Chapter 574 - 574: 574. Girls change a lot when they grow up

Facing two Heavenly King-Level Pokémon at once, Aerodactyl and Dondozo, Mega Sceptile was ultimately defeated.

Against just one Heavenly King-Level opponent, Sceptile might still have stood a chance while Mega Evolved. But two at the same time was simply too much, and there was no realistic way to come out on top.

Still, this had only been a friendly sparring match, not a fight to the death. Showing good sportsmanship and confidence was enough.

Jacob accepted the result calmly; he had expected nothing else from the start. If he had actually beaten his father and older brother in front of everyone, they would have lost face. His father was a Gym Leader, after all, and deserved that much respect. Losing was simply losing. It was only natural for a younger brother to lose to his older brother, and for a son to lose to his father.

The setting sun spilled through the window in golden ripples, and the sheer curtains swayed in the breeze like dancing girls. In the mild winter light, Jacob finally found a rare stretch of free time. For one afternoon he set his worries and his work aside and let himself nap in peace at home. When he woke, he stretched, got up, and got ready to head to the restaurant for his appointment.

He had promised Amelia he would treat her to dinner tonight, and it was almost time to leave. To keep from being recognized, Jacob pulled on a hat and a mask as a disguise — sometimes being too well known wasn't a blessing, since fans could get a little too enthusiastic.

When he reached the restaurant and stepped into the private room he'd reserved, he found Kyle and Amira already there.

"You two got here early," Jacob said, pulling off his hat and mask and setting his heavy down jacket down beside his chair.

Looking at the two of them, it was clear Kyle had thoroughly won Amira over — he'd even brought her home for the New Year. Sitting close together with easy smiles on their faces, they looked every bit like a couple still in the honeymoon phase of a new romance.

"Jacob, you're finally back." Kyle hadn't been nearly as busy as Jacob; he and Amira had returned to Starlight City the moment winter break started. "Amira talked to Julia today. She said she's bored out of her mind alone on Treasure Island — her mother's been swamped with work, and the two of them haven't seen each other in months. Julia wants to come find us."

"Honestly, Jacob, you should just let her spend the New Year at your place." Kyle flashed a suggestive grin, then winced as a sharp pinch caught him in the side. He turned to find Amira glaring at him.

"Why'd you pinch me?"

"Because you keep saying ridiculous things. What exactly is Julia to Jacob? What would she even be if she showed up for the New Year — a classmate?"

Hearing Amira take Julia's side, Jacob's expression turned awkward, and worse, he couldn't really argue the point. So he changed the subject instead. "Let's just order. I hear the fish here is excellent."

"Then we should get Barraskewda — caught fresh. Hardly any restaurant in Starlight City prepares it this well; the chef here really knows what he's doing."

"Just so we're clear, I don't do raw fish," Jacob said, waving a hand.

"Oh, right — where's Amelia? She should have been here by now." Kyle glanced at Jacob. "Didn't you invite her?"

"Let me call and check." Jacob was wondering the same thing; it was well past the time they'd agreed on, and there was still no sign of her.

He took out his phone and dialed. "Hello? Are you close?"

"Almost…" Amelia's voice came through, faint and trembling with cold. "I'm… I'm nearly at the entrance. Jacob, could you come down and meet me?"

"Sure, give me a minute, I'll come right down." He hung up and turned to Kyle and Amira. "She's here. I'm going to go get her."

"Go on, then." Kyle waved him off. "What do you want to eat? I'll order for you."

"Regular meat's fine. Skip the Pokémon meat."

"Some people just have no appreciation for good food."

Jacob pulled his hat and mask back on, got up, and left the private room, heading downstairs.

Outside, the winter wind howled with a biting chill. With dinner hour approaching, the street had filled with more pedestrians than before. Jacob stood at the curb, scanning the crowd for Amelia.

"Jacob…"

A voice behind him caught his attention, and he turned to find Amelia standing there. He'd been searching for her face through the crowd without any luck, and only when he happened to glance back did he finally spot her, half lit by the dim glow of the street lamps.

She looked nothing like her usual self tonight. Her face was carefully done up with blush, eyeshadow, and lipstick. Her long hair fell in soft waves down her back, and she wore a fitted black dress that hugged her waist, paired with fleece-lined black stockings that showed off her slender legs and figure.

"You…" Jacob stared at the completely transformed Amelia, caught off guard. Just that morning she'd looked like an unassuming girl next door — how had she changed so much in just a few hours? She'd always been pretty without any makeup at all, but now, carefully dressed and styled, the polish and her natural, unspoiled charm together made for a striking contrast. Just walking down the street, she drew every eye toward her.

"Sorry… for making you wait." Amelia looked up at him, cheeks flushed, and for a moment the sight of her left Jacob at a loss for words.

"Oh — right, let's head in." He recovered and walked with her back toward the restaurant, realizing for the first time that Amelia wasn't just pretty — she had quite the figure, too. "You look... really different tonight."

"Really?" she asked, smiling as she glanced at him. "Better or worse?"

"Much better. You didn't even notice — a couple walked past us just now, and the guy was staring at you so hard he nearly walked into a lamppost. His wife smacked him twice for it."

That drew a small laugh out of her. "This is the first time I've worn makeup like this, so it took longer than I expected. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

"It's fine, we only just got here ourselves and already ordered a few dishes. What do you feel like eating? Go ahead and add whatever you like."

They walked back into the private room together. The moment Kyle spotted them, his eyes lit up with surprise. "Amelia! Look at you — you're gorgeous tonight."

Amira, sitting beside him, looked equally startled. Amelia never wore makeup at school; she always kept things completely natural, plain and unassuming as a girl fresh from the countryside — and even so, she'd never been short of admirers. She'd turned every one of them down, saying she wanted to focus on her studies rather than dating.

But tonight, studying clearly wasn't on her mind. She had a very specific purpose in mind, and being a woman herself, Amira understood exactly what that purpose was. A woman doesn't dress up like this for just anyone; if she didn't care about impressing someone, she wouldn't waste the effort. And with only the four of them in the room, it wasn't hard to guess who all that effort had been for.

The more Amira watched, the more certain she became that something had shifted in the way Amelia looked at Jacob. From the moment she'd walked in, her eyes hadn't left him — Amira and Kyle barely got a glance.

Julia, you'd better hurry and get off Treasure Island and come to Starlight City soon.

Someone's trying to move in on your territory.