~Forever Changed~

...

Oshawott looked around Verdant Court. Lilligant and Leavanny, the queen's attendants, were milling about with the guests. All sorts of Pokémon were eating and drinking fancy food, and just about everyone was chattering with others, including the queen's attendants. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

That is, except the queen herself.

Because Oshawott couldn't even SEE the queen. This was really strange, because this was the queen's coronation ceremony.

The queen is Oshawott's good friend Snivy. She had just been crowned the new queen of the Arbor Area, but now he couldn't see her anywhere.

Oshawott wandered the Arbor Area until he came to the entrance of the Arcane Area just outside the Arbor Area. The Arcane Area was a beautiful place - it was dotted with colorful flowers and it had many sparkling blue lakes. Best of all, from the entrance of the Arcane Area, you can see a huge Serperior figure protruding out of the rocky cliff, a bit like Mount Rushmore.

Oshawott went into the Arcane Area, sniffing at the scent of the flowers. It was so silent - the only sounds he could hear were the distant cries of the wild Pokémon, the breeze whistling through the leaves, and... The sound of crying?

Frowning, Oshawott followed the sniffling sounds until he came to a large bush. Peering behind it, he was surprised to see Snivy hunched there. She was crying. Definitely crying. Strange. Oshawott was inclined to believe Snivy's claims that she never ever cries. Ever. Yet here she was, bubbling pathetically.

Oshawott decided to see her and find out what the matter was. "Hey," he said softly as he walked through the bush.

Snivy looked up, her face a mask of surprise. She quickly swiped at her tear-stained face and said defiantly, "I wasn't crying. I wasn't."

"Oh, come on," Oshawott said gently. "Something clearly is the matter. You were crying. What's wrong?"

"Nothing is," Snivy snapped.

Oshawott didn't say anything and simply sat down next to her, gazing out at the enormous stone Serperior. No one said anything for a while. Then Snivy turned away.

"Actually, everything is wrong," she whispered softly.

Oshawott looked at her. "Why?"

"I... I..." Snivy stammered. "I... I don't want to be a queen, Oshawott! I don't want to!"

"Why not?" Oshawott gasped.

"I... Being a queen means that... I can't go on adventures in PokéPark with you... With you guys. You and Pikachu and Tepig," she corrected quickly. "And I'm afraid if I can't be a good queen like my mother, Oshawott... Being a queen is a huge responsibility..."

"Oh. I'm sure you'll do well, Snivy," Oshawott assured her. "You're a very responsible person. And as for adventures, you can always go with us anytime you like. A queen doesn't always have to stay where she is, right?"

"I don't really know," Snivy sighed. "That's what my mother did."

"Oh." Oshawott couldn't think of anything else to say, and the sobbing continued.

In the end, the only thing Oshawott did was to give Snivy a handkerchief. Snivy accepted it gladly and began to blow her nose loudly into it. Oshawott cringed. Even though now she was a queen, Snivy never completely lost her somewhat boyish behavior (except for the fact that she was crying, of course). But after blowing her nose, she started to cry again. Tears were freely running down her cheeks, and she looked really helpless.

Oshawott finally couldn't bear to see Snivy crying any more. "Come on. Dry those tears, Snivy. Don't cry," he said gently. Then he did something he never thought he would have done: he reached for her hand. Still holding her hand, he smiled at her. "Please don't cry, Snivy." He pulled out another clean handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed her tear-tracked face with it. "Please dry those tears... Stop crying..."

Of course, if that did anything, it only made Snivy cry even harder, and in the end the only things Oshawott could do was stay by her side, holding her hand reassuringly.

"Snivy," he suddenly said, and she brought her head up, sniffing.

"Always staying in the Arbor Area isn't a requirement, right? I mean, it isn't a rule or something queens have to do or anything, is it?"

"No... I don't know," Snivy sighed. "That's what my mother always did, so I can only assume it is."

"Well then, why don't we assume it isn't?" Oshawott said with a reassuring smile. "I mean, you're the queen now, Snivy! No one gets to boss you around or tell you what to do again."

"I'm not sure..." Snivy said quietly.

"You're very different from your mother," Oshawott went on. "Maybe that's just how your mother was. She was the type of Pokémon who... You know..."

"Likes to stay put," Snivy said. "I see your point, but... Bisharp? What if he doesn't approve of me adventuring around PokéPark?"

"Well, what can he possibly do?"

Snivy thought for a moment. "I... Don't... Know."

"Exactly," Oshawott smiled, dabbing at her tear-stained face again. "And Snivy, if you ever feel down, I'll always be there for you. If you've got something to tell, I'm all ears. In short, I've got your back, so don't worry anymore, OK?"

"OK," Snivy whispered.

Why don't we assume it isn't?

'OK,' thought Snivy. 'Let us assume it really isn't. But if it is...'

If it is, then things will have been forever changed. She, Snivy, wasn't just a tomboyish princess anymore, she was a queen in charge of the fate of the Arbor Area.

And if it is, she will certainly be looking for more adventures with her friends like something forever lost...

But for the time being, as she returned to the party - HER party - the only thoughts in her mind were of Oshawott.

In short, I've got your back, so don't worry anymore, OK?

'OK,' Snivy thought with a weak smile.

~END~