One Chance
#36 of All They Knew
Skye sat at a red booth in a small brightly lit restaurant down the west corridor of lined shops in the resort. Aaron was sitting across from her with Sylmi, and Ruki beside Skye. "Glad we chose the not-so-packed restaurant," she said while scanning the menu on the table. A small section for pokémon was in the lower right corner. Ruki could eat anything Skye did, but that selection would be easier on his stomach.
Only ten other people were seated around them. "Yeah, no twenty minute wait times." Aaron eyed the menu in front of him with Sylmi.
Sylmi already saw what he wanted. He lifted his left ribbon and pointed out the berry rolls to Aaron. They had figy berry filling, which was mildly spicy.
"What do you want, 'Ruk?" Skye watched him eye the menu.
He wasn't sure. There were only five options, but Ruki wasn't picky. The sushi rolls sounded best right now. "Nn." He leaned down and nudged the wording with his nose.
"Sure, baby. I guess I'll just have noodles." Skye looked ahead at Aaron. "How are you liking Alola so far?"
"It's actually the best region I've visited so far between weather and scenery... and because you're here, of course," he replied. Spending time with her was priceless.
Skye grinned, biting her lip for a moment. "Good..."
A young male waiter in a black outfit approached their table just after that and collected everyone's order. Aaron ended up asking for the same thing Skye did.
--
They were through with lunch in the next forty minutes, casually chatting and whatnot, and as they stepped out of the restaurant, Skye noticed a room farther down the corridor on the left side among other shops. On the sign above, it read: 'Lounge' in white lettering. "What's that?" It had to be a new addition.
"I... don't know, actually. Wanna check it out?" Aaron hadn't explored enough. That would take another day.
"Let's." Skye walked a few stores down with Ruki beside her between crowds and peeked inside by the doorway. It was a cozier version of the lobby, with twenty soft cream-colored leather couches lining the left wall, wall mounted TV's, and a snack bar to the far right at the end of the room. Both pokémon and trainers were either sitting or conversing.
"So... a social rest area," Aaron said while standing beside her.
Sylmi squeezed past them and entered the spacious room among other pokémon. There was an eevee in his young male trainer's lap on one of the chairs, but there were a few on the floor, including a chatot and fennekin.
"It's a cute place..." Skye added.
Sylmi hopped into a vacant chair and patted the one beside him with a ribbon while eyeing Ruki.
Ruki knew Sylmi wanted him to join, but he looked up at Skye first.
"Go ahead," she replied, watching him go and hop up beside Sylmi. "I'm glad they get along..."
"Makes everything easier," Aaron said.
Skye leaned her shoulder against his chest while watching. "Mhm, lots."
"Sylv," Sylmi said and shortly hopped down to greet the few pokémon in front of them.
Ruki didn't feel like joining, but Sylmi wanted him to. He reluctantly hopped down and sat some steps away, watching Sylmi pat the eevee's head who'd also joined the group with his ribbon. Ruki's distancing wasn't helping him avoid interaction, however, as he felt a sudden tug on one of his tails, which caused him to flinch from discomfort. He saw the chatot standing by his rear once he turned his head, and it pulled at another tail with its beak. "Nine!" Ruki stood and turned to face it.
"Cha..." The bird cowered a bit. It seemed intimidated. It was only curious.
Skye was busy giggling. "Ruki never gets annoyed. That's adorable."
"Not as tolerant with other pokémon, huh? Sylmi is really social," Aaron said.
"He was social as a vulpy. I guess his evolution made him more uptight, but Sylmi broke through."
Ruki felt quite bad for snapping at the chatot. "Tales..." He apologized, not that he'd let the bird near his tails again.
"Hey, you want to see the room me and Sylmi are staying in? It has a nice view. I think you'll like it," Aaron asked Skye.
"Of course, but let me tell Ruki and Sylmi first." She entered and crouched beside them. Ruki was sitting a bit closer now, slightly grinning at the eevee playfully pawing at Sylmi's dangling ribbons. "You two, Aaron is gonna take me up to see the room. Want to come?"
"Vee." Sylmi shook his head, of course. He'd stayed in there already.
Ruki could, but he wasn't having that bad of a time right now and didn't want to leave Sylmi alone. Ruki didn't know when he'd see him after this trip, so he shook his head as well.
"All right, we'll be about ten minutes. Stay put." Skye walked back to the entrance and past Aaron, tugging his arm. "C'mon."
He caught up quickly and walked beside her.
"What floor are you two on?"
"Six. It's the highest one here," Aaron replied. As they entered the busy lobby, he offered his right hand to Skye.
She took it without hesitance and grinned. Skye was glad he made a move like that. She wanted their relationship to feel mutual.
--
Meanwhile, Ruki had grown somewhat tolerant of the chatot. It was now perched atop his head. Ruki would prefer it not to stand there, but it wasn't a big deal. It was definitely a better alternative to having his tails yanked.
The eevee left the lounge with its trainer a minute ago, so Sylmi was now watching the chatot while beside the fennekin. He was happy Ruki warmed up.
Not a second later, however, Ruki's breath was taken away. His chest tightened. It was the espeon again, entering the room with her trainer. They walked past Ruki and Sylmi and went to the snack bar, but the espeon had seen the chatot on Ruki's head-- so much for first impressions. He couldn't help glancing at her cute features and sleek body several times sitting by the counter, her tail swaying elegantly.
"Syl, Sylve?" Sylmi could tell something was odd about Ruki's behavior. He asked Ruki if he liked the espeon. Hopefully, he wasn't wrong about his observation. Ruki made it rather obvious.
He swallowed and turned to Sylmi, finally shaking the chatot off his head. "Nin..." Ruki nodded. That was his first crush. It was love at first sight, and Ruki had no idea how it worked. To want another while they barely knew he existed was already eating at him. That's what he did know. Ruki was almost positive he'd never see this espeon again after today. He wouldn't even be in this situation right now if Skye hadn't used the one chance she had in Sinnoh, whether it worked out or not.