- N - = Nicky's part
- J - = my part
Chapter 026 - Roark's worry
- N -
There was something definitely odd about the way Roark stammered as he talked about Serena. He was, Stephanie surmised, as infatuated with Serena as they'd all suspected he was. A coy smile tugged at her mouth. He was kind of cute when he couldn't put words together.
Rodent wiggled with pleasure as Roark ruffled his fur.
"When is Riley going to appear? I'm hungry!"
Brown laughed – the Gym Leader had sounded so much like Rodent, if Rodent could talk. She decided not to tell him, not sure how Roark would react to being called a pokemon.
Unsure of when Riley would be done, she diverted her attention to changing the conversation.
"I like that one," She pointed to a blue dress in the window. "It kinda looks like Suicune… I fought it once, it snapped my ankle, see?" She lifted her left foot, and bent it backwards until it twisted into an awkward angle. "Still kinda hurts like a bitch..." She laughed, remember the way Gold had complained about his own scratches.
Everything to Gold hurt like a bitch, especially if it'd been inflicted by Crystal.
"Finding rare pokemon isn't a problem for me – getting away without getting hurt is a little harder." She admitted. "If there is a monster romping around Oreburgh, I wouldn't be surprised to see it!" She chortled quietly before turning to the Gym Leader.
"Have you seen it?" She asked, "the monster, I mean."
She waited for an answer for minutes, hours it seemed like, before the doorbell of the tailor shop announced Riley's return. He had changed now, and was wearing a darker blue suit, with a sharper looking fedora. His gloves were deep black velvet, and looked like something Jack the Ripper himself would've worn proudly.
"How do I look?" Riley smiled, brushing down his new suit. "Not too old-fashioned?"
Brown beamed, sending him a thumbs-up. "You look great!" She laughed. "Is that what you're wearing for the Dance?"
"This? For the Dance?" Riley shook his head, "I have something a little more elaborate in mind for tomorrow night. This is just a change of clothes."
Brown brought her shirt up to her nose and smelled it. She never noticed how long she'd been wearing her travelling clothes until now. How long had it been since she'd gotten a new sweater? Days, maybe.
"Which reminds me," She added, "What are you wearing for the Dance, Roark?"
Riley nodded knowingly as he acknowledged Roark's presence. His eyes lit up again in a neon shade of blue and he said nothing more. He didn't ask what the redheaded gym leader was doing with them, or what Roark'd wanted – he'd probably guessed it all just from Aura alone, Brown realised.
Rodent's stomach gurgled and the tiny rat hugged it.
"Raticate,"
"You're hungry, huh?" She pulled the Raticate into her lap and bounced him like a toddler. "We'll go soon, don't worry,"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"I think it's the first time I meet a person who is similar to me. At least, in a long time. And don't worry! I'm sure he'll ask you out for the Dance. I can feel it, I don't know."
Serena nodded, still slightly unconvinced. There was always the chance that Roark wouldn't ask her – he might be too shy and wind up asking Candice or Gardenia again, someone he was familiar with.
"Well, I'm pretty sure Roark feels the same way about me," She stirred her soup, pondering, "But still, he's more likely to ask someone he was friends with rather than me. He's just… really shy. Have you noticed that?"
As the conversation drifted back to Riley, she noticed Amy faltering and looking doubtful herself.
"But if he really loves me, why doesn't he say anything?"
"Maybe he's afraid," Serena suggested. "He might be scared of being rejected himself… I mean, it's been so many years. He might be scared you've moved on or something." She sipped at the borsch, as if scared it might scald her. "Or he might be afraid of taking the next big step,"
She breathed deeply. "I'm scared to do it myself – I'm comfortable with Roark the way we are now – we don't need to kiss, or date or even be a couple. If I told him how I felt… well, I'm scared that he won't like it. Things'll change, and it may not be a good thing."
She sighed.
"Follow my feelings... Mmh, not that I feel ashamed, it's just that... it's been so long..."
"That's exactly what I mean," She added, helpfully. "If you're afraid to do it, Riley might be feeling the same way."
"Wel, I'm too shy to ask him out myself, anyway. But... is that true? Do you really think so?"
Serena giggled. "I know so, Amy," She said. "Don't be afraid. I'm positive Riley feels for the you the same way you do."
"What do you mean?... One of your things?"
She scratched in her purse, which she carried clipped around her waist (Roark's trousers probably had more attachments than Batman's utility belt) and pulled out a clasp of eyeshadow.
"Make-up." She smiled coyly. "C'mon, I'll do your eyes and you can use some lipstick in the bathroom,"
She stopped, however, looking up as the band's fiddler began to waltz around the room, collecting tips in his hat. There was really something familiar about that song…
…and then she remembered.
"That's the Reynardine!" She laughed aloud, slapping the compact of eyeshadow on the table as it dawned on her. "They're playing Reynardine!"
She flipped her finger along with the gentle beat. "Roark sings it in the shower." She explained with a dreamy smile. "It's something Byron sings too. I think Roark's mother taught it to them – it's a Unovian folk song."
One evening as I rambled among the leaves so green
I overheard a young man converse with Reynardine…
"My mother used to sing it to me when I was younger, too," She explained, a little wistfully. Her mother hadn't talked to her in what seemed like forever. "It's about Zoaroarks. They say Zoroarks turn into humans to court a human lover."
She pointed at the young woman's bag. "If you have a pokedex, Amy, you can search up what a Zoroark is – they're quite beautiful."
- J -
Roark didn't know what was more strange: the fact that Stephanie had met the legendary Suicune or the thought of the teenager wearing a dress. A blue dress. Used to see the blondie wearing earth-ish colored clothes, he simply couldn't imagine her in a blue dress.
"…I fought it once, it snapped my ankle, see? Still kinda hurts like a bitch..."
The miner observed how Stephanie bent her feet backwards and made a face, looking away inmediately.
"Oh, Arceus, don't do that, Stephanie!" He exclaimed, frowning.
However, he didn't have time to complain, because Stephanie brought the 'beast issue' up again, for Roark's disgrace.
"Have you seen it?" She asked, "the monster, I mean."
"Sigh, Stephanie, you just won't stop, will you?" Roark said, rolling eyes. "I've seen many things in my life... But you don't have to worry about the monster, because there's NOT such monster! Some pokémon eat each other, it's matter of life! I don't know why are people getting so worked up now..."
Well, he indeed knew. But he wanted to sound like another confused person so his excuses sounded more plausible.
"Umh, I guess people are more worried than usual because some witnesses said that it looked like a Zoroark." The ginger added. "But, to begin with, it's always night when things happen, so they can't be sure. And anyway, Zoroarks are Unovvian pokémon, or didn't you listen to Serena last night?"
Roark was trying not to sound unfriendly. He thought of more excuses to convince Stephanie that there wasn't a beast.
"Look, there are pokémon that can be mistaken by foxes near Oreburgh." Roark told, looking into Stephanie's brown eyes. "Luxios and Luxrays aren't common in this area, but they sometimes come from other routes, not to mention Luxrays are quite big, so they could be easily mistaken for Zoroarks. And let's not forget there's a trainer who's always training at Oreburgh Gate and he owns a Lucario, which might be mistaken for a Zoroark in the darkness of the night."
The miner rested his back onto the bench backrest, sighing.
"So, Stephanie, there's not such beast." He sentenced. "Stop worrying about that, really."
Roark remained silence for the next couple of minutes, until Riley got out from the tailor shop.
"Why is he dressing so elegant if it's not for the Dance?" The ginger thought, looking perplexed at his friend. "Is it... for Amethyst?"
"Which reminds me, what are you wearing for the Dance, Roark?"
"Oh, uh," Roark stuttered. "well, shirt, trousers, shoes. And Serena always forces me to wear a bow. I'm very simple when it comes to suits."
He gave Riley a glance. The fact that he was in total silence while he looked at him was really disturbing. Seeing that Laelaps wasn't with him, Roark had wanted to be friendly with him, but Riley didn't seem to want to be friendly himself.
"H-hey, Riley," The miner said, trying to sound conversationalist. "how come you're so elegant?"
Of course, that was a stupid question, but Roark couldn't think of anything better to say. Anyway, when he saw Rodent hugging his own stomach, he found the perfect chance to move onto another topic.
"Yeah, I'm starving too." He said. "And I have to go back to work as soon as possible, so we better go to have lunch already, don't you think, Riley?"
Maybe going to have lunch with Riley wasn't the best idea, but it was too late to go back. And anyway, Serena was going to be with them. Her presence would do everything worthy, Roark was sure of that.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"...But still, he's more likely to ask someone he was friends with rather than me. He's just… really shy. Have you noticed that?"
Amethyst crossed her arms over her chest again, notoriously indignant.
"But that's not fair." She protested, frowning. "I can understand if he did that before meeting you, but now that you're with him, it would be stupid if he asked a friend!"
There was a difference between being shy and being a coward, Amethyst at least knew that. Being so obvious that Serena liked Roark, it would be very coward of him not aking her out.
"...I'm comfortable with Roark the way we are now – we don't need to kiss, or date or even be a couple. If I told him how I felt… well, I'm scared that he won't like it. Things'll change, and it may not be a good thing."
"Oh."
Maybe Serena was right, Amethyst thought. She didn't know a thing about love and relationships, after all, so she'd have to rely on the pink-haired woman's words.
"That's exactly what I mean. If you're afraid to do it, Riley might be feeling the same way."
"Mmh, I dunno." The chestnut-head mumbled. "I can't imagine Riley feeling insecure..."
Such feelings were pretty common from a teenager and maybe even Amethyst, who barely had self-confidence. But Riley? Being a strong, reliable trainer, why would he doubt of himself?
"Make-up. C'mon, I'll do your eyes and you can use some lipstick in the bathroom."
"Ooh!" Amethyst squealed, cheery. "Make-up!"
Remembering all those women she'd met in several festivals who wore special make-up, the purple-eyed lady felt curious about trying it herself.
"Will you lend me your make-up again for the Dance, too?" The tiny woman asked, excited. "I want to wear a special make-up like in those festivals!"
She wanted to feel pretty for once... Moreover, she had never been pretty for Riley. Maybe it was a good idea. Yes, definitely, it had to be a good idea coming from Serena!
"This is so-!"
Amethyst shut up, realizing Serena was listening to the lullaby the band was playing.
"They're playing Reynardine! Roark sings it in the shower. It's something Byron sings too. I think Roark's mother taught it to them – it's a Unovian folk song."
"It's... cute." Amethyst said.
Used to grow up amongst the brutality of the streets, Amethyst wasn't one to have ear for lullabies. Since she didn't remember anything about her childhood, she didn't know if her mother had been that type of woman that sings to her children.
The chest-nut head closed her eyes.
"It's relaxing." She said. "I like it."
"My mother used to sing it to me when I was younger, too. It's about Zoroarks. They say Zoroarks turn into humans to court a human lover."
Despite being slightly drunk, Amethyst couldn't stop noticing they were talking about pokémon turning into humans again. But being in such conditions, she didn't honestly mind at that moment.
"If you have a pokedex, Amy, you can search up what a Zoroark is – they're quite beautiful."
The purple-eyed woman looked inside her bag. A few seconds later, she took the pokédex out. A couple of years ago, Prof. Oak had upgraded all the old Dexholders' pokédex so they could register info from ANY pokémon they'd meet. Oak called it the 'ultimate upgrade'.
"Let's see..."
Done. The image of a bipedal fox-like Pokémon, and mainly grayish-brown in coloration with crimson and black accents. Its fur was brilliant and, even though its blue eyes gave her some shivers, she couldn't stop noticing the pokémon's elegance.
"True," Amethyst said. "it's very beautiful."
She read the info about the pokémon.
Illusion Fox Pokémon
1.6m; 81.1kg
"Each has the ability to fool a large group of people simultaneously. They protect their lair with illusory scenery."
"Zoroarks are capable of creating illusions that are indistinguishable from reality. However, Zoroark is incapable of physically changing itself into another form, it is merely capable of casting illusions."
"Mmh, interesting." Amethyst muttered. "Its ability is pretty cool!"
So, it was a pokémon that seemed to be able to transform into humans, uh? After all those talks about the presumptive beast, Amethyst didn't know what to think.
"Unova seems to be a very cool region." Amethyst said, looking into Serena's blue eyes. "You have superb pokémons there!"
The song "Reynardine" ended, which reminded Amethyst why she was standing on the first place.
"Oh, Serena, let's go to the bathroom now!" She exclaimed, grabbing Serena's right arm. "It would be cool if I was finished before the rest arrived!"
Since she didn't know where was the bathroom, she waited for Serena to lead her to the bathroom.