"Oh yeah! Just put your number in." He took out his flip-phone. It was old and cracked, but it was all they could afford. Still he was thankful Felix was able provide it for him especially now that he had one more reason to use it.

"We'll keep in touch! There are some contests coming up, maybe we'll do it together." August hoped that the coordinator had found Taga useful, but that didn't seem as important now that he'd made a new friend. "I'll see you around Lana!"

The warmth of his brother's hand on his head made it all worth it. Best. Adopt-iversary. Ever. August shot his brother his brightest smile and for once didn't feel the need to fill the silence between them.

August stared blankly at the vending machine and breathed in deeply. If he turned 65 degrees to his right he could still watch the two in the distance, so he did his best to keep his eyes forward. Rows of lemonade were suddenly very interesting. Once he had a bottle, he slid down the wall and into a squat. He could see the two talking from the corner of his eye.

Good for you, Finn. Good for you, he thought.

He decided he would give them a bit more time alone which would, in turn, give himself more time to come to terms with the inevitable end of his first love. Maybe he'd be able to stay friends with them at the very least. August watched condensation drip down his drink


When life gives you lemons...

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X TM/TR (60 PD)

Growlithe learns Overheat

TOTAL

do come again!

60 PD

Even in the awkward silence it was obvious to August that Finn couldn't keep his attention off of Ophelia. He couldn't find it in himself to feel anything but numb. It was his curse to be far too attentive to every little thing about the ginger, and it only made him more and more aware that he wasn't even on Finn's radar. His head was buzzing and full of fuzz as his friend enthusiastically answered his question. For once, he couldn't focus on what he was saying. When he realized Finley had finished speaking he responded in an uneven tone, "O-oh, um... that sounds nice."

He was an outsider here. Shouldn't he know that by now? A shiver ran through him at the subtle glance the two beside him exchanged. He couldn't stand being in the middle of their tension anymore.

"Hey, um... I'm gonna take a snack break before the next wave comes. You two... you two should talk."

He smiled sadly and kept his eyes on his feet. He gave Finley a weak thumbs up and walked away as fast as he could.

His brother... was smiling... at him... HELL YEAH! August felt a little ridiculous for getting so happy over such a small thing, but he couldn't help the goofy grin spreading across his face. This quiet moment made each agonizing second of awkwardness worthwhile. He was so filled with adoration for his brother in that instance that he thought he might explode.

Felix's thoughtful answer to his innocuous question hit him full force, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. Suddenly, tears pooled into his eyes and he scrunched his face up to a comical degree to keep them from spilling over. To hide his embarrassment, and his tears, he lightly punched a few times at his brother's shoulder.

"F-fuck, that's so cheesy Felix, what the fuck man," he chuckled awkwardly, lip trembling, "but... Thank you. Really. It means a lot." He wiped his eyes aggressively with his sleeve and tried to steady himself. His smiled up at his sibling. "Mom and Dad missed out on two really great sons, didn't they?"

Realizing the sobering effect of that rhetorical question, August quickly kept the ball rolling with the first thing he could think of. "That's why, you should live how you want to too Felix. Don't think I don't notice that you haven't brought anyone special home. I hope you're not stopping on my account. A handsome guy like you must be dripping with propositions." He waggled his eyebrows at the older brother.

"Seriously though, your happiness is my happiness too dude, don't forget that."

Behind the curtain August held the hand gripping his violin over his heart and let out a slow breath. He wondered if Felix Gallagher would be in the crowd tonight. At his side, his growlithe looked up at him with shining eyes. He smiled a bit nervously, crouched down and straightened the bow-tie on his pokemon that he'd made specially for this day. His own suit was one he'd sewn together himself from thrifted materials. "Don't worry Fish, whatever happens, you're my number one." With a wink, he stood once again, straighter than before, and the curtain rose.

He smirked towards the audience, feeling energized by the bright lights and attention, and raised the violin bow slowly above his head and smoothly settled the instrument on his shoulder.

"Let us show you how beauty is power."

The lights went out and just as he brought the bow down into an elegant capriccio, Fish jumped up from behind him, twirling a FLAMETHROWER in calculated patterns around center stage in time to the music. The flickering orange light of fire was hypnotizing in the complete darkness, creating an illusion that the pokemon and trainer were slightly glowing, like embers. It was the kind of performance that made the audience fall silent as they held their breath and clutched their hands together.

As August reached the final cadence, Fish's dance landed him directly in front of his feet. The growlithe sucked in a deep breath as the trails of the flame began to fade away, puffing his chest. For a moment, the stage hung in black and silence; the audience, on the edge of their seats. Then, August hit the last note with full force and simultaneously Fish released a FLAME BURST. Small, dazzling sparks fell over the audience. A spotlight came on once the effect faded and cheers erupted.

August grinned widely, full of boyish charm and red cheeks. He was elated to receive the reaction he'd dreamed of hearing since as long as he could remember.

"We are August Gallagher and Fish, we won't let you forget our names."

The two swept into a deep bow. Fish flicked his tail appealingly and August shot a final smirk and wink towards the audience as the curtain fell.

August Gallagher  with his growlithe, Fish

August sheepishly rubbed his neck, "You think so? I've never performed before but maybe it's about time I give it a shot," he smiled widely at Lana, "And don't worry about Garbage Baby, it's nice to see Taga having fun." It was great to hear such supportive words for once, even if it was from a relative stranger. August hoped one day his brother might say something even remotely similar to him.

At the other trainer's suggestion of doing a circuit together, August lit up completely. He couldn't help himself and grabbed one of Lana's hands with both of his.

"You mean it? You really would want to?" His eyes sparkled and he added playfully, "If you say yes, you're not allowed to back out."
 

His crush's genuine smile sent his heart briefly into the stratosphere. August rolled his eyes at Finn. "Alright, alright. Sorry for questioning your stamina O Great and Powerful One," He picked up the nearest crate and shot Finn a wink, "Still... If your arms get tired we can take as many breaks as you need." August sniggered and momentarily felt the tension ease between the three of them as they walked over their haul.

They mostly worked in silence while they unpacked each box, and August just felt thankful to be able to steal glances of Finn hard at work. Once they were done, one of the volunteer managers directed them to work sales at a stand all together. When would either of them address the elephant in the room? he thought. August nearly resigned himself to the pungent awkwardness, but he didn't want the rest of the day to be ruined. He courageously tried to break the silence.

"So, uh... how about the weather? Ah, shit, wait... I mean... Finn! Any new projects you're working on?"