Just a Torchic
DaiMikuNagi my beloved
Wallace was a perfectionist. His proposal to Winona had to be perfect, but he wasn’t even sure what “perfect” meant. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her before they went to bed. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her at her favorite place—in the trees of Fortree City. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her on the most romantic date he could imagine.
But for some reason, it was more than enough for him to ask her right after a Gym Leader meeting.
This story is rated PG. Cross posted on Bulbagarden and AO3.
Wallace was a romantic through and through. He had always dreamed of falling in love, and dating Winona was like falling in love over and over again. As their relationship developed, as he expressed his love for her through poetry and serenading, he considered proposing to her. He knew she was the one, the one that he was meant to be with, the one he wanted to marry and start a family with and grow old with.
There was one, or rather, two problems. The first was that he and Winona could often be very busy with work and outside responsibilities (his duties as one of Sootopolis City’s biggest cultural and religious figures and her duties studying birds and leading the Hoenn Gym Leaders, for instance). Sure, they managed to plan special dates and stay at each other’s houses, but then there was the second problem: Wallace was a perfectionist. His proposal to Winona had to be perfect, but he wasn’t even sure what “perfect” meant. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her before they went to bed. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her at her favorite place—in the trees of Fortree City. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her on the most romantic date he could imagine.
But for some reason, it was more than enough for him to ask her right after a Gym Leader meeting.
He didn’t even have a ring yet. He just saw her leaving the room (they were the last two people left in it) and impulsively asked, “will you marry me?”
-
Winona loved Wallace, she really, truly did, even if her love language wasn’t as elaborate or pronounced as Wallace’s. He was a good lover, a good person, and he was the person Winona saw herself living with, starting a family with, growing old with.
The problem was that Wallace seemed to take forever to propose.
In Hoenn, if someone wanted to get married, they’d usually get married around the age of 25. There were exceptions, of course: Steven, for example, was 25, and while he planned on eventually getting married, he wouldn’t be marrying any of the rich socialites his dad set him up with anytime soon. Winona and Wallace were both 23. They had been dating since college, when they had been around 18 or 19. And sure, they were both Gym Leaders, both very busy, but if they could go steady for five or so years, if they could live through Legendaries, extreme weather, and Sidney’s karaoke, they could surely make a marriage and children work.
Well, hypothetically they could, if Wallace ever proposed.
Sure, people joked that Winona was a “girlboss”, and “who said women can’t propose?”, but Winona daydreamed about being proposed to. As much of a “girlboss” as she was, she always liked the idea of Wallace getting down on one knee, presenting a beautiful ring, asking her the question. She liked the idea of a cliché proposal. Besides, Winona was good at clothes, not jewelry.
There were many moments when Winona thought Wallace would propose to her, only for him to actually just ask a question about how work was, or what kind of television programs Fortree City got (he only got two), or what, again, is the quadratic formula. Winona didn’t mind those questions, but she sometimes wondered when he would propose.
Why, right after a Gym Leader meeting, of course.
-
Winona stopped walking and turned around. Wallace would often casually ask “would you marry me?”, but “will you marry me?” had such different connotations. It was the connotations of a proposal.
Ever the dramatic one, Wallace was standing from his chair, reaching towards Winona as if to say “wait!” Even his eyes and parted lips revealed a sense of desperation, as if this were his only chance to propose before Winona disappeared forever. She had to give him credit; he hadn’t asked in front of the other Gym Leaders. That would have been too much for Winona to handle.
“Wallace…”
Wallace's arm fell to his side as he stood up straight. A nervous smile spread across his face.
“Winona, you are one of the most wonderful people I have ever gotten the chance to meet and get to know. It would be an honor to get to spend the rest of my life with—“
“Do you have a ring, Wallace?”
Wallace’s eyes widened a little.
“A-a ring? Um…”
His smile slipped away as he realized just how little he was prepared for this moment.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Wallace began to walk out of the room, but Winona took his hand before he could disappear down the hall.
“Wallace, I…” she thought for a moment before smiling. “Yes, I will marry you. Do you want to meet me in Lilycove City this evening?”
-
“Steven, do emeralds have the same meaning in Hoennese culture that they do in Sootopolitan culture?”
Wallace had flown back to Sootopolis City, specifically to Adamas Jewelers, to get an engagement ring before meeting with Winona. He wasn't going to screw up his proposal redo.
Adamas Jewelers was a very fancy store of white walls and chrome counters. Countless rings and necklaces and the like were on display, and a display screen presented a slideshow of different stones, their properties, and their meanings.
Wallace trusted Adamas, but he knew that stone symbolism was right up Steven's alley. Wallace called him up to ask for advice, though he hadn't yet told Steven the news.
“Well," Steven began, "in Hoennese culture, emeralds are more associated with—what’s the word?—pastoral life, the beauty of the natural world. In Sootopolitan culture, they’re more associated with the sky, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m trying to determine what would be the perfect stone for Winona’s engagement ring.”
Steven gasped.
“Ohhh! Finally popping the question, I see.”
“I already ‘popped’ it.”
Silence. Wallace was beginning to worry if Steven was okay, but then he spoke again:
“You proposed to Winona before getting a ring.”
“I wasn’t planning to propose! It simply just happened on a whim.”
“Wa… Wallace, I don’t… you know what, never mind.”
"No, what is it?"
"I just don't understand you sometimes."
"And I don't understand you sometimes."
"At least I don't ask life changing questions without planning!"
"Fine! Sue me for acting on impulse. You win. I, Wallace, fall in defeat, and you, Steven, get to laugh at my folly."
"Are you going to at least plan out the wedding, or is that going to be an impulse, too?"
There had been a hit of playfulness in Steven's tone. Wallace couldn't help but laugh.
"Perhaps. We'll have to see."
"Do you want me to ask Winona what her favorite stone is."
“It's sandstone."
"How do you know?"
"I asked. I was going to tell you for a date idea. Long story."
"Wallace, what—"
"But I don't think they use sandstone for engagement rings, and even if they did, I don't want Rubin Adamas to think I'm crazy. Instead, how about this: what stones go with silver?”
“Well, there’s—”
“Wait.”
Wallace’s eyes were fixated on the display screen, as if it had cast a spell on him with its infographic on lavender jadeite.
“Wallace? Wallace, are you still there?”
"Steven, what do you know about jadeite?"
-
As the sun began to set, the lights on the streets and skyscrapers of Lilycove City began to spark to life.
Winona sat on a bench overlooking the Hoenn sea. She was wearing a long, lavender dress, and her hair was done in a feather braid. She had even put on makeup: dark red lipstick and lavender eyeshadow.
She stared at the horizon, where the sky met the sea. The water reflected the cyans, violets, pinks, scarlets, and yellows of the sunset. A sunset over the sea was one of her favorite things to see and experience.
“I’m here, darling.”
Winona looked up. Wallace was standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, blue dress pants, white boots, a blue jacket, and, of course, his white beret. His Luvdisc, Elizabeth, floated right beside him.
“I suppose we should… start over from the beginning,” Wallace chuckled awkwardly.
Winona stood up. Wallace quickly glanced over at Elizabeth. With a deep breath, he smiled and dramatically gestured his hand towards Winona.
“Winona, you are one of the most wonderful people I have ever gotten the chance to meet and get to know. In all of my years, I have never seen someone as brave, strong, generous, loving, and beautiful in looks and soul as you. We have seen so much together. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve shared so much with each other. It would be an honor to get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He got down on one knee and took out a small, blue box from his jacket pocket.
“If life is a journey, then I want to travel its winds and waves with you.”
He opened the box. Inside was a silver ring with a band of lavender around it. Set within the lavender stone was a silver bird design. Winona could barely make out the details, because her eyes were already welling up with tears.
“Winona, will you marry me?”
Winona almost knocked Wallace over in a hug.
"Ask me a thousand times, and my response will be yes every time."
Elizabeth circled around the two, creating a ring of glowing, white hearts. She picked up the ring from the box and slipped it onto Winona's ring finger.
"Did I do it right this time?" Wallace whispered. "Was it perfect?"
"It was more than perfect."
But for some reason, it was more than enough for him to ask her right after a Gym Leader meeting.
This story is rated PG. Cross posted on Bulbagarden and AO3.
Wallace was a romantic through and through. He had always dreamed of falling in love, and dating Winona was like falling in love over and over again. As their relationship developed, as he expressed his love for her through poetry and serenading, he considered proposing to her. He knew she was the one, the one that he was meant to be with, the one he wanted to marry and start a family with and grow old with.
There was one, or rather, two problems. The first was that he and Winona could often be very busy with work and outside responsibilities (his duties as one of Sootopolis City’s biggest cultural and religious figures and her duties studying birds and leading the Hoenn Gym Leaders, for instance). Sure, they managed to plan special dates and stay at each other’s houses, but then there was the second problem: Wallace was a perfectionist. His proposal to Winona had to be perfect, but he wasn’t even sure what “perfect” meant. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her before they went to bed. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her at her favorite place—in the trees of Fortree City. It wasn’t enough for him to ask her on the most romantic date he could imagine.
But for some reason, it was more than enough for him to ask her right after a Gym Leader meeting.
He didn’t even have a ring yet. He just saw her leaving the room (they were the last two people left in it) and impulsively asked, “will you marry me?”
-
Winona loved Wallace, she really, truly did, even if her love language wasn’t as elaborate or pronounced as Wallace’s. He was a good lover, a good person, and he was the person Winona saw herself living with, starting a family with, growing old with.
The problem was that Wallace seemed to take forever to propose.
In Hoenn, if someone wanted to get married, they’d usually get married around the age of 25. There were exceptions, of course: Steven, for example, was 25, and while he planned on eventually getting married, he wouldn’t be marrying any of the rich socialites his dad set him up with anytime soon. Winona and Wallace were both 23. They had been dating since college, when they had been around 18 or 19. And sure, they were both Gym Leaders, both very busy, but if they could go steady for five or so years, if they could live through Legendaries, extreme weather, and Sidney’s karaoke, they could surely make a marriage and children work.
Well, hypothetically they could, if Wallace ever proposed.
Sure, people joked that Winona was a “girlboss”, and “who said women can’t propose?”, but Winona daydreamed about being proposed to. As much of a “girlboss” as she was, she always liked the idea of Wallace getting down on one knee, presenting a beautiful ring, asking her the question. She liked the idea of a cliché proposal. Besides, Winona was good at clothes, not jewelry.
There were many moments when Winona thought Wallace would propose to her, only for him to actually just ask a question about how work was, or what kind of television programs Fortree City got (he only got two), or what, again, is the quadratic formula. Winona didn’t mind those questions, but she sometimes wondered when he would propose.
Why, right after a Gym Leader meeting, of course.
-
Winona stopped walking and turned around. Wallace would often casually ask “would you marry me?”, but “will you marry me?” had such different connotations. It was the connotations of a proposal.
Ever the dramatic one, Wallace was standing from his chair, reaching towards Winona as if to say “wait!” Even his eyes and parted lips revealed a sense of desperation, as if this were his only chance to propose before Winona disappeared forever. She had to give him credit; he hadn’t asked in front of the other Gym Leaders. That would have been too much for Winona to handle.
“Wallace…”
Wallace's arm fell to his side as he stood up straight. A nervous smile spread across his face.
“Winona, you are one of the most wonderful people I have ever gotten the chance to meet and get to know. It would be an honor to get to spend the rest of my life with—“
“Do you have a ring, Wallace?”
Wallace’s eyes widened a little.
“A-a ring? Um…”
His smile slipped away as he realized just how little he was prepared for this moment.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Wallace began to walk out of the room, but Winona took his hand before he could disappear down the hall.
“Wallace, I…” she thought for a moment before smiling. “Yes, I will marry you. Do you want to meet me in Lilycove City this evening?”
-
“Steven, do emeralds have the same meaning in Hoennese culture that they do in Sootopolitan culture?”
Wallace had flown back to Sootopolis City, specifically to Adamas Jewelers, to get an engagement ring before meeting with Winona. He wasn't going to screw up his proposal redo.
Adamas Jewelers was a very fancy store of white walls and chrome counters. Countless rings and necklaces and the like were on display, and a display screen presented a slideshow of different stones, their properties, and their meanings.
Wallace trusted Adamas, but he knew that stone symbolism was right up Steven's alley. Wallace called him up to ask for advice, though he hadn't yet told Steven the news.
“Well," Steven began, "in Hoennese culture, emeralds are more associated with—what’s the word?—pastoral life, the beauty of the natural world. In Sootopolitan culture, they’re more associated with the sky, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m trying to determine what would be the perfect stone for Winona’s engagement ring.”
Steven gasped.
“Ohhh! Finally popping the question, I see.”
“I already ‘popped’ it.”
Silence. Wallace was beginning to worry if Steven was okay, but then he spoke again:
“You proposed to Winona before getting a ring.”
“I wasn’t planning to propose! It simply just happened on a whim.”
“Wa… Wallace, I don’t… you know what, never mind.”
"No, what is it?"
"I just don't understand you sometimes."
"And I don't understand you sometimes."
"At least I don't ask life changing questions without planning!"
"Fine! Sue me for acting on impulse. You win. I, Wallace, fall in defeat, and you, Steven, get to laugh at my folly."
"Are you going to at least plan out the wedding, or is that going to be an impulse, too?"
There had been a hit of playfulness in Steven's tone. Wallace couldn't help but laugh.
"Perhaps. We'll have to see."
"Do you want me to ask Winona what her favorite stone is."
“It's sandstone."
"How do you know?"
"I asked. I was going to tell you for a date idea. Long story."
"Wallace, what—"
"But I don't think they use sandstone for engagement rings, and even if they did, I don't want Rubin Adamas to think I'm crazy. Instead, how about this: what stones go with silver?”
“Well, there’s—”
“Wait.”
Wallace’s eyes were fixated on the display screen, as if it had cast a spell on him with its infographic on lavender jadeite.
“Wallace? Wallace, are you still there?”
"Steven, what do you know about jadeite?"
-
As the sun began to set, the lights on the streets and skyscrapers of Lilycove City began to spark to life.
Winona sat on a bench overlooking the Hoenn sea. She was wearing a long, lavender dress, and her hair was done in a feather braid. She had even put on makeup: dark red lipstick and lavender eyeshadow.
She stared at the horizon, where the sky met the sea. The water reflected the cyans, violets, pinks, scarlets, and yellows of the sunset. A sunset over the sea was one of her favorite things to see and experience.
“I’m here, darling.”
Winona looked up. Wallace was standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, blue dress pants, white boots, a blue jacket, and, of course, his white beret. His Luvdisc, Elizabeth, floated right beside him.
“I suppose we should… start over from the beginning,” Wallace chuckled awkwardly.
Winona stood up. Wallace quickly glanced over at Elizabeth. With a deep breath, he smiled and dramatically gestured his hand towards Winona.
“Winona, you are one of the most wonderful people I have ever gotten the chance to meet and get to know. In all of my years, I have never seen someone as brave, strong, generous, loving, and beautiful in looks and soul as you. We have seen so much together. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve shared so much with each other. It would be an honor to get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He got down on one knee and took out a small, blue box from his jacket pocket.
“If life is a journey, then I want to travel its winds and waves with you.”
He opened the box. Inside was a silver ring with a band of lavender around it. Set within the lavender stone was a silver bird design. Winona could barely make out the details, because her eyes were already welling up with tears.
“Winona, will you marry me?”
Winona almost knocked Wallace over in a hug.
"Ask me a thousand times, and my response will be yes every time."
Elizabeth circled around the two, creating a ring of glowing, white hearts. She picked up the ring from the box and slipped it onto Winona's ring finger.
"Did I do it right this time?" Wallace whispered. "Was it perfect?"
"It was more than perfect."
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