The next night the boys were in the pokemon center getting ready for the Masquerain ball. Brooke had already gone ahead to meet Vol and get her outfit together. Charles' outfit was based on a Lugia. It featured shades of blue, and a long flowing cape. He was fixing his hair in the mirror while Logan, dressed in pink as a mew, helped Jordan fix his dialga jacket.
"Vol sure knows her design, huh? These are great." Jordan commented as Logan finished his work and helped him slick his thick black hair up. "Agreed! I love this mew outfit so much! I may just try and beg her to see if I can keep it." Logan smiled.
"So, Charles, I'm assuming you haven't told Brooke yet, huh?" Jordan asked as Logan finished his work on him. Charles looked away, shyly, knowing what Jordan was implying. "I don't know what you mean."
"Come on, Charlie, don't act like we don't know." Logan smirked, putting some pink streaks in the white part of his hair. "It's obvious how you feel about her." Charlie sighed. "Okay so fine, maybe I like her a little bit..." He trailed off when the other boys gave him a deadpanned look. "Okay fine, I like her a lot." He corrected himself. "But it's obvious she doesn't feel the same way about me."
"How do you know?"
"Come on, we all saw the way she reacted to Prizrak. He practically had her swooning over him. There's no way I can compete with him."
"Well, tonight would be a great time to tell her how you feel, Charlie. Just get her alone somewhere and be honest with her."
"But what if she doesn't feel the same? Then I'll have made a fool of myself."
"Only one way to find out. Do you promise you'll tell her tonight?" Charlie took a moment, and fixed the masquerade mask over his face. "I'll try." The boys cheered and finished gathering their things to head to the ball with their special passes.
Meanwhile, in one of the dressing rooms in the building, Vol was already dressed, and fixing Brooke's articuno inspired dress around her.
Vol fixed the feathered scarf around Brooke's shoulders as the teenager gazed at herself in the mirror. She was practically in awe at how she looked. She had never seen herself so beautiful, but she was still nervous-she'd never dressed up liked this before. "Vol...I don't know about this." Brooke messed with her fingers nervously. "Oh nonsense, you look amazing." Vol dismissed her with a wave of her hand, finishing her work. "Here, your mask." Brooke took the masquerade mask in her hands and looked over as Vol opened the door to the dressing room, out to the rest of the ballroom. "Come on, the others are waiting for us." Brooke followed the flying type gym leader outside.
As they neared the immaculate ballroom the elegant waltz music became louder, and Brooke could see the hundreds of people dressed in beautiful pokemon themed outfits that matched the fanciness of the event itself. "Wow, Vol... This place is amazing."
"Isn't it? I go every year. All the powerful and influential people in the region are here."
"So, gym leaders are here too?"
"They are! You're looking at Maroh royalty, Brooke." The teenager looked in awe. "Hey there!" They looked to the right and saw Logan, Charlie, and Jordan walking over to them. "Wow, Brooke! I don't think I've ever seen you wear a dress before." Jordan teased, and Brooke laughed. "Shut up. Not like I've ever seen you in a suit before."
"Touche."
"Wow, Brooke...you look..." She looked over to see Charlie looking at her dress. "Yeah?" He snapped out of what seemed to be a daze and stammered a minute. He hadn't realized he started speaking out loud. "Oh-uh-you look- you look great."
"Oh! Thanks, Charlie. So, do you."
"Th-Thanks." Vol smiled slowly as Brooke spotted a familiar face in the crowd. "Oh! There's Alex and Emil! I'm going to go say hi to them." Brooke nodded to her friends and stepped past them to greet the champion.
"Logan?" They looked over to see someone walking over to them in an outfit obviously inspired by a Raikou. He lifted up his mask as he approached them. "Miguel?" The boy smiled, "I thought that was you, Mi Amado. It's nice to see you." He put his mask back down over his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I've been spending some time studying under Agua, preparing for the Master Class performance."
"So, you made it into the Master Class too, then?"
"I did, I guess we will finally see who reigns here in Maroh, then, won't we?"
"It seems as though we will, Miguel." Both of them smiled and shook hands, but Miguel turned their hands over and gently kissed the back of Logan's hand.
The night went on and Brooke was happy to see all the gym leaders she had beaten, although she did notice that her father wasn't there. Charles was taking a rest from everyone else and having a drink of water. He looked across the ballroom and his eyes landed on Brooke talking with Prizrak. He was wearing a purple vest under a dark jacket with the collar propped coolly. Charlie felt his fingers tighten around the cup as he took another sip. He said something, and she began to laugh, a smirk developed over the man's face and Charlie tried his best not to scowl. "You will ask her to dance, won't you?" A voice next to him nearly scared his soul out of his body and he looked over to see Vol next to him. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh, please, Charlie. Your crush on Brooke couldn't stand out more if you were a shiny legendary pokemon." The gym leader teased him with a roll of her eyes. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You'd better ask her to dance before he does." As she nodded to Prizrak, Charlie looked back over at them and frowned. "I...I couldn't."
"And why not?"
"I can't compete with that. Look at them. He's so...so...charming." Charlie replied, not taking his eyes off the two of them flirting on the other side of the room. "Charlie..." She began, stepping in his line of sight so he was looking in her pale hazel eyes. "Prizrak may be handsome and charming, but he's a temporary."
"What do you mean?"
"All he cares about is the next person in his bed and his reputation. Brooke may be his fixation for now, but something tells me that's just because he can see she'll be an influential trainer one day. He can never commit to anyone." Charlie furrowed his brow. No way someone would do that to Brooke. She was so amazing that no one couldn't like her for her. "And you're a long term, Charlie. You're in it for the long run, I can tell. So, go over there and spend the night with her before Prizrak does." She stepped off to the side, opening up his view of Brooke, now alone, watching everyone dance with a soft smile on her face. Looking at her like this sent butterfree in Charlie's stomach. He nodded and stepped past her and made his way over to his friend. Brooklyn noticed him coming and smiled at him. "Hey there, Charlie. Isn't this event amazing?"
"It is, isn't it." Charlie replied, placing his arms behind his back. "Brooklyn, I was...I was wondering..." He turned to her, and she looked over at him. Charlie's breath hitched in his throat at the innocent curiosity in her blue eyes. He wasn't sure what to say. Or how to say it for that matter. Then, in place of words he held out his hand. She gazed up at him with an eyebrow raised. He nodded to the dance floor, filled with other people waltzing and slow dancing. "I-I don't know, Charlie—I don't really know how to dance. I don't think I'm very good at it, and—" He smiled reassuringly at her and took her hand, quieting her down. Suddenly he was filled with confidence. "Come on." She nodded and followed him to the dance floor.
Prizrak turned from the friend he was talking to, to find Brooke again. He looked around when she wasn't where he left her. He finally saw her about to dance with one of her friends. He frowned and noticed the boy look back across the room and smile at someone. Prizrak followed his gaze and saw Vol. The gym leader seemed to sense him looking at her and looked at him. She glared at him and Prizrak narrowed his eyes at her. Of course.
Charlie was about to get in the waltz hold when the music suddenly stopped. They both looked over to see the orchestra was taking a break. Charlie sighed. Moment gone. He looked back at Brooke and put his hands back at his sides. She was looking around the ballroom. "What is it?" He asked. "Have you seen Lukas?" She asked, still scanning the room. "Oh, he went out in the gardens with April. Would you like to go look for them?" He asked, and she nodded. He smiled and walked with her to the glass doors and outside.
The gardens had a beautiful stone path through them, lined with bushes of beautiful flowers, ornate lamps lighting each side. Every few yards there would be a bench or a fountain or an aviary bath. The night air was refreshing. There were stereos hidden in the bushes playing gentle guitar music. The trees lining the path were blooming with beautiful pink flowers that blew in the night breeze, a few petals drifting to the grass and stone walkway.
"It's so peaceful out here." Brooke said quietly, gazing around as two fletchling flew over their heads, from one tree to another. "Indeed." Charles agreed, gazing down at Brooke. A small smile on his face. She turned and looked up at him. "Charles, I was wondering." She called him 'Charles', this must be a serious question. "Yes?"
"Do you know what you want to do once our journey is over?" He turned away from her, looking ahead as they walked. He had thought it over once or twice, but he could never land on anything. "Honestly, I have no idea. I'll go home to my parents, probably. Maybe continue school somewhere else, or maybe take a break, or maybe get an internship somewhere. You know what you want to do." She nodded and smiled, a familiar spark coming to her eyes. "I've wanted to be the champion for as long as I remember. And I know that I can do it with my team there with me. We've been through everything together." Charlie smiled wider. "That's what I like about you, Brooke."
"Hmm?"
"Your passionate determination. Someone who doesn't know you may say that you're careless, or naive. But I know that's not true. You're so passionate because deep down, you're wise, and proud." He paused, looking down at her. "I may not know what I want to do, but I know that if you're there to help me, I'll be fine." He smiled warmly, yet softly at her. "You're the whole reason I left for my journey, Brooke. I could tell from the battle I had with you that there was something special about you." She was quiet a moment, speechless. "You...You really believe that?"
"Wholeheartedly." He replied. There was something in his voice that neither of them would be able to describe.
They then walked into a clearing with a pearly white gazebo sitting in the center, roses and vines draped over it. Charles was able to make out the 3:4 pattern in the distant piano music and smiled. "Hey, we never got to dance in there." Brooke smiled and reached over, taking Charles' wrist and pulling him up the steps into the gazebo. She laughed a bit at his started expression as she placed her hand in his. "You wanted to dance, didn't you?" He nodded, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks and ears. "Well, you lead. Show me what to do." He nodded again, taking off his cape for a moment and moving one of her hands to his shoulder, and placing one of his own on the small of her back.
He began teaching her the steps, smiling at how hard she was concentrating on the simple box step he was instructing. She really wanted to learn. Soon, she was getting it, and Charles stopped numbering the steps out loud, evening adding in a spin, and turn of the box step. "See? This isn't so hard."
"Shh! I'm trying to count." She muttered back, her eyes down at their feet. Charles laughed and lifted his hand from her waist, tilting her head up to look at him, then moving his hand back. "It's easier if you don't overthink it."
"Says you. You're the most over-prepared person I know for just about anything." She teased, and he smiled sheepishly. "Am I really that much of a worrier?" He asked with a chuckle. "Yes." Brooklyn nodded. "Well, sometimes it doesn't hurt to plan things, you know."
"Yeah, if you're a nerd." She teased again. They laughed for a moment, until it died down. "Thank you." Brooke said after a moment of silence. "For what?"
"For teaching me to dance...And for saying those nice things. For everything you've done for me. You know, with the goals I have, sometimes I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me. But I'm glad to know I have friends like you to help me whenever I'm stressed. You always know the right thing to say." He smiled, although he wasn't going to lie that there was a pang in his chest when she said 'friend'. He thought maybe, this would be the moment, but he can't after she just called him her friend. He released his grip on her and stepped back. "Anything for you, Brooklyn." She smiled too, and they turned to exit the gazebo when they saw April and Lukas standing there, apparently watching them the whole time. The knowing looks the pokemon were giving made Charlie blush more. "Oh! There you guys are. We were looking for you." Brooke walked past Charles to her partner, and they all headed inside after Charles pinned his cape back on.
Logan had spent the whole night considering an idea. Helping Charlie ask Brooke to dance had given him a thought. He walked over to the orchestra and gave them 20 dollars to play a certain song. He told them not to start playing until he gave the signal.
Logan walked up to Miguel, his confidence practically radiating. "Hey Miguel."
"Yes?"
"Do you remember when we learned dance at the academy?"
"Yes..?"
"Well, remember how we met because we were tango partners?"
"Yes?" He snapped his fingers and music stared to play over the speakers. Miguel crossed his arms and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Logan held out his hand and without another word he took it and followed him to the dance floor where most people had gone to the sides.
When the instruments came in he reached out and pulled his partner close. The crowds quieted down and watched as the two performers stepped dramatically to the beat of the music and held each other close. Miguel moved his hips sensually in the suit, the ends of his cape flying up around his as she was spun and whipped around in Logan's slender arms. They were pulled close to each other and every time they faced each other a romantic tension built whenever their lips almost touched but were pulled away at the very last second.
At the very end Miguel was posed, dipped backwards in Logan's arms and he was leaning down with him. They were evidently panting as they were still as if in a photo, stuck in a moment where the crowd around them began to clap.
In that moment something inside both of them seemed to spark.Logan's pale blue eyes met Miguel's deep emerald eyes and something in his chest felt odd. There was something new in the way they looked at each other as he let his partner up and they bowed, their hands still connected. For a moment, they looked at each other as the waltz music continued playing. They were both frozen, looking in each others' eyes behind their masks. Logan let go of Miguel's hand. "Thank you for that dance." Miguel smiled. "It's been a long time since we've danced like that." After a moment, Logan nodded. "Of course... Meu Amor." Miguel's eyebrows shot up, surprised at what Logan called him. Logan smiled and nodded. "See you in the Master Class."
"Y--yes... See you there, Mi Amado." Logan turned and walked off, back to hang out with Jordan, a pink blush clear on his face. He could feel Miguel's eyes watching him as he left.
The ball continued for a while longer and they all had fun, and got back to the pokemon center very late.
Charlie sat down on the bed, removing his masquerade mask and sighed, tired and happy. Logan walked into the room and looked at Charlie, taking off his mask. "What is wrong with you?"
"What?" Charlie replied, confused and startled by Logan's greeting as Jordan walked in. "Why didn't you tell Brooke how you feel tonight? Everything was perfect." Charlie sighed and looked away. "I see how you look at her, Charlie. I'm just surprised that she doesn't see it too."
"I don't know, Logan. I just...I couldn't."
"Couldn't? What do you mean you couldn't?" Logan asked, and Charlie was quiet a moment. "You're right. Everything was perfect, I should've told her." The brunet sighed. "So then why didn't you?" Jordan sat on his bed and looked at Charlie across from him. "I have to look her in the eyes every day and see that she only looks at me as a friend. Let's be honest, we all saw how she blushed when she saw Prizrak tonight, I'm just lucky I asked her to dance before he did. She likes that kind of guy. Big, strong, masculine, mature..." Charlie looked down and took off the jacket and cape. "She wouldn't go for a nerdy nobody who has no idea what he wants to do with his life after his journey is over. She's the most inspiring person I've ever met. I'm just an academy drop out from Nebulosa Town."
"Charlie..."
"I don't just like her, guys." He shook his head and locked his hazel eyes with Logan's pale blue eyes. "I love her. And because of that, I can't tell her. I think it's nearly killing me." Charlie sighed and stood up, walking to the window and gazing at the lamp-lit city below. "Besides, the league is coming up soon, Brooke only just won her eighth gym badge, I wouldn't want my confession to distract her." He shook his head. "I know she doesn't feel the same way about me, and that's okay. I'm fine with that. No matter what, she'll always be my friend, and I'll cheer her on until the very end." He turned and faced his friends again, who were looking at him with pure, undivided attention. "No matter what." Charlie repeated, somewhat more deflated this time, but nevertheless still held his optimism.
"Wow, Charlie..."
"I'm going to get changed for bed." Charles went for the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door and took a deep breath, rubbing away a tear that was threatening to leave his eye.