Fanfiction PMDverse Oneshots

Here comes another thread!

This one's going to be a general posting-ground for all of the various little single-shot stories and such that I've done for my PMD writing/worldbuilding. I feel better about consolidating all of these to one thread partly because they're relatively short, and also because I've written quite a few of them, eheh (so many that I feel like if I made a thread for all of them, it'd just be kinda spammy).

I wouldn't say any of these have ties to Beyond the Sky (aside from featuring Bill, Rose, Cyan and/or Erin in most of them), but I'd say reading these can enhance reading BtS, and vice versa. So enjoy!

-----

A Visit to Blizzard Island

Spoiler

A heavy blizzard was falling from the sky, its dark clouds blocking any view of the evening sky, thick clumps of snow and sleet pelting down onto the small village below. The docks close to the shoreline glistened as the sea seemed to freeze into solid ice, and the weather just barely masked the smoke that came from the Delibird Guild's chimney, the stylized building sitting atop a hilltop nearby. A pair of Pokémon trudged their way through the storm, huddled close together to stave off the cold. One of them drew a blade from the scabbard on his arm, holding it outward.

"Which way's it again?"

"Over there, Cyan," The Mienshao cried out, lashing out with a fuzzy pink sleeve in the direction of one particular hut, and the Samurott swerved around, pointing his seamitar parallel with his partner's arm. "You know which one it is, goofball! We visit every time we come to Blizzard Island for work!"

"Yeah, but I can barely see a thing'n this kind'a weather, Erin!" Cyan sheathed his weapon, slamming his paws into the buildup of snow, which melted to mush as he pressed into the dirt underneath. His partner bounced ahead of him, blowing a raspberry as she wiggled her paws next to her cheeks. "And you're not helpin' that much either!"

"Just keep your eyes on me, we're almost there." Erin smiled cheerfully as broke into a run towards the dwelling, its unmistakable lilac-painted roof growing clearer and clearer with every step. Frosty windows framed the dark log cabin, candlelight from inside setting the glass aglow, and the two explorers moved up the steps, stopping just short of the door. As Cyan removed his helmet and dumped the snow off of it, Erin let out a short cough before straightening up, tapping out a short, formal knock on the wooden frame.

They were abruptly startled as a loud crash came from inside, followed by a pained groan. Erin leaned forward, trying to peek in through the window, but Cyan deftly grabbed a hold of her tail, pulling her back to the doorway.

"Yama, are you all right?" An old, warm voice came from within, concern layered on thick.

"Yeah... argh," A much deeper, guttural sound replied. "I'm fine, Lin, go get the door."

There were a series of soft footsteps, and the hinges squeaked as the door pushed open. A small nose, adorned with a teeny-tiny pair of reading glasses, poked through the gap. "Hello?"

"Mama!" Erin yanked the door wide open, stepping forward and wrapping the older Mienshao in a great big hug. The unsuspecting recipient momentarily went stock still, her wide blue eyes contrasting against her greying fur, before relaxing, returning the gesture as she wrapped her thinning sleeves around her daughter. "We're visiting!"

"Of course you are, dear." Lin ignored Erin's statement of the obvious and broke the embrace, reaching over and tugged lightly on her daughter's whiskers. Erin let out a giggle in response, lightly poking at her mother's glasses. "It's so good to see you."

Cyan stood awkwardly away with his helmet held tightly against his side, brushing a small pile of snow out from between his ears. It fell onto the porch and soon vanished among the fresher snow that was already beginning to cover it up. Lin adjusted her spectacles and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and he nodded his head respectfully. "Evenin', miz Lin."

"Good evening, Cyan." Lin clasped her paws together and took a short bow in greeting. As she rose, she gave the two explorers a kind smile, nesting her paws in their sleeves. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

"Bill n' Rose said they were goin' t'grab a room at the inn and then come on over..." Cyan explained, thumbing over his shoulder at the miserable weather, and a blast of chilly wind buffeted them all. "...but I don't think they're gonna be comin' along anytime t'night."

"Yes, you do have a point," The elder said, firmly grasping their shoulders and ushering them into the house. "Please, come in, before you get sick. Especially you, Erin."

The two explorers gratefully followed suit and stepped inside, sighing as a pleasant humidity enveloped them, doubtlessly coming from the fireplace at the other end of the parlor. The scent of food hung in the air, wafting in from a thin doorflap on the right wall, and Lin strode over, peeking her head into the kitchen. "Yama, dear? We have some guests with us!"

"I'll be out in a minute!" Erin's father called out. There was a clatter of dishes. "The fixins are almost done melting, hun. Could you keep them company for a tick?"

Lin shook her head, a humored grin plastered on her face, and she spun on her heel, gesturing towards the fireplace with a wave of her sleeves. "Please, you two, take a seat, get the cold out. No need to be shy."

No more encouragement was needed; Erin immediately skipped over and plopped down right in front of the flames, and Cyan leaned his helmet into a corner of the room before tromping over, sitting down a few paces away from his partner. The warmth sent shudders through them both, and the Samurott smiled, his ears perking up as their numbness began to fade away. Their elder eased herself into a rocking chair that sat a comfortable distance away from the fire, gasping slightly as she leaned backward. For a few moments, all was silent, save for the crackling fire and the sound of Yama working in the other room.

"So..." Lin started. "How have things been treating you in Treasure Town?"

"They've been good, mama!" Erin replied, scooting a little closer to Cyan to give him a short noogie. He tensed up, wincing a little at the close contact. "The Wigglytuff Guild's been really busy preparing for their expedition this spring, so we've been taking lots of jobs to help take a load off."

"The expeditions are this year?" Lin stared at the ceiling in thought, brushing at her whiskers. "Hm... I completely forgot. I wonder where Guildmaster Delibird plans to go this time."

"Doesn't seem like there'd be much to invest'gate 'round here," Cyan chimed in. "Er, no 'ffense meant."

"No, I understand, Cyan." The old Mienshao nodded her head in agreement. "There's Mount Avalanche, and there's the Crevice Cave... perhaps he'll try and explore around the treacherous waters up north?"

"Nah," Erin said flatly, bobbing her head back and forth to her own rhythm. "The Guildmaster always told me that he'd never take the whole guild sailing. He said everyone would get stir-crazy!"

"Mmm," Lin grunted, grinning wryly. "Yes, we visited the other day and that would be a good way to describe them."

"It is?" Cyan blinked in brief surprise, slumping over a bit as he lay on his belly. "I never thought a bunch'a rescue workers'd be like that."

"I spent two whole years at the Delibird Guild, Cyan!" Erin leaned over and rested against the Samurott's back, playfully drumming against his side. "Sometimes, on a bad day, they can get just as grumpy as you, Cyan!"

"Grumpy!?" Cyan exclaimed incredulously, turning to look at his partner, who gave him an innocent look. "Who gets grumpy!?"

A loud stomp caught everyone's attention, and the trio turned around to face the newcomer that pushed through the doorflap, a tall, heavyset Pokémon with large orange hands and a yellow skirt. A dark brown apron hung over his belly, and he carried a covered platter, steam escaping from the gap underneath. He broke into a broad grin as his eyes landed on his daughter. "Erin!"

"Hiya, papa!" Erin hopped to her feet and ran at her father. The Hariyama just barely had enough time to set the platter down and slide it over to Cyan before the youthful Mienshao barreled into him, and the two spun around in a wild bear hug, laughing all the while. "We're here to visit!"

"Ahh, it's good to see you, good, to, see, you!" Yama gave Erin a series of pats on the back, chortling deeply when she retorted with a couple strong blows of her own. "You're looking well, my darlin'!"

Cyan looked away from the pair, busying himself with the platter as he grasped the cover. With a flourish, he removed the metal dome, and he scrunched his face as he was met with a cloud of steam. His nose twitched with a mind of its own, and he took a deep whiff of the meal, licking his lips. "Cheese... some kind of spice. Touga, maybe?"

"Ah, Cyan! It's good to see you too, bucko!" Yama walked over to the teen and waved away the steam, and Erin dropped to the ground, peeking out from behind her father at the food. "Your nose is getting pretty good there!"

"With how much every'un eats'n this team, I have t'keep practicin'." Cyan squinted before opening his eyes, staring at the platter. Baked potatoes, their skins brown and crispy, sat atop the plate, tinted orange with berry juice and covered with pale, melty goop. Four cups of water sat next to each one. "I had a feelin' you'd made these."

"Course I did, my boy." Yama clapped a hand on Cyan's shoulder, moving over to his side and sitting down. "Best food around for a night like this!"

Lin stood up and walked over to her husband, landing a peck on the Hariyama's forehead before seating herself across from the platter, near Erin. "Thank you, dear. It all looks wonderful."

"Ah, it's just a simple dish, hun," Yama replied bashfully, picking one of the potatoes up with two of his fingers. Lifting it into the air, he briefly held it at eye level before taking a bite, letting out a grunt of satisfaction as he chewed and swallowed. "Well, go on, eat up! Before it gets cold."

The other three vegetables vanished from the dish, Erin shoveling half of one into her cheeks and receiving a scolding look from her mother in the process. Cyan scooped out a bit of the potato flesh and gave it a tentative taste; an immense spice shot through down his throat, melding with the cheese and the potato to produce an incredibly savory flavor. He puckered his lips, mouth watering profusely at the heat.

"Careful there, you two, don't burn yer mouths," Yama chided, swallowing a mouthful of food. "So... what did I interrupt, eh?"

"We were discussing the guild expeditions, dear," Lin said, gingerly taking small bites, occasionally wiping her mouth with her sleeves.

"This year's an expedition year?" Yama raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Cyan and Erin. "Then why are you two here? And where's your friends?"

Erin waved him off nonchalantly. "Papaaaaaa, it's fine! We're just here for work, it's nothing to worry about."

"Wigglytuff and th'rest are all tied up with tryin' to get ready for their expedition in a few months, so we've been takin' work outside of the mainland," Cyan said, fanning his mouth with a paw. "Better for us t'be outta their hair an'all."

"I do hope that your two other team members don't try to come through the storm," Lin said, peering out the window. The snow had finally begun to slow, leaving a howling wind in its place, but the dark clouds still hovered in the sky, blocking the light of the moon and stars. Cyan licked his paws, smiling and wincing with each taste.

"Bill n' Rose have 'nuff good sense to stay inside t'night," The Samurott replied. "They're prob'ly asleep by now. We've got explorin' to do tomorrow."

"Where are you headed, darlin'?"

"We're going to the Opal Beach, papa," Erin mumbled through a bite of potato. A couple flecks of cheese landed on the floorboards, prompting the other three Pokémon to give her a stern frown. She took a gulp of water and giggled to herself. "Sorry! Um... we're going to look for a bunch of outlaws hiding out around there."

"Outlaws? Here?" Lin's mouth pursed. "That's strange. Delibird and the rest of the guild didn't say anything about it."

"They didn't?" Erin cocked her head, taking another sip of water. "Huh... could they have already taken care of 'em?"

"Maybe." Cyan polished off the last of his dinner. "Seems more likely that they'd have jus' not heard 'bout it."

"I doubt that, kiddo," Yama said, patting the Samurott's back, and he took a large chomp of food before continuing. "The Guildmaster has Arcanine patrol around the island every few weeks or so. He'd have known if anything was afoot around here!"

"Grrmm," Cyan grumbled. "If th'outlaws are already taken care've, I doubt Bill or Rose'll be happy t'hear we sailed out here for nothin'."

"Surely you can stay here for at least a few days?" Lin offered, taking her glasses off and polishing them with her sleeve. "There's still plenty of work to find around here, dear. No need to rush off all of a sudden."

"We only brought 'nuff cash to stay t'night n' tomorrow, miz Lin," Cyan replied with a shrug. "We'll have t'go back to Treasure Town."

"The inn?" The Hariyama scoffed. "Just stay here, my boy!"

"H-here?" Cyan was taken aback. "You'd let us stay with you?"

"Of course we would." Lin moved over and placed a paw on Yama's shoulder, smiling affectionately at the two explorers. "You're friends of the family, dear. We'd gladly let all of you stay as long as you need to."

"Alright, kiddos! You two can stay in Erin's room, and your two other friends can stay in the guest room..." Yama began to prattle on, standing up and moving into the kitchen, his footsteps growing softer and softer as he moved downstairs. Erin chuckled to herself, rocking back and forth excitedly, and her mother lightly tweaked her ear.

"Don't get too anxious, dear, or you'll never get to sleep," Lin admonished, wagging her paw. "Now go on. You can talk to your friends about this in the morning."

"Thank you, mama!" Erin gave the older Mienshao a quick hug before zipping away, and Cyan rose to his feet, walking over and grabbing his helmet, firmly fitting it back onto his head.

"Miz, are ya sure that this is alright?" He turned to look at Lin, who stared mildly at him through her glasses. "I'd... erm... well, I'd rather not impose..."

She gave him a knowing smile.

"I trust you, and Yama trusts you. Don't worry, Cyan." The Samurott recoiled, his eyes going wide, and Lin barked out a short laugh. "You look tired, dear. You be best off getting to bed now, hm?"

"Y-yeah..." The water type rubbed at his cheek, moving past his elder in a daze. The greying Mienshao stood in the parlor for a while, smiling into the dying fireplace, tinted slightly by a beam of moonlight coming in through the window. The storm outside had finally subsided, and as the last Pokémon left the room, the house went silent.

All was well.

***

"Bill, do you think they're all right?"

"Rose, they're perfectly fine. They're probably just gonna stay with Erin's parents tonight."

"Mmph... you're probably right. The snowstorm's cleared up, though, so maybe we could go over-"

Thumpa. "Oof!"

"Rose, it's nearly midnight. Now if you don't go to bed I'm going to toss a second pillow at you."

"Fine... g'night, Bill."

"G'night, Rose."

 

Now it's time for a sad one. In case you hadn't guessed from the first post, a lot of this'll be tied in with my own headcanons and worldbuilding about the Rescue/Explorers universe. So here's one of the few (or really only, since it's the only one I really truly like) Rescue Team oneshots I've done. It still ties into Explorers though, if you can read between the lines.

-----

Old Acquaintances

Spoiler

I wish to speak with you.

Please come meet with me at the mountain.

I'll be waiting for you where I always am, in the cave at the peak.

...Please visit as soon as you are able. This is important.

***

The powerful snowstorm tore across the mountain trail, the slopes of solid rock holding fast against the gales as they were splattered with fresh coat after fresh coat of sleet and slush. The moon only occasionally dared to peek out from behind its cloud cover, the brief glimpses of light sending sparkles down the bits of ice that were beginning to form on the surface of the rock.

A Pokémon wearily forced his way through the raging blizzard, tugging a hefty cloak tighter to his chest as the wind attempted to pick it up and carry it away. From underneath his hood, he glanced at the crumpled letter he held in his fist, trying his best to keep it safe from the miserable weather. "Ugh... this had better be worth making me come through all this."

Thankfully for the traveler, the storm let up for a few precious moments, and the icy fog lifted just enough for him to spy the darkened maw of a tunnel just close by. He began to jog towards the inviting shelter with gusto, kicking up soft white flurries as he eagerly stomped away, and with a heaving sigh, the Pokémon finally made it into the entrance of the cavern. He let himself fall to his knees in a rare display of vulnerability, his breath turning to mist as he inhaled and exhaled, inhaled and exhaled.

"Finally...! I'm finally at the top of this big, stupid mountain," He muttered between gasps, pushing himself back up onto his feet as his fatigue faded away somewhat. Shaking the drenched hood off of his head, he took a step forward. "Old man! Hey, old man!"

He continued further into the depths of the cave, soon emerging into a small, rounded dead end with almost nothing remarkable about it, save for some flattened rocks and a few holes poked into the ceiling to allow light inside. He stepped into the center of the room, trying to listen for any noises; somehow, not even the storm could be heard from up above. "Kekekeh! Hey, old man, I got your letter! Show your face like you were wanting to!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat made him spin on his heels in shock, ready for an ambush, but he relaxed just as quickly as he spotted the familiar figure standing behind him. The color in his fur had faded into a muddled mix of cream and gray, and his nine majestic tails had become scraggly and unkempt since they'd last met, but there was no doubt in his mind as to who it was.

"I see you are as pleasant now as you always were," The old man's voice was rough and scratchy, another victim of his increasingly-great age. "...human."

Gengar's face dropped into a grumpy frown as he let his cloak fall fully onto the floor, thrusting forward and holding out his letter for the fire type to see. "And you're just as big of a nag, too, geezer. I'm not human anymore, and besides, how did you know where I was after all this time?"

Ninetales took a few steps forward and leered smugly at the purple-hued Pokémon. If nothing else, the ancient fox's eyes had retained their sharp, piercing glare throughout the years. "I may keep myself hidden here on Mount Freeze, but do not presume that I am just so uninformed. You have forgotten the scope of the benefits that my life has provided me."

"Hmph." The ghost looked away defiantly, putting his fists at his sides. "Oh yeah? Well then what else do you know about me, huh?"

"How are your friends, Medicham and... Arbok, now, perhaps? You had ended up disbanding your rescue team after your search through the Murky Cave," Ninetales asked, his head held high as he ambled past the befuddled ghost, and he seated himself atop one of the flat rocks, beckoning at Gengar to do the same. "Has Pokémon Square flourished since the Meteor Crisis?"

The fox's guest was silent for a moment as he walked over and hopped onto a stone, brushing some snow off of his cloak as he avoided eye contact. "Pfft! If you knew where I was, how come you don't know the answers to those questions?"

"Maybe I already do, and simply want to hear your thoughts." Ninetales shot back. The ghost type grunted at the infuriatingly snide answer, looking up from his damp cloak. The old Pokémon waited patiently for his reply.

"...Yeh. Everyone's been doing fine," Gengar replied, letting his hands rest in his lap as he watched the fire type's muzzle twitch upwards. "I don't see why they wouldn't be. It's been almost sixteen years since it all happened, heheheh!"

Ninetales kept silent as the ghost cackled to himself, his laughter echoing around the cavern walls, and after a few seconds Gengar trailed off, his arms folded and a much-more casual expression plastered on his face. The old fox shook his head slightly, his tails starting to wag up and down for the first time since they'd started talking. "Yes... sixteen years. I imagine that the children growing up now only think of it as history, don't they?"

"Eh?" Gengar quirked an eyebrow upward, grinning sideways at the odd remark. "Was that supposed to mean something?"

"No... pay it no mind, human." Ninetales let out a soft, forlorn sigh, staring up at the ceiling as he spoke. "I was simply musing."

Gengar fidgeted in his seat somewhat to keep his bottom from freezing in place. "Fine then, fine. What did you want to talk to me about anyway? You said it was important and I know better than to think that small talk is what you were wanting, keheheh!"

The Ninetales didn't respond, continuing to stare at the top of the cavern with a melancholy frown. A few minutes passed as Gengar's question was left hanging, and the ghost swiftly grew impatient, kicking his heel loudly against the icy stone. "Hey, geezer! I asked you something! Did you accidentally curse someone new and need me to give 'em advice? Want me to tell you some place warmer to live? Heh!"

"...I'm dying."

Any and all pretense of lightening the mood vanished instantly from Gengar's mind, and the ghost toppled onto the cavern floor as he lurched forward in shock. Of all the things that he'd been expecting to have to talk with the old man about, that wasn't one of the things that had thought up on the way up the mountain. The ancient Pokémon was a thousand years old at the very least, after all. "Wh... wh-wh-what!? What! N-Ninetales!"

"Don't act so surprised, human. Even if I might be legendary, I am no god. I have to face death just like all other mortal Pokémon do." Ninetales snapped back to attention, fixing the ghost with a hard look. Gengar grumbled in a mild panic, dusting himself off as he got back to his feet, eyes wide and jaw agape. "I was young when we first met, and I was old when the Meteor Crisis began. I have only gotten older since it ended."

"But... b-but that's crazy!" It wasn't, and Ninetales had already pointed out as to why, but the emotional part of Gengar's brain helped to defy the fox's logic enough to make it sound crazy. He busied himself with picking up his cloak. "All that, that power you have... a-all the stuff you know! You're one of the last Pokémon left on the, the whole Northern Continent who knows anything about what it was like when h-human civilization was... was still around!"

A few beams of moonlight poked through the ceiling into the room, properly illuminating the cavern, and Gengar paused as the seat Ninetales sat in began to shine. The fox instinctively began to stretch his limbs out as the warmth of the light washed over him, revealing matted patches of fur and thin, cricking joints. It was confusing, bewildering, bamboozling, dumbfounding, and just plain old shocking all at the same time... and yet Gengar really couldn't say anything to argue against it. Denial, grief, surprise, the five stages ran their course like a roller coaster through his brain. Ninetales seemed to notice, stepping onto the floor and trotting over.

"S-so..." Gengar stuttered, not nearly as composed as he had been when he'd first arrived. "You... you called me here to tell me that you're... going to die, old man?"

Ninetales nodded. "Partly, yes. There is something else I wished to discuss with you, that is perhaps more along the lines of what you were expecting to hear me say."

Gengar felt himself take a deep breath at the news that there was more, and Ninetales waited until the ghost had returned to his seat before going back to his own perch. "...Alright, well, go on then, spit it out at me! What's the big deal and why do you want to tell me so badly?"

"You and I know each other better than we know anyone else, human," The fox replied coolly, his tails starting to wag again as he watched Gengar toy with his cloak a bit before letting it fall onto the floor in a heap, unable to bother distracting himself with it any longer. The letter he'd sent him came next, crinkling quietly as it landed atop the cloth. "Not even your dear Gardevoir-"

"Leave her out of this, geezer!" Gengar blurted out with a growl, gritting his teeth as his old, old friend popped up in his mind's eye, and he tried to push the thought away. "She's... just... what do you want?"

Ninetales shook his head shortly before staring straight into Gengar's eyes with a determined gaze. "I wished to speak with you to confide in you, human. We know each other better than anyone else does... and that means I know I can trust you the most with this."

"Just say it!"

"There is..." Ninetales paused, getting up and walking over to the edge of the cave, standing still as he peered through the tunnel leading to the mountain trail. Gengar looked after the ancient fox expectantly. "Another crisis is coming. Soon."

Gengar's heart skipped a beat, and he felt a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He hated talking about these serious things; why hadn't he just tossed the letter in the trash and gone on with his life? "Another... meteor, you mean?"

"No." The ghost recoiled at the bluntness of Ninetales' reply. "Something different. Something that is... out of my paws... and yours, to confront."

Gengar hopped off of the stone seat and stared into his open palms, gripping at the air a few times as he let the words sink in. Now he understood – or at least he thought he understood – Ninetales' earlier remark. Like they'd both said, it had been sixteen years since Team Shockseed had stopped the meteor from crashing into the continent, and even to him it felt like it had been quite a long time ago.

And now something else was supposedly going to happen, and neither of them could do anything about it. The purple Pokémon frowned irritably, and he grumpily stomped over. "Then why in the name of Arceus are you telling me something like that, huh!?"

"Because..." Ninetales' voice drifted into silence halfway through the word, and Gengar blinked in confusion at the sudden trepidation in the fox's normally-strong voice. Was it his old age again? "Because I cannot... I cannot..."

The ghost turned around fully to stare at the fire type, who had bowed his head and stared blankly at his front paws, his eyes starting to shimmer with... were those tears? Gengar was already thrown for a loop, and things were just getting weirder and weirder. He reached forward, against his better judgment, and patted the back of Ninetales' neck. "You can't help 'cause you're gonna die? That's what's got you all worked up enough to want to talk to me about it, old man?"

The fox suddenly wiped at his eyes with his legs, and once he had dried his muzzle, he looked over at Gengar, who froze in place, his arm still pressed against the ancient Pokémon's fur. "I cannot... lend my presence to those who will need it. No... to those who should have had it in the first place. Now one is alone and the other is..."

The cryptic statement flew right over Gengar's head, and not only did he realize it, he also didn't entirely care. "You... you dumb geezer!"

"H-huh?" Ninetales jolted at the insult, and he jumped backwards, baring his teeth at his old acquaintance. "How dare you?"

"So you should have been somewhere and you weren't, so what!" Gengar replied sharply, jabbing a tiny purple finger into the old fox's face. "Your mistake, then! I made a mistake too, and I lost someone important, but I had to keep moving thanks to you! So if you made a mistake and you lost someone important..."

Ninetales' expression twisted somewhat as he listened to Gengar end his retort with an exasperated sigh, and his tails began to wag slightly as he cleared his throat. The ghost looked over at the fox at the sound.

"...Yes," Ninetales eventually said, and Gengar walked over to him, placing his hand behind one of his ears and scratching gently, causing said ear to start twitching from the sensation. "Yes... you're right. I apologize for my outburst, human. I... suppose my age is finally beginning to fully catch up with me."

Gengar led the old Pokémon back into the moonlit center of the cave, and they moved back to their stone seats. Ninetales quickly composed himself, and Gengar crossed his legs and lounged backwards, rocking back and forth. He didn't want to end up frozen in place with a nagging old fool like the fox, after all.

"So that's what you wanted to tell me, old man?" The purple Pokémon asked with a toothy smirk, folding his arms casually as he spoke up. "I mean, I don't really get all of it, but I guess that's just how things go, keheheh!"

Ninetales nodded contentedly, seeming far more relieved than he had when Gengar had first arrived at the fox's dwelling. His tails started to wag harder, and the fire type smiled slightly. "Stay here until morning comes. The snowstorm will not be ending anytime this night, and you seemed quite exhausted when you first stepped into the cavern's entrance."

"Eh? Ohhh... great," Gengar groaned, making no effort to hide his sarcasm. "Fine then. I guess I don't have any choice anyway."

The ghost quickly snagged his cloak and wrapped it around himself, resting his head on the floor as he got himself settled. He glanced over at Ninetales as the fox stepped off of the stone seat and lay flat on his belly, all nine of his tails curling up as a makeshift blanket. As the silvery moonlight glinted off of the walls of the cavern, Gengar closed his eyes, half-aware of his descent into sleep.

"Thank you..." Ninetales' hoarse voice whispered. "Thank you, Gengar."

The purple Pokémon rolled over in his dreams.

"Rest in peace, Ninetales."

 

Now for a particular favorite of mine This was partly based on an old "New Gateau" recipe done by an old, old Pokémon askblog, and written up and finished the night before I was going to the doctor's for some medical stuff. Time limits breed excellence, I guess. :V

-----

Gateau

Spoiler

"Hey, you two, we're back!"

I clambered down the staircase into the bluff, Rose following closely behind as we let the trapdoor slam shut. The jaws of Sharpedo Bluff caught the setting sun, casting a soft orange glow around the room as the western sea sparkled on the horizon. I stretched my arms and yawned loudly as my partner trotted past me, feeling the fox brush her nine tails against my leg. Looking past her, I saw Cyan and Erin sitting atop a patch of grass near the fountain, the former giving me a short wave as I dumped the treasure bag near the entrance, keeping hold of a scroll in my palm.

"'Ey, Bill," The Samurott said, slumping forward as he let his head rest in his front paws, his helmet tracing a thin line along the floorstones. "How'd th'job go, eh?"

"Rose, Rose, what'd we get, what'd we get?" Erin asked, jumping in place excitedly, wringing her fists as she tugged at Rose's blue scarf. "Did we get money? Or treasure! Was it treasure?"

"It's not what you'd expect." Rose warded the Mienshao away, arranging bits and pieces of tinder in a circle of stones before spitting a few embers at them. The bits of dead twigs and thin logs quickly set alight, and within a few moments a pleasant fire was roaring in the middle of the bluff. I sighed as the warm sank into me, my aches and pains draining away, and I reached over to put an arm around Rose, pulling her close. She nuzzled my neck before looking over at our teammates. "The client didn't have anything to pay us with."

I snickered during the brief silence, stifling myself by bringing my pawspike to my mouth. Cyan blinked in surprise, the horn on his helmet whooshing as he raised his head and pushed himself upward into a sitting position, his tail pressed up against one of the bluff's teeth. "Wh-wait, what? You've gotta be jokin', right?"

"Relax, Cyan, you didn't let her finish," I cut the sea lion off before he could go into a rant, and I winked at my partner, her red eyes standing out amongst the brown rocks.

"You're the one who's going to like it the most, heheh," Rose laughed a little as she continued. "Since they didn't have anything like money to reward us with, they decided to give us something else, instead, a secret they hadn't let out of their family for a very long time."

"Oooooooh…" Erin's eyes grew to the size of platters, and she leaned forward as she continued to coo, just barely keeping her balance on her tiptoes. "What is it?"

I reached across the small fire, passing the curled-up parchment towards Cyan, who yanked it out of my grasp, unfurling it in both paws. Both Rose and I smiled spritely as the water type's face went from confusion to excitement to concentration in the span of a second or two. "It's some kind of recipe, so we figured you'd get a kick out of it. We didn't take a look at it yet, so you're getting the first look."

"The Carracosta said it was a very old recipe, too," Rose added. "I think she said it dates all the way back from when humans were still around! ...though she might have been exaggerating."

"Woaaah… if she wasn't, I bet Star and Vale'll be really jealous if they ever visit again!" Erin giggled to herself, rocking back and forth on her heels as she thought of our traveling friends. Cyan exhaled heavily, and I turned my head to look at him; he hadn't taken his gaze off of the recipe list for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth as he moved down the paper. I couldn't help but fidget from his uncharacteristic silence, and I reached back to scratch at my neck, warmed by the last slivers of the sun.

"Well, Cyan?" I asked, crossing my legs, and Rose scooted over to rest on my lap. "What do you think?"

"Hrmm…" He let out a grunt in response, taking a deep breath before quickly reading off the recipe to us. "Bluk berries, both fresh ones an' mushy juicy ones, flour, lots o'cream, sugar an' butter, vanilla juice, chocolate bits an' chocolate powder, couple other berries t'taste…"

As Cyan rattled off the various ingredients, I couldn't help but picture each piece of food in my mind's eye, and I absently licked my lips to keep my mouth from watering. Rose let out a short laugh, looking at Erin, and I smirked as I glanced at the younger girl, who lacked the same willpower I did, judging from the thin trail of drool that was hanging from her slackened jaw. The Ninetales let out a short whistle to catch Erin's attention, and as the mink's eyes refocused, she buried her face in her sleeves, embarrassed.

"What th'… a double boiler? Dammit, seriously?" The sea lion finished, furrowing his brow as he slammed a fist into the dirt, uprooting a small clump of soil from the shock of the blow. "You've gotta b'kiddin' me. We don't have one o'those, y'know! Heck, w'don't even have an oven!"

Cyan slid to his feet and tossed the scroll back to Rose and I, and I raised my paws defensively as the paper bounced into my lap. Erin took a few steps back as her friend irritably drew a seamitar and poked at the campfire, and Rose put on a slight frown, gently scolding the teen. "Cyan, please don't yell. We weren't expecting you to make… um, whatever it is for us."

"Yeah, we just thought you'd be interested in it." I shrugged as Erin tiptoed over and scooped up the recipe, taking a look at it herself. "Like I said, we let you have the first peek."

"Gah, it's not that, alright?" Cyan sighed, avoiding eye contact as he continued to poke and prod at the burning logs, ash sticking to the tip of his blade. "I… hmph, I actually wanna try an' make it. Nothin' t'do with you guys."

"Heeey, how do you even say this?" Erin interrupted, twisting her head left and right as she stared blankly at the scroll. "Gatt eww? Gate 'ey you? Heeheehee… gate, 'ey you!"

"It's a cake, Erin!" Cyan rolled his eyes, dropping his blade as he stomped over and traced a paw along the top edge of the page, and Erin followed his finger. "Bluk Geh-tea-you. Look at th'stuff I need, okay? Judgin' from what I have t'do t'make this thing, it's some kind'a cake."

"A cake?" Rose repeated, her tails wagging up and down. "Oh… if it's something that complicated, maybe we shouldn't have accepted it. You're right, Cyan, we don't have any baking equipment here."

I got to my feet, walking around the fire and brushing past the vines that hung over the east wall, poking my head into the small storage room dug into the cliff. A few pots, a couple pans, Cyan's hiking bag, Erin's belt pouch, and a box of dried fruit were all that lay within. "Hmm… unless anyone wants to play inventor, we're not making a cake with what we've got in here."

"That's what's getting' me angry!" Cyan said, sitting back down and grumbling under his breath. "Th'only Pokémon I know 'round here who has th'stuff I'd need t'whip up a cake like that'd be… heck, Spinda and his café, I'm guessin'."

Erin beamed cheerfully and let herself flop onto her friend, hugging his neck tightly as she rubbed her cheek against his mustache. Cyan scratched at his face, trying to hide the blush forming under his fur. "That's not so bad, silly! Just go ask mister Spinda if he'd let you use his kitchen!"

"Wh-what?" The Samurott stuttered, looking at the fighting type out of the corner of his eye. "Y-you're kiddin', right?"

"She's got a good point, Cyan," Rose agreed with a nod and a smile, and I tousled her headfur to keep it from falling over her eyes as she continued to speak. "I'm sure Spinda wouldn't mind a bit, as long as you made sure to ask him nicely."

"Besides, if you really want to make this cake so bad, he'd be the best person to ask. He runs his café, after all." I chimed in, gesturing lamely at Cyan. Faced with overwhelming opposition, the sea lion looked at each of us before grunting in frustration, shaking his head.

"Alright, fine, fine…" He said, throwing his paws in the air as he got to his feet, dusting himself off and retrieving his seamitar from the pile of ashes that remained of the campfire. He stabbed the blade into the dirt, pulling it out cleanly before returning it to its sheath on his arm. "I'll go ask him, then… haww…"

Cyan punctuated the end of his statement with a loud yawn, and I glanced outside, watching the stars wink into view above the calm, open sea. Like clockwork, Erin yawned as well, then Rose, her cold nose bumping into my chin as she breathed. I grinned mildly as the Samurott slumped back down, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Why don't you go ask him tomorrow, huh?" I suggested, picking up my sleepy partner and walking over to one of the beds of dry grass, cuddling up as I settled down onto the cushy floor. "Get some sleep, Cyan, Erin. If you're really going to try and make this thing, you'll need it."

"Haah, I guess you're right…" Cyan replied, crumpling onto the other bed, and Erin pounced on top of him, splaying herself wildly on top of her friend's back. She reached up and popped the warrior's helmet off, shoving it over to the fountain as she rested her head between Cyan's ears. "G'night, Bill. Rose."

"Sleep tight, Cyan," I muttered, dozing off to dreamland.

***

The sound of metal clanging against metal made the patrons of the café jump in surprise, and an uproarious crash rang from the doorway behind the counter, rattling the odd machines and stocks of food that sat atop the bar. As the sound of a spinning metal tray faded out, the Pokémon grunted or sighed, shaking their heads as they returned to their meals, breathing in the scents that wafted from their cups and their dishes. Cyan gripped the scroll tightly in his paw as he trampled towards the back room, peeking his nose out from the doorframe as he looked at the bartender, who winced as he rubbed at his sore ears. Spinda's swirly eyes seemed to shine pleasantly as he noticed the young explorer's presence.

"Oh, hello there, Cyan!" The red panda hopped up onto his tiny feet, patting himself down from his spotted head to his little toes as the Samurott carefully eased himself into the messy kitchen. Platters, utensils and various other bits and bobs lay scattered on the stone tiles, and a trio of mugs steamed atop a sideboard, precariously close to a tub of water. "What brings you here today? It's rather late in the morning for a meal, isn't it?"

"Eh, I've had m'breakfast already anyway." Cyan waved his paw dismissively at Spinda, reaching down to help gather up the fallen cookware. The two made short work of the task, piling up the dirtied dishes in the water, and Cyan leaned his arm against the rock-hewn furniture, shooting the normal type a toothy smile and a cocky thumbs-up. "Busy day today?"

"Busy busy!" Spinda jumped up to the edge of the sideboard, grabbing two of the drinks, and Cyan took the third, following the barkeeper out as he slid the piping-hot mugs to the end of the counter. "Hey, ma'am and sirs? Your drinks are ready!"

A Charmander and two others hopped up from their seats to collect their beverages, and Cyan nodded as he passed the one he held to a quiet Treecko, receiving a grateful nod from the Pokémon. Their Totodile friend let out a hearty chortle as the patrons began to make small talk on the way back to their table, and the Samurott turned back to Spinda, who was dusting his paws off in satisfaction. "So, what did you pop by for, Cyan? Have a hankering for a drink, hehe?"

"Not 'xactly, Spinda…" Cyan pushed a space in between barstools and sat down, rolling the recipe scroll across the wooden surface. It quickly stopped as it collided with Spinda's outstretched palms, and as he opened the paper up, Cyan continued. "Bill an' Rose picked this up as a reward for doin' a recent job, 'n case I was interested in it."

"Bluk Gateau…?" Spinda rolled the name off of his tongue deliberately, scanning down the instructions. Cyan briefly let his face fall into his paws as he heard the name pronounced correctly. "This sounds like a pretty fancy pastry, Cyan! Bill and Rose lucked out with this one!"

"Yeh, 'pparently it's some family secret of th'client's," The Samurott said, drumming his fingers on the countertop. "I was gonna ask if you'd let me use your kitchen t'try an' whip this thing up."

"What!?" Spinda dropped the scroll and stared at Cyan in surprise. He quickly got his bearings, shaking his head in mild embarrassment at his outburst. "Er, hehe, sorry if I sound rude, but why can't you make this back at Sharpedo Bluff?"

"B'cause we don't have th'kinda equipment we need, y'dummy." Cyan pointed at a small clump of writing on the page. "See here?"

The red panda studied the words, belting out a long, low whistle as he read. "Shoot, you mix this stuff in a double boiler and then you bake it?"

"Hey, Spinda, could I get an apple smoothie, please?" Someone on the other side of the café spoke up.

"Coming right up!" Spinda called back. Cyan retrieved the recipe from across the counter, and he watched as Spinda run into the kitchen and return with a few apples, juggling them before beginning to peel the skins off with a small knife. The vivid red curls came off in an unbroken string, and the normal type sliced the fruits in half, cutting out the cores from each piece. As he worked, he looked over at Cyan. "Anyway, uh… no wonder you came to me, the nearest place you'd be able to find a double boiler otherwise is over in Tiny Town!"

"That's m'point." The Samurott gestured lamely with his paw as Spinda scooped the apples and a splash of apple juice into a glass, shaking it furiously. "You're th'only one 'round here who has th'right stuff I need t'try an' make this… Gateau stuff, so I was wonderin' if I could use your kitchen."

Spinda didn't answer, too busy spinning in place as he put the final touches on the drink, and as he spun himself out, Cyan helped him ease the finished smoothie onto the bar. The juicy mixture settled in the clear glass, and Cyan reached up towards the ceiling, waving his arm high. "Oi, whoever wanted th' apple smoothie! It's 'bout ready for you!"

"Coming!" The voice called back, and Cyan turned back to Spinda, who teetered and tottered around, thoroughly dizzy. The sea lion clasped a paw on the normal type's shoulder, steadying him as he got his bearings back.

"Ooohaaaooooh…" Spinda's eyes swirled around, and he scrunched them shut, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Cyan. And I'd be glad to let you use the kitchen, as long as I was around to help you use the equipment in there."

"I know how t'do most of what it's askin' for, Spinda," Cyan retorted grumpily, and Spinda waved his paws.

"I didn't mean it like that, Cyan. Did you really read this recipe?" Spinda pointed at the scroll, and Cyan looked down, frowning at the scrap of parchment. "That right there is at least a two-Pokémon job, and there's no way I'm going to let you try and make it without someone helping you. And that someone is me!"

Spinda put a paw to his chest in a confident pose, and Cyan rolled his eyes, sighing in resignation as he stood up and began walking towards the back room. "Alright, fine, you can help out. Let's get th'ingredients we need an' get cookin', eh?"

"W-wait!" The bartender cried, and Cyan stopped in his tracks, halfway through the doorway. "Cyan, at least let me finish serving during the busy hours, alright?"

"I'll be waitin' in th'back…" Cyan said from behind the wall, his tail vanishing behind the wooden frame.

"That's fine, then." Spinda blinked a little before quickly adding, "And don't eat anything back there, either!"

Inwardly, Cyan swore in temporary defeat.

***

The feeling of water was cool against my fur as I sat down, dipping my legs into the river and leaning against one of the posts outside of Chansey's Day Care. Erin was out playing with some of the kids further up the river, a medley of voices laughing cheerfully, while Rose was content to stay nearby and let the sun warm her fur, her head resting on my shoulder as she wrapped her tails around a couple of eggs, keeping them comfortable.

"You were right, Rose," I started to say, peering up at the cloudless sky contentedly, and my partner shifted her gaze to look at me. I held her a little closer, shooting her a goofy grin. "This is a nice change of pace from the typical outlaw hunting mission."

"I told you you'd enjoy it," The Ninetales replied, a note of pride in her voice as she snuggled into me again. "It's a nice way to relax after traveling, isn't it?"

A loud splash came from upstream, and I looked across the small bridge, watching the water fly upwards and around as Chansey herself cannon-balled into the river. The delighted screams of the children she cared for rose over the sound of the shops and the other villagers, and I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight. "Heh, I guess. I bet Cyan wouldn't enjoy it, he hasn't figured out how patience outside of cooking works yet."

Rose lifted her head up, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked around Treasure Town, peering from one end of the town to the other. She let out a soft 'hmm' as she wondered to herself. "Where is Cyan, anyway? Did he really go ask Spinda about making that cake?"

"I think so." A couple leaves got caught against my knees, and I gingerly pushed them out of the way, watching as they drifted away. "He seemed really set on pulling that recipe off."

"Last I saw him, we were eating breakfast, and then before we decided what to do today, he had already left…" Rose thought aloud, taking a moment to check on the eggs she warmed. "He's been gone the whole morning!"

"Well, I'm not surprised!" I said, and my partner snapped her gaze back at me. "I took a look at the thing over breakfast, aside from the ingredients I couldn't really make four heads or nine tails of it."

The fox gave me a blank stare before smiling and cringing in the same breath. "That was… terrible. Terrible."

I smiled. "I try."

"Oh, shut up," Rose laughed, poking at my side with her paw, and we both let out a round of giggles, cuddling up in the early afternoon sun. Even the eggs seemed to be happy, a couple of them seemingly shining with mirth. A trick of the light, maybe. "But really, Bill… do you think we should check up on him later today? Maybe after the Pokémon at the day care get put down for a nap?"

"Why don't we go to the café tonight for dinner or something?" I offered, landing a peck on her cheek. "No way I'm giving up a chance to taste that cake."

"I bet Erin wouldn't want to miss it either." Rose looked across the water at the girl, who was now gently tossing one of the toddling Pokémon into the air. "Then I suppose it's settled. I hope Cyan isn't too surprised…"

"I hope he is," I snickered, and I let out a merry laugh as my partner shoved me into the river.

***

"W-woah, Cyan, help me move this!" Spinda stuttered, trying his hardest to lift the double boiler over his head. The Samurott grabbed the piece of cooking equipment with both of his paws, easily hoisting it into the air and setting it down on the rickety old stove, inadvertently rattling the small dishes of ingredients that sat nearby. He rolled his eyes as the little red panda wiped his brow, taking a quick breath of air and staring up at the large sea lion. "Thanks, hehe! So what's next, huh? You're the one with the Gateau recipe here."

"A'ight, first thing w'do is t'… heat up a li'l water and mix these in," Cyan recited, dumping a few glassfuls of water into the pot, which quickly began to burble. Tossing in a few of the ingredients, he passed Spinda a mixing tool and lifted him a few paces away from the stove. The red panda stuck his tongue out slightly as he began to deftly stir the batter up. "It's gotta be 'thick an' ribbony', so you do that an' I'll start workin' on th'bluk berries, an' then th'cream!"

"Please don't interrupt, Cyan!" Spinda said, not taking his eyes off of the boiler. "If this needs to be at a specific point, I'll need to focus as much as I can, hehe."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever y'say," Cyan muttered as he carefully dribbled some of the berry juice into a pan next to the double boiler. Stomping around the kitchen as the syrup steamed, the Samurott poured some grainy yellow flour into the can of dark, syrupy berries. He nearly reached his paw into the mixture before thinking better of it, popping a small slab of bark on top of the can and shaking it up, rolling his eyes with a mild smirk. "What's he say now…? Shake it this way, shake it that way?"

He grunted as something pinged off of his helmet, and as a bluk berry rolled across the floor, Cyan looked over his shoulder at Spinda, who innocently kept to his work. The gooey substance quickly turned pasty, and within a few seconds Cyan had poured the can's contents into the pan. As the fruit mixture began to sizzle pleasantly, he walked over to the sideboard, pulling the recipe off of the top and reading it over. "'Kay, Gateau, batter, berries… cream… cream an' th'vanilla."

Sliding over the two bottles of liquid, he dumped them both into another bowl, watching as they swirled into an unappetizing puddle of pale brown. Peering around the room, Cyan frowned as he grasped at thin air. "Spinda, I need 'nother spoon."

The bartender didn't reply, his swirly eyes having somehow narrowed to slits as he fervently stirred the batter, oblivious to the explorer's presence, much less his request. Trudging grumpily over to one of the shelves at the edge of the room, Cyan roughly yanked a drawer open, leering at the cookware contained within. No more spoons could be seen, at least ones that were meant for mixing.

He shoved the drawer back into its spot on the wall, curling his paws into fists in frustration. As the sea lion gripped the edge of the counter, he glanced at a small, pointy handle that poked out from the armor on his arm. He blinked.

"Maybe…" Carefully, Cyan drew the seamitar out from its sheath, the blade glinting in the soft lighting, and he scratched at his mustache as a thin trail of wisps drifted across the weapon's surface. The acrid scent ticked his nose, making him grimace in disgust, and he turned around, sucking in a breath and coughing as he inhaled the smoke. "Argh! More n' maybe!"

The bluk syrup fizzled and popped as it burned from the heat, and a panicked Cyan shoved his seamitar underneath the pan, sliding it haphazardly onto a cooler part of the rock. As he nervously stirred the goop with the tip of the sword, he waved the smoke away from the pan before wafting some of the berry's scent towards him. The faintest trace of burnt berry was quickly washed out by the sweetly-simmering sauce, and Cyan sighed in relief, glaring out of the corner of his eye at Spinda. "Spinda, y'coulda told me it was burnin'!"

"Aha, hehe, perfect!" Spinda cried in triumph, lifting the mixing tool out of the boiler, and Cyan watched as the thickened batter piled back into the pan in ribboned layers. "The Gateau batter's at ribbon stage! Cyan, pass me the chocolate powder, will you?"

The explorer grumbled grumpily, still dabbing at the bluk berries with his sword, and he reached over with his free paw and passed the dish of chocolate powder to the red panda. Spinda daintily shook the sweet stuff into the batter, jumping over to the sideboard and picking up a few other ingredients. "Thank you! Now, hehe, what were you asking me for?"

"Oh, for Arceus' sake, never mind." Cyan rubbed at his forehead wearily, dipping his seamitar into the tub of water and letting it sit. "Jus' keep mixin', I'll get started on makin' th'creamstuff…"

***

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"It's just us, Diglett!" I knelt onto the grate and put my paws to my mouth as I yelled down the pit, and a loud sneeze rumbled up from the entrance to the Wigglytuff Guild. I could see Diglett wiggle at us in confirmation, and Rose hopped onto my back as I slowly climbed down the ladder, firmly planting my feet into the second floor's dirt floor. I stepped back when Erin slid down the center pole, squatting low to let my partner dismount. Rose nodded a hello to a purple Pokémon that lumbered up the neighboring ladder, his huge, round ears bouncing as he stepped into a patch of late afternoon sunlight that streamed in from the open window.

"Good afternoon, TEAM RETURNERS!" Loudred yelled halfway through his greeting, and a few visiting teams stared in dampened shock as his voice blared around the room. I looked over my shoulder at one Pokémon near the job postings, her teammates struggling to keep her from coming over and yelling back, and I turned away to hide a cheeky grin. Loudred didn't seem to notice, cheerfully continuing. "What BRINGS YOU here today, HUH?"

"Can't an exploration team pop by for a friendly visit nowadays?" I snidely remarked, putting on an air of mock offense. Rose snorted. "Besides, today's a break day, we completed some work yesterday."

"So you DID, huh?" Loudred asked, hopping from left foot to right. "I didn't see you COME BY THE guild and pass ON A SHARE OF the reward. WHAT DID YOU get?"

"Heeheehee, it's a bit of a long story, mister LOUDRED!" Erin piped up at the top of her lungs, laughing to herself as the three of us flinched from the noise, and she enthusiastically jumped around, her fuzzy sleeves flailing up and down in the air. Loudred shut his mouth and smiled at us, chuckling deeply at the back of his throat. "Cyan's making a gatt-oh-oo!"

"GATT-OH-OO, HUH? WELL, the GUILD'S NOT that busy RIGHT NOW," He gestured at the relatively empty bulletin room. Part of me wanted to point out that it had emptied because he'd been so loud. "WHAT'S THE story?"

"Mmm…" Rose hummed to herself, smiling up at our fellow guild member as she trotted over to a cozy corner at the opposite wall. "I guess it all technically started…"

***

Waves of heat emanated from the small opening, hitting Cyan with full force as he lay low to the ground, his ears curled forward and his muscles tense in anticipation. Panting from the high temperature, the sea lion wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow, looking down at the pale circle of glistening batter before returning his gaze to the fiery machine.

"Cyan, don't just sit there! Put it in and you'll be done with that part already!" Spinda chided from across the kitchen, and the Samurott leaned forward, quickly sliding the cake pan into the oven and shutting the door. Cyan shook his head and breathed hard, putting his helmet back on with a 'plonk', and he sniffed around the room, dipping his fingers into the leftover batter in the double boiler. Spinda quickly skittered over, futilely smacking at the explorer's hard belly with the mixing tool. "Okay, so the Gateau's baking! You made the cream filling and you made the bluk berry filling-"

"Even'f it is a li'l burnt," The water type tugged at the ends of his mustache in mild disappointment. The hairs felt dry and stiff, and thoroughly toasty from the oven's excess heat.

"So what else do we have to do?" Spinda asked, clambering up onto the sideboard and standing near the tub of water. Most of the dishes from before had already been sunk to the bottom, the previously-clear liquid becoming murky with batter and berry juices. "Though I think that was everything we had to prepare, hehe!"

"Lemme see…" Cyan started, walking over to the sideboard and reading the recipe over. His eyes widened as he reached the end of the page, and he threw his paws in the air with a barking laugh. "Shoot, you're right! 'Til w'gotta 'ssemble this thing, all we've gotta do is let th'Gateau sit in th'oven for 'bout half n'hour!"

"That's great!" Spinda pumped his fist in the air before giving a short yip, nearly losing his balance as he wiggled his arms around. Cyan grunted, reaching over and tugging on the red panda's ear to get him back to his feet. "Eh, hehe."

"Hey, Spinda!" Wynaut yelled, and both Cyan and Spinda turned around, looking at the small Pokémon that peeked his head around the corner. He stepped into the room, glancing at the intruding explorer. "Oh, hello there, Cyan! What are you doing in here?"

"We're bakin' a Bluk Gateau!" The Samurott answered proudly, tapping his paws against his chest. Wynaut seemed unfazed, cocking his head in confusion, his ear trailing on the stone tile. Spinda stifled a laugh as Cyan rolled his eyes in mild irritation, and the normal type eased himself off of the sideboard, his eyes spinning around as he looked at his fellow café-runner.

"What did you need, Wynaut?" Spinda asked, and the silent reply caused a nervous expression to be plastered onto his features. "Wait… oh no, Cyan, what time is it? How long have we been working?"

"Eh?" Cyan furrowed his brow, looking around the kitchen before letting out a grunt and moving halfway out into the main room of the café, glancing at the primitive clock that hung over the doorway. "Th'clock says… uh… six o'clock! And it's been a while, so it's six in th'evenin'!"

"Oh no!" The bartender cried out, jumping a good few feet in the air in surprise, and he dashed underneath Cyan's legs, hastily snatching a few glasses and apples from around the counter, preparing a quick and easy set of smoothies. Cyan stomped out into the empty bar as Wynaut returned to his stall opposite the bar, and the explorer reached up and lifted the side of his helmet, scratching an itch on his ear. "I don't have anything ready for the Pokémon that are going to come by at dinnertime!"

"Wh-what!?" Cyan felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he guessed it probably wasn't because he was hungry. "You're jokin'!"

"No, I'm not joking, Cyan!" Spinda snapped unhappily, not taking his eyes off of his work as he began to shake up the chopped apples. He stopped a few seconds later and half-heartedly spun around before slamming the drink onto the counter. Cyan peered into the glass and narrowed his eyes at the chunky, unappetizing beverage. "Because I helped you make the Gateau all day, I didn't get to make anything for the dinner patrons! Ohh, I should have tried to make a few things in the meantime…"

Cyan frowned deeply and sank to his backside, twiddling his paws as he looked at the wooden floorboards in embarrassment. As the panicked and worried red panda continued to whip up apple smoothies one-by-one, the sea lion glanced at the back room out of the corner of his vision, mulling a thought around in his head as he stroked at his mustache. The dishes that soaked in the tub of water seemed to beckon to him, and he nodded sharply, pounding a fist into his open palm. Getting to his feet, he trampled into the kitchen, rolling his helmet into the corner as he yanked open drawers and cabinets, pulling out bowls and pots and pans and more.

"Cyan?" Spinda's voice drifted in from outside, and the Samurott shot a look at the doorframe, reaching into one of the shelves and pulling out a few berries. "What are you doing in there?"

"I'm helpin' you make some drinks, got it?" Cyan yelled in response, squeezing the plump oran berry into a glass bowl, and the Spinda yelped loudly, running into the kitchen entrance and staring, wide-eyed, at the heavily focused explorer. "Now go on an' get mixin'! An' don't half-ass it like you were doin', nobody'll want t'drink those! Got it?"

Spinda stared in disbelief for what felt like an age before he beamed enthusiastically, going back to his work at the bar with renewed vigor. The sound of an opening trapdoor echoed clearly around the café's walls, and Cyan dumped the fresh oran juice into a mug, slapping the bark top over it and shaking strongly. Placing the finished oran drink onto the sideboard, his ears twitched as the first few Pokémon began to make cheerful small talk. He shook his head, returning his attention to a second clean mug, pulling another berry out of the cabinet and squeezing it with a grin, watching as the pulpy slush fell into the glass.

Three drinks later, a timid voice's order came from around the corner. "Um, barkeeper? Do you have… any hot chocolate?"

"Really? Most grass types prefer tea…" Spinda replied, and he lifted a paw to his mouth, looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Cyan? I need a cup of hot chocolate!"

"What kind'ya need?" Cyan yelled out, grabbing a cup and saucer from among the medley of dish cabinets. "Powdered or shaved?"

"Just go with whatever!"

"Fine by me, then!" The Samurott rooted through the kitchen and pulled out the chocolate powder, only slightly below full from what they'd used for the Gateau, and along with a small kettle and a fancy bottle of Miltank milk, busied himself with his work. Gritting his teeth excitedly, Cyan unconsciously wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow as he felt a wave of heat wash over him, loud steps fading into white noise as he slipped into a trance.

***

"Hoo boy…" I exhaled deeply, opening the hatch that lead into Spinda's café, holding the wooden planks up with a pawspike as I looked at Rose and Erin, gesturing towards the hole in the ground with a shake of my head. "Well? Go ahead, go on in first."

"Thanks, Bill!" Erin skipped in first, smiling happily as she descended into the cozy hovel, and I locked eyes with my partner, the Ninetales' tails wagging up and down as the setting sun cast a few desperate rays over the horizon. Grinning cheekily, I tapped a paw against the trapdoor, its hinges giving an ear-piercing squeak. I tried not to pull a face from the noise.

"How noble of you," Rose joked, her headfur bobbing up and down as she trotted down the stairs, and I deftly spun on my heels and followed her, letting the hatch slam shut.

Stepping into the empty café, I waved at Wynaut and Wobbuffet, who greeted us amicably as they looked over their recycle shop, and with a smile I wandered over to the table closest to the bar. Rose and Erin had already hopped up onto their own seats, fidgeting a bit as they got comfortable. I leaned against the furniture, sighing contentedly as the three of us basked in the atmosphere of the empty coffeehouse, the dim lighting lending the room a calming air. The silence was peaceful… in fact, it was too silent and too peaceful. I peered past Rose at the unattended counter, and a second later the fox did the same. She let out a hum.

"That's odd…" She thought aloud, licking her lips before continuing. I swung my legs over the stool, ready to hop up at a moment's notice. "Hey, Wynaut? Where are Spinda and Cyan? We thought they were here today."

"We're… haaaah! We're right here, Rose…" Out came Cyan from behind the doorway, his helmet askew and his paws profusely stained by berry juice. He was followed by Spinda, who teetered and tottered over to us, yawning all the while. I scooted over a bit to let Spinda have the stool; Cyan seemed quite happy to simply sit down on the floor, his eyes weary. "Boy, Spinda… I never figured th'café ever got that busy…"

"Now you know what it's like to cook for a living, Cyan!" The red panda said, stretching his arms out as he propped himself up against the table. "Hehe, do you think you could handle it day in and day out?"

"Nope!" The Samurott replied firmly, clearing his throat afterwards. "Not before, an' not now!"

"Wow… mister Spinda, what happened to you guys?" Erin asked, scampering over to the two and rubbing vigorously at Cyan's shoulders, and the water type let out a soft moan at the contact, his muscles noticeably slumping as he let himself relax under the Mienshao's touch. "You're all nervous and tired and stuff!"

"We wanted to surprise you, but, uh…" I let one chuckle escape my throat. "Cyan, you look like you had a one-on-one fight with an outlaw and just got back from bringing him in. What in the world were you doing today?"

"Evenin' rush!" He answered simply, aiming an open palm at the ceiling. My eyes flicked upward before looking back at him, nothing of note at the top of the room. He sighed heavily, crumpling into a sea-lion-ball as Erin jumped up onto his back, tightly embracing him as her sleeves dangled onto his arm armor. "Not even th'guildmates back home ate that much, an' they ate a lot!"

"You cooked? For every Pokémon that came in here for a dinner stop?" Rose said incredulously, her voice brimming with annoyed concern, her tails sitting still on the floor as she fixed Cyan with a hard stare. "You shouldn't overwork yourself like that! You look like you could fall asleep at any moment!"

The boy didn't respond, simply nodded tiredly as he let Erin hang off of him, and I snuck a quick peek at the clock, noting the late hour. "Well, at least there's nobody else coming now, right?"

"Yep!" Erin let out a flood of giggles and affectionately nuzzled Cyan's cheek, her own whiskers brushing up against his mustache. "We get to have that gat-te-ah-oo aaaaaall to ourselves, right?"

The pink mink yipped in surprise as she found herself sprawled on the floor, and I skidded my stool back a short distance as Cyan and Spinda both shot to their feet, completely taken aback as they stared at each other. The two Pokémon waited for a few tense seconds before stampeding towards the kitchen, yelling in unison, our teammate's helmet making a clatter as it fell off of his head. "The Gateau!"

"Gatt-toe!?" Erin repeated, her arms hanging limply as she tried to process the proper pronunciation of the word, and both Rose and I followed the pair of cooks, halting just at the edge of the entrance. The Samurott and the Spinda had both shoved their noses far inside of the oven, and I pressed my arm against the doorframe, swallowing a disappointed frown as the clock continued to tick-tock behind us.

"…Oh, Cyan…" Rose murmured sympathetically, pawing lightly at the stones as she looked at the Samurott. "Is it…?"

He pulled his face out from the machine, his pink nose covered with a bit of grime, and his vermillion eyes were wide as he looked over his shoulder at us. "Th'Gateau's jus'… gone!"

Rose took a step back, her jaw dropping, and I narrowed my eyes, running a paw through my aura tassels as I felt my tail snap upwards. "Gone?"

"Oh hey, Team Returners! Spinda!" Something wriggled around between my ankles, and I looked down at Wynaut, who poked his head into the kitchen. "Are you talking about that weird cake you made?"

"That's right!" Wobbuffet added, slapping her arm to her forehead as she screamed at us. Both Spinda and Cyan stood up, brushing themselves free of dust as they looked expectantly at the recycle shop owner, and Wynaut nodded at Wobbuffet. She wobbled across the café to their own counter, bending over as she shuffled the contents of their shelves. With an almost-robotic expression, she pulled out a beautifully decorated pastry, a deep purple cake covered with syrupy goop and bluk berries large and small, speckled with countless chocolate shavings and topped with towers of whipped cream. The sheer majesty of the Gateau bowled the lot of us over, and I felt my mouth begin to water.

"You two!" Cyan grunted irritably, stomping out of the kitchen as he eyed Wynaut and Wobbuffet warily. Spinda followed in his tracks, his jaw dropping at the sight of the cake. "Why didn't y'tell us that you'd gotten th'cake outta th'oven!? Heck, when'd y'even get it outta there!?"

"It was pretty early into the evening rush, Cyan!" Wynaut answered, hopping in place a few times as the six of us made our way back to the table, and Wobbuffet gently lowered the Gateau onto the center of the table. Spinda set a course for the bar counter, grabbing a stack of plates and a knife before coming over, prodding Cyan with the edges of the dishes to get the Samurott's attention. "I asked you if it was ready, but you were too wrapped up in working on fixing drinks, so I just got Wobbuffet to take it out and store it somewhere where it wouldn't get eaten by accident."

"Well, that's a relief, isn't it?" Rose said, smiling happily as she sat down across from me, and as Erin jumped around in celebration, I doled the plates out to everyone. Cyan looked down at Spinda, who held the cutting knife out to him, but he waved the red panda away, shooting everyone a simpering smirk as he reached for his seamitar, drawing it out with a flourish.

"Well then, is everybody ready?" The sea lion asked, putting his palm on the flat of the blade as he readied himself. A series of nods answered him, and Rose and I helped keep Erin from flying out of her seat. With a short cut, the deed was done, the sword buried deep inside of the bluk berry cake. Another cut, and a slice of Gateau quickly found itself balanced on the seamitar, quickly being passed onto Erin's plate. Soon enough, everyone had been served, and as he seated himself, Cyan plucked his piece off of his place and devoured half of it in a single chomp. His words were muffled as he spoke. "'Ell? 'Utt aroo ehhtin for? Ga-aah, ee!"

And eat we did.

And as I bet Cyan would tell you if you asked him, it was delicious.

 

And here's another one! This one's similar to Gateau, though instead it focuses entirely on the hero/partner rather than the entire team. I'm also quite fond of this one, I think it expands on Treasure Town in a small but nice way and it makes for a fun slice-of-life read.

-----

Autumn Harvest

Spoiler

A chilly afternoon breeze blew through the crossroads, sending the sails of the nearby windmill spinning around, and I leaned back and rested my head in my my paws, feeling my aura tassels shake a bit from the gale. A few leaves fell every so often from the surrounding trees, their strong yet barren branches still speckled with the occasional dot of warm orange or crunchy brown. A soft sneeze intruded on the otherwise-peaceful scene, making my ear twitch, and I glanced over at my partner, who daintily rubbed at her nose with her blue scarf.

I stared for a few seconds at the cream-furred fox, cracking a grin when she finally noticed me, her bright red eyes locking with mine. "Are you cold?"

"A little, yeah," Rose replied with a nod, blinking a few times as she let her front leg drop to the ground. Her nine tails wriggled behind the treasure bag, brushing against the stones of the watering hole as a couple of them curled around my own tail. The fire type let out another quiet sneeze, and I felt my mouth twitch somewhat when she gave me an embarrassed look. "I'm not used to controlling my fire as a Ninetales yet, that's all."

"If you say so." I shrugged, wiping my pawspikes free of sandstone dust before I dropped my arms into my lap. I glanced down at the blunted chunk of steel embedded in my chest, and let out a cross between a sigh and a chuckle. "Heh... at least we're back from work safe and sound. Nothing planned for tomorrow other than sleeping in and cuddling up."

Rose's head perked up as I finished speaking, a slight blush peeking through the fur of her cheeks. I reached an arm over and tugged her close, and a bright smile quickly formed on her face as she leaned into my chest, scooting around a bit to rest her paws in mine. It felt a little odd, now that we had both evolved and grown about a foot in height. Another gust whipped across the dirt road, and I suddenly shivered as the fur on my belly was ruffled.

"Y'know, we could head back to the bluff and get a little fire going to warm us up," I thought aloud, letting my muzzle dip onto the ends of my partner's scarf as she fidgeted in place. The Ninetales purred quietly in response, and I rolled my eyes, smiling nonetheless.

Another new noise intruded on the pleasant atmosphere, and both our heads turned to watch as a trapdoor slowly rose from the grass, my gaze following the brown arm that lifted the thick wooden planks. We could hear the pitter-patter of little feet scuttling up the stairs leading in and out of Spinda's cafe, and a little gray Pokémon hopped out into the field, soon followed by her stomping mother.

My eyebrow quirked upward as I noticed the pole that Kangaskhan carried in her free claw, a pair of deep baskets hanging from each end. I didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, as the baby Kangaskhan let out a loud coo and started waddling towards us at a surprising speed. The parent waved as she saw her child run to the watering hole. "Hello there, Team Returners! I didn't realize you were already back from your exploration, sweeties!"

I sat up straight and waved back at the normal type, and Rose nodded her greeting, more focused on the baby Pokémon that was making a beeline for the two of us. The fox slid off of my legs and inched forward a little, urging the child to try and make it to her front paws. "It wasn't quite as long of a job as we thought, miss Kangaskhan. What are you doing around here? We don't normally see you and the baby visit the cafe since it's always so busy."

The matron of the local storage outpost stomped over to us, giggling a bit as she watched the baby reach out and press Rose's nose with his tiny arms. The Ninetales gingerly nudged back a few times before looking up at Kangaskhan, who lowered her baskets onto the ground. I leaned forward and peered into them, spotting a few colorful blotches dotting the inside of the woven grasses.

"We were just delivering some fruits to Spinda, you see," Kangaskhan explained, putting a paw on her hip as she took a few deep breaths. With how deep the baskets seemed to be, I couldn't blame her. "Berry-picking time is in full swing, sweeties, and it's looking like Treasure Town's going to need a lot of help again to get everything stocked away."

Rose gasped lightly, eyes widening in shock, and she looked over her shoulder at me, her headfur falling in front of her face. "Oh...! I forgot about the autumn harvest!"

"The what now?" I replied dryly, my mind going blank as I tried to remember what exactly it was that my partner was talking about. It was to no avail, however, and after a second or two of thinking I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The Ninetales sat up and turned around fully, her tails wagging back and forth as she nodded sharply to flip her headfur back behind her ears. Kangaskhan took the opportunity to scoop her child back up into her pouch; it grumbled a bit as it found itself no longer near the ground. "The autumn harvest's a Treasure Town tradition, sweetie! You've been here for at least a couple of years now, haven't you?"

That helped the gears start turning, and a mild lump formed in my throat as I thought back to the previous autumn I had spent living in Treasure Town... or rather, the one I had... missed. Rose seemed to catch on quickly, her confused expression swiftly turning melancholy. I instinctively took my partner's front paws into mine, squeezing tightly and looking her in the eye. "I, er... wasn't around last autumn, miss Kangaskhan."

The normal type cocked her head for a moment before flinching a bit from the realization. "O-oh... oh, I'm sorry, sweetie, I'd... forgotten."

I smiled awkwardly as Rose let out a long, wistful sigh, and I landed a quick peck on her forehead before glancing over at the older Pokémon standing next to us. "It's fine. You said something about berry-picking? I thought berries grew pretty fast."

"In mystery dungeons, they do," The storage tent owner remarked, gesturing towards the road leading east to Tiny Town. "But outside, they can take anywhere from weeks to months! And it's around this time when the longest berries that the town cultivates are finally ready to be picked!"

Ah, that made sense. Rose picked up where the older Pokémon had left off, giving me a small smile as she sneezed again. I couldn't tell if she was still cold or if she had just wanted to get my attention. "Right! I helped out back before we joined the Wigglytuff Guild, and I helped last year too. We should go berry-picking together, Bill, it'd be fun!"

"Maybe..." I paused for a moment. Sleeping in and cuddling up were my only plans, and they were good ones, but they weren't long ones. Besides, it was apparently a town tradition, and I was going to be living in town from now on. "Yeah, I think that would be fun."

I got to my feet, helping Rose stand as well, and I dusted my legs off before looking at our companion. She had similarly picked her baskets back up into her claws, preparing to make the hike back towards her home. "Which way are the berry fields, miss Kangaskhan? I've never visited them before, so I'm not sure."

I started as the normal type shook her head vigorously – and stifled a chuckle as I noticed the baby mimicking her movements. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Rose's smile grow larger at the sight. "Oh, not today, I'm afraid. The berries I just delivered were today's crop, and besides, you two should be resting! You've just come home from exploring, after all. If you want to help with the harvest, then you should talk to the Kecleon brothers early tomorrow, okay, sweeties?"

"That sounds good. Thank you!" Rose replied, and I nodded in agreement, shooting miss Kangaskhan a thumbs-up with my paw.

"Why don't we all walk back together?" Rose asked, her nine tails wagging up and down as she peered out towards Treasure Town. Her eyes lit up happily as we began the trek to the bluff at the other end. "We've been gone for a few days, so has anything else interesting gone on while we were away?"

"Oh, plenty, Rose, plenty!" Mama Kangaskhan replied, resting her basket-pole on her shoulder. "Just the other day, actually, when the harvest started, the guild decided to come down and help..."

The three of us cheerfully crabbed on as we strolled into Treasure Town, a chilly wind blowing at our backs and a few colorful leaves swirling around at the crossroads.

***

"Kecleon!" Rose called out quietly, trying to peer into the empty tent as she leaned against the counter. I blearily rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying my hardest not to nod off while we waited for the pair of Pokémon that the shop was designed after. The fire type stepped back onto the ground and turned towards the small tent behind the shop, cocking her head in mild confusion. "Mister Kecleon, are you there? We wanted to ask you something..."

I glanced at the sparkling sea that sprawled out to the west, tinted a pale peach from the morning glow. My vision focused a little better the longer I watched as the waving water roll calmly towards the shore. "They're probably asleep, Rose. The sun isn't even fully up yet."

"Er, hello?"

Both of us jumped at the noise, and we turned around to look at the two Kecleon standing behind us, the purple brother carrying a couple iron thorns while the green sibling held a bundle of large sticks above his head. The latter let out a heave as he planted his cargo into the dirt, his tail stretching out to its full length from the effort. The older, purple-scaled Kecleon simply nodded and smiled before trundling into the tent with his makeshift gardening tools.

"Hello, Team Returners!" The green lizard said between grunts. I stepped over and took the heavy load into my paws, and the shopkeeper gave me a grateful look. "What brings you here so early in the morning? Here to help with the harvesting duties?"

"That's right!" Rose took a few steps forward, helping me to roll the bundle of sticks over to the side of the tent, and she spoke up once the wood was securely in place. "Bill and I were wondering if we could go out to the berry fields to help pick today. Is that okay?"

The younger Kecleon let out an 'ah' of understanding and rubbed his hands together. The frills on his head seemed to wiggle in anticipation. "Yes, good, good! We were going to take an easy break and watch the shop just now, but since you're here so early, you can take over the job for us instead!"

Before either Rose or I could get another word in, the lizard snapped his head towards the shop and yelled out loud enough that my ears flattened against my head. "Brother! Go get the big baskets!"

"Kecleon, it's barely morning, what are y-you-" I stuttered to an abrupt stop as a loud crash sounded from inside of the Pokémon-shaped tent, and all three of us looked into the heavy tarp with wide eyes. The older brother had been just as startled by his sibling's yelling, and his feet and tail were poking out from within a pile of fallen merchandise – if anyone hadn't been awake before, they certainly had to be awake now. Rose and I sprang into action, quickly going inside and pulling the lizard free. A couple orbs and some satchels of throwing stones rolled down to the floor as the various knick-knacks shifted about.

"Hoo... thank you, Bill, Rose!" The purple Kecleon thanked us before shooting an irritated glare at his kin, angrily lashing his tongue out like a whip as he scolded the other shopkeeper. "Brother! Must you be so loud this morning? Leave the shouting to someone like Loudred!"

The green lizard curled his fists and looked like he was ready to scold his brother right back, but upon seeing his brother's tongue decided to simply bow his head instead. "Sorry, brother."

The two Pokémon quietly grabbed a couple of baskets, the same size as the ones Kangaskhan had been carrying before, and brought them over to me. I picked them up with an easy squat, feeling the rough handle brush against my pawpads, and smiled confidently. "I guess we'll let you take your easy break while we go berry-picking, then?"

"Yes, that, ergh, sounds just fine, Returners!" Both Kecleon muttered in tandem, pushing against the increasingly-unstable landslide (or would it be supply-slide?) in the making. I took a hesitant step back when a large apple fell onto the older brother's head; I didn't want to get stuck in that mess. Neither did Rose, judging from her following my movement. "Bill, Rose, you know the way to the berry fields, right? You two don't need our help to get there?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember from last year. See you later!" Rose nodded hastily, raising her front paw in a short goodbye before turning to me. I looked at her and shrugged, gesturing for her to take the lead. "Okay... follow me, Bill. This way."

The Ninetales turned tail and dashed down the road leading through Treasure Town, and I spun on my heels and pushed into an easy jog after her.

***

I kicked at a few thick weeds that were sprouting out from underneath the rocks, looking around at the stakes and scattered, unfinished fences that marked the otherwise unmarked path that Rose was taking me on. At first, when we had kept going east at the crossroads, I almost thought she was sneaking out of the town, but I was quickly proven wrong when she ducked north after we passed the watering hole, following what had looked like a dead-end into the forested thicket. "Are you sure this is the way, Rose?"

"I'm positive, Bill," She replied smoothly, nudging at her scarf as she walked alongside me. She poked her head through one of the basket handles, and I let go of the woven container once we were sure it was comfortably hanging from her neck. "Serenity River flows this way into Treasure Town, and that's why the berry fields are through here. Can you hear it?"

I tilted my head slightly, bringing my now-free paw to my ear. It was faint, but the sound of running water did manage to make its way through the branches of the surrounding trees. I blinked, keeping quiet to listen to the noise, and Rose smiled cheerfully as we continued down the trail.

We silently walked through the forest, but soon enough the plants began to thin out somewhat, some stumps appearing amidst the trees and the rough soil giving way to lush, soft patches of colorful flowers. My partner began to walk a little faster, a few bangs of the fire type's headfur falling onto her muzzle as we sped up, and a brief glare of light punctuated our arrival at the fields. I winced, dropping my arm in front of my eyes as the warmth of the sun sank pleasantly into my fur.

"Ahh... everything smells great!" Rose said, taking a deep breath and smacking her lips together. I couldn't help but agree – the sweet scent of ripe, delicious fruit was almost overpoweringly strong, my nose twitching wildly as I took a whiff of the air. I squinted a little and looked out at the rows of carefully-tended shrubs and plants, decorated by colorful shapes, some small, some huge. Once my eyes adjusted to the lack of shade, I walked into the fields with my partner, keeping our baskets right in tow.

"So... where should we start, then?" I asked casually, leaning forward a little as I let out a yawn. I brushed my aura tassels back behind my shoulders as I glanced at my partner, who seemed to be peering around the field for something specific. "Got any ideas, Rose? You're in charge here, I dunno where anything is."

"Hmm..." She grunted under her breath, wiggling her neck a little to make the basket more comfortable. "How about... we start with the bluk berries? C'mon, last year they were just over here..."

The fox trotted down the lines of bushes, wagging tails beckoning me to follow her footsteps. We passed a couple rows before she stopped, raising her head a little and nodding. "Yep, right here! Okay, let's get picking."

Rose slowly entered into the little space between shrubs, curling her tails up to leave me more room to walk, and I stared blankly at the berry bushes for a few moments before sidling along the plants and brushing my paw against the leaves, spotting the lumpy blue fruits growing from the stems. With a slight pinch, I tugged the bluk away from its perch, rolling it around in my palm for a moment before letting it fall into my basket. Even with the bright sunlight out, the berry still blended in with the dark stains inside. I shook my head with a smile and looked for another fruit, finding a few much brighter clusters just close to where the last one had been, perfect for uses other than eating.

As I continued to collect the delicate berries, I looked over at my partner, who was carefully taking the bluks in the edges of her mouth before storing them away. A slight grin twisted its way onto my face at the sight, only to vanish when I received an accidental tail in the face, and I stifled a snort of surprise before returning my focus to the bushes, yanking a few light and dark pawfuls of bluk berries off of the branches.

By the time we had gotten to the end of the bluk bushes, the sun had fully risen over our heads, the sky bright, blue and beautiful. We both exited the loam-lined path, taking a moment to catch our breath and let our baskets thump onto the grass. I caught a glimpse of the inside of the Ninetales' basket, filled a fair portion with plump berries. I glanced from the food to her, and we both shared a pleased smile at our work.

"You look like you found quite a lot," I remarked dryly, the corners of my mouth twitching a little as Rose rolled her eyes good-naturedly at me. Lightly brushing my paw against the edges of my basket, I felt a slight rumble in my stomach as I looked at my heavier load. "How do you think I did?"

"Hm? Well, let me see," Rose said thoughtfully, and I moved back to let her come over and inspect my haul. I folded my arms when she furrowed her brow, quickly scanning over the top layer of the bluk berries, and she stuck her nose in and pulled out one of the brighter blue fruits, tossing it into the foot of the plants with a light flick of her head. I patiently waited for her to explain as she turned to look at me, a sheepish expression on her face. "Bill... did you take every berry off of the bushes?"

I could already sense this was going somewhere embarrassing, and I felt myself awkwardly reach back to fiddle with my aura tassels. "Uh... yeah. Not all of them have to be used as food, right?"

"Oh, Bill...," Rose let out a warm giggle, shaking her head before explaining. "Bluk berries don't have any uses in making medicine. Most of the berries grown here are just for food, so you picked all these unripe ones too early."

I blinked, feeling my cheeks begin to burn as I glanced at the berries in my basket with the new information bouncing in my head. "...oh."

Suddenly, the fox hopped up onto her hind legs and leaned into me, forcing me to dig my heels into the dirt to keep from falling onto my tail. She inched her head over and softly licked my cheek, her paws pressing into my shoulders. "I'm sorry... I should have been helping you, since you've never harvested berries other than the ones in mystery dungeons."

I smiled gently, lowering the fire type back onto the ground before affectionately tousling her headfur. "It's fine, Rose. Let's just root through my stuff and put all the good berries into your basket, and then we can empty out the bad ones and pick something else, okay?"

She smiled happily, licking my other cheek before nodding in agreement, her tails wagging back and forth as if they had a mind of their own. "Alright. But I think you'll have to carry my basket once we're done."

I shrugged. It was a fair trade. "Then let's get started!"

***

"I... I guess I did go a little overboard."

Rose and I flopped onto our backs, hot and tired as the sun continued to defy us any cool autumn weather. Sorting the berries had taken double the time we'd needed to pick them in the first place, and I craned my neck to stare at the bright, unripened bluks, which we had opted to liberally scatter near the roots of the bushes. Our paws were stained with berry juice, and Rose had unsuccessfully tried to clean herself on her scarf, leaving some obvious blotches on the fabric.

"Now you know at least, right?" The fox replied, red eyes twinkling merrily as she spoke, and I grinned cheekily at her in return. "So, where to now? You choose this time, and I'll help you with whatever we work on next."

I sat up, taking in the sight of all the various plants in the field. The lines of bushes almost seemed to blend together, but the sight of a few oddly-shaped trees near the less-leafy trunks caught my attention, and I gestured in their direction with a stab of my pawspike. "What berries are on those?"

"Mm? Oh, the leppa trees!" Rose answered when she followed my arm, rolling back onto her feet, and I stood up and dusted myself off, grabbing the heavy basket with both paws. The fire type led me over to the edges of the field, where the strange, flowery-shaped leaves hung a couple feet away from the tips of my ears. I let out a quiet sigh at the shade that the branches provided, panting a little bit afterward to cool down.

"So what should I be looking out for with these, Rose?" I asked, bending my knees a few times to stretch out the joints. Rose walked a slow, wide circle around one of the trees, giving it a once-over before we started. This looked much more familiar, the round red fruits reminding me of our occasional jaunts into the Apple Woods. None of them were as big as apples, though – and certainly not as huge as the Perfect Apples a certain guildmaster loved oh-so-much.

"Look for the smaller leppas. These all look ripe, but the smaller ones taste better." Rose nudged my leg for a moment and gave me an encouraging stare. "They're hard-skinned, so just pick them and then drop them, okay? I'll gather them up from down here."

I shot my partner a thumbs-up before loping forward and jumping to grab a heavy twig, fumbling around a little bit to find a proper foothold.

***

"Ouch!"

My eyes widened at the pained cry, and I stopped pulling on a rather twisted bunch of leppas, poking my head out from the foliage to check on Rose. Her nose was wrinkled and her ears were folded low as she tried her best to pat at her headfur. "What happened?"

"One of the berries you shook out hit my head..." She left off her attempts to soothe her ache to look up at me, shakily nodding a couple times. I spotted the offending berry near her leg. "I'll be a little more careful, don't worry."

I opened my mouth to reply, thinking about hopping out of the third or fourth tree we'd been harvesting to try and help my partner, only to be interrupted by a loud gurgling from my stomach. I stared down at my blunted chestspike, bringing a paw over to gently scratch the fur covering my midsection. Rose simply offered a cheerful laugh, still cringing somewhat despite her lightened mood.

"It has been a few hours since we started, hasn't it?" She yelled up at me, placing a paw on the leppa berry and rolling it behind her. I nodded, finally yanking the fruits I had been trying to get off of the branch and holding the cluster between two pawpads. When the fire type was ready, I tossed them down to her, and she quickly picked them up and dumped them into the basket. "And we've been around all this food all this time, too. No wonder you're getting hungry!"

I spotted another leppa berry just close by, and I plucked it with a firm tug, squeezing the hard flesh for a moment as I took in its tantalizingly-red color. "Y'know, we could technically eat some of these berries. They're gonna be food anyway, right?"

"Oh... I don't know about that," Rose replied hesitantly.

"I didn't expect berry-picking to be quite as much work as it is," I added as I swung my legs and slid off of my seat in the tree, touching down to the soft soil with an almost inaudible noise, the leaves rustling from the movement. I smiled as I stood up to my full height, only to clench my jaws together when something hard bonked me on my nose. "Oof!"

I stumbled a bit, reaching up to rub my muzzle as twinges of pain ran through it, and Rose strode over, letting out a brief, worried gasp. "Oh, Bill! You... you shook a loose leppa out of the tree when you jumped back down."

"Erf... then I guess it won't mind if I nibble on it for its trouble," I quipped dryly, squatting down and scooping the little berry up into my paw. Before Rose could protest, I popped it into my mouth, tearing the little leaves off of the top before crunching greedily into it. My stomach let out another hungry grumble as the flavorful fruit hit my tongue, sweet and tart and other flavors mixing pleasantly, but I tensed up when a different growl sounded out. I looked at Rose, who was just as surprised as I was. "...well, well. I guess I'm not the only one who's a little hungry."

The cream-furred fox put on a mild pout, to which I grinned in amusement and tousled her headfur. She playfully stuck her tongue out, winking before shaking her head towards our filled fruit baskets. "Yeah... I just don't want to eat anything while we're in the middle of picking."

"Well, I think I'm done getting leppas out of the trees for now," I shrugged idly, tapping my toes against the dirt as my tail wagged sharply. The first winds of the day finally made it through the surrounding thicket, gently buffeting us as it swept through the berry fields. "And our baskets are pretty full of fruit. Think we should start heading back to the Kecleon?"

We both walked over to the aforementioned containers, looking into the woven interiors with keen eyes, carefully looking over all of the produce that we had collected. Rose was the first to finish, breaking away from the pile of bluk berries to peer around the field once more. She sucked in a tiny breath and bumped me with her backside, and I did a double-take when I saw her break into a sprint.

"H-hey, wait! Rose, where are you going?" I stuttered out, grabbing both of our baskets and easing into a jog after her. The berries bumped and jostled around with each step, and I tried my best not to let any fly out as I began to catch up to my nine-tailed partner.

"Just follow me!" She called back to me, her voice carrying on the air that rushed past her. "Let's just get one more thing before we head back, okay? I think you'll like it!"

***

I panted heavily, dragging my feet as Rose and I finally came to a stop at a small patch of well-tended farmland, not a hint of weeds or other problematic plants growing anywhere at the edges of the brown soil. Letting the bluk and leppa berries drop to my ankles, I let my paws rest on my knees, the soft breezes not being as much help as the shade of the leppa trees had been. The Ninetales turned around and walked over to me, poking at my chest with her cold nose, and we took the moment to simply catch our breath. We both had walked what seemed like the length of the whole berry fields, after all.

"So... what is it, haah... that you were wanting to get, Rose?" I wondered aloud, looking closer at the thick plot of dirt, blinking as I noticed a bunch of curly, vine-like stems poking out, covering in leaves and attached to... I felt my jaw drop open slightly as I took in the sight of the biggest berries I had ever seen, pink- and green-striped spheres that sat regally on the ground.

Rose chuckled at my dumbfounded expression. "Do these look familiar at all, Bill?"

Her question jolted me back to reality, and I furrowed my brow in thought, trying to put a name to the enormous fruits. I was sure I'd never seen them before – I would have remembered seeing fruits the size of these very easily. "Hmm... er... no, not really."

My partner blinked in surprise at my answer, lightly patting at the dirt with her paw. "Huh... have you never seen these before? I was sure you'd have known them by heart."

I shook my head, my mind still not putting the puzzle together. Rose looked slightly crestfallen, but shook her disappointment off quickly enough, a cheerful smile returning to her face. "Well then... do you think you could help me pick one of these watmel berries to bring back to Treasure Town?"

As soon as she spoke the name my eyes grew as wide as saucers, and I unashamedly licked my lips as my mouth began to water at the thought of watmel poffins; I could taste the sheer sweetness already. I gently tiptoed over to one of the gargantuan plants, Rose following just behind me as I closely studied it. "So... so this is a watmel berry!? It's huge!"

"Yup! Watmel berries are always really big like this," The fox said, moving across from me and gently placing her front paws atop the round fruit, her tails betraying her excitement as they started to wag faster. "That's why they take a long time to grow... and I've heard they're hard to harvest, too."

I hummed low, gently rolling the watmel back and forth to get a feel for it. The berry was certainly heavy, but its skin was softer than the leppas were, and I lightly flicked at its stem with my pawspike, watching it bend somewhat from the impact.

Then her last few words registered, and I glanced at her. "Wait, you haven't harvested watmel berries before?"

Rose shook her head shyly, wiping her face a bit on her scarf in embarrassment. I reached over and tousled her headfur affectionately, earning a pleased purr from the fox in the process, which made me smile. "No, I haven't... as a Vulpix, they were always too heavy for me to really help with. I always worked with the other berry bushes instead."

"It's fine," I reassured her with an easy wave of my arm, leaning forward and pressing my nose against hers for a moment. Just as quickly, I slumped backwards onto my tail, moving my aura tassels back behind my neck. "We'll just have to wing it and figure it out for ourselves. It shouldn't be too difficult for us, right?"

My partner nodded, hopping down from the berry and tilting her head in thought. I got to my feet and tapped the fruit a few times, my ear flicking reflexively at the hollow noise that came from within. I traced a line down the colorful watmel until I got to the stem, which trailed a fair ways across the patch and into the loamy soil; the ball of fruit had a healthy sheen under the light of the midday sun. I grasped the green vine and pulled hard with both paws, frowning when it didn't give way in the slightest. Rose's nose poked its way next to my pawspikes, biting down alongside me, and she looked over at me with a bright, encouraging smile.

"Rehhy?" She asked between clenched teeth, and I reaffirmed my grip before shortly giving her a short nod. "Ohey. Wuh, uuh, hee!"

We grunted loudly as the two of us started to tug as strongly as we could, the tough stem only shaking some of the looser clods of mud off of its little leaves from our effort. I took a step backwards, standing up straighter as I shifted my weight to my heels and continued to try and uproot the great plant, with little success. After a few solid minutes of pulling, we left off, Rose coughing and spitting out bits of green gunk, her teeth having scraped down the stem a short ways.

"Hah... haaah... no wonder the Kecleon don't like trying to get these," Rose panted, her tongue lolling out of her muzzle as she ran her lips across her jaw. I pinched the tip of her scarf and brought it up, helping to clean her up. The Ninetales glanced gratefully over at me, both of us resting comfortably in the sun-warmed soil. "Do you have any ideas, Bill?"

I shook my head. "No, not really... well, let's try pulling at the root one more time, and let me hold onto the berry itself when we do so. Maybe tearing the stem off will work better?"

Rose looked up at the sky in thought, lightly drawing a line in the dirt with her paw, her headfur ruffling slightly as another breeze swept through the field. A second or two later, she briefly hummed in agreement, bowing her head and readying her jaw near the stem – albeit shifting her position to the base of the stem, away from the torn part that she had been biting on previously. I chuckled inwardly... though I could also hardly blame her. "Maybe that'll work... okay. Let's do it!"

I skipped back behind the great berry ball and wrapped my arms around the soft rind, both limbs reaching just more than halfway across the watmel. I swallowed hungrily, though it did nothing to deter my watering mouth; this really was the biggest berry I think I'd ever seen. Rose spied me out of the corner of her eye, and I locked my gaze with hers, shooting her a confident grin and a thumbs-up to tell her I was ready.

We both yanked fiercely on the striped fruit, watching the dirt shift again near the other end of the stem. The leaves that covered the winding vine started, just started, to reveal tiny hairs that were likely seeing the light of day for the first time. Rose growled in the back of her throat, her jaws moving back and forth slightly as she tried to keep from losing her grip on our prize.

Finally, I felt the watmel berry begin to move more loosely against my fur, and I felt my heart begin to pound in excitement as I took a step away with the fruit still in my arms. "Rose, keep pulling! I think we're finally starting to uproot it!"

"Uh? Uh, weh!" The fox grunted her response, a couple strands of her headfur falling in front of her ears as she moved with me.

"Just a little more... we've almost got it," I muttered under my breath, tapping my chin against the berry. "Rose, what did you say? I couldn't understand you!"

"Uuh, uhh-uhh! Ah ehh weeeeh-!"

The balance of weight abruptly shifted, and I found myself quickly stumbling backwards as the watmel berry was freed from the patch of dirt it had sat in. My eyes shot wide open and I let out a garbled yelp of surprise as I tumbled over, holding the sweet fruit tightly to keep it from rolling away. Some ways away, I could hear Rose let out a 'blech' and start to spit again. "I said to wait... are you okay, Bill?"

"Yeah..." I grunted, leaning forward a little as I attempted to sit up. I tensed up when I felt something wet dampening my fur, and I stared slowly down at my chest. "But I'm not sure the watmel was so lucky."

The Ninetales gasped lightly at that, glancing at our two other baskets of crops to make sure they were okay before jogging over to me, concern evident in her face. She peered at my chest and balked, noticing its wetness, then turned her head towards our ball of fruit. "Oh..."

A round bruise was forming right in front of our eyes on the otherwise green- and pink-striped surface of the berry, juice leaking profusely from the shallow wound. I brought my paw away to dab at the fur on my chest and belly – I'd held the watmel so tightly that my chestspike, blunted as it was, had bumped hard against the soft rind.

Rose let out a disappointed hum. "I accidentally bit through the stem, Bill. We probably should have just... had you use your metal claws to cut the stem in the first place."

I grabbed the fur at the base of my chestspike and squeezed, tentatively touching my pawpads to my tongue afterward. The oh-so-sweet juice of the fruit sent a tingle down my spine, and I started to chuckle at our blunder, reaching over to pull Rose into a hug. She yipped as I embraced her, but soon began to giggle alongside me, her tails curling comfortably around my back. As she nestled her head in the crook of my neck, I let the watmel berry gently drop to the side of my leg, the dry grass crinkling at its touch.

"I guess I'm not quite used to what I can do as a Lucario, either," I started to say, grinning at my partner as she began to purr again. I stroked her headfur out of her face, from between her ears down to the small of her back. "But now I guess we both learned something, didn't we?"

The fire type barked out a louder laugh, interrupting her purr. "Yeah, I guess we did. Now we know what to do next year!"

Next year... my partner scooted off of my lap somewhat to look me in the eye, as if to ask me if there was going to be a next year, right? I felt a goofy smile worm onto my muzzle as I gingerly nodded, opening my mouth to speak-

RRRRUMMMMBBBLE.

We both stared at each others' stomachs. Rose was the first one to break the short silence, snorting in embarrassment and amusement. "...maybe we should get these berries back to the Kecleon brothers."

"Y-yeah... heh," I chuckled, getting to my feet and retrieving the watmel berry.

***

Explorers passed to and fro on the dirt road that cut through Treasure Town, small groups of Pokémon huddling around the various tents that dotted the western end of the settlement. A green-scaled Kecleon spoke quietly with a Chesnaught who was squatting down to look at the items they had stocked for the day. "Is that Delphox over there your friend, sir? Perhaps you should bring along some rawst ointment, in case of-"

"Hey, Kecleon! We're back from berry-picking."

The shopkeeper, grimacing at being cut off, turned to look at the owner of the voice who'd called his name. He softened his expression at first, but upon seeing the large, green-and-pink berry that nearly barreled him over, he lashed his tongue out in shock and danced away. The Chesnaught hid a snicker behind his large arms. "W-what!?"

"Not what, watmel. And some bluk and leppa berries, too," I quipped airily, placing both baskets near the end of his counter. Glancing at his older brother, I gave a friendly wave.

Rose continued where I had left off, her tails wagging merrily as both brothers immediately grabbed the two loads of fresh fruit and brought them further into their tent. "Though, um, the watmel is leaking. We weren't sure how to pick it."

"Leaking? Oh dear... hrm," The older Pokémon grumbled in thought, toddling over to the watmel in question and looking it over. "We usually don't collect the watmel berries until the very end of the harvest, Team Returners. I'm not sure what to do with this right now."

"Er, well," I began, sheepishly scratching at my neck, feeling my aura tassels bump against my pawspike. "We were out in the fields for a while, and I had a thought..."

***

I dug hungrily into the thick slice of fruit, juice dribbling down my chin and onto my knees as the wind blew past my ears, the flag just outside of Sharpedo Bluff waving from the breeze. Rose dabbed her mouth daintily on her scarf before putting her paw down and taking another mouthful of her own portion of berry, chewing a few times and swallowing, letting out a refreshed sigh as she did so. "This is great! This is just the kind of lunch we needed."

"I didn't think they'd be so receptive to letting us have the berry all for ourselves, though..." I murmured quietly, gnawing on the empty rind before setting it on a small pile of eaten slices behind me. I clapped my paws together before grabbing another piece. "Never had raw watmel before."

"I still think I like yache better, but these are really nice," My partner replied, slurping the end of her sentence as she licked her lips. I grinned into my food, and she turned to look at me, smiling brightly.

"And it's big enough that we'll probably have plenty to eat for the next few days, too." I stared out at the sea, waves crashing against the rocks at the base of the cliff. We'd stored our watmel berry – or the other half of it, now that I'd cut it down to size – safely near the wellspring inside of our home. I leaned back, the cool wind, warm sun and delicious food lulling me into a contented state. "This was fun, Rose. I'd be happy to do this again next year."

"Yeah... I had fun too, Bill," She replied warmly, her smiling widening as she leaned over and softly licked my cheek. She blinked in surprise, recoiling slightly. "Hehe, you've got watmel juice all over your face."

I shrugged nonchalantly, gulping down the last big bite of berry before leaning over to her and licking her cheek right back. I recoiled as well, grinning with my tongue still poking out of my muzzle. "So do you."

She giggled and scooted closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder, her tails tangling themselves up with mine. I smiled softly, affectionately letting my arm rest on her back as we simply sat in silence, the wind at our backs and a pleasant fullness in our bellies.

 

Here's a hurt/comfort story I wrote a couple years back, based on the (rather depressing) idea that the hero/partner probably likely most definitely suffer from some... issues involving the ending. Definitely one of my more emotionally-charged fics, and even though it's shorter than some of the last few posts have been, I like it a lot.

-----

Nightmares

Spoiler

I could practically taste the dry, gritty air as I slowly stepped my way across the jagged outcropping, Temporal Tower still rumbling faintly behind me, my footpaws rubbing uncomfortably against the rocks, and I glanced around at the ominous yellow skies. We'd done it... I turned my gaze away from the countless clouds to look at my partner instead, triumphantly leading the way with a spring in her step, all six of her curly red tails wagging up and down. An uneasy, dreamlike trance settled over me, making the whole world seem hazy, as if it could suddenly stop and go dark at any moment.

I couldn't help but frown, furrowing my brow thoughtfully when I tried to peer over my shoulder to steal a look at Dialga's domain, only to find it hidden from view behind the clouds, and I turned back towards the Vulpix walking ahead of me, lifting my legs to catch up to her. However, the moment one of my footpaws touched the ground again, a quick, painless numbness ran through my lower limbs; I grunted in surprise at their sudden heaviness, struggling to keep moving against my fading nerves. Shrugging my shoulders, feeling the treasure bag bump against my back, my two aura tassels rubbing against the hard leather, I dragged myself on the stones, only to stop and yelp when I almost lost my balance.

"Bill?" The fire type Pokémon perked up a short distance away, spinning on her heels to check on me, confusion rapidly filling her large, hazel eyes as she slowed her pace and paused. A faint breeze began to flow over the pathway leading to the Rainbow Stoneship, setting Rose's tuft of headfur and blue scarf aflutter – and drifting past my fur as if I wasn't even there. Nervous prickles welled up within me, turning to dread soon enough when my partner began to tear up. No... no... this wasn't happening, this couldn't be happening again-! "No... Bill!?"

"R-Rose-" I tried to call out to the little red fox, but only managed to let out a weak croak instead, the uncomfortable numbness winding its way up my body, reaching my hips and making my tail go limp against my legs. The other explorer shook her head, scrunching her eyes shut before making a mad dash towards me, her tiny claws scraping against the stones. Rose hopped up onto her hind legs and planted her front paws onto my shoulders once she finally closed the gap, staring right into my face, her disbelieving expression clear despite my blurring vision. She panted heavily, the warmth of her inner fire seeping into me. "I-I'm s-so-orry..."

"No! N-No, not ag-gain... n-no, plea-ase, no!" The fire type Pokémon cried out, her hind legs trembling more and more, and she leaned against me more and more in response, doing her best not to topple over. She continued to speak, letting out a series of sorrowful, incoherent noises as the tears started to flow freely down her cheeks, her fur matted and her lips quivering, and I sucked in a breath when she choked back a sob.

My heart was plunging deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach with every passing second, and my nerves returned just long enough for me to start crying alongside my partner. I didn't, couldn't, didn't want to see Rose like this, I couldn't bear to make her mourn like this again! I didn't want to die and never see her again...! "Bill, please, d-d-don't leave me!"

My chest went numb. My neck. My head. I tried desperately to reach out towards Rose, focusing hard and drawing on all my strength, but my arms were like lead. I couldn't... do it...

Motes of light were floating all around us, around me, and Rose reared back when her paws passed partway through my shoulders. The Vulpix teetered precariously, going back and forth, her tails curling and uncurling from her sheer nervous panic, and then she lurched forward, sniffling and sobbing as she fell towards me. I ducked my head as the whole world went white, a regretful sigh escaping my throat as I braced myself for an impact that would never come. I couldn't feel a thing anymore, not even my own numbness, as the light, and Rose, went dark.

WHAM!

I gasped in shock, my senses returning all at once from the painful blow that Rose dealt me, and my entire body went rigid at the wave of pain that coursed through my veins. My tail wagged once, thwapping against the ground, and I forced myself to open my eyes, fidgeting on top of the bed of straw and dry grass, heart pounding all the while. I took gulp after gulp of air, the scent of the sea gently wafting past my nostrils, carried along by a coastal breeze that washed over me, drying the ruffled patches of tear-stained fur that ran down my cheeks and neck.

"Wha...?" I mumbled groggily, blinking a couple times at the change of scenery, and I twisted around, aura tassels bunching up as I peered back at the pointed, toothy rocks of Sharpedo Bluff, the sky and sea beyond it tinted a faint, brightening blue. Craning my neck, I scanned over the rest of the room, sleepily watching the patches of flowers growing across from the bed; they, along with the ferns and fronds near the tunnel leading outside, danced in the wind. It took a little while for everything to register, my mind still thrown for a loop by the strange... the strange... "A dream... it was just a dream."

I exhaled, all the tension draining from my muscles at the realization, and I let my head drop back to the ground, the soft grasses cushioning my fall. My muzzle twitched, and a smile wriggled its way onto my face at the slight ache that lingered in my nose. I brought an arm up, pressing my pawspike against my nose – the metal was cool to the touch, helping to soothe the pain somewhat. I sniffed in surprise when something damp tickled my cheek, and I wiped at my face, staring at the droplet that clung to my paw.

"B-Bill, no... p-please, don't go-" The teardrop dribbled over my palm and plummeted onto the bed of straw when its other occupant shuddered, a frightened, despairing tone overtaking the voice's usual warmth. My ears flicked at the sound, and I grit my teeth, turning my attention to my shivering partner. The fire-type Pokémon's face was scrunched up, her headfur tangled and matted, and she lamely wiggled her legs around, as if she was trying to chase after someone – after me, I realized – in her sleep. Her orange-tipped tails were curled tightly against her back, and the early morning light shined softly on her cream-colored coat, which was just as frazzled as her headfur. "P-ple-ease, B-Bill, d-don't leave me-e ag-ga-ain..."

The Ninetales was still crying too, streaks of tears moving from the corner of her eyes all the way down her chin and neck, getting soaked up by Rose's blue scarf. Hesitantly, I reached out to try and pinch the fabric between my pawpads, but flinched, pulling away, when the fire type Pokémon sobbed and hiccuped, burying her nose into the cloth, pushing it into her scruff of neckfur.

I swallowed dryly, smacking my lips as quietly as I could, taking a deep, shaky breath in... and out... feeling more of my own tears forming, tickling the sides of my face as I tried to think of what to do. It had been a while since we'd had the same dream. Or rather, the same nightmare. I must have picked up on Rose's discomfort while I was sleeping, or maybe it was the other way around... when the fox sniffled a second time, I pushed the thoughts away with a shake of my head, a couple of my aura tassels slipping over my shoulder. It wasn't the time to be wasting time.

"Rose... R-Rose!" I said shortly, snaking both of my arms around the Ninetales and grabbing her sides, squeezing tightly. She didn't even react, and I spoke just a little bit louder, giving her a quick, forceful shake, the dry grass underneath us rustling from the motion. "Rose, please, wake up! Wake up!"

Rose gasped sharply, her ruby red eyes shooting open and widening to the size of saucers, and the cream-furred fox froze in place, staring at me with a look of disoriented shock plastered on her muzzle. Her jaw slackened, and even her tails went limp, unfurling until all nine were spread out onto the floor of the bluff. I gazed right back at my partner, my heart pounding worriedly, and I took Rose's front paws into my own, gingerly rubbing her tiny pawpads.

"B... B-B-Bill...?" The fox spoke in a breathless, stuttered whisper. "But w-what?"

"I'm right here." I wrapped her up in a tight embrace, the warm, silky fur on her belly brushing the fur on my torso, grazing the edges of my blunted chestspike. I stroked her back with one paw and affectionately tousled her headfur with my other paw, resting her head in the crook of my neck and hoping none of my tears would dribble onto her. "I-I'm right here, Rose, I promise. It happened to m-me too. It was j-just a nightmare."

She was silent for a moment longer. I nuzzled her forehead, peering lower and giving the fire type Pokémon a quick peck on the bridge of her nose afterward, and her nine fluffy tails twitched, gently sweeping the ground in a waving motion before rising into the air. They caught the wind blowing in from the ocean, and we both heard the tides far below the bluff, frothy water crashing into shore before sloshing back to sea. It melded sweetly with the bubbling spring just a few paces away from our bed. Finally, Rose relaxed in my arms, letting go of the breath that she'd been holding all this time.

"J-just a-" The Ninetales started, only to pause in the middle of her words, and I felt her shiver again. She seemed to notice her trembling as well, as her inner fire instinctively flared, a burst of heat warming her up and sinking into me as well. I stifled a sniffle, blinking through my crying, and pressed my lips onto the back of my partner's ear, doing everything that I could to comfort her. She sniffled herself, then sobbed quietly, raising her head to nose at my chin. "B-B-Bill... o-o-oh-hh, Bi-i-ill..."

Her tears rolled down her face and dripped onto me, and I let my own tears trickle down my cheeks; the two of us simply lay there on the bed of grasses and straw, curled up together in a sad, sobbing heap. Rose continued to stoke her inner fire even while she cried, and she wagged her tails up and over, letting them settle atop us like a cozy, toasty blanket. I hugged the cream-furred fox, holding her close, taking comfort in the joy of being alive with her. The pleasant emotion flooded through me, banishing all my previous shock, sorrow and worry back to whatever part of my mind they had come from.

I patted Rose's head, taking a few ragged wheezes as I tried to calm my nerves, and I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it just as quickly when I realized that I couldn't think of anything to say. The sound of the waves reaching the beach drifted into my ears again, bringing the smell of sea salt along with it, and I stared at the wall of Sharpedo Bluff, light streaming through the shark's 'teeth' as the sunrise continued. Rose fidgeted, and I hunched forward with a grimace when she sweetly nuzzled – or, more accurately, shoved her face into – my neck, accidentally winding me in the process.

My partner murmured inaudibly, pawing at my blunted chestspike, her tiny claws combing through my fur, and I tilted my head to look down at the fire type Pokémon, who was still shaking ever-so-slightly, though she wasn't crying quite so hard anymore. She sniffed, then ducked away to wipe her nose on her scarf; I could tell she was trying to hide the blush forming under her fur, and my heart warmed at the sight. I dragged my paw over to her head, cupping her cheek in my palm, and I scooted downwards a tad until our eyes met, her face still matted and damp from crying.

She was beautiful.

I gazed lovingly at the Ninetales for a second or two, and in that time, she beat me to my own plan, leaning in close and softly bumping her nose into my own. I blinked in surprise, then inwardly sighed in relief, a small smile wriggling its way onto my muzzle when I became aware of how much of a mess I must have looked.

With a nod, I tightened my arms around my partner again and nuzzled her over and over, going from her cheek to her forehead, then tousling her headfur with a few pokes of my nose, a few strands falling down in front of her eyes in the process. I felt her nine tails curl over me, their tips sliding up and down the small of my back, and my smile turned into a cheeky grin as I fidgeted in Rose's ticklish grasp, my aura tassels bouncing and rubbing on my shoulders. She barked out a noise that sounded like a cross between a laugh and a hiccup, and I pulled her in, feeling her heart beating rhythmically in her chest.

I opened my mouth again, ready to speak, only to find that I still had nothing to say, and instead I just caught my breath, both Rose and I settling back into our bed, content enough to snuggle, occasionally licking or nosing each other. When I had taken a few gulps of air, I closed my jaw and hummed in time with the ocean waves, going higher or lower depending on whatever first came to mind, playfully tapping my footpaws against Rose's hindpaws.

The Ninetales slowed down in her affections as I sang, and not long after she relaxed, I heard a purr rumbling in my partner's throat, trying to match my own 'mmm's and 'hmm's. Seconds passed, then minutes. Rose still hiccupped every so often, and I found myself sniffling a note or two sometimes instead. The sky behind us was getting brighter, sparkles of sunlight glinting on the water that streamed into the bluff's little spring.

The cream-furred fox was the one to finally break the silence, after Arceus-knew how much of the morning had passed. She tapped a paw on my blunted chestspike, and my tail wagged, ruffling a couple of her tails. "Hey... did you say you had that nightmare too?"

My face fell, and I exhaled tiredly, a weariness settling over my senses. We must have woken up right at the crack of dawn. My tail almost immediately stopped wagging, thudding onto the dried grass and staying there. "Yeah... yeah, I did. I think you were shaking pretty hard, since you whacked my muzzle and woke me up."

"I did?" Rose perked up in surprise, her ears pointing straight, then flattening against her head in embarrassment, her expression turning bashful. Her ruby red eyes sparkled, filling with love and concern, and she leaned in and kissed me, her lips damp, sweet, and gentle. She spoke up once she pulled away. "I'm sorry about that. Does it still hurt?"

"Huh?" I furrowed my brow, then smiled and shook my head, reaching back to keep my aura tassels from swinging over my shoulder. They bumped and jostled against my pawspike instead, softly thumping it and dropping back to my neck. "Nah, of course not. Don't be sorry, I'm glad you woke me up. I wouldn't have been able to wake you up if you hadn't, heheheh."

Rose cocked her head thoughtfully, a warm, happy smile gracing her features, and my heart skipped a beat. "Yeah... I hadn't thought of that. Thank you for getting me out of that nightmare, Bill."

"Thank you for getting me out of it too, Rose." I snuggled into the fire type Pokémon, feeling her tails rise off of us and wave back and forth, their shadows helping keep the growing sunlight out of our eyes. I craned my neck to look around Sharpedo Bluff, morning having all but arrived fully, the lush green vines and leaves, warm orange-brown stone walls, and my partner's creamy fur all shined comfortingly. "It's about time to get up... shall we?"

"No," Rose replied without hesitation, using a single tail to push my head back down to the bed. "I want to stay here. With you."

I couldn't argue with that. I smiled, batting at her tailtips with a paw before nuzzling the fox's cheek, her inner fire flaring as we embraced again, the pile of straw rustling underneath us.

 

This one's an interesting one, based on a combination of a prompt for a DA group I'm part of, as well as based on wanting to use Star and Vale a little more than just for side parts in Beyond the Sky and the like. It's pretty heavily based on Thief (my favorite stealth game series), and I think it makes for an interesting atmosphere for a PMD fic. They're not explorers, so they go about things differently as a result, and so on.

-----

Ousting the Outlaw

Spoiler

The dark, rocky hill shined a soft silver as the moon slowly rose into the sky, hanging high above the sweeping valley of Stargaze City, accompanied by star after star winking into view on all sides of it. Wispy clouds drifted past, carried along by a blustering sea breeze, and a thick, loose flap of canvas ruffled noisily against the dusty ground. Lickilicky patted his striped belly as the sun finished setting, and he turned towards his hideout, gazing at the ramshacke, makeshift tent that he had built into the hillside. The pink paint was already starting to peel off, and it barely looked like him aside from the welcome mat, but it was a safehouse nonetheless.

"Finally, today's over," He murmured to himself as he bent over, grabbing the end of the tent's tongue, rolling it up, and pushing it through the gap in the tent. The heavy fabric thudded against the floor, echoing off of the cavern walls dug into the hill. "Sorry folks, business time is over, and the... meh-heh, the guildmaster's busy counting his earnings!"

"Wait, Lickilicky, sir!"

The normal type Pokémon practically jumped in surprise, whirling around irritably and craning his neck to search for where the call had come from, and he tensed up at the sight of a yellow-and-blue feathered figure making a beeline for him. Lickilicky took a hasty step away to give the prehistoric bird enough room to land, and the Archeops did just that, digging his talons into the dirt and skidding to a stop, flapping his wings a couple times to help slow himself down.

"Phew!" The flying type wheezed out a heavy sigh, patting a wing on his satchel bag, and Lickilicky raised his eyebrows when he noticed the jeweled necklace the other Pokémon wore, moonlight glinting on the pale gemstones. "I'm glad I got here while you were still open... sorry for keeping you up."

"Oh! Er-hem, no no, it's fine, fine!" Lickilicky coughed to clear his throat, hiding his annoyance behind the honeyed greeting he'd practiced, and he wrung his fists a few times before scurrying over to the unexpected visitor, offering a hand for the bird to shake. "The Lickilicky Guild is happy to serve. What is it that you needed... er...?"

"Vale," The Archeops answered, nipping at his plumage a bit. The salt-smelling wind picked up speed, kicking up a few puffs of dust from the ground as it swept past them. "It's not very urgent, but a friend of mine over in the city was wondering how to join the guild? She wants to be an explorer, see."

Lickilicky blinked, then sighed, smiling outwardly and cringing inwardly. Why was it so hard for the locals to understand that his guild wasn't one that you could join!? He slowly turned towards the tent's doorflaps, gesturing dismissively at Vale. "Ahh, yes, well, I'm afraid I don't have any openings for more apprentices at the moment. Stargaze surely needs our help, but we are not stretched thin, either."

"Huh? Wait, really?" The Archeops blurted out, and Lickilicky halted in his tracks, gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyes as his frustration grew. "A-Are you sure? She was so excited about it..."

"Well, tell her that I apologize!" The pink Pokémon shot back, his eyes going wide afterward, and he quickly spun on his heels, waving his hands apologetically when he saw the Archeops' hurt expression. "A-Ah! And I apologize for snapping, as well. But I have many more Pokémon asking to join, and it gets tiresome. You understand, right? Eheh... meh-heh."

Vale was silent for a moment, then nodded, looking crestfallen; even the bird's tail had drooped low, laying flat and unmoving in the dirt. "Okay... I understand. Sorry for wasting your time, then."

Lickilicky nodded back at the Archeops, slowly easing his way into his tent, and then he turned tail and marched further into the hillside caves, closing the doorflaps behind him with a loud yank. Vale turned around and walked a few paces away, spreading his wings in preparation to leave... then paused, stealing a sideways glance at the patches of trampled grass, the flattened blades catching the moonlight. The trail of telltale footsteps ran right alongside the lines his talons had made in the dirt, and the bird took one last look at the Lickilicky-shaped tent, his mouth curling into a concerned half-smile.

"Star..." Vale muttered under his breath, breaking into a jog before leaping into the air, flapping hard and swooping towards the seaside city. "Be careful in there, alright?"

***

The air in the dry, dusty tunnel wavered slightly as Lickilicky stomped inside, hastily pulling the tent closed before swiveling on his heels and hunching over with a wheeze. The normal type Pokémon slowly let a nervous smile worm its way onto his face, and he furrowed his brow, patting his belly a few more times before walking deeper into his hideout. His lumbering form was quickly swallowed by the darkness, his loud footsteps echoing through the passage.

Moments after the outlaw had left, the air in the tent wavered again, and a Zoroark suddenly came into view, letting go of the breath she had been holding as she dispelled her illusion. The dark-furred fox sidled up along the wall a little bit longer, then took a stumbling step forward, clutching a pair of silver spikes in one paw and a small, yellow-shelled seed in her other paw. She cocked her head when the marching Lickilicky made a series of quiet grunts, and she crouched low, rolling her shoulders to fluff her flattened hair as she skulked into the dimly-lit cavern.

"That's the hard part done..." The dark type whispered to herself, licking her dry lips, then wiping her wrist on the red, star-shaped birthmarks at the corners of her mouth. "Now just to stay on your tail, big-mouth..."

Star kept one of her elbows against the wall as she slunk through the shadows, her sharp blue eyes quickly adjusting to the lack of light, and she glanced from side to side, gazing intently at the grainy, unpolished stones. Underfoot, she could feel pebbles squashed deeply into the shallow, sandy soil, undoubtedly pressed down by the retreating Lickilicky. As the Zoroark made her way through the tunnel, said Lickilicky soon came into view, his round figure silhouetted by a moonbeam shining in from a window dug into the wall up ahead.

She stopped in her tracks – heart freezing for a split-second – when the tips of her clawed footpaws tapped against a larger rock jutting up from the dirt. The light sound drifted through the tunnel, and the dark-furred fox tensed when she saw the outlaw stop walking, kicking over a couple pointed stones as he wobbled over to the window, his pink body and long tongue shaking unpleasantly.

A tense second passed.

Then another. Star arched her tiptoes and balanced on her pawpads, the wind gusting ominously outside.

"Ooohh, ow, what a pain! Blasted things, I'm so frazzled tonight..." The Lickilicky's disgruntled voice bounced off the walls, followed by a pained whine, and Star winced, reaching her free paw up to press her ears against her skull. The outlaw started marching not long afterward, though, vanishing from sight and sending the slightest of trembles through the ground. "I can't wait until I can finally be done with this stupid little city..."

Star relaxed, turning her gaze towards the loose bit of rubble that she had accidentally bumped into. Then she sucked in a breath; numerous shards of sharp, jagged granite were jutting a full inch into the air, haphazardly arranged into a bunch of lazy, jumbled rows, set up just far enough from the gap in the wall to keep them hidden. Some of them were tilting loosely, and a fair few had been knocked over entirely thanks to Lickilicky's lumbering. The trap almost looked like a strange, dangerous rock garden.

"Mmhmhm," Star laughed slyly, standing up to her full height and reaching up with her silver spikes to see how high the tunnel went. She had barely bent her arm when the edges of the thin blades clinked on the ceiling, and the dark type Pokémon shrugged, the dark ruff around her shoulders shaking as she took a couple steps back from the stealth rocks. "You'll be done soon, that's for sure."

The Zoroark broke into a short run, then pounced when she got close to the stones, curling her knees and spreading her arms as she leaped over the trapped part of the floor. She sailed across the underground tunnel, her mop of wild hair whipping around, and she passed by the window with a smirk, bracing herself when she began to fall. The thief hit the dirt with a hard thud, a jolt running through her nerves as soon as her footpaws touched the sandy ground, her balance going awry.

She teetered back and forth, stealing a nervous glance over her shoulder at the sharp rocks, waving her arms as she swayed dangerously close to the trap. Star curled her paws into fists, but her instincts kicked in just before she crushed the yellow-shelled seed that she was carrying, and she stabbed her silver spikes into the ground, shifting her weight to her tiptoes to anchor herself.

A muted sigh of relief escaped the dark type Pokémon's throat when she managed to steady herself, and she crouched there for a couple seconds longer, leaning forward and peering sharply into the continuing depths of the tunnel. The path curved to the side slightly, moving closer to the center of the hill, and though there didn't seem to be any more traps ahead, the cavern's dismal, dreary darkness remained. The star-flecked corners of Star's mouth twitched downwards a bit – the chances of finding another window along the way were looking slimmer and slimmer.

Lickilicky's fading stomps pulled the Zoroark out of her thoughts, and she stood up and dusted herself off, sidling up to the wall and shuffling after the outlaw. Curling her footpaws to keep her claws from tapping the pebbles buried in the soil, Star followed her target's trail, the bright window and sharp rows of rocks quickly fading from both her view and her mind. The closer she drew to Lickilicky, the more and more she pressed herself up against the rough stone walls, an unpleasant, gritty, grimy feeling settling into her red hair and gray fur.

Suddenly, the echoing footsteps got faster, the ground rumbled harder. Star's ears flicked again when Lickilicky let out another wheeze and picked up his pace, and she ducked, eyes narrowing, when the curving tunnel gave way to a much sharper twist. The dark-furred fox pushed off the wall and rounded the turn, looking up and down to check for any more traps, and then she broke into a brisk stride, still trying to stay as quiet as she could as she padded after the other Pokémon. The loose dirt crumbled underfoot with each and every thump, collecting in the two sets of prints left in the ground.

The underground path soon took another turn, and she dug her heels in and deftly skipped past it, jolting in surprise when she spotted the hideout's owner a short distance away. A faint circle of orange light shined through a gap, casting a glow on Lickilicky's pink body, and ever-so-slightly on the rocks surrounding him. Star skidded to a stop and leaned forward, catching her breath as she watched.

Lickilicky was hunching over, fidgeting and fiddling with something that she couldn't quite see yet, huffing and puffing even harder and louder than she was and occasionally making an incoherent grumble of frustration. Between his labored breaths, she could hear a soft clicking and clinking, metal touching metal, and she briefly peeked at her silver spikes, then stared forward again. The gears in her mind turned as she noticed a few more details, sticking her free paw out and tracing the outline of a door with a claw.

"There! Argh, at last!" Star tensed up when Lickilicky finally blurted out something sensible – for a given value of sensible, she told herself, keeping her wits about her – and yanked the wooden door open, the hinges squeaking and scraping noisily. Star sneaked forward a step, only to balk when the bright, orange circle got a little bigger, and as the other Pokémon retreated into the next room, she just barely caught a glimpse of a lantern hanging from a hook inside. "Goodnight and good riddance!"

Star winced when Lickilicky pulled the door shut with a powerful slam, sending a tremor all through the tunnel from the force of the swing, and she started moving again, hunkering low to the ground and walking over to the end of the cave. The iron knocker wiggled and dinged as the room was locked back up from the other side, and the Zoroark frowned, peering at the barred hole carved into the top of the wooden boards.

As soon as the metallic rattling subsided, Lickilicky stood up and turned around, the curled tuft on his head bouncing into view through the door, and the outlaw nervously shoved the key onto the nearby hook, accidentally shaking the lantern that was already hanging there. Star flattened herself against the dirt as the light shining through the door wavered, and she lay there and listened, hearing the other Pokémon gasp and grab the lamp, holding it still. Then, he plodded away with a strained sigh.

After resting outside of the room for another couple moments, the thief pushed herself back to her knees. She brought her arms to her lap, taking one of her silver spikes into her other paw, awkwardly holding the seed she carried underneath the handle as she brandished the blades. Easing up onto her tiptoes, she inched higher, little by little, staring through the hole in the door and scanning over Lickilicky's meager hideaway.

The normal type had sat down on a small stone in front of a larger stone, a charcoal stick clenched in his hand as he scribbled into a bark-bound book, occasionally looking over to the side. Star leaned over, and her eyes widened – there was a cloth sack sitting next to the makeshift desk, filled nearly to the brim with gold coins, wonder orbs, scarves and treasures, and other knickknacks. With a shake of her head, she returned her attention to the door, eyeing the lock underneath the knocker.

"Mmm..." She hummed under her breath, tilting her head and peering intently into the keyhole, then slipping the silver spikes into the lock, running into an unseen barrier almost immediately. She gently jiggled the door, and her muzzle curled into a smile at the loose, hollow noise that she was rewarded with. This lock had nothing to fear from her... "Just one pin... big-mouth, you're making this too easy for me."

Arching her hands, the thief pushed one of her silver spikes low, angling it downwards to dig the tip of the blade underneath the tumbler, and she pushed her other spike in, keeping the lock from moving as she worked. With a little poking and prodding, the Zoroark slipped her lockpick past the pin, twisting it around a little before flicking her wrist. The thin blade went up, and so did the tiny peg; Star pressed an ear onto the door, furrowing her brow as the numerous bits and pieces of the lock clicked from within, drowning out Lickilicky's nervous grumbling.

She readied her other silver spike, holding it steady, but paused when she felt an almost-imperceptible shake run through her paws, accompanied by another clink as the pin fell back down. Quickly rolling her eyes, she tried again, snapping her lockpicks up and inching the tumbler back into the lock, pushing it out of the way and then prodding at it through the top of the keyhole. The lock shook gingerly, making the ring-shaped knocker shake as well, and Star reached out with a claw to hold the door steady when its hinges squeaked.

"Wh-whuh? What was that?" Lickilicky said from the other side of the door, and Star froze, swearing inwardly when she felt the door's single pin slowly slide out of place again. A perfect chance to stick the pin into place, ruined by the outlaw's sudden outburst. She didn't have time to dwell on it, however, as the normal type Pokémon started to breath harder – his annoyance from his conversation with Vale and his general paranoia were really starting to get to him. Slowly, Star moved her silver spikes around, quietly easing them out from the door... but, from the tapping of the bladetips on the sides of the lock, not quietly enough. "Oh, Arceus, Dialga, Palkia blast it all! That does it!"

There was a grunt, then a scraping of rock against rock, and Star pulled her ear away from the door, nearly dropping her tools as she slunk away from the door and back against the tunnel wall. She hopped up onto the tips of her footpaws, digging her whole body into her long, messy hair as she hugged the grainy rocks, hiding in the shadows. Lickilicky's feet plodded on the dirt as he dashed back over to the wiggling, jiggling door, yanking the key from the hook and shoving it into the keyhole, not even caring about the shaking lantern as he struggled with his own lock.

"Stupid bird, catching me right at the end and making me get like this...!" The round, pink Pokémon growled under his breath as he twisted the key this way and that, shoving his weight against the wooden door as his frustrations boiled over. Lickilicky yelped when the planks finally gave way, and he stumbled out into the tunnel, holding onto the doorknocker with a white-knuckle grip. He glared into the darkness, inhaling and exhaling a few short times before yelling loudly, wiping the curly tuft on his head and lashing his tongue out. "Who's out there? I know you're out there! 'Cause you can't outsmart the guildmaster, Lickilicky-"

As soon as he said his name, something slashed against the tip of his tongue, and he gasped in shock as a sharp stab tore through his senses, the tension in the air so palpable that all of his muscles seemed to stiffen at once. He whirled around, snapping his head all around, partly out of pain and partly to find whatever had attacked him, but then he felt soft fur graze against his tastebuds, making him gag.

Lickilicky turned towards the other Pokémon, his eyes going wide when a small, yellow-shelled seed was jammed into his mouth. The outlaw bit down instinctively, crushing the tiny thing between his teeth, and as the pieces tumbled down his throat, a mix of grogginess and realization swept over him.

"Goodnight," A low, smooth voice echoed in his head as sleep took him. "And good riddance."