"Alright, have a nice day!"
"You too. Have a nice date without me…Arceus, it feels weird saying that."
Shinobu chuckled and shook her head, turning around and walking towards the Grass-type Gym in the distance. Her shift starts at 9 AM every Sunday, and as it was only 8:42, she took her time, strolling at a relaxed pace and enjoying the morning air.
Dante stared at her retreating back, a fond smile on his face.
"…so, shall we set off on our date?"
A calm voice beside him made him turn his head. Standing beside him was Focalors, dressed in a white cardigan and a floral skirt that reached just below her knees.
"Sure. Let's go."
The two turned around. Focalors reached for her Pokeball and released Dragonite.
"Dra."
Dragonite gave Dante a friendly wave. Different from the one Neuvillette lent, this one had a much smaller body.
This was Focalors' Dragonair- who finally evolved after being stuck at his racial limit for over half a year.
Looking at this orange, chubby dragon, a sense of envy arose in Dante's heart. It had been a while since he resolved to obtain a Flying-type Pokemon. Dragonite is one of the candidates he had for said Pokemon. After all, he already knew a Mystery Dungeon where there are Dratini and Dragonairs. All he needed was for one to agree to join him.
Sadly, until now, he couldn't recruit any of them.
Focalors climbed behind Dragonite, and Dante followed suit. The yellow-orange dragon's leathery scale served as a comfy enough saddle for the two.
Dante smelled the scent of lavender as he was making himself and his Pokemon comfortable. He turned to the source. In front of him, Focalors' blue-white hair fluttered. She was currently instructing Dragonite on where to go.
Staring at her slender back, Dante suddenly had the urge to embrace her. Oh, right. She's his girlfriend now. There's no need to hold back.
As Dragonite lifted off the ground, Focalors stiffened as a pair of hands wrapped around her waist from behind. However, she quickly relaxed as Dante's husky voice whispered in her ear.
"You know, I was really surprised when you came on to me during the first day of uni."
"Hmm, I was a bit impatient then."
Focalors chuckled and leaned back into Dante's chest, her hands resting atop his. Beside them, Eevee and Vulpix blinked in confusion at the two humans' actions. But seeing them just talking, they quickly lost interest and curled back to sleep. Only Pikachu on Dante's shoulder snorted in displeasure.
The two lovers didn't pay any attention to him. They continued whispering to one another. About Coach Jomar's training plan. The sparring at the combat class. The accident in the Pokeportal. And Dante's successful Gym Battle yesterday.
That's right. He got his fourth Gym Badge- the one from the Bug-type Gym.
With the birth of Alolan Vulpix and Eevee, in addition to Riolu, Dante had three Pokemon he hadn't officially captured. After getting the fourth Badge yesterday and capturing Riolu, he still needed two Badges for the two baby Pokemon. Not to mention the Flying-type Pokemon he planned to get. He had to speed up his Badge acquisition.
Thanks to Dragonite's speed, it didn't take long for them to arrive at the SM Mall of Asia- the largest shopping mall in the country.
From above the skies, crowds of people and Pokemon can be seen. There were friends, families and couples- who also chose to spend their weekend here.
Because of his surge in fame, Dante opted to wear a beanie cap and dark shades as a disguise. Focalors also wore a black wig. However, with Alolan Vulpix and Eevee in their arms, the two couldn't entirely escape from attention.
The couple didn't let that bother them though.
They strolled hand-in-hand, weaving through the early crowd and looking at the glass windows of various shops. The smell of air freshener and the chatter of excited kids filled the air.
"Oh? I didn't realize the latest issue of Trainer's Magazine was already out."
Focalors tugged him towards a bookstore and picked up a copy of the said magazine from the front display.
"Which Champions did they interview this time?"
Dante also grabbed a copy and casually asked Focalors who was skimming through the pages. The Trainer's Magazine is the Alliance's official publication. They are only released thrice a year, usually in April, August, and December.
Each issue includes interviews and insights from famous Trainers around the globe. Therefore, it's very popular among Trainers and battle-enthusiast alike.
"Father should be in this one. I recall he once said being interviewed for this two months ago. Ah- here."
Focalors stopped flipping the pages, her eyes moved from left to right and she chuckled.
"Father is as serious as ever."
"Come on, let me see what Mr. Neuvillette said."
Dante became curious after hearing her remarks. Focalors silently showed him the page, a smile still on her face.
"Strength is not solely measured by the power of one's Pokemon, but by the wisdom to know when to wield it, and the resolve to do so with purpose. To become stronger, you must first understand the weight of your actions."
"Discipline, patience, and self-reflection; these are the foundations. Train your Pokemon, yes, but do not neglect the sharpening of your mind. Learn from your failures, but don't let them define you. And above all, ensure your strength serves a greater good. For power without justice is merely violence."
- Neuvillette De Fontaine, Chief Iudex and Champion of France
Below his statement, there was a photo of Neuvillette holding a gavel in one hand, and his Shiny Kingdra behind him.
"...well, as expected from a Judge, I guess."
Dante said. He didn't mention how Neuvillette used illegal methods to obtain information about himself. Based on Furina and Focalors' story, the impression he had on his daughters was that of an upright Father who had never done anything unjust.
The two of them bought the magazines to read later, with Dante buying extras for Shinobu and Mualani. Then, they continued their date.
During this period, Dante got to know Focalors more deeply. Unlike most other women, she showed more interest in the newest Pokemon Training equipment, latest battle items, and the available Pokemon in the store.
"That reminds me, who do you want as your second Pokemon?"
In the mall's breeding store, Dante asked while scratching the belly of a Mudkip. There were many Pokemon around them; all in their initial forms, and all included in the Alliance's list for the recommended Starter Pokemon.
"Hmm. I'm still undecided between Gimmighoul and Rotom. However, I'll have quite a while to decide. After all, Dragonite just evolved. It'll take another few months before he reaches his racial limit."
Focalors answered while gently stroking a purring Litten. The two of them stayed for a while and played with the Pokemon. Before they left, they bought some Pokemon food as courtesy for spending time in the store.
They decided to have lunch at another branch of the Champion's restaurant. Like last time, the two of them participated in a double battle. However, because they already have Gym Badges, the opponents they were matched against weren't newbies like before.
"Oh my? Teenagers today are getting scarier and scarier~ Already having a badge at such a young age."
A middle-aged lady with silver hair said as she leaned towards the middle-aged guy beside her. Most presumably her boyfriend or husband.
Matches in the Champion's Restaurant only require a single Pokemon, whether for single or double battles. Therefore, the Trainers are only separated between not having any Badges, or having one or more.
The four of them released their Pokemon. The middle-aged couple had a Cloyster and Steelix. And for Dante and Focalors…
"Whoa!"
The diners in the restaurant cheered when they saw Dragonite. Being able to watch a Pseudo-Legendary in action was always a fun feast. Of course, the rare Pokemon Riolu was also something to look forward to.
On the field, the middle-aged couple were also surprised at their opponent's Pokemon.
"Ahh, two rich kids. It's no wonder. Honey, come. Let us show how the power of love can defeat even the mightiest of Pokemon!"
"Oh, Duff~"
"Oh, Eda~"
Dante and Focalors shivered. They seem to see a sickly pink aura radiating from their opponents.
"Dan, please tell me we won't end up like that in the future."
"Heh, I don't know. It seems like a solid strategy to distract the opponents. Why don't we try doing the same?"
"Dan!"
Focalors pouted. She stretched out her hands and pinched his waist.
"Alright, alright, geez. I was just joking."
Dante grinned and looked back at the field. At this time, the Rotom Referee had raised the flag towards both sides of the field.
Then, the battle began.
A/N: This is Riolu's current stats:
Riolu (Male)
Type: Fighting
Abilities:
Steadfast (Increases Speed by 10% each time the Pokemon flinch)
Prankster (Increases the casting speed of status moves)
Level: 34
HP: 102/102
Attack: 100 Defense: 91 (+3)
Sp. Atk: 93 Sp. Def.: 83 (+6) Speed: 89
Item: Power Band (Attack +12)
Exclusive Items in Bag:
- Emit Ring (Increases damage inflicted on Ghost-type Pokemon with Normal- and Fighting-type moves)
- Valiant Rock (Defense and Special Defense +3)
- Riolu Card (Sp. Defense +3)
Dante glanced at their opponent's Pokemon. Steelix and Cloyster, both Pokemon with high Defense who prefer to use physical attacks. However, Cloyster's Ice typing may prove problematic to Dragonite who has 4x weakness to it.
"I take care of Cloyster, you handle Steelix?"
"Hmm. Sounds good."
"Then, Riolu, Vacuum Wave!"
Steelix has a racial Defense limit of 150, while Cloyster wasn't far behind at 140. However, both had Special Defenses lower than 70.
Even though Riolu has a much more diverse and powerful physical moves, his Attack stat of 88 wasn't enough to break through this kind of defense. Therefore, Dante decided to take advantage of the opponent's much lower Special Defense.
Riolu whirled his fist, the air visibly rippling as he punched and sent a pure vacuum towards Cloyster. Even with the speed of the move, the clam-like Pokemon managed to slightly shift her body, causing the attack to hit her hard shell. Even so, Cloyster flinched in pain as she slid backwards.
"This Riolu…is a bit powerful. But it's useless! Duff, honey, let us show them the power of love! Cloyster, Shell Smash!"
"Of course, sweetie pie! Steelix, Gyro Ball!"
Gyro Ball is a move in which the power is based on how slow the user is and their weight- a perfect move for Steelix.
Dante had planned to take advantage when Cloyster was using Shell Smash to launch another attack. However, as the Vacuum Wave was released, Steelix's huge body blocked the path of the attack.
The large, steel snake coiled around Cloyster. He used his large body as a shield, deflecting Riolu's attack with the momentum of Gyro Ball.
"Dragonite, use Heat Wave!"
Focalors seized this opportunity. Earlier, she had commanded Dragonite to fly above the arena to avoid Cloyster's possible sneak attack.
With a flap of Dragonite's wings, a high temperature wind blew towards Cloyster and Steelix. Steelix was only able to offset some of the attack with the force of Gyro Ball, leaving him to tank most of it.
His movement began to slow down. But even so, he persisted, shielding Cloyster from Riolu who constantly attacked from the side.
"Thank you, love. Now, Cloyster, use Icicle Spear!"
Eda shouted. Following her words, Steelix began to open up gaps in his shield. And from there, spears of ice launched in a continuous cycle, heading towards Dragonite who was still using Heat Wave.
"Dragonite, Extreme Speed!"
Dragonite stopped using Heat Wave, his body disappearing just in time as sharp spears of ice occupied his previous position.
"Take this opportunity, Riolu! Use Focus Blast!"
"Rio!"
Riolu condensed a red ball of Fighting-type energy and hurled it at Steelix.
Duff and Eda reacted instantly. They chose to forgo attacking Dragonite. Instead, a gap opened at where the Focus Blast was about to land and Icicle Spears shot out, bombarding Riolu's attack until it disappeared.
"Hohoho, it's useless. Our love is unbeatable! Cloyster, Life Dew!"
"Our love is 1 + 1 more than two million! Steelix, Gyro Ball!"
Eda and Duff held hands as they laughed uproariously. On the field, drops of water fell on Steelix's body that healed his injuries as he began to rotate around Cloyster once again.
Focalors frowned. She stared at Cloyster and Steelix, her mind whirling with ideas. They needed to break through Steelix quickly, however, his sturdy body gave them a hard time doing so even if they took advantage of his weak Special Defense.
"Focalors. Can Dragonite take Riolu to the sky?"
"Hmm?"
Focalors turned her head. When she heard the plan proposed by Dante, she smirked and nodded.
"Hehe, then Riolu! Climb onto Dragonite's back and use Nasty Plot!"
"Dragonite, use Agility!"
Dragonite flapped his wings, Psychic energy wrapped around his body and boosted his speed. Behind his back, Riolu closed his eyes as he focused on increasing his Special Attack.
"Oh no you don't! Cloyster, Ice Shard!"
"Steelix, use Rock Tomb!"
Eda and Duff exclaimed. With both their Pokemon weak to Fighting type, if Riolu is really able to boost his special attack so freely, they would be doomed!
Ice and stone flew through the air, heading towards the orange, chubby dragon. But before they could hit him, he flew away at a much faster speed.
Then, the chase began.
Cloyster and Steelix used all the moves they could to take down Dragonite. However, with the help of Agility and Extremespeed, Dragonite dodged all of them.
The diners in the restaurant held their breath, some of them stuck holding the spoon with food as they watched this intense match. This was the moment for the battle to be decided.
"Oh no!"
A young girl exclaimed as stealthy, floating pieces of rock appeared where Dragonite dodged. Although he reacted in time and smashed them before they could hit, the delay was enough for Cloyster's attack to finally reach him.
"Yes!"
Eda and Duff cheered. The icicles exploded into light-blue mist at Dragonite's position. Soon however, the both of them frowned as they felt something wrong. How come Dragonite is so silent? Did he faint?
"Heh, I think both of you forgot. This is a doubles battle."
Dante chuckled. The couple's expressions changed. From within the smoke, a large ball of red energy whirred and headed straight towards Cloyster.
"Steelix, Gyro Ball!"
"Cloyster, Icicle Spear!"
Duff and Eda wasted no time and fell back to their tried-and-true turtle strategy. But this time, the result was much different from earlier.
Cloyster's Icicle Spear shattered upon impact, only causing the orb of energy to slightly slow down. Then, it continued unimpeded and hit Steelix.
Silver and red clashed.
BOOM!
"Steel!!"
Steelix roared, Steel-type energy emitting from his body as he exerted Gyro Ball to the maximum. But even so, the force of Riolu's attack caused his body's rotation to start slowing down. Fortunately, the red ball of energy petered out and he only suffered some slight injury.
But unfortunately also, that was just a single wave of attack.
From above the sky, Dragonite appeared, carrying Riolu who had condensed another ball of Fighting-type energy behind him. Then, under the despairing gaze of the Trainer and their Pokemon, the ball fell and caused a large explosion.
…
"Oh my~ We didn't expect we'd be able to fight against the famous Dante Zulueta!"
"Indeed. I always thought Riolu was abnormally powerful for its species. Now I understand why."
After the match, Duff and Eda sat opposite Dante and Focalors, the pair of couples having decided to eat lunch together. When they saw the Shiny Azumarill, they instantly realized the true identity of one of the teenagers who defeated them.
"Hah! You're exaggerating. I also learned a lot against fighting you two veterans."
Dante chuckled and glanced at the six Pokemon released by the two, a whole team by the Alliance's standard. With this number, it meant they both had at least 6 or 7 badges.
After the pleasantries, the distance between the two groups became closer. Duff and Eda were especially curious about the relationship between the famous Dante and this mysterious girl. At the same time, Focalors was also interested in love advice from this 'lovey-dovey' couple.
They had a pleasant chat over the meal, both satisfying their curiosity. Before they parted, Duff asked something from Dante.
"By the way, Dante, can you sign me an autograph? It's for our daughter. She idolizes you very much. She even said she wanted to enter the same university as you next year."
Duff had a fond smile when he mentioned said daughter. Seeing Dante nod, he excitedly took out an exquisite piece of paper along with a marker from his Space Bag.
"Do you want me to specifically write anything?"
"Oh no no, just a general encouragement. Ah, and please address it to Amy."
"Sure, wait just a sec."
With a flourish of his fingers, Dante wrote:
Looking forward to seeing you next year, Amy
From the Strongest Pokemon Trainer
After lunch, Dante and Focalors continued to stroll inside the mall. They played in the ice-skating rink, the arcade, and the bowling alley. And to prevent other people from recognising him, Dante used his Illusion Ability to disguise Azumarill into having a normal color.
"This is…?"
Seeing Azumarill change from his golden color to blue in front of her eyes, Focalors stared at Dante in confusion.
"It's an application of my ability. Remember how I can talk to Pokemon? As it turns out, I can do much more than that."
"Really? What else can you do?"
Now this piqued Focalors interest.
"Well, in addition to talking with Pokemon and this Illusion ability, I seemed to have a more powerful physique."
Dante had seen the discussion on the Pokenet about him having superpowers. After thinking about it for a while, he also thought this was a perfect excuse on why his Pokemon was so strong. He had already told Shinobu the same story. However, after hearing him she just nodded without any surprise.
Instead, it was her statement 'You think I didn't notice your abnormal stamina in bed?' which made Dante speechless.
Focalors inquired more about Dante's abilities while they and their Pokemon played in the arcade.
In the shooting games, Ursaring and Riolu teamed up together to defeat the oncoming zombie Pokemon. Azumarill, Pikachu, and Dragonite were also playing racing games, the three Pokemon had a serious look in their eyes as they tried to race past each other.
Meanwhile, Mawile, along with Dante and Focalors, accompanied Alolan Vulpix and Eevee into playing all the games they wanted. Whack-a-mole, in which they use their paws to hit the emerging Digletts. Pac-man, with Munchlax as the player who was being chased by Gengar and Grimmsnarl. And along with other kiddie games.
When it was 5 PM, they walked out of the arcade with smiles on their faces. Seeing the time, Dante and Focalors decided to watch a movie before going back.
"Hey, there's a show here starring Furina."
Dante stood in front of a poster. There, Furina was wearing a Sherlock Holmes-style clothes and holding a magnifying glass with a serious look in her eyes. A dark shadow stood beside her with a menacing look in their eyes.
"Pika pikachu!!" (Oh! That's Charlotte Holmes and Jack the Ripper! It's one of her classic movies! We have to watch it!)
Pikachu shook Dante's shoulder, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"What are you so excited about? Knowing you, you've probably watched it dozens of times already."
"Pika!" (I did not! I only watched it 5 times at most!)
Dante gave Pikachu a dull stare, then decided to ignore him and asked Focalors instead.
"Have you watched this movie before?"
"Of course! I've watched every movie my sister participated in."
Focalors fondly smiled while staring at said poster. She remembered the stage play Furina would perform tomorrow with her class. Her sister had been busy these past few days because of that, which allowed Focalors to go on a date with Dante unhindered.
'After Dante, Shinobu, and I finalized the agreement, I can tell her the good news. This should give me enough influence in the family so Furina won't have to obey orders she doesn't want to.'
Focalors silently nodded in satisfaction at her plan. She would get married to her crush, gain more power in the family, and give her sister the freedom she deserved. It was perfect!
Well, except that she would be the secondary wife. However, Shinobu's kindness made this an almost non-factor.
After discussing for a while, and learning that Dante hadn't watched this movie yet, Focalors decided to go watch this one under Pikachu's approving cheer. They bought popcorn, drinks, and 8 tickets to the movie.
They had to wait in line for more than 10 minutes before they could buy the tickets. Dante gazed at the remaining people still lining up behind them.
Even though the movie had been released for more than 2 years already, there were still quite a lot who wanted to watch the show. From this, it can be seen how influential Furina really is. Of course, it may also be that the movie was really just that good.
Dante and Focalors sat together near the back. They held Eevee and Alolan Vulpix in their laps, while their Pokemon sat beside them, almost occupying a whole row of seats.
"So? What's this movie about? A mystery-suspense film?"
Dante leaned in and whispered to Focalors, her lavender scent wafting into his nose.
"Close, but not quite. It's a musical mystery drama."
"Musical…drama? Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper?"
Dante raised an eyebrow in disbelief. He suddenly felt that maybe it was a bad decision to watch this movie.
Fortunately, the opening of the movie alleviated some of that feeling.
A smooth melody accompanied by an ethereal voice resounded from the theater speakers. The screen zoomed out, revealing Furina wearing a brown tweed suit, a deerstalker hat, and a monocle on her left eye.
She danced on the wooden floor, playing a violin on her shoulders which she accompanied with her singing. As the music died down, Furina Holmes opened her eyes.
"I see. It was simplicity itself."
Furina smirked and donned the brown Inverness cape placed on the chair, her action causing the screen to turn dark. Then, the words: "Charlotte Holmes and the Mystery of Jack the Ripper" emerged.
"Furina can play the violin?"
Dante asked. He admitted, the opening scene was enough to capture his attention and make him anticipate the rest of the scenes. Maybe this movie isn't as bad as it sounds?
"Yes. She has an uncanny talent in music and has mastered all musical instruments she is interested in."
Focalors answered, a note of pride in her voice.
"Her?"
Dante raised an eyebrow. He thought that bratty girl just relied on family connections to be famous. But it seems he had been a little biased.
The two of them continued to watch the movie. Furina was commissioned by the police to find the criminal in the recent killing of women around the church. Together with her assistant Watson, a Kirlia, Furina came to the crime scene.
She sang while examining the blood and marks on the ground, a song lamenting the future of these women which ceased to be.
As Dante focused on watching, he felt a soft hand hold his. He turned and saw Focalors, a soft smile on her face.
"She's amazing, isn't she?"
Focalors whispered. She laid her head on Dante's shoulder, the tip of her hair tickling his cheek.
"Yeah, I'm beginning to understand why she is so popular around the world."
Dante replied while stroking her smooth soft hands.
They remained in that position for the rest of the movie. They watched Furina meet a beggar named Esther. The two of them formed a strong bond as Furina showed love and care to the little girl.
Then, in a grand twist of fate, it was revealed that the 'little girl' was a grown-up all along. She had a rare condition called hypopituitarism, a disease which inhibited her ability to produce hormones and stunted her growth.
Not only that, her real name was Jackie. She was Jack the Ripper who tricks women that abandoned their children and kills them in cold blood.
The movie ended with another musical scene, Furina and Jackie standing on the edge of a cliff after a wild chase. Then, with a tearful goodbye, Jackie jumped, and with it ending the case of Jack the Ripper.
"That…was certainly something."
As they walked out of the theater, Dante recalled the final part of the movie. Furina's tears, her sad, soulful voice, and the smile of relief on Jackie's face. It was no wonder Pikachu called this movie 'a classic'.
"Have you never watched any of her movies?"
Focalors looked at her boyfriend in surprise. She thought he only hadn't watched this one because of the film's premise.
"No. I never really liked watching movies. I'm more of a reading kind of guy."
Dante gave an excuse. When he came to this world, he had been focused on studying for the Trainer Exam. And after, he only occasionally watched Pokemon action adventures. Since the movies Furina starred in were mostly dramas, he never got a chance to watch her act until now.
"That's such a pity! If we have the chance, we must watch a movie marathon of all her films."
"Pika!" (Agreed!)
Dante glanced at the fanatical Focalors and Pikachu. Recalling the movie they just watched, he smiled and nodded.
"Tomorrow, Furina's class will perform live for the whole school. She saved some seats for our group. I'm sure that will be another masterpiece."
"Huh, I can't wait to watch her live performance then."
After hanging around for a little bit more, Dante and Focalors went back to the University. As they entered the mansion's living room, they saw Shinobu and Mualani sitting on the sofa and discussing something.
The two also noticed Dante and Focalors. Shinobu stood up to give Dante a hug, while Mualani grinned and waved at Focalors.
"How was the date?"
"I'd say it went pretty well. We brought dinner."
Dante gave his girlfriend a tight squeeze before he walked towards the dining room to place the roasted chicken he bought. Eevee and Vulpix trotted after him, the two baby Pokemon heading towards their milk bowl.
Shinobu watched her boyfriend's back until it disappeared from view. Then, she leaned in, a curious look on her face as she whispered to Focalors.
"So? Did you have fun?"
"Hmm, of course! How about you? Have you made a decision?"
Focalors stared at Shinobu, a drop of sweat oozing out of her forehead. She and Dante had this date under the green-haired girl's suggestion. She said this was needed for her to decide whether to agree to this harem thing or not.
"As expected, I felt jealous thinking about you and Dante together."
Shinobu's tone changed, turning a little gloomy. Hearing this, Focalors' heartbeat sped up. She opened her mouth, planning to say something when Shinobu looked up, her face shifting into a smile.
"But I think I can manage. I'll just make sure to have Dan compensate me later."
"So, does that mean…?"
"Hehe, welcome to the family."
At the backstage.
"Prepare yourselves, everyone! We're up in an hour!"
Furina yelled. She gazed at her classmates, each of whom were in varying degrees of nervousness. Unlike her, this would be the first time for most of them to perform in front of a large audience.
"Whew, it's finally yawn~ starting."
Next to Furina, Dawn covered her mouth mid-sentence as she let out a tired yawn. Seeing this, the white-haired girl turned towards her in concern.
"Are you okay? Do you want to take a nap first? We still have time."
"No, no. I'm fine. Yawn~ I want to go over the script again. I'll yawn~ just wash my face for a sec."
Holding a stack of paper, Dawn stood up, planning to do a last minute review. But Furina's voice made her pause.
"...I'm sorry, Dawn. You had to go through this because of me."
"Don't blame yourself. I know you yawn~want this performance to succeed more than anyone. It's that douchebag's fault things turned out like this."
Dawn gritted her teeth, her sleepiness temporarily disappearing as she recalled the event that led to this.
"Do you always have to deal with people like that?"
"Unfortunately, yes. It's one of the reasons I temporarily quit showbiz."
Furina sighed. The person they were talking about was their classmate, who was supposed to be the male lead in this play. However, something he did yesterday made him unavailable for today's performance.
Flashback Starts
"And…cut! Perfect! Let's move on to the next scene."
Furina nodded in satisfaction. She had always wanted to try directing a movie. This upcoming class performance allowed her to grant her wish on a much smaller scale, though it came with a downside of having too many roles. Case in point…
She stepped in the middle of the rehearsal room, her eyes turning limpid as she got into her role as the damsel in distress. However, when the male lead got near, Furina's senses tingled.
From the moment he stepped closer than necessary, Furina already felt that something was wrong. And her instincts were proven correct as he suddenly pulled out a sharp dagger from his sleeves while reciting his lines, and lunged at her.
Fortunately, Clorinde was accompanying her. The assailant barely got within a foot of her before being subdued.
Later, she heard from the police that the student had been promised a hefty sum of money by someone if he was able to assassinate her. They also found a Pokeball with Yanmega in his possession- a Pokemon given by his mysterious backer to use for his escape.
Because this incident can cause damage to the school's reputation, it was resolved as quietly as possible. Furina's class received an order to keep quiet about what happened. In return, they were given Merit points to curb any dissatisfaction.
Honestly, Furina didn't care about any of that. What she did care about, was what would happen to their stage play now that the male lead was arrested?
She asked the other male classmates on who would like to step in as the male lead. However, since the performance was already scheduled for the next day, they were all hesitant- afraid of humiliating themselves on stage.
In the end, to save the play from being scrapped entirely, Dawn stepped up as the male lead.
Flashback Ends
With Furina's disguise skills, she could easily make Dawn appear to look like a man. However, that was only part of the problem. As the male lead, they had many lines in the play, second only to Furina.
Because of this, Dawn hadn't slept all night trying to memorize all of it. Coffee had worked wonders in letting her get through without needing sleep, but its effects had already worn off more than a couple hours ago.
—
"Thank you, class 1-G! Next, we'll take a short break for Class 1-F to prepare the stage for their play!"
"It's finally Furina and Dawn's turn!"
Candice exclaimed as she looked up at the stage. Beside her, there were Kachina, Mualani, Shinobu, Focalors, and Dante. They were all sitting in the front row seat especially reserved by Furina. She only had to mention it was for Dante and his friends, and the organizers enthusiastically agreed to her request.
"PIKACHU!" (GO FURINA!)
"Geez, calm down, bud."
Dante covered his ears. With how much time they spent with the white-haired diva, he thought Pikachu's idolization had faded at least a bit. But looking at the yellow rat who held two glowsticks in his arms and wore a bandana with Furina's face on his forehead, Dante facepalmed in shame.
Where did he go wrong, and why did his partner turn into a simp?
"Focalors, can you hold Vulpix for a sec? I just need to go to the bathroom real quick."
"Alright, be sure to return before the performance."
Dante waved back silently and walked to the bathroom. It wasn't that far, and he quickly relieved himself. But on his way back, right as he turned the corner, he bumped into someone.
With his physique, Dante didn't even take a single step back. The same couldn't be said for the other party, however.
Dante stretched his arms and caught the other guy to prevent them from falling backwards. At the same time, his other hand caught the stack of paper that the other party threw into the air in panic.
"You alright?"
Dante asked the 'man' with short, blue hair and wearing a suit. After making sure they were stable, he let go of their slender wrist and handed the papers back.
"Whew, thank you. I almost got a concussion, yawn~."
"No probs dud-"
The familiar feminine voice made Dante stop and stare suspiciously. Although they were rubbing their eyes, Dante could still make out parts of their appearance.
"Dawn?"
"Huh?"
Dawn opened her heavy eyelids. When she saw Dante's face, she gave a weak smile.
"Ah, Dante. Hey yawn~, fancy meeting you here."
"Heh, I thought it was a man for a sec. Your outfit looks so convincing."
Dante scanned her body from head to toe. If it wasn't for her voice, he wouldn't suspect she was Dawn if they walked past each other on a hallway.
"Yawn~ it's thanks to Furina. Her make-up skills are top-notch yawn~"
"You alright? You seem…tired. Very tired."
"Ehehe, it's nothing that a yawn~ quick cup of coffee won't be able to fix."
"Is that so…"
"Yup! Yawn~ I'll head out first. The show's about to get started."
Dante skeptically watched Dawn walk away. Then, his eyes widened.
"Hey, be careful!"
—
"Where did she go?"
Furina walked back and forth on the stage, glancing constantly at the stairs where Dawn walked down from. Seeing that there was less than 5 minutes left before the show, she called one of their classmates to check up on her.
But coincidentally, it was at this moment that the blue-haired girl finally returned.
"Hey, Furina!"
"Dawn! You're back! I thought you fell asleep in the toilet!"
"Hahaha, I was just pumping the sleepiness out of my body. Now, I'm 100% ready!"
Furina glanced at her suddenly energetic friend and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Did she chug a whole liter of coffee?
"...we've finished setting up the stage. The show will begin in a few minutes."
"Is that so? Well, I'm prepared whenever."
…
"Dan, wake up! The show's starting!"
"Waz zat?"
'Dante' opened his eyelids, the lights from the auditorium almost blinding him.
"Pika pikachu?"
On his lap, Pikachu tilted his head and confusedly looked at his partner. How could Dante suddenly be tired after returning from the toilet?
However, as the stage curtains slid to the side, the yellow rat Pokemon threw this thought out of his mind as he cheered at Furina's appearance.