Oz rested peacefully with the brim of his hat pulled low over his face, his back propped against the tree topping the hill-like back of his sleeping Torterra, Gaia. Overhead, Flutter the Swoobat hung upside down from a branch by clasping it with her tail. Her furred form swayed in the occasional breeze, leaving her to gather her wings about her to brace against the slight chill as she dozed. Caesar, Oz's Arcanine, lay nearby, sitting guard like a Chinese Shisa statue with his mighty maned head held high. The other Pokémon of the team resided in their Pokéballs, still recovering from the intense tournament from the previous night. The midday sun beamed above them, and it was the perfect time to relax and unwind from another victory.
Oz's messenger bag was lying against Gaia's grassy carapace, the buckles fastened snuggly and the strap slung around one of the jagged rocks jutting from the Pokémon's back. Caesar eyed it, suddenly caught by an intense curiosity. His master held the items within it very dear, and the large dog-like creature couldn't help but wonder about its contents. Caesar could be described as many things; brave, loyal, proud, and at times quite rambunctious, but never mischievous. Now, however, he was fighting a strong temptation of a very roguish nature. Soon, he found himself inching toward the bag on his belly, his head ducked low and his eyes locked on the object.
Hesitating only briefly, Caesar gingerly took the pack in his mouth and edged it up the rock, struggling to free the strap from Gaia's back without waking anyone. He laid the pack on the ground soon after, glancing at his trainer often. Oz's hat obscured his face, but he didn't stir once, enough to grant Caesar the courage to continue in his subversion.
Now he came to the buckles. His paws were much too large to do much help, and using his teeth would mar the bag terribly. He crossed his paws and placed his chin upon them, considering his dilemma for a moment. Tiredness soon took hold, and the Arcanine's eyelids began to droop. Suddenly, he heard a faint click, and his eyes popped open to see the bag's clasps unbuckling themselves as if by magic. A low whine escaped him as he continued to stare blankly until movement from above caught his attention. There was Flutter still hanging upside down, her winds spread some and her head twisted in an attempt to view Caesar upright. Her eyes glowed a faint pink as she used Psychic to open the bag with ease.
Caesar whined again and wagged his tail at his companion, who silently flitted from Gaia's tree to the ground by Oz's bag and waddled closer on her feet. Whereas this behavior was somewhat out of character for Caesar, Flutter was most comfortable with mischief and found herself gleefully interested with helping out in the investigation of the master's possessions. Caesar, glad to have the assistance, nosed the flap of the bag open and tried to peer inside. Flutter, impatient as always, hopped upon it and clasped it with her feet, flying upward and noisily spilling the contents all over the grass. Caesar's eyes snapped back to Oz and Flutter spun around, both waiting tensed and ready for trouble. Oz didn't budge, so the two slowly returned to their business.
Flutter dropped the bag back on the ground and hopped over to the items, and Caesar bent his head over them. The Pokédex which they'd come to know was facedown, various medicinal items and spare Pokéballs strewn around it. Nothing grabbed interest until they noticed another book sprawled open to one side. The two Pokémon crowded around it, Flutter's small head dwarfed by Caesar's, and they slowly managed to read the title: Once Upon. Caesar righted the book with his nose, and Flutter began to flip the pages with the tip of one wing.
The first few pages were beautifully illustrated, colorful images of fairy tale creatures and fantasy landscapes enrapturing the two of them. Caesar woofed lowly at each picture while Flutter squeaked excitedly, and the two failed to notice the low groan of someone awoken by their activity. Gaia, blinking her bleary eyes slowly, yawned and looked around to see her two partners absorbed in the book. She stood slowly to her feet and lumbered nearer, carefully pushing her head in next to the surprised duo to see what was going on. Soon, she too was marveling at the fanciful portraits.
Finally, Flutter turned a page and they were met by one without a picture. Instead, it was small print scrawled across the paper, indecipherable to the three. They gazed at the page and then at each other glumly, and Flutter began to flip through once again. Page after page, they saw the tiny writing and no pictures. Flutter's Psychic soon took over, flying through the pages until they finally stop halfway through the book. The page was blank, not a single jot upon it. The three were now thoroughly confused, starting at first at the book and then at each other.
"It isn't finished yet, guys." The three scrambled wildly, Gaia tucking as much of herself into her shell as she could, Flutter rocketing into the sky, and Caesar up on his feet and staring with wide eyes at Gaia's back. Oz sat with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes peering from beneath his hat, his mouth pressed into a stern line. As Flutter slowly descended and Gaia peeked her head back out, Caesar faced Oz with his head hung low, ready to be scolded for his behavior.
"Flutter, bring me the book." Flutter quickly retrieved it while Caesar continued to stand by mutely. Oz took the tome into his hands and flipped through the first few pages slowly, taking his time as the three Pokémon stood by tensely. Slowly, a smirk spread across the Trainer's face, soon transforming into a grin accompanied by a hearty laugh. Flutter was first to be relieved, chittering and doing aerial somersaults while Gaia hummed happily beneath Oz. Caesar, however, was inconsolable, stepping forward and placing his large head on his master's lap. Oz laughed warmly again, kissing the Arcanine soundly upon the snout and rubbing one of his big ears. Despite his remorse, Caesar's tail began to wag vigorously.
"What if I read it to you guys?" the young man asked his companions. He flipped past the illustrations to the first page of writing, settling back against the tree once more and clearing his throat. Gaia lowered herself back down, settling in to listen, as Flutter returned to her branch right above Oz. Caesar whined again, looking at the mess of Oz's things on the ground, but the Trainer shook his head with a grin and simply said, "Later," and pulled the Pokémon's head back into his lap.
"Once upon a time, there was a lonely Trainer. Little did he know that he would soon embark on the adventure of a lifetime. During this adventure, he would struggle against the forces of evil, encounter beings of incredible strength and wonder, and learn the true meanings of friendship and love. This journey would introduce him to a whole array of people and Pokémon that were destined for greatness, like a Gentle Giant," Oz tapped Gaia's shell with his heel, "an Impish Acrobat," he glanced upward at the hanging Flutter, "and a Brave Guardian." Oz paused, looking fondly at the face in his lap, the face of his first Pokémon and one of his truest friends.
"Do you guys like the story so far?" The three responded simultaneously, Gaia bellowing strongly, Flutter letting out a shrill cry, and Caesar unleashing a piercing howl. Oz smiled once more before returning to the page, continuing the story of how he had come to be the happiest Trainer imaginable.