Chapter 22: Roses

"This place really is huge," Gabri said as she looked back and forth. She walked beside Dani while Paul and Drew lagged behind.

"Why are we here if it cannot help us become stronger?" Paul said unhappily.

"New experiences are good for you," Dani said without looking at him. "Who knows when inspiration will strike?"

"If you let your Zorua have some fun every once in awhile, maybe she would actually listen to you," Drew said with a smirk, his hands in his pockets.

"I don't need you telling me how to treat my Pokemon," Paul said.

"That might not be a bad idea," Dani said. "Why don't you let Zorua out to talk to Mo and Dragon? Pokemon need friends too." She offered him a small smile.

Paul stared at her for several moments. Finally, he pulled out a Pokeball and released his Zorua. "Behave yourself."

Dragon, who had been walking by Gabi, slowed down so that Zorua could catch up. "Tepig!" he said.

Mo smiled and waved from his position on Dani's shoulder. "Cynda!"

"Zora!" Zorua said happily, swishing her tail back and forth.

"I think they like each other already," Gabri said with a smile.

"Those two better not make her soft," Paul grumbled.

Drew shook his head. "Those Pokemon are not soft. Dani beat you in the Club Battle tournament, remember?"

"Only because Zorua ignored my commands."

"Zorua has talent, so it's obviously the trainer's fault."

"Zoru!' The Zorua ran at her trainer and rubbed against his legs.

Paul looked down at her with a frown. "Why is she doing that?"

Gabri smiled. "She likes you."

"Despite your terrible training," Drew said.

"I think she's trying to show you how she wants to be treated," Dani said. "She likes you, and she wants you to like her back."

"Pokemon should only be concerned about battle," said Paul.

"You won't motivate this Pokemon that way," Drew said.

Paul looked away, and several minutes of silence passed. The group strolled down the street, gazing at everything they passed by. They had not made any stops so far.

Dani wanted to do something to bring everyone together. Her eyes scanned the shops they passed by. Finally, one of them caught her attention. "Do you want to stop at that sweets shop?" she asked hopefully.

Drew shrugged. Paul stared at her blankly.

"That sounds good," Gabri said. "Let's go!"

Dani led the way to the shop. She and Gabri stood in line while the boys waited outside the building. The two of them bought enough pieces of mochi for the humans and Pokemon alike. Then they exited the shop. Mo climbed down Dani's body so that he could eat his treat with Dragon and Zorua.

Dani held out pieces of mochi for Paul and Drew. They both hesitated before taking them.

"Thanks," Drew said.

Paul took a small bite. Then he gave a satisfied nod. "This is actually not bad."

Dani smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

The group took some time to eat their snack. When they were finished, they started on their way again, walking close to the shops. Drew slowed down when they approached a flower shop.

"Do you want to go inside?" Dani asked, noticing his gaze.

"Why would we want to go inside a flower shop?" said Paul.

"Flowers are cool," Gabri said. "Drew likes roses."

Paul scoffed. "Why?"

"Because I'm more sophisticated than you," Drew said with a confident smirk. "Roses have different meanings depending on their color. You can send a message to a girl with a different color rose."

"What does red mean?" Dani teased.

Drew frowned and looked away.

"Don't you have someone you want to give a rose to?" Gabri asked the purple haired boy.

"I have no need," Paul said. Still, he followed the others into the store. He noticed the roses right away and stood in front of them.

"Need help finding the right one?" Drew said form beside him.

"I was just looking," Paul muttered before walking away.

Drew chuckled and shook his head. His eyes fell on Dani as she walked over to him.

"Are you going to get a different color rose for May for the contest?" she said. "You can put your knowledge to good use."

"I doubt she would be able to figure out the meaning based on the color," Drew said.

"I could make sure she finds out. If you want me to. I could even deliver the rose." She wanted to help out any way she could. She wanted to make sure May knew he cared about her.

Drew returned his gaze to the roses. "We'll see."

Dani decided to leave it at that. She walked around the shop, stopping when she saw their three Pokemon staring at some daffodils. "Pretty, right?" she said with a smile.

"Zorua," the fox Pokemon said happily.

"I'll get you one, but I don't think your trainer would approve." She did plan to find a way to bring the two of them closer together. This trip to Nimbasa city was a start.

A little bit later, the group met up outside the store. All of them appeared empty handed. Without a word, they began walking. Dani took the lead and headed in the direction of the amusement park.

"Are we going on the ferris wheel?" Gabi asked.

"Unless you want to try the roller coaster," said Dani.

Gabri shook her head vigorously. "No, the ride to the gym was good enough!"

Drew chuckled. "Scared of rides?"

Gabri smiled sheepishly. "Maybe…"

"Pathetic," Paul said.

"We're all afraid of something," Dani said.

Mo crawled up Paul's leg and his back until he reached his head. Paul flicked his eyes up. "What is he doing?"

Gabri smiled. "He likes you."

Zorua transformed into a Cyndaquil and waved at Mo, who smiled back at her. Dani looked at her in amusement. "It looks like she's having fun."

"As long as she doesn't do that when it's time to be serious," Paul said.

"If you give her some time to have fun, I'm sure she won't."

Paul did not say anything. Dani hoped he was thinking about everything she and the others had said. He was with them now and not training, so that had to be a good sign. She just wished there was a way to get him to open up to her.

The Ferris wheel appeared larger as the kids and Pokemon approached. After several long minutes of silence, Drew nudged Gabri and said, "I'll race you to the entrance."

Gabri blinked. "What?" Then she saw Drew run off. Dragon took off after him, crying out in alarm. The girl shrugged before following suit.

Dani wondered what Drew was up to. She glanced at Paul, who seemed unaffected by recent events. "Don't you want to run?"

"No," Paul said.

Zorua, now back in fox form, ran forward. Then she turned and ran back to the teenagers, swishing her tail. "Zoru!"

"I think Zorua wants to," Dani said. "It might be fun."

"There is a line I am not going to cross," said Paul. "I have had enough fun for today."

Zorua ran forward again. This time, when she ran back, she hopped up on Dani, hitting her stomach. While the dark Pokemon landed back on her feet, Dani started to fall backwards as she lost her balance. She stepped backward to try to steady herself, but she stepped right onto the edge of a large fountain in the shape of an Oshawott spewing water with a pool around it.

Paul leapt forward and grabbed Dani's hands before she could fall into the water, while at the same time Mo crawled down to reach the ground. He tried to pull her to her to her feet, but the force of his actions caused her to collide into his chest.

Dani took deep breaths to calm herself. The series of events had happened so fast, and she now felt winded. That had certainly been a scare! Once she could think again, she realized how close she was to Paul, and her pulse quickened. She tried to jump back, but he was still holding onto her, causing her to nearly stumble again.

Paul moved his hands to her shoulders to make sure she was steady. Then he dropped them back to his side.

Dani smiled weakly. "Th-thanks."

Paul grunted in response. Then he shot his Zorua a glare. "That was your fault! Don't cause trouble!"

Zorua flattened her ears against her head and whined.

"I'm fine," Dani said. "And I think she's sorry. It won't happen again."

Paul stared at her for a long moment. His anger slowly faded, but she could not read any other emotions. "If she does something like that again, no more fun for her."

Dani nodded. "That sounds fair to me."

The two of them fell into step together, walking closer together than before, while Mo and Zorua followed behind them. A little while longer, they reached the entrance of the ferris wheel where Drew and Gabri stood waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" Drew chided.

"It doesn't matter," Dani said. She glanced at her sister. "Where's Dragon?"

"No Pokemon allowed," Gabri said with a hint of sadness.

"And it's a couples only ride," Drew said. "I already told the man Gabri and I are together. You two can be the other couple in our box."

Dani widened her eyes. "What?!"

"You can't decide something like that," Paul said with a low growl.

Drew merely shrugged. "No one has to know the truth. I'll say what I have to so we can all ride together."

"It doesn't mean anything," Gabri said. "We just have to sit together."

Dani exchanged a look with Paul. He seemed rather indifferent, so she spoke for both of them. "I suppose that's alright."

"Good," said Drew.

It did not take long for the four of them to be allowed to find a spot of the ferris wheel. After returning their Pokemon, they walked up to the ferris wheel cart on the bottom. Dani and Paul sat next to each other while Drew and Gabri sat across from them. The sat in silence while they waited for the ferris wheel to fill up. Finally, the ride began.

Dani stared out the window as their box climbed to the top. "The city looks great from up here," she noted.

"I like it better up here than down there," said Drew.

"It is pretty," Gabri agreed.

Dani reflected one everything that had happened that day. Drew and Paul were not best friends yet, but they did seem to be getting along quite well. She hoped the four of them could hang out like this again. She turned to Paul. "How has today been for you?"

Paul glanced at her. "I've had worse days."

She still could not read his emotions, but she knew his response was a good sign. She smiled. "Great." It was a start.


The four teens found a restaurant for dinner and then returned to the Pokemon Center. While Paul and Drew wandered off, Dani and Gabri met back up with Gary, Shelly, May, and Max. Shelly and May wanted to know all about the trip into the city, but Gary and Max seemed less than interested.

Finally, everyone returned to their rooms to settle down for the night. Dani thought she needed some fresh air, so she walked outside. She was surprised to see Drew leaning against a tree, staring up at the sky.

She quietly came up beside him. "Hey," she said softly, "is everything alright?"

Drew glanced at her before returning his gaze to the sky. "I'm fine. I was just thinking about some things. It's got nothing to do with you."

"You had fun today, though, right?" He had said it was not about her, but something must have triggered his melancholic attitude.

"Yeah, I had fun. It was the most fun I've had with other people in a long time."

Dani remembered that he chose not to get close to many people, including his family. She could not help but wonder what had caused this. She decided to tentatively broach the subject. "Did you have fun days like this when you were a kid?"

A faint smile crossed Drew's face. "I had lots of fun when my parents actually let me out of the house. I went on adventures with my closest friends. My parents never approved."

"Maybe they just wanted to make sure you were safe."

Drew looked at her and laughed bitterly. "Hardly. More like they wanted to control my every move." He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

Dani could not imagine what it would be like to not get along with her parents. Her family had always been close, and she had not realized how much of a blessing that had been. Traveling as a Pokemon trainer was really opening up her eyes to different experiences. "That must have been tough."

Drew cast his gaze to the ground. "I survived."

He appeared lost in thought again. The girl wanted to ask him more, but she was afraid of pushing him away. She figured it was best to leave it for now. He would share more if he wanted to. "Well, I'm here if you want to talk. About anything."

Drew looked at her, and a small smile twitched on his face. "Thanks. We should head inside. Tomorrow is a big day for May and your sister."

Dani nodded. As she followed him inside, she felt a little bit closer to him.


"How do I look?" Shelly spun around in front of a mirror, showing off her simple baby pink dress. May occupied the dressing station next to her.

The brunette nodded at her friend. "You look good. Just remember, it is your Pokemon who will deserve most of the credit if you win."

"Of course." Shelly appreciated her Pokemon, and she always made sure they knew it. She was about to say something else, but she was stopped short upon seeing someone she recognized entering the backstage of the contest hall. "Dani? What are you doing here?"

The older girl had an arm behind her back, making it seem like she was hiding something. "I have something for May," she said cheerfully.

May blinked. "Really? What is it?"

Dani brought her arm out to reveal a white rose clutched in her hand.

This made May even more confused. "You brought me a rose?"

Dani shook her head. "It's not from me. It's form Drew."

"Drew gave you a rose?" Shelly said incredulously.

Dani resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Why were both of them being so slow? "No. Drew bought the rose for May and had me deliver it. He's given you roses before, right?"

May took the white rose and stared at it in wonder. "He's always given me red roses."

Dani smiled proudly. "Different colored roses mean different things. You can send a secret message that way."

"What does white mean?" Shelly asked.

"Innocence and purity."

May blushed. "Are you sure it doesn't have another meaning?"

"I'm sure it does, but that's what Drew told me. Anyway, good luck you two." Dani waved at them before turning and skipping off.

"I wonder what message Drew is trying to send," May said as she twirled the rose between her fingers.

Shelly smirked. "He likes you."

May flushed. "B-but that's not what white means."

Shelly shrugged. "So? He's complimenting you, which means that he likes you."

The conversation could not continue, for it was announced that the contest was about to begin. The two friends walked to the center of the room so they could observe what was going on through the TV.

Of the two, May heard her name called first. Shelly wished her good luck as she walked onto the stage. She was impressed with the way she showed off her Blaziken. A stranger performed following her. Finally, it was Shelly's turn.

Shelly took a deep breath as she walked onto the stage. Then she smiled as she tossed a Pokeball into the air. "Time to shine, Paws!" The Meowth flipped in the air and landed on two feet. The girl held up thin, colorful pieces of paper. "Fury Swipes!" As she tossed the papers into the air, Paws slashed them with his claws, creating thin strips that floated in the air.

Shelly smiled. "Now Dark Pulse!" This was a move they had been working hard on, and she hoped they had done enough. Paws released purple swirls, which hit the papers and sent them flying in the air. The colors collided in the air. Two swirls of purple were surrounded by floating colors. "Scratch!"

Paws slashed at the colors falling down. The purple faded, and the papers fluttered around him. Then he sat on all four paws and smiled innocently. Shelly bowed while everyone applauded. She was nervous as she returned backstage, but May assured her she had done well.

When the results were tallied, Shelly and May were glad to see they were both going on to the next round. May used her Beautifly and Shelly used her Wartortle to win two battles each and make it to the final round. They would be facing each other.

"Good luck, Shelly," May said as she stood across from Shelly on the battlefield. "Let's make this a good one."

Shelly nodded. "Right. Come on out, Hiccup!"

"You're up, Beautifly!"

Shelly chose to go first so she could start off strong. "Hiccup, use Water Gun!"

"Block it with Silver Wind!" May called.

Hiccup shot a stream of water at the Beautifly, but the flying type countered with a Silver Wind attack, which knocked the Wartortle off his feet. Shelly gritted her teeth. It was time to come up with a different plan.

May smirked. "Now use Aerial Ace!"

Shelly knew she was in a tough situation now and had to act quickly. "Rapid Spin!"

Beautifly came at the Wartortle at a high speed. Before she could reach him, Hiccup retreated into his shell and spun around. Beautifly hit the shell and went flying off.

"Quick, water Gun!" said Shelly. She let out a breath of relief when her Pokemon was able to drench their opponent in water. The coordinators now had equal points. "Now Bubble!"

"Beautifly, Psychic!" said May.

"Protect, and keep the bubbles coming!"

Hiccup opened his mouth and released bubbles. Beautifly's eyes glowed blue, and then she released a blue light from her eyes, which broke through the bubbles. Hiccup became outlines in blue, and the blue lights harmlessly passed over him. When they move was finished, the Wartortle released more bubbles. This time, Beautifly cried out as she was struck.

"Beautifly, it's time to use Morning Sun!" May said.

Shelly knew Morning Sun took some time to complete, so she thought this was her chance to take control of the battle. "Hiccup, use Rapid Spin to get under Beautifly!"

Hiccup retreated into his shell and started to spin. The movement propelled him forward. At the same time, Beautifly glowed white and then yellow. Once the Wartortle was under her, yellow rays of light were being emitted from her body.

"Water Gun!" said Shelly.

"Dodge it!"

Hiccup continued to spin as he released a stream of water. His movement caused the water to spin in the air, and it repeatedly struck the Beautifly.

"Not bad," May said, "but we can do better. "Aerial Ace!"

"Get on your back and use Water Gun!"

Beautifly flew forward at an amazing speed. Hiccup fell onto his back, his limbs suspended in the air because of is shell. Then he aimed his Water Gun at his opponent. As she rammed into him, she became soaked in water.

"Now Rapid Spin," Shelly said.

Beautifly stayed in the air near the Wartortle, flapping her soaked wings. Hiccup returned to his shell and made it spin. He was able to get into, the air and knock right into the bug and flying type. He then exited his shell and landed on two feet. The two Pokemon stared at each other intensely, both appearing tired and worn.

"And that will do it!" Astoria, the MC, said loudly. She beamed at the crowd, her microphone in hand. "The winner is… Shelly!"

Shelly glanced at the scoreboard just to make sure it was accurately. Sure enough, she had a little more points remaining than May. Relief flooded through her body. She had finally won another contest. She remembered what May had told her earlier, so she smiled at the Wartortle looking at her hopefully. "Good work, Hiccup. I couldn't have done it without you." The water type seemed pleased.

"Congratulations, Shelly," May said as she walked across the stage to greet her rival. "You've grown a lot since we've last battled."

"Thanks." Shelly glanced at the audience to see that their friends had gathered at the base of the stage. She hated to see May lose in front of Drew, but it did feel really good to win. Besides, Drew would probably tease her about losing, bringing the two of them closer together.

"Now go get your ribbon!" May said in encouragement.

Shelly could into hide her smile as she walked to the middle of the stage where Astoria stood waiting for her. She released Paws, and the Meowth stood next to Hiccup as their trainer received the ribbon from Astoria. The cheers from the crowd felt good. The girl was proud to have gotten this far, and she vowed to work even harder in the future.


May and Max left Nimbasa City soon after the contest. Dani, Shelly, Gabri, and Gary signed out of the Pokemon Center the following morning. First, Dani and Shelly switched some of their Pokemon with those in their PC. Dani gave back Luke and Freddie and received Ellie the Donphan and Buddy the Growlithe. Meanwhile, Shelly switched Paws and Hiccup for Aggie the Butterfree and Flame the Magby. When they were finished, the group could not find Drew or Paul, so they decided to just hit the road.

"Oh, are any of you Dani and Gabri?" Nurse Joy said as the group was about to leave.

Dani and Gabri turned around and took a step forward. "That's us," Dani said. They held Mo and Dragon in their arms, and the fire type Pokemon appeared just as confused as their trainers.

Joy smiled and pulled something out from under her desk. "I was asked to give these to you. Gabri-" She held out a pink rose. "And Dani." To the oldest she gave a blue rose.

Gabri admired her rose for a moment before glancing back at Joy. "Who are these from?"

"I'm not allowed to say." Joy winked.

"Could they be from Drew?" Shelly suggested. "He is Rose Boy."

Gary frowned. "Why would he give them roses?"

"What does pink mean?" Gabri asked her oldest sister.

Dani tried to think back to what Drew had told her about roses. "Well, that one is dark pink, so I think it means appreciation and gratitude."

Gabri blinked. "What does Drew have to thank me for?"

Dani shrugged. "For being his friend? It could be Paul too." Paul had been in the rose shop, after all.

"I can't see Paul handing out roses," Gary said with bitterness.

"What does blue mean?" Shelly asked.

Dani stared at the deep blue rose in her hand. It stirred something in her that she did not understand. "Blue means… something that is unattainable. They don't exist in nature, so they represent something that can never be achieved."

"That doesn't make sense for Drew or Paul."

Dani exchanged a look with Gabri. She knew they were both thinking the same thing: their sister was wrong. "The meaning of the rose doesn't have to be directed at me. One of them could be admitting that there is something in their life that is unattainable."

"Or maybe someone wanted to confuse you," Gary said. "Who gives a rose anonymously?"

Shelly shrugged. "In certain circumstances it could be romantic."

"Cynda?" Mo climbed onto his trainer's shoulder and nudged her with his head.

Dani snapped back to reality. Her thoughts had drifted, and that was not good right now. "Let's get going. We can think about it later."

Gary nodded. "Agreed."

Dani and Gabri attached their roses to their bags. They walked side-by-side, not saying a word. One thing was for sure: a lot had happened while they had been in Nimbasa City. Neither knew what the future could hold for either of them.


A/N: I'll be taking a break from this story for awhile so I can focus more attention on some of my other stories. I'm not sure when I will get back to this. If there is anyone who really wants me to continue, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner rather than later. Thanks for reading so far!