Turning Twist
"Come on, Chimchar! Use Ember attack!"
"Cranidos, use Headbutt!"
The fire monkey went ahead and let off a powerful array of flames for its age and hit the Cranidos who sadly enough was so overcome by the fire, it fainted much to Roark's shock and dismay.
"Cranidos is unable to battle. Pepp wins!" the referee yelled. Roark just sighed. "I am amazed by your performance, kid. You have done really well, I'm sure you'll be a great trainer in the future, but you must get tougher!" he congratulated the boy and gave him the Coal Badge which made him feel like the king of the world; except it was a fake. Pepp, the boy looked at Roark hopefully. "Will he evolve now?" he asked. "It was a fake battle, but I'm sure he'll become a million times stronger than he was before!" Roark assured. Pepp was his neighbour's kid and a friend of his, which would probably be a real bonus when Roark would become the leader, but then again time alone will tell.
Suddenly, he heard his cell phone ring. "Excuse me, Pepp." He said politely, following which Pepp skipped off with his much more muscular Chimchar. "Hello?" Roark spoke following which he heard a wail of distress. "Roarky! I'm in such a real bind, a soup or rather a bound up soup.. Or soupy bind, whatever! Please help me!" Roark sighed- who else would it be?
"Yes, Gardenia, speak love." Roark answered while signalling Pepp to leave. Gardenia was crying on the phone this time which worried him a bit; she'd only cry if she were really in anguish. "Waaaah! My life sucks! I don't know whether my Roselia should evolve or not? Should she become a Roserade or should she not? I'm in such a real distressing jam- I just don't know what to do with my life anymore! I do have the stone though..." She was really disappointed with everything. Roark fumed. "So you are trying to tell me, you went ahead and called me up just for this?!" Gardenia made a sound of assent which Roark picked up. "Look, Gardy; I don't know what you are thinking, but seriously, if you feel she wants to evolve and you can handle this kind of change, then go ahead. Else, just wait for it; I'm sure she knows when she wants to grow up, for Arceus' sake!" he answered. "But how will I know?" she asked. "Tell her in two simple sentences. If she accepts, she'll take it and evolve, if she doesn't; you know it isn't time. That's all to it." He answered. "Now goodbye..."
"Wait!" she yelled so loudly Roark could've sworn his ears would have burst. "What now?" he sighed tiredly. "There's something else I have to tell you!" she crooned. He quickly ran outside his house to his 'garden' which had more rocks than plants. "Sorry, love; lack of range there." He explained. Then Gardenia crooned dreamily "Please, Roark... talk in that beautiful pseudo-British accent of yours... It's so heavenly!" Roark turned scarlet- what the hell was he asked to do? It was unbelievable!
"Repeat. I didn't follow." Said he. "I mean, you know those times you fake that English accent of yours?" she said referring to a mannerism he acquired back in high school. "I love it! I wish I could make it as well as you could!" she sighed jealously. "Really? Is that it?" he moaned. "Yup, that's it!" she replied cheerfully. He really didn't have much of a choice now, did he? He took a deep breath and spoke-:
"Speak to me, my dear love! What possibly could be the matter of you rejecting my societal acquaintance? Am I not desirable enough for your society, my dear lady? Or is it more than what it seems..."
Gardenia was so excited; she started squealing inside the phone itself. "That was brilliant!" she squealed in delight. "I love the way you say it! I mean, it's just beautiful, Roarky! Oh if I had a British accent, I'd never ever shut up..." Roark sighed mentally. "Arceus forbid that!'' Then he spoke to her. "You really want to know such a pivotal point, right? Then why not come over to my place? You clearly haven't seen the city in its real side anyway and we could have a battle if desired! My Cranidos really needs the training!" Gardenia was silent- was he serious? "Really?" was all she could muster. He smiled and spoke "Why of course! After all, there is so much I have to show you round here!" Gardenia was astounded- Roark was pretty much asking her out!
"Why of course I would, dummy! Who wouldn't?" she replied. "Pardon me?" Roark inquired. She immediately turned away from the receiver. "Nothing special, as such!" she said dismissively. "Okay." He replied. "Meet me at 7:00" and turned his phone off then sauntering around his garden which he called it. It wasn't much, really; just a large patch of grassland with tons of rock sculptures, rather just scattered rocks, here, there and everywhere. Seeing all the different kinds he'd mined, he ought to have gotten an award for this- if only they recognised its worth. Then again, what did he care? All he ever needed in life was his rocks, Pokémon and a girlfriend. He was getting older and nobody wanted to date him ever back in his teenage years. He never even had a father figure then, which just made it worse. Yet Luciana was so alluring to him, no matter how much she reminded him of Byron.
Hours later, which felt like minutes, Roark heard a bell ring. Groggily, he got off his bed and walked over to the door really tiredly and reluctantly, still furious; opened the door only to see Gardenia- dressed up in a crinoline dress of green and yellow, rather chartreuse. Roark was stunned. "Gardenia? Why the sudden get up?" he asked. She eyed him carefully. "Are you drunk or something?" "N...No! I was asleep- I never do anything until like eight." He answered curtly. Then he let her inside. "Care for tea?" he asked her gallantly. Gardenia blushed. "No, thank you, kind sir!" she replied playfully which made Roark smile. He often role played some games with her of being princesses and knights, even at that age! It was too much of fun, with his Cranidos being his 'horse' and her then Budew a secret informer; it helped even less that they were 16 years old then...
Roark then decided to get changed. "I'm off to my room... Will be out in five minutes... oh my shirt's here!" he realised and then lifted it to wear. He then removed his pj shirt and then speaking to Gardenia "Say, what have you been doing lately, with gym tryouts being postponed and all?" Gardenia was mortified- she couldn't move! Roark was right in front of her, shirtless and all- she never realised his lean body would be so...hot! She was blushing in all shades of red and couldn't speak. Roark was so handsome, so different from his sissy like exterior... which she found rather attractive.
"What?" he asked her confused as he then put his shirt on. Gardenia was still living in the fantasy- a shirtless Roark, with those glasses and that red hair- on what wasn't there which turned her on? The very thought sent shudders down her spine- it was just exhilarating!
Roark then asked her "Wanna go for a walk with me?" Gardenia blushed and said "Sure! I'd love to! Can Roselia come too?" she quickly interjected. "Err...sure!" Roark answered awkwardly. "Why is she behaving like this?" he wondered. Then he brought Cranidos outside too with him. "Come on, bud! Let's go out!" he seemed excited as they went outside. "So, where next?" he asked. "How about Eterna Forest?" she asked him. "Sounds okay... last one reaching is a Magikarp!" he teased as he ran. "Wha... hey! I ain't letting you off this one!" she said as she ran after him, with a new feeling overcoming her...
