(A/N: Another chapter! This is going to be the longest story yet. Just wanted to put a warning that most of the humor will require having played through the game to really understand. Also, more shipping in this chapter! The next one will be out soon!)
The next day, I excitedly jump on Fletchinder's back.
"Same place as last time! Well, the last three times. Whatever! " Ignoring my unnecessary add-ons, Fletchinder flies off to Laverre. We land in front of the Pokémon Center, and I recall Fletchinder. Maybe I should consider evolving her. She could get me there faster in her final form. I ignore my random thoughts about evolving and Fletchinder and evolving Fletchinder in favor of running like a boss to the gym.
I'm not that fast, but running is worth it. As I finally reach the Gym, I run inside. Dignity is kind of lame, so I just keep running and ignoring everything else. I've memorized the pattern on the warp panels, so I just walk through them in the fastest order I know of. It's probably not the fastest there is, but it's the one I'm most familiar with. Blossom nods to me as I run through the room she stays in, but I ignore her in favor of making it to the room Valerie waits in.
"Hey, Valerie! " I yell, tripping over my own feet as I step out from the final warp panel. Now, my leg kind of hurts. "Ouch."
"Well, what a graceful entrance," Valerie teases.
"Hey! It's tough trying to run through all those warp panels, y'know!"
"Of course it is." The pair of us both step out the panel that leads to the exit. It's still extremely awesome, how those warp panels work. I don't even know how they work, actually. Whatever, they're cool.
As we reach the front door, Valerie comments on how far we are from Lumiose.
"Well, we're not that far. We can get there from Route 14, really fast!" She seems unsure about traveling the route. It may be a bit swamp-ish, but it's actually a nice place! Never mind the Hex Maniacs, Spell Tag, and all the mushrooms.
"Route 14?"
"Yeah."
"I've never liked going on that route. It's a bit too... swamp-like."
"Well, that I can agree with." The two of us share a smile. It's weird how similar we are sometimes. "So, wait, are we going on it or not?"
"Not unless you insist upon it," Valerie answers. "Could we fly there?"
"All right!" I respond. I send out the Togetic that I took Sylveon off of my team for, and then Fletchinder. "Well, these are the ones I have with me."
"A Togetic?" she says. "I'll ride on that one."
"I figured you would. You are a Fairy Trainer, after all." I get on Fletchinder's back, and she carefully steps on Togetic. "You've ridden a Flying type before, right?" She shakes her head.
"Well, maybe Togetic can hold us both if I evolve it." I give Togetic a shiny stone, which he takes. He starts to glow, beginning with a shining light. The gleam is almost blinding when he appears as a Togekiss.
"Togekiss, can you hold both of us?" Not answering for obvious reasons, he lies down and allows Valerie and me to get on his back. "Okay, you steer him! I'll help you out, if you don't mind!"
"I don't mind, so you can help," she says. "But what about Fletchinder?"
"He'll ride alongside us! Maybe we'll run in to a wild or something, and Togekiss can't battle with both of us on him!"
"True." Leafeon jumps out of his Poké Ball, even though I never let him out.
"Leafeon?"
"Heh. This is perfect. Clemont, you're a genius for manipulating the microphone!" Serena's voice blares from the Poké Ball.
"I can hear you, you know!"
"And yet you're too stupid to make it so that our conversation isn't heard by the other lovebirds?"
"What do you mean, other- Serena!"
"What?"
"So, that's what you told Leafeon to do. I'll remember this." I look into Leafeon's innocent eyes. It's so cute! He's probably only doing this because Serena told him to. But, I realize something as I look from Leafeon to Valerie, and back again.
I don't exactly mind.
"What was that, Shauna?" Valerie sounds actually curious. It's refreshing to see her act normally, instead of all proper-ish as always.
"Just Serena and Leafeon's Poké Ball. You know, it's kind of a long story." Togekiss passes the gate to Route 14, and lands in front of the North Boulevard Pokémon Center. I should have taken us to the Magenta Plaza center. Oh well, too late now.
"All right, this is it!"
"Well, it is beautiful," Valerie comments. "But, one question. Why did you ask me to come here with you when we've both already seen the tower?"
"Well, because... I wanted to see it with you, Valerie!" My enthusiasm peeks out from my nervous thoughts. "Plus, it's a really pretty place, and I've only seen it once. You know, that time I saw it with one of the lovebirds?"
"Oh, when you first visited the city with Serena on her journey?"
"Yeah, that time! Wait, how do you know about that?" She lets out a half shy, half sly smile.
"I have my ways."
"Oh my Arceus, that's creepy." We both laugh, because she does that all the time around me, and look back up at the tower. "So, how do you think I should get Serena back?"
"For what?" I freeze. Oh Arceus, I forgot that I hadn't told her about Leafeon's matchmaking ability. I decide this is a good time to say it. It's uncomfortable, but I feel like it's a good time to say it.
"Leafeon carried on Sylveon's matchmaking tendencies!" I blurt out. Dangit I'm an idiot, such a freaking idiot, I'm so stupid-
"Hold on. I lost you at 'matchmaking tendencies."
"You remember, right? The one I traded to Serena!"
"Oh, right. The one you told to"- I nod my head yes. "And, let me guess. Serena told it to-" I nod once more. "So, that's why you were talking to the Poké Ball."
"Yep! So, what should I do?"
"I don't have any good ideas at the moment. Maybe we should talk about it in the café?"
"I second that!" I lead her off to the nearest one, not even bothering to look at the sign that stated its name.
