejuvenation and Desolation are at least 18, given the mature themes present in the games, so there's no need to worry about age of consent in this story. I'm also planning to write an Azur Lane one shot on AO3, so if you're interested, you're more than welcome to check it out. As for Insurgence, I'll start writing the next chapter once I'm done with the previously mentioned one-shot. Thank you all for reading, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day.