On a Night Like This

1. Falkner

The invitation said eight, so Falkner had come at eight. He was already starting to wish he hadn't. Only a handful of people had arrived, and he couldn't find a familiar face among them. This was obviously one of those parties where nobody was expected to show up on time.

He should have realized. Or asked his dad. Or something.

He didn't usually go to stuff like this. Well, honestly, he never went to stuff like this. But this was the life of a Gym Leader, he figured. Not long ago, he'd been a relative unknown, and now, with the Violet City Gym under his watch, he was a VIP at the Pokémon event of the decade.

After years of keeping the Master Ball under wraps and refusing to let all but the most renowned researchers try it out, Silph Co. was taking it public at last. It'd be on sale the next day—for those who could afford it, that was. The possibilities for the Pokémon world were endless.

And Silph Co. wouldn't be the biggest business in Kanto if it didn't make the most of the hype, hence the extravagant launch party. Anyone who was anyone had been invited, including the other Gym Leaders. But where were they now?

Falkner checked the entrance yet again. He sure didn't feel like much of a VIP, standing around on his own.

A guard gave him a wary once-over, and he pretended to check his texts instead. The security here was ridiculous, thanks to a widespread rumor that Giovanni was planning on making an appearance. Not likely, if you asked him, but he guessed after what had gone down in Goldenrod with Team Rocket, Silph Co. wasn't about to risk it.

The time flashed before him. Still eight-fifteen. He pocketed his Pokégear and reminded himself exactly why he was there.

He'd come for three reasons. First, because he'd have to be crazy to miss out on a party like this. He couldn't go ten feet without being offered an hors d'oeuvre or a glass of champagne, and the Silph Co. lobby had been transformed. By day, it was an ordinary office building. Tonight, that was hard to believe.

Second, for the free Master Ball in the gift bag. From what Falkner had heard, some of the leaders were more excited for that than the party itself. Even with Master Balls set to hit stores, they were priced at a premium, sold in limited quantities, and the waitlists were filling up fast. So for those who had to get their hands on one now, this was the place to be.

And the third? She'd be walking in the door any minute.

He'd sworn that tonight was the night he'd finally man up and ask Janine out. He'd been meaning to do it for ages. He'd had a couple of chances already. But it wasn't that simple.

He didn't want to screw things up. She was practically his best friend.

Falkner and Janine had so much in common that he hung out with her more than any of the other Gym Leaders, even though she lived all the way over in Kanto. She wasn't like the Johto girls, which—no offense—was a plus. Whitney liked to talk his ear off and Jasmine hardly talked at all, and Clair... well, he was kind of scared to talk to Clair. But he and Janine could just talk. Being new to the League could get tough at times, and he was glad to have a friend in the same position.

Only the more they got to know each other, the more he realized his feelings went far beyond friendship. He just wasn't sure if hers did, too.

* * *

"This is nothing compared to the Ultra Ball launch," Blaine complained. "Now that was a party."

Falkner listened incredulously. Ultra Balls had been a Poké Mart mainstay since before he'd been born. He'd only meant to say a quick hi to Pryce, one of the few guests he recognized, but as others had stopped by to chat, he'd found himself stuck in the middle of a gathering of the League's oldest.