Chapter 6
Ride
Hikari lectured Jun on his behavior from the previous night throughout breakfast, promising him pain and certain death if he ever pulled a stunt like that again. Jun was surprisingly submissive during his tongue-lashing, smiling slightly and nodding through the whole ordeal.
Kouki remained silent, simply relieved that everything was back to normal. He poured over the resort's brochure, trying to see if there was anything special going on for the day.
"Do you hear me, Jun? If you ever, and I mean
ever, make me worry that much again, I will not hesitate to beat you within an inch of your life! Maybe I can actually manage to beat some sense into your thick skull! You got that?' Hikari pointed her fork at Jun menacingly, scowling at the boy.
"I hear you, Kari." Jun raised his right hand, still smiling. "I promise not to worry you like that ever again." His food remained untouched; he decided it would be best to give the girl all his attention.
"I hope you mean it." She started to eat her own food, looking away from him purposely.
"So…" Jun smirked, leaning in toward both of the trainers. "What happened yesterday while I was cooped up in my room?"
Hikari swallowed her food roughly; Kouki stopped looking through the brochure mid-flip. They both exchanged glances for a moment before looking toward Jun.
Hikari scowled at the blond, although she gave him credit for asking. She didn't think he would remember he wasn't supposed to know. However, she
really didn't feel like explaining the embarrassing events again.
Jun meet both of their stares squarely, exuding a purely innocent aura. Hikari sighed in defeat, launching into her synopsis for the second time.
"What! How dare that bastard push you like that!" Jun's anger would seem spot-on to someone who didn't know better, but Hikari could definitely sense some sarcasm in his words. He was teasing her, that bastard.
She sipped her warm tea, feeling exhausted. "Don't worry about it; Kouki dealt with it."
"
Really?" Hikari had a feeling this is what Jun was aiming for throughout the whole conversation. He turned to Kouki, directing the full intensity of his stare onto the other boy. "How did you do that?"
Kouki ate his food calmly, sounding nonchalant. "Oh, I just spoke to him, that's all."
Both Hikari and Jun gaped at Kouki, feeling a dangerous tension in the air. The way he spoke so calmly proved that it was no normal chat he had with Takayuki.
Jun laughed nervously, his consideration for the other boy growing. "Oh, really? That's good then." He decided to drop the subject despite his burning curiosity.
The three of them finished up their meal, heading for the lounge to decide on something to do for the rest of the day. A commotion at the far end of the room caught their attention as they entered the room; they walked over to the crowd, noticing a sign.
"A raffle? For what?" Hikari stood on her tip toes, trying to read the sign.
"I don't know, but let's try it!" Jun grinned, eagerly dragging the two through the crowd.
Each of them picked out a ticket, showing the man at the table their number.
"Well! It looks as if we have a big winner! Congratulations, son!"
Surprised, Jun and Hikari looked toward Kouki. Kouki held his ticket in front of him, completely amazed. "W–What? Really?" The crowd sighed in disappointment, dispersing out of the room.
The man smiled. "It would seem so. Lucky you!"
Kouki was still dumbfounded. He normally had no luck at all. Hikari and Jun patted his back enthusiastically, congratulating him.
Jun looked toward the man. "So, what did he win?"
The man smirked, handing Kouki some tickets. "Here you go! A ticket for you and that special someone for the for the famous Stantler sled rides!"
Kouki looked at the tickets, still feeling a bit overwhelmed. "…I've heard of the Stantler sled rides." He looked at to the other two. "They take you through the woods and to a little shopping district a few miles away."
Hikari clapped her hands in delight. "Really! That's so cool! You're lucky, Kouki!"
Jun snorted, crossing his arms. "Shopping? Doesn't sound so fun to me."
Kouki stared at the tickets for a moment. "Well…" He offered one to Hikari. "Would you like to go with me, Hikari?"
She looked at Kouki, beaming. "Really? You don't mind?"
He smiled at her. "No, not at all! I would love for you to go with me. Besides," he turned to Jun, "it doesn't seem like Jun is all that eager to go, anyways."
Jun hesitated a moment before nodding in agreement, waving a hand coolly. "Sounds like a bore to me. I'd rather stay here and train!"
Hikari sighed, but couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice. "All you ever think about is training!" She took the ticket, smiling brightly. "Thank you, Kouki!" She checked the time on her Pokétch. According to the ticket, it was about an hour and a half before the sled rides started. "I better go get ready!" She was still in the clothes she had worn the day before; she was so hungry that morning after realizing Jun was back that she hadn't even thought about her appearance. "I'll meet you down here later!" She hurried back up the stairs, leaving the two boys behind.
Kouki glanced at Jun, a bit wary of the response he might receive. "Jun…Are you okay with staying behind?"
"Huh?" Jun snapped back into reality, looking a Kouki. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Oh…no reason, I guess…"
Both of them stood in silence for a moment. "…Hey, don't you have to get ready too? You wouldn't want to disappoint Princess Hikari, would you?" Jun smirked, shoving the other boy playfully.
"I guess…" Kouki looked a Jun, questioning him again with his eyes.
Jun waved his hands, smiling. "I'm fine! I don't mind having a day to myself once in a while, you know. You and Hikari go have fun together."
"…If you say so…" Kouki headed up to their room, leaving Jun by himself.
Jun watched him disappear from sight, the strained smile slowly fading from his lips. He ran a hand through his hair, heaving a hefty sigh.
Hikari wasn't going to lie to herself; she was showing off just a bit. She wore a white, V-neck sweater with a maroon turtleneck underneath, and a maroon skirt reaching down a bit above her ankles. She slid on thick white tights underneath the skirt for extra warmth and her brown boots. Her hair was slightly curled, holding the long, bluish locks back with a red headband. She wrapped a fluffy white scarf around her neck, slipping into her pink jacket. She made one last check in the mirror, smiling in satisfaction.
She headed down to the lobby, finding Kouki and Jun waiting for her.
Hikari hurried up to the two, turning to Kouki. "I hope I didn't make you wait."
Kouki shook his head, smiling pleasantly. "No, Jun and I just came down from our room."
Hikari rummaged through the small purse she had brought with her, producing a card key. She handed it to Jun. "Here's the extra key to my room. If it's not too much, would you mind looking after my Pokémon for me?"
Jun looked at her, a bit surprised, but pocketed the key no less. "Sure. I'll check on them after I go out and train."
She smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks!" Hikari grabbed Kouki's arm. "Shall we go?"
He couldn't help but blush a bit, his sheepish smile returning to his face. "Y–Yeah. Let's go."
Hikari dragged him out the door, hardly able to contain her excitement.
Jun smirked, yelling after the two. "Have fun carrying all her bags, Kouki!"
The two young trainers found a small fleet of Stantler-drawn sleds outside of the resort. Hikari gasped, dragging Kouki toward the Pokémon. She eased up to a Stantler hitched to one of the sleds, her eyes wide with amazement. "Wow, I've never seen a Stantler up close before! I don't think I've even fought a trainer with one." She reached her hand out to the creature, giggling as its nose tickled her fingers.
Kouki smiled, patting the Stantler's shoulder. "You don't see them around much here, but there are tons in Johto. Many people get lost in forests because of them."
"Really?" She stroked the Stantler's head, the deer nudging her stomach, craving more attention. "Why? They seem friendly enough to me."
He glanced up at the Stantler's antlers, Hikari following his gaze. "You notice how their antlers almost look like eyes?" She nodded. "Well, it's thought that if you stare into a Stantler's antlers for too long you can become hypnotized and suffer from delusions."
Hikari's eyes immediately dropped from the creature's antlers, looking instead at its eyes. "Well, looks can be deceiving! And I thought you were just a big sweetie, but it looks like you have a few tricks up your sleeve, don't you!" She gave the Stantler on last pat before climbing into the sled, Kouki sliding in next to her. A few moments later, their sled driver walked over them, giving a rundown of the trip to the two before climbing into the front, giving the leads a gentle snap. The sled lurched forward, heading into the forest.
The ride through the forest was pleasantly peaceful; Kouki pointed out various berries and vegetation to Hikari, explaining their various uses and applications. Hikari was thrilled by it all, listening closely to the boy and asking many questions.
"Wow, Kouki! You really know a lot!" She looked at him, truly awed.
He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I've been working with Doctor Nanakamado ever since I can remember, so I've picked up a lot of random things over the years."
Hikari pouted a bit at the boy. "Don't sell yourself short, Kouki! This is really impressive! I would never be able to remember all of this stuff!"
He smiled, pleased by her compliment. "It can be helpful when you're out in the woods for a while." He looked down at his hands. "You can figure out a lot about a Pokémon by just looking at the Berries it eats, so I've learned a lot about all kinds of Berries."
"Wow, being a Pokémon researcher seems so cool…"
Kouki smiled sadly. "Well, it is certainly fun to be able to see all types of Pokémon…"
Hikari brow creased in worry. "You don't seem so enthusiastic about it…What's wrong?"
Kouki shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong."
She put her hands on her hips, staring the boy down. "Kouki, I know something's bothering you…spill."
He looked away from her, silent for a moment. "Well, it's not that I don't like researching about Pokémon…I really do love it." He sighed. "I just don't think I'm that good, that's all."
"What? You seem good to me!"
He chuckled. "Not really. I'm always screwing up in the lab and in the field."
Hikari frowned. "Everybody make mistakes, Kouki!"
He sighed, wringing his hands together. "I make so many mistakes that I'm just a burden, really…"
She grabbed the boy's arm, determination burning in her eyes. "You shouldn't give up your dream just because of a few mistakes! If you fall down, you just have to get right back up!" She shook her head. "Nobody's perfect."
Kouki looked at her, a bit stunned at her zeal. "…You think I could really become a good researcher?"
She grinned. "I already think you are a good researcher."
He looked back down at his hands, a little overwhelmed. He was always preoccupied with the mistakes that he had made; he never even thought about the things he had actually accomplished. A genuine smile lit up his features. "…Thanks."
"Hey, I didn't tell you anything you didn't already know. You just need to have more confidence in yourself!" She let go of his arms, giving him a thumbs up.
"…You're really amazing, Hikari."
"Huh?" She dropped her hand, confused. "What do you mean?"
Kouki shook his head, smiling gently. "No, it's nothing. I just wish I was more like you."
She laughed. "I don't know about that! I think that should my line. You're so mature and kind…I wish I could be more like that!" She knocked on her head, sticking out her tongue. "As Jun would say, I'm too thick-headed for my own good!"
He smiled to himself, looking back at his hands. She would never know how much he admired her strength. Her determination and resolve let her solve any challenge that came her way, while Kouki would be one of the first to give up and condemn the task to the impossible.
Kouki glanced over at the girl, a warmth growing inside his heart. She really was amazing.
The two chatted though the rest of the trip, arriving at the small village shortly after. The town was charming and quaint, the streets paved with bricks and lined with decorations and lights. Small shops and cafés were lined up in neat rows throughout the whole village. Hikari gasped in delight, grabbing Kouki's hand once again. "Come on!"
Hikari dragged Kouki from shop to shop filling his arms with bags of goodies. They shopped for a few hours before they decided to take a break at one of the many bistros in the town. The two took a seat at one of the tables outside of a café, ordering a few pastries.
Hikari finished off her third helping of cake, face flushed in delight. "Ah, I don't know if I ever want to leave! These cakes are amazing!"
Kouki picked at his pie, smiling at her. "You really love your sweets, don't you?"
She giggled, grabbing a lemon tart out of the basket in front of her. "I do! I think I may have more than one sweet tooth." She popped the tart into her mouth, sighing happily as it melted on her tongue.
Kouki chuckled at her, taking a bit of his pie. If anything, Hikari was fun to watch.
After finishing up the rest of the tarts, Hikari rested her elbows onto the table, holding her head in her hands. "You're lucky, Kouki. You've already got something you can keep doing into the future." She sighed. "I have no idea what I want to do with my life."
"Huh? Why don't you continue battling?"
"Well, I don't think being Champion will keep food on the table, you know? Besides, one day I might find someone who can beat me, so what would I do then?"
Kouki thought about it for a moment. "…Well, you could always become a Gym Leader or something of the sort." He looked at her. "Jun's father is the leader of the Battle Tower, isn't he?"
She tapped her chin with a finger. "…True, but I always thought that Jun would probably be the one to succeed Kurotsugu…" She paused. "…Actually, I never wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer when I was little."
Kouki set his fork on his plate. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah, actually when I was little I wanted to be…well…" She looked at him. "Promise not to laugh?"
He nodded. "Why would I laugh?"
She laughed, embarrassed. "Well, when I was little, I always wanted to be the Day Care Lady."
Kouki stared at her for a moment. An image of Hikari as an old woman flashed through his mind; he couldn't help a chuckle or two before he could stop himself.
She pouted, flicking a cake crumb at him. "Hey! You promised not to laugh!"
He covered his mouth, eyes wrinkled in mirth. "Sorry, sorry!" He cleared his throat, still smiling. "Running a Day Care seems like it would be fun. Think of all the Pokémon you could meet!"
She smiled. "See! It isn't such a silly idea, after all! But…now since I've had a taste of the battling life, I don't think I could just settle for something like that." She rubbed her hands together, shivering against the cool breeze.
Kouki, noticing her shiver, stood up. "I'll go get us some hot chocolate." He walked inside the restaurant for a moment, bringing out two steaming cups of cocoa. "Here you go." He reached to put the cup on the table, but stumbled on his way, spilling hot cocoa all over Hikari's jacket. She jumped up, trying to keep the scalding liquid from dripping onto her legs.
Kouki gasped, grabbing a few napkins. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Hikari!" He patted at her coat with a napkin, until he realized he was patting her chest. He blushed, dropping the napkin. "Ah! I'm sorry!"
Hikari laughed, waving her hands at him. "Don't worry so much about it, Kouki! It was an honest mistake." She looked down at her ruined pink jacket, smiling sadly. "I'll just go get this washed at the resort when we get back. No worries." She slid off the jacket, folding it up. Luckily, it was the only thing hit by the hot chocolate; even her white scarf was unharmed.
Kouki stared at the jacket, feeling guilty. He slid off his own blue coat, handing it to the girl. "Here. Take mine."
She stared at it for a moment, looking up at Kouki. "I can't take it! What about you?"
He shook his head, taking her soiled jacket from her arms and placing his in its place. "No, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm the one who ruined your jacket. It's the least I can do." He draped her jacket over his arm. "I'll go get you a new hot chocolate."
She stared at the coat in her arms for a moment, slipping her arms inside and wrapping it around herself. It was a bit too big; she had to roll up the sleeves a bit just to find her hands, but it was comfortably warm.
Kouki returned a few moments later, a fresh cup of cocoa in his hand. He handed over to her carefully, making sure to not spill a drop.
"Thank you." Hikari took a sip, enjoying the warmth. "Even the hot chocolate here is amazing!"
Kouki smiled, grabbing his own cup. He looked at his Pokétch, noticing the time. "It's getting pretty late…Do you want to start heading back?"
"Sure."
The two finished up their hot chocolate and threw away their trash before they headed down the street, toward the sleds.
Jun sighed heavily, trudging back up the steps leading toward the resort. His training secession didn't go as well as he wanted; he was too preoccupied the whole time to put his heart into it.
Another hefty sigh passed his lips as he climbed the curling stairs up to their rooms, not even bothering to take the elevator. He was resolved to not overreact, but it was so damn
hard. He didn't expect it to be this difficult to let the two go off together; it was not like he would have wanted to go even if he had a ticket. But, there was something about knowing the two of them were alone
together that drove him mad. Even training couldn't fully distract him.
He reached for his room's door, but suddenly remembered the key in his pocket. He took the card out, glancing at Hikari's door. He
had promised her he would check on her Pokémon. He walked across the hall, looking curiously at the "do not disturb" sign hanging from her doorknob. He shrugged, letting himself in the room.
Something white and furry rammed into his face; he grabbed the creature by the scruff of its neck, staring into the eyes of Hikari's Pachirisu.
"Huh?" He looked into the room, finding the rest of Hikari's Pokémon sprawled about. Even her Gyarados was curled inside, most of its body hidden in the bathroom. The empty Pokéballs were resting on her nightstand neatly.
Jun's surprise soon faded, a smile spreading across his lips. Of course Hikari would let her Pokémon out of their Pokéballs when she left; she let them out whenever she could, and she certainly wouldn't let them be stuffed up all day.
That's why she wanted him to check up on them.
The Pokémon all gathered around Jun, sounding their greetings. He closed the door behind him, laughing. "Hey guys. Hope you haven't been too bored cooped up in here." The Pokémon returned to what they were doing previously, Jun following them into the heart of the room.
He sat down on her bed, Pachirisu curling up on his lap. He watched the Pokémon, smiling. Just like their trainer, there was more to them than met the eye. He patted Pachirisu fondly. "…Your trainer is a strange one, isn't she?" The squirrel Pokémon squeaked, nestling into Jun's stomach.
Jun looked around the room, noticing Hikari's things sprawled about. Her red scarf was draped over the TV; her pajamas sat on the table. Her hat and the yellow hair clips he had gotten her long ago sat on top of the dresser, her suitcase leaning against the wood. Even the bed hadn't been made; he smoothed the blankets out with his hand, frowning slightly. The whole room reminded him of her.
He sighed, flopping back onto the bed. Pachirisu scurried of his lap and curled up on the end of the bed, falling asleep in seconds. He stared at the Pokémon for a moment before his eyes wandered to the ceiling. Unexplainable longing ate away at the pit of his stomach; he fervently wished that Hikari was next to him that very second.
Jun rested his head on her pillow, Hikari's scent flooding his senses. He was going mad after all. He chuckled, closing his eyes. He could imagine her laughing at him right now for being so silly. However, it only made him smile as he slowly faded into slumber, lulled by the peace around him. Her laughter was the best sound in the world…
The trip back to the resort was bathed in a peaceful silence, the two taking in all the nature around them. The sun was slowly setting, bathing the forest in warm twilight.
Hikari pointed at one of the trees hanging overhead, tugging at Kouki jacket. "I've never seen that type of Berry before…What is it?"
"Hmm?" Kouki followed her hand into the trees. His face immediately turned bright red, mouth agape. "T—That's not a Berry! It's…mistletoe!"
Hikari's face was blank for a moment. "Mistletoe…ah!" Her face erupted into the same red as Kouki, scooting away from him in a knee-jerk reaction. "Mistletoe! Why mistletoe?!"
The sled driver burst into gruff laughter, glancing back at the two. "You kids know what they say about couples getting stuck under the mistletoe!" He laughed to himself, turning back to the path. They were close to their destination, the resort now in view.
Kouki stammered, covering his mouth. "I can't…We can't—"
Hikari shook her head frantically, covering her own mouth in embarrassment. "That would be so…weird!"
The driver hummed to himself, smiling. "Ah, young love…"
Kouki and Hikari walked back toward the hotel together in silence, faces still slightly flushed from the sled ride back underneath the mistletoe. They hadn't spoken since the left the forest, both too embarrassed to bring anything up.
When they reached the doors to the hotel, Hikari sat her bags on the ground, starting to take off Kouki's jacket. He stopped her with a hand.
"Don't worry about it. You can keep it until I get your jacket cleaned." He readjusted the pink jacket in his arms, smiling.
"You sure?" Kouki nodded. She slipped the jacket back on and picked up her bags, blushing slightly. "Thanks."
"Don't worry about it." He started to walk inside. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then."
"Ah, Kouki!" He stopped, looking back at her. Hikari hurried up to him. Reaching up on her tip toes, she gave him a small peck on the cheek. She smiled, blushing. "Thanks again for taking me with you. It was really fun." She rushed past him, waving. "Later!"
Kouki was frozen in place, watching her disappear from sight. He slowly raised a hand to his cheek, touching the spot where her lips had had grazed his skin. He could feel a huge grin spread across his face, his heart racing madly. He headed toward the laundry room, a song in his heart. It had turned out to be a good day.
Hikari rushed all the way up the stair to her room, the blush still lingering on her features. She was surprised at herself for being so bold. She stopped in front of her door, touching her lips. What did it all mean?
She sighed, opening her door. "I'm back, guys…Huh?" She stopped mid-step, a strange sight greeting her.
Somehow, all of her Pokémon had managed to curl themselves onto the queen-sized bed (excluding Gyarados, who was coiled around the bed), sleeping soundly. In the midst of all the Pokémon, Hikari managed to spot a certain blond, snoring softly under the make-shift blanket of Pokémon.
She blinked a few times, making sure that she hadn't been inadvertently been hypnotized by the Stantler and was suffering from delusions. Hikari covered her mouth and hugged her sides, shaking with silent laughter.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. Grabbing the Pokéballs, she recalled the Pokémon quietly, still unable to completely stifle the giggles. "You guys are funny…" She smiled at the sleeping Jun, shaking her head.
Hikari sat down her bags and slid off the blue jacket, hanging it on the back of a chair. She turned back to the boy, sighing. "Really, you're unbelievable…" The smile wouldn't fade from her lips; it was so like Jun to do something like this.
She tugged the sheets from under the boy, tossing them over his sleeping frame. "You're so silly." Hikari kneeled by the bed, smoothing some of the blond hair out of his face, her smile growing. He looked so calm and cute when he slept…much different than the restless, smart-ass she knew in his waking hours. She giggled; it was nice seeing him like this once in a while.
Reaching for the nightstand, she grabbed her purse. Rummaging inside, she produced a small sprig of mistletoe. She had picked it up before she had realized what it was, placing it in her purse without thinking.
She stared at the plant for a moment, stroking the white berries with a finger. Slowly, she lifted the mistletoe over Jun's head, giving him a kiss on the forehead. She giggled, feeling extremely silly. What would Jun do if he were awake?
Hikari straightened out, glancing out her window with a smile. It had been a wonderful day. She wished with all here heart that it would never end.
