Continuation of the Blue Side Story. This time, in Pewter City. I guess you could say this one is more important than the previous one but it's still just a kind of vignette and it's hard to tell how much, if any, influence it has. Even I, the author, am lost while trying to understand what's important enough for Blue to keep in her mind, even though I'm the one who is supposed to decide it.
Recommended music: Bakemonogatari Opening 4
What that thing above, and the one in the previous side story, mean, is what song I used to get myself into the mood of writing a particular chapter. Because, sometimes even if I have time and an idea of what I want to write about, it doesn't always work out. But sometimes, a familiar tune is exactly the right thing to get me into the writing mindset and I usually try to for a similar feeling as the song even if that doesn't always make sense. I know some japanese, but barely, so I don't know what a particular opening or ending is about unless I watch it with like english subtitles but I just get certain feelings from different types of music and when those feelings are the right thing for the thing I want to write(or I don't even realize I want to write), then that music is a lot of help.
Pokemon Tales: Red Side Story 2: B-Side Part 2.
6.5
Red did a slight bow in front of the nurse who healed his Pokemon after the battle against Brock, before he turned around and went upstairs to the room he and Blue were staying in. The girl was laying on her bed, with her face towards the door, but covered by a magazine she was holding in her right hand. At the same time, the left one was trying to find the box of cookies which was almost empty, even though the girl just bought them.
"What are you reading about?" he asked her while glancing at her before reaching for the bottle of water he placed on the nightstand earlier in the day.
She kept quiet while giving him a suspicious look. As he was about to take a sip, she reached towards him with her hand, even though she knew she wouldn't reach him.
"Wait!"
He froze in place, almost spilling some of the liquid before looking at her with a worried expression "What? What's wrong?"
"I already drank from that bottle. If you'd do it, it would be..." she made a pause to make a clearly feigned face of embarrassment "...an indirect kiss."
Red immediately processed what she said and started quickly drinking the water. Before Blue had time to react, he finished the whole thing. He wiped a few droplets that were hanging around his lips before staring down the girl with the look of defiance and victory.
"What's up with that reaction?!" she shouted in disappointment while jumping to her feet.
"Your pranks don't work on me. Besides, I already drank from it before I left it here so you also got and indirect kiss..." while explaining, he took a couple seconds to balance the empty bottle on the girl's head as a punishment "...stupid."
She quickly took her off and sat down on the bed before picking up the magazine in order to hide her embarrassed face behind it. Red decided to hover above her to see what she was reading about.
"Anything interesting?" he asked.
"Yeah. There's lots of stuff going. Not here though." she answered while turning the page "Oh. They have a new exhibition at the local museum. Rare gems..."
Her eyes lit up with curiosity. Red didn't really understand what was interesting about that but since the museum had other exhibitions, he thought that it would be worth going to check it out, especially since Blue kept quiet for a long while eyeing up a picture of a beautiful sapphire. There would something for both of them in there. And since there was no time like present, he took the magazine out of her hands, shocking her momentarily, before throwing it behind him in a nonchalant fashion.
"Let's go check out the real thing." he said while smiling lightly.
"Yes, let's do..." Blue got clearly excited but stopped herself from standing up when she realized that she shouldn't get her hopes up.
She had to kept count of the money she was provided by her parents. She could sometimes afford to treat herself to something like those cookies but she didn't want to waste the money, which her parents provided for her journey, on entertainment. She somehow even felt a little guilty about how much she was having while she should be focused on her mission of winning the Pokemon League. All those thoughts going through her head made her forgot that Red was standing in front of her, waiting for a response. She somehow felt that he wasn't the kind of person who would do it, but she couldn't stop voices in the back of her head which were telling her that he would have a worse opinion of her if he knew she was poor.
She kept quiet for so long that the boy was starting to get tired of waiting "What's up? Don't have money?"
Her response was quiet mumble. He hit the nail on the head but she didn't like how blunt he was with his words.
"I can pay for you." he said without waiting for a response.
"No!" she jumped up "No, no, no. No way. I could never accept that!"
She waved her hands in protest and closed her eyes for a moment while hoping that he would just give it up and she wouldn't have to feel embarrassed any longer. What he did was the exact opposite but somehow, it brought the relief she was hoping for.
"What if we make it a date?"
"Huh?"
Those words were so unexpected that it took her a while to gather her thoughts. She put her hands up to her face, afraid that she was blushing.
"A date?" she repeated while trying to avoid eye contact.
"Yeah. Well... Just in name. If it's a date, it won't be weird if I pay for you, but really, I just don't want to go alone."
She let out a sigh. It felt like somebody dropped a weight on her head when she realized that she misunderstood the meaning behind Red's words. Her face became more cheerful as she decided to look at the boy's face.
"Okay. It's a date."
