So someone is still reading this story *sniffs* you made me so happy.
This is probably the longest chapter I've ever write. This is my real treat after ditching this story for ten months. I spend most of my nights typing this out because my inspiration is just weird like that and I keep getting distracted by shiny objects in the day, so I hope you guys enjoy!
IMPORTANT NOTE : This chapter comes after a time skip, probably a month after Visit.
Disclaimer : HEY GUYS HAVE YOU HEARD? POKÉMON X AND Y IS COMING! I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS THOUGH SO I DON'T OWN POKÉMON. TA TA.
~ Subway Trouble ~Chapter 10 : Meeting Up
RIING RIING RIING
"Mmmh..."
RIING RIING RIING
"Yes... five more minutes..."
RIING RIING RIING
"Arceus-damnit!" A certain brunette Pokémon Trainer was forcefully aroused from her beauty slumber. Her blurry vision could make out her own Xtransceiver - which screen was lit open for whatever reason - blaring out loud beeprelentlessly. She lifted her hand to reach it and used her fingers to jab at the screen. Whatever it is that she pressed caused the obnoxious beeping to stop. Satisfied, she covered herself with the blanket and closed her eyes again.
But not even a minute later, the annoying beep was back. Biting back a growl, she repeated the same action and successfully stopped the sound. Of course when the device started to ring again, she decided to ditch the attempt. A thought came to her to pull the device's battery or to turn it off but that would require gathering her senses and her vision.
In the end, she slapped an extra pillow around her ears in hopes that the piercing sound will be blocked. Wishful thinking.
Her patience finally snapped when her Xtransceiver started to ring again for the nth time. She snatched the device - almost knocking down the bed lamp nearby - and as if it's on cue, the ring stopped by itself. She fiddled with the screen to find several missed calls notification. Oh, and one new message.
Rise and shine, the message read.
A scowl made its way to her sleepy expression as she started to tap her reply. Due to her brain still being hazy, the message came out more or less like :
Rise my fooot. Leaveme alone 4 at lest 5 hrs.
She sent the message and after checking the time (4 AM), she slapped the watch to her wrist - she has this annoying prediction that the reply will come soon. True enough, it let out another short ring, signaling another new message.
Come now. Will it kill you to wake up early for once?
She considered ignoring message. Eventually she responded with : Shut it. Lemme sleep. Itstill early.
One minute passed after that- just when sleep starts to fill her thoughts - and the reply came with another beep. It was as if the perpetrator just know the right timing to piss her off. And it worked greatly.
It's already nine in the morning. Get up. Came the reply, and she narrowed her eyes. 9 AM?
"What the - !" She realized that she saw the clock wrong. On my defense, 4 and 9 looks rather similar... Well, at least I don't have any appointment at this hour - Gah! I promised Skyla that I would meet her in ten! She cursed herself and kicked the blanket over. She grabbed a towel nearby and was about to throw herself to the bathroom when she noticed something was off in the window. She paused.
Why is it so dark? I thought it's morning already! She paused and did a double take. She checked at her Xtransceiver yet again. And then at the wall clock just nearby.
Four in the morning.
Don't tell me, that twit! Seething in anger, she threw the towel aside and turned to her Xtransceiver. She opened the contact list and scrolled through it. It didn't take long to find one particular number and she pressed the call button. It only rang once before the recipient answered her call.
"Morning." She swore she could hear laughter in his tone.
"For Arceus' sake, Hilbert! You surprised the crap out of me!" Hilda screeched towards the screen. Her voice came out raspy and dry but her irritation was clear in her tone. And the fact that the brunet burst into another fit of laughter didn't help lifting her mood. It was probably her appearance.
He's already full energy and already dressed for the day. His favorite blue jacket over his black shirt and a red-and-white baseball cap over his spiky brown hair. Meanwhile Hilda is still in her gray sleepwear with a bed hair and can barely lift her eyes open.
If her senses had gathered completely, embarrassment or shame might come to mind. But he interrupted her sleep (again). She couldn't care less about maintaining her appearance. No one gets away after disturbing her quality sleep. Maybe.
"Stop giggling! Your 'joke' isn't that funny!"
"Maybe it isn't, but your hair does." He replied while clutching his stomach.
Hilda ran her free hand to comb her unruly hair, not caring if a few strands of it came off. "Right. You've seen it so many times, I don't know why you're still laughing."
"Oh, it never gets old, I tell you."
She waited 'patiently' until he was finished with his laughing fit, offering the boy a withering glare. "Don't. Do. That. Again." She warned with an emphasize for each word.
"Don't do what? Calling you in the morning? Or is it about the 9 AM thing?"
"Both. But especially the 9 AM thing."
"I'm trying to help, you know," he responded with a shrug, "so you won't wake up too late."
Hilda's brown eyes twitched in annoyance. "What's the point of waking me up at four in the morning!? It's not like anyone's really awake yet - well, except you, for some reason." She paused to take a breath. "Don't try to deny it, you just need a reason to bother me. Well, Mr. Prankster?"
"Woah. Easy there, Ms. Grumpy-in-the-Morning. I was bored and it's only a harmless joke. The chance was rather fifty-fifty, and for a moment I thought you wouldn't fell for it." He let out a snicker before continuing. "But apparently you did."
"Yes, I realized , thank you very much." She attempted a deadpan tone but she was unable to hide the bitter tone. "You know what? I think I'm going to sleep some more. Speaking with you before the sun rises gives me headaches."
"Next time we meet, I'll get you a bottle of aspirin." She simply rolled her eyes at his reply. When she was about to turn the communication off, he interrupted with : "Woah, woah, wait. I just remember I wanted to tell you something."
"If it's not urgent, then wait until the morning. Later, Hilbert." With a beep, the screen goes black. She murmured something incoherent under her breath as she walked to sit on her bed. But before laying down to sleep again, she took off her Xtransceiver and placed it at the bottom of her bag. She zipped the bag close. Then she took the extra pillow and blanket and dumped them unceremoniously on top of her bag.
"If I hear any beeping again, I swear I'll fling that blasted thing out of the window." With that, she threw herself on the bed, and within minutes she was fast asleep.
Several hours later...
Hilda came out from the Mistralton's Gym with a wide grin on her face. Next to her is her trusty Unfezant, trotting beside its trainer. Between the brunette's finger is a badge shaped like a feather colored blue - the Jet Badge.
"All that training, paid off! Now we have six badges, Unfezant!" She gave the flying type a pat on its head. It chirped its acceptance with a smile. She smiled back in response before she turned her attention to her sling bag. "Now, where's my badge case..."
She opened her bag and dug around for the leather case, only to feel something... vibrating? And a muffled tone. Curious, she handed her newly obtained badge to her Pokémon to hold for awhile and peeked inside and notices a dull light at the bottom. She blinked in realization. "My Xtransceiver! I forgot!"
She grabbed the watch from her bag and put it on her wrist. The screen showed a certain brunet's number attempting to call her. She quickly pressed a button and his miffed face appeared on the screen. "Sorry!" She called out.
"Finally!" Hilbert let out a groan, annoyance evident in his voice. "I was wondering when you'll respond. For a moment, I thought you're still asleep."
"No! I forgot that I put my Xtransceiver in my bag..." she paused to contemplate for a second, "but that was your fault, I guess. I was attempting to block the annoying sound just in case you decided to disturb my sleep again."
"I thought there's a feature called 'silent mode' in Xtransceivers." He muttered sarcastically.
"I don't use it since, well, long story." She answered with a shrug. The brunet gave her a blank stare in response, obviously not amused. Hilda's Unfezant looked at the screen in curiosity, and Hilbert notices a certain object between its beak.
"Is that Jet Badge I see?"
Hilda nodded when she noticed her Pokémon is also staring at her Xtransceiver. "Yup. I won it just now."
"Well, it's about time. Congrats!" He said with a smile.
"Thanks." she returned the smile with a wider grin. "Oh, yeah. This morning you said you want to tell me something?"
"Ack. I forgot. I was about to tell you about it." He rubbed the back of his head, as if he was uncertain of something. "Say, are you busy at the moment?"
"Huh? Mmm..." She looked towards her Pokémon, who gave her an Unfezant-equivalent of a shrug. "No, I guess not. Why?" She asked back.
"And you have no particular idea of what to do?"
"Well, I just won the badge. Resuming my travel to the next Gym would be the logical - or at least Cheren's - thinking," she looked towards the glimpse of Twist Mountain to the north, "but I'm really in no mood for mountain climbing at the moment. I'll be spending my times procrastinating, most likely."
"Figures." He commented with an unimpressed look.
"That's how I roll," she stuck out her tongue, "well, spill the beans. What do you want to talk about?"
"Hmm, how do I say this..."
During this pause Hilda pulled her badge case out of her bag and placed the Jet Badge in its slot. "...what?" She repeated slowly, tilting her head.
"Ah. Well, you wanna hang out?"
"...hang out?" It took awhile for her to register the words and its meaning. "Oh! You mean meet up?"
"Duh. What else do you call 'hang out'?" He replied sarcastically.
"Gee, sorry."
"Nah. It's been awhile since we meet up, don't you think?" He scratched his chin in thought. "I think the last time was... in Driftveil?"
"You mean when my left arm got a bit busted," she specified with a groan, "and we didn't really 'hang out' because I'm not allowed to go outside."
"Yeah, something like that. How about it then?"
"Sure, let's catch up," she replied without thinking twice. Over her journey she often bumps into Cheren (who quickly demands a battle) and Bianca (who demands to go shopping together instead), but not Hilbert. Mostly because she started her journey together with her two childhood friends and their destination is more or less the same. And she's been itching to do some munching contest.
"Great! Your Unfezant can use Fly, right?"
"Yep... wait." Hilda paused. "You're not asking a girl to come visit you, are you? Where's the gentleman resolve?" She accused with a smirk, and Hilbert rolled his eyes. "Not that I mind if you're that lazy."
"Please. I'm in the other side of Unova right now, it'll be quicker if we just meet up somewhere." He pulled out a map. "Let's make rendezvous at... Route 16."
After setting up a meeting at Route 16 in around four o'clock, Hilda went back to the Pokémon Center to heal her Pokémon and buy some supplies. And a quick lunch (three bento boxes) of course. She would've eat more, but she's preparing herself just in case they engage in another eating contest when they meet up.
As she finished her lunch, she noticed that she received a free bottle of ketchup. A travelling trainer wouldn't bother carrying one around, but she have different plans. With a crafty grin, she placed the freebies to her bag. I know exactly how to use this. S'bout time I retaliate from his pranks.
Stomach satisfied and after stocking two bottles of MooMoo milk, she released Unfezant from its ball. The Proud Pokémon allowed Hilda to climb to its back and it quickly soared to the sky and flew towards the east.
When Nimbasa City's Pokémon Center was in sight, Hilda ordered her Unfezant to land. She descended (gulping for a moment after seeing the number of people around) and dashed towards the Route 16 gate on foot after she checked the time. Drats, it's already past 4 PM! She cursed herself and raised her speed. While her Unfezant is fast, it can't go full speed with Hilda on its back.
It didn't took her long to reach the gate. Sometimes I'm so glad I was a track runner, she told herself as she entered the building. She pulled her water bottle and gulped almost half of the content, her running slowed down into a casual stroll as she crossed the gate. When she was out though, she fastened her pace a bit. Not too slow, but not running-fast.
Of course, not a few minutes later, she heard a familiar voice calling out for her.
"Hilda! Over here!"
She turned her head to the voice's source and found Hilbert leaning against a tall fence that separates the main road and the forest environment. A smile made its way towards her face and she approached her friend with a spring in her step. "Hey there! Sorry, kinda late."
"Nah, I wasn't waiting too long." He smiled back and straightened his posture. "At least not long enough for me to bug you about it."
"Good, but I just thought of something..." she looked at the brunet questioningly, "why meet up here? We could meet up at Nimbasa instead. I say it's easier." She was about to say more when she noticed a certain glint in her friend's brown eyes.
"Well, I thought you don't like crowds?" It was a rhetorical question to which she nodded nonetheless.
"Wait... you don't mean..." she started warily, as if she knew what's about to happen next.
"People are probably watching sports at Nimbasa at this hour," his smile widened, "so let's have a battle here!"
Hilda let out an exaggerated groan. "I should have known! What's with you boys and battling?" Though her statement are betrayed by the confident smile on her lips. "Okay then. Let's do this! And the rules are?"
"Two-on-two double battle, no substitutes, no items." He unclipped two Pokéballs from his belt. "Deal?"
"Fine by me!" She pulled out two of her Pokéballs. "Let's go!"
Hilda threw the capsules to the air, and it burst out a flash of light. A moment after, her Serperior and Musharna appeared, both ready for a battle. On the opposite side, Hilbert released his two Pokémon, Excadrill and Reuniclus.
"Oh wow. This'll get interesting real quick," the brunet boy commented, and his opponent gave him a nod. Musharna isn't exactly speedy, that is why she chose Serperior as the psychic type's partner. It seems he thought the same with his Reuniclus and Excadrill. Type match-up wise, they're even.
"You may have the first move." Hilbert said with a shrug.
"Fine." She gave her opponent's Pokémon a quick glance. "Musharna, Calm Mind! Serperior, Coil first and use Leaf Blade on Excadrill!"
The tapir-like Pokémon closed its eyes while the Regal Pokémon coiled its body before dashing towards the ground-steel type. "Block it! Reuniclus, Reflect!"
Excadrill managed to block the incoming Leaf Blade with its steely claw, though the mole still winced from the powerful attack. Hilda thought of another Leaf Blade, but she changed her mind when Reuniclus created a barrier that surrounds both itself and its partner. "Serperior, Leaf Tornado! Musharna, use Calm Mind again and then Shadow Ball at Reuniclus!"
The barrage of leaves lands a direct hit on the mole-like Pokémon, though it barely reaches the other opponent. Musharna raised its special attack again before forming a murky ball in front of its nose. "Serperior! Cover for Musharna!" Hilda ordered.
To her surprise, Hilbert did not retaliate at once. "I thought just as much."
"Wha?" She blinked.
"Excadrill, Poison Jab on Serperior!" The Subterrene Pokémon let out a roar as its claws glowed purple and dashed at the grass type, ignoring the incoming onslaught directed at its partner. Hilda was about to counter when the Shadow Ball that her Musharna was forming suddenly burst into thin air.
This caught her by surprise, and she shouted the counter a beat too late. "Serperior, guard with Leaf Blade!" It attempted to block the incoming onslaught but before the grass type could do anything, Excadrill's Poison Jab made a direct contact. The serpent let out a pained hiss as it flew backwards, bumping against the unprepared Musharna and fell over in one huge heap.
"Ah! Wait, the Shadow Ball...?" Something clicked on her mind, and she glanced at her opponent warily. "...Hilbert. Your Reuniclus can use Imprison?"
"Bingo," he answered, "aren't you sharp? Would've been better if you realized it sooner, though."
"I thought Reuniclus can't learn it. She admitted in disbelief as her Pokémon attempted to stand up.
"Well, some moves can be inherited from their parents. Egg moves, you know?" He knew he should be continuing the fight, but eh, whatever. "I told you I received Solosis when I was little, but I guess I didn't mention the egg part." He noticed that both of Hilda's Pokémon are finished gathering their wits. "Shall we continue?"
"Okay. Serperior, Leaf Storm!" The Regal Pokémon spun and released an intense storm of sharp leaves that damages both Excadrill and Reuniclus. The ground-steel type Pokémon fell to its feet from the close range attack. "Musharna, use Psy -!" She paused, eyes widening in realization on her Pokémon's situation.
"Psy...chic?" Hilbert completed her sentence with a smirk. "What was that? Imprison, hello?" The taunting tone made the brunette grit her teeth. She knew very well that all of his Pokémon has diverse move pool. Reuniclus' moves aren't too different from Musharna. And with that, horror settled in Hilda's expression.
The battle has just barely started, and she was already put on the corner. Great, she thought sarcastically. Who knew Imprison could be that deadly? Now my Musharna is a dead weight! If my Serperior is out, the battle is pretty much over!
"Excadrill, Poison Jab! Reuniclus, Psychic!"
"Serperior, Protect!" Thanks to its speed, Serperior manages to block all incoming attacks, but she knew if this keeps up, her Pokémon wouldn't last long. What moves that Reuniclus couldn't possibly learn? Energy Ball? No... Thunder Wave? Not that, too. Hilda ordered another Protect when the shield fades away, straining her brain to think of something fast.
"You know Protect can't be used consecutively," Hilbert pointed out, the smirk still plastered on his face.
"I know, shut up." Hilda bit back a growl. It was luck that her Serperior manages to create another barrier and she knew it. "Musharna! Charge Beam at Reuniclus!"
Musharna's body glowed bright yellow, crackling in electricity. It shot a blast of lightning that scores a direct hit at Reuniclus. Even after the power up before, the attack wasn't strong enough to knock Reuniclus out.
"Charge Beam, one more time!"
"Intercept that, Excadrill!"
Excadrill jumped in front of the attack, and the electricity landed a direct hit. Hilda bit her tongue, knowing that electric attacks won't have any effect on a ground type like Excadrill. Serperior's special attack is lowered from the earlier Leaf Storm, and Reflect made physical moves rather ineffective. If she didn't underestimate the move Imprison, this might not have happened.
Wait, speaking of underestimating a move... Hilda brightened slightly. There still might be a chance. "Serperior, use Wrap on Excadrill! Musharna, Synchronoise!"
Acknowledging its trainer's plan, Serperior wrapped its body around the ground type, effectively preventing it from moving. Musharna sent out colorful waves that was directed at Reuniclus.
"Aah, I almost forgot that move. Almost." Hilbert remained calm even when his Reuniclus are hit directly by the attack. The blob-like Pokémon shrugged it off easily since the attack was also a Psychic type. "Thunder Wave on Musharna," he ordered. Reuniclus nodded and generates a wave of electricity that quickly reaches Hilda's Musharna, causing it to yelp.
"Musharna, hang in there!" Hilda called out her Pokémon. "Use Synchronoise again!"
Musharna attempted to summon another psychic waves, but the paralyzed state keeps it from moving.
"Excadrill, break free with Poison Jab. Reuniclus, Shadow Ball."
The ground type stabs Serperior with its claw. The poison type attack did a severe damage on the grass type and the wrap was loosened. Meanwhile Reuniclus sent out a Shadow Ball to Musharna's direction. The poor thing attempted to dodge, but since speed was never its main strength, it failed to evade the ghost type attack.
All or nothing now, Hilda thought. Her skeptic side has already given up on the battle, but she owed her Pokémon to try. "Serperior, Hyper Beam on Reuniclus!"
"Dodge the Hyper Beam with Double Team! And Excadrill, X-Scissor on both of them!"
The green serpent opened its mouth and sent out a massive blast of energy, but it failed to hit the real Reuniclus. Excadrill wasted no time to dash and sent the grass type flying towards its partner. It then raised its claws and made a "X" slash. The bug type attack was proven too powerful for both Serperior and Musharna to handle, and with a pained cry, both was sent flying.
Swirls appeared on the eyes of both Hilda's Pokémon. "Serperior! Musharna!" She cried in reflex, dashing towards the two fainted Pokémon. She pulled out a potion and sprayed its contents carefully to heal Serperior's wounds. It was then she noticed that her Serperior's condition has gotten rather strange. Its face... purple?
She didn't notice Hilbert approaching until he knelt next to her."It's probably poisoned," he took out an Antidote from his bag, "it was repeatedly attacked by Poison Jab, no surprise there." He tilted his head to face the brunette - the distance between them is a bit too close for Hilda's comfort. "Let me. You can take care of your Musharna."
"Oh, thanks!" She stammered and turned to the other way (conveniently where the bag is). She searched her bag for a potion, one free hand fidgets with her cap's bill. That was a bit too close for my taste... what's wrong with me anyway? She grumbled to herself internally, spraying the medicine to her Musharna's wounds. Soon after, Hilda's Pokémon regained their consciousness and strength, and the girl sighed in relief.
"Well, that's about it. We'll get more treatment at the Pokémon Center," he suggested, stretching his legs and turned towards his Pokémon. "Good job guys. Return." He returned his team to their respective balls, gesturing Hilda to do the same.
"Okay guys, good work! Have a good rest!" She said with a small grin to cheer her crestfallen Pokémon. Both Serperior and Musharna nodded timidly, as if still ashamed for disappointing their trainers. This put a blow on Hilda's smile and she bit her lip. "It's okay, really. You guys did your best," she said with a sincere tone, "return!" A beam of light hits both of her Pokémon and they returned to their capsule. They don't have to look so sad. It's kind of my fault for being reckless anyway.
She dusted her pants and straightened her position. "Well, congratulations. You officially broke my winning streak... again!"
"Thanks, though I'd like it more if you didn't make me sound so cruel." He replied with an eye roll but he smiled nonetheless. "That aside, it was a fun battle."
"Really?" Hilda's question carried a rhetorical tone. "I can barely counter thanks to that Imprison. How's that fun at all?"
"Look who's gotten grumpy again," he responded with a chuckle, "you're not the first one who got caught in all that, and most of them lost it after a minute. If you didn't notice, my Excadrill almost fainted from those attacks. "
Hilda didn't say anything. Her head was hung low and her cap covered the look in her eyes. Feeling the tense, negative air around them, Hilbert was about to say something. He stopped himself when she tilted her head to give him a scrutinizing glare, causing the brunet Pokémon Trainer to flinch. "Look, I lost badly and that's it."
"Hey - "
"Don't bother pitying on me," she interrupted him with a dark tone, "if you do..."
She pulled out a red bottle and pointed at him. "I'll shoot some ketchup on that jacket you loved so much."
He let out a surprised squeak. "Hey, easy there!" Hilbert's apprehension disappeared after she voiced her threat and pulled back defensively. The bewildered look on his face was enough to made her burst into mad laughter, pointing a finger at him.
"Your... face!" She laughed harder at the boy's out-of-character actions, dropping the ketchup bottle. "Arceus, if only I brought a camera with me!"
He blinked in disbelief as his mind starts to digest the scene before him. He gave Hilda a deadly glare. "You tricked me. That wasn't funny."
"You're telling me. My bed hair wasn't funny either," she fidgets a bit from the glare, but she was still laughing. "I don't get the chance for my revenge all that often, so I say we're even. What's with you and your jacket anyway?" One time she got involved in a... situation with him and his jacket when someone sprayed a pink dye on it. It's a side of him that he didn't show too much - kind of a neat freak OCD.
"You know I'll choke you if you really dared to spray that sauce." He snarled dangerously.
"I would, but your reaction was good enough for me to change my mind. In more ways than one." She snickered. "Oh, come on! You don't see me complaining much about you disturbing me in the morning!" She tried to wave him off, who's still glaring at her with an unimpressed frown. "Your face will get old fast if you keep frowning like... that..." She continued though her tone wavered in the end. Woah, I hope I didn't go overboard, she thought to herself.
The brunet approached her silently, and much to her surprise, he caught her in a head lock. She coughed in surprise.
"Pfft - hey! You're almost choking me!" Hilda wheezed out, and the boy let out a chortle in response. She tried to push him off but he was relentless. Well, physically, she can't really win against him. Remembering a random article she read about headlocks she wiggled to lean an arm in front of him. She slipped her foot behind his and was about to make him fall over when he maneuvered his position and made her lose her footing instead.
"Yah!"
"H-hey!" The arms moved from her front , one holding her shoulder, another circling her waist. She was about to slid over to the ground if it weren't for his quick thinking. Realizing the awkward situation, she stomped her foot to the solid concrete and regained her balance. A blush crept to her face, but it went unnoticed to the both of them.
"Why, you jerk!" She accused despite the lack of venom in her voice. "What was that for!"
"Well, now we're even."
"Even, my foot! I almost fell over!"
"At least you don't."
"Heey! You two over there!" A foreign sound chimed it from the distance, stopping the bickering pair. A girl around their age approached them with a wave. She wore a pink shirt with white cardigan over it, and the Audino headband that decorates her long wavy black hair became its tell-tale.
"Leena!" Hilda called her friend.
"Hey. Fancy seeing you here." Hilbert nodded towards the girl and flashed her a small smile.
"Hee-hee!" Leena giggled as she approached the brown haired duo. "Oops, am I interrupting a love bird session here? Sorry!" She asked with a sly wink. It took Hilda a few seconds to realize that she was referring to their... odd - for a lack of better terms - position.
"Wh-what!" She yelped a high pitch and Hilbert retreated his arms, coughing.
"Eeh, never mind~" Leena replied with a sing-song voice, clearly amused by the two friend's antics. The brunette girl fumbled with her mouth uselessly and her friend obviously wanted a change of topic as soon as possible. She'll give it to them this once.
"Are you two here after hearing the news?" The black haired girl asked instead.
"News?" Hilda repeated in confusion. "What news?"
"The Gear Station's project for fund raising?" The chirpy girl asked back. "Why else you would be here?"
"Yes, actually." The reply came from Hilbert with a shrug, and Hilda stared at her companion questioningly. "You too?"
"What's this fund raising project - " Hilda started but the boy interrupted her.
"I'll fill you in later."
"Well, I would fill you in, Hilda," Leena said as she looked towards her Xtransceiver, "but I'm kinda in a hurry. I need to catch up with those idiot twins."
"Twins? Oh, Ceano and Oreste?" Hilda remembered about the blonde twins, and Leena nodded.
"Yup! I'm sure we'll see each other again soon! So, later!" With that, the girl sped off as soon as she came, running through the road towards the Marvelous Bridge. Hilda blinked repeatedly as the girl zoomed out from her view, unsure of what have just happened.
"Uh. That was, random?" She scratched her chin, laughing awkwardly before turning towards Hilbert. "Okay, what's this fund raising program again?" She reiterated her question. The boy opened his mouth to respond, but it was cut by a loud growl coming from a certain girl's stomach. Noticing this, Hilda's expression turned sheepish, clutching her stomach.
He looked amused as he spoke. "You know what? I'll tell you about it after we have..." he checked the time before continuing. "Hmm, it's almost dinner time, I guess."
"It is dinner." She notices that the sun is already setting and the sky is colored a beautiful hue of orange. "In my book, after sunset it's dinner." She said with a grin.
"Well, dinner then," he decided to comply with Hilda's logic for now, itching for some food himself. "Let's find a good place to eat before it gets dark. Well, any suggestion?"
"Mmm..." She tapped her chin in thought. "I really feel like eating something with a broth. But I don't feel like eating a soup, either."
"Hmm, some noodles, it is." He decided with a snap of his finger. "I know a good ramen joint. It might be a bit pricey, though."
"If you don't mind, sure." Hilda grinned. "I have some money to burn after winning the Gym battle anyway."
Hilbert whistled. "And what better way to celebrate a victory in Gym battle other than eating to your heart's content?"
"Exactly!"
Both shared a knowing look before bursting into another fit of laughter.
The sky is already dark, but the lights from the streets are more than enough to lit up the night. Even more so in a certain shopping street.
When she started to squeal after a sight of a certain fire Pokémon's plushy, he started to groan again. Accompanying her through her so called 'little shopping time' was a bad idea. Not that he had any saying before.
"Look, Bianca. Can you stoplike, right now?"
"Eeh? But that Tepig plushy looks so cute!"
"Its not much different compared to the one you already have." He pointed out, remembering the old doll in Bianca's bedroom.
"True..." The blonde pulled her lips in thought. Cheren was about to sigh in relief when she started to speak again. "Then they can be a pair!" He smacked his forehead loud enough to gain the attention from his surroundings.
"Oh, come on! I can list hundreds of better things to spend your money at!" The bespectacled boy almost lost his temper, though the ditz is rather oblivious about it.
"Really? Like what?" She asked innocently.
"Like dinner." He responded with a deadpan tone. "I could get some food right now." Bianca had found and dragged him for a massive shopping spree before he could finish his lunch. Attempting to stop Bianca to buy - in Cheren's terms - useless stuff has taken a lot of energy out of him. And to further prove his point, his stomach started to growl lowly.
"Oh, right! It's almost dinner time!" Bianca reminded herself.
"It is dinner time. Now do we get some food or what?" Sometimes he found himself thinking : why he actually bothered to keep up with Bianca?
"Okay!" The girl chirped with a big smile, pointing at the flashy street with neon signs across. "That's the food street, let's go!" She ran and weaved through the crowdy street clumsily, almost tripping each ten steps.
Cheren watched Bianca as she was swallowed by the mass of people. Sighing, he took the two grocery bags she left behind and started to go after her. It didn't take him long to catch up with the blonde who found herself having an affair with the solid concrete.
"Oow..." She rubbed her nose after her spectacular fall. Cheren reached for his pocket and offered her a band aid (he kept them in his pocket all the time if he's with Bianca), and the girl offered a shy thanks. He shrugged in response; it was just another Friday for him.
"Okay, so where do we go for food?" Cheren grimaced at the sight before him. There's people everywhere! Almost all food joints are filled with customers. The waiting line is so long, some people had to wait outside for their turns.
"Whoa..." Bianca gaped at the sheer number of people. The shopping street was packed, but this takes the word 'full' to an entirely new level. "Well, let's try over there!" She pointed randomly and started to trot. Unsurprisingly, she tripped over again and her forehead bumped into a nearby pole. Cheren winced at the sound.
"Not again..." Bianca muttered to herself, reaching for her aching front.
Cheren quickly approaches her and she turned to him. He noticed the red bruise and dug through his pocket for another band aid. "Ah crap," he cursed before he could stop himself, "I ran out of band aids."
Apparently, the scene managed to catch someone's attention. Cheren felt someone tapping his shoulder, and when he turns around he noticed a piece of an adhesive bandage offered to him. "Here, use mine."
"Oh, thank you." He accepted the offer with a grateful smile. It was then he realized that he knew the person standing in front of him. "Hilbert?"
"Yeah, it's me. Surprise seeing you two here."
"Eh?" Bianca pops out beside Cheren, almost making the black haired boy jump. "Hilbert! Long time no see!" She called out, almost forgetting about the little bruise on her head.
"Uh, yeah," he pointed at her forehead, "deal with that bruise first."
Cheren peeled off the bandage's cover and helped Bianca applying the cloth, causing the blonde to shrink a little bit. When he was finished, Bianca couldn't form her words immediately. Luckily, he was more than willing to continue their conversation.
"Good to see you again. Are you looking for a place for dinner as well?"
"Actually, I already chose a place. I'm just out to buy these from the vending machine." Hilbert held out a small plastic bag. "Hilda threw a tantrum when she realized that the noodle joint didn't sell MooMoo milk, so I went out to get some."
This perked Bianca's interest. "You're with Hilda?" She asked quickly and the brunet gave her a small nod.
"If you guys still haven't decided yet, why not come along?" He offered to the two of them. "We picked a table for four."
"Okay, we'll go!" Bianca quickly decided before Cheren could say anything else. "I want to see Hilda too!"
Not that he's going to refuse, considering the ridiculous number of crowd waiting for their food. They might take an hour just to get inside. "We'd like to, but why table for four? Are you two expecting somebody else?"
"No," Hilbert shrugged, "I just want a table somewhere further away. I don't want people looking at us eating like we're a bunch of hungry Snorlax or something."
Actually, you two kind of are, Cheren thought to himself, remembering that one time they had dinner together, but he remained silent. Bianca giggled in response before she gave a vehement nod.
"Okay! I'm hungry, let's move!"
Hilda looked around her surroundings, feeling rather uncomfortable in her seat (she never do well with crowds) until her companion arrives. She was ecstatic to see her two childhood friends joining them, but seeing an odd glint in Bianca's eyes made her feel wary for a split second. It was the same glint when she was about to nag her about a topic she didn't want to discuss.
After a ritual in which Bianca tackles Hilda in her seat and Cheren wishing that he did not know the blonde as the scene unfolds - complete with Hilda complaining about Bianca's weight - all four trainers voiced their order for the dinner. Their drinks has arrived, but considering the amount of people around, it's safe to guarantee that the food will take a while to come.
"Okay, what is it that you want to fill me in again?" Hilda asked to her brunet companion, opening the MooMoo milk bottle that the boy had bought her earlier. Hilbert bought extra and offered them to Bianca (who accepted with a grin) and Cheren (who refuses with a shudder for some reason).
"Gear Station's fund raising project, have you heard?" He also directed the question to Hilda's two childhood friends. Bianca blinked slowly and shook her head while Cheren nodded to his question.
"I do, but I think we'll need to explain to these two girls," the boy looked at said girls who gave him a nasty glare.
"Well, I'll make it brief and spare you from the details. Long story short, there's a fund raising campaign for western Unova's development and other stuff related to Pokémon Center's management." Hilbert tapped the table with his fingers repeatedly, trying to recollect his memory. "The Gear Station also joined in with a new project. I think it's supposed to be a train vacation trips."
"Vacation trip? Woah!" Bianca gushed out. "Sounds really fun!"
"That's new information to me, but really, vacation trips?" Cheren raised his eyebrows skeptically. "As far as I know, Gear Station's trains are all designed for Pokémon battling - save for the one for Anville Town. Preparing a train designed for tourism would be rather expensive, no?" He pointed out. "All the trouble just for fund raising?"
"Well, they have several old unused cabs. Most of them are still good and it'll be a waste to just let them rot."
"You know an awful lot about this, Hilbert." Hilda remarked after finishing her favorite drink.
"Well, I helped cleaning the old cab few weeks before. I swear I can still breathe the dusty air." He answered with a grimace.
"So this vacation train thing, when will it start?" Hilda asked out of curiosity. Well, it sounds rather interesting, so why not? She thought to herself.
"Well, I think it's in two or three days, I'm not sure," Cheren answered, taking off his glasses and cleaned the lens with his napkin. It was then Hilda realized...
"Cheren? Your glasses' frame, I thought it was red?" The brown haired girl gave him a questioning look.
"Huh?" The boy held out his glasses. It's not too different compared to his old one, no, it's the same model. But it was colored dark blue instead of the usual bright red. Bianca jumped in her seat, waving her hands rapidly. "It's a gift. Bianca gave this to me."
Two pairs of eyes, one colored blue, another brown, blinked several times before turning their attention to Bianca. Her face was a deep shade of red and she pulled her beret in embarrassment. The blonde shrunk under her friends' stare, wishing for a hole she can jump into.
"I was only kidding when I said 'new specs' back then," Hilbert murmured low enough so that no one could hear him.
Meanwhile, Hilda's face was brimming with laughter, though she successfully held it back. With an amused grin, she pulled Bianca's shoulder and leaned in to her. "Ooh, that's your birthday present to him?" Hilda whispered with a sing-song voice. "I'd never thought of that!"
"Hilda! It-it's not like, well, mmm!" Came the blonde's sheepish response.
"It's similar to your old one. But I don't know, this one looks more durable to me," Hilbert inspected the glasses from afar, and Cheren gave him a nod.
"Well, my old one got slightly bent in an accident, its being fixed at the moment," Cheren said as if to defend himself, "but yes, the man at the glasses store said I should just use this one."
"Pfft! Would you look at that!" Hilda kept her voice low though amusement dripped thick from her sentences. "I totally did not expect that kind of reaction! Looks like you chose the perfect gift!" Totally better than Hilda's choice of gift : a dozen of Ultra Ball and some new arrival books she could find. "Congratulations!"
"Cut it out, Hilda!" Bianca whined in a similar way she would when the blonde brought over a certain brunet to their topic. Which she is about to do now. "Well, enough about me then! What were you doing with Hilbert today?"
"Huh?" Hilda backed up slightly. Drats, here we go again.
"You were with him today until now! I say you get to enjoy some time together!" Bianca hissed back, regaining her composure.
"Well, nothing worth mentioning about..." Hilda trailed off slowly as if she constructed her words carefully. "I just met up with him this afternoon. We had a battle and that's it, we went to find some dinner."
Luckily during this girl talk, Hilbert and Cheren managed to find a topic for them to talk about without the girls, so none of them questioned the girls' action.
"Really? Reeallly?" Bianca takes the aggressive approach. "I don't know, Hilda! My sensor tells me that you two did something more than 'just a battle'!"
"Really? Like what?" Hilda retorted back, unwilling to take the defensive side. "Try all you want, but it's not like we're doing anything weird."
"Not even a tiny bit hug?"
"No - " Hilda's mind took a quick trip to the memory lane, remembering the little headlock she found herself into, and the little tripping accident after that. Involuntarily, Hilda's cheek started to gain a shade of pink. "Well, no!" She shot back a bit too loud, gaining the boys' attention.
"What no?" Hilbert's voice chimed in. Both girls looked towards the opposite side of the table, finding the boys looking at their rather awkward position. Bianca grinned in victory but before she could open her mouth, Hilda slapped her hand over it.
"No, I mean..." The brunette girl looked around, and to her relief, she spotted a waiter pushing a cart going over their way. "The food!" She pointed, surprising the poor waiter.
"Really?" They looked towards the man approaching them. Four bowls of steamy noodle (two medium two extra large) can be seen from the cart he was pushing. The waiter gave a curt nod, still a bit shaken from Hilda's sudden outburst.
"Here's your order - two extra large pork noodle soup, one medium chicken noodle soup, and one medium vegetarian noodle soup." He placed each bowl to their table, and the trainers pulled their orders in front of them.
"Oh, I'd like a refill for my tea," Cheren politely requested, gesturing to his empty glass.
"And I'd like another glass of lemon tea, please!" Bianca chirped in.
"Sure thing. Do you mind if I confirm your orders?" The man took out his notepad, scratching his forehead with a look of disbelief. "Do you request another five bowls of extra large pork noodle soup?"
"Eh? Five bowls?" Hilda looked at the waiter oddly before shaking her head. "No, we're not."
"It's ten, actually." Hilbert told the older man, who quickly gapes in horror. "Something wrong?"
"No, nothing at all! Ten extra large pork noodle soup, then?"
The brown haired trainers nodded solemnly, giving him a peculiar look. He looked flustered for a second before he dashed off, pushing his cart to somewhere they guessed is the kitchen.
Bianca's mouth were agape as she observed how large an extra large bowl actually is. Cheren rubbed his temples before taking a pair of chopsticks, deciding to dig in and finish his meal as soon as possible. Maybe joining these two Snorlaxes is not the best idea, he told himself.
"O-okay! Let's eat!" Bianca wore a lopsided smile as she took a pair of chopsticks for herself.
Thankfully for Cheren, he seemed to have developed a good resistance and didn't puke after seeing those two gluttons eats their so called dinner. Feast more like it. But when they challenged each other to a fast-eating contest he excused himself to the toilet for ten minutes.
It's around nine o' clock and the four friends decided to book a room in the Pokémon Center for the night. Hilda and Hilbert also wanted to heal their Pokémon from their recent double battle. The Pokémon Center was unsurprisingly crowded, so Hilbert offered to take all the Pokémon that needed healing and went to the line himself. Usually Hilda would refuse, but it's the same case with him buying MooMoo milks for her - crowd. Cheren also leaves to the receptionist desk for their rooms, so that leaves Hilda and Bianca waiting for the boys together.
The girls sat on a sofa in the corner of the room, their bags (including the boys') and Bianca's shopping bags were put on the floor. Bianca wastes no time to continue their halted conversation from before. "Alright, now that they're both gone~ What happened between you and Hilbert again?"
"Good Arceus, will you just let it go already?" Hilda let out an exasperated groan. "It's bad habit to dig over people's actions, you know."
"But you teased me about Cheren first!" Bianca said in self-defense even though Hilda wouldn't call it an excuse. "And you two looks perfect together, if you ask me."
"Well, I think you and Cheren looks cute too," Hilda retorted with little humor. But to her disappointment, the blonde didn't react as bad as Hilda thought she would.
"Okay, so I think I kinda love him, a teeny bit..." Bianca admitted quietly, and Hilda sneezed out in surprise. "But don't tell him that! I'm still a bit unsure!"
"So you actually like that bespectacled boy!" Hilda's annoyed expression melted into a burst of giggles. "I mean, he's not a bad person or anything, but well! He's a bit of a nerd. But I won't judge you if he's your type - "
"Stop that, come oon! He might hear you!" Bianca flailed her arms furiously. "Look, now that I've told you my little secret, it's fair that I get to hear some of yours!"
"Whaat?" Hilda's giggle died down that instant. "I don't remember agreeing to that!"
"Well, it's better to tell someone rather than letting it all bottled up! It's why I decided to tell you about Cheren!" Bianca explained with a blush. Hilda paused. Her words actually made sense. She has been thinking - in her opinion - crazy thoughts, and who's better than her childhood best girl friend for her to tell?
But as much as that made sense, she still had no idea how to word it. "...okay, I would, but I don't know what should I talk and where should I start."
Bianca's green eyes perked up, and she let out a thoughtful hum. "Well, why don't I ask some questions then?" Hilda gave her a skeptical glare, and the blonde flinched slightly. "I won't ask something too personal, honest! And I won't tell your secret to anyone, okay?"
"...okay, but you better, or else." Hilda relented. "What's the first question?"
"Hmm..." Bianca was deep in thought for once. If it's in any other condition, Hilda would be surprised. "Well, what do you think of him?"
"Hilbert? Mmm, well, for one, he's a great friend. I feel like I've known him for long," Hilda casted her glance at the long line, spotting the brunet waiting for his turn. "Something about him just made me want to talk to him more. He's an easygoing person too, and we shared a lot of traits, really."
"Like eating!" Bianca interrupted with a giggle. She gave her an unimpressed look.
"Hey. I never said I was finished." Hilda took a deep breath. "Like I said, he's very easygoing, friendly, and fun to talk to. Sometimes I just don't realize how long we can talk over the phone, so I suppose we have more stuffs in common than I originally thought. He can get annoying once in a while - scratch that, more like every two-three days - but well, I can't remember how my journey was before I met him."
"Mmm, okay! Is there anything that, you know, look up to him?" Bianca asked again.
"Eh?" Hilda was dumbfounded for a few moments. "Well, I guess. Don't tell this in his face, but I think he's a great Pokémon Trainer. He has some remarkable skill that I sometimes envy. Occasionally when we meet up, we'll have a battle, and I never win, not even once!" She sounded a bit frustrated at the end, but her tone eventually calms down. "This afternoon, too. We had a double battle and he won without any of his Pokémon knocked out. Okay, so it was a bit of my fault for - mmm, sorry, I got off topic."
"You make it sound like he's so great!" Bianca giggled slightly. "Well, anything else?"
"Uh, I can list more, but I think it'll get over the top real fast."
"Okaay, is there anything you didn't really like about him?"
"Probably the fact that he has a nasty, deadly glare and his annoying tendency to wake me up in the morning with phone calls for shits and giggles." Like this morning, Hilda grumbled internally.
The brunette was too deep in thought, she didn't realize the amused look Bianca was giving her. "Well, but do you think he looks cool with all that?"
"Cool? I guess..." Eventually, she was aware of the look her childhood friend gave her, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "But really, I don't think I thought of him that way!" She squeaked out, flustered. Arceus, did I really speak that much?
"Lies! All that description could be turned into a long essay, longer than anything I could write out!" Bianca remarked, still giggling like a schoolgirl over the whole thing. "You even admitted that he looks cool! You definitely has at least some little crush on him! Eh, crush might be an understatement..."
Hilda paused from her tracks, letting Klinks in her brains replay her words just a few seconds ago. Did I really say that out loud? Did I really thought him cool? She bit her lower lip, her expression rigid from the realization.
"Hilda! Heads up!"
"Eh?" The brunette was still frozen in her thoughts when she heard the voice, and she slowly turned her head to find a Pokéball... that was flying right at her face -
POW!
"Ouch!" She reached for her face as the Pokéball landed safely on her lap. She raised her head to see Hilbert snickering towards her. Putting two and two together, she snapped at him "What was that for!"
"Nothing, I thought you were lost in Munnaland again." Hilbert threw the other Pokéball with less force, and this time she caught in deftly in her hand.
"No I'm not." Hilda deadpanned. "I'm just thinking - "
"That's not much different than spacing out to me."
"It's different!"
Bianca witnessed the little banter between her friends without saying anything. In the end, Hilda gave up with a pout that reminds one of Bianca's own pout, with Hilbert grinning in triumph. He approached the two girls and handed over Bianca's Pokéball. "Here, your Pokémon."
"Thanks!" Bianca grinned though she kept her eyes trained at Hilda, who fidgets with her cap at the moment. Hilbert nodded in response and he looks around, looking for one particular person.
"Cheren's not back yet?"
Bianca shook her head. "No, but hey!" She noticed the black haired boy walking towards their general direction. "There he is!"
Cheren looked... a bit sour, one can say. His hands was on his blazer's pockets and he murmured something under his breath. When he got close enough, Hilbert returned his Pokéball and he mouthed his thanks, before turning to face all of his friends with a forlorn expression.
"Sorry guys. It seems all the rooms are all booked."
They went into a silence, save for the still-noisy surroundings.
"What!" Hilda managed to squeak out first. "You mean they have no room left? How come?"
"It seems there's many events going on at this time, so many trainers decided to visit Nimbasa, and since we came a bit late, well..." Cheren readjusted his glasses with a sigh. "There's no room left. Not even one."
"Wait, so what will we do? Should we look for a hotel or something?" Bianca suggested.
"I'm willing to bet that they're all booked, too." Hilda pointed out. "Man, now what...?"
"Then we can camp outside!"
"I don't think that's an option either, considering the weather these days..." Cheren let out a groan. "I really don't want to camp when it's raining."
"Oh. So you guys didn't get a room then?" Hilbert eventually spoke. He reached for his bag and pulled out something, showing it to his friends. "When I arrived here this afternoon, I already booked a room." With that, the Nuvema trainers' attention turned towards him. "If I remember right, the bed has two mattresses. We can split them and cram up in the room, if you guys wanted to."
"Uh, sure! I mean, are you sure?" Hilda asked carefully.
"I don't mind." He assured, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, we would appreciate that. Thanks, Hilbert." Cheren gave Bianca a look. "I thought this might happen, but the first thing Bianca wants to do when we arrive here is shopping, so..."
"Wah! Sorry, but I can't help it. I mean," Bianca held the two bags of groceries in her hands, giggling slightly, "these items were almost sold out by the time I got them!"
The accommodation room wasn't large, but it was more than enough for the four teenagers to fit in. They separated the mattresses from the wooden frame and spread them on the carpet floor. After taking turns to change to their pajamas in the bathroom, all of them sat in their makeshift bed - one mattresses for two person, in this case Bianca with Hilda and Cheren with Hilbert.
They turned off the ceiling light and used the bed lamp instead, giving the room a yellowy lightning that barely illuminates the corners. The boys chatted something about Pokémon's moves and abilities while Bianca pulled out her new plushies, showing them off to Hilda. Most of them consisted of cute Pokémon like Munna or Minccino, but she also bought dolls of foreign Pokémon. One of them was a blue penguin with white spots on its chest, and it usually receives a mild interest from the boys, with Cheren referring the Pokémon as a Piplup. Eventually, all of them felt energy sipping away from their body, and all decided to call it a day.
Hilda wasn't sure if any of them are still awake, but she sure as hell is. She was so close to fell asleep when her conversation with Bianca earlier whipped into her mind, and can't find herself sleeping just like that.
Though as she mused in her own silence, she could make out an even breathing next to her (Bianca), and light snores from the other side (probably Hilbert). Cheren? That guy barely breathes in his sleep. One might think that he's actually dead with that stiff position.
"You even admitted that he looks cool! You definitely has at least some little crush on him! Eh, crush might be an understatement..." Bianca's words rang repeatedly in head. She knew what the blonde was hinting - not that she's pleased about it.
But maybe it is about time she started being honest to herself. Bianca has admitted in her face that she might actually like Cheren. Well, she doubt the blonde would make any moves soon, but at least she acknowledged it. And that made Hilda admire her a bit.
Wait, why would I admire Bianca for... that... She buried her face in her pillow, muttering trash words with a low voice. And now she is official confused with her own feelings. All these months knowing him, she thought - or she told herself that - Hilbert as a great friend. With a good personality and all. But I still can't believe I went great length describing him out of my head. Darn you, Bianca.
Oftentimes she found herself in an embarrassing situation (like until Leena came in earlier), and she would feel her heartbeat increase so fast, maybe she could compare it to a Zebstrika using Agility. Since those kinds of things happens so often (because apparently head locking is the brunet's idea of a joke) she had gotten used to hide her anxiety and nervousness. But it doesn't mean that the feeling is gone, it's still there, every single time they got too close for her comfort, and it doesn't seem to get better. If anything, it gets even worse.
Does that mean she had a feeling for him?
No, no, and a thousand no. Hilda groaned internally, kicking over the blanket that was over her legs. It's just... infatuation. Really, an infatuation that gets worse? It's probably more than that. I had a puppy crush before and it doesn't get this bad. She declared herself an idiot for making her head even more puzzled and fuddled.
She found herself reciting the 'essay' she told Bianca about in her mind.
I feel like I've known him for long. Something about him just made me want to talk to him more. very easygoing, friendly, and fun to talk to. He has some remarkable skill that I sometimes envy. Uh, I can list more, but I think it'll get over the top real fast. Cool? I guess... I can't remember how my journey was before I met him.
She thought over the last sentence again. Then she pulled her blanket over her head and fiddled with her Xtransceiver, making sure the blanket would cover the light coming from its screen. She checked her message logs. It wasn't much when she first started her journey, with occasional chats with Bianca and Cheren and her mom. Then it gets crowded after she registered Hilbert's number. Some of the old chats with him were rather silly, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't fun. A quick nostalgia trip made her realize that they chatted almost every day. Flushing red, she checked her call logs. Yup, it was often too. She turned off the device and turns her head face the ceiling.
Maybe, it is easier with Bianca around if I really wanted to get to the bottom of this. Or maybe just anyone, since talking with the blonde about this will get really, really weird. Even more considering her own constant denial. Bianca's teasing will never ever stop.
The best Hilda had experienced in this field called love was just some puppy love, and it lasted only for a month. It was over an exchange student in her school and she can't even remember the guy's name again, even though they were rather close before. If this one is also the so-called puppy love, why isn't it getting any better? How can she tell if this is 'genuine feelings' or just another 'puppy love'? What the hell does that two means anyway?
If this is called 'being honest with oneself', she might as well ditch it and go to a dreamless sleep.
I'll think about this later. Maybe. With that, she threw her blanket over her body and closed her eyes. Fortunately, all that thinking made the last bit of her stamina drained and sleep came easily.
*counts* 10,143 words minus my AN craps. Hell yeah.
Notes :
1. That little fight scene... As you know, I don't use the game's 'only four moves' logic. I absently made Reuniclus use Imprison, and then I was like : Holy shit. Musharna's useless now. And since I'm such a lazy bastard I didn't change it so the battle would end quicker.
2. One day, I'll be writing an one-shot about the jacket incident. And Bianca getting Cheren glasses. Maybe.
3. I was randomly surfing the internet when I found this article about escaping a headlock. Random stuffs like that fascinates me.
4. I don't know why I added the scene with Bianca and Cheren. But then again, they need more love.
5. I swear I will fix the plot holes and all mistakes craps in the previous chapter! I was just so adamant to get that part finished because of the writer's block. I'm so sorry! *checks schedule* That might take a while though. Effing try out exams is coming. *grumbles*
Sooo I spent my days after updating this story by writing out this chapter, I didn't realize the reviewers until I was finished! *jumps around and shares cookies*
Amy47101 : Thanks for reviewing! Oh right, I thought I fixed that part. I'll get into that later, thanks! And yes, Fennekin is my favorite! Chespin is cute too~
nameless chess : Thank you! I won't abandon this fic, it was just a long hiatus! *awkward laugh*
alees-sa : WAAH THEY'RE PARTING WAYS! Like that would last long *snickers*Thanks for reviewing again! I'll fix the nasty mistakes later, sorry.
DaughteroftheRedKing : Thanks and sorry for the wait!
Ren : Thank you~ I'll try my best~
Pokémon Trainer White : Thanks for the review! Glad that you enjoyed the last chapter.
Just as a heads up, my graduation exam is in... o.o two weeks. *starts to panic* I have to focus study if I want to be able to go to the college. With that said, updates won't come any soon but who knows?
Thanks to all that have read this! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
And review please?