Gaming for Love

"Not over yet," Michael grinned.

"Eh, Celesteela had done its job; no biggie," Ashley shrugged.

From then on, the two played an even match for the most part. Ashley brought out one of her only fast sweepers, Garchomp, to force Marowak out, but Michael switched to his most defensive Pokémon, Mandibuzz, who took the hit with little effort. This allowed him to pivot back to Ninetales and set up Aurora Veil to boost his defenses. Garchomp opted not to retreat in spite of the type disadvantage against Ninetales and narrowly managed to defeat the Ice type with a critical hit. But as it had sustained heavy damage, Michael brought out his ace-in-the-hole, Scizor. The Bug and Steel Pokémon was not fast, but bolstered a massive attack stat and a powerful priority move, Bullet Punch. Priority moves allow the user to move before other Pokémon regardless of speed, making them highly valued in competitive battling. A single hit was all it took to remove Garchomp from play.

"Making a comeback," Michael teased.

"We'll see about that."

Ashley next sent out her Clefable, a Fairy type Pokémon. While Michael's Scizor would normally have the advantage against Clefable, he suspected she had something unexpected ready, based on how the battle had gone so far. After benching Scizor in favor of his Marowak, Michael was pleased to see that he had guessed right; Clefable had used a Flamethrower attack, which would have obliterated Scizor in a single hit. But Marowak, being a Fire type, took the hit with ease and retaliated with a powerful hit of its own on the next turn, forcing Clefable to retreat. Its replacement, Gyarados, was more than capable of handling Marowak, and Michael suspected it was Ashley's strongest player.

"Time for Mega Gyarados!" Ashley grinned.

In competitive Pokémon battles, each team is allowed one Mega Evolution, which is a supremely powerful Pokémon able to increase its strength far beyond its normal capabilities. Gyarados was Ashley's Mega, while Scizor was Michael's. As Marowak was outmatched against the Water and Dark type, Michael pulled it back in favor of his Scizor. Ashley did as he expected and used a boosting move with her Mega Gyarados, but Mega Scizor was still able to tank the next attack and retain about a third of its overall HP. Scizor retaliated with a powerful Bug type attack to severely wound Gyarados, followed by an easy priority attack to take it down before it could do further damage.

"Fuck," Ashley muttered, seeing he was better than most.

Clefable came off the bench once more, but Michael shifted back to his Marowak as he had done before. At this point, Michael gained a massive advantage when he predicted that Ashley would switch to her Buzzwole, a powerful Bug and Fighting type. Marowak hit Buzzwole with a devastating Fire Punch as soon as it switched in, knocking it out with a single hit. Clefable came back once again and finally managed to take Marowak down. Still, Michael had gained the upper hand in the momentum of the battle, and managed to take down Clefable with his Mandibuzz. Just like that, Ashley had only one Pokémon remaining to face Michael's two.

"Well, well, well... nobody's ever gotten me in a corner like this," Ashley grinned.

"I aim to please," Michael replied.

"Too bad. I aim to win."

Ashley's final Pokémon was Tapu Koko, a very fast Electric and Fairy type. Though Michael's Mandibuzz had taken a hit or two, it was bulky enough to be able to land a light hit before being taken down by Tapu Koko's Thunderbolt attack, leaving only Michael's Mega Scizor. Still, Michael's ace turned out to be just what he needed, as his priority Bullet Punch negated Tapu Koko's greatest advantage: its speed. While Tapu Koko was fast enough to always have the first attack, Scizor managed to launch a powerful priority strike that took advantage of its weak defenses, knocking Tapu Koko out and winning the game for Michael.

"And that's that," Michael said with a smile.

"Shit," Ashley grumbled, not at all happy with the result. To her surprise, Michael's hand appeared in front of her.

"Good game," he said.

Ashley seemed confused for a moment, but soon regained enough presence of mind to give Michael a light handshake.

"Yeah, you're good. That Scizor is no pushover," she admitted.

"He's been my ace for over a decade," Michael said with pride. "He's my best partner in the game."

"Nice. Um, I guess I'll be going..."

"Huh? Why? Got somewhere to be?" Michael asked. He had been hoping for a rematch with her.

"No, but... well, I won't be welcome here anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Sighing, Ashley leaned close to him and whispered, "Eric's been looking for an excuse to run me off. Losing to a new member just might do the trick."

"Yeah, but they don't know which one of us won, do they?" Michael grinned.

"What do you mean?"

"If that asshole wants you out so bad, I'm not gonna do anything to help. You're the best I've played in months!"

"Uh, thanks," Ashley replied with a tiny smile.

"So, can I ask why you keep coming? I mean, if these guys treat you so badly, why put up with it?" Michael asked.

Ashley shrugged. "I don't have much of a social life. No boyfriend, no other clubs, just classes, working as a trainer, and this. Gaming has always been pretty special to me; it's how I relax my mind. But to be honest, the real reason I keep coming back is her."

Seeing her point to the girl sitting next to Eric, Michael asked, "What about her?"

"That's Sophia. Eric would say she's his girlfriend, but I'd more call her his servant," Ashley replied with disgust. "She may not look it, but she's incredibly socially awkward and has a lot of anxiety. She came here in desperation, looking for somewhere to belong. Eric said he'd provide it, if she did exactly as he told her to. They've been 'together' ever since. He treats her like shit, and is only giving her the most rudimentary information about the game to make sure she doesn't get too good. In Eric's mind, Sophia is what a gamer girl should be. Me? I'm a stupid girl who doesn't know her place."

"You're waiting for a chance to try and help her, aren't you?" Michael realized.

"Yeah, but it's not easy. She clings to Eric, as if all ability for her to socialize would crumble if she lost him. And if he were to see me trying to befriend her, I doubt it would end well."

"That's really big of you, wanting to help her like that," Michael smiled.

"Well, I have my cousin to thank, I guess," Ashley remarked.

"How do you mean?"

"I grew up next door to my cousin, Sam. He has mild Asperger's Syndrome, kind of like Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. He's always been really awkward, but with genius-level intellect. He loved video games growing up and introduced me to them. That was how I bonded with him, and how I got so good at Pokémon. I'm good, but he's the master."

"I can imagine," Michael chuckled.

"Anyway, it was bonding with him that made me realize how gaming can be such an awesome way to connect with other people, especially those with zero social skills. Seeing Eric use gaming to control and stifle Sophia... it disgusts me."

"I completely agree."

Ashley was more than Michael could have ever dreamed of. Not just beautiful, but also smart, witty, self-assured, and with a heart of gold deep down. And no boyfriend! That didn't mean she was a lesbian, did it? He reasoned she was not. Otherwise, why mention it? As they chatted, Antonio's words kept playing over and over in Michael's head.

Just see what happens.

Figuring he had nothing to lose, Michael said, "So... can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?" Ashley replied, cocking her eyebrow.

Michael was now beet red with embarrassment and sweating like crazy. "Well... there's a Valentine's Day dance at the student union building tomorrow... or at least, that's what I've heard. And... if you're not busy... I was wondering... w-would you maybe w-want to go? With me?"

Though Ashley was flattered, her subconscious worried that this might be a setup and kicked into defense mode. After all, every guy that had ever shown any interest in her was only after the one thing. She hadn't exactly had the best taste in men over the years, but even the nicest ones tried to control her with sex, sooner or later. With that fear entering her mind, her face twisted and grimaced.

"So, that's your game? You beat me once and think I'm obligated to go out with you? That it?" she answered dryly.

"Huh? What?"

"I can't believe all you guys are the same," Ashley sighed. "Pretend to respect my gaming skills all so you can get in my pants..."

"N-No, that's not it at all," Michael began to protest, but he could see the look in her eyes. He knew he wasn't winning this one. Resigned to his crash-and-burn, he stood. "I'm very sorry for offending you," he mumbled turning to leave.

Ashley's stomach twisted at seeing the look on Michael's face. All of a sudden, she knew how hurtful her words had been to him. All he had done is ask her out, and she had replied with cold indifference and a terrible accusation. Worst of all, there was no proof that Michael was that sort of guy at all. As he was about to go, she reached across the table and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait. Please, stay. I'm... I'm sorry, Michael. I shouldn't have said that."

"I don't want to bug you," he said quietly.

"You're not. I just... have a seat. I'll try to explain." As Michael sat back down, Ashley continued, "As you can imagine, I deal with a lot of prejudice in my everyday life. To be honest, some of the worst of it comes from the gaming community."

"Case in point, Eric," Michael nodded.

"Yeah. I guess dealing with that prejudice has kind of fueled my own prejudices. I assumed you were just like every other guy I've gamed with, plus I haven't exactly made the best choices in boyfriends in the past. Still, that's no excuse for me assuming you're exactly the same. I'm sorry, Michael."

"Apology accepted," he replied with a grin.

"So... can I ask why you'd want to go to that dance at all? I mean, it's gonna be flooded with sorostitutes and fratdaddies! You know, all the popular kids that made our lives hell throughout school. Why play into that?"

Michael said, "I think it's 'cause I never went to my prom in high school. I didn't have a date, but I was determined to go no matter what. But then, two weeks beforehand, several of the seniors on the Student Government Association decided to pull the prank of all pranks: they stole the principal's car. They were only going to deck it out in tin cans and whatnot, but then they got into a bad wreck and totaled it. The principal was so pissed that she cancelled all remaining senior activities, including prom. I guess I just wanted to have that sort of experience for once."

Ashley smiled. "That's so cute. An idealistic dreamer."

Smirking, Michael replied, "All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity."

Recognizing the quote, Ashley continued, "But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible."

"This, I did," they both finished in unison.

Giggling a bit, Ashley said, "You're something else, quoting T. E. Lawrence."

"Yep, specifically used in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception," Michael replied.

"Ooh, I love that series!"

"Ditto. Great stories and characters... though I do sometimes need a violent romp through a Call of Duty game to blow off steam."

"Same here," Ashley agreed. "You any good?"

"I have a longstanding love affair with Call of Duty," Michael answered. "That, however, does not make me good at the game."

"A gamer that admits he's not the master at something? You are something of a unicorn, Michael."

"Thanks," he blushed.

Biting her lower lip, Ashley said, "So... I've got a proposition for you."

"And that would be?"

"Play me once more in Pokémon. If you win, I'll go to the dance with you."

Michael's eyebrows shot up at this, but as much as he wanted to accept then and there, he had the presence of mind to ask, "And if you win?"

"If I win, I get your Scizor."

Michael almost balked at this offer. It wasn't that his Scizor was unique or difficult to get in the video games; he could get another one with little problem. Rather, it was due to sentimental reasons. He had been using this particular Scizor for over ten years, all the way back to Pokémon Platinum. It had been his ace on nearly every competitive team he had built over that time, and letting it go would be tough. He was certain she knew this based on his previous statements. Still, he'd have been a damned fool to turn down a chance with a girl like Ashley. After a moment's consideration, he stuck his hand out.

"Agreed."

They shook on it, and their rematch began. This time, both had a better feel for what the other was going to do, resulting in a very even bout. Knowing how huge a threat the Celesteela was, Michael planned a brilliant trap to take it out before it could do much damage. Ashley battled back, sweeping Michael's next two Pokémon with her Buzzwole, which hadn't had much of a chance to do anything in their previous match. Michael finally brought in his Marowak, taking down Buzzwole and Clefable in quick succession. Her Garchomp finished off Michael's Marowak and Mandibuzz, leaving only his Scizor to face her final three Pokémon. Garchomp was no problem, weak from battling two Pokémon already, but both Mega Gyarados and Tapu Koko were at full health. Thanks to a couple of well-timed attack boosts, Michael managed to down Mega Gyarados with just over half its HP remaining.

As Tapu Koko came out for the final pairing, Michael knew he was going to win. Scizor's attack power had more than doubled from the previous boosts, and its opponent had a very weak defense. One shot with a priority Bullet Punch would be plenty to end the match. But as Scizor attacked, Tapu Koko's health bar stopped depleting just shy of a knockout. Michael slapped his forehead at realizing that Tapu Koko was holding a special item: the Focus Sash. It's an item used by frail Pokémon with no defenses, guaranteed to let them survive a single hit, provided they are at full health. That hadn't been revealed in their previous match due to a couple of his Pokémon going up against it. To make matters worse, Tapu Koko now unleashed its Hidden Power attack, a special attack that could be customized to any element, in this case, Fire. It didn't matter how strong Scizor might be; a single Fire type attack was plenty to bring him down. A moment later, the screen faded to black, showing Ashley's team as victorious.

"Son of a bitch," Michael muttered in disbelief.

"That'll teach you to mess with me," Ashley grinned, sticking her tongue out at him.

Without a word, Michael initiated a trade request with Ashley, depositing his Scizor into the system. "A deal's a deal. Just... use him well. He's been with me a long time."

Michael stared at the screen, waiting for his ace to disappear onto Ashley's 3DS, when a message appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Trade request canceled. Please wait...

"Huh?"

Ashley reached across the table, placing her hand on Michael's. "I didn't really want your Scizor, but I had to know how serious you were about asking me out," she explained. "That seemed an easy way to see for sure."

Michael shook his head. "Ashley, this game is one of my favorite pastimes, but I'd be a certifiable idiot if I let some piece of data in a video game keep me from asking out the most awesome girl I've ever met in my life."

"You... mean that?" she asked as she began to blush.

"Yeah, I do."

With a sly grin on her face, Ashley packed up her game system and grabbed her backpack. As she walked past Michael, she slipped him a scrap of paper and whispered, "Pick me up at seven tomorrow."

"Will do," Michael replied, finding her address and phone number on the paper.

As Ashley approached the door of the GameStop, Eric stood and blocked her path. "You beatin' up on my new members, bitch?" he growled.

"None of your business, shithead," Ashley huffed, pushing past him.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't come back," he continued as she left. Turning back towards Michael's table, Eric approached and asked, "What happened? Did you beat her?"

"No way," Michael answered.

"You sure? I thought I saw you two making goo-goo eyes."

"It's called a distraction, and it didn't work. She kicked my ass," Michael reiterated.

"I warned ya not to play her..."

"Eh, it happens."

"Well, anyway... I've got a solution to the problem with her. Next time she comes, she won't be a problem," Eric remarked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael wondered.

"Don't worry about. Just trust in your Almighty President; he'll take care of you," Eric replied, grinning and slapping Michael on his back.

Yeah, I'll bet, Michael thought to himself.

*****

"Dude, you won't believe what happened today," Michael called out as he arrived back at his apartment.

"What's up?" Antonio asked from the sofa.

"You know the girl from the basketball games?"

"That hot little trainer? Yeah?"

"She's a member of the AU Pokémon League!"

"Are you serious?! Wha... what happened? Did you talk to her?" he asked.

"Yeah, we played a couple of games. She's good; maybe the best I've ever played against," Michael replied.

"That's all? You just... played video games?" Antonio wondered, cocking his eyebrow.

"I, uh, might have also gotten her to agree to come to the Valentine's Day dance with me," Michael admitted.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Antonio cheered, fist-bumping Michael. "You got a big day tomorrow. You ready for this?"

"To be honest... no, I'm not."

"Whatcha mean?"

"Dude, I've never been on a real date before, let alone had an actual girlfriend!" Michael replied. "I don't know the first thing about women!"

Grinning, Antonio said, "Don't you worry; I got your back."

"Yeah, says my gay roommate," Michael teased.

"Not cool, dude. Here I am, trying to help you out, and you gotta go and question my sexuality!" Antonio fired back with a laugh. "But in all seriousness, if you doubt which way I swing... you could always ask Allison Smallwood."

"You and Allison Smallwood?!"

"You bet your ass! We'll be at the dance tomorrow."

"Lucky bastard..." Michael grumbled.

"Hey, I've seen that trainer you've been pining over. You ain't got nothin' to be jealous of! Her name's Ashley, right?"

"Yeah, but how'd you know?"

"Allison told me," Antonio said. "I was tryin' to gather information in case you needed a stronger shove to chat her up."

"I take it back. You're not a lucky bastard, you're a sneaky bastard!"

"Damn straight! Now, let's get you ready for your big date. Take a seat, my man." As Michael plopped down in the chair across from him, Antonio continued, "Now, the first rule to remember is that she's in charge. Anything she says 'no' to or isn't comfortable with, that's what goes. Understand?"

"Easy enough."

"Good. But remember, even though she's in charge, she'll still want you to take the lead sometimes. The most attractive thing to most women is confidence. Not cockiness, but confidence."

"Knew there was a catch," Michael sighed.

"Don't do that, man. That's exactly what I'm talkin' about. The minute you get down on yourself just 'cause you think you're not good enough, that's when the girl will pick up on it. As cliché as it sounds, you have to just be you. You don't want to go too over the top with your personality, or she'll think you're compensating for something, but you don't wanna stifle your personality either, or she won't get to know the real you. Worst case, she'll think you don't like her. But if you just act like you and be confident in that, everything else will fall into place. Trust me."