The rest of that week was a slog. Even though it had been proven to be a mistake, Lute was fully expected his King's Shield badge to go off again and constantly checked it whenever he had the free time. It didn't vibrate or blink even once, leading to days that felt longer than ever before.
He was able to adjust back to the normal schedule, at least. Early rising, squabbles with Sophitia, her overeating at breakfast, and then a jog to school. Once there, Raiju's antics would ensue whilst Lute's group worked together on their projects, though there was a lot more teasing about Lute and Infia's date from the lot of them. It wasn't anything he'd complain about though, as it kept him focused and smiling. He loved his friends, school life, and wouldn't change any of it even with his new job as a secret agent.
Then came the weekend at last. When Lute woke up that morning, Marina and Sophitia were far more excited than he was; cheeky smiles with fangs and gleeful messages all day, even though he tried to carry on as normal. The plan was for Infia to meet at their house so that they could make their way to Densan City during sunset, where they'd have a little bit of time to kill and be early for the performance.
"Is it done yet?" Lute whined. Sophitia giggled as she continued to fasten buttons on a shirt. She stepped away to admire her work. Lute now possessed his first costume thanks to the girls. A black, sleeveless shirt had been fitted around his waist, while a tiny bow tie poked through the front of his mane. "It's so tight and stuffy."
"Careful with your head, too. All that gel and water keeps your fur in place so that you look smart," Marina warned. He had to resist the urge to scratch an itch, and grumbled instead. Looking in a mirror, the shirt was barely visible and just matted down his fur, while the work on his head fur had only straightened his usual style so that it couldn't get messier.
"You guys are way too excited about this," he sighed. The front door knocked just then, setting off the girl's squeals.
"She's here she's here! Go answer it Lute, and chin up," Marina said. He grumbled again as he walked over.
It was Infia at the door. His mood switched thanks to her appearance, which was unexpectedly cleaner than her usual look at school. Her pigtails were smoother, while her yellow fur was shiny from how clean it was. She wore a white and pink sleeveless shirt that only covered her chest, and a frilly tutu that shimmered with pinks, purples, and glitter. Bow ties adorned her right ear and chest.
For the first time ever, Lute was overwhelmed by her appearance. He felt himself choke inside and didn't know what to say or do besides stare and gawk. When she said she was going to get new clothes, the last thing he was expecting was something so girly, something that brought out the definition of 'cute' within her.
He could feel his body heating up the longer they stared like this, both from the tightness of his new shirt and the new feelings he was experiencing with her. "U-um. Hi."
"Ahaha, you dressed up, too?" she replied with a squeak, going red as well.
"Don't stand out there like that, come in, come in!" Marina rushed over to show her inside. "Lute, I expected better from you."
"E-er, sorry. You didn't have trouble getting here by the way, did you?" Lute asked and scratched his face.
"No. I remember the way from before," Infia bowed. "Thank you so much for having me over, Miss Aska."
"Please, just Marina is fine. I'm surprised you came on your own, though. Didn't your new carer worry?" wondered the Vaporeon.
"Mister Phoenix is actually working at the show tonight, that was why he let me go in the first place. Lute, Sophitia, did you know that he was Esther's bodyguard?" Infia said.
"Wait, seriously? You mentioned him not being around much, but I guess that's why. Who would've thought he'd be working with someone famous? Lucky you," Lute remarked.
"Yes. So he's going to be there anyway, and if anything happens, he'll be able to help protect us," she said.
"That's perfect!" Marina cheered, standing on her hind legs. "Take some water, now. You two had best be off. And look after her, Lute!"
"Yeah Lute, you had better treat her better than you treat me," Sophitia said, half lidded.
"You two," Lute groaned. Infia blushed and laughed lightly, then exchanged nods with her partner. "But they're right. Let's get going."
"Oh and Lute. If you're gonna be home late, you're allowed to use the badge," Sophitia said. Lute glanced at his, nodded, and then they were off.
There was silence between the two for a while, leaving Lute to take in the late surroundings of Everend. It was quieter than usual thanks to the lack of working Pokémon. Instead, what little noise came from their feet on the light grass and road. It wasn't until the gondola station came into sight that Lute realised that Infia hadn't said a word, diligently following him the whole time.
He turned to say something, but the moment he saw her again, that heated feeling filled his chest. For the first time ever, he felt like a girl he was with was out of his league. But that girl was Infia, the shy Minun who he'd known throughout all his years at school. For some reason, that made it even harder to talk to her.
Just say something, Lute. What's wrong with me? he complained in his mind. He slapped his face to focus, and then stopped in the middle of the station to check for times. The gondola they needed was about to leave in the next minute. "Ack, Infia, run!"
"Huh?" she squeaked.
"It's that one. Platform two. Quick!" he warned, dragging her arm.
He scanned his ticket, sprinted quicker than the barriers could open, and didn't stop until he was within the doorways of that gondola. It hadn't left yet, but the bleeping sound gave away the closing doors, so he stood in between to stop them from shutting. Thankfully, Infia was right behind him the whole time and he didn't need to actually do that.
"Phew, that was a lucky one. Wish we didn't have to run," he huffed. The Klefki conductor was already in the ceiling, so the gondola promptly set off. "Infia?"
She was crouched and gasping for breath. She was sweating far more than he was. In fact, she was sweating excessively as if she had run a marathon. "Infia, are you alright?"
"Y-yes," she panted dryly.
She took over a minute to catch her breath and regain her voice, to which he helped her to the seats on the side of the carriage. He flinched away the moment he realised they were touching paws however, not just because of the gesture, but because of the white, flowered wristbands she was wearing. He somehow hadn't seen them before.
"I-is something wrong?" she asked.
"No, it's just, your clothes," he hung his head. "You look really fancy right now and I'm scared of getting that dirty and stuff."
"Oh, thank you! It's actually just an Esther cosplay. I've had this for ages but I've never been brave enough to wear it until now. I'm not a fan of showing my tummy," she admitted, going red. "I just thought I had to this time; you know? This might be the only time I ever get to see Esther live on stage. I've got to show how much of a fan I am."
"It makes you look so cute. I just didn't know what to say for the longest time," he snickered. "Do you mind explaining that to me, though? What's wrong with showing your tummy?"
Infia's face went an even deeper red. "It's, um, I don't know how to – it's just something I'm not comfortable with showing. Normally."
"If you were missing fur or something, I guess you could be embarrassed," he cocked his head.
"It's a girl thing!" she squeaked.
"It is? But Sophitia and Mum are fine without clothes. So was Silver."
"It doesn't apply if you're not wearing clothes to begin with!" she squeaked even louder.
"Still, it's all a bother to me. I can't stand this shirt; it makes me feel like my fur's gonna explode or something," he tugged at his shirt as he complained.
"Wait, you don't like it? Why did you wear it?" she asked.
"Mum and Sophitia made me. They said I had to if I was going to this," he grumbled.
"I like it, but there's no point in wearing clothes if you don't like it," she became stern. "C'mon, let's take it off!"
"You're okay with me not wearing it?"
"Only wear it if you want to. I-I don't like it when other Pokémon try to tell us what to do," she stated. "Do you want to wear it?"
"Heck no!"
"Then let's take it off!" she bounced over. Lute felt his face heat up again from how close she was now, freezing up as she curled her paws around to undo the shirt buttons. She only managed two of them before he subconsciously retracted.
"I-I've got the rest," he said. He had to sit down to access them, but thanks to her, it was easy. The shirt was off. "Do you want it?"
"The shirt?" she squeaked. "Black's not my colour."
"I'm probably never going to wear this again though," he admitted.
She started laughing. "You're crazy, Lute. That or you just really hate clothes."
"I don't like clothes. It's just pointless," he blushed a little. Slipping the shirt into his bag, he sat beside her to watch the dark scenery scroll by. Densan City was visible in the distance, its skyline lit up by dozens of glittering lights that turned its towering structures into silhouettes. The view brought a warm smile out of him. "This is my first time leaving Everend because of something fun. Excited to see Esther?"
"Oh you have no idea! I-I don't know if I ever show it, but she's my idol, Lute," she said, paws pressed together. "I have all her music TMs. And I'm always following her in magazines. The things she says in interviews, she's a perfect Pokémon!"
"A perfect Pokémon?"
"Her music is perfect. Her clothes are perfect. She's always being nice to everyone and her music is all about fighting against evil. She's the heroine of music, Lute! When I get bigger, I want to be just like her," she praised. Looking at her now, this was all Lute needed to see to know that Sophitia made the right choice forfeiting her ticket. The Minun's eyes glistened like nothing before, and her voice was certain, as if her whole figure was shining.
"No you... really don't show it. I had no idea you were into music and stuff like this," he said. "Quick, tell me everything you know about Esther. I've never actually heard her music."
"For real Lute? She's incredible. How can I show you... oh, like this. She has these dance moves, and I use them in my cheering routine," she said. She stood up to clear space and made sure the gondola wasn't shaking much before she started, and then raised her paws high. She started humming an upbeat tune to herself, followed by tapping one foot. That then turned into a careful slide to the right, then a spin into a fancy pose where she held an invisible microphone by her mouth.
Lute watched with a warm smile as she twisted and posed around the gondola, humming that tune like it was second nature. Her eyes shut until she was close to the wall, and before long, he could hear her whispering lyrics to herself. She sung just loud enough for a tone to come out, and that's when he began to gawk.
She was dancing and singing to herself. Despite knowing nothing about the medium himself, he felt that what she was doing was special. The way her movements were choreographed with careful steps and precise movements of her arms and feet, it was like she was drawing a picture with her body and animating it, blurring the background into whatever she wanted in the process. Combined with her singing at the same time, she had made a beautiful scene he couldn't take his eyes off of.
She suddenly froze and opened her eyes, and then she hid behind her paws. "I-I-I'm sorry!"
"Wha-what? What for, why'd you stop?" he gasped.
"I-I g-g-got carried away," she squeaked with a face redder than a tomato.
Lute's face twisted a bit as he thought about his response. "You're embarrassed, but I really thought you were good at that. I didn't know you were so good at dancing, Infia."
"I'm not! They were just Esther's moves. I'm just a copycat," she said, and turned away.
"I-I still think that was great," he said, silencing when she went to sit back down. She had gone cold and stiff.
"Thank you, Lute," she said without looking at him.
He didn't know what to say after that. His chest choked him up again, and his head filled with thoughts of what he might've done wrong. Did he look at her funny while she was dancing? Did he say something wrong? Did he remind her of some bad memory? He'd never know, so now it was his determination to not do anything else wrong for the rest of the night.
They arrived not long after thankfully, so any further conversation made itself. The once overcrowded streets of Densan were nearly empty, lined with trampled pavement and litter on the sides. Streetlights made golden circles that marked where the floor was wet, though the still air kept the area colder than it looked. Muffled chatter could still be heard from open windows, while gondolas noisily streamed above. There was enough light for the area to not feel sleepy despite the night sky.
Their destination was in the main district, straight ahead from the gondola station. It still took a good twenty minutes to reach, but the increasing number of young Pokémon around, groups of friends chatting and excitedly crowding, told them they were on the right track.
Lute was entranced by more than that. He recalled the area as the Ministry of Science, the complex of labs and offices where Aseria's technology was being researched and developed. He thought it an odd place for a pop star performance until he was here, where an enormous garden provided more than enough space for the audience and the stage. There must have been over a thousand Pokémon here already, yet there was plenty of room for the garden's many shapes of grass and flowers. The building behind the stage was the tallest building visible from the skyline, a straight, grey tower lined with shiny, tinted glass.
"We're here... we're here, we're here, we're here we're here we're here!" Infia squealed, bouncing up and down. She was hugged up against Lute and accidently released a light spark.
"Wah, careful!" he giggled.
"Sorry, but we're here I can't believe it we're really here!" she screamed. "C'mon, let's get a good spot near the front."
"Uh okay," he kept giggling, getting dragged with her before he could even open his mouth. The very front of the stage couldn't be touched thanks to metal barriers making space between the audience and the performers, but they were still close enough to see all the action when the place got crowded. Right now, a Kecleon and a Loudred were on the side of the stage with a DJ deck and other sound equipment, managing a generic dance mashup.
"Huh? That's not... does Esther come on after these guys?" Lute wondered. He was surprised at how loud he had to speak to hear himself. The beat was made his chest vibrate and ears ring.
"This really is your first gig, Lute! Yeah, these guys are just here to get everybody excited for the main show," Infia answered. The way she was focused on the front, half climbing the barricade, he didn't want to ask anything else to distract her. The same way he felt when he thought of adventures, she looked like that right now. Her whole being gave off an aura that made him happy.
"H-here," he slid his way beneath her. She squeaked and scrambled a bit which threw him off balance, but he still managed to get her to sit on his back. He had no trouble hopping to the top of the barricade, too. "You're really light, so it's no problem!"
"L-Lute, wa-wait, don't do that. What if I... u-um, you know," she squeaked. He gave her a funny look. "Wha-what if I-I... accident?"
He flinched. "I er- okay, I didn't think about that. Sorry."
"It's okay it's okay, the show hasn't started yet and all," she said, going red. He laughed lightly which encouraged her to laugh too, and then the two relaxed where the were. The security Pokémon who were on patrol, a Machoke and Heatmor, didn't seem to mind them being there on the barricade. Seeing that, Infia relaxed a little more, slowly and sunk into Lute's fur.
"Lute," she said quietly. He shifted to try and look up at her. "Can you hear me?"
"Uh huh. Is everything okay?" he smiled.
She paused. "Th-thank you for inviting me to this. It really means a lot."
Lute blushed again, and light laughter escaped his now nervous form. He froze up, feeling all the heat in his body rush to his face when her paws began to slide around his mane to his front. She tiredly cuddled him from behind, and he didn't know what to do besides gawk.
"Attention Pokémon, attention all Pokémon. This is a public announcement about Esther's performance tonight," a voice echoed throughout the area, drowning out the current DJ music, which stopped soon after. "We are sorry to announce that due to unforeseen circumstances, Esther's performance will be delayed. We are unable to determine how long this delay will last. Please stand by for further announcements."
Lute and Infia sat back and looked around as a wave of disappointment flew across what of the audience. Some Pokémon threw tantrums on the spot, and a few even let off attacks into the air.
"Aww, she was supposed to be on in about ten minutes. I wonder what happened?" Infia wondered.
"Hopefully it's not too much of a delay," Lute looked around. He caught sight of the two guards being called over to some other barricades with a 'staff only' label. "Hey, how about we go find out? We do have backstage passes and all."
"Aren't those just for after the show, though?" she said as she got off his back. "We really should just let them work it out and wait for them."
"If you say so. Hey since we don't know how long we'll be waiting, how about I just go grab us a snack? You hold our space," he suggested.
She put her paws on her belly. "That could be good. Just something light though, please."
"Ice cream?"
"I was thinking more crackers."
"Got it. I won't be long," he said, jogging off.
He had to weave through the crowd that had scattered into groups, but he was back out into clear space soon enough. With a smile on his face, he scanned the left and right in search a market stool that could sell him an apple or two. Or seeing as it was the city, the idea of a fancy sweet he'd never seen before crossed his mind. Maybe that would be better.
Then he noticed several of the staff talking by the that same barrier the security was called over to earlier. There was a bigger group now, but amongst them was a blue furred Sylveon. A chubby blue furred Sylveon that didn't look like they wanted to sit still. When they happened to move to reveal their face, that was when he knew.
"Sophitia?" he called. She turned at her name and flinched, eyes widened, mouth agape and all.
"Lute? Why're you here, get back with Infia!" she cried.
"I was just going to get us something because the show got delayed. But that's my line, what're you doing here? I thought you didn't want to come?" he asked.
"I er, erm, let's just say my badge went off," she swayed her head. She turned back to the security. "Which is what I'm trying to tell you guys. I'm an agent, you gotta let me through. We gotta get this show going or else, and I'll be able to help."
"Wait but I didn't feel my badge go off," Lute mumbled as he checked his bag.
"Remember that I'm the leader of our team. They'll call me first before they call you," Sophitia gave a smug smile.
Lute froze and looked up at her in concern. "Why are you really here?"
"I just told you."
"The show just got delayed, there's no way you'd be here already even if there was a mission. And if there was, why wouldn't you call me about it?" he challenged.
The Sylveon sighed and spun back around. "Why are you so dang smart when you don't have to be, huh? Okay, so I might've followed you here, but now this is happening and I've got it sorted. Go stay with Infia already."
"You said you hated this place. Why would you follow me?" he raised an eyebrow.
"So that you don't screw up your date and stuff. Which you're kinda already doing by leaving her alone and getting in my way," she argued.
"Screw up my da- Sophitia, this isn't a date, I told you that already," he said. "This isn't some love thing that's going on between us, it's just two friends seeing a show together."
"For goodness sake Lute, that's literally a date. And since I have to spell it out for you as well, yes, that's literally what we call love. She likes you, Lute. And you're doing like, nothing to respond to that," she said.
"Wait, seriously? Did you give up your ticket just so you could say stupid stuff like that?" Lute raised his voice. "Sophitia, it's not a date. I don't have feelings for Infia. I don't care about that stuff."
"Yes you do! You just don't realise it you dim-witted little kid. You're in love, and it's always up to us to ship you hopeless kids together!"
Lute growled and stomped forward a bit, but stopped thanks to her suddenly shocked look. She wasn't looking at him, but she shifted back as if she had just seen a ghost that was about to strike her down. He glanced back and spotted infia right away. The Minun was silent and her once clean fur had gone totally pale.
"Wa-wait just forget everything I said it's not true I didn't mean any of that I swear! I'm just a rambling old lady—"
"You really did do that, didn't you? You told him to give me the ticket, didn't you?" Infia said, her voice flat and emotionless. Lute glared angrily at Sophitia, who gulped and tried to look away.
"Look, I've seen how unhappy you are and stuff. I've felt it. I wanted to do this to help you, okay? It actually hurts seeing you guys as a ship waiting to happen that's like, not happening because of this dolt," Sophitia said. "So seriously. You guys can just head back to the show and I'll take care of this stuff—"
"Sophitia, you're so stupid!" Infia shrieked at the top of her voice. She had to catch her breath, shook for a moment, and then turned to run but immediately tripped and bumped into Silver.
"I knew the two of you might be here, but Infia as well is useful. I never anticipated this could happen, but we have an investigation on our hands. Follow me," the Goodra instructed, completely ignorant of their shocked gawks.
"Uhh, this is a really bad time, Silver," Sophitia hung her head.
Silver looked over them all and raised an eyebrow, but that was all. Lute was furious, Sophitia shuddered from embarrassment, and Infia was shaking, fists closed, fangs gritted and electricity sparking from her cheeks. None of it registered to the Goodra at all, resulting in a carefree hand gesture. "This will be your first on-the-spot assignment. Follow me or else."