The sun was already setting by the time that Meloetta floated out of the Pallet House, casting southwestern Kanto in a beautiful spectrum of orange and purple hues. The muse floated out the door, carrying a folded up newspaper page under her arm. The many dirt paths winding over Pallet's hills provided a myriad of paths; not that she had to follow any, given she could float.
But, they told the same story, all the same: there were many ways Ash could have gone, that day, and she had no earthly idea where he'd spent it. She hummed thoughtfully to herself, hovering towards the highest hill nearby. 'Pallet Town is only so big, Mel,' she thought.
'There are only so many places that he could be…'
One thing could be expected when it came to Ash Ketchum, though; he tended to show up when one least expected him. His low, baritone laughter rang in Meloetta's ears like thick, delectable honey, scratchy and rancorous in its usual manner that made her heart flutter.
She hovered in the voice's direction, where she spotted Ash and Peeks, walking back from one of the town's many open fields. The former was wearing a baseball uniform that looked a size or two too small for him; definitely one from a year or two ago he hadn't replaced. He wildly gestured with a gloved hand, chattering and boasting with his partner.
"What did I tell you? Years off the mound, and I've still got that fastball!"
"I would hope so. If you can hit a Fletchling in mid-air, you ought to."
"Buddy, don't kill my vibe."
Meloetta giggled, and floated closer to the duo. "Another good game of PokéBase?"
"Meloetta!" Ash exclaimed, picking up the pace to meet her halfway. "Yeah, we did great. We get to play a lot more these days, now that most everyone has their own Pokémon."
"But, no one does it like us!" Peeks boasted, proudly puffing out his chest.
"But uh, more to the point. What're you doing out here?" Ash asked, blinking. "And, what're you holding?"
"Ah! Yes. I was actually looking for you! There was something I wanted to ask you." Meloetta took out the folded page, pulling it apart to put it before Ash's eyes. "Have a gander at this."
Ash squinted. " 's getting a little dark. Buddy, can you be our flashlight?"
"This is the dignity I receive for all of my hard work." The mouse sighed, drawing sarcastically. Nonetheless, he lit his cheeks with a faint golden glow, providing illumination aplenty.
"Poké Tunes - A Pokémon & Trainer Music Festival! Prizes for placing, terms and conditions apply…" Ash read off the headline and subtitle, looking up at Meloetta. "A competition?"
"Indeed!" Meloetta smiled brightly. "Your mother came across this in the paper, and I quite liked the idea." She folded her arms shyly behind her back. "It takes place roughly a full moon's cycle away. I wanted to ask you if you'd like to compete together."
"Like, the two of us?" Ash gestured to them both. "Sure, that sounds like a blast! But uh, are you sure you're gonna be okay with that?" He frowned. "I know you have a habit of stagefright."
Meloetta exhaled. "I do. But, I've been honing my public appearances for quite some time, now, at the Pallet House; roughly a year now. I feel that it's time to push my boundaries." She met her trainer with a steady gaze, folding a hand over her heart. "I'm tired of living in fear, and concealing who I am, and what I feel."
Ash raised a brow at her choice of words, looking at her oddly. She wondered, for a moment, if he'd caught onto her veiled language. Peeks's stare told her that he sure had.
But Ash grinned, dismissing the thought. "Well, you know I'll support you! If anything bothers you, though?"
"If one troubles us, then I'll have you beat them up," Meloetta said, smiling cheekily.
"We'll beat them up," Ash corrected. "But, uh, wait. What're we gonna do, exactly?"
"We're going to perform a song together," she replied. "We're going to make one."
"Sounds challenging," Ash replied, scrunching his nose. "But, I do like challenges. What about?"
"About you," Meloetta replied.
"About me?" Ash frowned, taken aback. "I don't know… going on stage and singing about yourself sounds incredibly embarrassing."
"You did it for High Touch," she countered.
Ash squinted. "Why do you know about that?"
"Your mother told me."
"I'm afraid to ask what else she's been telling you while I'm away."
"Oh, nothing you need to worry about!" She sing-songed. "But, back to where we were… I didn't imagine bringing you up by name. Think of it more as… a song of self-expression." She folded her note-shaped hands over her lap, smiling. "I want to show appreciation for you as my trainer."
"Jeez…! Talk about embarrassing." Ash rubbed the back of his neck, grinning goofily. He might have been sporting a streak of red, but in the setting sun's colorful halo, it was hard to tell.
She did think it made him look magnificent, however.
"But I think it's a little more on the side of flattering. Okay, Meloetta, I'm in!"
"Oh, wonderful!" Meloetta cooed.
"Then, that just leaves us where to start… I'm not exactly a writer." Ash grumbled, crossing one leg over the other to lean the toe of his shoe against the dirt. His arms were folded in thought.
"Oh, leave that to me. I'm the more musically inclined between the two of us," Meloetta said.
"Hey. Watch it." Ash leered, pouty at her blunt comparison.
"I am quite literally built for it, Ash," Meloetta plainly reminded him, to which Ash eased, looking somewhat embarrassed.
"...Right." He chuckled sheepishly, while Peeks rolled his eyes.
"I'll work on making you my artistic muse," she volunteered. "You should focus on scraping the rust off of your musical talents. You've told me that you have a bit of experience."
"A bit!" Ash boasted, puffing out his chest. "But it'll be enough."
"Wonderful! Then, just sing… play an instrument. Do whatever gets you into your 'groove thing,' as they say!"
"Nobody says groove thing," Ash deadpanned.
Meloetta blushed. "Nevertheless… Let us do our best!" She held out her hand.
"Our very best!" Ash grinned, placing his hand on top of hers.
The gentle warmth of his palm made Meloetta's heart skip a beat; her smile shining in her pools of blue under the vivid skies. She might have lingered too long, though, she realized, as she caught the gaze of Ash's partner.
Peeks might as well have been staring a hole right through her.
"...Right. Well then. I best get back to the laboratory. A bit of shut-eye is sure to get my creative juices a-flowing!" She giggled, backing off nervously into the air. "You get yours, as well! Ta-tah!"
"Uh… Yeah! Catch you tomorrow!" Ash waved, a bit bewildered by her sudden departure. He turned to his partner, then, grinning. "What do you know, Buddy. A whole new challenge to take on!"
"...It should be good for you." Peeks decided on saying, smiling at Ash. And as he enjoyed the leisurely ride back towards their home, he truly believed that. But, something felt amiss.
Meloetta was certainly up to something.