Imperceivable Beauty

Chapter 13

Moi-Moi: It feels as though every time I write a new character, I end up loving them more than ever. Paul, Brock, Paul, Harley, PAUL... and I'm sure the list will continue. ;)

Finally, it's time for the Pokémon trivia! Without looking up the answer,

Can you name all the pure Dragon-type Pokémon???

(Hint: There are only 11 pure Dragon-type Pokémon so far. Good luck. :D)

~:~

With five Ribbons under her belt and the Grand Festival still weeks away, Alena has more than enough time to get ready for her appearance on the big stage. Tonight, however, isn't for training...

"Anya, where are we going?" Alena asked with suspicion lacing her tone. With her eyes covered by a black scarf, she hesitantly allowed Anya to lead her along the halls of the Pokémon Center. The Lavaridge Town Contest had concluded yesterday and Alena had been expecting Anya to throw some sort of celebration for her. Alena held back a smirk as she continued to stumble slightly.

"Don't worry about that. It's a surprise. My best work yet. You'll never be able to guess what it is!" Anya said with a giggle. Alena refrained from blurting out, "Is it a party?" She didn't want to ruin Anya's hard work. She'd still act surprised when Anya took off her blindfold, however. "Okay. Stop. I'm going to take off your blindfold," Anya said in a tone that barely hid her excitement.

Alena smiled patiently as she felt Anya pull the scarf away from her eyes. Once the cloth was removed, Alena blinked her eyes open to clear away the spots that had formed. When she looked around her, Alena frowned slightly. This wasn't a party...

"Tada! What do you think?" Anya exclaimed ecstatically before dashing around her sister and gesturing widely. When Alena focused on what Anya was gesturing to, she froze. It was a dress- a simple, navy blue dress. It had spaghetti straps that criss-crossed in the back to support the halter top. The bottom was long and sweeping. It was simple enough, but it looked surprisingly elegant. "I wanted to make it pink or red, but Harley thought that you would like a darker color better," Anya explained. "And look! Harley picked out the perfect pair of shoes to go with it! I picked the accessories though."

Alena was speechless. Her mouth gaped for several seconds before she turned her stunned eyes onto Anya. Her little sister was staring up at her quietly with vulnerable fear in her eyes. Anya actually looked... nervous. For the first time ever, it looked as if someone's criticisms could actually break Anya. Alena smiled brightly. "It's so pretty, Anya. Did you design this?" Alena responded.

Anya visibly perked up at her sister's praise. She had been a little worried that Alena wouldn't like it. "Yep! Harley helped me put it together. I did most of the work though. I made it for you as a gift for winning your fifth Ribbon. I thought about giving it to you after you won the Grand Festival, but I couldn't wait any longer."

Alena fingered the soft material of the dress. "I like it a lot. Thank you so much, Anya. It's beautiful," Alena said.

"Great! When you're finished changing, just head downstairs. Nurse Joy was nice enough to let us have the cafeteria for the party. I'm opposed to throwing a party in a cafeteria, but Harley promised that he would take care of the catering and decorations so it probably won't be too bad," Anya said before turning to leave the room.

"Wait. What?" Alena balked.

"The party's happening downstairs. You didn't think the party was the surprise. Did you? I'm not that predictable, Alena," Anya giggled before leaving.

Alena's jaw dropped. Anya expected her to change into that? It was a nice gift- one Alena would always cherish. But to actually wear it? In public? Alena ran her fingertips over the material again. "It is a really nice dress... If it's just Anya and Harley, it won't be so bad," Alena said with a small shrug before turning to go take a shower.