CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: MORE THAN THIS

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Cerulean waves rolled ashore, bringing the salty scent of the ocean with it. Kids squealed and splashed each other, laughing whenever a friend lost their balance and fell butt-first into the water. Parents set up colorful umbrellas, blankets, and chairs to serve as rest stops. Wingull passed overhead and Luvdisc swam past, conditioned to the presence of rambunctious humans. The scorching sun blazed down on the beach's burning sand, casting unforgiving rays on those who'd forgotten to wear sunscreen.

As expected, Ken would never forget to wear sunscreen. He slathered himself in the pungent substance twice. Once he finished his second coating, he took refuge under the cherry red umbrella Bailey had brought and refused to move. The burns from days past lingered, serving as painful reminders.

That didn't prevent Jay from striving to coax the prickly blond out of hiding. "C'mon, Ken. It's Azure Bay! We're at the hottest beach in Kalos, dude. You have to enjoy it."

"I'd appreciate Azure Bay more if you weren't tracking sand onto my towel," Ken retorted. He wiped the said dirtiness from his makeshift mat and produced a novel from his backpack. "I'm content reading here in the shade."

"Party pooper." Jay stuck out his tongue, and Ken wondered if the black-haired teen was actually older than him.

Dan overheard their conversation and ducked beneath the umbrella. Similar to Jay, he donned nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks and induced Ken to roll his eyes.

"You're not gonna hang out with us?" he asked in genuine surprise. A hair tie was clamped between his teeth as he twisted his green locks into a dreaded manbun.

Ken shook his head and trained his gaze on the book's pages. "You take pleasure in your activities, and I'll enjoy mine. It's more competent this way."

Dan and Jay shared a look, and the former shrugged. "Can't say I didn't try. Let's go, Jay. There's a volleyball court down the beach; I bet me and Bails'll crush you and Alice."

Ken couldn't hide the shock in his voice: "Alice is playing volleyball?"

"Yeah, why not?" Jay arched a brow.

"She's the polar opposite of an athlete," he stated straightforwardly. Memories of her groaning about winding staircases, lengthy hikes, and the simple mention of 'running' came to his mind. "Haven't you learned that yet?"

Dan snorted and waved him off. "She can't be that bad."

* * *

Alice was indeed that bad.

Jay cringed as she attempted to serve the volleyball again—her fifth effort in the past two minutes—only to have it crash into the net. She face-palmed, and he saw her soul leaving her body. He'd be lying if he said he didn't share the same feeling. Even Dan's and Bailey's words of encouragement were dwindling. Alice couldn't play the sport to save her life.

He retrieved the ball and jogged up to her, grinning brightly. "Don't sweat it. I'm a hundred percent sure that you'll make it over this time."

"Are you sure you don't want to do it?" she suggested, hope sparkling in her gaze wishing that he'd say 'yes'.

"You can't get better if you don't practice."

"Oh Arceus."

Her cheeks puffed as she sighed, emphasizing her pink blotch. Somehow the ball always smacked her neck and above whenever it flew in her direction. Jay was always two seconds too late to save her from impact. Taking a deep breath, she prayed for the volleyball to abide her wishes then struck it.

"There you go!" Jay shouted, running forwards as the ball sailed across the net.

Dan received the hit and shouted for Bailey to return it. The ginger sprung into the air with a huge smirk and spiked with all her might. Alice's eyes widened in horror as the orange-and-blue sphere spiraled towards her. She lifted her hands instinctively and punched it, accidentally redirecting it to knock into the back of Jay's head.

An ugly curse escaped his lips, and he rubbed his now aching head. Alice yelped and apologized, circling him to locate the point of impact and stress out. Her entire being burned in humiliation.

Jay waved off her fretting. "I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured. "Calm down, Shortcake." He ruffled her hair, and she cried in protest. "Stop with the long face. Trust me, I've felt worse."

"I still feel bad," she said.

"Stop it." He flicked her forehead, eliciting a pained yelp.

She grew quiet and watched Jay go after the ball. Her posture stiffened; she realized he still wanted to play. The guilt curdling her stomach faded, and her former dread crept back into her chest.

Alice exclaimed, "I'm gonna check on Ken!"

"Okay. Tell Ken to—"

Jay's words fell on deaf ears. She turned heel and took off in a rush to avoid any further sports. The teen breathed a laugh and combed his fingers through his hair, reflecting on his position. His partner ditched him, and he needed another.

"Well," he began, facing Dan and Bailey, "I'm gonna go down the beach and get some people to play."

Jay left in the opposite direction that Alice did. The latter had already trekked her way back to Ken's anti-sunshine camp of boredom and loneliness. She spotted the blond using one hand to manage his book and the other to fan himself with a brochure. He reminded her of a grumpy middle-aged mom.

Ken sensed someone looking at him and reluctantly ceased his reading. He bookmarked his place and examined Alice's sore. "I told Dan and Jay that you aren't an active person."

"They didn't really listen," she said. She plopped beside him and slouched. "I kinda, sorta accidentally nailed Jay in the head with the volleyball."

He chuckled. "You might have knocked sense into him."

"Of course you would say that." She half-groaned and half-laughed.

Alice drew her knees to her chest and viewed the sparkling waves. Figuring she was content, Ken opened his novel and continued reading. Not much time passed before he felt her stare. He ignored her at first, assuming she would stop.

She didn't. Not for long, that is. Alice did take breaks to scan the shoreline and play with her braided hair. However, he recognized her stealing glances at him.

Unfamiliar self-consciousness clouded Ken's brain, distracting him from his story. He wondered if his plain outfit of a blue tank top and tan board shorts bothered her. No one commented on it earlier. Perhaps it was his hair; he discreetly adjusted his blond fringe. His thoughts traveled to the girl who was drawing stick figures of the tour group in the sand again and again.

Alice met his gaze, but he didn't shy away. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion as she continued staring at him. Recognition shone on her face and she squinted, pursing her lips in concentration.

"You blinked!" she blurted.

He cocked his head. "Pardon?"

"You lost the staring contest. I win~" She clasped her hands together and beamed. The victory upped her confidence that'd diminished during the volleyball game.

I wasn't aware that we were having one. "I see. What do you want as your prize?"

Alice tapped her index finger on her chin. "I didn't think that far. Hmm..."

He reread the paragraph he left off on as she pondered. Not even a page later did she release an 'oh!' and make him close his book once again.

"There's an ice cream place across the road by the pier. I saw it on our way here," she revealed excitedly.

"All right."

Ken returned his novel to his backpack, mentally promising it that he would finish it one day. He switched it for a miniature umbrella and opened it once he clambered to his feet. This attracted the attention of befuddled children who pointed at him and asked their parents why a man was using a Pichu-patterned umbrella on a sunny day.

I can't blame the weird looks. Ken's really something else, Alice thought, her amusement fending off her secondhand embarrassment as the public's focused on them.

Her quiet giggle attained Ken's heed. He scrutinized her exposed shoulders, searching for evidence of thickly applied sunscreen. There were none. He shifted closer, and the umbrella's shade canopied over her.

Alice noticed the change in lighting immediately. She raised her brows, silently querying what he was doing.

He explained, "I'm protecting you from ultraviolet rays. They're intensely harmful carcinogens."

"Oh, uh, thanks."

Alice had forever pictured sharing an umbrella with a boy to be drastically different. In her romantic scenario, she would have forgotten her parasol at home and he would offer to walk her to a station. It would be quiet save for the euphonious sound of rainfall, and her face would be painted red due to their close proximity. He'd end up brushing his hand against hers then intertwine fingers to insure that she stayed by his side.

Instead, her cheeks were pink because Dan and Bailey spiked volleyballs at her and she had sluggish reaction time. There was no tranquil rain nor did Ken attempt any skinship. Everything she'd learned from dramas was a lie.

Ken stored his umbrella as they entered the ice cream parlor and the two waited in line. Baby blue walls covered in paintings of Azure Bay, white tables holding bowls of seashells, and Water-type Pokémon figurines adorned the shop. A lively Chatot perched on a chair sang for customers who fed it crackers.

"I thought there'd be more people since it's so hot outside," Alice noted, observing the fairly vacant area.

Ken deadpanned, "They're defending themselves from skin cancer."

She giggled, used to his 'peculiar' commentary. They paid for their ice cream and sat at a circular table beside a window (Ken refused to yield to Alice's begging on going outside). A comfortable silence settled as she inhaled her frosty treat while he ate at a slower pace.

"Today's a beautiful day," Alice mused aloud after finishing her cone. She set her chin in her hand and swung her feet, gazing at the beach. "I'd love to live here. All my Pokémon except Infernape really like water, too. Especially Scizor."

The Togepi doll flashed in Ken's mind. He had yet to find a bow for the present. Bailey did lend him a ribbon, but Alice had let Meowstic roam the hotel and the Psychic-type shredded the red string. Somehow Jay had snuck in and decided to spend his time playing with her using Ken's possessions.

"What's the big deal with the string?" Jay asked, leaning against the wall. The fossil collector folded his arms behind his head and yawned nonchalantly.

Ken balled up the mutilated fabric and disposed of it in the trash can, flinging it harder than necessary. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, soothing his prickled attitude. A ribbon wasn't challenging to find.

"I was creating a bow," he explained, "but I have to alter my plans now."

Jay half-smiled. "I knew you didn't like me, but making a weapon's too much, dude."

"I'm not fashioning a bow and arrow to shoot you. The bow's decoration for the gift I bought."

"You bought me a present? Aw, you shouldn't have."

The blond tsked. "Of course it's not for you. I bought Alice a Togepi doll in Shalour City." Ken picked up the said toy and removed stray fuzz off of its merry face.

Jay's half-smile twisted into a sly smirk. He prowled after the other as if he were a Persian who'd found a sleeping Rattata.

"Ooh~ Kenny Boy likes Shortcake. I totally saw it coming," Jay boasted. Ken's abrupt halt and tensed muscles only egged him on. "Ken and Alice sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I—"

"Be quiet, you dunce! You're seventeen, not seven," Ken snapped, coming out of his frozen state. His pale skin flushed into a saturated pink. "Regardless, Alice and I share a platonic relationship."

"Mm, sure." Jay wrapped his arm around Ken's shoulders and bent close. "You can tell me the truth."

"Release me at once."

"Fine." Jay obliged and began walking at a delayed pace. "Whatever you say, but I'm a thousand percent sure that Alice likes you, too." He paused, allowing his words sink into Ken's brain.

Hook, line, and sinker. An uncomfortable, fiery heat reached Ken's ears, and he demanded, "What do you mean?"

"She has the hots for you. She's always blushing and smiling and putting up with your attitude. C'mon, man. I thought you were smart."

'Putting up with my attitude'? He scowled. "That's Alice's natural behavior; she's a kind person. You're imagining this."

"Am I?" Jay stalked towards Ken, and the latter subconsciously stepped back. "How about you answer my questions. Do you think she's cute?"

Ken remembered Alice chasing Dedenne on his first day at the Bristow home, her hair wild and face blotchy. He nodded. "Objectively speaking, yes I do."

"Dude, just say yes or no. Okay, do you like being around her?"

They spent hours watching cheesy dramas whose endings he could predict within the first episode."Yes."

"Do you think about her when she's not around?"

He spared a glance at the stuffed Togepi. "Yes."

"Now here's the big one: would you kiss her?"

* * *

A caramel-and-white cone shell poked out of the shoreline. Nearing splashes sprinkled water on its smooth surface. The sunlight reflected the moisture, and it was no longer hidden.

"I'll give this one to Irene. I think it fits her whole cinnamon color scheme aesthetic," Alice chirped, grabbing the shell and placing it in her lime green bucket. It boosted her collection's total to nine.

There was no umbrella in sight thanks to Alice's persistence in their hour-long debate on the reality of obtaining skin cancer in one day. Ken donned a white bucket hat they purchased at a stand along the beach and touched its brim every few minutes. It would have to work for now.

Alice's feet sunk into the wet grains underfoot, and she ogled with childlike fascination as the clear water swelled up to her ankles. She grinned then beckoned to Ken. "Come feel the water. It's really, really nice."

"I'm content not getting wet," was the unsurprising reply she received. He forced an unconvincing, thin-lipped smile, and she sighed.

But long gone were the days she passively agreed to whatever he wanted to do.

Alice put her hands on her hips. "You're really missing out. It's a hot day and the water's nice and cool. You'll feel better if you come over here."

"I'm not wearing swimwear."

"Lots of people don't wear bathing suits while swimming."

"I'm not a heathen."

Arceus, why'd you make him like this? She racked her mind for ideas and a lightbulb dinged. Alice winked and exaggeratedly lowered her voice to mimic Jay, "'You only live once, Kenny Boy!'"

He grimaced. "Stop that. Jay is a terrible influence."

"Please?"

"No."

Alice thought of a backup plan. She knelt down on the sandbar and dug a hole. Once satisfied with its size, she emptied her bucket's shells into the shallow ditch.

Ken stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "Why would you do that?"

"Because," she said, filling her bucket with sand, "if you're not going to get in the water, then we'll, uh, play next to it. We can't make anything without a bucket. Wait, you've made a sandcastle before, right?"

He paused in thought, lips pursed and mask unwavering. One part of him warned him not to participate in Alice's game and rather seek shelter. The other part urged him to relax and have fun in a traditional way.

Alice looked up at Ken and gave him a tender smile that interrupted his train of thought and caused a rosy hue to color his cheeks. She comforted, "It's okay if you haven't. I mean, I'm not any good at making them, but I can try to teach you."

Ignoring the blood roaring in his ears, Ken squatted at her side and helped scoop sand into the bucket. "I doubt it's difficult since children build them daily."

"Don't jinx us," she warned jokingly, nudging his elbow with hers. Alice turned her head and used her hair as a curtain to conceal her blush.

He chuckled and a natural smile graced his lips. "I'd never do such a thing."

* * *

The fresh, grassy scent of aloe vera met Alice's nose and made her scrunch it in distaste. She poured the gooey essence onto her fingertips and gingerly applied it to her tender skin. A distorted curse escaped her mouth in the form of a strangled hiss. She yanked her hands away and whimpered in pain.

"Ow, ow, ow," she chanted under her breath. The brunette huffed. "Who puts sunscreen on their shoulders then forgets to put it on their face? Oh yeah, that's right, I do."

A laugh died on her tongue as she glared at her sunburnt complexion. Ken's skin cancer lectures would never cease.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, someone rapped their knuckles on her hotel door.

Shoot. Alice smeared the rest of the aloe vera on her face and hurried to the door. She opened it and nearly slammed it back shut when she saw it was Ken on the other side.

"I told you to apply heavy layers," he scolded, instantly recognizing her burntness.

"I know, I know," she muttered, standing aside as he passed. "I just kinda forgot to put some on my face."

Ken's arms were behind his back as he recited his speech on the dangers of sun exposure for the third time that day. In reality, he was stalling. The Togepi plushy hidden from Alice's sight wore a green bow Jay gifted him earlier in apology for yesterday's mishap.

"However, I believe that I can up the levity," Ken stated, changing the subject.

Curiosity enveloped the girl. "Really?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

Ken brought the Togepi toy from behind his back, and Alice gasped. She squealed in delight and hugged it to her chest, smiling ear to ear. He laughed at her reaction, feeling a pleasant, somewhat proud sensation as she cooed over his gift.

"It's so cute!" she gushed, swaying side to side.

"I'm glad you like it," he commented, sincerely meaning what he said.

Despite anticipating her next move, Ken didn't prepare well. Alice threw her arms around his neck, and he stumbled before regaining his balance. He hesitated for a brief moment, his limbs hovering above her waist until he smothered his nerves and returned the hug. His face reddened in milliseconds. The top of her head met his chin, and her hair tickled his jaw. He smelled her fruity shampoo and felt her comforting body warmth.

It was a new experience quite unlike anything he'd ever encountered. Ken liked it much more than he was willing to admit.

Alice spoke louder than usual, too distracted by the sound of her heart thumping wildly in her chest to control her volume. "Thank you so much. I really love it."

She'd expected him to pull away already. He'd expressed his distaste for hugs in the past. Her imagination went into overdrive thinking that it meant something.

Ken shut his eyes, savoring the moment he never predicted he'd cherish. "You're welcome."

"Yoo-hoo. Earth to Ken. You still with me? Would you kiss Alice or not?" Jay repeated, bouncing on his heels as he waited impatiently.

Ken slowly came out of his reverie, his face stained strawberry red in embarrassment. The more he mulled over it, the more his choice solidified. He lifted his gaze from the floor to Jay's curious stare.

The boy wearing the amulet that's gemstone transformed from emerald green to a dusty rose color admitted, "...yes...I would."

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Author's Note

I can't believe I actually wrote a "beach episode" for this fic 😭😂

Also, FLUFF! It took 21 chapters for this "romance" fic to get real fluff oml

Question of the Chapter: Do you think Alice's and Ken's relationship has been paced well?