Pokemon One-Shots and Headcanons

Valentine's Day

Jealousy was a strange and highly annoying emotion. It was one of those emotions that made you want to rip out the emotion-producing part of your body and ship it to Mount Silver, where it would attack another unsuspecting soul and make them suffer through them. A great, but unfortunately impossible, plan.
Braixen jabbed her stick angrily into the ground and scowled. It was Valentine's Day, and she was once again spending it alone. Even Ash, as dense as he was, was on a date with Serena. While Braixen was happy that her trainer finally got what she wanted, it only served to make her feel even more self-conscious about being the only one without someone to enjoy Valentine's Day with. Well, except for Hawlucha and Noibat, but they didn't count because Noibat was still a baby and Hawlucha wasn't interested in that sort of thing. Actually, Chespin was alone too, but he didn't really count either. Normally Braixen wouldn't have been bothered, but she hadn't been counting on the vast number of couples that would be doing couple-y things right in front of her.
Out of all the people and Pokemon around her in the little cafe they had stopped to eat at, it wasn't a couple that was earning themselves a special glare from Braixen. Rather it was Greninja, who was also spending the day alone. He was sitting at a table just to the left of Ash and Serena and was watching his trainer intently.
"Dense frog," Braixen muttered to herself. She would have gladly accepted if Greninja had asked her out, but no, he just had to be as dense as his trainer. Well, maybe that wasn't particularly fair. After all, Ash had been the one to ask Serena out, much to the shock of everyone who heard.
"What's the matter, Braixen?"
Braixen looked up to see Sylveon sitting across from her. "Nothing," she replied grumpily. "And what are you doing here? I thought you were with Pikachu."
"Pikachu and Talonflame went to help Hawlucha look after Noibat," Sylveon explained. "But you didn't answer my question. What's wrong-and don't say nothing, because I can tell when you're lying."
Braixen sighed and gave herself away by half-glancing over to where Greninja sat. Sylveon followed her gaze, her eyes filling with understanding.
"Ah, I see," she said. "You wanted to be here with Greninja, didn't you?"
"It would have been nice," Braixen admitted with another sigh. "Unfortunately, he's so clueless I think that might be his ability."
"If you like him, why didn't you just ask him yourself?" Sylveon asked.
Braixen paused for a moment. Now that she thought about it, why hadn't she just asked Greninja out herself? Sure, it would have been incredibly awkward and embarrassing and she probably wouldn't have been able to get her words out, but-oh. Right. That was why she hadn't asked him.
"That would have been way too embarrassing," she groaned. "I'd never have been able to look him in the face ever again."
"Why not? I'm sure Greninja would have been nice about it," Sylveon said in confusion. "He wouldn't, you know, laugh at you or anything."
"Maybe not, but he'd just feel sorry for me and that's even worse," Braixen muttered. "After all, there's no chance he'd have said yes."
"How do you know? You didn't even try," Sylveon pointed out.
"He never even gave me the time of day when we were at Professor Sycamore's lab together," Braixen said unhappily. Of course, she had always been too shy to talk to him, but still.
"That was back then, though. You two are friends now," Sylveon reminded her.
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Greninja thinks this sort of thing is a waste of time," Braixen replied dismissively. "He's more interested in perfecting that weird synchronization thing he does with Ash than finding out if anyone might like him."
Sylveon's retort was lost. They both knew that Greninja was a very serious battler, just like his trainer. It was one of the reasons he had left so many of his other trainers, as Braixen had learned from the few times they had spoken to each other-that, and the fact that they hadn't shown him proper care. Braixen had been a bit skeptical when Greninja had left the lab to join Ash, but clearly her doubts had been unfounded considering that even now, all these months later, Greninja still thought Ash was the most wonderful trainer in the world.
Suddenly, something caught Braixen's attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw a female Milotic approaching Greninja's table. Braixen felt her grip on her branch tighten as Milotic winked at Greninja.
The Milotic's name was Mira, as Braixen found out when she introduced herself in a rather carrying voice. She reached out to touch Greninja's shoulder, but he dodged and grabbed her paw in a handshake instead. He released her after barely a second and she let it drop.
"Uh-nice to meet you," he said awkwardly.
"Yes, isn't it?" Mira replied sweetly, tossing her head in what Braixen assumed was supposed to be a coy or alluring move. "So, it's Valentine's Day."
"Um, yes it is," Greninja replied. Two tables away, Chespin was watching Greninja intently as though taking notes on exactly how to act around girls, not that Greninja was doing anything he should even bother trying to duplicate. "What of it?"
"Well, I was thinking that since we're both here alone, maybe I could keep you company," Mira said coyly. Braixen couldn't help but scowl at her.
"I don't think so, no," Greninja said quickly, and Braixen smirked. "I'm sorry," he added when Mira's eyes widened and her seductive (or what she assumed was supposed to be seductive) expression dropped.
"Are you serious?" Mira practically shrieked. "Why not?"
Braixen noticed that Mira and Greninja had a bit of an audience now. She didn't think it had escaped Greninja's attention either, since he kept glancing around awkwardly. His eyes met Ash's, and the raven-haired boy mouthed something to him. Braixen couldn't tell what it was, but Greninja seemed to understand and nodded.
"I'm just...not interested," he said carefully. "I'm sorry."
"You really are an ass, aren't you?" Mira spat.
"Yes. And you don't know how to handle rejection," Greninja replied, turning away from her. "Both things we should try to work on. Separately."
Mira gave an angry shriek and stormed off. Greninja relaxed visibly after she left and went back to watching everyone else in the cafe. Sylveon nudged Braixen and smirked at her.
"Well, now's your chance," she whispered. "Just go talk to him."
"Are you kidding me? I can't do that right after Mira just got turned down," Braixen hissed. Even though she didn't like Mira for flirting with Greninja, she was still going to be considerate. "And besides, do you really think Greninja's in the mood for me to ask him out right now? That had to be really embarrassing for him, you know."
"I suppose that's true," Sylveon sighed. "All right, don't ask him-but don't blame me if this turns out to be your only chance."
Fifteen minutes later, the gang left the cafe and Braixen still hadn't been able to work up the courage to say anything to Greninja. She felt more dejected than ever-Valentine's Day was almost over, and he still wasn't any more aware of her feelings for him than when the day had started.
"Stupid holiday," Braixen muttered to herself. "What's the point of even celebrating Valentine's Day alone?"
"Um, Braixen?"
Braixen turned around and saw that Greninja was standing behind her, looking slightly embarrassed about something. "H-hey, Greninja. What is it?" she asked, trying and failing to keep from stuttering. She realized that Greninja must have heard her talking to herself, but he was kind enough not to say anything.
"Just wanted to give you this," Greninja said, holding out a rose. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Braixen blushed, quite shocked. "T-thank you, Greninja. Happy Valentine's Day to you too," she stammered as she accepted the rose.
Greninja smiled at her and fell into step beside her. Braixen traced the petals on her rose, pure happiness making her insides melt. It looked as though the day wasn't going to be a complete waste after all.