Construction work is weird. When you dig, you are trying to go down and through and under. Construction work sends you up and around. It also involves a lot of electrical wiring, so most of the help I was able to contribute was lifting heavy objects and hammering them down.
Volkner had given me a look at the blueprints, and what he was attempting to build was interesting, but felt impractical to me.
"In my Gym, you just walk right in and its got a rock and dirt floor," I said simply.
"Well, I want moving platforms and electric sparks shooting out of my Gym," Volkner retorted.
"You really are like my Dad - he's obsessed with the idea of moving platforms too. Why not just have a regular old arena?!" I threw my arms up in the air. Flint suddenly slid between us, wrapping one arm around each of our shoulders.
"You know Roark, they say girls always want to date a guy who reminds them of their father," he snickered, grinning with huge white teeth at me. His hair was tied back again, as he was helping out in the Gym as well, and his sexiness frustrated me. I bopped him on top of the head.
"Volkner is NOT like my Dad," I grumbled. Flint rubbed the spot where I'd bopped him and gave me a sad look. "What - he's not!! I mean, besides the fact that everyone thinks he's a womanizer, but he really isn't..."
Flint laughed. "Volkner WAS a-" He trailed off awkwardly when Volkner glared at him. I ignored it.
"I mean, I guess he and my Dad have SOME similar traits... kind of." I shrugged. "Am I anything like YOUR Dad, Volk?"
Flint suddenly fell over, barely missing a pile of scrap metal, laughing his ass off so hard he couldn't get up. Volkner aimed a kick at him, but Flint just rolled and rolled.
"Hahahahahaha... R-Roark... a...and...your Dad... hahahahahaha..."
"What?!" I said, alarmed. I didn't know anything about Volkner's parents, and now I was worried I'd said something really stupid. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know what's so funny, Flint. He's probably even met my father, and I'm sure it was fine. No need to be a moron." Flint started to sit up, and Volkner shoved him back down. Now I was REALLY confused.
"But... I've never met your family..." I said quietly, looking at my boots. Volkner slid his hand under my chin, lifting my face up and smiling at me. Ah shit - he looked so handsome, and had an oil smudge across his nose and cheek.
"Roark... show me your badges. Do you have them?" I nodded, reaching into my jacket's inside pocket and pulling out my badge case. Volkner took it from me, opened it, smiled and handed it back. "You've met my father."
I almost fell over myself. "W-WHAT?! You...your dad is a Gym Leader too?!" I stared at all of my badges, trying to think back over all the Gym Leader's I'd battled. "Who is it?? Who's your Dad? Volkner - I can't believe you didn't tell me this!"
Flint stood up, sniggering. "Actually, Roark, it's pretty obvious."
"He hadn't met me when he battled him, Flint, I'm pretty sure, anyway."
My eyes continued to slide frantically over the badges. As they landed on a tiny orange sun-shaped badge, I remembered the battle. The Gym Leader was an American man, larger than my own Father. His Japanese was broken, but his Raichu was powerful, and big like he was. Cranidos had run circles around it, but when it landed a hit, even thought it was an electric attack, Cranidos nearly passed out right then and there. Only in the end did we barely win, with Cranidos nailed a perfect Zen Headbutt.
The Gym Leader had blond, spikey hair, and blue eyes, and was extremely cocky. I looked up at my boyfriend, who was wearing his own very cocky expression. My eyes grew wide.
Flint giggled and clapped. "He figured it out!"
"Your Dad... your Dad is the American Gym Leader? In Vermillion City?" I wracked my brains for a second. "SURGE! Lieutenant Surge... that's him... he's your DAD!" I shrieked, my hands shooting up to my mouth. Volkner rolled his eyes. "How did I not put that together sooner?! You even wear your hair the same way!! Volkner, I didn't know you were half American!!"
"My hair is blond, Roark."
"I thought you DYED it!" I was in complete shock. Flint was giggling and I turned to snap at him. "YOU dye your hair, Flint!" He looked sad and frowny and stopped giggling then. Volkner continued to smirk at me.
"My eyes are blue."
"Well - I thought you were just weird or wore contacts! I don't know!" I felt completely stumped by this. I spent so much time shagging Volkner that I'd never bothered to find this stuff out about him. Stuff his best friend obviously already knew. Volkner knew all about my family life - mostly - but I'd never even known blond was his natural hair color.
"But..." I said weakly. "Your Japanese is fine... Surge sounded like... uh... I mean, your Dad..."
"My Father came to Japan through the military and stayed to be a Gym Leader, he never took any Japanese lessons or anything. I was born and raised here." He shrugged, then smiled, probably amused by how shocked I was. He must have suspected I was feeling stupid, as he suddenly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me close. I whimpered.
"I'm sorry I never bothered to ask you more about yourself," I said miserably, half whispering in the hopes that Flint couldn't hear me. Volkner patted my back, then gave me a little kiss on the top of my head. My face burned from shyness, but I glanced and saw Flint wasn't even paying attention.
"Naw, I coulda told you, but I knew it'd be funnier if you found out later on that both our Dads are also Gym Leaders."
I sniffed. "Is that why you have a Raichu? I thought it was a random choice."
"I always said ditch the Raichu! It's your weakest link!" Flint piped up.
Volkner pushed Flint away. "Kind of. My Raichu is actually my Dad's Raichu's kid. Adorable, don't you think?"
"Yeah, it is... " I smiled, finally calming down a bit. "I guess we forgot to invite him to the family vacation tonight."
"Uh, yeah, he wouldn't come anyway. American culture doesn't really think everyone naked outside in a hot springs together is a fun idea."
I frowned when he said that. Somehow, I hadn't been thinking of a hot springs vacation as being that sort of thing, but now that he said it out loud, horror was slowly creeping over me. I groaned, covering my face with my hands.
"Volk - even if no Americans are coming and hot springs is a normal Japanese vacation, think about it from another point of view!! I've just... aaargh, I planned a NAKED vacation when the entire reason I planned it was because Riley is having crazy gay feelings for my Dad!!"
Volkner blinked. "So? They give you little towels if you don't want anyone to see-"
"NO!! Little towels won't do it - oh Volk, I just... why didn't I pick something else!" I wailed, throwing myself into his arms. Volkner and Flint looked at each other as I bawled into my boyfriend's chest.
I'd already paid for the time and the rooms at the hot springs resort in Sunyshore. I couldn't reverse what I had done. Maybe it would all be okay. Pain doesn't last forever, after all.