Tom Waylend Suffers Heart Attack, Has
No Plans to Drop Out
Marie Guadarrama, Elections
April 16, 2011
Saffron City Mayor and presidential
candidate Tom Waylend suffered a minor
heart attack in his hotel room Thursday
evening, according to a statement released
by his campaign.
Waylend, who held an event in Vermillion
City earlier the same evening, was admitted
to the St. Anne's Hospital, where he is still
recovering.
According to Waylend's campaign manager
Jenna Pierre, there are no plans to drop out
at this time.
"It's too early to think about that," Pierre said
in an impromptu press conference outside
St. Anne's. "Mr. Waylend is a fighter, and he
is in stable condition, so he and his family
will have to review their options once he is
fully recovered."
Follow the reporter Marie Guadarrama at
mguadarrama on Chatot.
For one night, Zoey wasn't going to think about politics. She wasn't going to think about Junia Stevens, or Jennifer Dey, or any of the other candidates. Not Erol Adalet, not Mitchell Sinternik, not Tom Waylend (whom Zoey was certain was going to drop out soon, despite what his team was telling the media—but she wasn't going to talk about that), and not Connor Blanc (whom already had dropped out eleven days after his performance in the debate, earning Zoey some extra cash—but she wasn't going to talk about that either).
For one night, Zoey wasn't going to think about her job. Homa knew not to call—Zoey had taken the next couple of nights off, so Jeremy was covering Junia's campaign event in Cerulean City—and if for some reason she did, Zoey would let it go to voicemail. She wasn't going to discuss her coverage; if anyone brought it up, she would politely redirect the conversation. She wasn't going to prod Leaf or Iris about any potential investigations. For one night, she wasn't a journalist, and they weren't Champions. For one night, she was going to have fun.
Zoey repeated all this to herself in the mirror before there came a knock at the door.
"You ready to go?" Dawn asked, poking her head into the bathroom.
Zoey smiled and snapped her compact shut.
"Sure am," she said, following Dawn out. As they descended the stairs together, Zoey asked, "So do you know what the plan is anyway?"
"Not sure," Dawn admitted. "Daisy's weirdly been keeping it a secret, but Delia's coming, so it can't get too crazy…"
"Yeah, I'm sure Misty wouldn't be too thrilled if her sister planned for bachelorette party to be at a strip club if her future mother-in-law was on the guest list," Zoey said, smirking.
Dawn laughed. "Maybe that's why Misty invited her."
Downstairs in the Ketchum living room, Daisy herself was sitting pretty atop a couch arm with an annoyed-looking Misty on standby. Daisy was spinning some car keys around her finger, looking positively mischievous—and it filled the room with a nervous energy that trickled into equally nervous chit-chat.
Upon seeing Dawn and Zoey, May positively beamed and waved for them to come over. She was talking to someone who was until that afternoon a stranger to Zoey: a pretty pale blonde named Lillie. Apparently, she was a part of a group of friends Ash had formed while briefly attending school in Alola. There were two other former female classmates, too: two women named Mallow and Lana. It was no surprise to Zoey. New friends of Ash Ketchum came out of the woodwork all the time, and she just rolled with it. They always turned out to be likeable people.
"Have you guys met Lillie?" May asked. "She's co-president of the Aether Foundation in Alola, and she's been telling me about what they do! It's really cool!"
"Oh stop," Lillie said shyly, though she was smiling. "You're embarrassing me."
"They're an organization that seeks to help injured Pokémon and cure Pokémon diseases," May went on regardless.
"That so?" Zoey said, looking at Lillie with an engaged expression. "Well, where were you in Napaj back in '09? We could've really used you!"
Lillie looked at her with wide, almost horrified eyes, causing Zoey to mentally stumble. A beat of silence followed before Zoey quickly added, "I'm joking. It sounds like amazing work."
Lillie managed a nervous smile and laugh then, and to recover, Zoey stuck out her hand and said, "Zoey Williams. It's nice to meet you."
"Oh!" Lillie's eyes lit up as she shook Zoey's hand. "You're the journalist, aren't you? May was telling me about you."
Zoey felt a little blindsided. She didn't expect her profession to come up so soon. "Uh, yeah!" she said.
Dawn locked arms with Zoey. "She's covering Junia Stevens," she said.
"Right—she's the science candidate, isn't she? The one with the degree in space archeology?" Lillie asked.
"Something like that," Zoey mumbled. Lillie's response struck Zoey then, and she looked at her curiously before asking, "How do you know about Junia Stevens?"
"I've been following Napaj's election from back home, just a bit," Lillie admitted. "Napaj and Alola are close allies—the election is a big deal. Even if it's not our president, it'll still affect us. It's important work you do, making sure people are informed."
Zoey was surprised by the unexpected compliment. "Well… thank you!" she said. Still, Zoey's mind was running through possible ways to change the subject, but it ended up not being an issue. Daisy loudly cleared her throat to get the room's attention.
"So is that everyone?" she asked, grinning.
"There should be fifteen," Serena—Ash's Alolan school friends weren't the only ones to travel far for the wedding—said helpfully. Leaf, whom Zoey noted was impressively big with child now, started a headcount.
"Wait—!" Delia Ketchum came stumbling down the stairs in a black dress, her auburn hair spilling past her shoulders rather than pulled together in its usual loose ponytail. "Sorry, I took longer than I usually do to get ready."
Bonnie smiled cheekily, saying, "Wow, Ms. Ketchum! You look great! Trying to 'catch' a husband yourself tonight?" The pun earned some piteous laughter from the room and a blush from Delia.
"Just trying to keep up with you kids," she said.
Leaf finished her headcount and declared everyone was there, to which Daisy excitedly clapped her hands together and said, "Okay! Well, then I'm thrilled to share just where we're going tonight!"
Zoey could see Misty crossing her fingers with an expression that bared her internal pleadings with Arceus.
"... We're going to the TentaCool in Viridian City!" Daisy announced, and Misty's sigh of relief was so audible that it elicited laughter from everyone in the room. Daisy, however, looked at her confusedly.
"Wait? What's the matter?" she asked.
"Nothing," Misty answered.
"You don't like it?" Daisy pouted. "I mean, I could always call the Cheri Popper and see if they're not too busy…"
"No!" Misty near-shouted. "The TentaCool is perfect!"
The incident prompted more laughter. Zoey didn't know what either the TentaCool or the Cheri Popper were—no one who wasn't a Kanto native probably did—but it was easy enough to guess at the nature of the establishments based on the names and reactions alone.
They split into multiple vehicles for the 20-minute drive. Zoey ended up in the same car as the bride-to-be, from whom she learned more about the evening's destination.
"It's actually a really thoughtful choice of Daisy," Misty admitted from behind the wheel. "I was so scared she was going to go for some kind of club, but the TentaCool is a really nice restaurant and bar—good atmosphere too. They call it the 'TentaCool' because it has all these aquariums inside, and they're filled with a bunch of different Water-type Pokémon."
Zoey could see what Misty meant when she said it was a "thoughtful choice."
"So how will you feel if Ash ends up at a strip club tonight?" Zoey asked.
"He already did last night," Misty answered dismissively.
"Oh?"
"The guys had their whole bachelor shebang yesterday," May said.
"And I was cool with it," Misty added on. "I don't want to go to a strip club, but Ash going to a strip club is hilarious. Gary asked me in advance if I was fine with it anyway."
"That's surprisingly nice of him," Zoey said.
"I know, right?" Misty smirked at her. "It's like impending fatherhood made him more mature or something."
Zoey had to laugh. "So what are the guys doing tonight then?"
"Babysitting," Dawn answered. "They've got Lizzie, Cicily, and Linnea." Linnea—that was Tracey and Daisy's year-old daughter.
Lana elbowed Misty in the side. "So basically, Ash is getting practice for the real thing, eh?"
Misty managed a nervous laugh. "I guess," she said, "but trust me, that's not coming for a while."
"We'll see," May said in a song-song voice, and Misty hit her shoulder. Zoey grinned; it felt good to be among friends again.
Daisy had gone so far as to make reservations in advance, so a table for fifteen was already prepared when they arrived, and they were quickly seated.
"Ooh, it's been so long since I last had Kantoan food," Mallow gushed as she looked over the menu. She then glanced up and asked, to no one in particular, "What are your recommendations?"
"The seafood rice balls here are great," Leaf answered, flipping around her own menu and tapping on a photo. "It's what I usually get, but they serve it with raw fish, so I'll have to pass this time."
"Why?" May asked, looking at her earnestly. Leaf stared.
"Raw fish, May," Leaf emphasized.
"Yeah?"
"You're not supposed to eat raw seafood when you're pregnant," Iris elaborated for her without even glancing up from her own menu. "... But I'm not pregnant anymore, so I can do what I want! I'll get an order of those rice balls."
"Oh…" May looked down at her menu again and slowly turned a page. Zoey raised her brow at her as she took a sip of her water. An interesting reaction.
"Well, don't rub it in, bitch," Leaf playfully grouched.
"Just three more weeks, and you're done, dear," Delia offered encouragingly.
"It can't come soon enough," Leaf sighed.
"So do you know the sex of the baby?" Violet asked, leaning across the table toward her.
"Yes. Male," Leaf replied.
"Do you have a name?" Lillie asked.
"We do, but we're keeping it a secret," Leaf said with a wink. "You all can judge our choice after the baby is born and it's too late for you to try to change our minds."
The evening proceeded on in a lively and cheerful manner. The waitress came by shortly thereafter and took everyone's order, and it didn't matter one bit that the food took a little longer than usual to arrive because the conversation and the company carried themselves so well. Zoey had told herself repeatedly she wasn't going to think about work or politics earlier because she thought it would difficult to disentangle herself from it all—but she was finding it was so much easier than she believed. And so, when Zoey excused herself to go to the restroom, she left with the intention of hurrying back.
That changed the moment she stepped outside the ladies' room, hands still slightly damp, when she saw someone familiar sitting at the bar. Zoey had to do a double-take, unsure of whether it was a mistake—but no, it really was him.
"Lucas?" Zoey inquired, cautiously approaching him.
He turned his whole body around on the barstool, and seeing her, he grinned.
"Well, hey Zoey," he greeted. His speech was still clear, but his cheeks were a little ruddy; he'd clearly had a couple drinks. "Imagine running into you here, of all places. Well, maybe not that surprising. Junia Stevens is touring Kanto now, right?"
"Yeah, she is," Zoey affirmed. "So what's your excuse for being here?"
"Eh." Lucas turned back. "Kind of a long story. I won't bore you with it."
Zoey pointedly sat on the open barstool beside him, and he let out half a laugh. "Well…" he started. "I don't mean to get all personal on you or anything, but I came out to Kanto to visit a, uh, now ex-boyfriend."
"Oh." Zoey's tone dropped low. "I'm really sorry." That explained the drinking. Lucas shrugged.
"It's no big thing, really," Lucas said before finishing off the last of his drink. "We hadn't been together all that long. Still, sucks to find out you're getting cheated on." He cast Zoey a sideways glance. "Sorry, I'm oversharing, aren't I?"
"No, no," Zoey insisted. "I'm happy to lend an ear."
"I promise I'll be all right," Lucas said with a wave of his hand. "I was supposed to spend the week with the guy, but, uh, that's not happening, so I'm just killing time until my flight leaves Wednesday. I'm sure you'd be a much-less busy woman if you didn't lend an ear to all your sources."
"Yeah, well," Zoey conceded with a weak smile, "I like you better than most of my sources nowadays."
"Oh yeah?" Lucas grinned. "Junia Stevens just not doing it for you? I saw your write-up last month. Must feel nice being the only person to get an interview with her."
"That's one way of looking at it."
"Well, I can understand why you like me more. At least I'm not a liar." Lucas suddenly stopped, whistling. "Oof. Sorry. That was harsh of me. I've had too much to drink."
Zoey, however, was intrigued rather than offended—like she gave a damn whether someone impugned Junia's character anyway.
"A liar?" she repeated inquisitively. There were many different assessments she and others had made of Junia Stevens—naïve, unqualified, possibly a criminal—but "liar" wasn't necessarily one of them.
"I shouldn't have said that; I went too far," Lucas continued.
"No, please elaborate," Zoey persisted. She wondered: Did he know something she didn't? Were there rumors she hadn't heard? Had talk of the unconfirmed criminal investigation reached—
"She wasn't a quarterfinalist in the Sinnoh League," Lucas said.
Zoey's shoulders fell. That was it? She lied about how well she did in the Sinnoh League. So what?
"She wasn't in the Sinnoh League at all, actually," Lucas went on.
That was more interesting, at least, but it was also incorrect. Zoey gave him an odd look.
"No, she was," she said. "Her record shows she was in the 1989 Lily of the Valley conference."
"What? Are you sure?" Lucas blinked.
"Positive," Zoey said. "I've got a digital copy of it straight from the G-Men."
"Huh…" Lucas sat back, thinking on this. Before he had a chance to say anything further or Zoey had a chance to respond, she heard her name called out.
"Zoey!" Dawn jogged up to her, and Zoey quickly turned in her chair. "Where've you been? I was starting to worry you'd gotten sick."
"No, sorry," Zoey quickly apologized. "I've been here the whole time. I ran into someone I know." She shifted slightly in her seat to gesture toward her companion. "This is Lucas. He's a former source for an old story."
"Oh!" Dawn extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Same!" Lucas grinned, taking her hand and shaking it. "You must be Dawn, right?"
She appeared taken aback. "I am. How'd you know?"
"Oh, uh." Lucas suddenly appeared nervous. "Well, you're a Top Coordinator and all…" Zoey peered at him curiously.
"Ah, sorry." Dawn managed a laugh at herself. "I should've known." She then turned to Zoey again. "We're going to have a toast to Misty soon, but we didn't want to start without you…"
"Aw, gee, I'm so sorry." Lucas then quickly turned toward Zoey, too. "I didn't realize I was keeping you from friends."
"It's okay," Zoey assured him. "I wanted to chat." She then glanced toward Dawn, saying, "I'll be there in a moment, I promise."
"Okay!" Dawn agreed before waving to both her and Lucas and disappearing back to their table. Zoey smiled her way then focused her attention back on Lucas as an idea began to take form in her head.
"You said you're not leaving until Wednesday?" she asked.
"Yeah," Lucas confirmed.
"And you don't have anything to do until then?"
"Clearly not," Lucas said, holding up his empty beer glass as proof.
"Well, why don't you come with me tomorrow to my friends' wedding as a plus-one?" Zoey suggested. Lucas blinked.
"As in, like a date?" he inquired.
"Something like that," Zoey said. "But you're gay, aren't you?"
"Something like that," Lucas repeated back to her. Now it was Zoey's turn to look confused, so he merely grinned and clarified, "I'm bisexual."
"Oh!" Zoey then appeared embarrassed. "I'm sorry for assuming—"
"Nah, it's no problem," Lucas quickly assured her. "I'm more surprised because you—and, uh, don't take offense to this, I mean it with the utmost respect—but you ooze lesbian vibes."
Zoey burst out into laughter. She took no offense—something in the way he said it was genuinely funny. When she recovered, she said, "I am. I actually have a girlfriend back home in Sinnoh."
She was surprised with herself that she admitted it so readily: Her and Candice's relationship was typically something she kept under wraps. She closely guarded her relationship status from colleagues, acquaintances, even Homa, and it wasn't until a couple years ago she started talking openly about it with just her closest friends. It wasn't that she feared their rejection—what did she care about what her acquaintances thought, and she knew her friends would be nothing but supportive—but she had personally witnessed how the media's spotlight could burn up a relationship. That, she feared, and she didn't need the judgment of strangers who only knew her as a young Top Coordinator who died and came back to life.
But with Lucas, it felt safe.
"Why isn't she going with you, then?" he asked.
"She was going to," Zoey explained. "But she's a teacher, and she had this big gallery thing planned with her students this weekend. I told her to stay home. She's still taking time off to come spend some time with me on Monday, but for the wedding, I'm on my own."
"Ah, I get it," Lucas said. He then thought for a moment longer before adding, "Well, sure! I'll come with you tomorrow. And it won't be a problem for the happy couple?"
"Oh no, no problem," Zoey insisted. "You'd literally just be taking my girlfriend's place on the guest list."
"All right, cool," Lucas agreed. "In that case, can I get your number? I'll text you later, and we can figure out how we'll meet up."
"Yeah, absolutely," Zoey said, now smiling wide as she pulled out her cell.
After exchanging numbers, they parted ways with the promise they'd see each other again soon, and Zoey rejoined her group at the table. Dinner had long-ago been finished, and everyone was just chatting and maybe drinking or considering desert.
"Good to see you again, Zoey," Leaf greeted upon her return. "Everything come out okay?"
"Just fine, Leaf," Zoey replied with a tired smile.
Seeing that Zoey had returned, Daisy grinned and tapped her glass, raising it high in the air.
"Well, now that we're all here…" she started, "I'd like to propose a toast to my baby sister—" She extended the glass in the direction of Misty, who offered a crooked smile in response. "—and her last night of being an unmarried woman!"
For once, Zoey was glad she was only a guest and not a member of the wedding party. She had been involved in both May and Dawn's weddings—an honor, certainly—but she didn't miss the chaos with dress mishaps, uncooperative hair, crying children, cold feet, and family drama (if Harley counted as "family"). But more importantly, it freed up her morning.
After getting dressed, Zoey convinced Ritchie to lend her his car, which was no trouble at all, and she took off for Viridian City again. Lucas had sent her the address to his hotel late last night, and when she was a couple minutes away, she texted him to say his was close. When she pulled up, he was already waiting outside in a light gray dress shirt and tie.
"Wow, Ms. Williams, you look great," Lucas greeted as he climbed into the seat beside her, grinning.
"I could say the same to you," Zoey teased back. She then added, more seriously, "Thanks for coming with me."
"You're thanking me? I should be thanking you. A nice wedding will really get my mind off things," Lucas said. "Anyway, I meant to ask: Who's getting married?"
"Oh!" Zoey realized she had never divulged that detail. "You'd probably know them—not personally—but I'm sure you've heard of them."
"That so?"
"It's Ash Ketchum and Misty Waterflower."
Lucas's jaw dropped. "What?! No way. We're going to the Champion's wedding?"
"That okay?" Zoey asked, amused. It was always funny to her, meeting people who were star-struck by the Champions. She knew all five of them personally, so she never experienced that sense of awe.
"Yeah, it's okay!" Lucas grinned again. "Everyone in Napaj would love to have an invitation, and I'm just... getting to go."
Zoey laughed. "Well, to be fair, I don't think it's that tough to get an invite to an Ash Ketchum event."
Lucas then blinked, suddenly looking confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. Zoey, too, blinked and then realized it was only a joke her inner circle would understand.
"Nevermind," she dismissed, and Lucas didn't press any further.
The wedding was to be held on Professor Oak's ranch—there was plenty of room to accommodate many guests, and Ash was insistent on his and Misty's Pokémon being present (and there were a lot of them)—and the weather was perfect for an outdoor event. Clear skies, warm weather, beautiful green scenery… It was definitely Zoey's favorite location for any of the weddings she had attended, although the Village of Dragons might come close.
The place was abustle with people by the time they arrived. Zoey wasn't sure she could name even a third of the guests, and that surprised her, though perhaps it shouldn't have.
"Wow," Lucas whistled. "Is that what you meant when you said it isn't tough to get an invite?"
"Some people collect Pokémon; Ash Ketchum collects friends," Zoey half laughed. In the distance, she could see his pack of Tauros speeding around. "Although, he's collected a lot of Pokémon, too." Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar face.
"Hey, Ritchie!" she called out to the groomsman. He turned and smiled before approaching.
"Thanks for letting me borrow your car again," Zoey said.
"Hey, no problem," Ritchie said with a wave of his hand. He then looked over her shoulder and asked, "So, you're Lucas? Zoey told me she was bringing you with her."
"And you must be Ritchie Jayne," Lucas said. Zoey raised her brow at him, and Lucas tensed under her gaze.
"Yup, that's me!" Ritchie affirmed, disaffected. "Nice to meet you." He looked at Zoey again before continuing, "Anyway, you guys probably wanna find seats. I think we're starting soon."
"Thanks," Zoey said. "I'll make sure to get your keys back to you by tonight."
"No worries," Ritchie assured her.
He left to attend to his responsibilities, and Zoey and Lucas moved on to find seating. They settled on the edge of the fourth row. Zoey could see that under the beautiful flower-decorated arch at the front, Ash was speaking with Barry. Ash was nervous, she could tell; he was shuffling his feet around, wearing a lopsided smile. Meanwhile, Tracey and Ritchie were making their way around telling guests the ceremony was starting soon.
"Who is that?" Lucas asked after a moment with a subtle gesture toward Barry. "The officiant?"
Zoey looked at him a little incredulously. "Seriously?" she half-laughed. "You know all my friends except for that one?"
"I—" Lucas flushed pink. She'd finally called him out on his suspicious expertise on her social circle. "Look—"
"You don't need to explain it to me," Zoey quickly interjected. "I already know." Lucas shut his mouth, though he was still flustered and looking seriously conflicted. Zoey glanced away, hoping the moment would pass, and that was when she found herself face-to-face with Lizzie Rebolledo in her mother's arms.
"Mind if we join you?" Dawn asked with Paul standing in tow. He looked about every bit as thrilled to be at the social event as Zoey would have expected of him.
"No, not at all," Zoey said, making room for them to move into the seats beside her and Lucas, who noticeably stiffened upon Paul's passage. Zoey had to suppress laughter but quickly turned her attention back to Lizzie. She was so much bigger than when Zoey last saw her, though she still seemed fussy as ever, wriggling in the pale blue dress Dawn had outfitted her with.
"Wow, you're growing up so fast," Zoey cooed. Lizzie only stared, expressionless. Zoey smiled tiredly, adding, "You definitely are your father's daughter."
"She's only going to be a year old in a week, so I'm not sure what you're expecting," Paul grunted. Dawn hushed him and directed the conversation to more pleasant matters.
"Lucas, I didn't realize you'd be here today!" she said. She then glanced toward her husband, saying, "Paul, this is Lucas, Zoey's friend."
"It's, uh, nice to meet you…" Lucas said, still visibly nervous but trying to play it cool. "... sir." He added that last part with uncertainty. Zoey accidentally let a partial laugh slip through her nostrils, and Lucas glowered at her. Paul either didn't notice or didn't care.
"How do you know Zoey?" he asked. It was his form of making friendly conversation—and anyone who knew him like Dawn and Zoey understood that—but given his default stern disposition, it came off more as suspicious questioning.
"Oh, uh—" Lucas was practically sweating. "—I was a source for her on one of her articles about Junia Stevens, and we just happened to run into each other again last night."
Remembrance struck Zoey then, and she drew in a sharp but silent breath as she stared wide-eyed at Paul. She remembered her purpose that day: She told Homa the only person of the five Champions who would have knowledge of an investigation into Junia Stevens and possibly be even willing to privately confirm its existence was Paul. Ash and Iris weren't especially involved in the affairs of the G-Men; Zoey didn't know Max well enough; and no way Leaf would breathe a word about an internal investigation, even to a friend. Paul was her chance—but sitting there with him, soaking in his personality, reminded her that this would be no easy task.
"I see," Paul replied.
The procession began. Ash was as fidgety as ever, even when he was joined by his more cool-headed groomsmen: Brock, Gary, Tracey, and Ritchie. Zoey could see Brock giving his long-time friend a last few tips to stay calm, and Ash sucked in his breath and nodded. The bridesmaids—Misty's sisters and Leaf—seemed oblivious to Ash's agitation, the former because they were glowingly excited to see the bride, the latter because she was too miserably pregnant to be outside.
Delia was escorted to the front row by Professor Oak, and they sat beside two other professors whose names escaped Zoey, but she knew they were from Alola. Misty's Golduck came down the aisle haphazardly tossing flowers and was followed by Ash's Pikachu carrying two gold rings with more pomp and circumstance than Zoey had ever seen of the Pokémon.
Then came the bride in a gorgeous mermaid wedding gown. She was positively glowing with not a hint of anxiety in her expression—and when Zoey looked to the front again, she saw that all of Ash's uncertainties, in an instant, had faded away, and he was grinning from ear to ear. He reached out and grasped Misty's hand when she reached him.
"All right, let's get started!" Barry excitedly burst out once both were present. "And in good time, too, 'cause I wasn't sure if Ash could'a lasted another minute."
The audience laughed; Ash did, too, though more nervously, and Misty smirked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I like this guy," Lucas remarked under his breath. Zoey hummed in agreement.
"This is Barry's third wedding. He also officiated Paul and Dawn, and May and Drew," she said. "I assume you know who those people are."
"Ha… yeah…" Lucas admitted. "I actually remember Barry's name, too, now that you've brought it up. He's the guy who was supposed a Sinnoh Frontier Brain."
Zoey's lips suddenly tightened. "Mhm."
Lucas must have recognized it was a touchy subject because he quickly added, "Okay, shutting up now."
"... But don't let me do all the talking," Barry went on after rambling a little during Zoey and Lucas's conversation. "It's your turn to talk about each other."
Ash and Misty both looked at each other shyly before the former cleared his throat.
"I, uh, never thought we'd be here when I borrowed your bike fifteen years ago," he started, eliciting some more laughs from the crowd.
"More like 'stole,'" Misty corrected, grinning.
"Well, I paid you back, didn't I?" Ash said, also grinning. "The point is, I don't think it was love at first sight for either of us. But I'm glad it wasn't, 'cause I got to fall in love with my best friend." Misty's chest visibly swelled. "And now I'm gonna get to spend the rest of my life with her; there's nothing that'll make me happier, so I'll work hard to make sure you're happy, too. I promise it."
Misty looked as though she were exercising all of her restraint not to kiss him right then. To compensate, she tightened her grip on his hands.
"Ash," she began, and he noticeably shuddered with anticipation, "it wasn't love at first sight for me either—but I know I fell first, and I fell hard. You made me wait a long time—" Ash laughed sheepishly in response. "—but that wait was worth it because we got to grow up together. And now, we'll get to grow old together."
Zoey noticed Dawn lacing her fingers through Paul's. She flicked her gaze toward the Sinnoh Champion, studying his expression—unreadable, as usual.
"Pikachu, bring up the rings!" Barry ordered. Pikachu proudly strode forward, holding out the pillow where the rings were set. Ash and Misty both bent down to take them, each thanking Pikachu, before straightening back up. Ash slid her ring on first, and Misty followed.
Zoey wondered what she should say to him—to Paul. She would have to get him alone; there was no question about that. Making that happen with a guest list as large as this one would likely prove a challenge.
"Ash, do you take Misty to be your wife, to love through good and bad, to care for through better or for worse, as long as you both live?"
"You bet I do!"
… Then again, maybe the large amount of people would be a blessing. They could blend in very easily. Still, that left the issue of how she would even approach him about Stevens.
"And Misty, do you take Ash to be your husband, to love through good and bad, to care for through better or for worse, as long as you both live?"
Zoey shook away her thoughts and looked forward again. It was a lovely ceremony; she should be paying attention.
"Of course."
"Then by the power vested in me by GetOrdained-Dot-Com, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!" Barry declared.
Ash and Misty pulled each other in quickly—and the crowd cheered. Zoey was clapping, and she exchanged a look with Lucas, who offered her a smile in return.
Zoey had her sights set on her target all night, waiting for just the right moment to pounce. Even as she socialized with friends, introducing them to Lucas, having a drink or two, she kept a pulse on the room, attuning herself to Paul's place in it. Right now, he and Dawn were speaking with Cynthia and Steven. Emily was with them, too, looking positively precious in her silvery dress with her blonde hair perfectly curled.
"Zoey!"
Tearing her careful eye away from the Sinnoh Champion, Zoey smiled when she saw Barry, Kenny, and an unfamiliar woman with reddish hair and pale green eyes approaching.
"Hey," Zoey playfully greeted. "I haven't seen you guys all night. Barry, nice job with the ceremony, as usual."
"Thanks," Barry proudly replied. "My goal is to have married all my friends before I die."
"Well, goal failed, because Cilan and Iris got married without you," Kenny said a little wryly. "And so did Gary and Leaf for that matter." Barry glowered at him.
"I'm gonna have to fine you for that reality check," he grumbled.
"There are always vow renewals," Lucas suggested, coming up from behind Zoey with two drinks in hand, one of which he promptly handed to her. She smiled and thanked him before taking a sip.
"Who are you?" Barry half-demanded, pointing at Lucas. "I like you!"
Zoey quickly withdrew her drink from her lips. "Oh, guys," she interjected. "Let me introduce you to Lucas. He's my plus-one for the evening since Candice can't be here."
"Well, nice to meet'cha, Lucas," Barry said. "I appreciate your positive thinking."
Lucas grinned. "Glad I could help."
"That reminds me," Kenny started, "I ought to introduce to my plus-one." He then gestured to the woman standing beside him, saying, "This is Leona. She's an old friend of mine and Dawn from back in preschool."
"Oh?!" Zoey's brow shot up.
"If you've ever wondered about the origins of the nickname 'Dee Dee,' that came from the both of us," Leona said with a wave of her hand between herself and Kenny. "Zoey, right? I've heard a lot about you."
"Your name is familiar, too," Zoey admitted with a curious smile. "I'm... glad we could meet."
"The same." A brief lull in the conversation followed as Leona studied Zoey's face; then, she smiled, turned to Lucas and asked, "What is it that you're drinking? It looks fantastic."
"It is," Lucas said glowingly. "It's just some gin and cranberry juice, but it's good stuff." Leona smiled at him then cast Kenny a furtive glance. He got the message.
"Oh, uh," he said, "I'll go… get us some…"
As soon as he was out of earshot, Leona turned back to Zoey with her hands on her hips and a roguish grin. "I know that look," Leona said, almost as if it were a song.
"What look?" Zoey inquired.
"You're wondering what happened to Ursula."
Zoey had wondered. Last she heard, Kenny and Ursula were still dating. They'd been on Nikki Martinez's stupid Top 10 Napajian Couples list. And Zoey doubted Ursula was the type who'd be cool with her beau taking another date to a wedding, even platonically, unlike Candice and herself.
"Well, I didn't want to be rude…" Zoey confessed.
"It's not rude at all," Leona half-laughed. "I'm just the rebound date. Dawn set it up. Kenny's been kind of… down since he and Ursula broke up. First girlfriend and all."
"A rebound date, huh?" Lucas said with jest in his voice. "Hey, that's just like me and Zoey!"
Barry suddenly blanched. "Wait, you and Candice broke up?!" he said disbelievingly.
"No!" Lucas and Zoey suddenly both said in unison. Lucas hurriedly added, "It's all me. I recently split up with my boyfriend, and Zoey offered to take me here tonight for company."
"Oh, I see." Barry calmed down, but he appeared intrigued regardless.
"So do you know how Ursula and Kenny broke up?" Zoey asked.
"I'll spare you the long story, but from what I understand, it had something to do with Ursula using Kenny to get close to the Champions for… information? Gossip? Paul, in particular, I think," Leona explained.
"Huh…" Zoey mused. "Well… I can't say I'm surprised." The conversation reminded her: She glanced around and located Paul again. Dawn was no longer around, but now Iris and Cilan were speaking with him. Zoey frowned, but then she reassured herself: Surely Paul would tire of all the social interaction soon and excuse himself to be alone.
"So, GetOrdained, huh?" Lucas casually struck up a conversation with Barry.
"Yeah!" Barry enthused. "Best decision I ever made, hands down."
"Of course it is, given you don't make many good decisions," Zoey teased.
"I resent that," Barry pouted.
"The energy drink in your espresso?" Zoey reminded him.
"Now there's a story," Kenny said, coming back with drinks.
"Oh, please tell," Lucas said.
"Well, it was—"
"—No, no!" Barry dramatically cut Kenny off. "You'll get it all wrong! Let me tell it."
As he launched into an unnecessarily long-winded explanation, Zoey again looked past him toward Paul. Cicily was fussing, so Cilan and Iris departed to care for her, and Paul, finally alone, went to sit at an empty table. Perfect timing. Zoey looked back at her company. Lucas seemed comfortably amused by Barry's rambling story, so she muttered, "I'll be back soon," and hurried off.
Paul looked absorbed in thought when Zoey approached, so she almost felt bad when she slipped into an open seat near him, breaking his reviere.
"Where's Dawn?" Zoey asked, wanting to set a friendly tone.
"She went to feed Lizzie," Paul replied. "She'll probably be a little while."
"Well, that's fine," Zoey admitted, "because I actually wanted to talk to you."
There was a flash of confusion in Paul's normally expressionless face.
"What for?" he asked.
Zoey glanced aside to think, and to ensure no one closeby was listening. Then, she leaned confidentially toward Paul, saying, "Look, I know you appreciate it when people are blunt, so I'll get straight to the point: Are the G-Men conducting an investigation into Junia Stevens?"
Paul's face hardened again.
"Why would you ask me that?"
"She's Sinnoan, and you're one of the more involved Champions when it comes to the G-Men. You'd know."
"So what makes you think I'd tell you?"
Zoey knew he would be difficult. She knew he'd resist saying anything. She had mentally prepared for it. Still, when confronted by his defenses, she stumbled.
"We're friends, so I—" She suddenly stopped short, seeing his reaction to her words. Paul straightened up, placing his hands stiffly on table to push himself away. He was scowling.
"'We're friends'?" he repeated venomously. "That's it? So you think because I'm your friend, you and your editor can use me to elevate your paper?"
Of all the things Zoey expected, this wasn't one of them.
"Paul—" she started to reason with him.
"No." He stood up. "Just leave me be."
He stormed off, and Zoey inhaled sharply, nearly jumping to her feet to run after him—but she stopped her herself and slowly sank back into her seat, staring where had gone. He disappeared into the crowd, and Zoey groaned, dipping her face into her hand. That certainly could have gone better.
She was just starting to think about heading back toward Lucas when a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Zoey? Are you okay?"
She looked up to see May looking at her worriedly. Drew was standing behind her, also looking a little concerned.
"I'm fine, May. Thanks," Zoey said, sitting up. "Just need another drink is all. Want to come with me?"
May smiled crookedly. "I'm good," she said. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure," Zoey insisted.
"Well…" May still appeared unconvinced, but she must have decided it was better to move on because she added, "I just wanted to let you know Misty's going to toss the bouquet soon. You should try to catch it!"
"I'll pass," Zoey said. "Thanks for your concern, May."
"Okay…" May stepped back. "I'll see you later, probably!"
"For sure," Zoey agreed with a nod.
With hesitation, May left to further spread the word, though Drew lingered behind a moment longer. Once his wife was gone, Drew turned back to Zoey, folded his arms, and said, "So what happened with Candice? I saw you were hanging around with some strange guy… ?"
"His name is Lucas, and he has nothing to do with this right now," Zoey assured him. "Candice and I are fine. She just couldn't make it tonight."
"Why couldn't she make it?" Drew craned an eyebrow. "She would've gladly taken off work to be here with you."
"She's coming tomorrow," Zoey said, starting to get annoyed.
"So her missing the wedding has nothing to do with your reluctance to get married?" Drew questioned.
"May's pregnant, isn't she?" Zoey said lightly, changing the subject. If he was going to try to dig into her insecurities, she might as well do the same to him, just to signal he should back off. Drew tightened his lips, and Zoey went on, "Some comments she made last night, coupled with her refusal to drink… you know, it makes me wonder."
"She is," Drew admitted, and he seemed to get the message. "But we haven't told anyone, other than her family."
Zoey rose to her feet.
"Well, congratulations," she said, patting his shoulder. "Really." She started to leave, but Drew gently grasped her wrist, stopping her. She turned to him again.
"Zoey, I'm sorry I pushed you," he said, "but I can tell something's wrong. We're friends, and you and I have always been honest with each other."
"It really isn't anything to do with Candice," Zoey said, removing herself from his grip. "I'm just a little frustrated with my job right now."
Drew's face twisted a little. "Your job?" he inquired. "You're at a wedding. Don't worry about your job."
"Yeah, I got that," Zoey mumbled before finally pulling herself away.
Lucas seemed to be in good spirits chatting with Barry and Kenny, for which Zoey was glad, though Leona was now conspicuously absent. As Zoey approached, she caught Lucas's eye, and he waved—but at that same moment, she felt another person grab onto her by the arm. She swung around and found herself face-to-face with Leona.
"Hey! I was wondering where you were," Leona exclaimed. "The bride is tossing the bouquet! Let's go!"
"Oh, I—"
Protesting was useless; Zoey was already being dragged along, and she soon found herself among the gaggle of other unmarried women, including but not limited to: Serena and Bonnie, two of Misty's sisters, Ash's schoolmates, and now herself and Leona.
"You ready?" Misty asked with a nervous glance backward. When her question was met with a hum of excitement, she said, "Okay!" She turned again and threw the bouquet high over her shoulder.
There was a mad dash forward, and Zoey was happy to back off. When Violet leapt for the bouquet, however, her fingers barely grazed the stem, and it flipped further back—and without thinking, Zoey reached to catch it with total ease. She stared at the lovely arrangement of pale blues and yellows for a moment, processing, before realizing what she'd done.
A cheer went up from the crowd. Zoey turned and saw Lucas give her a thumbs up. May was glowing; Drew was looking smug—and Zoey could only offer a sheepish smile in return.
The tossed bouquet sat quietly on the dashboard of Ritchie's car on the way back to Viridian City. Zoey and Lucas sat equally quiet, too. After giving their best to the bride and groom, they departed for Lucas's hotel, and not much was said.
Zoey, for her own part, was dwelling on the conversation with Paul that had gone so terribly wrong. His insinuations—that she was using him to advance her career—they, well, stung. And she felt awful.
She smoothed her thumbs up and down the steering wheel. It had never occurred to her that maybe she was taking advantage. When Homa put her on this beat, she said she trusted her to utilize her "connections" professionally if need be. Zoey read that as never putting them on the record to avoid a conflict of interest. But another line, a different line, had been crossed tonight.
"You, uh… okay?" Lucas timidly inquired, breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Zoey shook herself out of her thoughts. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."
"You haven't been saying much," he pointed out.
"Sorry," Zoey said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I just have a lot on mind."
"Was it something I did?"
"No, no," she hurriedly insisted. "It's not you at all."
Lucas fell back into his seat, frowning. Zoey's eyes did not stray from the road. Another veil of silence fell over them.
Evidently, Lucas did not wholly take Zoey at her word when she told him he had done nothing wrong because he eventually cleared his throat and said, "So… when you said that I didn't need to explain why I knew everyone… did you mean...?"
"The Fourteen?" Zoey finished for him more bluntly. "Yeah." Lucas went stiff, but Zoey managed to flash a smile at him. "You don't need to feel weird about it. I don't talk about it a lot—none of us do—but I know it earned me some name recognition beyond the coordinator titles and bylines."
Lucas wetted his lips and smiled weakly. "You seem to feel weird about it," he said.
"... I guess I do," Zoey admitted, looking forward again. "I've tried to distance myself from it, but I can't deny it's had a huge impact on my life. It's why I became a journalist."
"That so?" Lucas gently encouraged. Zoey realized she was starting to tread into dangerous territory. Lucas didn't know the truth—and she would have to watch her words if she didn't want to reveal it.
"The whole thing just made more concerned about the League, our government, and holding it accountable," Zoey said. If he asked her to elaborate, she'd muddle the matter, and he'd back off.
Luckily, he didn't ask.
"Well, good thing you're covering Junia Stevens then," Lucas said, grinning. "Someone's gotta hold her accountable."
"Hah… yeah…" Zoey trailed off.
They arrived back at Lucas's hotel. He let himself out but ducked his head back into the car.
"Seriously, thanks for tonight," he said. "And, uh… you ever wanna say more about you and that whole deal with the Fourteen, I'll lend you an ear since you offered yours to me. I owe you that much."
Zoey knew, then, that he was aware she was hiding something—but he wasn't going to push her. She appreciated that.
"Thanks to you, too," she said. "Have a good night."
"See ya."
A couple of blocks away, Zoey's cell phone rang. She flicked her gaze toward it sitting in her cup holder and, seeing the caller ID, decided to pull over. After all, this was the only night of her time off that Zoey said Homa could call.
"How did it go with Paul tonight?" Homa asked after they had waded through their standard greetings.
"Not well," Zoey admitted with a sigh, "and I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk about it tonight. I'll… need to think over what to do from her when I'm feeling fresh in the morning."
"I understand. Sorry to hear that it didn't go as you'd expected." A pause. "Anyway, there's another reason I called. Tom Waylend did drop out. I know you're off, but if you could get a quote from Marinda for Marie's story..."
"Yeah, it's no problem," Zoey mumbled in agreement. "I'll talk to you later, Homa."
After hanging up, Zoey turned on the light in her car and pulled out a notepad and pencil from beneath her dashboard. Then, she picked up her phone again and dialed Marinda's number. She had it memorized.