I decided to skip the Whirl Cup because it wasn't that exciting in my eyes. This means we're jumping straight to the mini-arc of Lugia and Team Rocket. Of course, there will be a recap of what was missed, so you can keep up with what happened "off-screen".
Did any of you watch Pokémon Presents? As soon as I saw the Game Freak logo, I instantly knew we were going to get a new Legends game, and I'm so happy Kalos is coming back! I fully expected either a Johto or Unova game, but I'm not complaining at all! Now I'm so hyped up and motivated that I will do my best to write as much as I can of my Pokémon series.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 33: Hi Ho Silver… Away!
The adventure on the Whirl Islands passed by like a flash. Team Rocket ambushed us on the ferry to the islands and made us fall into the ocean. We got too close to some whirlpools and nearly got sucked into one when they suddenly calmed down as the shadow of a large Pokémon swam far beneath us. I could have sworn I recognized the shape, but those thoughts vanished when Professor Elm and his Pokémon rescued us. He was visiting the islands for his research, so we stayed for a while before we continued our quest to Red Rock Isle where the Whirl Cup takes place, starting on the first week of July.
Ash, Misty and I made sure to register for the competition at the Pokémon Center on Blue Point Isle and received a rulebook that we needed to read and memorize the rules. I took the opportunity to switch some of my Pokémon after Ash and I contacted Professor Oak, adding Wanda, Aria and Queendra to my team temporarily. Ash switched his Pokémon for Kingler, Poliwrath and Wartortle so we trained together to prepare our water Pokémon. We decided not to use our fossil Pokémon because we didn't want to attract too much attention with Pokémon that once got extinct.
Misty got thrilled by seeing Professor Elm's Corsola, so she got extra happy when she caught a wild one when we were visiting Yellow Rock Isle and replaced it with Goldeen, transferring the goldfish Pokémon to the Cerulean Gym.
For a moment, we feared we weren't going to make it to Red Rock Isle after we missed the ferry, but luck was on our side when a female scuba diver named Luka offered us a ride since she was heading out to the ocean and she could drop us by our destination. We learned about her family history of her great-grandfather discovering an object called the Silver Wing that could be a clue for a mysterious Pokémon, but it sunk to the bottom of the sea with his ship that capsized in a heavy storm. Luka wanted to find it, so we decided to help her out. Just like always, Team Rocket managed to sniff out the secret and tried taking the Silver Wing, but we defeated them and made sure the feather was safe in Luka's hands.
We made it to the Whirl Cup and, boy, was it an exciting competition. Ash, Misty and I had lots of fun battling and learned a lot about water-type Pokémon. I didn't have big expectations, but I still made it to the second where I got defeated. Ash and Misty actually battled each other in the second round and Misty won that battle, which didn't disappoint my brother at all. Misty's Chinchou even evolved into a Lanturn in the quarterfinals, but that wasn't enough for her to advance to the semifinals after getting cooked by a much experienced water-type Trainer.
When the competition was over, Ash and I sent our water Pokémon back to the laboratory except for Croconaw. We were ready to head back to Olivine City, but when the adrenaline rush cooled down we decided to visit the last part of the Whirl Islands, Silver Rock Isle, to see if we could find more clues about the rumored mysterious Pokémon. I had a feeling it must be the big shadow we saw on our very first day on the islands.
XXXXXXXXXX
We took a ferry the next morning to Silver Rock Isle and we certainly got a big surprise. The streets of the harbor town was full of vendors selling stuff that had the same shape as the Silver Wing, like cookies, keychains, necklaces and more. It was almost a little overwhelming.
"The people on Silver Rock Isle must be obsessed with the legendary Silver Wing", Misty commented. "There are even cookies shaped like it."
"Togiprii!" Togepi chirped happily.
"Yeah, and we've seen the real deal", Ash nodded. "We can't get fooled by fake Silver Wings."
"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded, agreeing with my brother.
"The merchandise these people sell must be their income", Brock said. "And during the Whirl Cup week, the Whirl Islands must get lots of visitors wanting to buy something to remember their trip here."
"It almost makes me want to buy a keychain…", I mumbled softly as I linked my arm with Ash's. It was quite the crowd and I didn't want to get lost and wander around alone.
"Why, hello there!" a random seller appeared right in front of us, blocking our path with two red velvet cases full of small pins. "I can tell you are tourists! Well, I've got the best souvenirs right here! These are Silver Wing pins made by one-hundred percent real silver rock stone! It's unbreakable no matter how much pressure you put to it! And today is your lucky day! Buy three and get one free!"
This seller was very pushy to try selling his product and it didn't really make me comfortable. "W-Well, we'd like to think about it and come back later", Ash replied, trying to be diplomatic.
"Now, now, don't be shy now!" the seller smiled widely, even though it was a fake. "I accept cash, card or even credit! You won't get another opportunity like this again!"
"Excuse me", a woman in her mid-twenties stepped in, saving us from the seller. "I'd like to take a closer look on these." She picked up a pin and bent it a little, only for it to snap immediately.
"Hey! You broke my merch! You have to pay for that!" the seller spat angrily at the unknown woman.
"Well, it's your own fault trying to trick people into buying stuff that aren't made by pure silver rock stone!" the woman retorted with a serious glare. "I should contact Officer Jenny and have you interrogated for selling fake items!"
"No! Anything but that!" the seller screeched and ran off with his tail between his legs.
I sighed in relief now that the persistent man was gone. "Thank you so much for saving us, miss."
"No problem, kids", the woman smiled. "There are many scammers going around the market trying to sell fake items, so you should stay cautious and not get tricked by vendors."
"Thanks, ma'am, but how did you know those pins were fake?" Ash wondered.
"Real silver rock stone has a brilliant shine and can never snap in half", the woman explained as she showed us her Silver Wing pin. It had signs of being used for a long time and had a small piece missing, but it still had a nice shine to it. She tried snapping it in half, softly grunting as she put all her strength to it. "See?"
"Wow, that's cool!" Ash commented.
"Yeah", Misty agreed.
"Silver rock stone is one of the hardest substances in the whole world that can only be found here", the woman explained.
"Is that why they call this island the Silver Rock Isle?" Brock asked, a pink blush covering his face.
"That and other reasons", the woman giggled. "My name is Ariene and I own a little gift shop. I can give you some real high-quality merch to you as an apology gift for how that phony tried tricking you."
"That's very kind of you, Ariene", Misty nodded. "I'm Misty and this is Togepi."
"Togi togi!"
"My name's Ash and this is my twin sister Ashley and my partner Pikachu."
"Hi…", I waved softly.
"Pika pika!"
"And my name is Brock, a Pokémon Breeder!" he got enthusiastic and tried flirting with Ariene. "I've seen much beautiful jewelry on this island, but you are the loveliest person I've ever met! The fact your eyes can snap up fakes must prove you can find pure hearts like mine!"
"Enough, Romeo!" Misty snapped and grabbed his ear before pulling him away from the adult. "Her eyes will find your dirty heart instead."
"Your friend is…very enthusiastic", Ariene chuckled sheepishly.
"He always gets like that when he sees a pretty woman…", Ash mumbled.
"Ms. Ariene, I have a question about your pin", I spoke up.
"Please, call me just Ariene", she giggled.
"Have you had that pin for a long time?" I wondered.
"Yes, it's a precious pin", Ariene replied and gently caressed her Silver Wing brooch. "The legend says that those who wear a piece of jewelry made out of silver rock stone from this island will always be protected from danger."
"So it's like a good luck charm?" Ash asked while Misty and Brock came back to us after the redhead had finished lecturing the love-struck Growlithe.
"Speaking of, we actually came here to learn a little more about the legends surrounding the Silver Wing", Brock said, now being normal.
"Do you think you could tell us more about the lore, Ariene?" Misty wondered.
"Well, I do have a great friend of mine who knows more about the legends than me", Ariene replied. "His name is Jenaro and he's a craftsman who makes the best Silver Wing pins. I need to go to him for a visit, so you can come with me."
"Thank you, Ariene!" the four of us thanked her.
Ariene led us to the outskirts of the town where there were fewer houses and less people. The environment made me feel at ease, so I let go of Ash's arm and walked next to him. Ariene led us to a house where the mailbox said "Jerano", so we were at the right place.
"Jerano! It's me, Ariene!" she called as she knocked on the door. "Are you there?" There was no answer, so she turned the doorknob and opened the door. "Huh? Why is the door unlocked?"
"Is that unusual, Ariene?" Ash wondered.
"Pika?"
"It's not like Jerano to leave the door to his workshop open", Ariene shook her head, a worried glance now reflecting in her eyes. "Let's go inside. He should be here at this time of the hour."
We carefully walked into the dark workshop. I could barely see anything as Ariene tried looking for a light switch. The next thing I knew, Ash yelped as he crashed onto the floor.
"Ash!" I yelled worriedly and crouched down next to him. "Are you okay?"
"What did you trip on, Ash?" Brock asked.
"I don't know!" Ash snapped back as he looked over his shoulder to see what he had tripped on. We followed his eyes and gasped in terror when we saw a Sandslash lying on the floor unattended.
"S-Slash…"
"A Sandslash!" Misty gasped.
"It doesn't look good", I pointed out.
Ariene opened one of the windows, allowing sunlight to shine through and illuminate the workshop. Now we could see Sandslash was just lying on the floor without being near furniture, so it couldn't have gotten injured.
Brock rushed to the Pokémon and felt its forehead. "Sandslash has a very high fever!"
"Jerano!" Ariene shrieked out, scaring the wits out of me. I turned around and spotted a human body lying on the ground not so far where Ariene was standing. "Jerano, what happened to you?!"
"A-Ariene…", Jerano grunted before he lost consciousness. "I-It's…over…"
"No, Jerano! Wake up, please!" Ariene yelled desperately.
I was getting overwhelmed again by the situation. A Pokémon with a high fever and a collapsed person and Ariene panicking… "What is going on here?!" I shrieked, trying not to overload my brain.
Ash immediately pulled me into a hug and patted my head as my face was pressed against his collarbone. "It's okay, Ashley. Nothing bad has happened here…", he mumbled softly.
"Jerano and his Sandslash must have overworked again…", Ariene sighed after she had calmed down. "Jerano caught a cold."
"A…cold?" I repeated in surprise as my brain slowly calmed down after I registered the new data.
"See, Ashley?" Misty spoke softly as she rubbed my back. "Everybody is going be okay. Right, Brock?"
"Yeah", Brock replied as he attended to Sandslash. "Sandslash will get better after it gets some rest and nutritious food."
"I need to put Jerano in his bed", Ariene called as she tried pulling the craftsman up from the floor by holding one of his arms. "Can somebody help me?"
"I can", Ash said and slowly let go of me. "Do you feel better now, Ashley?"
"Yes, I think so…", I nodded and rubbed one of my eyes, wiping off a tiny tear.
Ash hurried to Ariene and helped her drag Jerano to his bed while Brock fetched some water in a bucket from a well outside. I took a few deep breaths to calm down, sensing how little energy this panic attack had drained me.
"You're getting better, Ashley", Misty commented.
"Better with what?" I wondered, not really getting it.
"You don't get panicked as often as you used to and calm down quickly", Misty explained. "And you can even look at people in their eyes now and speak to them without being nervous. That's huge improvement compared to last year."
Now that she mentioned it… I felt like some things got better over time and I spent less energy worrying about unnecessary stuff. Still, I could get overwhelmed by situations I couldn't understand at first. "Yeah… You're right, Misty. I didn't think about it."
Misty giggled and patted my shoulder. "Let's go and help Ariene and the boys take care of Jerano and Sandslash. We can't let them do everything, can we?"
"Yeah", I nodded and hurried to Brock to treat poor Sandslash while Misty went to the bedroom to assist Ash and Ariene.
XXXXXXXXXX
Jerano woke up after some rest and got fed by Ariene while Brock fed Sandslash with his own nutritious Pokémon fodder. The duo started feeling better by the evening, so Jerano told us we could stay over at his place for the night so he could tell us about the legend of the Silver Wing. Ariene had to go back to her apartment and lock up her shop, so she wished us good night.
One thing I had noticed was the weird interaction between her and Jerano. They acted weird with each other like they cared for each other but at the same time teased the other. Misty said it sounded like a lover's quarrel, but I still couldn't really understand what that meant. Did people who were interested in each other like to mock each other?
We settled down on the floor with our sleeping bags rolled out while Jerano remained on the bed, about to tell us the myth of the Silver Wing.
"This is a story that has been passed down in my family generations back", Jerano began his tale. "It happened back when my great-great-great-great grandfather was still a very small child. One day, a fishing boat was passing our island until a storm appeared out of nowhere. The thunder roared and the ocean raged and huge tidal waves poured onto the sailors and their Pokémon. How matter how hard they tried keeping the boat floating, the waves still ended up swallowing it, forcing the crew to abandon ship. As if the storm wasn't enough, they were close to a giant whirlpool that threatened to swallow them to the ocean's depth. Just when all hope seemed lost, that whirlpool released a silver light and arose to the sky with a Pokémon's shriek. The Pokémon made the storm disappear and the sky cleared up and the ocean became peaceful once again. Nobody knew what kind of Pokémon it was, but it left behind one trace in the shape of a glittering silver feather that we know as the Silver Wing today. They say the Silver Wing was a sign from the sea and thanked the Pokémon for saving their lives. That legend is why everyone on this island believes that if you carry a jewelry made out of silver rock stone, you will always be under the protection of the mysterious Pokémon living in the ocean."
"What an amazing story…", Misty mumbled in astonishment.
"Did anyone ever try describing what that Pokémon looked like?" Brock wondered.
"Not really, but a few words say the Pokémon had a sleek shape and big wings", Jerano replied.
"That sounds like the shadow we saw before", Ash pointed out.
"Pika!"
"Have people…ever seen the Pokémon since that day?" I asked Jerano.
"Not what I know of, but I do know the remnants of the fishing boat ended up on Ogi Isle."
"Ogi Isle?" Misty repeated confusedly.
"It's a tiny island that is connected to Silver Rock Isle through an underwater cave", Jerano explained. "It's a popular tourist attraction where people want to learn more about the legend. Maybe you can find some clues there."
"Then that's where we're going tomorrow!" Ash exclaimed determinedly.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered eagerly.
Jerano suddenly left the bed and put his shoes on. "Well, you four better get some rest. I need to continue working."
"Slash!" Sandslash opened its eyes and yawned before stretching its body. It looked a lot better now after its power nap.
"Work right now?" Misty asked in surprise. "It's late, and you need to sleep more, Jerano."
"I can't when I'm this close to finish making Ariene's birthday present!" Jerano said, pumping his hands in the air.
"A birthday present?" Ash asked.
"Is it a statue?" I wondered.
"That would be an awful idea! Ariene hates your sculptures, Jerano, sir!" Brock said, looking a little concerned.
"I'm making her the best Silver Wing pin with the best shine!" Jerano declared. "It's going to be very special as I have more plans for it tomorrow."
"What plans?" I asked.
"But doesn't Ariene already have a Silver Wing pin?" Brock asked. "I don't think she needs another."
"To tell the truth, her pin is actually the first one I ever made", Jerano revealed. "It's missing a piece because I made a tiny mistake while crafting it, so I've always wanted to make another one for her. And now…is the best time. I'm going to pop the question after I give her this pin!"
"Pop the question?" Ash and I repeated. None of us had any idea what that meant.
"Pop the question means Jerano is going to ask Ariene to marry him", Misty explained.
"Marry him?!" my brother, Brock and I exclaimed in surprise.
"Like…becoming a family like mom and dad?" I asked, just to be sure I understood it right.
"Yeah, that's right", Misty answered.
"Oh, my broken heart…", Brock mumbled in the background, curling himself into a depressed ball.
"The problem is…I don't know how I should ask her", Jerano confessed and rubbed the back of his head.
"I think you should just go straight to her and ask her right away without any hesitation", Misty suggested.
"Isn't that too forward?" Ash asked.
"It's better than being all shy and accidently say the wrong words", Misty retorted.
"That's true…", Ash nodded. "Jerano, we'll be right there with you!"
"Pika pika!"
"Togi…", Togepi yawned before she fell asleep in Misty's arms.
"As much as it hurts my soul, I'll be there in your corner cheering you on!" Brock cried.
"Me too", I nodded. "Becoming a family must be a wonderful feeling."
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate your support", Jerano smiled. "Let's go and finish the pin, Sandslash!"
"Saand!"
After that sudden declaration, Jerano and his Pokémon went outside to make little noise as possible so we could get some sleep. I was still thinking about the marriage thing as I stared at the ceiling. What is it like getting married to somebody you have strong feelings for? How do you know who is the right person? I still had no idea about romance, but I hope I could someday experience it like in those fairy tale books mom used to read for me and Ash when we were kids, about princes saving their destined princesses and falling in love.
It didn't take long before my brain shut down and I fell asleep. I remember dreaming about the mysterious Pokémon, flying on its smooth back above the ocean. I was smiling and enjoying myself until we flew to an island where Ash, Misty and Brock waved their hands to me. There was another person standing next to my brother, but I couldn't tell who it was. Their face was covered by a shadow and yet…I felt like I had met them before.
XXXXXXXXXX
Jerano looked very nervous already in the morning when we ate breakfast. He even accidently choked on his food a couple of times, but nothing bad happened. Brock helped him prepare his best costume and ironed it before he got dressed and left the workshop. We followed him to the market which was already bombarded by customers. Misty picked out a bouquet that Jerano could give to Ariene along with the Silver Wing pin, but it didn't ease his nervousness.
"D-Do I look good?" he asked as he checked himself for the umpteenth time.
"You look perfectly handsome, Jerano!" Misty encouraged him.
Jerano cast a glance at the wrapped present that contained the pin. "I-I hope she will like it…"
"Of course she will!" Brock nodded. "I'm certain she'll love it just as much as her first pin, only this one contains all your true feelings!"
"I…guess so", Jerano swallowed and took a couple of deep breaths. "O-Okay! L-Let's go to her store!"
"That's the spirit!" Ash cheered.
"Pika pika!"
"Show us you are Ariene's prince, Jerano", I nodded, hoping my words could help him.
All of the sudden, the wind got a little violent as all sorts of Silver Wing jewelries flew past us. The sellers and tourists panicked as they ran to catch their jewelries. We even spotted Ariene as she caught one of her jewelries.
"Ariene!" Jerano yelled and threw the bouquet before he rushed to her. "What's going on?!"
"Sand sand?!" Sandslash hissed worriedly.
"Jerano! Sandslash!" Ariene panicked. "Somebody is stealing the jewelries!"
I glanced up and made a grimace as I recognized the culprits behind this mess. They were flying in their air balloon while using a vacuum machine that sucked up the jewelries. "It's Team Rocket!"
"Prepare for trouble from up on the clouds!"
"And make it double while we rip off the crowds!"
"Meeowth, that's right!"
"Wooobbuffeeet!"
"Who are those people?!" Jerano asked.
"Bad people who steal other Trainer's Pokémon!" Ash explained.
"Why are you guys stealing Silver Wing jewelries?!" Misty yelled at the evil group.
"We're in a short of finance, so we're stealing the jewelries to sell them for thrice their price!" Jessie explained.
"And we appreciate the cookies since we were running low of food too!" James nodded before he took a big bite of a Silver Wing cookie.
"And you can't harm us now!" Meowth said as he held some tiny Silver Wing pins that looked awfully familiar. "We bought these pins for a great price, so we're under protection!"
Jerano was not pleased with the circumstances. "How dare you steal our prized jewelries for you own selfish needs?! You're the worst thieves ever!"
"Why, thank you for the compliment, handsome man!" Jessie cackled. "But it takes more than sweet words to trick me! Meowth, you know the drill!"
"Turning up the level of the Silver Cloud Absorber!" Meowth yelled as he grabbed a remote control. The next thing we knew, the vacuum machine started sucking up items with a higher power. Silver Wing souvenirs went loose and were sucked into the machine.
The worst thing happened when the little wrapped box in Jerano's hand slipped out and got sucked into the machine. "No! Not my present for Ariene!"
"We're done now! Thank you for the treasure hunt, everyone~!" Jessie sang, waving her hand.
"Locked and loaded and we'll fly away!" Meowth laughed.
"I can already hear the money coming!" James commented as the air balloon floated away from the town.
"Come back!" Ash yelled before we took chase after them.
"We need to stop Team Rocket before they can leave the island!" Brock called.
"Can't we use our Pokémon to slow them down?" I suggested as I reached for my Poké Ball belt.
"That's what I thought!" Ash yelled and threw a Poké Ball. "Noctowl, stop Team Rocket by making a hole on their balloon!"
"Hoooo-ooot!" Noctowl came out from the Poké Ball, releasing some glitter as he flew toward the balloon. He managed to peck a hole on the balloon, forcing Team Rocket to crash-land in the woods.
"Good thinking, guys!" Misty said. "The jewelries should be safe since they are indestructible!"
"And this proves that those charms that Team Rocket has don't really come with protection", Brock commented.
"I think they got scammed by that guy who tried selling us pins yesterday", I said.
We found Team Rocket and their ruined balloon within seconds. The vacuum machine was broken and leaked all the jewelries they had stolen from the market moments ago. "Alright, give back the jewelries you stole!" Ash demanded.
"Pika!" Pikachu hissed as he stood ready to battle.
"If you want them, then come and get them!" Jessie growled and threw a Poké Ball. "Go, Arbok!"
"Shaaaaar!" Arbok hissed threateningly.
"You go too, Weezing!" James shouted, throwing a Poké Ball.
"Wheee-ziing!" Weezing growled.
"Pikachu, let's go!" Ash shouted.
"Piika!"
"Hold it!" Jerano suddenly yelled behind us. He, Ariene and Sandslash ran to us, but the man and his Pokémon ran past us. "This is our battle! You took so many jewelries that I have created myself, so this is personal to me!"
"Slaash!" Sandslash hissed aggressively, raising its claws.
"Jerano, you haven't recovered yet! Let Ash and the others battle those guys!" Ariene yelled worriedly.
"Hah! Dealing with a Sandslash will be just as easy as with Pikachu!" Jessie spat. "Arbok, use Poison Sting!"
"Weezing, use Sludge!" James commanded.
The two poison Pokémon fired their attacks at Sandslash. I wasn't that worried because poison-type moves barely did any damage to ground-type Pokémon.
"Send those attacks back with Sandstorm, Sandslash!" Jerano yelled.
"Saaa-aaand!" Sandslash twirled its body around as sand swirled around it and sent it like a tornado toward Arbok and Weezing. The poison moves were caught in the sandstorm and were thrown back at the two evil Pokémon. I had never seen Sandstorm being used in such a way in battles, so I took mental notes to practice that with Cedric.
"Now, use Swift, Sandslash!" Ariene suddenly called out.
"Hey, that's what I was gonna say!" Jerano shouted back at her.
Sandslash curled itself into a ball and spun around, releasing energy stars from its quills. The stars struck Arbok and Weezing with such a force it threw them back onto Jessie, James and Meowth into a pile of bodies.
"Ash, it's your turn!" Jerano shouted.
"Right!" Ash nodded. "Pikachu, blast Team Rocket away with Thunderbolt!"
"Pika…CHUUU!" Pikachu charged himself up before unleashing the Thunderbolt move. It electrocuted Team Rocket and caused an explosion, throwing them up and far away into the sky.
"YOU STOLE OUR QUOTE, TWERPpp…!"
"WOOOBbuffeeet…!"
Jerano immediately rushed to the pile of jewelries and dug his hands through it together with Sandslash. "Where is it?! Where's my box?"
"What is Jerano looking for so desperately?" Ariene was very confused.
"You'll find out soon enough", Misty giggled as Jerano walked back to his love interest after he found his gift with a serious glare.
"A-Ariene…!" Jerano stuttered before he held the gift out to her. "Happy birthday!"
"Oh… Thank you", Ariene accepted the wrapped present a little surprised. That look was wiped away when she opened it and saw the Silver Wing pin Jerano had made for her. "Oh my! It's beautiful! It has the best shine I've ever seen on a Silver Wing pin!"
Jerano swallowed nervously as he fiddled with his now empty hands. "A-Ariene… W-We've known each other for a long time, haven't we?"
"Yes", Ariene smiled as she replaced her old pin with the new one. "Ever since we were little kids playing at the beach."
"R-Right!" Jerano nodded. "Um, you see… You mean a lot to me. I-I know we have our disagreements, but I can't imagine my life without them…or you. Your heart is the most beautiful Silver Wing I've ever seen! S-S-So w-w-will you-"
"Marry you?" Ariene finished the question for him with a smile. "Of course I will!"
"Hey, you stole my question!" Jerano retorted at her.
"Then say it properly and I'll answer again", Ariene smiled.
Jerano took a deep breath and straightened his back. "Ariene… Will you marry me?"
"Yes, I will!" Ariene answered.
"Congratulations!" Ash and I cheered happily and clapped our hands for the newly engaged couple.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu clapped his hands while sitting on my brother's shoulder.
"Thank you!" they replied and hugged each other with Sandslash chirping happily next to them.
Brock broke down and couldn't stop his tears. "I-I-I hope I'll…find my wife someday!"
"It's going to take years for you to understand women, Brock", Misty teased.
Brock's tears quit pouring down his face and glared at the redhead. "How can I understand something so complicated?!"
Misty turned to Ash with a big smile. "I think Ash will understand woman faster than you, Brock."
"Me?" Ash blinked confusedly and pointed at himself.
"Call it a hunch", Misty giggled.
I smiled at Jerano and Ariene as they shared their love with Sandslash, treating it like it was their child. I think I was starting to understand romance a little better after watching them. When two people liked each other very much, the like becomes love and it could be so strong you want to become a family. But… How do you know when you fall in love with somebody? What kind of feelings do you feel when it happens? I want to find out…
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's party:
Cedric the Pupitar (male)
Hikaru the Ampharos (male)
Mystic the Togetic (male)
Victor the Houndoom (male)
Axel the Scyther (male)
Lily the Espeon (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:
Trica the Furret (female)
Wanda the Gyarados (female)
Queendra the Seadra (female)
Aria the Lapras (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
Bayleef (female)
Cyndaquil (male)
Croconaw (male)
Shiny Noctowl (male)
Dunsparce (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:
Heracross (male)
Tauros (male)
Ivysaur (male)
Snorlax (male)
Kingler (male)
Poliwrath (male)
Wartortle (male)
XXXXXXXXXX
Misty's party:
Staryu (genderless)
Psyduck (male)
Togepi (female)
Poliwhirl (male)
Lanturn (female)
Corsola (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Misty's Pokémon in the Cerulean Gym:
Goldeen (female)
XXXXXXXXXX
Brock's party:
Geodude (male)
Onix (male)
Crobat (male)
Pineco (male)