Hi, friends! The newest chapter is here for you to enjoy! A bit of a filler, although I suppose not because there IS something substantial in here! And by Pokémon standards, that means either a gym battle, Contest, evolution, or capture. Which one is this? Guess! And then read to find out ;)

LAST TIME: Aiden is having serious trouble sleeping. As a result, he keeps calling home and getting a different person each time: first Misty, then Elizabeth, and finally Ash. Aiden doesn't understand why he can't sleep, but theorizes with Wartortle that it's because something is wrong, and he's subconsciously sensing it. Back home, at the same time, Ash and Misty are arguing over his G-Men mission.

Chapter 43: Here Comes the Brandon!

"I think we're finally here, guys!"

Aiden and Michelle both looked up at Brandon, who was holding his pokenav in front of his face. His back was to them, but it was obvious that he was quite pleased with having found their way when neither of the twins could do it.

"This is Tea Rose Town?" Michelle questioned, looking all around the flower covered meadow of which they had just stumbled upon.

"According to my map it is," Brandon confirmed. "It's a fitting name for such a place, don't you think?"

"Yeah, it's girly and nauseating," Aiden quipped, earning an agitated grunt from his sister. "Makes sense!"

"Come on, Aiden, you have to admit it's a nice place," Brandon snickered. "It's so quiet and relaxing! A big change in pace from Cinnabar Island."

Aiden grumbled incoherently, but internally, he found himself agreeing with Brandon. The tourist-trap hustle and bustle on Cinnabar Island had gotten quite tiring, especially considering most of the people there couldn't have cared less about Pokémon battles and, in Aiden's own opinion, the insanely awesome gym that the island just so happened to house. There were always plenty of festivals, no matter where in Kanto you went, but he was sure that he'd never get the chance to battle inside of a volcano again.

"Wow, guys, look up there!"

Aiden and Brandon both followed the sound of Michelle's voice, and subsequently her pointing finger, until they found their eyes locked on a gigantic mansion. Probably the biggest house any of them had ever seen, in fact.

"Well…that's impressive," Brandon whistled.

"Whoa, that house is fit for a Pokémon Master!" Aiden marveled.

"Then how come we don't live in a house like that?" Michelle remarked with a smirk.

"Because Dad is too down to Earth and wants us to be a normal family and stuff," Aiden scoffed. "But I bet if he didn't have kids, he'd totally live in a place like this!"

"Which means you wouldn't be here to actually see it," Michelle sighed.

Indeed, the mansion was as strikingly gorgeous as it was gigantic. White walled and edged in gold at the corners and up the sides, with what seemed to be hundreds of windows all bordered by gold railed balconies and covered by golden silk curtains. Bushes at least ten feet tall surrounded the mansion, each one covered by differently and brilliantly colored roses: pink, purple, yellow, white, and blue. As the group moved further to the front of the large house, they found themselves standing at an equally tall gate, made of gold just like the balconies. Standing there was a guard, well dressed in a suit jacket and pants with a crisp, neatly fixed bowtie around the neck and a stoic look on his face.

"Excuse me," Brandon spoke up, approaching the guard, "what is this place?"

"This is the Tea Rose Gardens," the guard explained. "For many years, it has been run by the wealthiest family in town. They live inside of the mansion, but keep the spacious and luscious gardens open to the public."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Michelle marveled. "So does that mean we could go inside?"

"But of course!" The guard chuckled. "I will open the gates for you right away!"

Michelle watched on with sparkling eyes as the guard turned around and unlocked the gate, pulling the two golden doors apart to grant them entrance into the gardens.

"Please, enjoy your stay!" The guard chirped before stepping back to the side.

Squealing with delight, Michelle ran right through the gates, Aiden and Brandon following closely behind her. They found her leaning over a rose bush, admiring the bright pink flowers. Pichu, who was perched on the girl's shoulder, was copying her trainer's actions and leaning over herself in order to sniff the roses.

"Pi!" Pichu trilled.

"Aren't they just gorgeous, Pichu?" Michelle giggled.

"Oh my, what an adorable Pokémon!"

When Michelle stood up straight once again, she found herself face to face with an unfamiliar girl. Taking a small step back, Michelle allowed her lips to part ever so slightly as she examined the stranger.

This girl was tall, clearly a bit older than Michelle. Her eyes were sapphire blue, clear as day, and her hair was sunny blonde, pulled up atop her head into an intricate bun. She looked like a modern day princess in her lace tunic and floral printed leggings, and all of the intricate jewelry she was wearing didn't hurt either.

"Greetings," the blonde giggled. "My name is Livi!"

"Hi!" Michelle replied. "I'm Michelle."

"And I'm Aiden!" The boy added, striding up next to his sister's side.

After that, there was nothing. Looking behind them, Aiden and Michelle caught sight of Brandon, standing completely still with a look of awe on his face.

"Uh…Brandon?" Michelle called.

All Brandon could hear, however, was the pounding of his own heart. His face flushed the longer he stared at Livi, and his mouth slowly began to hang open.

"Earth to Brandon!"

The boy shrieked as he received a punch in the arm. It came out very high pitched, and sounded extremely unnatural, and that was enough to make Livi giggle.

"My, he's so funny!" Livi trilled. "He must be a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Michelle muttered, rolling her eyes.

"That's Brandon," Aiden informed the girl. "He's a little awkward sometimes."

Brandon was still so flustered that he couldn't even get back at Aiden for the comment.

"Ah! Livi! There you are!"

The girl hummed curiously and turned around, giving a slight bow to the man and woman approaching her.

"Hello, mother, father!" Livi greeted.

"And who are these lovely people?" The woman asked, nodding towards the trio standing behind her daughter.

"This is Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon," Livi introduced the three on her own. "They came in to visit the gardens, and I couldn't help but to be drawn to Michelle's adorable Pichu!"

"Chu!" Pichu squealed, delighted by the compliment.

"Well, isn't that lovely?" The woman giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you three wonderful children! My name is Monica."

"And I'm Nigel," the man introduced himself. "We are the Harrington family, and owners of the gorgeous Tea Rose Gardens!"

"No way!" Michelle gasped. "So you're the ones who live in that beautiful mansion?!"

"Correct!" Nigel chuckled.

"Livi is our daughter, as I'm sure you've all figured out by now," Monica continued. "She's finally come of age, and we're hosting a magnificent party to celebrate! It would be so wonderful if the three of you would attend!"

"Us?" Aiden queried. "But…we just met! Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Monica trilled. "Harrington parties are a grand event. Nearly everyone in town is invited! There will be dancing, fun, and lots of food!"

"Okay, you've sold me," Aiden chirped, causing Michelle to sigh. "I love me some food! Sounds like a good time! Don't you agree, Brandon?"

No response.

Arching an annoyed eyebrow, Aiden spun around and glared at his best friend. "Brandon, come on! Quit acting like a zombie! You look crazy!"

The only thing Brandon was able to get out was a small squeak. Livi giggled once again, and her parents both exchanged curious, though duplicitous, looks.

"Oh boy," Michelle sighed. "This is going to be a long night, isn't it?"

XXX

Later that afternoon, Aiden and Michelle had decided to do some special training with one another. Brandon, however, had shown no interest in that, instead choosing to follow Livi around. He was trying his best to converse with the teenage girl, who was truly lovely and very conversational. Brandon, however, was too flustered to speak most of the time, and could only produce gargled, unintelligible sounds.

"You're so funny!" Livi finally commented at one point, giggling afterwards. "I like that in a boy."

Brandon's blush exploded all over his face, causing Livi to giggle once again. Her laugh was like music to Brandon's ears. So sweet and melodic! He could have listened to it all day.

"S-sorry," Brandon finally managed to sputter. "I…I get a little nervous sometimes."

He had admitted that with the utmost timidity, and Livi could tell. Smiling at the boy, she sweetly assured him, "that's alright! I actually find it pretty endearing."

At this, Brandon seemed surprised. "You do?"

"I hate it when boys just try to act tough all the time," Livi sighed. "They think it will impress girls! Maybe for some it does. But for me, and all of my friends, it doesn't. It just makes them look so obnoxious! I would much rather be with a boy who can be honest about his feelings than one who pretends he's totally dead on the outside. That's not attractive."

"I could understand that," Brandon murmured, suddenly feeling more comfortable in the blonde's presence.

"Livi!"

Stopping in her tracks, Livi looked ahead and found her mother hurrying over to her, a delicate smile on her face.

"Oh, Mother," Livi greeted in surprise. "Is there something that you need?"

"Yes, there is," Monica confirmed. "Paige is inside preparing for the party, and she needs some help with the decorations. Since it is your affair, I figured you'd might like to help her out and advise on where you'd like everything to be."

"Certainly!" Livi trilled, her whole face lighting up. "Brandon, you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all!" Brandon quickly replied. "Take as long as you'd like."

"Thank you!" Livi giggled again before rushing past her mother and towards the mansion, leaving Brandon alone with the older woman.

"Brandon, is it?" Monica questioned.

"Y-yes ma'am," Brandon replied shakily, having realized he hadn't really spoken to her before due to the state he'd been in.

"I didn't get to speak to you much earlier," Monica continued. "Are you a Pokémon trainer like your friends?"

"No," Brandon quickly replied. "Well…I am a trainer, but I don't battle for badges or compete in Contests. I'm training to become a Pokémon breeder."

"Ah, one who cares for Pokémon?" Monica asked.

"Yeah," Brandon breathed. "I know a bunch about grooming and making food…I do train my Pokémon and keep them strong, but I'm really focused on unlocking a Pokémon's true potential both inside and out! Healthy and happy Pokémon are my number one priority!"

At this, Monica smiled. "You're a very sweet boy. And my darling Livi really seems taken with you!"

"Uh, thanks!" Brandon chuckled nervously.

"Normally I don't like to do things without my daughter's knowledge, but this is a bit of a different manner," Monica began. "You see, Livi is not only the only daughter I have, but the only child. So her coming of age is a very big deal, especially in a place such as Tea Rose Town. We're a bit old fashioned, you see, and like to do things very traditionally, especially as the crown family in town."

"That makes sense," Brandon commented, not fully understanding what Monica was getting at.

"The main part of Livi's coming of age is finding her a suitable partner," Monica continued. "Someone who will be able to take care of my beloved daughter and continue the Harrington line."

"Oh, you mean like a husband?" Brandon guessed.

"Yes, exactly that!" Monica crowed. "Of course, she's only thirteen right now, so marriage isn't right around the corner. But the courting process is going to start for her very soon, and in time, that will lead to engagement, and then of course marriage. I've been searching for a suitable courting partner for her for quite some time, ever since I realized she would be coming of age very soon, but I haven't had much luck. I'm very particular with my Livi! I only want the best for her."

"That makes sense," Brandon murmured.

"So, I was thinking that perhaps you would like to court my dear daughter!" Monica suggested brightly.

"Oh, yeah!" Brandon replied cheerfully…until Monica's words actually stuck in his brain. "Wait…WHAT?"

"I truly believe that you and Livi would be so happy together," Monica gushed. "And as someone who is training so hard to become a Pokémon breeder, I just know that you'd be able to take the best care of her! You have such a big heart, Brandon. Any girl would be lucky to have you, and I think my Livi might certainly be the one!"

Once again, Brandon's blush returned, and he was reduced to nothing more than a blubbering, blabbering zombie.

"Promise me that you'll think about it," Monica trilled, grinning at Brandon before skirting past him.

"I…I…uh…what?" Brandon blathered, blinking fast and hard.

XXX

"Pichu, charge beam!"

Aiden watched on with a smirk as Pichu powered up her electric attack, completely unfazed by its growing power.

"Riolu, counter it with force palm!"

"Ri!"

The fighting type held out his paw, creating a barrier that instantly pushed away Pichu's charge beam.

"Nice work, Riolu!" Aiden complimented his baby Pokémon. "You sure are getting a lot stronger!"

"Rio!" Riolu barked, happily wagging his tail.

"GUYS!"

Aiden, Michelle, and their two Pokémon all whipped around just in time to see Brandon racing over to them, his entire face beet red and panicked.

"Whoa," Michelle breathed. "What happened to you?"

"I…with…Livi's mother…fiancée!" Brandon blurted, leaning over at the waist as he panted dramatically.

"Brandon, relax!" Aiden scolded. "We can't understand a word you're saying!"

Sucking in a deep breath, Brandon stood up straight once again and continued more clearly, "I was walking through the gardens with Livi when her mom came up to us and asked Livi to go do something. Once she was gone, Mrs. Harrington started going on and on about Livi's party, and what it's all about. I didn't realize that the whole point of this was to find her a future husband!"

"Wait, so is tonight like an engagement party?" Michelle asked.

"Kind of," Brandon sighed. "They're just looking for someone to be in a courtship with her. And Livi's mom…well…she thinks I should be the one!"

Aiden and Michelle exchanged bewildered looks before bursting out into laughter, much to Brandon's horror.

"Come on, guys!" He wailed.

"S-sorry, buddy!" Aiden sputtered through his laughter. "We can't help it!"

"Yeah!" Michelle agreed. "You? Married? To a girl?"

"Guys, I'm serious!" Brandon hissed. "I am freaking out! I can't get engaged! I'm only eleven! Can you imagine my parents' reactions?!"

Michelle finally managed to sober up just enough to stop giggling. "Brandon, didn't your parents have you when they were like…eighteen?"

"SO?!" Brandon shrieked. "That doesn't mean they were married when they were eleven! My mom would kill me!"

"Really?" Aiden hummed before musing, "I don't know if my mom would be mad or throw a party."

"Well, I can't speak for mom about me, but I know if I was in your position, my dad would be killing someone, and it probably wouldn't be me," Michelle remarked.

"So what do I do?" Brandon whined.

"Just tell Livi you're not interested," Michelle replied simply.

"But it's not Livi who asked!" Brandon cried. "It was her mom!"

"That just makes it even more awkward," Aiden noted, nodding his head.

Scowling, Michelle looked over her shoulder and threw her twin a fairly vicious look. "What do you know about romance?"

"Just as much as you do!" Aiden was quick to snap back.

At this, Michelle blushed, knowing her brother was right. She also knew, however, that she was not about to let him get away with that. "Please. I'm a girl, and we're born with natural romance instincts!"

"Oh yeah?" Aiden scoffed. "Then I'd love to see you get Brandon out of this one with your 'natural romance instincts.'"

"I will!" Michelle bit.

As soon as Michelle was done shouting at her brother, however, the sound of rustling bushes caught everyone's attention. Glancing down, the three young trainers caught sight of a small, green Pokémon peering out of the bush, beady eyes shifting around as though it were looking for something.

"Wow, no way!" Michelle gasped, pulling out her pokedex to scan the creature.

Roselia, the thorn Pokémon. While its aroma has a soothing affect, the thorns on its head contain a deadly poison. Roselia will shoot sharp thorns at anything that tries to steal its brightly colored roses.

"Cool, there's a Roselia living in the gardens!" Aiden commented. "I guess that makes sense, since there's so many flowers around here. Roselia must really like it!"

"Yeah? Well I like Roselia!" Michelle giggled, Pichu jumping up on her shoulder. "And I'm going to catch it!"

Brandon let out a strangled noise of terror as Michelle chased after Roselia, who by now had jumped out of the bushes and was running right down the gardens.

"Michelle!" Brandon wailed. "You promised you'd help me!"

"Look at that," Aiden marveled. "She's not even looking back!"

"Oh, this is a nightmare!" Brandon cried, burying his face in his hands. "I knew one day that a girl would get me in trouble, but I never thought I'd be so young! I'm trapped!"

"Just calm down, Brando," Aiden sighed. "I'm not about to let my best buddy get a girlfriend! No way, no how."

Glancing up, Brandon pulled a pained face. "That's all well and good for now, Aiden, but you don't mean that for the future as well, do you?"

"Oh, Brandon. Of course I do!"

XXX

"Hey, get back here!"

Roselia chirped nervously as it continued running from Michelle, who by now was wearing a look of steely determination.

"No good," Michelle sighed. "Pichu, quick, stop Roselia!"

"Pi!"

Pichu flew off of Michelle's shoulder, landing stealthily in front of the dual type Pokémon. Before Roselia could react, Pichu raised her paws to her mouth and blew a kiss at the bewildered thorn Pokémon. Roselia was hit by the oncoming flurry of pink hearts, and was left standing wobbly on its little legs.

"Nice use of charm, Pichu!" Michelle complimented.

"Chu!" Pichu squeaked.

Quickly shaking off the stupor it'd gotten stuck in due to the charm, Roselia held out its flowered hands and unleashed a swirling flurry of pink flower petals at an unsuspecting Pichu.

"Whoa, that's petal dance!" Michelle marveled. "And it's gorgeous! That'd look amazing in a Contest!"

"Pi-cha!" Pichu cried out angrily, glaring at her trainer.

"Right, sorry, Pichu!" Michelle called. "But you can get Roselia back no problem with thundershock!"

Pichu nodded her head and fired off the weaker of her two electric specialties, zapping the already irritated Roselia. Of course, being a dual grass and poison type, the thundershock didn't necessarily do much damage to Roselia.

"Chu?!" Pichu cried.

"Hmm, I should've thought this one through a little bit better," Michelle hummed.

Scowling, Roselia held out its red rose and fired off a brigade of glowing crescents at Pichu, who whined as she was hit by each slice.

"Magical leaf!" Michelle gasped. "Roselia is so amazing!"

Furrowing her brow, Pichu ran away from Roselia and instead chose to hide behind a less than pleased Michelle.

"Pichu, come on!" Michelle urged. "You've got to keep battling!"

"Chu!" Pichu argued, shaking her head.

"Ugh, why do you choose now of all times to act like a little diva?" Michelle groaned.

"Pichu pi! Pi pichu pipi chu!"

"Alright, alright, calm down," Michelle sighed, plucking out another poke ball. "You can stay back. We'll just leave this up to Ponyta!"

Tossing the sphere, Michelle watched on with gleaming eyes as the horse Pokémon materialized before her.

"Ponyta is a fire type, which means she's got the advantage on Roselia," Michelle narrated aloud. "This should be a piece of cake! Ponyta, fire spin!"

The fire type bent down on all four legs, unleashing a swirling beam of fire at the dual type standing across the lawn. Roselia jumped around, trying to avoid the hit, but Ponyta was keen to such actions, keeping her eyes locked on Roselia as she trailed her fire spin attack after the dual type. Before long, Roselia tripped up and couldn't quickly enough escape from the attack, taking the brunt of it head on.

"Direct hit!" Michelle cheered.

Ponyta neighed in confirmation and stomped her hooves to add on to that. Across the way, Roselia was looking quite charred, and had obviously taken a significant amount of damage. Despite this, the thorn Pokémon still managed to get back to its feet, albeit unsteadily.

"Man this Roselia is resilient!" Michelle muttered before smiling. "I like that in a Pokémon! It just makes me want to catch it even more! Ponyta, ember!"

Opening her mouth, the fire horse spit out small bits of fire, hitting the already exhausted Roselia before it could even react. Michelle, of course, was pleased with this, and felt the time was just right to capture the Pokémon.

"Now's my chance!" She cheered, pulling out an empty sphere and enlarging it. "Go, poke ball!"

She tossed the ball, watching on with narrowed eyes as it hit Roselia, sucking the dual type inside. It landed on the ground, rocking gently back and forth as its inhabitant fought for release. Michelle's eyes only narrowed even more as the poke ball rocked, her anxiety heightening with each passing second.

And then the ball popped back open.

Michelle let out a groan of annoyance as Roselia appeared next to the poke ball. It was still badly damaged, and panting as a result of everything it had been through. Despite this, it still managed to run off, leaving behind the failed poke ball and its angry trainer.

"Oh no, you're not getting away that easily!" Michelle yelled. "Pichu, Ponyta, let's go!"

XXX

While Michelle was busy chasing after her coveted Roselia, Aiden was stuck with a nerve wracked Brandon, who could not stop bemoaning his fate.

"I can't get married…"

"You're not getting married."

"My parents will kill me…"

"Your parents aren't going to find out about any of this!"

"My life is over, Aiden. I've grown up in only a matter of hours, forced to settle down and give up my dreams of becoming a Pokémon breeder. I'll have to move across the region, shackled into a confining but gorgeous mansion while you and Michelle continue on, having fun and realizing your own dreams. Please, send me postcards."

Dramatically rolling his eyes, Aiden whipped around and firmly grasped his best friend's shoulders, shaking the boy a bit before holding him still once again. "You literally sound like a crazy person! Calm down, Brandon!"

"Sorry," Brandon groaned. "I just don't know what to do in this type of situation!"

"Most people your age don't," Aiden scoffed.

"So what are we going to do?" Brandon asked. "I don't want to hurt Livi's feelings! I just…I'm not ready for this kind of commitment."

"But Livi didn't ask you, remember?" Aiden pressed. "It was her mom! So, if you just pull Livi aside at the party tonight and explain yourself, things will turn out just fine!"

"I guess you're right," Brandon muttered before smiling at the boy. "How'd you get so good with advice, anyway?"

"I don't know," Aiden replied honestly. "Maybe I spent too much time with my mom last time we saw her!"

XXX

That night, Aiden and Brandon found themselves inside of the Harrington mansion for Livi's party. The inside of the mansion was just as beautiful as the outside, complete with marble floors, crystal chandeliers, a winding staircase, and large, arching glass windows that looked out into the gardens.

"Wow, it's amazing in here," Brandon breathed, looking all around the room. "Look at all the windows."

"Yeah, they're cool!" Aiden agreed.

"I wonder which one Livi is going to throw me out of when I reject her," Brandon mused.

"Oh, would you quit it?" Aiden groaned, rolling his eyes. "Livi is not going to do anything to you! I mean, come on. She's only thirteen! You think she wants to get married?"

"No…not especially."

"So just take it easy and do what you have to do," Aiden continued. "Don't worry, buddy. I won't leave ya!"

"Thanks," Brandon sighed.

"Ah, Brandon! There you are!"

The young boy turned around and let out a strangled yelping noise as he was faced by Livi's parents.

"H-h-hi!" Brandon squeaked.

"The party looks wonderful, doesn't it?" Nigel asked, looking around the room.

"Y-yeah!" Brandon sputtered. "Great!"

"I know Livi is so excited to see everyone!" Monica added. "And I certainly hope you've thought about what I said before, dear."

At this, Brandon's entire face turned bright red, causing Aiden to groan and shake his head.

"Ah yes, a perfect match for our little Livi," Nigel agreed, only heightening Brandon's anxiety. "Brandon, I would just like you to know that I am completely in favor of this! Add that in to your thoughts, won't you?"

Brandon could only squeak in response as Livi's parents walked away. Once they were gone, he turned around slowly to face Aiden, his jaw dropped open.

"Even her dad is in on this?!" Brandon cried.

"Apparently," Aiden chirped.

"Since when do girl's fathers actually approve of this kind of stuff?!"

"Well, I know my dad wouldn't, and I know for a fact my grandpa didn't either," Aiden recanted. "Maybe they're both just desperate to get rid of Livi!"

"What? No way!" Brandon argued. "Livi is like…the sweetest girl I've ever met! There's no way her parents would be trying to get rid of her! This is just part of their family history, I guess. But still…this isn't going to be easy, Aiden."

"But you knew that," Aiden sighed. "Just relax, okay? As soon as you see Livi, you'll explain yourself to her."

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, presenting the young lady of the evening, Miss Olivia Marie-Grace Harrington!"

Brandon looked over Aiden's shoulder and instantly, his eyes widened.

Livi was standing at the top of the winding staircase, looking exactly like a modern day princess. She was dressed in a mint green ball gown, the torso bedecked in silver crystals and the skirt made up of many ruffled layers. Her blonde hair had been pulled up into a solid bun, adorned by a crystal clip.

"Wow," Brandon breathed. "She's beautiful."

"Brandon, focus!" Aiden whined. "You can't get distracted by Livi's looks! You've got to be straight with her!"

"Err…right!" Brandon sighed, shaking his head. "Focus. Just…oh, but look at her hair!"

"I don't care about her hair!" Aiden hissed. Looking to the side, Aiden managed to catch sight of Livi beginning to descend the steps. "Look, she's coming down here. You've got to make a beedrill line to her and spit it out!"

Brandon, however, seemed to be stuck in place. Cheeks reddening out of frustration, Aiden placed his hands on Brandon's back and pushed the boy towards Livi, who had just gotten off the final step on the staircase. She was about to head to the left, but as soon as she saw Brandon, she stopped in place and smiled at him.

"Do it!" Aiden ordered by hissing in Brandon's ear, giving the boy one last push towards Livi. He nearly stumbled over, but managed to regain his balance before falling on the giggling teenager.

"L-Livi, hi," Brandon began lamely.

"Hi, Brandon," Livi greeted sweetly.

"Look," Brandon sighed, his shoulders coming up heavily as he spoke, "there's something I need to talk to you about…"

"Oh, could it wait for just a minute?" Livi asked kindly. "There's a matter I must attend to as quickly as possible."

Brandon looked over his shoulder at Aiden, who was rapidly shaking his head. Turning back towards Livi, Brandon smiled at the girl and replied, "sure! No problem!"

"You're too sweet," Livi trilled before heading back in the direction she'd been going towards prior to being stopped by Brandon.

"Brandon!" Aiden hissed, causing his friend to roll his eyes and spin around. "You were supposed to do it now! Not wait!"

"She obviously had something important to do!" Brandon cried. "This is still her party, Aiden. I can't just interrupt her and stop her from going about her business."

"Uh, Brandon…"

"No! I didn't do anything wrong, Aiden! In fact, I think what I did makes me a perfect gentleman!"

"No, Brandon…"

"I'll do it as soon as she comes back, I swear! Have a little faith in me, okay?"

"Brandon!"

The aspiring breeder stopped blabbering on in defense of himself and furrowed his brow. Sighing, Aiden grabbed Brandon by the arm and turned him around, pointing in the direction of where Livi had gone. When Brandon looked that way, he saw her talking to a boy who appeared to be close in age to her, if not just a little bit older. He had light brown hair and lime green eyes, and was dressed sharply in a suit and tie. Brandon watched them converse for a few more seconds until finally, she stepped into his arms and gave him a hug.

"WHAT?!" Brandon shrieked.

"That's weird…" Aiden murmured.

Separating from the boy, Livi gave him a final farewell before heading back over towards Brandon and Aiden.

"Friends hug, right?" Brandon asked lamely.

"I don't think teenage boys and girls just hug, but I could be wrong," Aiden naively responded.

"I'm sorry about that," Livi quickly apologized, giving Brandon a small bow. "I didn't mean to run away so quickly!"

"It's alright," Brandon assured the girl. "Who is that guy?"

"Oh, that's Jordan!" Livi giggled. "He's a sweet boy who lives just down the road from here. His father owns a shop in town! He comes from a very modest, hardworking family. The truth is, I've had a crush on Jordan for the longest time, and I knew as soon as I had my debut ball that I would ask him to enter a courtship with me!"

"So…is that what you were doing?" Aiden asked, pulling up to Brandon's side.

"Yes, it was," Livi answered with a nervous giggle. "I've never felt my heart race like that! I was so nervous! But as luck would have it, Jordan feels exactly the same way, and he said yes! Wholeheartedly so, in fact! I'm a bit worried to tell my parents, but I hope they'll be as happy as Jordan and I are to be starting this exciting journey!"

Brandon blinked and allowed his mouth to hang open.

"Now, what is it you were going to tell me?" Livi questioned Brandon.

"Just that you look nice," Brandon lamely replied, smiling weakly at the teenaged girl.

"Aw, you're so sweet!" Livi crooned, reaching out and gently touching Brandon's cheek. "You make such an excellent friend, Brandon."

And with that, she walked off to greet some guests who had been eyeing her ever since her encounter with Jordan. Smirking, Aiden looked over at Brandon, who was wearing a look of complete shock.

"Well, look at that!" Aiden chirped. "You didn't even have to do anything! Livi did it all for you!"

Groaning, Brandon buried his head in his hands and cried, "shot down! Just another day of heartbreak for me!"

"WHAT?!" Aiden blurted. "Brandon, you've been complaining about potentially being in a courtship with Livi all day! Now you're upset that you're not?!"

"Just because I wasn't ready for commitment doesn't mean she's not the most beautiful girl I've ever seen!" Brandon wailed.

"Oh boy," Aiden sighed. "Now I'm gonna have to be dealing with this until tomorrow, when you meet the next most beautiful girl you've ever seen."

"Hey, guys!"

Michelle came running up to the boys, showing them an overjoyed smile.

"And where have you been?" Aiden demanded, sounding quite like Ash as he did so.

"I told you before, I was out trying to catch that Roselia," Michelle replied.

"Well? Did you?"

"Yep!" Michelle trilled, holding out the poke ball. "Took me forever, but eventually I got it! Say hello to the newest member of my team!"

"That's awesome, Shelly!" Aiden chuckled.

Pulling the poke ball back towards her, Michelle glanced over at Brandon and realized just how miserable he looked. "What's wrong with him?"

"You know how he was so worried about going into a courtship with Livi?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it turns out she had eyes for another boy. One who isn't him."

At this, Michelle raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"That's what I thought!" Aiden cried. "But apparently, it isn't. Because according to him, Livi is 'the most beautiful girl' he's 'ever seen.'"

"Please, we all know he's going to say the exact same thing tomorrow about some other girl."

"That's what I said!"

"I CAN HEAR, YOU KNOW!"

Oh, cheer up, Brandon! You're too young for marriage anyway ;) Just because the girl is pretty doesn't mean you wed! And...you're only 11.

Yes, 11! Brandon's birthday is actually exactly nine months before Aiden and Michelle's: March 7th. It's got to be past March by this point (or at least AT March) so therefore, Brandon is now 11 :)

What have we got in store next time? How about Michelle's next Contest! Who will be there? Which Pokémon will she use? Will she win her fifth ribbon? Stay tuned and find out! Exciting things are coming up ;)