Pokémon Obsidian | An Orre Fanfiction

Chapter 42: Normal

'I can't believe we're really doing this...'

Aiko stepped off her Crobat at a football field in Gateon Port. It was close enough to the ocean to hear the crashing waves over the buzz of chatter. Wisteria and Yan landed behind her.

'This looks interesting,' Yan politely commented as he watched people rush by in a variety of Falinks and Clobbopus costumes, 'I've never attended a sports game.'

'They're really boring... I prefer Pokémon.'

'I like football,' Wisteria said, 'I actually support Clearwater Clobbopus, but Mr. Magnolia doesn't need to know that.'

'What if he really is you-know-who?'

'Aiko! We've talked about this, like, a million times already! If he is – which he isn't – I'll just get info out of him and then hand him in.'

Kazuki was in on the plan. He made a point of waving to them, so Whitby turned to see them, too. No particular emotion registered in his turquoise eyes. He politely nodded.

Back in high school, Wisteria dated the man who became the Clearwater Clobbopus quarterback, Akhil. They grew apart when she took off on the Gym Challenge and he tried and failed to secure a football scholarship. Their breakup was never official. He was new to the hobbyist team. When he saw her, his eyes lit up. Aiko's eyes flitted between them.

'Unanticipated... obstacle...'

'Nah. It's no big deal. They can fight over me.'

'But Whitby doesn't even know you like him... I think, Wisteria... this would be simpler if you just asked him out...'

'No! That'd be way too weird and sudden! I'm not expecting it to happen tonight. I'm just planting some seeds.'

'I don't know why I agreed to watch a football game just so you could plant some seeds...'

Though Yan seemed genuinely curious. He almost bought popcorn for the three of them, but changed his mind in case it was poisoned.

'Oh, hello.'

Lyndon and Trip sat beside Wisteria. Yan didn't recognise them, under their Falinks hats, at first. When Lyndon was cut off from Trip, his only connection to his son was his football games; but when Trip became a world-renowned player, he couldn't attend every one. They attended Kazuki's games together, with Courtney, to make up for it. Lyndon offered his own sealed bag of popcorn.

'Don't worry. It's from from Wail-Mart, not here. I'm still not hungry, to be honest.'

'Ah! Thank you, Mt. Battle Master.'

'Lyndon. Or Don. Whatever. This isn't the bedroom.'

Yan blinked. He wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Wisteria spluttered. Lyndon took a spare Falinks hat from his backpack to place it firmly on Yan's head. Yan shrugged and leaned in to the selfie Aiko was about to take.

Before the first quarter ended, it was 21-3 to Phenac Falinks. Kazuki was really too experienced for a hobbyist team, but the Falinks fans didn't mind. Akhil was injured. He was already filling in for the star quarterback, who was at his son's school play. A nervous running back replaced Akhil.

'Well, well, well–'

'Dad!' Aiko exclaimed, 'Do you have to talk like a cartoon villain?!'

'Yes.'

'What's so "well, well, well," anyway?'

'I was about to tell you, before you rudely interrupted. I didn't know he played football.'