Ch.118: Respite from Battle! New Vigor Fills Their Hearts!

"Woo! Party time, baby!" Tony exclaimed, jumping off the foot of his bed wearing a blue tux with a white bowtie.

Griffin rolled his eyes, sitting on the other bed dressed only in a simple white dress shirt, black pants, and a red tie. "I think we already know how you're planning your evening, Sparks. Try not to do anything stupid when you get your sorry ass drunk."

Tony adjusted his bowtie, smirking at his rival/teammate. "I'm only hanging out with my adoring fangirls. What's with the judgmental look?" Again, Griffin rolled his eyes, but decided not to continue the conversation.

Wes was helping Flint slip into a standard black tux when a thought crossed the Flareon's mind. "Wait, Tony, you're not old enough to drink. You're nineteen."

"Drinking laws are a little different over here in Gelid Peak. The drinking age is eighteen, making it perfectly legal!" He rubbed his hands together in excitement. "I'm so going to enjoy this. I've never gotten blackout drunk before."

"No one should be excited for that," Griffin mumbled.

Wes chuckled as he did Flint's bowtie. As for the Umbreon himself, he went for the standard tux as well, though with the added flair of a top hat. "Let's just enjoy the day for what it's worth. We worked hard getting the Key of Power, so we all deserve time to enjoy ourselves."

Flint nodded. "Yeah. We did do pretty good for ourselves."

Griffin sighed. "I'll just eat alone by the buffet stand."

"No Holly and Mack?"

"Trust me, no one wants Mack around that much available alcohol. Holly is keeping an eye on him back with the troupe." He slid off the bed and walked to the door, hands in his pockets. "Let's wait outside for the girls."

The boys nodded and followed Griffin out, with Wes pushing Flint's wheelchair along. Outside in the halls, they found the Shatter Star males hanging outside the other room, waiting for the girls to come out. Saffiro and Oswald wore blue and green suits respectively while Hugo comfortably stayed in his priest attire.

Saffiro waved to them. "Hey~. Looking sharp, you guys."

Wes chuckled sheepishly. "I really don't like dressing up, but it's for one day."

Tony leaned back against the wall, hands behind his head. "You're missing out. Chicks dig a fellow who dresses with class."

"No wonder you get rejected so much," Griffin muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear. They laughed while Tony shot him the stink eye.

Oswald rubbed his hands together. "I'm more interested in the grub. I worked up an appetite after getting my morning exercises in."

"I might be joining you," Griffin said stoically

"Sweet!"

The room door finally opened, and the girls came out. First were the Shatter Star girls, dressed very differently from each other. Ebony wore a black dress with a frill skirt that hid her feet, along with a dark purple jacket covered in sequins. She had purple eyeshadow over her eyelids.

Krystal came out in a sky blue dress with one strap over the left shoulder. She had a white flower pinned to the left side. Joining her side was Cybil, who decided against a dress and went with a black tux tailored to her body shape, along with a snazzy top hat.

"Sup boys~!" Ebony greeted flirtatiously. "Which one of you is my date for the evening~?"

Tony smirked. "As much as I would love to spend the evening with any of you lovely ladies, I'm already taken for the evening."

"Suit yourself." She gestured to Saffiro and Oswald. "You two?"

"I'm good! I've got food to devour!" Oswald declined.

Saffiro grinned wryly and, with an eye roll, extended his hand to Ebony. "Allow me to accompany you for the evening, Madame Ebony~."

Ebony purred, took his hand, and spun herself into his arms. "What a gentleman~," she flirted, though mostly in good fun.

Krystal snickered. "That's the spirit, you two." She glanced at Cybil, who looked a bit uncomfortable. "Something wrong?"

"I'm…a little nervous about dancing in front of so many people," she admitted quietly.

Krystal hooked her wing around her and gave her a gentle nuzzle. "We can stay in the room if you want. Would that make you feel better?"

Cybil frowned, then shook her head. "I don't want you missing out on the party."

"I don't mind." Krystal tapped her chin. "How about you come anyway? If you're not up for it, we don't have to dance or bring attention to ourselves. I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable." She kissed Cybil's cheek for comfort.

Cybil's face flushed in response as she smiled shyly. "I suppose that's alright." Krystal beamed happily.

Wes looked over the two as they stood by the doorway. "Hey, when are Ella and Gwyn coming-?"

"We're coming." The door swung open, prompting Krystal and Cybil to step out of the way. As soon as the girls came out, Wes and Flint's jaws hit the floor.

Ella strutted out in a blue, strapless dress with a neat gathering of sequins in the chest area. She wore some golden accessories around her neck, including a necklace with a stunning blue jewel. Her own eyeshadow was a smidge darker than her fur color. Her fur was cleaned to perfection, glittering in the light.

Gwyn wore a rose red, one strap dress that ended near her ankles. She wore a gold bracelet around her right wrist. Her hair was styled, curled into a ponytail that hung over her right shoulder and with a white rose pinned on the left side of her head. Her fur was given the same treatment as Ella's.

The girls posed for the team for a moment, then took noticeable observation of the stunned, flushed faces of the Ravenfield brothers. Wes' legs wobbled like jelly while Flint looked like he was going to slip out of his wheelchair any second.

Ella covered her mouth to hide her smirk and blush while Gwyn giggled bashfully. "I say, I think we've attracted two fine looking men for the evening, dear Gwyn," Ella stated in a posh, sophisticated accent. "Which one do you fancy?"

Gwyn giggled humorously, then imitated Ella's accent. "Why, my upper crust bestie, I do so fancy the dashing Flareon who appears to have taken a shine to me." She winked at Flint. "I do hope to spend some time with him in a more…private setting."

Everything from Flint's face down to the neck went bright scarlet with his ears shooting high up. Tony snickered behind him, whispering, "Ella's corrupted her. Good luck, Flinty."

Does Gwyn even KNOW half of what she's implying?! Flint mentally screamed. Dammit, Ella! He stiffened as Gwyn approached and nuzzled under his chin.

"Hehe! Ella was right, this is fun!" she stated gleefully. "I should dress up more often!"

My blood pressure wouldn't be able to handle it!

Ella chuckled at the two, then smirked as she approached the stunned Umbreon. "Close your mouth, Wes, it's not appealing." She shut his jaw for him, where he gulped in response and tugged on his suit with a nervous grin.

"Hehe, Ella, you…you look…absolutely stunning," he said bashfully.

Ella blushed and gently moved one of her bangs from her eyes. "You really mean that?"

"I do."

"Thanks." They smiled at each other, faces glowing red.

Krystal cut in between them, wrapping her wings around their necks. "Alright, enough standing around! Fun times are awaiting!"

Wes grinned. "Right, of course! To the lobby, everyone!" They cheered and marched down the hall, with Gwyn assisting Flint with the wheelchair.

They came up to the balcony of the main lobby and gawked at the setup. As mentioned before, the hotel doubled as a casino, though with less rigged gambling and more for the thrill and fun. The main space was converted to have a dance floor, refreshment and buffet stations, and tables set up. Branching out past the lobby was the casino games they were free to partake in.

Wes grinned at the banner hanging over their heads, saying 'Team Ravenfield.' Wes almost forgot this whole party was in celebration of their near accomplishment. It was no champion status, but he felt like a celebrity just from the luxurious honors granted.

"This is going to be sweet," Wes stated.

"Team Ravenfield!" They looked down and grinned as Gene waved to them, attracting the attention of the other competitors and invited guests. Gene raised his glass. "Give them a hand, you fools! Gene demands applause for Team Ravenfield!" The competitors cheered and clapped for the winning team.

They felt a bit embarrassed from the praise, but waved back to them. "Th-Thanks, everyone!" Wes exclaimed. "We did our best out there! We're honored, truly!" They headed down the stairs to meet with the crowds.

Gene and his team were the first to approach. Gene raised his brow at Flint and his new set of wheels. "Yeesh. When Gene heard you were injured, Gene didn't think it was this bad. What happened to you?"

Flint grimaced and turned away from him. "Uh…I rather not talk about it."

"Someone mugged you, didn't they?"

"W-Well, I-"

"Unacceptable!" Gene flashed dynamic, yet aggressive poses. "Gene will find this mugger and crush him between Gene's biceps! YEAH!"

Hazel sighed. "Sugar, Ah don't think that'll be necessary."

"Quite dishonorable," Yon huffed. "Cowardly demons that hide in the shadows of corruption. They strike only when most convenient."

Wilbur blinked with a deadpan glare. "…I'm literally the only normal one on this team." He sipped a glass of whiskey.

Flint raised his paws defensively. "Guys, guys, it's fine! I'm fine! No need to start a manhunt over me, I promise!"

Gene flared his nostrils, then dropped it…reluctantly. "Very well."

Orville raised his wing to them. "In the meantime, there's a table reserved for you six. Right near the back of the lobby. Nice and private spacing."

"The VIP luxury~. Me likey~," Ella purred.

Wes chuckled. "Right. How about you guys go on without me? I'm going to hang with Krystal for a moment."

Gwyn grinned. "Sure thing. Come on, Flinty, I'll get us some drinks. Wee!" Flint gripped the bars as Gwyn sped through the crowd, giggling like a child loose on a shopping cart.

Tony adjusted his bowtie and chuckled. "I'll have to pass. I have my own party to attend to." And, right on cue…

"Oh Tony~!" His team deadpanned as a group of fancily dressed girls, all wearing makeup to try and look attractive, waltzed up to the Dewott with fluttery, half-lidded eyes.

Tony saluted to his friends with a big grin. "I might be gone for a while! Later!" He headed off with the girls crowded around and holding him.

Griffin groaned. "And suddenly, I need to get blackout drunk to forget I saw that." He trudged off to the VIP seats.

Ella giggled. "I'm going to go mingle for a bit." She nuzzled her cheek against Wes, an action that surprised him. "Don't wait up for me." She winked and headed off, purposely shaking her rear along the way.

"Uh…b-b-bye?" Wes mumbled dumbfoundedly.

Krystal leaned forward and smirked at him. "You two were a couple, right? Do I smell a rekindling romance?"

Wes blushed. "Um, I…"

"Oh yeah, we're talking about this!" She hooked his neck and dragged him off. "You guys enjoy the party!" she yelled back at her team.

Oswald rubbed his hands together. "Buffet time!" He dashed through the crowd.

Ebony rolled her eyes, then smirked at Saffiro. "Well, I've got nothing in mind besides drinking myself into a coma. Care to dance, Saffy?"

Saffiro smiled and bowed to her with his hand extended. "It would be my pleasure, Madame Ebony." He took her hand and guided her to the dance floor.

That left Cybil and Hugo awkwardly standing around, teetering on their feet. Cybil looked around awkwardly. "Well…suddenly wished I stayed in the room."

Hugo groaned. "Casinos. A despicable setting. They prey on the sinful desire of greed. I refuse to take part in their calamity stricken torment. It makes me sick thinking about how they drive good Pokémon into debt."

Cybil raised her brow. "You do realize this is a casino for fun, right? They give out a special currency, so you can buy cool souvenirs and knickknacks. Not really much harm in doing it. Worst you do is spend like ten bits to get a starter pack of fake money."

"…" Hugo checked behind his back for a moment, then clasped his hands together. "Forgive my sins, Arceus." He pointed his staff to the casino games. "To the poker table!"

Griffin, Gwyn, and Flint took their seats at the table and served themselves some drinks. Griffin wasted no time pouring himself a shot glass of whiskey and splashing the liquid inside his mouth. Flint lightly sipped on his own, chuckling awkwardly at his friend. "Not a party guy, are you?"

"I don't exactly get out much." He closed his eyes and sighed. "No, that's not right. Rather, I don't get much time to myself. Yeah, that's it."

"Aww, cheer up, Griff!" Gwyn exclaimed. "There's plenty to do around here. I might try my hand at gambling." She took a shot and poured herself another.

Flint raised his brow. "Do you know how to gamble?"

"Does gambling my life count?"

"Not particularly."

"Then no." Gwyn took another shot. "But hey, worth trying out, right?"

Flint waved it off. "Personally, I'm not interested, but I wouldn't mind tagging along."

"Aww, Flinty! You're so sweet!" She kissed his cheek, sending his heart aflutter.

Flint laughed sheepishly and turned away. "Y-Yeah, well, I…hehehe!" He blushed profusely, grinning like an idiot.

"Doesn't take much to get you giggly," Griffin snarked with a wry smirk. "You two really were made for each other."

Flint pouted. "Oh shut up."

"Hopefully Gwyn's tolerance to toxins doesn't make her a lightweight." He took a shot.

"What do you mean by-?" Flint's eyes widened as he watched Gwyn downing a whole bottle of alcoholic lum berry lemonade. "GAH! Gwyn!" He pulled it away from her immediately, spilling some over the table. "You can't just drink alcohol like plain water!"

Gwyn giggled and waved it off. "Oh relax! My body has been exposed to all sorts of different toxins and junk! I can handle a little alcohol."

"A little?! You nearly sucked the whole bottle dry!"

"Hee!"

Flint sighed and faceplanted against the table. "Oh, this is going to be a long day for me."

"Join the club," Griffin muttered.

"Hey gang!" They looked up as Oswald waltzed over with a platter of food. He sat beside Griffin, tied a napkin around his neck, and went to town on his food.

Flint raised his brow. "Uh, you know these are our seats, right?"

Oswald paused from eating to wave his concern off. "Do you see the other three anywhere?" Their eyes darted around in response. "That's what I thought. Besides, I won't be long. I thought we could chat while my team is off doing their own thing." He threw an oran berry into his mouth.

Griffin sighed. "Do what you want?"

"You guys did pretty well in your battle. Man, Benedict sure looked tough. I'm sure if Wes could keep going for a few more minutes, you all would've had a chance."

"Almost glad we didn't win," Griffin said. "Being celebrated for our victory is one thing, but I rather not be praised as some champion."

Oswald snickered. "Don't know what you're missing. I would love that kind of recognition. The world needs to know the glory of the Ultimate Fist fighting style!" He punched the air a couple times with action noises.

Flint smiled. "You guys definitely would've deserved the win if you made it to the finals. A shame you got taken out by the Shadow Bringers."

"Just shows we need to get stronger." Oswald slammed his fists together. "Just you wait! I'll send those punks flying with my true power! That'll show them!"

Gwyn, after secretly taking sips of her drink, grinned at Oswald. "What are you and the others going to do after the party?"

"Beats me. That's Krystal's call, mostly. We're not really treasure hunters. We fight for sport. Saffiro and I do a bit of treasure hunting ourselves. I wouldn't be surprised if Cybil went back to Ironworks to check on her folks. Construction is pretty slow back there."

"Hope Margo is managing everything alright," Flint sympathized.

"Last I heard, she is. She has been calling in a ton of favors to get rations out to everyone. Setting up camps, providing blankets, all that stuff. Heck, she wasn't even queen when our team started up, so you can imagine how much she's trying to keep it all together."

"Poor thing," Gwyn mumbled sadly, taking another shot.

Oswald grinned. "I might consider tagging along with Cybil to help with construction. They'll need some muscle to get that place in working order."

"You do construction?" Griffin asked with a curious brow raised.

"My mom used to be a seasoned fighter, but she retired early and started working in construction. I know a thing or two about building."

"Hmm…" Griffin sipped his drink with a thoughtful gaze. "I see."

"Yo! Griffin! Guys!" Their heads popped up as two figures walked up to them.

Griffin glared. "Holly? Faye?"

The Lurantis and Sliggoo approached the table, both dressed up for the event. Holly wore a spring green dress with a dark green skirt that covered her feet. The skirt had blue pinwheels in it. Faye didn't have anything fancy, so settled for a black shirt, purple coat, and purple bow tied around her neck.

Faye grinned. "How's it going? Thought we'd join you guys."

"How did you two get in?" Griffin asked.

"Tony was kind enough to put us on the guest list in case we changed our minds about coming," Holly explained. "So, I got Faye to come along."

"Weren't you supposed to be watching Mack?" Griffin reminded dryly.

Holly chuckled. "He got into a drinking contest with Morgan to see who could hold down the most liquor, even though I reminded him Morgan couldn't get drunk. He…threw up in a toilet and passed out on the floor."

"…Yeah, that sounds like Mack." He gestured to Oswald. "Oh yeah, you all haven't properly met. Oswald, this is Holly, a childhood friend, and Faye, some chick who keeps trying to set me up with random women."

Faye stuck her tongue out playfully. "Jerk."

"Holly and Faye, this is Oswald, one of Team Shatter Star. I'm sure you've seen him back in Ironworks."

"Hello!" Faye greeted.

"Hey," Holly mumbled plainly.

Oswald froze in midst of biting into a berry, staring fondly at Holly. Whoa. This is the same Lurantis that was hanging out with Griffin? Dang, she's hot! His face flushed as he tried to clean himself off and look less like a slob. He gulped and held his hand out to her. "Uh…Ozzie- I mean, Oswald! Hello! Hi!"

Holly staggered from his loud greeting, then chuckled and shook his hand. "Hello, Oswald. You did really well in your last match."

He grinned like a fool and folded his arms behind his head. "You really think so? Well, that's the Ultimate Fist for you! The absolute strongest martial art ever invented! At least that's what my master always says, and who am I to disagree?"

Holly giggled, a twinge of pink in her cheeks. "You're pretty funny."

"Haha! You think so? Thanks!" Oswald laughed out loud, trying to keep his cool.

Griffin gave a sideways glance at Holly, which she caught sight of. She glared at his obvious 'Don't mess this one up' smirk. She rolled her eyes in a huff. I have no idea what you're talking about. I can easily talk to him.

"S-So…Oswald, what do you do for a living?" Holly asked sheepishly.

"Oh, uh…!" Oswald wracked his head for hobbies. "I, uh…do things! Like, uh…um-"

"Psst!" Gwyn whispered…very audibly. "Construction! Fighting!"

"Ah, right!" Oswald exclaimed. "I do a bit of building and fighting."

"Building, huh?" Holly pulled up a chair and sat down.

Oswald crossed his arms proudly. "I may look tough and all powerful, but I know how to build a nice looking bookcase, too! A-And maybe a house, never really tried, but probably!"

Holly giggled. "Can't say I relate, but I do fight."

"Hehehe! I figured, what with you being a bounty hunter and all!" Oswald awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Um…have you ever killed anyone?"

Flint facepalmed. Why would you ask that?!

Holly laughed it off, albeit sheepishly. "Um, yeah…part of the job sometimes."

"Ah, of course, my mistake!" They glanced away from each other, sweating profusely.

Faye slid up to Griffin and whispered, "Yeesh, they're almost as bad as you."

"Thanks," Griffin groaned dryly. "This is going to get on my nerves. Hey, will you two just-?"

"You two should totally check out the alcohol they have over there!" Gwyn exclaimed loudly. "They got all sorts of great stuff! It's delicious!"

They blinked, looked at each other, then shrugged. "A…drink might help calm the nerves," Holly suggested.

Oswald awkwardly pulled on his mushroom cap. "Y-Yeah, that might do the trick. Something to wash down everything I ate." He stood up and gestured toward the bar. "Um, ladies first?"

Holly chuckled bashfully and started off. "Th-Thanks." They headed to the bar, keeping a fair bit of distance between them.

Griffin groaned and rubbed his eyes. "Thanks for that, Gwyn. I couldn't stand watching Holly making a fool out of herself…again."

"Is she really that bad at picking up guys?" Faye asked.

"She can tear a man's throat out without a shred of pokemanity, but she can't look a guy in the eye without fainting. It's pathetic."

Faye giggled. "Sounds sweet, though."

Flint sighed, then grinned at Gwyn. "Guess someone's playing matchmaker tonight. A drink should help them talk to each oth- AH! GWYN!" He watched in horror as Gwyn finished off a third bottle of her alcoholic lemonade. "WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THAT?!"

Gwyn slammed the bottle down and burped. Her face was flushed red as she giggled up a bubbly storm. "I don't knooooooow~!" She rested her elbows on the table and grinned happily at her boyfriend. "Hee! Everything feels so wonderful and vibrant!"

Flint may be smiling, but it was in pure terror. Oh no, she's a happy drunk. A really, really happy drunk.

"Flintyyyyy!" Gwyn threw herself at him, hanging off his shoulder and cuddling into his mane. "I'm boooooored! Let's do something fun!"

"M-Maybe you should go back to the room-" He politely suggested until she got him in a loving chokehold. "Agh! Gwyn!"

"Nnnnoooo! I want to spend time with my cutesy-wutesy, handsome, super dreamy, big ol' geeky boooooyfriend!" she groaned, bonking her head repeatedly into him. She suddenly beamed. "Let's dance!"

"Gwyn, I'm in a wheelchair," he quietly reminded.

"Experimental dancing! I like the way you think!" She grabbed his paws and giggled madly, dragging him off against his will.

"Someone get me away from this crazy girl!" Flint screamed.

Griffin and Faye did nothing and watched the Flareon get forcibly wheeled away into the mob of dancers. "He…will be safe with her, right?" Faye asked cautiously.

"I'd be more worried about any guys that try to hit on her while she's wasted like that," Griffin said, sipping his drink.

"Why? Is Flint protective of her?"

"Yes, but Gwyn's…not exactly hooked up right, sober or drunk."

"Ah." Faye drummed her hands on the table, whistling an innocent tune. "Sssooo, not planning on checking out any women at the party?"

"Rather not. Half of them are probably drunk by now. Don't want to make commitments like that."

"Well, since you're bored…" She pulled out two card decks from her jacket. "I brought Mythic Heart with me. Want to go a few rounds?"

Griffin raised his brow at her, looked around at the party going on, then downed his drink in one gulp. "Hand me my deck."

"Nnnnooo! I want to dance with Tony!"

"As if! I called dibs on him first!"

"I love him more than you do!"

"He's my future husband!"

"No, he isn't!"

Tony laughed to himself as his fangirls took turns pulled him around, trying to get their turn to dance with him. He calmly sipped on a drink and let them do their thing, wishing not to get caught up too much in their drama. Sure, it concerned him, but there was something wonderful about his ego being stroked because a bunch of girls were fighting over him.

I am living in paradise. Make it last for as long as I can. Tony sipped his drink and sighed. Wonder if I can score some alone time with a few of them before we head out tomorrow.

The Deerling stomped her hooves down in a huff. "We had a real connection! I saw the sparks! We're destined to be together!"

"Ha! Ever heard of the red threat of destiny?" a Kirlia exclaimed proudly. "Tony and I are connected by that very thread! My heart belongs to him!"

"Please! I'm way hotter than all of you combined!" a Braxien taunted. "Clearly Tony only has eyes for me!" The girls erupted into a flare of arguments, which only now started to wear on Tony's nerves, as well as anyone listening in on them.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't have gone this far with my fun. He cleared his throat. "Alright ladies, break it up. Let's not get into a fight over-"

"Sorry ladies, but I'll be the one dancing with the Dewott."

Tony's eyes widened, as did the girls, as a figure strutted up to their group. A Sneasel wearing a fancy purple and golden masquerade mask over the eyes. She waltzed in wearing a silver, one strap dress that glimmered in the light. She wore long, elegant white gloves over her claws. Golden jewelry unlike anything they have seen hung from around her neck.

Instincts took over Tony as he let loose an enamored whistle. "Whoa baby." He finished off his drink, set the glass down, and approached the masked Sneasel. His fangirls gawked at the new girl, stunned by her appearance.

The Sneasel stopped and curtsied to Tony, holding her claw out. "Tony Sapienti. My, my, you're as appealing as you sounded."

He took her claw and kissed it gently. "I wasn't expecting such gorgeous company here. What's a beauty like you want with a fellow like me?"

"What else? A chance to be swept off my feet." She spun herself into his arms. "Allow me the first dance, Mr. Sapienti."

"Baby, don't get me too excited too soon. Party's still young." He nodded to his fangirls. "Pardon me, ladies." He guided his new dance partner to the dance floor, leaving his fangirls staring in stunned silence.

The pair took to the dance floor and exchanged respectable bows to each other. Tony took her hips while the Sneasel wrapped her arms around his neck. They swayed gently around the dance floor with astonishing grace. Their feet shifted with unnatural smoothness, almost like a thief disappearing into the night.

"You dance divinely, my dear," Tony commented. "Where did you learn to move with such elegance?"

"Practice." The Sneasel allowed him to spin her before being brought back into his arms. "Ooh~. I can feel your muscles. You must be really strong. What does a girl like me have to do to stay in them~?" she purred.

Tony dipped her to the floor, now glaring. "Drop the act, Indigo. I could tell it was you even if you wore twenty oversized coats and a ski mask."

"No use pulling the wool over your eyes," Indigo sighed in defeat before smirking. "Though, I got a good laugh seeing those broken hearts. Brings a smile to my face, you know?"

"May I ask how you got through security? The Shadow Bringers aren't exactly on good terms with the authorities, so the guest list clearly wasn't your ticket. Or should I bring up the fact you're wanted for assisting a warlord?"

Indigo rolled her eyes. "Always so dramatic. Sure, I may have snuck in just to see you and perhaps to share a dance or two. Maybe…more," she added suggestively. "What does it matter how I got inside?"

Tony spun her around. "What matters is the rest of your posse." He pulled her in, inches from his face. "Where are the rest of the Desert Beasts?"

Indigo pouted. "I went through all the trouble of sneaking in here and you're not even the least bit happy seeing me?"

"Indigo, I'm serious. Why else would your guys be parked somewhere near the city?" He glared over his shoulder. "Are they already here looking for the key?" Indigo pulled him back to facing her.

"Nothing's going on. I came here all on my own."

Tony glared. "You're dodging my question."

"Well, if you're in the mood for accusing, then I've got some emotions to spill." She spun out of his arms. "For starters, what was with you flirting with those other girls?"

"What does this have to do with-?" Tony's eyes widened before a sly smirk stretched out. "Oh, I see what's going on here."

"What?" she asked dryly as he grabbed her waist from behind and spun her in the air.

"You were getting jealous, weren't you?"

Her cheeks turned red in shock. "Pft! What? N-No, I wasn't! I don't get jealous!"

"You sure?" He lowered her and whispered into her ear, "You should know those girls get pretty cuddly. You should've seen the kiss marks all over my face." He smirked to her grumbling growl she tried to suppress down her throat. "Oh yeah, totally jealous."

She pushed him off and stamped her feet, both in anger and to change up their dance to an aggressive flamenco. "W-Well, I should be after you broke your promise!"

Tony mirrored her movements. "And what promise, pray tell, did I break?"

"Oh, don't act smug. That promise we made earlier this week. Once this whole mess was over, you and I could be together."

"Yeah, see, that's where I'm having trouble seeing the problem." He approached her in long strides and took her wrist. "I never broke my promise."

"Oh? So, you flirting with those floozies was nothing?"

"Okay, wow, a little harsh there." He pulled her in and caressed her face. "Indigo, we're not dating. It's not like I was cheating on you. Besides, can you blame me? A bunch of cute girls adoring me? Might as well take advantage of it while I'm still single."

Indigo pouted. "Sleezy jerk."

"No one said I played nice." He took her waist in his arm and dipped her. He cupped her cheek. "That doesn't mean I don't care about you. Sure, I was having fun, but there's only one girl burning in my heart. The one I do want to spend my days with."

Indigo blushed. "You mean it?"

"I promised I would save you from that hellhole, and I meant it." He grinned. "I might like to play around with my urges, but there's only one girl I would give my heart to. It's always been you."

Indigo's face turned cherry red as she looked away with a playful pout. "You really are a big ol' jerk." She then smiled seductively. "Then again, I'm kind of one myself. I was thinking about tying those girls down and throwing them in the hotel basement."

"From petty thief to ruthless pirate. Talk about hot, hot, hot~."

She giggled and traced her claw around his cheek. "Well, there's plenty of other things to get excited for."

Tony smirked. "Don't try seducing me just yet. I still want to know what your friends are up to."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer. "You'll have to pry that information out of me."

"That a challenge or a request?"

"Whichever works for you."

"Who knew interrogation could be so rewarding for both parties?" Tony grabbed the back of her head and pushed her lips onto his. Indigo melted into it and kissed him back.

A sweet moment and an even sweeter distraction, with Tony completely overlooking familiar faces passing through the crowd. Leigh, wearing a mask similar to Indigo's, pulled on her top hat. "Find Ravenfield and get his damn key," she whispered.

The pirates nodded and scattered, though Rico faltered behind to shoot an annoyed, yet disappointed glare at Tony and Indigo. Banama pushed him away. "Let it go. It wouldn't have worked out anyway."

Wes groaned and slammed his face onto the table, cradling a glass of whiskey. His face was flushed slightly. "I'm so confused," he mumbled sadly.

Krystal, despite having more drinks than Wes, was much soberer as she leaned back in her chair. "So, you and Ella have been dancing around each other and junk?"

Wes lifted his head, frowning. "I took her out to dinner to talk about it. She doesn't know if she wants to get back together or not. She's just as confused as I am."

Krystal sighed. "I don't envy you. I would probably lose my mind if I ever broke up with Cybil. Just wouldn't feel right leaving her."

"I still feel guilty about crushing her leg," Wes groaned as he refilled his glass. "And her parents don't exactly like me."

"Oof, that's always a deal breaker. They strict or something?"

"They think I'm a dirty, poor treasure hunter that's going to get their baby girl killed."

"Ah, overprotective and…very judgmental, apparently." Krystal sipped her drink. "Still, is it possible you two are overthinking this whole thing?"

"What do you mean?" Wes asked, putting the glass to his lips.

Krystal reached over and plucked the drink from his paws. "I think you've had your fill, buddy." She leaned back and spun her drink around. "If Ella can't give you a definite answer, that means she still has feelings for you. You two obviously care about each other, otherwise you wouldn't be doing all that gawking and play flirting I've been seeing. Seriously, Ella still has a thing for you. She obviously wanted your attention."

Wes rested his head in his folded forelegs. "You think so?"

"Well, if that little display of hers wasn't enough indication…" Krystal mumbled behind her glass before clearing her throat. "Of course I do."

Wes narrowed his eyes, then chuckled. "It's funny. The two of us don't look like we mesh well together. When we met, I kicked her in the face with a ball, and vice versa. I wasn't driven by romance, but a desire to make amends and a new friend. Who would've guessed a rough and jolly fellow like me would eventually end up with a sophisticated and sassy chick like her? Even as friends, it made no sense."

Krystal grinned. "Friends come from strange places."

"True." Wes sighed. "You really miss those times when they're gone. Being a kid, everything wasn't so complicated and headache inducing. I just did what I thought was right and let impulse guide me."

Krystal tapped her glass against her cheek. "Hmm. You know, you two don't have to get back together officially. Loads of people just do it for the dating, the experience…other activities best left behind closed doors," she added quietly with a blush.

Wes lifted his head. "What are you saying?"

"It doesn't have to be a boyfriend/girlfriend thing. Could be, like, friends with benefits or…two pals who are a little too cuddly with each other." She shrugged. "I don't know, I've only dated like two, maybe three other people before I settled with Cybil. Your advantage is that you two already have sparks going off. You just need to find the fire to reignite them."

"How do I do that? She clearly doesn't want to date me right now."

"Pfft," Krystal spat with an eyeroll. "Like I said, Ella is throwing all the signs at you. All she's missing is an actual sign that reads 'Come make out with me, baby!'"

Wes laughed out loud. "Heh, she would never do that. Ella's way too blunt to use a sign. She would drag me onto a date instead, against my will sometimes!"

"You really shouldn't sound so happy about being kidnapped onto a date."

"I know~!" he exclaimed drunkenly.

"Ooh boy, those drinks are hitting you hard."

Wes slammed his paws down. "Oh, to hell with all this tomfoolery! I can't tell if it's my impatience or the beverages, but I'm sick and tired of waiting around! I…I love Ella! I love her more than anything! She's the girl of my dreams! She's the girl that'll haunt my dreams, too! Seriously, she can be very scary if you piss her off!"

"Err, dial it back a little, comrade," Krystal hushed with an awkward grin.

"I will not dial it down!" Wes stood up from his seat. "I need to tell Ella exactly how I feel about her! Today!"

"O-Okay, maybe you should slow down-"

"This is the perfect plan! It can't go wrong! Right here, right now!"

"Wes, you're drunk!" Krystal yelled. "Do you really think you should be pouring your heart out when you can barely stand?"

"Ah please! Ella's standards have to be low if she went for a guy like me, so a drunk me makes no difference!" He stumbled out of the chair and clonked his chin against the table, falling onto his back. "…Okay, maybe I shouldn't rush into this."

Krystal sighed. "Thank goodness."

"But I can't wait! I need to tell her now!"

Krystal groaned, then took a deep breath and smiled. "Well, I'd be a hypocrite to stop you. I could never keep my true feelings secret." She picked him up under the forelegs and lifted him to his feet. "I need to see this for myself, anyway. I think I saw her dancing by where your brother and Gwyn were."

"Flint's dancing?" Wes asked with a tilt of his head.

Krystal stood on her toes and squinted at the dancefloor. "Uh, yeah. Though, looks more like desperate flailing than dancing. Oh Arceus, Gwyn looks like she's having the time of her life." She laughed and started pushing Wes. "Better get over there and check on him before something-"

"Excuse me." They stopped and turned to the Jellicent bellboy hovering over them. "Are you Ms. Krystal Frostwood?"

"Uh, yeah, that would be me," she muttered.

Jellicent handed her a slip of paper. "There's a special guest at the front desk requesting your presence. He wishes to discuss something important with you."

"Is that right?" Krystal looked over the slip of paper for a second, then turned to Wes. "Hey, I got to check this out. You'll be fine by yourself, right?"

Wes grinned and waved it off. "Of course! I got this under control!"

"Volume, Wes, volume." She smiled and hugged him, which he happily returned. "Good luck." She pulled away and waved as she took off to the lobby.

Wes snickered to himself, then at the bellboy. "Can you believe we've only known each other a total of two weeks and we're already best friends?"

"Uh…" The Jellicent darted his eyes awkwardly, then quickly retreated.

"Huh. Rude." Wes took a deep breath and marched toward the dance floor. "I got this!"

"Wee! You got some moves, Flinty~!" Gwyn cheered as she spun him around. Flint gripped desperately to his wheelchair as a wave of vertigo crashed through him. He held his mouth closed while Gwyn took hold of the bars again. "One more time!"

Flint gulped fearfully and grabbed her shoulders. "Uh…Gwyn?"

"Yes~?" she replied with cute, fluttering eyes.

"Uh…you know I would never say anything to hurt your feelings, right?"

"Hehe! Of course, silly! Why would I?" She poked his nose and went, "Boop!"

"Hah, yeah, uh…boop. Uh, anyway, my point is that…I'm just not really in the dancing mood," he stated politely. "I'm still pretty dizzy from the pain meds and I feel like I'm going to vomit on my lap at any minute."

Gwyn frowned. "Y-You don't want to dance with me?" She sniffled sadly.

"Ah! No, no, nothing like that!" he insisted desperately. "I would love to! I just, you know…uh- Gwyn, are you okay?" he suddenly asked as the Mew held her head and wobbled in place.

"Ugh, uh…everything's all dizzy." She let out a loud belch and collapsed forward into Flint's forelegs. "Ssssoooo sleepy…"

Flint blinked, then sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness, she reached her limit." Laughter sounded from behind as Ebony and Saffiro danced over to the two.

"She wasn't wrong, though. You killed it on the dance floor," Saffiro praised jokingly. "Who knew you had some sweet moves on wheels?"

Flint huffed and rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny."

Ebony snickered as Saffiro twirled her. "Lighten up, fluff ball, it was cute." Flint turned away while gently stroking the back of Gwyn's head.

"Wha- hey, let go of…!" The group looked to the right and ducked as a drunk Gurdurr went flying over their heads and crashed onto a buffet table. Drinks spilt over his flushed face as he lost consciousness.

"Touch me again and I might actually break something." The group sighed as Ella approached them, psychically sipping a glass of whiskey. She smirked. "Hey, how's the fun going for you?"

"Well, I've got a Mew passed out in my lap," Flint shared as he had his Guardian lift Gwyn into a more comfortable position. "So, fun times, I suppose."

Ella giggled, showing a bit of flushness in her cheeks. "Eh, she held it down better than most lightweights."

"Right, so…" Saffiro pointed over his shoulder. "I'm guessing that's been most of your time here."

Ella rolled her eyes in a dramatic huff. "I'm cursed with irresistible beauty, what can I say? I do work at a bar, though, so I'm not new to this sort of behavior."

"Girl, I know the feeling," Ebony reminisced fondly. "Though, usually, I'm the drunk causing trouble."

Flint sighed. "Can't you stay out of trouble for more than an hour?"

Ella snickered. "I can't help myself. You barely look like you're buzzed. Come on, have a drink." She held her glass out, but Flint pushed it away.

"Yeeeeah, I think I'll pass. I need to watch Gwyn until she wakes up."

Ella shrugged. "Suit yourself." She sipped her glass again, then frowned at the floor. "You guys look like you were having fun dancing."

"I wouldn't call my time fun, but…" Flint started, but decided to stop there.

"I remember dancing with Wes at these sorts of things. They were good times. Good memories." She sighed. "Shame it had to end so suddenly."

Saffiro tilted his head. "You saying you miss being with him?"

"In a way, yeah."

"Then get back together with him!" Ebony shouted. "For scotch's sake, girl, that boy's crazy about you!"

Ella smirked at the ground. "Heh. Maybe I do want to get back together with him. I haven't exactly been subtle about it. I guess I've been seeing a new side of him on this journey. Really takes me back."

Flint frowned. "What's stopping you?"

Her frown returned. "If it happened once, what's stopping it from happening a second time, and worse?"

"Wes learned from his mistakes."

"Mistakes happen all the time. You don't hear about a couple getting back together after breaking up for a reason." She sighed. "I'm worried it'll ruin the friendship we've kept since that day. That's why I don't know for sure about getting back together with him. You don't know what destiny is bound for two people."

Saffiro looked around Ella, then smiled. "Well…talking helped once. Maybe again will conjure a new result."

Right as Ella was about to ask what he met, someone tapped on her shoulder. She looked over it and was greeted with an awkwardly grinning Umbreon rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey. Can we talk? In private?"

Ella stared at him in silence with no emotion in her face. Wes now felt like he said something wrong, wondering if she was waiting to laugh or make some snide remark about it. It was taking most of his courage not to back out and cry in the corner from overstimulation of emotions.

"…Let's go to the room."

Wes breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Y-Yeah, that works."

Ella finished her glass and set it down before following Wes out of the foyer. She allowed herself some deep, calming breaths in preparation. Let's see where this takes us.

Once they reached the room, Wes gently closed it behind him. Ella sat on her bed patiently while Wes mentally prepared himself. "Okay. Okay, I'm ready." He turned around and faced Ella. "I…I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here today," he said in a jokey tone.

Ella smirked. "Off to a great start. Yeah, I suppose I do."

Wes sighed. "Sorry, I…may have drank more than I should've. A life lesson for me when we get home and I'm twenty-one, heh." He shook his head. "I…I think you know what this is about."

Ella frowned, then nodded a moment after. "The status of our relationship."

"Pretty much."

"And…?"

Wes closed his eyes and sighed. "Ella, I'm not good at this stuff and, frankly, I wouldn't be able to say this with any sort of confidence if I hadn't drunk as much as I did. I…really, really hope I don't turn into an alcoholic. I-I'm getting off topic. I…I have a lot of feelings for you that have been biting my insides for a long time."

"Feelings, huh?"

"Yeah. From the start of our journey. Actually, no, much farther back than that. I…" He rubbed his face and groaned. "This is hard. Um…I never stopped caring about you."

Ella's face lightened up. "Heh. Well, duh. I know that, you idiot. I care about you, too. We're friends, after all."

"That's just it. I…I want us to be more than friends, like before." He rubbed his foreleg. "I know things are serious, but if Flint and Gwyn can pull it off, why can't we? Plus, I…really want to make up for how terrible I was to you."

Ella shook her head. "Don't say it like that. You were, and still are, the sweetest guy I've dated."

"But I ignored you and took your feelings for granted. I made you go on a treasure hunt with me even though you needed my support." He pressed his paws into his face. "I'm not a good boyfriend."

Ella jumped off the bed and touched his shoulder. "Wes, you weren't a terrible boyfriend. Sure, I would've loved a bit more attention out of you and…maybe a semblance of appreciation. You never really gave me a reason to believe you loved me, but I did love you. A lot."

Wes' heart panged sharply. "Ow."

"And yet, I shouldn't have forced you onto most of those dates or made you dress up in clothes you found uncomfortable. It wouldn't kill you to take care of your appearance more often, but I'm not forcing anything." Ella touched his cheek. "A relationship works both ways, you know. Problems on one side might mean somethings wrong on the other side."

Wes frowned. "Y-You did nothing wrong!"

Ella glared. "Wes, you can be honest with me. If I ever made you uncomfortable, just tell me."

Wes whimpered for a second, then took a deep breath. "I…must admit, I really don't like wearing suits or going to fancy restaurants. Seriously, the food at those places stink. What kind of self-respecting restaurant doesn't put pizza on their menus?! That's the ultimate fancy food right there!"

Ella smirked. "There it is."

"Also, you can get pretty personal when you do my fur and junk! I don't need my claws trimmed or my lashes plucked! Who puts up with that kind of torture?!" He reigned it in and added, "Though, I will admit, I love when you get rid of all that fur I shed. It feels nice and smooth."

"Anything else?"

"Um…yeah, never really appreciated being dragged out of my house to go on surprise dates. I, uh, can't think of anything else off the top my head."

Ella sighed. "Feel better?"

"…Yeah, actually, I do."

"I was wrong to put you through all of that. For as much as I don't like my parents, I've lived in that lifestyle my whole life. I have high standards, so…" She shook her head. "Well, those standards have dropped significantly when I started dating you-"

"Called it!" he cheered.

"-but in a good way. I just lived by a certain background all my life. Take charge, always look your best, etc. The Cipher family has standards that we stick to." She paused and took a breath. "Even so, I haven't been all that respectful of you either."

Wes smiled sheepishly. "I guess we both had some making up to do."

"Yeah, guess so."

Wes took his top hat off and threw it onto the bed. "Ella, nothing would make me happier than getting back together with you, but…I want to make sure it works out this time. We don't have to go official again or even date. We could just…be more open with each other and hope it works out."

Ella raised her brow. "So…you want to get back together by not getting back together?"

"Exactly!" He paused, then looked off to the side. "I think that's the advice Krystal gave me…"

Ella snorted and covered her smirk. "Don't work your brain up over it. I get what you mean. Leaves options open and doesn't force anything."

Wes grinned. "Exactly!" He coughed into his paw and smiled sheepishly. "I mean, if that's alright with you."

Ella chuckled. "I…wouldn't mind in the slightest." She blushed a bit. "Things have been good and…I do miss being with you."

Wes blushed as well. "Heh. Yeah." He frowned. "Still, I really am sorry for everything. I promise, if this works out again, I won't take you for granted ever again. If you have a problem, I'll be there for you. I would jump over the moon to-!" Ella pressed her paw to his lips.

"You can end it there," she advised with a soft smile.

Wes smiled, then nodded. "Right." He looked over his shoulder. "So…should we head back to the party?"

Ella looked to the side, a bit unsure. "Uh…y-yeah, I guess so." Wes turned to the door and started opening it.

Ella sighed to herself. Wes deserves a second chance. No matter what, he's always been a great guy. I want this to work out for the both of us, even if he's not that good at expressing it.

As soon as Wes pulled the door open, he remembered something. "Oh yeah, uh…I never really said this to you and…I figure you deserve to hear it."

"Huh?"

He closed his eyes and grinned. "I…I love you, Ella. I always have."

Ella immediately went silent. She stared vacantly at the Umbreon, completely blank faced. Wes frowned in concern and snapped his digits at her face. No reaction.

"Uh, Ella? You, uh, in there?" He grimaced and bit his claws. "Oh great, what did I do no- AH!" Ella suddenly grabbed him by the suit. "Uh, Ella, what are you-?"

"Oh, screw this nonsense!" she yelled before crashing her lips onto his. Wes went wide-eyed in shock, then immediately relaxed and kissed her back, wrapping his forelegs around her.

It was quick, but they were breathless when they pulled apart, panting heavily as their faces turned dark red. They stared at each other, both confused and agape by their actions.

"Uh…wow," Wes mumbled, fumbling with his now unraveled tie.

"Yeah, uh…wow," Ella mumbled plainly.

They stared in silence, blinking at each other.

A few moments later, they held each other again and kissed, this time more passionately. They lost their balance and toppled over each other, but didn't break apart.

Ella opened one eye for a moment and smirked through the kiss. Heh. Darn hormones. She focused back on Wes, though not before swinging her digits and psychically shutting and locking the door for privacy's sake. Something told her they weren't going back to the party for a while.