With my Pokémon all rested and well again, I spent the rest of my time just playing with them, not worrying about Sophia or the tournament or Gary or anything of the kind. All I wanted now was to relax and just reassure my Pokémon that I still loved them despite our "apparently" humiliating defeat. According to Sophia that is.
"Alright, Ivysaur, you're up next!" I called, turning to him. "You ready to throw that ball as far as you can?" I questioned, tossing our tennis ball to him and he nodded his head, catching it easily then narrowed his eyes in concentration.
"Ivy…Saur!" He yelled, launching the ball high up into the air with his vine but the wind dragged it out over the lake, making me laugh as everyone either flew, swam or got a ride out there to try and get it.
"Nice throw Ivysaur, that's quite an arm you got there. Or vine." I joked and Ivysaur laughed with me as I sat down on the grass then lay back, placing my hands under my head. The others were off somewhere celebrating Ash's newest victory over Gary, one he was still having a hard time believing himself.
I'll admit, it had been an awesome battle, however seeing Gary's girl squad back on the cheering field had just made my stomach twist. Can't he ever just be a normal, non-vain human being? It was just as bad seeing Sophia there cheering him all the way. I even heard she tried to get her beloved daddy to persuade the people in charge of the competition that there had been a mistake and Ash had cheated, but he was unsuccessful. Looks like you can't get everything.
Ivysaur curled up beside me and I smiled, hearing the chime of his Soothe Bell as he moved and that mixed with the sweet smell of his sprouting bulb couldn't help but make anyone feel relaxed. This was all shattered when a very wet tennis ball was dropped onto my face by Jigglypuff who laughed as I yelled and sat bolt upright, wiping my face dry.
"Hey! No fair!" I told her with a grin. "I'll get you for that Jigglypuff!" Launching myself forwards I tried to grab her but Jigglypuff merely sprang out of the way, allowing me to fall to the ground again with a grunt. Ouch. Now that hurt my pride. She pointed and laughed at me again, making me giggle too as I couldn't help but see the funny side.
"Oh you like that do you? Well how about this. Ivysaur, use Tickle on Jigglypuff!" I called and Ivysaur instantly stretched out with his vines with a smile, using them to tickle Jigglypuff who fell onto her back and really began to laugh, kicking her feet and failing her arms as everyone else all smiled and giggled around me too.
Vaporeon lifted her head from where she had been relaxing under the shade of tree, gave a yawn and was about to settle back down again when her ears pricked up, signalling someone was getting closer but I was a little too busy wrestling with Scyther to notice.
"You're not going to get me so easily Scyther, I'll show you!" I laughed then began to push with all my might against Scyther who pushed back, careful of his blades but still, it was no competition. I went flying backwards then landed heavily on the ground, groaning. "Why do I always have to be the one to be pushed over?" I complained.
"I don't know. Maybe because you make it so easy." A voice replied sarcastically and instantly my eyes flew open to find the sun being blocked by Gary's head. What?! Gary?! What's he doing here?
"Gary!" I yelped and leaped to my feet as fast as I could, but in my haste tripped back over my own foot and cried out as my arms began to flail.
"Watch out!" Gary instantly reached out and grabbed my arm but I continued to fall regardless and he landed on top of me, pressing all the air from my lungs.
"Get…off…can't…breathe…." I rasped and Gary quickly moved to scramble away, especially seeing as Charizard and Scyther were both growling at him viciously, threatening to cut him up into squares and roast him on a skewer. Once I got my breath back I sat up and glared at him. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk." He told me seriously as he stood up. "I don't like the way you've been acting and I want to know the reason for it." Folding his arms he didn't remove that serious expression he wore.
"What acting?" I demanded hotly, pulling myself up to my feet then looked over to Vaporeon and Umbreon who cuddled up together and Umbreon started to groom Vaporeon, treating with the utmost tender care and affection. Those two were so cute.
"Ever since you got here, you've been a grumpy and self-pitying drag. What's up with that? Was it something I said?" How can guys be so dense? Do I have to spell it out for him and draw little pictures too?
"You should go otherwise your girlfriend might start to get concerned about your safety." I told him, turning my back but then I heard his genuinely surprised tone.
"Girlfriend? What are you talking about Rubes? You're making no sense." He told me so I turned around and folded my arms.
"Sophia Winthrop! You know, the girl you've had hanging off your arm since the moment you two met?" I tried to remind him but he just stared at me blankly. Then he laughed.
"She's not my girlfriend. She likes to think she is, but she's not." Gary told me then placed a hand on his waist. "Dear me Rubes, have you been jealous?"
"No!" The thought! How dare he think I had been jealous? If anything I felt sorry for him! "No way! But you did spend all that time with her, and you told her all about me, everything from me initially giving up my first two badges, how could you? I thought we were friends." Gary blinked then stepped forwards with a gentle smile.
"We are friends Rubes, I never said any of those things to hurt you. She just kept on asking me questions and it's pretty hard to say no to that girl when she wants something. Besides, once I started talking, everything just followed. I told her all about Ash too, not just you." Well gee, thanks. That's really comforting.
"You're an idiot Gary." I told him stubbornly, making him smirk.
"And you're impossible."
"You stink."
"You look like a Mr Mime who fell in a paint box." Good point, but unacceptable!
"You're a shrimp brained Weedle." Gary chuckled. He actually chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"Have you seen your hair recently?" He questioned and instantly my hands darted to my head to hide it but Gary stepped forwards and pulled them aside, exposing my messy locks. Charizard growled in warning but Gary bravely ignored him, reaching out then pulled my hairband out of the very loose ponytail it was beginning to slip free from, then ran my hair through his fingers once. "There. That's a little better I guess." What…is he doing? He's touching my hair!
"You walked with her." I blurted, making Gary arch an eyebrow. "I saw you. Remember? And Sophia told me in very specific detail all you talked about and about you holding hands and kissing. How is that not being together, huh?" I challenged but Gary only smirked further.
"For someone who doesn't care, you're rather interested in our relationship, aren't you?" I rolled my eyes.
"I just consider you a traitor at the moment. That's all. I'm pulling out all the stocks to throw it against you." I defended then turned my back, lifting my nose high and Jigglypuff did the same, having come over to stand at my side and glare heartily up at Gary. Guess she didn't like him much at the moment either.
"Rubes, you know she was lying, right? I have enough sense to be able to tell she's bad news, you know." Lying? So…they didn't kiss? Not that I care of course, it's just that if he's contaminated with that little spoiled brat then I can't have anything more to do with him. "Is that a smile I see there?" I desperately tried to hide it behind a stone hard façade. "Come on…I know you want to forgive me for everything I didn't actually do wrong." He teased, poking me until I giggled as he found my ticklish spot in my side.
Turning around Gary reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear with a warm smile. "You know I'd never hurt your feelings like that Rubes. I'm just sorry I didn't realise what Sophia was doing to you sooner. It wasn't fair and you should have totally beaten her the other day." I shook my head, swallowing the nervous lump in my throat as I blushed a little and this strange warm and tingling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
Unable to hold myself back I jumped up and flung my arms around Gary's neck, sniffling slightly as a tear of happiness dripped down my cheek, but Ivysaur reached out and brushed it away gently with one of his vines, so I mouthed a thank you to him as Gary held onto me tightly.
It was kind of relaxing and deeply comforting to grip onto him so securely, feeling his warm arms around me as if in promise they'd never let go. "I'm sorry Gary, for everything I said." I whispered to him and I felt him turn his head into me.
"I know." He answered. The cheek, he hasn't said sorry either! Well, he kind of did, so I guess I'll let it slide this once. "So it's still early. How about some ice cream?" He suggested as I pulled back but his arms didn't move from around my waist and mine stayed locked around his neck as I smiled up at him. "On me this time."
"You're on." I nodded my head then let go of him, giving a whistle to get everyone's attention. "You all behave yourselves now, I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? Umbreon, you keep a close eye on Vaporeon, she is not to do anything too strenuous, you got that?"
"Umbreon." He nodded his head then sat down protectively at Vaporeon's head, ears pricked up to listen for danger.
"Why's Vaporeon under such strict guard? Did she get hurt bad in the battle?" Gary asked but I shook my head as we began to walk over to the ice cream stand.
"No, she's just going to be having eggs soon, so I'm taking extra special care of her." I said and Gary blinked.
"Really?" He glanced back to Umbreon. "And Umbreon…"
"Yup. Congratulations Gary, you're going to be a grandpa!" I revealed brightly before grabbing Gary's hand and dragging him over to the stand. "Come on, I want chocolate!"
"…huh?"
I stood with Ash, Misty and Brock, all of us looking at Gary and a friend Ash had made in his last battle in the Silver Conference, Harrison. It was time we all parted ways, and I was kind of sad to say goodbye but I knew it wouldn't be long until we ran into Gary again. Our bumping into one another seemed to just be fate decided.
"I think I'll circle around Mt Silver then head back to Pallet Town." Gary said to us after Misty had asked him what his plans were.
"I'm headed over to the Indigo Plateau." Harrison added, smiling to us all.
"And we're going to stop in Viridian City first and then go back to Pallet Town." Ash said but I smiled.
"I'm heading straight on. Apparently there's some important things Professor Oak wants to discuss with me as soon as possible in a…how did he describe it? A controlled environment." I smirked. "I'm guessing he's talking about my little stunt back in the competition."
"Well, I guess it's time we all said goodbye, huh." Misty said sadly so I reached out and hugged her and Togepi.
"Don't worry, this isn't forever. Just a short while." I told her with a shrug. "You can't keep best friends apart, it's just impossible."
"She's right. We'll all see each other again, and that's a promise." Brock said, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Now you take care of yourself and all your Pokémon. Remember that Latias needs to start being weaned off milk and onto solids now that's she's older, and you have to also feed yourself, not just your Pokémon."
"I know Brock." I laughed, giving him a hug too. "I won't forget."
"See you Ruby, I'll miss ya." Ash grinned before giving me a high five.
"See you around genius. Don't do anything too stupid or get lost without me there to bail you out." I laughed then turned around with a wave. "Good bye! And good luck Harrison, I know you'll be great." I told him then walked off back down the path to the blimp port where I needed to catch the next ride to the port so I can return home to Kanto ahead of the others. Seeing as mom and dad had agreed with Professor Oak to pay for my ticket, it would be a lot faster that way.
I got down the path and was about to enter the airport when I heard someone calling out my name. Or at least, my nicknane. "Hey Rubes! Wait a sec!" Gary called and I turned around.
"Gary? What's wrong?" I asked as he stopped in front of me. He gave a smirk.
"You never argue about me calling you Rubes anymore." He noted and I arched an eyebrow.
"That's why you ran all the way back here? To tell me some things are just not worth fighting over?" Gary gave a shrug then shook his head.
"No, I came to give you this." He pulled something out of his bag and held it out to me. It was a small black velvet box. "I felt kind of bad how things went for you, so I found this and thought it might cheer you up." Tentatively I reached out and picked it up, almost scared to open it. It's not going to explode in my face as some kind of joke, is it?
"What is it?" I asked which only made Gary smile.
"You're supposed to open it, Rubes. Or shall I do it for you?" He reached out to take it back but I moved my hands away with a sound of protest then slowly lifted the lid, peering inside. What I found was a beautiful silver chain with a tiny pendant of a creasent moon with a small star, the pendant barely bigger than my little fingernail. "Just to remind you that you're always a champ in my books, no matter what anyone else may say about you. You're great at what you do, you just need to be more confident." Gary said as he lifted it up then secured it around my neck.
"It's too much. Gary you can't keep on giving my stuff like this." I said to him worriedly. "This must have…" But he shrugged.
"It's nothing. Besides Rubes, you're worth every penny." He said then reached forwards and kissed my cheek. "Isn't that your blimp about to leave?" He questioned curiously as he pulled back and I gasped.
"The blimp! I…you…Gary!" I yelled then glared at him for a moment before giving into my smile and touched the necklace gently. "It's really pretty. Thank you." I told him before running to the blimp to get my ride home.
However the moment I was inside I rushed to the back window and stood there, looking out over the airfield and saw Gary still standing there. He lifted a hand and flicked it out in a half wave, half salute before he turned and walked away.
My hand reached up and held my new good luck charm. Looks like I now owe Gary Oak big time.
