Impulse

1. Struggle

Of course, I didn't realize I'd be carrying half my wardrobe all by myself. Whatever happened to those cute guys they hire to help you with your stuff?

I guess they're all busy. It is prime vacation season at the most popular hotel in Unova. When I volunteered to organize the Sinnoh League's annual retreat, nobody warned me that I was going to be dealing with one of the biggest travel weekends of the year. I'm lucky I got the booking in the first place.

Maylene's not the only one in on the joke. My other best friend, Gardenia, gapes at my overstuffed bag like she's expecting it to explode all over the lobby any second now. "I think Candice brought enough clothes for all of us."

She's not even holding her suitcase. Her boyfriend Roark's taking care of it. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous.

"Yeah," he joins in. "If you like miniskirts and girly socks."

Not jealous because of Roark, I mean. Jealous because they're so perfect together that it almost makes me want to run straight to my hotel room and cry into my pillow about how I'll probably never land such a devoted boyfriend for myself. Almost.

Not to mention the fact that she doesn't have to carry a darned thing.

"Oh, come on, guys." I laugh halfheartedly, breathless as I struggle to keep up. "You know me."

All right, already. I get it. So I may have overpacked just a little. I don't see why it's such a big deal. Byron's got a shovel, for Arceus' sake. Is he seriously planning to go digging for fossils this weekend?

Actually, yeah. Knowing him, I bet he is.

Anyway. Fantina's suitcase is almost as big as mine. No one's saying anything about that. Except Fantina wears these outrageous floor-length ball gowns with ultra-poufy skirts that probably take up half a suitcase on their own.

I don't have that excuse. You could probably fit five of my skirts into a handbag. But still.

Enough is enough. I can't do this anymore. My whole body hurts. I'll be so exhausted, I won't have the energy to move. I'll wind up spending the entire weekend in the hotel spa, getting massage after massage to undo all the damage I've done to myself with my thousand-pound bag.

...Which doesn't sound half bad, really. But I've got plans for this retreat. Spa days are kind of not on the agenda.

I let my suitcase fall to the ground and look around helplessly. "Can somebody give me a hand with this? Pretty please?"

"Sure can," says Maylene, grabbing it by the handle. Then she takes one look at it and swings the whole thing over her shoulder like it's nothing more than a shopping bag.

Wow. I'm impressed. Even Crasher Wake, the five-time Sinnoh wrestling champion, seems impressed. Where'd she learn to do that? All that training with Lucario must be paying off big time.

"Thanks, Maylene." I put on a grateful smile, but secretly, I'm a little disappointed. That wasn't quite who I had in mind.

Volkner didn't even notice me. Not that he ever does.

If it sounds like I'm exaggerating, I'm not. He hasn't looked my way once since we got here. Last time I checked, he was still talking to Byron. They've been talking battle tactics for the past half hour. Honestly. How much is there to say about entry hazards?

Well, a lot, now that I think about it. But that's not the point.

***

Finally. Now's my chance. As we join the line at the check-in desk, I make my way to the front of our group and just so coincidentally happen to stand right next to Volkner. At least, that's what I hope it looks like.