6o.
chapter sixty:
the unlikely matchmaker.

The cold wind pinched my cheeks pleasantly. The sky overhead was perfectly grey, with wisps of rain-bearing clouds huddled together. Three dark spots circled several feet high. I let out a chuckle, assuming they were a happy family of birds. Oh, how splendid would it be to have one of my own?

I felt the all-too-familiar heat creep into my cheeks as my heart picked up speed. Earlier, Serena had told Officer Jenny that her last name was Ketchum. Even if it had been a lie, it had been a wonderful one to marvel about. I liked the way it rolled off the tongue easily: Serena Ketchum... my—

For once in months, I found myself actually liking my last name rather than remembering the old, insane nightmare at the sound of it.

The signs of an upcoming downpour were evident when I heard a cuckoo nearby. I hugged my soccer hoodie closer to my body, breathing out a shallow breath.

Motorcycles whirred past in a blur, their engines revving loud enough to make a child cry. The mother was trying to calm her down, so I pushed myself off the car and crossed the road to them. Children calmed down with anything they liked, and I had the perfect thing.

"Hey there," I said gently as I kneeled down in front of the little girl. She took on a curious posture as I dug into my pockets and withdrew a chocolate. The sobbing ceased, replaced by desire for the candy. I let her take it and smiled when her mother let out a relieved sigh.

"Oh, thank you so much. Her father's been away for a week because of his work, and she's been too sensitive," her mother explained. I felt a pang of something unfamiliar, an emotion I was not acquainted with. I pushed it down and opened my arms wide to the girl. As if she had been asked for a hug from strangers numerous times, the girl did not hesitate and jumped right in.

Her tiny hands squeezed the fabric of my jacket before I pulled away. She had warm blue eyes, just like Serena's. "I guess I get the feeling of being away from my father," I admitted before stepping away. The woman let out a tiny whimper and gently patted my shoulder.

"You're a good youngster. One of the kindest I've met." She gave a warm smile before they left, the little girl waving goodbye until she was out of sight. With a satisfied huff, I turned back to my car and leaned against the cool steel of its frame.

This day was going well. I was pleased with the way everything unwound despite the siblings' presence. It almost seemed like everything happened the way it did because of Bonnie alerting us to the police and Clemont asking about the license. The encounter with the little girl and her mother showed that I was, just maybe, no different than anyone, even if I was a young adult.

I dug into my pocket and pulled out the photo I was hiding from Serena. It was of her with her Fennekin plush, and I carried it in the dashboard of my car. Luckily, I was able to pocket it before she could put her hands on it. It was fun teasing her, now that I knew about her feelings and that she might have also forgiven me.

That only branched out into much more serious thoughts about what I should actually be doing to rekindle the essence of our friendship. I had to catch Butterhead red-handed, so as to make things simpler, but the introspective look was hard to achieve when my secret admirer loved to wriggle out of my grasp.

Grasp.

I let my mind form a vague idea as I stared at the photo. Her eye had that beautiful twinkle she always had when she was excited. How had I missed the signs?

"Ash?!"

I flinched, quickly pocketing the photo before Bonnie came into view. "There you are! Why are you waiting here?" she asked, rubbing her bare arms. I blinked and opened the rear door.

"Why don't we get in? You seem cold."

Bonnie offered a grateful grin before jumping in. I followed suit and shut the door behind me. It was much warmer inside than out, and I mentally made myself a reminder to attach a heater to the car once back in Kanto. I wouldn't want another mishap should I opt for a Kalosian technician.

"Earth to Ash!"

"Huh?"

Bonnie shrugged off her shoes and sat cross-legged, facing me with a rather stoic expression. "Are you going to the ball?"

To say that I was taken aback by her blunt question would be an understatement. I ran a hand through my hair in nervousness. Lying to her would do me no good, seeing as she was part of the student council. "Um, no. I haven't got a date."

"Do it!"

"What?"

"What you did just now!" the girl exclaimed, flailing her arms around, mimicking my action of running a hand through my hair.

"What?" I repeated. Why were girls so damn hard to understand?

"Daft," she cursed and leaned back. "Run a hand through your hair!"

I quirked my eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

Bonnie blinked rapidly, a flush spreading to the tips of her ears. When she spoke, her voice came out high-pitched. "It makes you look attractive! I'm sure she'll come around!"

Eh?

"Who?" I asked, although my mind was already forming a picture of a certain honey blonde.

Bonnie shrugged. "I dunno, you should. The one you like? Serena?"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, embarrassment clouding my senses as I shushed her. "I—we fell apart."

"Aww. But you guys don't look the part." Her voice held sympathy, and I cringed at why I was confiding in someone I didn't know well.

"Do we?"

"Yup!" she stressed the syllable and looked at me intently. "I say you ask her to the ball."

A frustrated sigh escaped my lips, and I let my head fall to my hands. "I wish I could, but I just don't know when she pops up in the locker rooms and delivers her letters... Maybe if I can catch her before the ball, I could muster up the courage to ask her."

By the look on the younger girl's face, I could ascertain she had no idea what I was ranting about but was pretending not to be ignorant. "Can I help?"

"How?"

"Well, I could inform you when she enters the locker rooms when I'm on patrol?"

I considered the idea, then wondered if she would stay long enough to see everything that might unfold. As if reading my thoughts, she added, "I'll give you a missed call and make a run for it as soon as you arrive on the scene! I could even drag any potential acquaintances away by asking them to keep my brother!"

It was my turn to be blank. Was Clemont looking for a girlfriend so desperately that he was asking his younger sister for help?

"So, what do you say, Mister?" If it had been under any normal circumstances, I would have declined the help, but seeing as Bonnie was giving me what I might dare say was one of the best puppy-dog eyes I'd ever seen, it was a no-brainer to reject her plan.

The polaroid of the photo brushed against my fingertips, and I made up my mind to reach out for help. For real help. "I'm in."