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ofieugogyshz · 4 years

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Fic: Our Love is Here to Stay

writer x canon / selfship with Lance fic

Word Count: 19k (26 pages on google docs)

Characters: [Writer], Lance, Johto’s Elite Four, Clair, and Janine

Synopsis: Inspired from talking about the changes that the elite four rooms underwent in HGSS and how remarkably beautiful the champion’s room is. And then it just snowballed from there. More like avalanched, because this is 19k worth of words, when I normally write like 3-5k. Goes with a timeline where the events of hgss/gsc take place several years before the rooms are actually remodeled to their hgss glory. Features a lot of cute fluff, a lot of sappy fluff, a lot of embarrassment, and fun banter

Warnings: none that I can think of?

Due to its unintentional length, and the theme that I have, I have provided a link to it on google docs as well, so it may be easier on the eyes to read. I also HIGHLY recommend listening to this playlist during the second half of the fic (”When I came back to the League in the evening” if you’re reading on here, page 16 if you read it on googledocs)

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The Pokemon League was celebrating its 40th anniversary. The committee that governed the on-goings at the League had decided that, to celebrate, they would renovate the building, especially at Indigo Plateau. It spent the last few months closed off to challengers and on-lookers alike, meaning that hype was steadily building for its reopening. Things had been kept secret about what the new designs of the Elite Four and Champion rooms would look like. Not even I knew what the rooms inside were going to look like. I had pestered Lance to show me designs he was using, to tell me things he had in mind, but he just smiled at me and told me that “it was a secret” and that I would “just have to wait for the remodel”. I puffed out my cheeks every time in a pout, but he'd look at me so sweetly, so admiringly, that I'd feel my cheeks burn and abruptly turn away from him. Jerk.

Because of the pomp and circumstance, I had been told to wear dressy-casual for the occasion. There were going to be a lot of press photos, to which I held back my groan. I did not own much that would combine to make a decently nice outfit that would be press-worthy, even if it was unlikely that I was going to be a focus in any of the photos. I wasn't the acting Champion, and hadn't challenged the title in years; but it still meant that I wasn't able to wear my normal, everyday clothes.

“I know, I know. I don't like them either, but it's important to us and to the League board that we do.” Lance pulled me in closer when he spoke; being that close to him caused my cheeks to flush. “It's important to me.”

“Ugh, fine. But only for you.”

“Good. I look forward to seeing what you wear,” he said, making my already flushed cheeks redder than a Hoppip.

That was a few days ago, when he had told me when they were finally conducting the opening ceremony for the remodel. Now that it was here, I felt nervous, hoping that I didn't look like something he would regret taking along with him. (Of course, I knew better. He had told me so many times, but still; the nagging thought persisted and I briefly wondered if I should have gone with a different outfit.)

I was still struggling with those thoughts when I heard something flying in the sky above. I adjusted my skirt, that nervousness now becoming a ticklish feeling in the pit of my stomach. As I looked up, I shielded my eyes from the sun. A shadow came into view, as Lance rode in on his Dragonite. When he was close enough, he jumped off his Pokemon, wearing a new cape, a new outfit on him. He always looked so cool doing that, but today the effect, combined with the new outfit, somehow felt different.

“Hey!” he said, greeting me with a hand held up in a wave. I barely noticed the greeting, as I was transfixed on the new outfit. It seemed to be a new jumpsuit, mostly in a navy blue with yellow-orange stripes across it, covering his entire body. He adjusted a black cuff as he walked over to me, concern on his face that I hadn't said anything yet. My Pikachu, who had been waiting on my shoulder, jumped off me and onto his when Lance came closer, nuzzling his face in greeting.

“Hi Pika! It's nice to see you too,” he said with a laugh, before looking back at me. “Hey, is she okay, Pikachu? She seems to have gone somewhere without me.”

My Pikachu shook her head and jumped back onto me. She pressed her cheek against my face, and gave a very small shock, jolting me out of my disarray.

“Huh? Oh, yes, hi! Sorry! I'm, uh... not sure where I went off to...” I said, laughing nervously as I looked away from him.

“So, what do you think?” he said, flaring out his cape in dramatic effect as he showed off his outfit to me. I looked back at him. glancing up and down, kind of nervous about sharing how I honestly felt about the outfit. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing to me, but he seemed to wear it with confidence. He was excited, both about the league and the new outfit. If I tried to tell him the truth, it felt like I would be popping a balloon of happiness he had welling up inside of him. I felt like I should have lied, maybe just a little...

I scratched the side of my cheek. “It's, um...”

He paused. A little bit of air had left the balloon.

“You don't like it?” he asked, looking at me.

“No, that's not it!” I said, waving my arms in front of me a little too quickly. “It's just, um. I have to get used to it!”

“You don't like it.”

“Nooo, I really ... Don't know what to think of it. I'm not used to you wearing blue,” nevermind so much blue, I thought to myself. “It's... a different look for you. Well, maybe not entirely different. You're still covered head to toe,” I added, teasing the Champion a little. I'm not sure I saw him not wear layers. He would have suffocated in Hoenn or Orre. Their hot climates were unforgiving for such an outfit, regardless if the climate was arid or humid.

There was an uncomfortable pause before I spoke again, breaking the awkward silence.

“So, um. What made you want to go with something like this?” I asked, trying to feign interest in the outfit to make up for my dislike of it. Though, after I had said that, I realized that I was curious. He normally wore something with more red to it. Something less... muted?

“It's based off a uniform I saw when I was training in Galar.”

“...You based this off a uniform?”

“It's not as bad as you make it sound.”

“Oh, of course, my bad.” Another pause. I found myself tugging at my skirt, out of nervousness. Desperate to distract from the fact that he knew I didn't like his new clothes, I continued.

“Oh, um, well what do you think of my outfit? I hope it's not too... uhh, casual?” I had chosen a knee-length black skirt that flared out at the end. Whenever I spun around, it made a pretty, fluttering effect, which made it an instant choice for me. The top, however, took a lot more effort to find. I finally settled on a nice, pink blouse that looked a little fluttery, a little formal. It was a v-neck, with strings criss-crossing at the lowest point of the v, and it exposed my shoulders a little more than other tops I usually owned, but it still looked nice. At least, I thought it did when I had chosen it. Though maybe now it might not be as nice as I had thought. Should I go back inside and change? Oh, but then we'd be late, even if we were supposed to be early....

He told me to give it a little twirl. I gave him a questioning look, but he smiled at me, giving me a twirling motion with his fingers. I felt a little embarrassed, but I twirled around for him, my skirt swishing around past my knees when I stopped. Despite the initial embarrassment, I found myself turning side to side, letting the skirt swish about some more, before finally letting it settle back down on my knees. I found myself giving him a small grin.

“Well, I think you look lovely.” He spoke with such a warmth and a gentle softness to his voice that I felt a soft chill run up my arms. My cheeks heated up slowly, and I grabbed my Pikachu to hide my face, burying my it in her soft fur.

“Laaaaaaaance,” I whined, blushing at the compliment.

He shook his head and held up his hands in a defeated shrug. “I'm only speaking the truth.”

I whined more, my Pikachu squirming as she tried to get out of the hold.

“We should probably get to leaving now,” he said, looking at a watch on his wrist.

I quickly unburied my head. “Ah! Yes, sorry, of course.”

“Don't be sorry. I like watching you like this.” He said, placing a hand on his chin like he was observing.

“Don't tease me like that!” I huffed, walking towards him with still flushed cheeks. He laughed, placing a quick kiss on my cheek.

-------

When we had arrived, Lance told me that he was expected to help with set up. He apologized to me for not being able to spend more time together, and called back his Dragonite. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips. I watched as he headed towards a group of employees who were hustling about, trying to make sure everything was ready for the tour group that would be first to see the newly remodeled Indigo League building. I was part of that group, having the perk of personally knowing the reigning Champion.

I waited outside for a bit, as a crowd slowly gathered. It was mostly media personnel, but there were others who were fellow trainers, local gym leaders, friends and families of the Elite Four. Among them were a few faces I recognized among the crowd, one of them being Janine's. The teen was trying to sneak past the employees, but kept getting caught. I laughed quietly to myself at her attempts. Her father must have told them what she would do, having been the one to teach his daughter the same ninja techniques that she was trying to utilize. Her final attempt was abated by an announcement that the tour would now start.

The first room we had entered was Will's. The young psychic-type trainer had made such a name for himself, that when the league board had discussed adding him to their roster in place of Lorelai --who had gone on to travel and explore other regions, namely their islands and its native fauna-- his name had come up almost immediately. No one had doubted for a second that he would make a unique choice for the first Elite Four member most challengers would run into. I remember him being a little standoffish when I had first met him, but now the Elite Four member held himself high, poised himself like it was a showroom floor and he was the host, as he began to describe the choices he made in the design for his room.

“I really wanted trainers to realize that they were in an entirely different league than their previous challenges had been. The flying cubes you see are made of holographic light, reflecting a laser pointed at them through the mirrors you see above you. These blue lights on the bottom send out the initial projection--” I had tuned out halfway through his technical explanation, scanning the room for all of the changes. When I had last been here, it hadn't changed much from the ice theme that Lorelai had in place, back when this room had been hers. The flooring had initially changed to a greenish hue that followed through three more of the rooms, and the walls were a darker blue, less glassy and more brickish. Now, four silver-blue pillars lined each wall, reliefs carved into them that pointed down towards the floor. Will now had lilac tiles covering the floor of a now two-tiered room, the latter half raised up like a stage. The cubes of refracted light moved about in the air, not touching the ground. It was quite different from what it had been before, feeling a lot more like the young man's aesthetic than it had before. It definitely got my attention.

“Now then,” Will's voice called out loudly and clearly. I looked towards the front of the room, where he stood at the second level of the room. His Xatu stood beside him. “Welcome to the new Pokemon League! Allow me to introduce myself,” he said with a bow. “As some of you may know, I am Will, a psychic-type trainer. I have trained all around the world, making my Pokemon powerful. Several years ago, I was accepted into this Pokemon League as a member of their Elite Four. I cannot begin to express how much fun it has been. There has been a lot of growth here, and I look forward to continuing that growth with each new challenger that comes to this room!”

Will bowed once more, his Xatu opening one wing and bowing as well. There was applause from all around me, and the sound of camera shutters clicking. I turned my head away as the flashes went off.

“Let us move on! My associate, Koga, is next!”

Will stepped to the side of the doors that led out of the room, which were on the raised platform, as they shuttered open. The crowd filed past him, some staying behind to talk with the Elite. As I moved past, I could hear some of them ask questions about his design, what inspired him, that sort of thing. I hadn't gotten very far ahead of the small group when he noticed me. He called out to me, unusual for our typical interactions.

“Ah, Miss Sarah! A moment, if you please.”

I stopped, turning around to look at him with confusion. We hadn't really talked much, and didn't have much to bond over other than our battles; the last of which was a few years ago. I looked back towards the last of the crowd that had been heading towards Koga's room.

“Oh, there's a small delay between each introduction. You won't be missing much, I promise you. You know the old man doesn't like to talk.”

I glanced back once more at the end of the group that moved forward, shrugged, and walked over to Will. It must have been something worthwhile, if he went out of his way to call me out like this.

“What do you think of my room? It's a technological wonder, isn't it? Tell me! I'm very curious to hear your words.” I could see his eyes behind his mask, glinting with excitement.

“It's different, but I like it.”

“Oh, wonderful! I know you're not much one for taste, but it's nice to see that its beauty is not lost on you.”

My voice went flat at his comment. “Is that all you wanted?” Maybe if I had known him as a friend, it would have been fine as a joke, but it wasn't fun hearing one of Lance's colleagues speak to me like that.

“If I have wounded you, I apologize. I only wanted to see what you thought of it, and to let you know that I'm looking forward to our next challenge.” The way he spoke, it felt like he knew something, but I didn't have any interest in speaking to him after the insult. “Now, hurry on! I hear that Koga is about to start!”

-----------

Koga's room had not changed much either since I last saw it. Even though it had changed more when it initially switched hands between him and Bruno, the room had still managed to go through its own changes. Maybe it was because the ninja had brought in more of his own collection of plants, trees, and bushes, that he used to make potions and antidotes which helped supply the League's Pokemart. His room was dim, adding to it an ambiance that Koga enjoyed. Stones littered the floor. Moss grew on some of them; while others hid plants that sprouted as they were wedged next to the wall. The pillars along the walls of his room were similar to Will's, arching alongside the wall as vines hung from them. The crowd murmured amongst itself as they looked around, wondering where the former Gym Leader was, as it was time for his own showing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spied Janine darting around, looking at every inch of the room. There wasn't anything else to occupy me while I waited for the most recent Elite Four member to show up, so I decided to engage in conversation with his daughter. She was a little bit younger than me, still a teenager, while I was in my early twenties, but I had no doubt that the talkative teenager would find plenty for us to talk about. I walked over to her, Pikachu on my shoulder letting out a happy greeting at the teen. Janine didn't seem to hear us; her focus was unbroken as she looked behind a large stone. Knowing her, she must have been looking for where her father could have been hiding.

“Hey, Janine!” I called out, trying to get her attention this time. She looked up suddenly, startled and a little embarrassed that someone had caught her.

“Hm?! Oh! It's you!” She paused for a moment, tapping her chin. “You were.... Sarah, right? You're with Lance, right?! I remember my father mentioning it before.” She gave me a huge smile, and began chattering away about her dad and laughing about how out of touch he was with the dating scene.

“Like, can you believe he thinks that I'm just gonna pick someone that I've never met before? C'mon now. He should know that he raised me better than that! So we got in a fight about it earlier today, because I told him that I wanted to bring some friends of mine, and that maybe we could find some others at the event, and--- and he refused to let me in if I did that! He's making such a fuss over nothing.” The teen gave a great, big sigh. She crossed her arms and put her chin in her hand, thinking for a moment, before looking at me. I could see the lightbulb that went off over her head as an idea sparked within her.

“Oh!!!” Janine exclaimed excitedly. “I know! You can talk to him.”

“I'm sorry, what.”

“Well, I mean, you got Lance's grandfather, the clan elder, to let you guys date, right? So maybe you can give him some tips! Do whatever you did for the Dragon Clan elder but with my dad!”

“Uhh....” That was... definitely not how I remember it going down. But before I could explain that to her, I was interrupted.

A light had suddenly lit up the room and smoke filled the stage. It cleared slowly, revealing Koga at the head of the staircase. The entrance caused some commotion among members of the audience, as some of them gasped at the entrance. It was obvious that they had never taken a challenge from the master ninja. Janine and I exchanged looks and rolled our eyes at the reactions. The young ninja, though embarrassed by her dad's incoming showy entrance, watched on with pride; it was obvious that she still loved her dad a lot, despite the argument they had this morning.

There was a pause, as the audience waited with anticipation for something else to happen. Koga nodded, as though confirming that that was it for the entrance, and the audience gave applause. This entrance was far from the flashiest I had seen from him, but it seemed far showier than he typically chose to do. Behind him, his Crobat flew in, flapping its wings to blow away the smoke that had surrounded its trainer.

“Hm. Welcome! As you may have noticed, this room is much darker than it was before. More natural. Between here and the Ninja School that I run, I have managed to transform what was once a dull covering of its previous occupant to something more suited to my style.” As he spoke, I noticed eyes glowing underneath the stage, in the shadows of the podium. As more members of the audience noticed it as well, the murmuring grew again. Janine and I exchanged looks once more.

“Bet you it's something ridiculous like his Pokemon.”

“Oh, I have no doubts about that.”

Koga held out his hand to the murmuring audience before him. “Silence!”

Immediately, the room went quiet. The lights dimmed, one spotlight focused on the Elite.

“As you know, I am many things. A father. A trainer. A master ninja.” More eyes lit up from under the podium. There was a scuttling sound as something brushed by my leg. I jumped up, bumping into Janine. She gave me a weird look.

“Sorry. I thought I felt something.”

“Maybe you should have worn pants, like me.”

“Oh ha ha, Janine.”

I listened in again to Koga's speech, patting down my skirt and brushing my legs. Others in the audience seemed to feel something go by them, as there were a few quiet yelps as something quickly shuffled around, weaving its way through. I had a hunch as to what was going on.

“I was graciously offered a position on the Elite Four, and I accepted it,” Koga had said as the crowd became distracted.

There was a sound that I recognized. Having fought plenty of Pokemon in my time, I felt confident that something was using String Shot. A whooshing sort of sound, low in pitch, but familiar from too much time spent walking through the Viridian and Azalea Forests.

Koga spoke louder, commanding attention beyond the rattled nerves of his audience.

“I am proud to consider myself a member of the Elite Four!”

The lights quickly flashed on. Several of Koga's Pokemon were revealed. Some were lined up in front of him, like an assembly line. His Ariados had neatly situated itself in a web above a tree that was situated in the corner of the stage. The web was in no ways a small one that was meant to be hidden, having covered the entire corner and parts of the large tree. His Forretress was in the opposing corner, hanging down from another tree, spinning as part of its display before landing on the ground. All of his Pokemon were on full display, brimming with pride. It was almost cute, despite several of the insectophobic people in the crowd giving a few shrieks when the Pokemon suddenly appeared.

Beside me, Janine facepalmed.

“This is super embarrassing,” she groaned.

Some time passed before the excited chatter over Koga's display had left the room. As the crowd moved between rooms, I watched as Janine spoke with her dad. I couldn't hear anything being said, but between her embarrassment and the pride she held about her father, I could only imagine the many different ways that exchange was going. She left suddenly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek as the stoic old man stood still, as though he had been trying to ignore her comments.

“Bye, Father! I'll see you later!” she waved as she ran by me.

“H-hey, wait! We weren't finished--!” He gave a loud sigh.

I had only stuck around to wait for Janine, so I'd have someone to talk to during the rest of the tour, but she had sprinted ahead and left me behind, in the sights of a father who didn't know what to do about his daughter. I started to leave.

“Sarah!”

Woops.

I hadn't meant to be noticed by him. I turned around, smiling politely at him. “Hi Koga! Your, uh, display was definitely... interesting,” I told him, fumbling around for something to say. It was awkward speaking with him, since he seemed to alternate between talking to me as a child and as a fellow trainer. In recent times, he seemed to have recognized that I was an adult now, and spoke to me as such. But after the exchanges that had been had, I certainly hoped Janine hadn't put it in his mind that I would be able to ease his fears about his teenage daughter.

“Tch!” Koga looked away. Behind him, his Pokemon began to clean up the webs that they had put out, helping the rest of the League staff with clean-up. “I didn't want to do something that flashy, but the League demanded that I put on some sort of show.” He paused, looking past me now, before turning his attention back on me once more. “Did Janine enjoy it?”

“Uh.” Maybe if she was a kid still... I thought to myself, but bit back the words. I wasn't sure how to answer that. “She was certainly embarrassed, but that's normal. She's a teenager. I think it's written somewhere that they have to be embarrassed by their parents or else they can't become an adult,” I joked. My humor seemed to fall short of landing its mark, as Koga looked at me, confused and concerned.

“She was embarrassed by me? She shouldn't be!”

“Koga, it was a joke.”

“I am her father! I did what I thought would display the pride of our ninja clan!”

“She wasn't actually upset by it, I promise.” Please stop talking to me about this!

“Hmph!” he turned away. I breathed a sigh of relief. The conversation was over.

“...Actually, maybe you could help me.”

Oh no.

“You're close in age to Janine, so maybe you can help me understand. She wants to start dating.”

“Koga, I promise you, I am the last person you want to ask for help on this.”

He gave me a sharp look. I winced, accepting my fate.

“You're a smart trainer. You're able to understand your Pokemon, and command them with ease as a result. I don't see why you can't help me understand my daughter. That's all I'm asking for your help with.”

“Well. Uh.” I paused, not expecting the sudden praise. On my shoulder, my Pikachu gave a happy cheer at his words, as though agreeing with him. “Thank you, I think. Um... Give me a moment.”

“I don't want her to date,” he said with strong emphasis. “She's much too young.”

That had put me on guard.

“How old do you think Janine is? You just said that she's close in age to me.” I sighed; that came out more aggressive than I meant it to. I took a breath to calm down before I continued. “Koga, how old do you think Lance and I were when we started dating? I'm not that much older than her.”

“But you two are different! You have proven yourselves to be both smart, reliable, mature young adults. You both have good heads on your shoulders, and good hearts. She's--” He clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he looked away from me, before letting out a sigh, releasing some of his frustration. “She's far too young to know better! I don't want her to get hurt because someone played with her heart!”

This was definitely out of my realm of experience, and I really didn't want to be put in this position. So I did my best to improvise, by thinking of things that I had heard other people say. Other things that I had heard on television, on the radio, read in books. Pulling from literally anything that sounded like applicable advice.

“Have you tried talking to Janine about this? I don't mean being like, 'oh you can't date, because I said so'. I mean, have you actually explained to her why you don't want her to date. Have you told her your fears about her getting hurt?”

“My fears?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Ha! A good ninja wouldn't have any fears.”

“...Ooookay. But a good dad would. And it would be important to let her know that you're afraid because you care for her, and that you don't want her to get hurt. It's not gonna make it any easier for you as a father, because one way or another she's going to start dating, behind your back or in front of your face, but you can let her know how you feel.” I stopped myself, realizing that I forgot for a moment that I was talking to someone in an older generation, someone who would have been parenting me. I looked down at the ground, suddenly quiet, worried that I had overstepped bounds.

“...”

“If you're worried about what she'll think of you,” I began slowly, lifting my eyes to look at him, “I promise you she won't think any less of you. Even though she felt embarrassed earlier, I saw her eyes. They still sparkled with pride at her father. She loves you a whole lot.”

There was a long pause. Long enough that I worried that I had offended him, and I began to plan my social escape out of this. When he broke the silence, he spoke slowly, in a calm voice, as though he had carefully considered his words.

“...I apologize for bringing you this old man's concerns. I see that you are much wiser than you let on.”

I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't offended him.

“Maybe that is part of what draws Lance to you.”

I blinked at him. That was completely unexpected. “Thank you? I think.” I wasn't about to ask where the comment came from, or why he said it, because the conversation had already been longer and weirder than I had anticipated.

“Hmph. You should hurry on, and see what the rest of the league looks like.”

-------------

I honestly don't know what to say when I entered Bruno's room. The man loved training under intense conditions, and his room reflected that. There was lava flowing; the heat from the room was intense, causing a few people in the crowd to reach for napkins and handkerchiefs they kept on themselves. Rocks as tall as the ceiling rose up around the battlefield, though they did not block all of it off. I could see myself having a new battle in here, but it still felt like the result would be the same as it had been the last several times I challenged the Elite. I scanned the room, trying to find anything else that was new or different, but other than the lava's flow, it was the same theme as he always went for. I'm honestly not even sure how the League managed to keep the lava from spilling out of the room, but thank Arceus for their ability to do so. That all said, there was more presentation to the room than it had in the past. It was hard to point out specifically what it was, and it bugged me, but something about it managed to introduce some sort of awe that his past designs had lacked.

Bruno stepped onto the stage. With his Machamp standing beside him, he reached out and grabbed the mic. We braced ourselves as he tapped it with one hand. We could hear a deep breath through the mic, and expected the gruff, somewhat loud man to shout through it.

“Thank you very much for joining me today,” he said, in a normal voice. There was a collective confusion as we looked at this man in his rough appearance, his lack of a shirt, and torn pants held up by a black belt.

Well, I thought to myself, at least I wouldn't have to worry about being the worst dressed for an event ever again.

Bruno cleared his voice and continued, his voice sounding perfectly natural. It was as though he did public speaking all the time.

“We here at the league are excited to show you our new challenge rooms. I believe in training to the extreme, and I wanted my room to reflect that. Many of you that have challenged me will see that not much has changed. That's okay! It may be simple compared to my colleagues, but it still showcases the extreme nature that I believe in training to. That is how we become strong. Do not be afraid of challenging yourselves! Whether it's going all out in a Pokemon battle or staying at home, working on a new hobby, believe in yourselves! Believe in your potential, and keep that determination going strong!”

He handed over his microphone to the nearby aide. The crowd waited, giving each other confused looks as we expected him to give us a loud yell. Instead, Bruno bowed deeply, holding it for a few seconds before returning back to a standing position. An applause broke out amongst the crowd. Several of the photographers came over, cameras flashing as Bruno began to strike different poses with his Machamp. The final pose involved the two of them flexing their muscles as they faced each other, determined expressions on their faces.

As the crowd filed out, I stuck around. I watched as he shook hands with the last media personnel, him and his Machamp waving them off as they left the room. I had wanted to congratulate him on his speech, especially since the inspiring speech was a side of him I definitely had never seen before.

“Bruno--” I began as I started to walk towards him. But before I could even finish the rest of my sentence, I was interrupted immediately as he spun around, recognizing the sound of my voice.

“Sarah!!! How wonderful it is to see you!” He swept me up in a big hug that lifted me off the ground, and spun me around. The unexpected greeting threw me off guard, leaving me to feel a little dizzy when he placed me back down. “How are you?! I keep asking Lance about you, but it's not the same as getting to see you and talk!”

I looked at him, brain still spinning in my skull as I tried to focus back on him. “Uh... good,” I said. My Pikachu was greeting his Machamp now, running and climbing all over the Pokemon's four arms.

“Oh, did I spin you too hard? Heh. I'm sorry,” He scratched the back of his head. “I forgot for a moment.”

“No, no, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting to be picked up, is all...” I said, rubbing some feeling back into my arms. His physical strength was beyond real.

“Hoh, look at you though! Very pretty. I hope I didn't get any dirt on you. Might upset Lance if I did--” he abruptly cut himself off, laughing loudly as he turned me around to make sure the back of my outfit was dirt free.

“It's fine, it's fine! Besides, why would it matter? I mean, aside from, you know, the obvious.” I turned my head to look at him, confused at his sudden concern for my appearance.

But Bruno only laughed at me, completely ignoring the question.

“You're good! Let's have a battle once the league is open to challengers again! I can't wait to see how strong you and your Pokemon have gotten!”

“But--” He placed his hands against my back, pushing me out of the room. My Pikachu looked up at Machamp, who shrugged at her. Pika ran ahead of the room's shutter, waiting for me as I was unceremoniously escorted out. “Hey--! You didn't answer my question, Bruno!”

“I'll talk to you some more later! Don't want ya to miss Karen's!”

He gave me one last push. When I turned to yell at him, the shutter came down. The last thing I saw of him was him and his Machamp waving me goodbye, with a smile on his face.

I turned back to look down at my Pikachu, making a face. “That was weird, right? I mean, more than usual. Right, Pika?”

“Pikachu!”

----

As I entered Karen's room, the darkness sparkled at me. As my eyes became accustomed, I saw large quartz crystals line the side of the path, some far larger than me. When I looked down at the ground, making sure that I didn't trip over anything, it sparkled at me. The flooring was dark purple, and it seemed like it was littered with glitter. I looked around, in awe at how pretty it was. It was definitely full of Karen's taste. The walls were purple as well, and a dark red curtain was pulled down right about where this room's stage would be.

My eyes just couldn't help but look around, unable to settle on anything in the area. I just wanted to keep staring, admiring all the pretty crystals and sparkles. I wonder if Karen would let me in here sometime just to read, I thought to myself as my gaze continued to wander, unable to focus on any single thing in particular.

Low music began to fill the air. When I listened to it, it reminded me of the sort of music that you would hear at a fashion show. Right. Karen was also a model and considered fashion-sensible. If there was anyone in the league that would have a very stylish entrance, it would have been her.

Fog began to curl on the ground by the curtain. The curtain split open slowly, a light silhouetting the figure behind it, as Karen's iconic pose came into focus. The room went from dark to light. The music's volume increased, the tempo sped up to match the pace as she strutted forward, her beloved Umbreon and Houndoom on either side of her. She stopped in the center of the room, all eyes on her. Her two Pokemon sat down neatly, and Karen crouched down to give both of them scritches under their chin. Unheard praises were mouthed as she regarded each one. When she stood back up, she motioned a command to each Pokemon. Houndoom laid down beside Karen, its head held high; Umbreon, on the other hand, sat still, staring out into the crowd. Karen held up a wireless microphone to greet us with.

“Good afternoon, everyone!” The audience cheered and clapped; it was a far louder sound than it had been with the previous three Elites. Given Karen's popularity, I wasn't too surprised. She was the biggest celebrity among the Elite Four, having the most work outside of League activity that put her in the media's spotlight. Even I found myself giving her a little cheer; if the rest of the crowd was enjoying themselves, why shouldn't I?

“Thank you very much for joining us. I am more than excited to show all of you the hard work that we at the Pokemon League put in for this. I worked closely alongside many of the designers to ensure that my room had the most presence. As you can see,” she said, holding out a hand as she slowly turned, motioning to the room, “I'm more than capable of delivering.

“My policy on raising Pokemon has not changed over the years that I've worked with this Pokemon League. I believe that a trainer should always strive towards victory with Pokemon that are their favorites. Can you truly call yourself a skilled trainer, capable of challenging the Elite Four, if you're afraid to use the Pokemon that you love?”

I found myself nodding along with her speech. Out of all of Lance's colleagues at the League, Karen was the one that I liked the most. She was earnest, honest, and it was obvious how sweetly she loved her Pokemon. She was a truly talented trainer who really did battle with her favorites, and it always made my matches with her the most fun. Karen always had a new strategy ready for me, keeping me on my toes. Whenever I stopped by to visit, she was more than happy to help me with my fashion choices when I asked. Maybe I should have sought out her advice for today instead of trying to find something on my own...

There was a loud burst of applause as her speech ended. I stepped away from the crowd to look around at her beautiful room some more. My Pikachu reached out to touch some of the crystals that lined the room, while I impatiently waited for the tour to progress. There seemed to be a delay between moving the crowd on from here to the next room. I gave an impatient sigh, eager to move on to the next room, as it was the one I anticipated the most. I felt a finger tap me on the shoulder, and I spun around to see Karen looking at me, a cool smile on her face.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” she asked, motioning to the photographers who were now being told by League staff members to give the Elite some space.

“Well, it's been somewhat frustrating being among a crowd that's mostly never been inside a challenge room, but otherwise...” I gave a non-committal hand wave. “It could be worse.”

“So none of them have tried to get in your space and demand an interview?” she asked, referring to the fact that some of the media would have loved to get a scoop on the latest between the current Champion and I. “Because you can always turn them down. I'll help you with that if you'd like.”

“Yeah, uh... No, that hasn't been an issue.” I looked over at the crowd again. They had been held at bay by staff, who were directing the media personnel to save the rest of their questions for later. Karen's gaze followed mine as I watched. “Is that normally an issue for you guys?”

“Hm... It's hard to tell. I'm a model and an Elite Four member. A lot of us have things on the side that keep us too busy to notice when we're not accepting challenges.” She looked back at me. “I'm sure you've realized that by now.”

“Ugh, yeah. I love Lance, but sometimes it's hard to spend time together with how much he puts on his plate.” Between the League, training, the clan, and his work as a Pokemon G-man, trying to schedule time together was becoming increasingly difficult. Add to it that I had my own things keeping me busy as well, it felt like trying to schedule time together was becoming impossible. Although I was not nearly as busy as him, I still felt too tired some days. It was a marvel that he managed to handle so much. Or maybe it was merely a testament to the passion that he had for all of these things. Sometimes, it was hard not to wonder about where I fell among those things; but he always made sure to make it well known that he loved me, and spent his free time calling, visiting, being with me. I let out a deep sigh.

I must have been looking far away, because Karen waved her hand in front of my face to get my attention again.

“Oh! Sorry. I got lost in thought.”

She nodded, empathetic about my situation. The Elite had confided to me before about how difficult it was for her to maintain romantic relationships in the past with just her two jobs and training; she couldn't have imagined how much more difficult it was for us, especially given our talent as trainers and the ways that we kept ourselves busy. Maybe that's why she seemed to be our biggest fan, among those that we didn't know personally. And, as odd as it felt to say, it was nice to have someone to talk to about those issues.

“Well, if it's any consolation, it's obvious to us that he loves you back.” My face flushed Hoppip-red at her sudden comment, and Karen laughed. “Oh, he is right, you are absolutely adorable when you get embarrassed.”

I put my hands over my face. “Oh no... he's... he's talked to you guys about that? A-about... u-us??” I couldn't even begin to imagine how our relationship would have come up naturally, and just imagining him talking about us, with any hint of pride... it was just too much.

“Well, why wouldn't he? You're someone he loves. Why, he's--” she cut herself off, and I peeked through my fingers to look up at her. It looked like she was choosing her words carefully. “He's happy to have someone like you to come home to.”

I felt my heart skip a beat and I closed my fingers shut over my eyes again, trying not to give out an undignified whine. “Karen, please........ My heart.... I can't take such... hhhhhhhh”

I swallowed my feelings, trying to push down my embarrassment so I could avoid drawing attention from the crowd. I threw my hands down at my side, and tried to look Karen in the eye, my face still flushed pink. “If you...” I shook my head and pouted. Trying to threaten her with any hyperbolic threat would have been pointless. I looked back over at the crowd, who were growing impatient as I was. I took the opportunity to let myself become distracted with reality again. If we had kept on about Lance and hearing that he talked about me... I don't think I would have been able to continue on the tour.

“What's taking so long anyways? Lance is usually on time, to a ridiculous degree. We got here with plenty of time to spare...”

“He's probably making sure everything is set for his dramatic entrance,” she said in a bored tone. It sounded as though this was a norm.

“What, no way! He could never--”

“Oh, no, he does, and he will.”

“Oh my Arceus.”

The doorway out of Karen's room made a loud noise as it suddenly opened up. One of the League staff members started motioning for the crowd to continue moving through. I waved at Karen as I left, and she blew me a kiss.

“I'll see you later!” she called out. Knowing her, I probably would.

--------

I took a deep breath. I was preparing myself for the long walk to the Champion's room. It used to be so nerve-wracking, back when I was a new trainer. I would often run towards the large doors that blocked the end of the hall, my haste a byproduct of nerves and excitement. Flames lit up the corridor as the group walked past. Our footsteps echoed in the hall as the League staff quietly led us down the hall.

Large doors, nearly as tall as the ceiling, blocked us from the final path before us. I traced the new designs with my eyes, amidst all the oohs and aahs. Etchings of dragons were gilded in gold. On each side of the door, statues of a Dragon-type Pokemon guarded the door, their names long lost to history and myth. I recognized it as the ones that used to decorate Lance's challenge room; he had told me once before that it was based on the description of an ancient Pokemon that the Dragon Clan held in reverence. A couple of people were taking photos by these statues now, and I briefly wondered what Lance's grandfather would think of it...

“This is the final room, where challengers who have cleared the Elite Four may come and challenge the reigning Champion for their title,” said one of the staff.

I watched as the doors to the Champion's room opened inward. Light broke through, blinding us temporarily. When the doors were fully opened, there was a huge gasp among the crowd, followed by excited chatter. Excitement and wonder coursed through my veins when I heard those gasps, and I quickly opened my eyes, shielding them from the bright light. When my eyes adjusted, I felt my breath catch in my throat from surprise.

His room was absolutely beautiful and elegant. I stood there in awe for a few moments, as the crowd filtered in around me. Guiding any potential entrants through the doors was a lush red carpet, leading all the way up to the battlefield, where it split off to each side that a challenger would stand on. At the end of the room, where the door that led to the Hall of Fame was situated, the carpet began again, leading out to that next hallway. I slowly walked in with the crowd, a spark of excitement lighting up within me as I turned around to regard everything.

Gold was across the entire room, the walls, even the statues that lined along the pathway. Everywhere I looked, the walls shined, polished to a reflective degree. I caught sight of myself, stuttered by the vision. I walked towards one of the statues, to see what had replaced the fierce dragons that now guarded the entrance. Cute, golden Dratini statues lined the walkway along the carpet. They were so adorable! I found myself wanting to take a picture with one, even more so when I watched my Pikachu hopping onto the head of one. She patted it on its head, as though checking to see if it was real. Around me, others were also cooing over the cute statues. It hit me suddenly that they replaced the previous statues. I winced. I hoped his grandfather wouldn't scold him for the decision...

I remember Lance's previous rooms being more plain compared to the elegance now facing me. He had slowly added more draconic themes in his previous room designs as he kept his position here, even after he became champion. It was always something more serious, something simpler, but this... The beauty, the elegance was beyond compare. I looked at the walls again. There were moving parts along the sides, like giant cogs of a machine. I briefly wondered about them, as my eyes followed them up to the ceiling, noting the chandeliers that hung from there.

I hadn't thought that he would go in this direction for his challenger room. All I could think about was how gorgeous it was.

The doors at the other end of the room opened. I felt my heart do flips at the sound of the doors' crashing open, being more than enough cue for me to know what was happening next. To know who was coming through them. As his silhouette was lit up, I felt my cheeks flushed, suddenly painfully aware of every single thing in the room. The heat of the bodies in the room. The conversation of the person behind me, as they talked hurriedly to someone on the phone –presumably their boss. Of every single shutter that went off.

It's him.

Well, of course it was, but that never stopped my brain from being excited to see him like that. And in public events, where we didn't arrive together, it was somehow so much more impactful. Even when we did enter a room together, the sight of him as we met up, at any point in any event, always sent my heart into flips, stirring emotions into existence that I forgot I could feel.

I watched as he entered the room. There was such confidence in his approach, almost regal in a way. I watched in a starry-eyed daze as he completed the short walk from his entrance to the edge of the stage that he spoke from. A Dragonite flew in to stand behind him. It looked out into the room with a watchful eye, as though preparing itself to protect its trainer. That Dragonite was always the most serious one that Lance trained, his partner for many of his missions as a Pokemon G-man.

I hugged my Pikachu tight, burying my smile into the back of Pikachu's head. She gave me a giggly laugh, no doubt tickled by my reaction. Maybe I should have had a different Pokemon accompany me, one who I could hide my face behind as I tried not to blush. There wasn't even anything wrong with me; it was just that easy to make me blush when it came to Lance. I hugged my Pikachu a little closer at that thought.

“Thank you, everyone, for being here today as we celebrate the Indigo League's 40th anniversary. We appreciate the time that all of you have taken out of your busy schedules to be here.” He paused, giving the crowd a moment for applause. “I have been with the league for a long time. In fact, it was my grandfather who recommended me to the League Committee when I was still a young trainer. I was placed at the end of the Elite Four, the last trainer for challengers to face before the Champion. It is a coveted spot that Karen now graciously holds.” He nodded off to the side, and I looked over with the rest of the crowd to see that the remaining members of the League had sneaked in behind us to hear Lance's speech.

I looked back up at him as he continued.

“You may note that the design is different from what you have come to expect of me. Many people are aware that dragons are powerful Pokemon, and that raising one is no easy feat. I wanted to show a different side of that journey with dragon-type Pokemon. They may be fierce Pokemon, but they also hold themselves with beauty and pride. I look forward to many fun battles going forward, with all challengers that walk through those doors, old and new alike!”

The crowd applauded at his speech.

“Thank you again. We will have a party later tonight. I look forward to seeing more of my colleagues at the Gym and Elite Four level, including former members of the League. In the meantime, please enjoy your time looking upon the rooms, until the League needs to set up for tonight.”

He bowed. The entire room burst into applause, and I finally tucked my head out of my Pikachu to join in. As I did, my Pikachu squirmed in my arms. She wanted to run over to Lance and say hi to him once more.

“No, Pika, we can't right now. He's working,” I said, feeling a little deflated myself. Of course, maybe there was a chance that we could talk, but at the time, it seemed like he would be pestered with questions by the media like the rest of the league members had been. And then the room would be asked to clear, so it would have to be later that night, when it was time for the party... I think he said it was some kind of formal...? I made a mental note to ask Karen before I left.

I was lost in my thoughts, looking around the room once more. It really was beautiful. It also made his new outfit stand out even more (like a sore thumb to me), but I supposed that the red and gold design of the room would mean that anything in his usual red would blend in too much...

My eyes looked back towards the door that Lance had entered from. The Hall of Fame had not been included as part of the tour. Its design remained undisclosed, due to the League's tradition of only allowing Champions to enter. As someone who was listed in the Hall of Fame, I would be allowed to look at it at a later date, along with a selection of other former Champions. But for now, it would remain closed off to anyone not currently employed with the Indigo League, including former staff who had retired from the League or went off on their own training.

“What do you think of the room?” someone asked me. I hadn't expected anyone to talk to me now that the tour of the redesigned League was over. Janine would have been busy chatting up others in the group, undoubtedly alternating between pride and embarrassment at her father's entrance, and I hadn't seen anyone else who I would have liked to talk to. I looked to see who had spoken; I nearly jumped back when I realized it was Lance.

“Oh jeez! I thought you were going to be stuck there for a lot longer.” My Pikachu excitedly hopped off my shoulder to greet Lance, nuzzling him. I sighed, feeling a tinge of jealousy at her. I looked over again to where the press gathering was. It seemed that Karen and Will were talking to the media now. Bruno and Koga weren't anywhere to be seen, but I figured the two had their own things to take care of.

“Thankfully, I'm not. I owe Karen one; I really don't like how noisy these kinds of events are.”

“I-I see,” I said, looking again at the dark-type trainer. I could have sworn I saw her look this way and flash me a smile.

“You didn't answer the question again. Don't tell me you don't like this room either,” Lance said, playfully sulking at me.

“Oh my g--- Lance no, of course I like it! It's very pretty. I might actually come challenge the League again, just to have an excuse to come here.”

“You do know that you don't have to challenge us to come visit, right?”

“Yes.”

He sighed, reaching out for my hand, and gently held it. He pulled me a little closer, our hands hidden from view. The lining of his cape brushed against my skin, surprisingly soft.

“You okay?” I asked, tilting my head at him.

“It's nothing. I'm recharging. In fact, I think I already feel a little better,” he teased. He held up my hand to his lips, rubbing his thumb over it. He kissed the back of my hand softly, eyes twinkling with mischief as he teased me.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed at him. “You're silly.”

“You're beautiful.”

I instantly flushed red. It felt like steam was let off from how hot my face was. Even my ears felt hot, and I'm sure the blush reached down to my shoulders. I knew he was being playful, teasing me because he found it cute, but damn if he didn't mean it every time he paid me a compliment. I immediately looked down, trying to hide my face with my free hand. My Pikachu gave a concerned 'chu', bouncing back to me to gently poke my face.

“I think she's okay, Pikachu,” Lance said, laughing.

“Pika pi.”

“I really can't wait for you to see it tonight, Sarah,” he told me. I peeked my eyes out from behind my hand.

“Oh really now?”

“Yes.” He pressed a quick kiss to my head. “I'm looking forward to spending the evening with you. I know you're going to enjoy it.”

“Because I get to dress up in a pretty dress that goes floof?”

He laughed at my childish description. “Yes.”

“And because we get to do something that we don't normally do together, like dress up in formal clothes and have a totally romantic evening together, interrupted only by others because it's actually a work party?”

He laughed again. “Yes, of course. I'm especially looking forward to that.”

“You're silly.”

“And you're beautiful.”

--------

I was afraid that I might ruin anything too fancier than what I wore earlier, so I had chosen a somewhat simple dress. I twisted around in it, watching in the mirror as the skirt of it swished about. It still technically counted as formal, even if I had shown up in a purple dress that I could easily throw over my head, or stepped into, with only a few flowers or butterflies pinned to it for decoration. There was some white tulle that showed through a split in the purple shell of the skirt, giving it a flouncy look as well. It puffed out the skirt of the dress a bit as well, but overall the design was still simple. I pulled on the shoulder strap of the dress, content with my choice. Dresses looked nicer than most other clothing options, and were easier to put on than they looked. Well, usually. Plus, they were a lot of fun. My Pikachu gave me a thumbs up as she watched me twirl about.

What I hadn't planned on was a knock on the door, and a disgruntled Clair at my doorstep. The blue-haired Gym Leader from Blackthorn was dressed in a long, navy blue dress, which had a high split along the sides. A black cape with a dark red lining draped from black shoulder pads that had been puffed out, making the attachment look formal for the occasion. Her hair was still in its recognizable style, but somehow looking a bit more soft than usual. Instead of boots, she wore strapped heels, which went about as far up as her boots usually did. Overall, her outfit had a very mature vibe to it, a style that was very befitting of her, and she wore it well. I looked behind her. A Gabite that she was training held a large box. If Lance's cousin had liked me, this would have been a pleasant surprise.

“Uh... Clair, hi.” Pikachu jumped onto my shoulder, wanting to see who it was. She gave the Gym Leader a curious gaze, before holding up a paw in greeting to the Dragon-type behind Clair.

“My cousin wanted me to send this over.” Clair motioned with her head towards the box that her Pokemon was holding. I looked at it again; it was a simple white box. Not a single decoration to it nor a hint to what lay inside. I looked back at her.

“That's, uh... nice, but why did he ask you?”

“Tch. He said you might need help with it and asked me. According to him, Karen would be too busy. Otherwise, I would have much rather have her here delivering this than me.”

“Uh.... Okay then. Come on in, I guess?” I stepped aside to let her and her Pokemon through.

Her Gabite greeted me with a cheerful smile, and put the box down in the living room very carefully. Pikachu ran over to stand on the couch, looking at Gabite at its eye-level. They seemed to carry on their own cheerful conversation, and I looked back towards Clair.

“Soo.... what's in the box?”

“He said for you to open it first, before I say anything about it.”

I looked at her, raising an eyebrow, and she shrugged at me. Though she wasn't entirely cold to me like she had been when I was first dating her cousin, she still didn't like me any better now.

“Okay then.” I thanked her Gabite for carrying in the box. It was immediately sent back into its Pokeball now that its job had been done. Pikachu gave a sad sigh at the loss of her new friend. I walked over to the box over, running my fingers along its edges.

“Oh just open it already!”

“I'm trying to find an opening, instead of just tearing it open! I don't wanna ruin whatever's inside.” It must have been important enough if Lance dragged his cousin in. He knew that we didn't get along, more on her part than mine. I fished along the sides more, until I finally found the tape that held the box together. I gave it a gentle tug. It did not give.

Clair tsked at me, and offered me a pocket knife to open the box with.

“...I'm not even going to ask why you have this.”

“Just hurry up. I'm not trying to be late, and Lance won't forgive me if you're late too.”

“Fine, fine,” I said, taking the pocket knife and gently sliding it along the taped edges. I gave it back to her expectant hand, and slowly opened the box.

There was a lot of tissue paper. I reached in, feeling the contents give under me, until I finally felt something I could grab and pull out. The first thing I saw was that there was a lot of dark pink to it, almost red in hue. As I pulled the fabric out, fluffy tulle appeared in magentas, whites, and a cherry blossom pink. I held it out even further, revealing the dress in whole. I readjusted my hold on it, so that I held it up by its bodice. It was absolutely amazing.

White flowers trailed across the top of the bodice, and along the side, down across the waist and seemed to mix into the dress itself; these were further accented by pearls sewn in to the center of the flowers, at the base of each petal. I turned it around, seeing more elegant flowers trail up the back of the dress. Part of the outer skirt was pulled up along one side, revealing the many layers of tulle and chiffon underneath. These were in different colors, each a different shade of pink. Flower petals in pink decorated the dress like they had fallen during spring.

I had been silent the entire time I looked at the dress, turning it over and around, before finally holding it up against myself. Even Clair was silent as she considered the gift her cousin had given me. Its beauty had both of us, for once, in a peaceful repose as we regarded it. After a few moments of quiet, I broke the silence.

“I don't know if I should consider this a weird gift or not because I'm not used to anyone ever buying me a dress; but I've also not dated anyone other than your cousin, so, like... is this a weird gift?”

“Are you kidding me right now?! He got you a dress. For the fancy party tonight. Do you know how many girls can say that about their partners?!”

“...Yeah but is that really a compliment or--”

“Oh my Arceus, Sarah, I cannot with you right now. Just accept the damn dress, and don't make this more difficult than it needs to be.”

“I'm not trying to make it difficult, Clair! I just... never had this happen.” I looked down at the dress again, turning slightly as I still kept it held against me.

Clair let out a huffed sigh, probably trying not to strangle me for what I had said.

“It's either something he wants to see you in, or something he thought you would like.” She flicked open and shut the knife that she had. It felt like she was jealous; perhaps because someone had gotten me such a well-intentioned gift. I'm not sure if she could have said the same had happened to her before, and it wasn't she would have told me either way. In a grumble, she added, “Knowing him, it's probably both.” She cleared her throat and flicked her pocket knife shut. “Anyways, I'm supposed to help you get dressed in it. So. Let's get this over with. I'm not about to be late just because you couldn't figure out how to put a dress on.”

“Excuse you! I'm wearing a dress right now, thank-you-very-much.”

------

Clair and I had arrived at the League separately that evening. After helping me get ready (against her will), she was eager to split at the first opportunity. I couldn't say I blamed her; she probably felt like I would have upstaged her if we arrived together, given her insecurities. I also hadn't arrived with Pika, choosing instead to keep her at home so I could enjoy myself without having to keep an eye on her.

When I came back to the League, the rooms had been transformed again. Or, well, I suppose I should say that they had been decorated. Balloons, streamers, special lighting, there were all sorts of things that hadn't been there earlier that day. There were some tables and chairs in each of the rooms for people to sit and chat, or rest if they needed it. I had been worried that the dress Lance sent to me would have left me overdressed for the night, but as I arrived, I felt less conspicuously out of place, as I saw that others had taken the time to dress themselves in their finest. Perhaps the only one who hadn't was Bruno; but he still managed to wear one of those collars with a bowtie, citing that he found formal wear too constricting.

I shook my head as I walked past his room. The lava that had been in there earlier had disappeared. It seemed to be covered, for safety's sake. Regardless of what had happened, the other partygoers and I were grateful that we didn't have to walk past such heat. Instead, to help keep the tone of his room going, orange light covered the floor to simulate the lava.

The other rooms hadn't been altered as much as his for the evening. In the case of Karen's, hers hadn't seen any change beyond the furniture brought in. Her room was already designed perfectly for an evening like tonight's. I caught snippets of a conversation she was having with a previous Elite Four member, Agatha, as I looked about her room once more.

“--a bit gaudy for my taste, but it suits you!”

“Thank you, Agatha. I'm sure you don't mean that as an insult,” I heard Karen say gracefully. “I really wanted to give trainers a reason to think about what shines to them. Weak, strong, does any of that matter? If you're enjoying yourselves, if you're fighting with the Pokemon that you love, then that's not a loss at all.”

“You're starting to sound like that old duff.” Agatha gave a bark of laughter. “I'm expecting a lot out of you; don't go disappointing me.”

“I wouldn't dream of it.”

I hurried along. The main event was the Champion's room. When I had seen it earlier, it kept me in awe. Now, it looked like a scene out of a fairytale. Round tables, covered with red and gold tablecloth, paired with red chairs were placed throughout the room. With it having the largest occupancy out of all rooms prior, there was no surprise that most people were here. The battlefield had been covered with wooden paneling, making for a small dance floor for attendants. A small ensemble of orchestral music played somewhere in the room, presumably by said dance floor. I took a few steps inside, marveling at the room.

It didn't take long for Lance to find me. He probably knew that I would be off to the side, watching the crowd, or looking around. Or maybe it was because he knew what to look for, having picked out the dress that I was now wearing.

“You look beautiful,” he said to me, stopping a few paces away to admire me. I blushed, fidgeting with one of the flowers on the dress. I stopped when I realized what I was doing, not wanting to cause a single thing to fall off from misuse. I turned to look towards him, smiling nervously.

“Are you sure it's not too much--?” I paused when I saw him, in a … a very different outfit than before.

“No, I don't think so.” He came in closer, but I held out a hand to stop him for just a moment. He noticed me staring. “What?”

“I'm just... taking a moment to, um, process......” I started to say, losing track of the words as I was speaking.

There weren't many outfits a person could wear that would make me stop and stare, but the formal wear he had chosen tonight was definitely on the list. A black vest with an intricate pattern that I wanted to trace over forever with my eyes. A red, long-sleeve dress shirt, that contrasted so cleanly with the vest it was under. Neat black pants over black dress shoes. And, of course, one of his signature capes, with dragon wing clasps chained together to hold it in place. It was obvious that I was amazed by his appearance, on top of everything else. He quirked an eyebrow at me.

“Have I finally found something that you like?” he asked playfully, coming in closer to kiss me on the head.

“Um. Yes?” I squeaked when he kissed me, finally coming out of the aesthetic-induced daze.

“Good evening,” he said, kissing me again.

“Good evening.”

He held my hand and gently guided me away from the entrance of the room. I looked around the room, at the decorations, the beauty of it all. It was already so gorgeous, but now it looked absolutely magical.

Lance caught me staring. “Do you like it?”

“It's beautiful! It feels so pretty, and it's not like your previous rooms. It's really ornate, and formal. I just can't help but think about how awe-inspiring it is. And now, with the party-- and oh my gosh did you intend for it to be like this just for this party because I swear to Arceus Lance--”

He shook his head, laughing. “No, I didn't design it with this in mind. That would have been a waste of the League's resources. They never would have gone for it.”

“Well, that's true,” I said, staring again at the gold walls. “This room is bigger than it seemed before.”

“Hmm... It might be because there's more to fill it.”

“Yeah, maybe. It's just so pretty. I'd be scared to battle in here, because I wouldn't want to ruin it. How are you going to be able to do it?”

“I suppose by having a battle.”

“That's not what I meant!” I said, shrugging him off as we laughed. “Jerk. I meant how could you live with yourself, if something so pretty got damaged?”

“I swear,” he said, amused. “It seems like you like the room more than me, given your concern for its beauty.”

“What?! No, of course not!”

“I'm teasing,” he said, gently placing a kiss on my head.

I crossed my arms and pouted, blushing at him. “Don't be so mean to meeee.”

“I'm not. I'm also glad to see you wearing the dress that Karen helped me pick out.”

“Ehh?”

“What?”

“Nothing. I'm just surprised that you went out of your way to...” my train of thought started to wander off. I wasn't really sure what I had thought about it. I looked down at the dress again, twisting side to side to make it swish about. “I really like it a lot. Thank you,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. “You're really sweet, you know that?”

“I'm aware now,” he said, kissing me back. “It's always nice to hear you say it.”

Someone from the League came over, pulling Lance away so he could talk with others, particularly the League committee that had set up the event. He gave me a quick kiss, and a promise that he would be back before too long.

Finding myself suddenly dateless, I looked at all the others who were in attendance. I knew most of the League members that were there, from my own journey across the two regions that the Indigo League tied together. Misty wore a dress that looked very much like it was inspired by a Goldeen. She was chatting it up with other guys at the party. Flirting, maybe? I saw Jasmine quietly watching everyone as she leaned against a wall. It seemed that the quiet Steel-type Gym Leader was waiting for someone. A few people would come up to her to make small-talk, but she'd politely smile and wave them along. I had half a thought to join her, seeing as I was also now part of the waiting-for-someone club, but changed my mind. I didn't know her too well as it was, and I wasn't sure if a formal event like this would have been the best time to change it.

I looked around more, trying to find some other familiar faces. Clair was talking among a group of other trainers. Based off what I could tell, it seemed to be yet another situation in which she lorded her perceived superiority over others, as the men she spoke with slowly backed away. I shook my head at Lance's cousin. Maybe one day she would get it. Near the refreshments, Blaine was dressed in a red and white suit, telling riddles and laughing at his own jokes. His audience seemed mildly embarrassed, but otherwise seemed to humored the old man. Pryce, in a blue suit, was among the group who were audience to the quiz-master. He said something to the Fire-type leader, only to be rebuffed by a loud laugh.

As the room filled in more, I made small-talk with whomever approached. There were far more people in attendance at night than during the tour group this afternoon. I could hear Koga argue with his daughter as they entered. Koga had not changed out of his usual ninja garb, but his daughter wore a cute, black cocktail dress, with pink accents.

“Daaaad, please stop scaring off everyone from talking to me!” Janine was walking ahead of him in a huff, her arms crossed.

“I see the way these boys advance on you. They don't take themselves seriously, and would only hold you back!”

“It's not the boys who are holding me back here,” she said, spinning around to face her dad. “You just keep getting in the way of me making new friends!”

“You're friends with Falkner and Jasmine!”

“I said new friends, father.”

Oh boy. As amusing as it would have been to watch the rest of it, I decided to make myself scarce before either one of them tried to pull me into their family squabble again. I made my way towards the battlefield that was currently converted to a dance floor. A crowd had gathered there. They were having the various Elites give their own comments and thank yous, the speeches not unlike the ones they had given earlier. I watched as Koga slipped in to stand by Bruno, looking disgruntled.

Karen was in the middle of reiterating her words from earlier today. Her evening gown was a beautiful, glittering gold, making her look as fashionable as a movie star. It was a shame that it blended in a bit with the gold background of the room, but she somehow managed to stand out in it despite that. Applause followed as she introduced each of the league members once more. They each bowed, before Lance was finally called to the microphone. I watched, hiding my smile behind my hands as he spoke to the audience. It was longer than his speech earlier; given his role in the League as its Champion, I suppose it wasn't unexpected that he was asked to talk longer. I couldn't help but eye him as he spoke, transfixed by the splendor of the room, his outfit, the entire setting. Before I realized it, the crowd was clapping, and I gave a shy cheer, afraid of drawing too much attention to myself.

After Lance's final speech for the night, he was finally relieved of his duties as a League representative, and was free to spend the rest of the night with me. As great of a speaker as he could be, he wasn't one for spending the entire day doing photo ops, speeches, and interviews. The music slowly picked back up, playing a soft swing song that I didn't recognize. Something about waiting and sailing.

I smiled as Lance approached me. He looked socially exhausted.

“You did wonderful!” I told him, holding out my hands to him and giving him a hug.

“I hope so. I do not want to do this again anytime soon.”

“Well, there's only the 50th anniversary next decade. Maybe you could try again then?” I teased. He shook his head at me and sighed.

“This is getting to be a bit too noisy,” he told me.

“Did you wanna leave?” He shook his head at me. “If you're worried about me, I'm fine with leaving early,” I said, running my fingers along the edge of his cape. It was smooth, like the other cape from earlier, but this one shined vibrantly in the gold room.

“Sarah, could you come with me a moment?” he asked me suddenly.

“Yeah, sure.” He held my hand between both of his, and gave it a kiss. I felt my cheeks warm up, but the concern I had for him at the moment negated my usual response of complete and utter weakness at his affection. “If you want to go somewhere, Lance, I'm more than happy to go anywhere with you.”

I don't think he expected my response, because I heard him clear his throat as though he was trying to collect himself.

He held onto my hand with one of his as he led me around the room. We slipped out the back door. He led me down the hall, his hand holding mine, as we walked past doors and other halls that didn't exist before the remodel. I was curious about where we were going, but I didn't ask, since it ultimately didn't matter. I trusted him.

We reached the end of the dim hall. There was a locked door before us. I looked up at Lance, waiting to see if he had a key, or if he wasn't expecting it to be locked. He let go of my hand, and put his hand on the side of the wall. A light appeared under his hand, running up and down its length like a scanner. Something clicked, and the locked door opened inwards.

Lance gestured for me to go inside first. I gave him a curious look, as I glanced at the dim room. Faint lights were scattered about. I stepped inside; I could see fairly well what was what, and as my eyes adjusted further, I could make out picture frames that lined the wall. A couple of benches were placed in the space between some pillars, and the room ended in a faint, slowly glowing light. Recognition coursed through me as I realized where he had taken me.

“Lance, is this--?”

“Yes, the new Hall of Fame.”

Lights switched on overhead. We were now greeted by all the champions that had come before us. The Hall of Fame had always retained a quiet dignity about it, a simplicity to it. Not much had changed, keeping the tradition of a very quiet, thoughtful room, that retained the memories of all the challengers who had made it this far. It had improved a lot over the years since I had first been here, as new technology meant that it took up far less space to register and record new champions. But the changes were never much more than aesthetic. Perhaps it had undergone its most drastic change for this remodel. There was a fresh coat of paint, the walls in a dark, golden hue. I briefly wondered how long that was going to last, as it was the furthest change from tradition. After being in Lance's room, the old Hall of Fame would have been anticlimactic. I'm sure the change in design was meant to make it more exciting for any new entrants.

Lance led me over to one of the recently installed benches, and we sat down, enjoying the quiet solitude that the room provided. I nestled up next to him, as he draped his cape around us. We listened to the silent hum of a server in the room, neither of us saying anything in the minutes that followed. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his breathing become slow and gentle. The magic of the quiet ambiance that the Hall of Fame was that not even the party that went on in the Champion's room could be heard.

“It's quiet.”

“Better?”

He nodded.

“Good.” I picked up his hand and kissed it. “You deserve some peace and quiet after today.”

He kissed the top of my head, tucking me against him with his cape.

“As long as it's with you.”

We spent several more minutes like that, both getting some rest from the high energy and noisy affair that the League had put on. Conversation slowly started to fill the air, as he told me about his half of the day with the committee, trying not to bore me with the details of those meetings. I asked about it anyway, wanting him to tell me everything that I couldn't be there for. In exchange, I told him about my day. Of how I had spent the time with Janine during the day's events; how his cousin had begrudgingly helped me get ready, recounting our exchange about the dress (“Are you saying that I shouldn't have gotten you this dress?” “Absolutely not.”); about how funny it was that I had accidentally gotten involved in a parent-and-child quarrel over normal teenage things. I had left out some of the conversations I had with his coworkers, namely their fixation on us as a couple. I knew it wouldn't be something he'd appreciate. Despite his role, he was a private man, and preferred to keep things like our relationship to ourselves; hearing that his colleagues had said anything in regards to us seemed like an idea that would only elicit stress. I did have half a mind to share with him what Will had said to me, however.

“Hey,” I said suddenly. “I wonder what photo they have of me in here!” I pulled away from him, turning to look at him expectantly.

“I suppose we could look...”

I walked around the room, looking at the different photos of previous champions. Some of them I recognized as fellow challengers; others I had heard about in the news. It was such an indescribable feeling, taking the time to look at all these challengers, years and years later. Seeing photos of people I hadn't seen in years, while recognizing some that I had only met recently... The feeling was somehow nostalgic, despite the novelty of the photos. I stopped in front of one of the pictures. It had myself, a young child, surrounded with Pokemon all far larger than me. The only exception was Pika, who was on my shoulder, flashing out the victory sign. The child in the photo had the biggest grin on their face, excited at their first league victory.

“They didn't take any newer photos? I could have sworn that there were some after I was a teenager...”

“There are.”

Lance came up beside me to see the photo. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on his shoulder. “You were a cute kid.”

“Well, I guess.” I looked at the photo, at the toothy grin, and how I had hugged the trophy close to myself. I couldn't figure out what I had wanted to do in the photo, but holding it close was all I had ever really wanted to do. The victory was mine, and I had refused to let someone take it from me. A kid who had a lot of hope and spark for the future, and all of the potential to decide on who they wanted to become.

“I miss her, sometimes.”

Lance pressed a kiss to the side of my temple, hugging me tighter. I smiled, placing a hand over one of his.

“But it is what it is. Que sera, sera, right?” I gave that hopeful kid one last look, her grin as wide as her face, stars in her eyes as she tried her best to stand in place. She had no idea of the things that would come, of the people that she would meet. I blinked, tearing my gaze away, and turned my eyes towards the rest of the photos that lined the wall.

“I wanna see your league photo,” I said, suddenly breaking away from his hug to grin at him. “I never got to see it.”

“Well I never got to see yours until just now, either.”

“You've seen all the ones I've had after you became Champion.”

Lance shook his head at me, and motioned for me to follow. I clapped my hands together in joy, following him with careful excitement-- I didn't wanna risk slipping in the shoes I wore, even if they were flats. He stopped and, looking up, pointed at a photo. He tried to hide his embarrassment as I followed his gaze.

“Ahhhh!!! You were such a cute kid!!!!!!” I squealed, looking at the photo of a kid much younger than the one in my photo, looking solemn in his photo. I pointed a finger at his expression, “Did Grandpa threaten you with a task if you cracked a smile?”

“I was... A much more serious kid growing up.”

“Uh huh.”

“I thought I had to represent the dignity of the clan, and tried not to smile. Believe me, I really wanted to show more excitement.” He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Is this why you're such a dork now?”

“...Couldn't I ask the same of you?”

“Au contraire, I smiled for my photo. I had a huge grin going on.”

“Your future photos did not consist of such a big smile,” he stated. The words had flown out of his mouth before he realized what he said, and he looked apologetic. He gently pressed his shoulder against mine. I waved off what he said, not offended.

“Eh. Challenging the League started to get boring. You'd have a bored expression after your fiftieth win.”

“And that's when I stayed on as Champion, because you would have rather challenged the League than become part of it.”

“Well, unlike some people, I was not a gracious loser. You think Whitney being upset at her losses is bad? That's nothing.”

“Yes, I seem to recall you venting to me in frustration about a particularly bad loss you had when you went up to Mt. Silver to challenge Red.”

“He was unfairly strong! No one gave any warning of how big the difference was between him and the League! I thought it was gonna be another cakewalk.”

“You were full of hubris. I warned you about that.”

“Let's be real here. When am I not. You still warn me to this very day, and I still go off and do my own thing!”

We laughed. There were a lot of moments shared between us over the years, but also a lot of times where we had grown out of sight from each other, as we went on our own separate journeys as Pokemon Trainers. I honestly don't know anymore what caused our paths to cross, or for us to choose to cross paths over and over, back when we were just a couple of kids who had very different paths in mind for their journeys; but I'm glad that something clicked at some point, that kept us together, and eventually led to this point.

...I should tell him that sometime, but the thought of speaking it at that moment was just too embarrassing that I would have died.

I reached out for his hand, entwining my fingers with his. He looked at me, and I smiled, before I kissed him on the lips. When I pulled away, he looked a little confused, but recovered, smiling back at me.

“Anything I should know about that?”

“Nothing; just that I love you.”

“I love you, too.” He pulled me in for another kiss, one hand gently holding me close against the small of my back, the other behind my head. I reached up to rest my hands against the back of his neck. We exchanged kisses like that for a few moments, resting our foreheads against the other between each one.

He was the one to pull apart first. One of his hands reached towards my arm, gently pulling it down. Fingers searched out for mine, quickly and tightly entwining with mine once more. He pulled my hand close to him, like he didn't want to let me go.

“Okay. I can't wait any longer. I have one more thing to show you.”

“Mmmhmm....” I nodded, caught up in the previous moment too much to think much about his words. It wasn't long before the excitement in his words woke me from my affection-induced stupor. “….Wait, you meant to show me the Hall of Fame tonight?”

“You're a champion, too,” he told me quickly. “You don't mean to tell me that you weren't even a little bit curious?”

I looked away, trying to hide the truth. “You're not wrong...”

He pulled me further inside, towards the computer that the League used to register new champions.

“Well, this is certainly an upgrade,” I said, a little deflated and confused that this was the reason he broke off the kissing. The computer system took up far less space now, and it looked state-of-the-art brand new, but the anti-climactic detour made it difficult to care about it. He wasn't even much of a tech nerd.

“Please tell me that you did not break off kissing just to show me the computer, or I swear to Arceus, Lance, I will have Clair and everyone in the Clan find me every single baby photo of you and post them to Instagram. Don't think she won't team up with me if it meant she could get a shot at you.”

“...As tempting as it is to see you make that happen, no, that's not specifically what I wanted to show you. I-” He paused, suddenly at a loss for words. I looked at him, quirking an eyebrow as I waited for him to continue.

“I want you to trust me on this, okay?”

“...I'm listening.”

“It's... It's a new feature that's been added, and I wanted you to test it, since you've been registered here plenty of times.”

“Uh-huh....” I didn't quite buy it, but it wasn't like him to go roundabout over something or be hesitant.

“Please, place your hand over here.” He gestured to a hand scanner on the League computer system. I gave him a suspicious look, and slowly reached over to place my hand against the cool glass. The computer whirled on softly, and a light went up and down under the square pad that I rested my hand on.

>TRAINER: SARAH RECOGNIZED

>PULLING UP DATA OF LEAGUE CHALLENGER

>OVER 100 WINS RECORDED

I watched as the screen pulled up various snapshots taken of my different wins against the Elite Four and its champions, cycling through them like it often did when entering a new team into its records.

“Okay, I'm not gonna lie; this is a little bit cool, but it's not something worth forgiveness,” I told him, pouting.

“Just watch.”

“Fine, fine.”

I looked back at the computer screen, as new text appeared.

>CONGRATULATIONS, SARAH!

>GENERATING TROPHY FOR OBTAINING 100+ WINS

“A trophy?”

My eyes caught on a circular covering on the new computer desk. There was a whirring noise from under it, before the covering slid back, revealing an opening from which a small platform came up. There wasn't anything on it resembling a trophy. Instead, a small black box instead had been placed on the center of the platform. My eyes went wide. I felt my entire body jolt with energy at the sight of it, immediately knowing, and with a gasp, I yanked my hand back like I had suddenly touched a hot stove.

I held both of my hands over my mouth as I tried not to say anything.

“A-are... Are you okay?”

There's no way there's no waytheresnowaynowaynonope.

I nodded my head, then shook it, a tumult of emotions. It had to have been a trick, a prank. I desperately wanted it to not be true, because there was no way that it could be true. There was no way that he would... But it's not like he would joke about something like that, one way or the other. This was one thing that he treated with reverence, so of course it's not.... me....

I found tears welling up as my emotions crashed over me, thoughts in discord, having their own discourse over whether this was real or not, whether he meant me or not, how much any discussion of the future had actually meant anything. I wanted it to be true, I wanted to say yes before he even said anything, I wanted to wait in case it was all a misunderstanding, a trick, a psych-out. Not that he could ever be so cruel...

I heard him click his tongue.

“Shit.”

The sound of him cursing under his breath was absurd enough that it actually pulled me out of my discordant thoughts long enough to look at him. He looked... hurt? Lance was looking away, biting his lip. A hand covered his mouth as he thought. Maybe he thought--

“Oh my Arceus, no, Lance I, no-- I mean yes-- I-- Yes. But no please sweetheart I'm not... I...” I didn't know what to do so I rushed over to him, hugging him tightly, pulling his hand away and kissing him on the lips fervently. “I just. I-I wasn't expecting you to do something like that. I mean, I was hopeful, but like, I mean-- I mean, I thought you'd do the whole speech and one-knee thing and oh my gosh sweetheart no, I love you, I will happily marry you. Any time of day, any place, anywhere.”

He pulled me in for another kiss, holding me close. Tears were in his eyes, and I brushed them away as he spoke. “I thought I was going to do that too, but then-- I had a whole speech prepared, I really did, I promise.”

“You'll have to tell me it some other time.”

“I'll tell you it right now.”

“But I need time to prepare one for you, too!”

We pressed our foreheads together, laughing with relief. He placed a hand against my back, and held one of my hands with the other, dipping me as he kissed me. We broke into laughter, heads pressed against each other as he lifted me back upright.

“Aren't you supposed to do that after I've put on the ring?”

“Does it matter, when I love you?”

I felt my heart melt at the line, but the euphoria kept me going. “I love you too. I love you so much that I'm going to marry you.”

Uttering those words was more than enough to make me bury my head in his chest. “Oh my stars, I'm going to marry you. I'm getting married to you.” My face felt ticklish from joy, and I rubbed it against his vest, causing him to laugh more. He tried to pull me back so he could kiss me again.

“Nooooo,” I said, pushing into his chest again. “You can kiss me later. At the altar.” I felt the dopiest grin on my face as I started to think up all of the lines I could say now, beside myself with giddiness at the mere thought.

“I'm going to kiss you right now; I don't think I could wait another minute for the altar,” he announced, putting his hand under my chin and gently tilting my giggly face up at him.

“Okay~” I quickly placed a kiss on his lips. Fingers sifted through my hair, holding me close as we kissed. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, locking my fingers behind his neck. We stayed like that for a few moments, wrapped up in each other, in euphoria.

“Mmm--!” I pulled away from him, looking at the box, untouched on the table. “I still haven't seen it!” I let my hands fall away from his neck, resting them against his chest. He rested his head against the side of mine, a long sigh as he considered my wishes. “You did take the time to pick them out,” I said, turning to face him and give him a quick peck on the cheek. “I've got to at least see them before the moment's over. You know someone's going to notice at some point... Either that you've left without saying anything, or that we're in here. Plus, what if they're absolutely hideous? Your outfit this morning has given me a lot of concern for your fashion sense.”

He finally broke away, shaking his head as he laughed. “Okay, fine, fine. You win--”

“--As I always do.”

“We'll have to come back here and find that out sometime, now won't we?��

I hummed cheerfully at him. Taking one of his hands in mine, I turned towards the desk. The little black box sat on the small platform it had entered on. I reached towards it, but he took my hand and pulled it down.

“Nah-uh.”

I pouted at him. “How come?”

“I'm supposed to be the one to show you the rings. We're doing this part right.”

I rolled my eyes at him, bemused, with a smile on my lips. With no further complaints from me, he gave my fingers a quick kiss before letting it go so he could grab the box. I watched as he picked it up, slowly turning it to make sure that the opening was towards me. He brought it close, revealing two matching silver bands; a pair of Dragonair, each one coiled up in the shape of a ring. Bright gems were inset where the beads on a Dragonair's neck and tail typically would be. Red was used in the thinner band, and pink in the wider one. The bands were mostly flat, the only bumps where the stones were inset. Despite their appearance, these designs were not the most ornate that they could have been. But what they lacked in complexity, they made up for with a simple beauty that was reverent in its own right.

“Will you marry me?”

“Of course I will! I already said yes!” I held out my hand for him to put one of the rings on it. Lance put the box down on the counter, picking up a ring. Gently, he held my hand, slipping the ring with the red stones onto it. I looked at it, then at him, the question plain on my face.

“The red one is for you; the pink is mine. I thought it would be a nice sentiment to have the gems on our rings reflect our signature colors.”

“You just about thought of everything, didn't you?” I said wryly. I picked up the pink ring, eyeing the color wistfully before resigning myself to putting it on my fiance's hand. As I slid the ring onto his finger, I looked up at him and asked, “How long have you been planning this?”

“Long enough.”

“That's not a good enough answer, Lance.”

“This moment? I probably decided on this about a few weeks ago.”

“'This moment?' How many other ways were you going to propose?”

He gave me a mischievous smile, and placed a quick kiss on top of my head. “That's something that we'll have the rest of our lives for you to learn.”

I puffed out my cheeks. “I want to know, Lance. You can't sate my curiosity like this!”

His lips brushed against mine, tickling mine. I kissed him before he could pull away. “I mean it!” He held me close, brushing loose hairs out of my face, before kissing me once more.

“Are you trying to kiss your way out of answering me?!”

Another kiss.

“I swear--”

Kiss.

I felt my determination for an answer faltering with each subsequent kiss. He pulled one of my hands over his shoulder, his other holding me tighter against him. The words on my lips slipped, softly, weakening with every touch. Every time I tried to speak, his lips were there to block it, pushing the thoughts out of my mind until I couldn't remember what I was trying to say.

When I ran out of attempts, my brain effectively mush, his lips lingered on mine, ready for more. I found myself not wanting to leave this moment we had to ourselves. I kissed him once more; we found ourselves in no rush to leave. The party? It didn't matter anymore. We could have stayed there until morning arrived, elevated emotions and dopamine rushes making us addicted to each other. But we couldn't stay like that. If we tried, someone would have come upon us, ruining the moment, like were we a couple of teenagers who had sneaked off, instead of the young adults with our own set of titles and roles to uphold.

“Last one,” he told me, a little mournful. I shook my head, whining a little at him. I wanted to stay here with him, in this moment, embracing each other, lips barely parting lest it meant we would have to part from each other. He chuckled at my reaction, the little whine no doubt one of the little things about me that he would say was endearing. He gave me a long kiss, running his hands through my hair as I held onto him. When his lips left mine, I gave him a plaintive smile, as though to plead for more time together. Lance shook his head at me.

“C'mon,” he said. “We should get back to the party.”

-----------

There wasn't any sort of commotion when we came back. Not at first. The room had carried on without us, as it should have, not noticing that its host had left the party briefly. We walked back into the room without any attention called to us. I couldn't help but stifle a giggle as we left our private moment back in the Hall of Fame, no one the wiser. The entire time we kept our hands held together, not wanting to let go of the other for a moment.

But I couldn't say that absolutely no one hadn't noticed that we had been gone at all. Among Lance's colleagues at the league, Karen was the first to approach us when we integrated back into the room.

“You disappeared on us!” Karen walked over, a spirited laugh in our direction. She looked at me, smiling. “I was really looking forward to talking to you. And the dress! It looks as lovely on you as I imagined it would.”

I tried to hold back a nervous laugh, getting the sense that she knew something was up. Lance held my hand tight. I looked down at the dress, trying not to say anything too obvious about what had happened, and instead decided to focus on the gown.

“Ah--! Thank you. Um. I think Lance said that you helped pick it out? Thank you.”

“Of course, of course, it was no problem at all~!” she waved off the compliment. “I knew pink would be your color! Though, I suppose Lance might have known that much,” she added, giving him a knowing look.

He gave a resigned sigh. “Okay, Karen. What do you want to know?”

“Fufufu~ Was I that obvious?”

“Unfortunately.”

Karen suddenly grabbed my left hand, looking at it with an appraising eye.

“H-Hey!”

“Ha! I knew it! Bruno!” Karen called out across the room, waving at him. At Karen's call, we turned our heads, seeing him looking back our way. “You won again!”

We groaned in unison. Of course there was another pool. Fortunately for us, anyone in the crowd who heard her would have no idea what they were going on about. That didn't make it any less embarrassing.

“I swear, that man has all the luck...”

I pulled my hand back from her, pointedly rolling my eyes at her. As I did so, Lance put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me towards him protectively. I looked up at him; his eyes were narrowed, unamused at Karen. I sighed, leaning into him. He didn't like calling attention to our relationship like that; and I could tell that he was trying to give Karen a warning not to cross that line.

“Just please don't make another betting pool,” I told her, trying to ease the growing tension.

“I can make no promises, but I'll make sure that we leave you two alone for a while~” she said, teasing us. “Congratulations, to the both of you.”

“Thank you.”

“Goodbye, Karen.”

The rest of our evening went by rather uneventfully. Other guests had come up to us to talk; I enjoyed listening to them compliment Lance on the room's design, nodding enthusiastically whenever they pointed out a detail that we both enjoyed. A couple of them had asked if I had any hand in helping the design process, and I had to shake my head, gently playing off the idea that I could have helped. Whenever there was a conversation that I couldn't find myself a part of, I would look around the room, watching the other people in attendance. At one point, I saw Jasmine and Janine walk off together, hand in hand. I briefly wondered if Koga had noticed his daughter's disappearance.

Though it had been a long day, we stuck around, enjoying ourselves. He was now free to leave the event if he desired, but he stayed, letting me enjoy the evening. Even if it was for something as silly as getting to be in a pretty dress, in a pretty room, with the person I loved, who also was dressed up in pretty clothes. He spoiled me way too much.

At some point, we found ourselves lingering near the music that was playing. Maybe because it was later in the evening, but the music playing was something slower than what played earlier in the evening, something smoother. I gazed out onto the area that had been set aside for guests to dance. Even though it covered a section of what would otherwise have been the Pokemon battlefield, it still felt somewhat small. I eyed the people lingering nearby, watching them dance together, a wistful feeling bubbling up inside of me. Lance seemed to have caught my gaze, for he suddenly asked me if I wanted to dance.

“What? No, no, not really. I mean, it probably would be nice, but I'm not really... interested.”

“C'mon. Consider it practice for our wedding.”

I felt my face flush red at the comment. I quickly looked away in a huff, hearing him laugh at my reaction. He held my hand and gently tugged, pulling me towards the crowd of people.

“I hope you know that I'm not very good at this.”

“I remember.”

“I mean it! I still don't have any rhythm.” I pouted as he turned around to face me, pulling me close to him so I was up against his chest. This was probably the closest we had been in public at the event, and I'm sure it showed by the blush on my face. The song that played was about two lovers, resisting the urge to kiss; as though in sync with the song, Lance gave me a quick kiss on the lips.

I tried everything in my power to resist rolling my eyes. The music was so old, and I wasn't much of a dancer to boot. The thought of being on a dance floor burned at my self-confidence. I wasn't very good at it, in any capacity, and I wasn't sure which was worse: being a terrible dancer, or being a terrible dancer that might embarrass their partner at a public event they were a part of. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of these thoughts and doubts, to focus back in on the moment. I couldn't be self-conscious about it, if the person I loved didn't care about that, right?

The song changed to something slower now. The singer's voice rang out clearly, romantically, singing of an immutable love. Lance put an arm around me, his hand pressing gently against my back as he kept me close. I blushed at the touch, momentarily flustered before I remembered to put my hand on his shoulder. He rested his head against mine, a smile on his lips as the song played.

I buried my face against the crook of his neck, blushing softly as we swayed. The music played slowly, like a gentle wave that guided us across the dance floor. There was a comfort in the old music; something nostalgic, romantic. I soon found myself relaxing in the arms of my fiance. He held onto my other hand, guiding it to his shoulder with all the care in the world. He kissed it very gently. I looked at him, face red, only to see nothing but love and adoration in his expression. I quickly buried my head against his neck again, face hot. I could feel him laugh, pressing a quick kiss to my temple.

“You're doing better than last time,” he told me.

I groaned, burying my face into his shoulder. My hand rested against his chest, and I gently traced the embellishments on his vest. I still found myself stumbling a bit, tripping when I was thinking too hard about the steps, but he held onto me, laughing gently and catching me whenever that happened. Somehow I hadn't managed to step on his cape, but it felt like a matter of time. I sighed.

A thought popped into my head. I poked my face out from where I kept it hid.

“Wait... Does this mean that I'll have to take dance lessons for the wedding?”

He laughed at me, nuzzling me softly. “What did you think we'll do at the wedding?”

“I-I don't know!! Say 'I do'? I didn't think that far along!”

“Oh?” He gave me a bemused look, and I turned away, looking out into the sea of other dancers.

“I mean, of course I thought about how nice being married might be, and I wondered about a proposal, maybeimaginedafewdifferentones, but I mean... I didn't think about the actual thing.”

“Hm...” He gave me a thoughtful pause, before speaking again. “So does that mean that there's no dress in mind? No venues? Anything?” He prodded about for ideas.

“Oh stars no. Arceus help me, everything looks way pretty to me for me to decide.” I sighed, resting my head against his shoulder. I wanted all of the beautiful displays, and all of the dresses were so nice in so many different ways, and the flowers, and having to pick and choose just one or two... Plus...

I tilted my head back to look up at him again. What would he want? Shouldn't weddings be a compromise? I let out another sigh, letting my eyes wander until they rested on our held hands. I gently turned his hand towards me, looking at the ring that he now wore. I traced over it with my thumb, admiring the beauty of it, the pink stones bright under the room's lights.

Well. With someone so thoughtful, maybe compromise wouldn't be so hard. I entwined my fingers with his, rubbing my thumb over his hand. As I grew silent, I listened to the song, its gentle sway guiding my mind to peace. I found myself echoing its simple sentiments.

Our love was here to stay.

#champion lance #pokemon #pokemon lance #self ship #pokemon self ship #writing #fanfic #i'm bad at these summary things so i do apologize i don't normally post stuff like this #pokemon fanfic #also please leave me all ur thoughts and feels and reactions #that's all i want #to hear back from you #tell me your favorite things or things that made you groan or whatever #PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK LIKE THAT #-

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