αησтнєя נσυяηєу, αησтнєя ρяσвℓєм

[Raerae]

Red chuckled, "Don't sell yourself short, Ari. They're just titles. We're still the goofballs you traveled with a few years back." He was proud of Ari, just because she hadn't taken the top trainer route didn't mean she'd not done well for herself. She just kept her options open, and had quickly taken to blogging as a career choice. Red himself wasn't one for the internet, but he did indeed read and catch up on her posts whilst on that snowy peak of Mt. Silver.


He listened to her speak, acknowledging her words with a nod and then letting his gaze fall back to the diverse group of trainers. Red himself wasn't really the type to give autographs and take pictures, so he politely declined most inquisitions aside from introducing himself and shaking a few hands. Pikachu mirrored its trainers reactions, a competitive glint in its round, black eyes as it awaited potential challengers.


"Its a pleasure," Red responded to the young man. He'd missed his name, had he even offered one? Pika growled a little as it caught the scent of the Linoon, but other than that it was just revving up for battle.


"Alright, buddy, let's show'm what makes a champion and his team, yeah?" He grinned and watched the mouse hop off his shoulder, instinctively dashing towards the clearing they'd use to battle, sparking yellow and blue, a golden light in the night, amongst a background of towering green trees, and a shadowed, grassy field.


He eagerly, yet silently, awaited Blue and Ari's decision on their battle partner. Naturally, he was I interested in this dark haired fellow, and as the man sent his Linoon to the clearing, he knew this young man had more up his sleeve than the average trainer would catch on to.


"Who's the ref?" He asked loudly, catching most everyone off guard as he'd remained silent for so long. He had an air of authority in his voice, one that even their Pokémon responded to.

 

[juuchanisu]

Aradia laughed at how excited Red is, clipping off one her pokemon's pokeball and throwing it onto the field. Her beautiful starter came out with a flash, his serious eyes glinting with anticipation. It has been awhile since Ari had sent him out against a battle. Ari looked at her opponent's pokemon: Skarmory flying right beside a sneaky Linoone and on the other side a strong, yet proud looking Absol stood beside the small pokemon.


"My, you guys look strong indeed," she smiled, biting her nail with a smirk. She winked at the three, "Can't wait to battle against you three~" she purred, then turned to a girl who volunteered to be the ref. She thanked her with a smile then turned to Blue.


Blue smirked, his hands still in his pocket until he grabbed his own pokeball throwing it onto the field. His large, jolly Arcanine appeared with fierceness and ready for a battle. He growled at his opponents. "First move, Ari? After all, you're the one who started it. I think it should be you to start that actual battle~" Blue smiled.


Aradia smiled at him, "Mhm. Sure, why not? Chiko, let's began the battle with Petal Blizzard!" The Meganium gave a loud growl, as pink petals began to surround him, aiming for the three targets in front of her. Ari turned to Blue and Red with a wink, "Let's win this battle, eh?"


Blue nodded, "Yeah, why not?"

 

[Raerae]

If there was anything Red knew about battling, it was that having a triple meant there were various combinations between you and your partners pokemon. He took a moment to watch as Chiko formed his petals, both nostalgic as he remembered when it was just a Chikorita, and strategizing to see how Red would add to it. He then appraised Arcanine, who towered over the two, with a sleek coat and a menacing growl that proved Blue had been training as hard as ever.


"Pika, charge yourself!" He said just loud enough for his comrades and Pikachu to hear. The mouse nodded and began to fade in a sphere of electricity. As it did so, the Skarmory and its trainer found it to be the perfect time for brave bird. With its metal enveloped in a collision of cerulean and silver, it shot up into the air, wind currents whooshing and whirring as its blades clashed with the crisp, night air. It was coming down fast, despite the hurl of petals that sliced past it, wings like knives dicing the leaves with little trouble.


Red shook his head, "That was a little rash, wasn't it? Pika, use thunder!"


'Pika!!' It cried.


With miraculous speed, the atmosphere shifted, and from a sudden swirl of thick, storm clouds about thirty feet above, a magniloquent lightning bolt shot down, momentarily blinding all combatants, and crippling the Skarmory with awe striking ease just as it'd reached Pika, its electric currents resonating off the ground and crackling like a firework.


The Linoon hadn't strayed too far, both itself and the Absol trying to avoid the petal blizzard, with no success. Linoon faultered in the oncoming wave of petals. The Absol whipped up a decent razor wind, and with a whip of its head sent a blast of air straight toward Chiko and Arcanine. Linoons speed was impressive as it leapt back and forth with practiced grace, but was also obviously damaged from Chikos blow.


Red trusted Ari and Blue to go after them, his eyes focused on the Skarmory who, although a flying type, was also metal, so it wasn't taken down right away despite the power of Pikas charged thunder. He also knew it'd head for Chiko, so he taunted both the pokemon and the trainer, relentless in his distraction.


"Skarmory, steel wing!"


"Volt tackle, Pikachu!"

 

[juuchanisu]

Aradia glanced at Red who stood beside her and smiled. He was bouncing with energy and the need to battle. You could see how excited he was going against quite strong trainers. Talking about battling, Ari turned her attention back onto the battle and grinned, "Chiko, Body Slam on the Absol!" she commanded, pointing toward the Absol.


The green dinosaur-like pokemon gave a firm nod as he ran toward the Destruction pokemon with such speed, slamming into the unexpected Absol with such force, throwing the pokemon across the field. Blue smirked.


"Good job, Ari. You actually can battle," he laughed, then turned to his Arcanine. "Arcanine, Aerial Ace! Slow down Skarmory then aim for Linoone with Iron Tail!"


"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!" Aradia shouted, glaring at the gym leader. He just gave her a smirk, and shrugged. Huffing Ari turned back to the battle, "Chiko! Solar Beam!" she called out.


The large canine growled and dashed toward the flying Skarmory with such speed, jumping off the ground and zooming toward the flying pokemon with speed. The Skarmory's Steel Wing disappeared as the pokemon screeched in pain. Arcanine passed the Skarmory, and barked with pride as Pikachu tackled at the flying pokemon in midair, taking out the steel pokemon with ease. Arcanine was back on the ground his tail glowing silver as he prepared for an Iron Tail.


"Now we only have Linoone," Aradia grinned.

 

[Raerae]

Linoon seemed to be quite alert it was the only Pokemon left, glancing in between the three, then back to its master, who was very quiet. His piercing gold eyes took in everything, analyzing tactics, strategy, and the team work. He mirrored disgust as the other trainers faltered at his sides, shaking his head in disappointment before stepping onto the field and urging his Pokemon back to him. He felt he angry quiver of Pokemon ready to burst on his belt.


"I do know when I'm out numbered, wouldn't want to take unnecessary risks," He said gently, though his voice held foreshadowing. Linoon made its way back onto his shoulder, it's fluffy beige tail draped around his neck.


"I do appreciate having the oppritunity to battle against you three. But seeing as I've no partners, I fret I must forfeit form the sake of my Pokemon." He gave a slight bow, a forced polite gesture. Linoon simply stared at them, bright blue eyes focused and sharp. An air of knowing swirled around the tsl, it was unnerving.


"Good day," He nodded, and after a moment of silence, from the sky came a Salamence, larger than average and its eyes gleaming. IG roared in a sort of greeting. He mounted the back and met the gaze of the trainers once more. "I'm Levy, by the way. We will meet again, rest assured."


He mumbled something against the sudden gust of wind, and was quickly off into the night sky, ignoring the quizzical glances and glares from everyone below.


"...That was a little anti climatic," Red murmured, feeling a sense of weariness wash over him.


"How dare he just leave like that!" One girl shouted.


"Who cares? He was going to lose and he knew it!" An ace trainer shouted.


"You three were so obviously going to win anyways!" Said a younger woman eagerly, "Wow, Ari! You're so talented! You should be a gym leader!"


"And Chiko is so cute!"


"Pikachu, too!"


"Ugh, so is Blue!"


"That Arcanine is incredible!"


The crowd continued to adorn them. Red shared puzzled glances with his friends, his mind still on Levy. What was he really here for? He almost seemed okay with losing. Like he'd...expected it.

 

[juuchanisu]

The strong winds of Salamence made Aradia cover her eyes to block out the cool air as her hair swished around in a frenzy. Lowering her arms, amber eyes gazed at the retreating Salamence and the trainer upon him. "...Levi, he said was his name?" Ari asked quietly to Blue and Red. Blue gave a stiff nod.


"Anti-climatic is right," Blue laughed. He turned to his Arcanine and stroked his warm fur, feeding him a small Pokemon Berry Cube to him in gratitude. "Great job, Arcanine. You deserve a rest," he smiled, returning his large canine dog back to the ball. Before the dog left however, he managed to lick his trainer's cheek, who scowled in disgust.


Laughing, Aradia thanked her fans. "Thank you guys, but don't be rude. The Star Fandom isn't rude, are they?" They all chimed in with a no, making Ari smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed the battle, and thank you two for such an amazing battle. I hope to see you all again soon, but Blue, Red and I must leave for now. I'll see you all at the concert, okay?" Ari smiled, waving at her fans. Blue gave one lasting wink before following Aradia who was leaving the scene.


The brunette male threw his hands up in his hair and grinned, "That was such an amazing battle! They didn't land a scratch on us!" He cheered as the three were walking back to the city.


"Quite a battle, must I say. Though, I wish our opponents were stronger. I miss having such an exciting battle," Ari laughed. She turned to Blue and Red, "What would you guys want for dinner? You're paying for me, since you guys have a lot of money from your jobs," she grinned, sticking her tongue out. She then glanced at Red and smiled, falling back so she walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him. "Did you enjoy the battle?" she asked, leaning towards him unconsciously.

 

[Raerae]

Red agreed with both of his friends statements. No battle goes unappreciated, but he couldn't deny the disappointment that it'd n it only ended, but the last opponent had forfeited. However, he could respect that he didn't pit his Pokemon in such circumstances.


Why do I feel, thought that that Linoon could have been a real adversary?





He was so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed at first Ariada's proximity. It wasn't until that sweet scent of hers filled his nose, and his breath breezed against his skin, that he noticed her leaning towards him, and instantly, his skin flushed.


"What?" He mumbled, fumbling for an answer until he heard her repeat it. "I did. I just..." He turned and offered her a smile, "I think we should be weary of Levi. He was a little too polite, and his Linoon looked stronger than we gave him credit for."


'Piiii,' the mouse rolled its eyes, obviously not threatened.


"Don't get cocky buddy," Red said with a grin, and tried to fight the warmth that spread on his neck. God, why did he get this way? He didn't act nearly this bad when they started out! Then again... Ari had grown since then.


"Lets eat Italian," Red suggested, but it wasn't a solid idea, despite the fact that once they reached the city, he was heading towards the restaurant nearest them.

 

[juuchanisu]

"Alrighty!" Ari chirped as she walked beside Red. She reached over and stroked Pikachu with her gentle fingers, smiling as she played with him. Blue, however, snickered at the fact at how flustered Red got in a matter of minutes, his eyebrow raising as he watched Ari and Red.


Hmm...he should play matchmaker, shouldn't he? After all, he did manage to pry the secret that Ari liked Red as well...well more like loved Red. Snickering again, he fell back so he was on the other side of Red and leaned in to Red's ear level. "You should be careful. You're face is bright red," he teased.


Ari, hearing the last part of the whisper, looked up and frowned. "Yeah, your face is bright red. Kinda like your eyes...are you sick or something?" she asked as she stopped in front of Red and leaned in to aspect him closer.


Blue laughed gently at the scene, Ari is always worrying over Red.

 

[Raerae]

"Red? Sick? Nah," he said bashfully, shoving Blue to the side and pushing through the front doors to the restaurant. "It... It's just the climate. Cold, hot, ya know," He shrugged it off and requested a table.


"For three?"


"Right."


"Right this way, sir," said the waitress, and briskly she lead them to a place to sit.


"Butt out Blue," Red whispered with a sigh, knowing full well his rival would happily tamper with his affections for their companion. He plopped down on his chair, hastily grabbing a menu and pretending to be enjoyed engrossed in his order, ignoring his rivals incredulous stare.

 

[juuchanisu]

Blue gave a dry laugh as he followed Red and Ari to the table. Pulling out a chair as well, he settled down while grabbing the menu, sending stares at his rival as he did so. Aradia watched the interaction between the two boys before giving a soft chuckle, seating herself between Red and Blue. She grabbed her own menu and read whatever what is on.


"Hmm, are you guys excited? First day already and we had a great battle, tomorrow a concert and a meet-and-greet!" she grinned, bouncing slightly in her seat. Once the waiter had come around for drinks, Ari ordered a simple italian soda while Blue ordered coke. Folding her hands in her lap, Ari glanced up at Red with a grin, "I can't wait to see how cool Hoenn is. It's so beautiful in Slateport, I wonder how beautiful it is in other areas?" she grinned.


Blue nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Yeah. Hoenn is different that Kanto, that's for sure. But that's a good thing," he laughed. He nudged Red, "Right Reddie?"

 

[Raerae]

"Right, Bluezie," Red responded, shooting the male a look before deciding to loosen up. He could trust Blue not to make an issue of things tonight, couldn't he? He pondered on this as he played with the straw in his soda glass, smiling softly as Ari babbled on, bubbly and excited.


"It'll be great, Ari," He mumbled back genuinely, his cap shadowing his eyes that mirrored fondness briefly. "We'll scale the entirety of Hoenn, all the way to Sootopolis if we can."


His mind flashed to Levi. The others may have brushed the man off, but Red was incredibly intrigued by him. Red knew a worthy opponent when he saw one. That battle would have been a real treat, and from the looks of that Salamence, not at all an easy win, even for the champion himself!


Soon they were asked to place their orders. Red asked for spaghetti and cheesy bread, and proceeded to take in their surroundings as they conversed and reminisced. They made plans of where to hit of first, Blue suggesting Rustboro for the firm gym. It was a great idea, although Red wondered if it'd even be a challenge.

 

[juuchanisu]

As Aradia made her order, Chicken Alfredo, the girl turned back to her two best friends.


Blue grinned, "Yeah, Rustboro has a rock-type gym. Like the league says, all gyms has a set of three different teams. I'm sure the GYM leader will be a quite a challenge," the brunette said. Then gave a dry chuckle, "I hope at least."


The ginger beside them nodded, her ginger locks swaying. "Then from Rustboro, we can hit off there. I believe though, we'll need to take a trip to Rustboro to Slateport then back to Rustboro...." she said, her voice coming out a bit confused at the end. "Right?"


The gym leader laughed, "It's Slateport to Rustboro to Slateport, you doofus." He corrected, flicking Ari's forehead. She flinched with a small 'ow' and glared at the brunette before turning to Red.


"Does that sound good?"

 

[Raerae]

"Definitely sounds good. We'll be kept busy for months, I'd like to think," Red said with mirrored interest, acknowledging the waiter as their food was brought to them. Steaming plates of gourmet eatery snatched his attention away, though traveling and battles intrigued him, food was an entirely separate, and equally as pivotal, matter.


"These guys are quivering," He gestured towards his belt, and the balls visibly trembled in response to being acknowledged. "They want a battle so bad, I'm sorry for whoever gets in their line of fire when the real battling starts," He said with a bit of smugness, but the three could all agree Red's team would easily destroy anyone who wasn't of their level. Few actually attained that rank. He thought back to that Salamence with curiosity, and then further back to that Flygon, wishing he'd gotten to challenge it right then and there.


"After your meet and greet, we'll really engage in trainer activities," And by that, the raven haired male meant battling.

 

[juuchanisu]

Laughing, Aradia nodded. "Alright, but Red don't have such high expectations," she grinned, nudging the male trainer with her shoulder gently. "We've might have seen such amazing pokemon, don't think all trainers in Hoenn are like that. Though, I am quite excited to see what Hoenn has in store for us!" The ginger grinned.


Blue laughed, "You guys are so...weird," he smiled. "So we have it then? We'll travel through Hoenn, challenge the champion and win over Hoenn?"


"No, not like that. Just a simple travel," she laughed. "A journey with all of us," she grinned. "I hope we meet new people too!"

 

[Raerae]

Red nodded in response to Ariada, but truthfully he'd always have high expectations, it's just how he was when it came to his passions. "Sure, just a travel," The male nodded, but grinned brightly at his rival. "But if you want to challenge the League and reign Champ, I'm behind you all the st. I've got my title, and I'm satisfied, for now. But who knows? You might actually knock out Wallace and Steven and take the title for yourself! You'd hardly see your grandfather, though."


He mentioned the last part thoughtfully, as he knew all too well how rarely he saw his own mother and other companions. Hopefully, that'd change soon. At least he was here with his closer friends, right?


"I think Ari is more interested in ribbons anyways, which we have plenty of time to acquire, too," He added, referring to the coordinator lifestyle. He pushed his plate away after he'd cleared it, sipping gingerly on his drink as he eyed the two of them.


"You guys ready to head back? Should probably get some rest, you'll knees strength to strategize these next two days for your contest," he told Ariada. He then looked to his rival, "You and I can hang back as support while she does, I guess."

 

[juuchanisu]

Blue laughed, "I wasn't serious, Red. Though, so far Hoenn is a great place. I would love to be champion." Then his voice faltered at the mention of his family. The brunette was always so busy with his gym leader duties that he never had time to visit his mother or companions. Biting on his lower lip, "I rather not leave my grandfather by himself with his lab. After all, I think it's about time I take over the Oak lab," he joked.


Aradia grinned as she rested her fork on the empty plate, "Ribbons? Of course! I mean gym badges are cool and all, but having a ribbon to prove that my Pokemon are beautiful and well-cared is a bit more precious to me anyways," she laughed. It was rare for the girl to have any ribbons of the sort, seeing as she lived in Kanto and Johto where there wasn't any contests, well at least rarely. She had a few ribbons from the region-jumping contests.


The girl turned to her two best friends before nodding, setting down some money for the waiter and the total of the meal. She grabbed Red's and Blue's hand and tugged them out of the restaurant with a smile. "Hoenn is gonna be great!" she grinned.

AriiStar's Journal: The Adventure in Hoenn with Blue and Red!


Entry Date: July 21st, xxxx @ 8:21 P.M.

Last Note Before My First Day in Hoenn Ends


Uuuuuuuwah! Hoenn is such a beautiful place! With so many beautiful trainers, contests and everything! You guys know how I never actually got to do real contests, only the region-jumping ones? Now I can! Mum, I bet you're proud of me (: ((CALL ME BTW))


Anyways, Red, Blue and I are in the hotel, while I'm actually grooming some of my pokemon while typing this.


It's kinda hard actually.


But I'm having so much fun here in Hoenn! I got two whole days until he contest starts, so everyone competing, get ready! You're all gonna lose >


anyways, good night lovelies! Until next time
​

 

[Raerae]

Two days of tourism and exploring had passed. Red, Blue and Ariada had literally sought out every spot of Slateport, spending extra time encouraging Ari's contest training so she'd nail the coming contest, though there was little doubt she wouldn't. Her Pokemon were energetic, jubilant, like her, and after scoping out the competition, Red and Blue decided she'd do just fine.


It was a bright and sunny afternoon, not something Red was even remotely used to yet, so unlike his rival, he stood under the shade of a towering oak, wiping his moist forehead. He'd been hot enough to where he slipped his cap in his bag, reluctantly of course, but it was just overbearing. He'd also gone in a simple t-shirt and shorts today, ditching the usual league imprinted vest and matching gloves, as well as leaving his comfort zone.


Pikachu sat with a lethargic posture on his shoulder, fanning itself with a leaf that'd fallen from above.


"Today's the big day, Ari," Red told her, but he knew she was well aware. She'd chatted about it excitedly and flooded her blog with pre-contest pictures, mostly revolving around her outfit which he'd yet to see. He nearly blushed at the thought of Ariada rolling herself up, but he'd refrain, as his rival was already hinting and becoming invasive, and Red wouldn't fuel those notions.


"It'll be great," he said, genuinely curious, but as a guy, contests didn't excite him quite like the adrenaline of a battle. He nudged his rival. "Right, Blue?"

 

[juuchanisu]

Blue, who kinda snored off as he watched his best friend train her pokemon for the contest today, awoke suddenly his eyes wide and drool on his chin. "W-what?" he said, a bit sleepy. He turned to his rival, then blushed in embarrassment when he realized he had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Wiping the saliva off his chin he glanced up to Ari who had found out he was sleeping and stifling her giggles.


Because of the hot atmosphere, Blue and Ari, along with Red had dressed up apporiately for the contest. Ari had her hair pulled into a high ponytail, (which was hard considering her hair frames her face and barely touches her shoulders), and a few clips here and there to pin the extra locks back and her bangs to the side so she was able to see her pokemon's moves. She wore a simple sky-blue tank-top, her white sports bra able to be seen from underneath the fabric if you looked hard enough. Fluttering around her thighs was a short red skirt, and underneath was her favorite black glameow tights and simple flats. Blue was wearing a blue tang-top and his favorite brown shorts, changing out of his adventure shoes into flip-flops knowing they won't be travelling until after the contest.


Aradia turned to Red with a big grin, "I can't wait! Though, we'll have to go in soon. I still need to get ready," she laughed, her small ponytail bouncing in the back at her quick movements. She turned to her pokemon, who looked a bit worned out. "And they need a rest. They need to be at their best in order to move on to the next round and win the contest!"


Blue yawned, with a small laugh escaping his lips. "You are just a ball of energy," he said, his face expression relaxed as he leaned his head back to rest on the tree trunk behind him. "No wonder why Red likes you. You two are alike in a way," he stated, which resulted in Ari's face blasting into flames.


"W-what does that mean?!" she cried out, her eyes widen.


"Noooothing~" Blue grinned mischeviously as he glanced at Red in the corner of his blue eyes.

 

[Raerae]

"Err..."


Red rubbed the back of his neck and averted their gazes, wincing a little as he racked his brain with a response. He knew Blue wasn't the kind of person to let this die out, he'd keep provoking it until the truth became totally obvious.


Crimson eyes cast on the ground, the male mustered up a half hearted smile, deciding to play it off as if it weren't a big deal. "Of course I like Ariada," he shrugged it off, clutching Pikachu, who stayed curious and quiet, to his chest. "She's part of the team. Least she's not prone to nap time like you."


He rolled his eyes and kept his gaze elsewhere, before finally they locked with Ari's, and he tugged his cap down a little to shadow the heat that just lightly spread across his cheeks, giving a pink hue to his pale complexion. There was no way he was confessing right now. They had time... And he didn't have the nerve.


'Piiii...' Pikachu sighed with annoyance, ears twitching slightly.


When Blue has his first real crush, oh, it's on. I'm so going to torture him as payback.


Save the world? No problem.


Beat the league? Done.


Complete the Pokedex? Child's play.


Confess his feelings? He was a Houndoom with it's tail between it's legs. Even in his early twenties, Red just... hadn't had a lot of experience in that area. Girls threw themselves at him all the time, he just didn't care. This time it was different, but that didn't make it any easier.


Just as Blue seemed ready to continue, Red checked his Pokenav and abruptly stood up, forcing a grin and nodding towards the city. "Contest starts in half an hour, don't wanna miss it, do you?" He asked quickly, and, shoving his hands in his pockets, briskly started towards the contest hall.

 

[juuchanisu]

Blue laughed at how nervous and fidgety he made him become. Brushing the insult off, he got up and pulled his hands behind his head and nodded. "Yeah, let's get going–"


"Half an hour?! Why didn't you bother to tell me that earlier?!" Ariada cried out as she returned her pokemon, then dashed back to the hotel to get ready. But before she left, Blue manage to see the pink blush that was dusting her cheek. He gave another laugh as he followed, slowly behind Ari. He nudged Red.


"You could've confessed, you know," he teased.


- - (useless for a bit. I just like to write out routines for some reason xD )


Meanwhile, Ari had reached the hotel within two minutes, thanks to her speed and ran up to her own room, unlocking the door then closing it. She pulled her ginger locks out of the ponytail and unclipped all of her pins. Stripping out of her outfit, the girl jumped into a shower and took a quick shower, sighing in relief as the lukewarm water hit her skin.


It wasn't long for the girl to be done in the shower, blow dry her hair and put some lotion on to smooth out her skin. She quickly pulled on her dress she decided to wear for the contest. The light-pink silk fabric reached down to her knees, and if she spun around it would flutter around. Since Ariada wasn't big on make-up, the girl had just simply put on concealer to work as her foundation and to hide some things. Then, she put on a soft brown-color eyeliner and mascara on. It wasn't much, but the focus wasn't on her; it was on her pokemon. Finishing it off with a soft pink lipstick, the girl moved onto her hair (which she was glad wasn't much).


The girl brushed through it quickly, then braided a small lock of her hair, pulling it back to meet halfway. She pinned it with the same color ribbon as her dress. Finally, the girl was done. She took a quick picture of herself for her blog then grabbed her pokeballs to put on the stickers. Smiling gently, she smiled as she kissed the top of her pokemons. "Let's do our best okay?" she smiled.


A knock sounded from her door. "Ari? You ready? Contest starts in a few!" Blue's voice sounded from the other side of the door.


"Okay! I'm coming!" she called out as she grabbed her bags, slipping in her pokeballs. She pulled on her black flats that matched her dress and exited the room, meeting Red and Blue. "What do you think?" she asked, twirling around.


"Cute," Blue commented with a small smirk. "Pink looks good on you," he laughed.


"Thank you!"


- - -

AriiStar's Journal: The Adventure in Hoenn with Blue and Red!


Entry Date: July 23st, xxxx @ 2:23 P.M.


Contest Start!


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE CONTEST STARTS IN A FEW! I'm so excited! Guawahh!! You guys don't know how exictnig this is. I haven't been in a contest since forever! I can't believe it. Scroll down if you want to see my dress !! I seriously love it so much and thanks to mum who made it for me! (still waiting on that call mum)


Anyways, I hope to see you Hoenn people at the contest! You better be SCREAMIN' for me! alright goodies, I gotta go!


Love you
​

 

[Raerae]

The boys waited whilst Ariada finished grooming herself. Pikachu had actually decided to take a nap in its pokeball until the contest actually started, so it was just Red and Blue in the hallway of the hotel, leaned against opposite walls, nodding awkwardly to residents that walked by.


Red didn't respond to Blues comment about confessing, but the weary look he gave the man must've said something. Red knew the opportune moment to say how he felt would come, and when it did, it's seem totally perfect in its stride. The moment was not going to be provoked by Blue's inability to keep a secret. That just wasn't how Red wanted it to go down.


But... how did he want it to go down?


He tugged at the decline of his t-shirt, shaking his head as if the thoughts would fly off with that motion. He didn't want the journey to revolve around something that silently antagonize him. When it was supposed to happen, it would.


As Ariada stepped out, Red flashed a bright grin, pushing his previous conflicting farther back in his mind to bother him later. He gave a silent nod, and then complimented her as Blue did.


"Beautiful," He managed to say, but the word felt odd on his tongue as he'd only really ever complimented his mother that way. "You'll be a knock out. Though I'm sure you know that," He gave her a bashful smile before cocking his head towards the exit. "Let's go get some front row seats, Blue. Maybe, if we're lucky, you'll get hit with an ice beam."

Despite his previous complex, Red loosened up a little when they stepped back outside. It was a little later in the afternoon, the weather still a little muggy, but getting crispy and cold quickly, as they were right beside the ocean. He could hear the distant boisterous horn of an oncoming ship, distant Wingull and Taillow crying from the treetops, and hear the excited chatter of a gradually growing Crowe, spread out around the, now illustrious, contest hall.

(Slateport doesn't have a contest hall. Soooo we're making this up, I guess. )


--


"Wow, what a turn out," He whistled, having a flash back to the league. It was desolate there, hardly anyone made it that far, thus there wasn't a need for an audience.


"Have fun, Ari."

 

[juuchanisu]

Laughing gently, Ariada thanked Red, before moving onto the room where only the contestants may enter. Blue watched her with a gentle smile before turning to his rival. He glinted mischievously, "Did your heart go doki-doki when you saw her?" he teased with a smug smirk on his face as he led him off to where the front rows where. "I bet it did," he laughed, nudging Red playfully as he brushed a hand through his brunette hair.


Meanwhile, Ari was fidgeting nervously. In her hands was her pokemon she was using for her first round: Amphia, her sweet Ampharos. The two went over their performance many times, and Ari believed she had mastered it. She gave a slow deep breath as she heard the contest starting, trying to calm her nerves. "It's almost time," she whispered to her pokemon as she held the pokeball to her. "Let's show them a great time, alright Amp?" Her pokeball shook in her heads as if the pokemon did hear what her owner said.


"Homes, you're up first!" one of the employees called out, searching the crowd for the blogger. Ariada heard her and smiled, getting up and dusting off the invisible dust off her dress. She held onto her pokeball tightly behind her back as she walked toward the employee, who gave her a gentle smile, "Good luck."


"Well then! Let's get this party started! Welcome Ariada Homes!" the host cried out as the curtains revealed the beautiful trainer. The crowd went wild and a smirk fell on Ariada's lips.


"Let the contest begin! Amphia!" Ariada called out.


~ (( You should like add your character now xD ))

 

[Raerae]

Red lowered his guard a little, as it was just the two of them now. He didn't mind at all that Blue knew, he just knew the brunette would never let him hear the end of it. Though Red had, in the past, played wingman for Blue, he never actually had much to do with women. Honestly? Before Ari, they didn't even capture his interest. He always compared dating to battling, and the former won with ease.


Now that they had matured, and were together again, Red saw the other side of the coin. And it was beautiful- But incredibly unnerving.


He took a seat mid-front row beside his rival, leaning forward, elbows propped on his knees and his chin on intertwined fists as he gazed about the audience, catching glimpses of those he'd seen in the crowd outside as they were entering, as well as the judges who he knew well, Nurse Joy especially.


The audience wrapped around one hundred and eighth degrees of the stage. From across the way, Red laughed. An incredibly long, vibrant banner was held up just as the announcer welcomed Ariada to the stage. Her name was strewn across the front in bold, bulky letters and those who were around it screamed her name enthusiastically.


"Wow," Red laughed. Excited as he was for his friend, his silent nature forbid him any screaming or shouting. So, instead, he waved at her from the stands, baring a bashful grin As he allowed himself a moment to really take it how beautiful she looked underneath the vibrant theater lighting. At that time, Pikachu abruptly left its pokeball, arriving in a flash of red on its trainers shoulder to watch with eagerness.


"Knock'm dead, Ari."


'Pi!'


(I'll bring her in after the performance I guess, otherwise she'll just be sitting there awkwardly commenting on it.)

 

[juuchanisu]

Ari smiled as she bowed, her performance over and she'll gladly admit that she mastered her performance beautifully and gave the contest an amazing start. Smiling, she stood straight up, along with her Ampharos and waved goodbye before leaving the stage. The cheers of the crowd could still be heard as the host of the contest tried to calm them down.


Laughing gently, she knew this was gonna be a great start for her Hoenn journey.


~ ~ ~


Once the last contestant stepped off the stage, the contest began to end with a few more words before the host ended it with a farewell. Time went by fast as Ariada watched the beautiful performances made by others, and before she knew; the contest was over. Yawning, Ariada stretched as she exited the contest house to meet Blue and Red waiting for her patiently, a smile on each of their faces.


"Great job, Ari. You sure blew everyone off their feets. I think your little fan club screamed the loudest for you!" Blue laughed as he ruffled her hair. Ari glared at him as she tried to fix it back as the way it was before, but it was no use and the girl let out a small laugh.


"Thanks. It was an amazing start, wasn't it? Anyways, let get going to Route 110, I bet my 'fan club' you were talking about is there waiting for us," she laughed as she grabbed Blue's and Red's hand and began to drag him along toward the route she had planned the meeting. Her dress danced and twirled around her thighs as she dragged the two boys with a smile.


Blue laughed, "So energetic, this girl."

 

[Raerae]

Red offered her his compliments, too. He understood the concept of coordinators well enough, and although he didn't know what exactly would qualify her to take the win, he knew she'd masterfully displayed the capabilities of her companions. Coordinating still wasn't something he'd want to do, but he could appreciate her drive.


He tagged along a little behind Ari, beside Blue, and gave a low laugh as the blogger went to receive more praise, this time from her fan club. A chorus of cheers and compliments filled the air as they intertwined with the fairly large audience of admirers. He hung back so she'd maintain the spotlight, noting the vibrant banners that were still being shown off.


Should he have... gotten her something? He wondered, and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, unable to bring up an answer. For a few moments, he was lost in a bit of a reverie, but that was broken when heard the distant beating of strong wings against the crisp, night air.


Both Red and Pikachu gazed toward the oncoming presence, a sudden grin breaking across his face when he noted the vivid green and red hues of its body in the moonlight. Red realized it was that same Flygon from before. Even in the gradually growing darkness, he knew it was exactly that one.


With a graceful 'thud' that didn't seem possible when compared to its size, the dragon type landed, letting out an affectionate pur as a young woman hopped off its back, holding her hand beneath its jaw to offer some sort of treat it obviously enjoyed. Her hair flowed to her hips and swayed gently as she turned to face Ariada's direction, a rich brown texture that was chocolatey with only the moon's beams as lighting, matching her eyes that apprehensively took in the scene before her. She had a very delicate build, clothed by a simple, v-neck, dark blue sweater dress and black flats. She was probably only two inches shorter than Blue, which meant she was pretty tall. Her looks, however, didn't interest him, he bared a pensive expression as he wondered how someone as delicate looking as her could raise a beast like that.


She started in Ariada's direction purposefully, and once she was within the crowd, Red headed over to the Flygon out of blatant curiosity.


It towered over him by several feet, it's wings pinned back, tail winding around its hind legs. It acknowledged him with a subtle pur when he approached it, a heat emitting from its nostrils as it quietly exhaled.


"Hey, girl," He spoke softly, and Pikachu leaned forward from up on Red's shoulder, equally as intrigued. There was a moment of silence as it simply sat there, waiting for its trainer and silently watching the two before it. Red raised his hand upwards, and slowly started to reach out to stroke it's muzzle.


'Pi, pika pii?'


'Nyaaaaa!'





"Gah!" Red fell back onto the ground, shocked by the Pokemon's sudden, boisterous and high pitched out burst. However, it was a cheerful one, the Pokemon offered him a fanged grin in response to his reaction.


Meanwhile, Rae was just approaching Ariada, her head snapping back to Felicity as she heard her cry, but it seemed like a happy one, so she let it go.


"Ariada?" She called, walking up beside the woman who was as beautiful eye to eye as she was on stage. She was very jubilant, Rae could feel it, it was a pleasant energy.


"Hi... I'm Rae, I just watched you perform, and I wanted to congratulate you. Your technique is really stunning," She told her, momentarily catching herself sounding just like Elesa. Rae held the same posture and presence as the electric gym leader. She smiled a little and held out a manicured hand, "Its so nice to meet you, I read your blogs every chance I get to. They're enticing."