Timeline of Errors

Part 2 - The Ball

I looked down and lifted a part of my floor-length soft pink dress. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open a wooden double door, revealing a grand room filled with people in suits and floor-length dresses.

The people inside the room were talking to each other and sipping drinks. Among them, a waiter zipped past the crowds, carrying appetisers, drinks, and dirty plates in their strong arms. A grand crystal chandelier hung above everyone, lighting up the room. Surrounding the room were floor-length golden curtains, covering what seemed to be the huge windows.

I stepped into the room, and in that instant, the people standing by the door turned to me eagerly, as if they had been expecting my arrival.

"Valen, over here!" One of them said, "what do you think of the new theatre being built in the northern island?"

Most people in this crowd were dressed quite smartly, in suits and pencil skirts. Among those who shoved a mic towards my mic, I noticed a name tag hanging around their neck. Looking up just a bit, I glimpsed big ass camera mounted on the shoulders of those standing on the back.

Here we go, I thought, the most important part of the job... covering PR shits for the director while he's away on a vacation.

"I believe that the new theatre will accommodate more people's hobby as well as improve Sinnoh's economy," I said with a smile plastered on my face, "it would improve tourism and our relationship with other regions - especially the more we collaborate,"

"Amazing. I received a lot of excited responses for this new and upcoming theatre, what do you think about it?" another one asked.

"I am very pleased to hear that, I'll make sure that everything will go well so we can enjoy the new theatre as soon as possible," I said and smiled.

"Valen, do you think that the current facilities cut down the amount of battles? The challengers for Pokémon League decrease year by year because people are more interested in contests and musicals these days," asked another one.

"I don't think facilities should be held responsible for this," I said, "we just renovated the league last year - we would never get rid of the gyms and tournaments! Inevitably, there's a shift in attitude and interest, yes - the era is changing, the people are changing and we'll do our best to accommodate more productive interests,"

More reporters started swarming towards me. Pretty sure I have been giving answers for like an hour because somewhere around that time I started to feel thirsty. Yet they still relentlessly fired questions to me, as if they have unlimited energy. Knowing that I've given satisfactory answer to most questions and tell them what I want them to write, I quickly looked for a chance to slip away unnoticed. Right as a group of girls walked nearby, stealthily, I blended in with the crowd of people and made my way to the balcony.

Air... air... I need to breathe... I thought exasperatedly and leaned on the balcony. Slowly, I took a deep breath and looked up. One particular building stood out in the distance and caught my eyes. The Pokémon League building. The instant my sight fell on the building, my thoughts drifted away to a certain memory.

"So... you're going to drop the League?"

"Yeah, gramps... I'm applying for internship in the Pokémon Association instead..."

I turned back to see the thin old man trying to smile, but it did not hide his disappointment, alright.

"You used to hate bureaucracy and politics, Val. It's all politics there, will you be okay with it?"

"Yeah, if it pays well, it pays well, gramps. Mum's happy doing what she's doing too."

...