"Excuse me~" Bianca sang out, trying to move her way through the crowded aisle. Her manners were practically drowned out though by the merry sounds of a tent filled with thousands of people. She finally reached her seat, giving a sigh of relief.
"I thought I'd never get back," She cried out, the back of her hand against her forehead. Cheren sighed at her melodramatic behavior while Touko chuckled at both of her friends' antics. Bianca smiled, opening her eyes and looking around the tent.
"Wow," She exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement, "This tent is so huge!"
"Well that's cuz most of the population is too!" Touya announced, his arms loaded with every carnival snack imaginable.
"Says the kid carrying enough snacks to feed Africa," Cheren muttered, causing Touko to giggle and snicker. Touya pouted, plopping down right next to him.
"Hey, I wouldn't be so mean to the guy who bought you food," Touya said, shoving a bag of popcorn into Cheren's face. Cheren leaned back slightly to avoid getting butter into his eyes, taking the bag out of his hands.
"Oh oh, Touya did you get my big pretzel?" Bianca asked, leaning forward so that her head appeared between Cheren and Touya's heads. Touya wiggled his items around, finally obtaining the pretzel and handing it to her. "Thank you~!"
"Sure thing Bianca," Touya said, rummaging through the snacks, "And Touko, here's your cotton candy!" He said, handing it over to her. Touko leaned over and grabbed it, plucking a piece almost immediately.
"Thanks Touya," She said, mouth filled with the sweet pink fluff. Touya nodded, already having dug into his chili cheese dog. Suddenly the lights in the tent went out, causing a hush to grow over the crowd. A single bright spotlight appeared in the center of the tent, allowing for the man in the center of the tent to appear. The spotlight cast a strange blue hue to the spikes of his hair.
"Is that Alder," Cheren whispered, pointing towards the man. Touya shook his head, swallowing his food.
"No way," He said, glancing over at Cheren, "I have a poster of the Elite Four, and that is definitely not Alder."
"Well then who is he," Cheren asked. Just as Touya was about to answer, the man in the center began his welcoming speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen," He announced, his arms flourishing his large yellow scarf as he spread them wide, "I am Grimsley of the Elite Four, and I welcome you to our humble presentation! With us tonight are Caitlin, the master of mystics, and Shauntal, the illusionist extraordinaire!"
A loud pop off to the side of the arena drew everyone's attention away from Grimsley. Another spotlight focused on the area, revealing purple and pink smoke to be rising into the air. Once it had cleared, two women were revealed to be standing side by side; one had long wavy blonde hair, the tips of which were tied with light pink bows. This woman wore a white hat on her head and a white coat over her pink dress. The other woman had purple eyes hidden behind large glasses, her face framed by short purple hair. Around her neck was a large, black bow looking item with a red clip in the middle. Her dress was short and purple, with black buttons on the front and black cloth covering the top of the skirt of the dress. Her hands were encased in black gloves, while her legs were in black stockings.
"And of course," Grimsely continued, gesturing to another corner of the tent, "We cannot forget our fearless acrobat, Marshal!"
A spotlight immediately flew upwards, causing everyone to crane their heads upwards. Gasps of surprise and wonder were immediately heard as they saw a muscular dark skinned male with bright blond hair balancing on the high wire on a unicycle. He gave a little wave to the crowd, a feat that should have been difficult considering that he was also carrying a large amount of weights across his back. He continued to ride across the wire, baggy yellow pants amazingly not getting caught in anything as he finally reached the other side. The crowd burst into applause as he stepped off, giving a small bow to the crowd.
Grimsley clapped as well, working to turn the attention back to him. "Finally, without further ado, we shall now-"
"Introduce the real Grimsley," Came a voice from the shadows. A murmur ran through the crowd as a spotlight came on, revealing a second Grimsley. He smirked, flicking his scarf to the side as he approached the first Grimsley.
"Really Alder, I'm more than happy to give you lessons on being as suave and debonair as I." Grimsley said, his hand gesturing towards himself as he spoke. The first Grimsley rolled his eyes at the others actions.
"Really Grimsley, don't need any lessons from you," He said, placing a hand on his shoulders. "But I'll let you know right away when I want to practice being a high and mighty snob!"
The crowd burst into laughter, causing the first Grimsley to break out into a grin. The second Grimsley rolled his eyes, turning towards Caitlin and Shauntal.
"Caitlin, Shauntal; if you would please be so kind," He said, gesturing towards the fake Grimsley. Caitlin nodded, raising her hands towards the other Grimsley as her eyes closed. Shauntal pulled out little pink and purple balls, tossing them and immediately snapping her fingers. Instantly, the fake Grimsley became enshrouded in smoke; the crowd watched with baited breath to see the man behind the mask. As the smoke cleared, a rugged looking man with fiery red and orange hair pulled back into a ponytail appeared; jagged white pants and a poncho being the clothes he wore. He coughed, waving his hand around to help clear the smoke.
"Geez, it's amazing I don't get violently ill from that stuff," Alder gave a final cough, finally able to breathe fresh air, "I mean, that stuff smells just plain awful!"
"It's not meant to smell good Alder." Shauntal said, her arms crossed over her chest. Alder waved his hand dismissively, a grin on his face.
"Yeah yeah; told me once, you've told me a thousand and one times before!" Alder said before turning to the crowd. "But we're not here to hear that are we?"
"Heck no," Touya shouted with the rest of the crowd, waving his dog in the air. Cheren leaned towards Touko, staring at him with slight disgust as chili and cheese went flying. He looked over at Touko, mouthing a silent plea to help him. Touko looked at him apologetically, mouthing an apology before turning her attention back to the ring.
"Tonight, we will start off with our very own daredevil, Marshal!" Alder announced, gesturing upwards to Marshal on the platform; the rest of the group had left the ring as the show began. "But before we do, I just want everyone to know that he is a highly trained professional. So kids, don't try this at home because then your parents will get mad at me; parents, don't try this at home either because then I'll be obligated to raise your kids carnival style."
The crowd collectively chuckled, causing Alder to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "No seriously, I am; how do you think I got a snob like Grimsley to work for me?"
"I heard that," Grimsley called out from backstage, causing more chuckles to burst from the crowd. Alder blew a kiss in the direction of Grimsley's voice, causing full blown laughter in the crowd.
"Now, without further ado; Marshal," Alder announced, jogging out of the ring. The spotlight swiftly moved to focus on Marshal, who was already back on his unicycle. He cycled out onto the wire carefully, one arm extended to help keep his balance. Once he reached the center of the wire he jumped up with the unicycle, the wheel spinning underneath him. He landed back on the wire, carefully working to keep his balance again. Marshal then jumped off of the unicycle, flipping in the air so that his hands were on the pedals and his feet were in the air.
"Whoa," Touko whispered, eyes glued to Marshal as he pedaled back and forth on the wire. Bianca peeked out from under her hat, eyes drawn towards the scene like those of a spectator of a horrible crash.
"Ooh…I can barely stand to watch it," She whined, hiding underneath her hat again, "I hope he doesn't get hurt!"
"You worry too much Bianca," Touya said, turning around to look at her, "This guy is a trained professional! He's not gonna make stupid rookie mistakes like falling!"
"Which would ultimately result in dying," Cheren pointed out, popping popcorn into his mouth. Touya rolled his eyes as Bianca gave a low whine, turning back around to watch the show.
Marshal jumped up again, this time one hand landing on the seat of the unicycle as the other stayed out in mid air. He carefully moved the free hand towards his shirt pocket, pulling out three large colorful balls. He tossed them into the air one at a time, his feet instantly catching them and beginning to juggle them for the crowd. He lowered both hands back to the pedals, both feet still working to keep the balls in the air. The crowd cheered at the spectacle, amazed that he hadn't already fallen to his death. After a while Marshal gave a large push, pushing himself into the air and flipping around so that he was back to his original position on the unicycle. He picked up where his feet left off, juggling the balls with his hands as he rode towards the other side of the wire. Once he reached the other platform, he hopped off the unicycle and caught the balls, pocketing them as the crowd erupted into applause. He bowed before heading towards the ladder leading down to the ground.
"Wasn't he fantastic," Alder's voice boomed throughout the tent; yet his body was nowhere to be seen. Everyone looked around, confused as to where the sound was coming from.
"Oh! How inconsiderate of me," He apologized, realizing that he couldn't be seen. He immediately appeared in the center of the ring, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise. He grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I forgot that Shauntal did that," He said, looking around at the crowd, "Speaking of which, here comes our next act; Shauntal!"
The crowd gasped as Alder suddenly vanished to be replaced by Shauntal. She curtsied slightly, pushing her glasses up her nose when she came up. "Good evening; I am Shauntal and I will be your entertainment for tonight. Tonight, you shall view the dance of the dragons; it is an illusion with an experience that differs from person to person. None of what you are about to experience is real, so please do not become panicked."
A murmur ran through the crowd, the air heavy with anticipation. Shauntal smiled, pulling out a couple of black smoke balls. "Then, without further ado," She said before tossing them harshly to the ground, the entire tent becoming filled with the black and white smoke.
"Man, Alder's right," Touko thought, coughing as the smoke filled up the air, "This stuff does smell bad." She looked around, trying to see if she could see any of her friends through the smoke. All around her, black dust clouds filled her vision, making it impossible to see any further than her own personal bubble.
"Guys? Hey guys," She called out, still looking around. She suddenly noticed she was standing; something that had not been a fact before. As soon as she noticed this fact, a great gust of wind burst through the area, the dust clearing out as quickly as it had filled the air. She closed her eyes, trying to protect them from any debris that may be floating within the air. When the wind had died down she opened her eyes carefully, only for them to widen to the size of dinner plates as her mouth hung open.
"N…No way…" She thought, staring around the room. She was in an enormous golden hall, crystal chandeliers and golden lamps glittering all around her. She took a step forward and instantly noticed something was off; there was a rustle and clack when there should have been none. She looked down, gasping as she drank in her appearance.
"This is…"She trailed off, completely at a loss for words. Her dress was snow white, the edges of the puffed skirt jagged. Two large white rings surrounded her skirt, seemingly unattached to her body; the bodice of her dress flare at with a feather like appearance, matching the arm bands that started at her elbows. She decided to check for any other accessories, feeling her neck and the top of her head as well. Around her neck were two white rings, a chiffon cloth coming out of the bottom ring and attaching itself to the top of her bodice; her hair was tied into its usual ponytail , the exception being that instead of a hair tie it was a white ribbon instead.
She looked around the ballroom, still too stunned by everything to be able to speak properly. "Geez, with all this stuff, I feel like some kind of-"
"A princess," Inquired an all too familiar voice. Touko's eyes widened as she quickly turned around, only to be met by the amused twinkle in warm green eyes.
"N…" She breathed, her mind shutting down as he walked towards her. He was dressed in a black suit, the coat flaring out at the edges. He wore shiny light blue boots, strangely complimenting the outfit instead of making it a horrible design flaw. "How…When…"
"How did I know what you were thinking," He asked, grasping her by the hand, "Lucky guess; after all, you're in a sparkling ballroom and you're dressed like royalty. Who wouldn't think that?"
She swallowed, nodding as she watched his every move. "As for when I got here, well," He bent down and kissed her hand, causing a blush to paint itself across her cheeks, "Shauntal did say it would differ from person to person."
She blinked, her brain trying to process his response to her questions. "All of this…all of this is Shauntal," She thought, too stunned to speak what she was thinking. N smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he pulled her close to him. She blushed, placing a hand on his shoulder almost instinctively as they began to dance to a tune that seemed to have been playing in the background this whole time. They spun and twirled for what seemed like hours, yet Touko never felt dizzy or bored. All she could do is stare at the man before her with shining eyes; the look of utter bliss on his face causing her to slip into an almost trancelike state.
"If only…" She thought, resting her head against his chest. N rested his head against hers, slightly nuzzling her hair in an affectionate way. She closed her eyes; soaking up the moment for all that it was worth. The next thing she knew she was gliding along the floor instead of dancing; a cold yet refreshing wind blew through her, causing her to shiver. Touko opened her eyes, taken aback as the surroundings had changed to those of a winter forest.
"What the…" She began, looking down at her feet to see that she was skating across a lake. N skated up beside her, a smile on his face as he took her by the hand.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings love," N said, skating alongside her; her hand held in his, "You'd have noticed the blue smoke coming through."
"Blue smoke," She asked confusion evident in both her voice and eyes. She quickly looked around the area; sure enough, a few blue dust clouds were clearing away from the air. N chuckled, skating in front of her so that he could lead her across the lake.
"Really, you're obliviousness is one of your more endearing qualities," He said, spinning her so that her back was against his chest, "It makes you far more adorable than need be."
She blushed at his comment, the snowflakes melting against her burning cheeks. N chuckled, turning her head upwards so that she was staring directly at him. Touko's breathing quickened as he leaned inwards, her eyes instinctively closing as his nose brushed against hers.
A roar of unparalleled rage caused Touko's eyes to snap open, followed by a sudden blast of heat. She quickly whipped her head around, noticing that the area changed from a snowy forest to a fiery cave; magma flowing like rivers along the floor, flames shooting up out of the ground.
"Wh…What is this," Touko wondered, backing away slowly. She looked around the area, no sign of N anywhere at all. Her back suddenly collided against something hard, causing her to gasp and turn around quickly. There stood what appeared to be an older version of N; hair was a lighter shade of green, and eyes burned fiery red as he stared at her.
"Gh…Ghetsis…" She stammered, backing away from him. He growled, hands flexed as if they were claws ready to tear into her vulnerable flesh. His glare became harsher before he suddenly lunged at her, hands outstretched to tighten around her bare neck.
"Stay away from him," Was all Touko heard as she screamed, her arms instinctively raising themselves to block any of his attacks. A white smoke suddenly blew through the air, banishing any signs of Ghetsis or the cave to another world as she suddenly passed out.
Cheers and applause snapped Touko out of her illusion, causing her to whip her head back and forth. Touya was standing up, whistling and cheering insanely along with the rest of the crowd. Cheren sat calmly, cleaning his glasses of any smoke residue. Bianca was sitting there dazedly, a blissful look on her face as she sat there.
"Was mine the only one like that…" Touko wondered, her hand held over her chest. Her heart was still beating rapidly, and her breathing had yet to even out. Touya sat back down, a stupid grin plastered on his face.
"Man that was awesome huh?" He shouted, leaning over to look at everyone. Bianca nodded, the blissful expression still on her face. Cheren placed his glasses back on his face, pushing them back up his nose.
"That smoke she used was probably just some hallucinogenic," Cheren stated, crossing his arms over his chest. Touya rolled his eyes, his gaze focusing on Touko instead.
"What'd you think sis?"
"O-Oh, I thought it w-was pretty g-good…" She stuttered, still having not recovered from the experience. Touya blinked, noticing that something was off about her.
"You okay Touko? You look kinda pale and…well, just not well." He said, concern completely evident in his voice. Touko's head snapped up, a strained smile on her face as she waved her hands in front of her.
"Really, I'm fine," She said as she began to stand up, "I-I'm just going to go get a drink and some fresh air."
"Hmm," Bianca suddenly snapped out of her trance as she noticed Touko standing up, "But you'll miss the next act!"
"Well, you guys can tell me all about it later." Touko said as she began to jog down the stairs. "Now you all behave while I'm gone!"
"Well…okay…" Bianca said, her chin resting on her knuckles again. Touko quickly made her way to the bottom of the stairs before breaking into a sprint towards the exit. She looked behind her to make sure no one was following her; immediately upon turning her head she ran into someone at the exit.
"Oh! I-I'm so sorry," Touko said, looking up at the person. She gasped as she saw it was Caitlin, a bored look on her face.
"Next time, you should watch where you're going," She said, brushing past her and walking towards the ring. She stopped though, turning to look back at Touko. Touko fidgeted, feeling uncomfortable at the woman's gaze.
"Um…Y-Yes," She asked, feeling suddenly self conscious about what had happened before.
"If you are feeling unwell due to the performance, then go see Shauntal," Caitlin stated, turning back around, "Also Touko...Be careful."
Touko's eyes widened. "C-Careful?"
She nodded. "I see things…Things that could potentially work against you and your…desires."
Touko swallowed, suddenly feeling weaker than before. "I-I will…Thank you, Caitlin."
Caitlin nodded, walking towards the entrance of the ring. Touko exited the tent and walked a few feet away, the roar of the crowd clearly audible as Caitlin appeared. She staggered slightly; the ill feeling from before washing over her in waves. She groaned, looking around and trying to spot a bench where she could just sit and calm herself down.
"Touko," A voice called out, causing her to turn her head quickly. She moaned slightly as the motion made her head spin slightly, causing her to quickly grasp her head to stop the world from spinning. Once the person got closer, she realized that the person who called out her name was Shauntal.
"H-How do you…"
"Caitlin told me," Shauntal stated, taking her by the arm and leading her towards the bench, "Really, I do apologize for this; I hadn't meant for you to become so ill."
"I-It's not your fault though," She said, placing herself gently on the bench, "You were just doing your job."
Shauntal sat besides her, digging through a small bag she was carrying. "I know; but that doesn't stop me from feeling absolutely horrible about it." She said, pulling out a medium sized gray pill. "Here, take this." She said, placing it in Touko's hand.
"Wh-What is it," She asked, staring at the pill in her hand. Shauntal smiled, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"It's a medicine I created to counteract any after effects of my illusions," She explained, "Once you take it, you should feel well enough to make it to the end of Caitlin's part."
Touko looked at her suspiciously before finally swallowing the pill. Instantly she felt better, the sickly feeling she felt before vanishing almost completely. "Wow!"
"Works like a charm, doesn't it?" Shauntal said, beaming with pride at her creation. Touko nodded, still completely amazed at feeling instantly better. Shauntal stood up, brushing the front of her dress off.
"Well, I hope you enjoyed the show despite this mishap," She said, bowing slightly, "Again, I do apologize."
Touko waved her hand, a sheepish grin on her face. "Really, you were just doing your job. I just…had a bad response to it is all."
She nodded, beginning to walk back towards the tent. "I hope you enjoy the rest of the show!"
Touko nodded, still sitting on the bench as she watched Shauntal disappear. Once she was sure that she felt completely better, she stood up, noticing that there was no dizziness upon standing or any sickly feeling. She quickly headed back into the tent, her mouth dropping open and eyes widening as she saw the sight before her.
Caitlin stood in the center of the ring, her arms outstretched as she focused her powers. Balls were spinning in circles in the air, going through hoops and intricate air patterns the entire time. Ribbons flew through the air, getting close enough to the audience that they could reach out and touch them. Caitlin raised her arms in the air, causing everything in the air to fly towards the center of the ring. All the ribbons flew together, weaving all around each other to ultimately create a large bow in the air. The balls zoomed towards each other, slamming into each other and exploding; causing glitter and confetti to sprinkle through the air. The audience watched in awe and broke into applause; the simplistic beauty of the performance enhanced by the fact that it was done all telekinetically. Caitlin bowed a small smile on her face as it ended. Touko quickly jogged back up to her seat, just in time to see Bianca and Touya cheering loudly.
"Oh Toto-chi, you missed it," Bianca said, eyes sparkling in awe, "Caitlin had the most wonderful performance so far tonight!"
"Don't worry, I caught the end of it," Touko said, sitting back down in her seat. Bianca smiled, turning her attention back to the center of the ring as Alder came back in.
"Wasn't she fantastic," Alder said, gesturing to Caitlin's retreating form, "But of course, we must introduce our final act of the night! Introducing our amazing hypnotist, Grimsley!"
The audience applauded as Alder left the ring to be replaced by Grimsley. He bowed multiple times before raising his hand to silence the audience. "For my performance, I will need just a few volunteers. Who here would be will-"
"Me! Pick me, pick me," Touya shouted, standing up and waving his arms around. Cheren sighed and Touko slapped her palm against her face in embarrassment, inwardly groaning.
Grimsley chuckled, motioning for Touya to come down. "Well, I see I have one enthusiastic volunteer. Would anyone else like to?"
"Ooh…I will," Bianca announced, standing up and raising her hand. Grimsley smiled as the spotlight shone on her as well.
"Well then, why don't both of you come on down?"
"Alright," They cheered, high fiving each other. They walked quickly down the stairs, the spotlight following them as they entered the ring. They walked over to Grimsley, the audience applauding them for volunteering.
"Now then, who should I have go first," Grimsley wondered aloud, circling Touya and Bianca slowly; eyeing them almost as if they were prize pigs up for slaughter.
"I'll go first," Touya announced, raising his hand. Grimsley smirked, pulling him away from Bianca's side.
"You've got spunk," He said, eyeing him carefully, "What's your name kid?"
"Touya."
"Well Touya, I'm going to use this watch here to send you into a trance," Grimsley said, pulling out a gold pocket watch, "Once in that trance, you will be completely under my control. Do you understand?"
Touya nodded, giving him an army salute. "Yes sir!"
He smirked. "Good boy. Now, just watch the watch," He said, slowly swinging the watch back and forth. Touya's eyes followed the watch; slowly his eyelids began to droop as a glazed look overcame his eyes.
"Now Touya," Grimsley began, the watch still swinging back and forth, "When I snap my fingers, you will fall into a deep sleep."
Touya barely nodded, his eyes still following the watch. Grimsley immediately snapped his fingers, causing Touya's eyes to shut completely. Grimsley put the watch away, leaning in to Touya to whisper something in to his ear. Once done, he pulled away and turned towards the audience, gesturing towards Touya.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my enthusiastic assistant here as now fallen into a deep trance," He began, "I have given him instructions on what shall occur when I give certain signals. What I am about to do may be completely and utterly embarrassing to him; so any siblings or friends who want to use this as blackmail, you should be taking your recording devices out now."
"Done and done," Cheren muttered, pulling his phone out to record the moment.
"When I clap my hands, Touya shall act...as a ballerina," Grimsley announced, clapping his hands loudly. Touya's head instantly shot up, his feet instantly arranging themselves into the first position of ballet. He then began to leap and twirl, dancing on the tips of his toes the entire time. His arms made graceful circles as he danced; he ended his dance by crouching down to the ground in a resting position. The audience applauded, a good majority of the audience laughing as well. Grimsley chuckled, snapping his fingers to end the trance.
Touya immediately jerked upwards, head whipping around confusedly. "Whoa…What just happened?"
"Nothing my dear boy," Grimsley said, placing a hand on his shoulder as he rose, "You were just a volunteer is all."
"Oh yeah…Was I any good?"
Grimsley smirked. "You were fantastic."
Touya grinned, giving him a thumbs up. "That's great!"
"Me next, me next," Bianca said, bouncing up and down. Grimsley chuckled, walking over to her.
"Patience my dear," He said, grasping her chin to stop her bouncing, "You'll be next to perform soon enough."
Bianca blushed, nodding quickly at his words. Cheren's eye twitched slightly as Touko shivered at Grimsley's actions.
"That's just plain creepy," They both thought as Grimsley pulled out the watch again. He began to swing it back and forth, Bianca's eyes obediently following its movements. Within a few moments Bianca's eyelids were drooping, the familiar glazed look coming over her eyes.
"Now Bianca, once I snap my fingers, you will fall into a deep trance," Grimsley said, the watch still swinging back and forth. Bianca seemingly ignored his command, her eyes still following the watch. Grimsley snapped his fingers, causing Bianca's eyes to immediately shut close. Grimsley quickly leaned in to her ear, whispering his new instructions to her; he then turned towards the audience, his arms gestured towards Bianca.
"Now as you can see, my subject is sound asleep," He said, his hands waving in Bianca's direction, "And now, once I clap my hands together, she shall be obligated to act as her favorite animal!"
Cheren groaned lowly. "Oh no…"
Touko turned towards Cheren. "What's up?"
"You know how he said to act as her favorite animal?"
Grimsley quickly clapped his hands together; Bianca's head jerked up, her hands held up to her chest as pants escaped her mouth. "Woof! Woof!"
Touko looked out at Bianca. "So her favorite animal is a dog?"
Bianca suddenly rubbed her hand against her face, her tongue coming out to lick the back of her hand. A loud purr escaped her lips as she went back to rubbing her face against her hand.
Touko blinked. "A…cat?"
Cheren sighed. "She doesn't have a favorite animal per say."
"She doesn't?"
Bianca laid down in the ring, rolling around on the floor and letting out squeals similar to that of a pig. The crowd roared with laughter as she continued to follow Grimsley's orders.
"No," He said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "She loves all animals too much to pick a favorite."
"…Oh."
"Well then…" Grimsley said, watching as Bianca began to dig into the ground, "I think this concludes our act for today." He said, snapping his fingers. Bianca's head jerked up again, looking around the area dazedly.
"What…Oh my, I don't remember a thing," Bianca exclaimed. Grimsley helped her up, chuckling as she dusted herself off.
"Well dear, you were a perfect volunteer." Grimsley said, smiling at her. "Now come, both of you take a bow with me!"
"Really," Touya exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. Grimsley chuckled, taking Touya and Bianca's hands in his. He raised them high above their heads, swinging them down to the ground in a grand bow. The audience cheered and applauded some still laughing at the previous performances. Grimsley released their hands, allowing them both to head back to their seats. Alder clapped as he came out into the ring, chuckling to himself as well.
"Well, I think that was a successful act, don't you?" Alder asked, a hand cupping his ear as he waited for a response. The crowd cheered and applauded wildly, the more enthusiastic ones jumping up and down.
"Wow! Now that's what I like to hear," Alder grinned, "Thank you all for coming out! If you have any questions or desires for autographs, please come on down to the ring! We'll get you what you need as soon as possible! May we meet again!"
The crowd continued to cheer as the rest of the Elite Four appeared, taking one final bow as a group. Touya grabbed Touko by the shoulder, pulling her to him excitedly.
"Touko, Touko, we have got to get an autograph!"
Touko sighed. "Alright alright, just cool your jets!"
"Yes," Touya cheered, pumping his fist in the air, "Come on guys, we better hurry!" Touya shouted, running down the stairs.
"Coming," Bianca sang out, following Touya quickly. Cheren rolled his eyes, following after them as quickly as he could. Touko walked after them, her hands in her pockets as she stared up at the tent's ceiling.
"She said 'Be careful'….But be careful of what?"
A/N: UGH. DONE. My brain hurts slightly….Oh well, 12 pages of writing, and I hope you like it a lot! Leave a review, and you'll receive an Alder plushie! Until next time, JAA MATA!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Although my sister did kick the Elite Four's butt just a while ago.
