It was a warm spring afternoon in the outskirts of Santalune City, as two children around the age of 8 years old were playing in the bright green fields. One of the children was a large, strapping boy with ruffled brown hair and fair yet speckled skin. The girl on the other hand was small and petite with long silky, black hair and olive skin. A game of tag was being played by the youngster, and it seemed that the girl was the one who was "it". She seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty trying to catch her much more athletic friend.

"Yahh!" "Ehh!" the girl grunted as she tried to tag her playmate.

"Ha ha ha! Gonna have to do better than that if you want to catch me Bella!" the boy shouted.

In every which way, he either outran her or maneuvered around her striking hands. After about fifteen more minutes of the game, the children started to grow weary and decided to rest for a moment under the cool shade of a large oak.

"Lebaron I'm bored with this game, I want to go home and finish the book I'm reading…" Bella said this while crossing her arms.

Lebaron then looked up from his comfortable position on the grass and said "come on Bell, why would you want to read one of those dull, dusty, old books of yours on such a great day like this?.." he then laid down and gazed at the clouds, smiling at all the funny shapes his eyes could point out. Bella sneered at Lebaron's comment.

"Just because you can't pay attention to a novel for more than two seconds doesn't mean that the books are dull. A lot of the stories are fun to read." She stated calmly while laying down in the grassy field herself.

"Wouldn't ya rather be having fun instead'a of reading about it?" Lebaron curiously glanced at his friend as he asked the question.

"Reading is fun" Bell responded.

"Eh, well when I become a knight one day, I'll be the one going on my own adventure and making my own stories! I'll be off fighting battles, traveling the land and befriend all different kinds of Pokémon…" As Lebaron ranted on about his fantasies of the future, Bella rolled her eyes and got from her spot in the field to leave.

"Goodbye Lebaron I think I'll see you tomorrow." The boy soon turned his head to see his friend walking off towards her quaint manor.

"Hey wait Bella are you sure you don't want to play a little longer?!"

"No…"

"Well maybe we can get some sweets or something from the bakery? My treat,"

"No Lebaron, goodbye…"

"Well maybe…"

"Squire Lebaron! Time to get back to training!" a deep voice boomed as the young lad looked around in its direction.

"Coming! Bye Bella see ya tomorrow!" Lebaron gave a quick wave to the girl and dashed off to continue his training. Bella chuckled at seeing her comrade scurry to his master….

As Bella approached her stately home, a servant opened the door for the young mistress to enter. "Good evening my lady. Did you have a fun playing with that little friend of yours?" The servant asked kindly.

"It was alright but I'd rather be here reading," Bella stated.

"Oh by the way I think your father wants to see you, he has something important to show you." The man-servant pointed towards the stair-case to the master bed room.

"Very well, I'll be right up to see him. Thank you Aceline." Bella ascended the stair case to see what her father could possibly want.

The door creaked opened as Bella poked her head out the side "Papa, did you need me for something."

A large, rotund man wearing a purple tunic and dark green leggings turned to greet the girl addressing him. "Ah! My sweet Bella, please come in." Obeying her father's request, Bella entered the master bedroom. She looked at her father curiously inspecting her his grinning, jolly, mustached face. "Bella my love, I'd like you to meet your new personal maid," her father moved his fat body to reveal a small, beautiful girl around the same age as Bella, shyly standing in the corner with her hands tightly clasped over her dress. Bella stood there stunned and gazing in awe at her new servant girl.

"Her name is Agathe" Bella's father added as he lightly nudged the two girls closer to greet each other.

"G…g..good evening my mistress, I am happy to be of service to you" Agathe said this while curtsying to her new master.

Bella blushed and looked away from the polite formalities, "oh yes, the feeling is mutual."

Bella's father seemed to be quite pleased with the introduction of his daughter's new servant, "alright Agathe, I still need to show Bella one more thing, please if you could leave us in privacy."

The small girl then curtseyed once more to both her superiors and left the room in silence. Bella glanced one last time at her servant as she exited the door. "What else do you have to show me papa?" Her father's giddy smile grew even larger as he walked across the room to grab a large basket with a bright, red bow tied neatly on the handle. "Here you are my dear!" He hastily handed the basket to the surprised little girl before him. She eyed the present wearily looking before setting it down.

"Go on look and see what it is!" The father pressed on waiting in anticipation.

"Papa if this is another prank I'm going to be very cross with you," she said while casting a suspicious glance at her parent.

She slowly lifted the lid of the present to see what was inside. Much to her surprise it was a small, Fennekin soundly slumbering on the comfy pillows beneath it. "Oh papa it's a beautiful, little Fennekin!" She squealed with delight as she tightly hugged her father. He happily embraced his daughter also giggling with joy. "Yes my dear, I bought her from the finest breeder to make sure that my little princess would have the best companion with her." Bella looked at the adorable little fox Pokémon as she slept.

"She's perfect papa, I'm sure we'll be the very best of friends. Right Fluerette?" The tiny vixen yawned in reply.

The next day Bella and her new Pokémon decided to pay Lebaron a visit. She approached a large Inn in the middle of town with the Fennekin walking briskly beside her heels. She pulled open the large doors to the Inn looking around for her friend. Fluerette started to sniff around curious with her new surroundings. She could smell the aroma of all types of meats, vegetables, and pastries' that made her long tongue lap out of her mouth.

"Hmmm… it smells so yummy in here I hope my lady brought us here for a snack!" Fluerette thought hungrily as she licked her lips.

She was about to make her way near the heavenly foods until she saw a plump, bearded man dressed in a metal suit come out of one of the rooms in the Inn; behind him was a young, brawny boy with messy brown hair carrying his sword and shield.

"Lebaron hey over here," Bella waved as she called her friend over to her. Both Lebaron and his master looked over at the young girl beckoning them to approach her.

"Ahh… So this is the little girl you've been caught up with eh Lebaron?" The knight asked his pupil all the while slightly smirking.

The boy blushed a deep shade of red at his master's comment. "Y-yes Sir Eban, she's my friend Bella, daughter of Lord Jeann."

The boy then shyly looked down at the tavern floor to hide his embarrassment. The knight looked surprised as he realized the status of the girl.

"Ah I see, well I'll let you off for the day so you can spend time with your little girlfriend", Eban said as he took his sword and shield from the young squire, playfully nudging him in the process.

As Bella heard this she made a revolted face at the idea of her and her male associate in a relationship, Lebaron on the other hand was squirming with discomfort, not able to look at Bella in the face.

"Well I'll leave you to it lad, when you are done just come back to the Inn alright." The knight soon exited the Inn to go off and prepare for his training. The two children watched the knight leave and then Bella spoke up, "I see your master enjoys publically humiliating you…"

"Oh no he's really a great man he just likes to poke fun every now and then, he's like a second pa ta me," the boy said while turning to his friend. As he looked at Bella he soon noticed the small, yellow fox sitting patiently by her heels.

"Hey who's lil' Fennekin is that?" Lebaron looked curiously at the Pokemon.

Fluer seemed to take slight offense to his question and glared back at him. Bella chuckled "she's mine, just got her yesterday from my papa." Lebaron kneeled down to Fluerette's level to inspect her more closely.

"Aww she's kinda cute, the little girly", he said as he extended his hand to pet.

"Girly? Who does this lout think he is, calling me girly?" Fluer thought as she snapped her small jaws at his outstretched hand.

"Hey watch it there little lady", Lebaron said as he jerked back his hand.

Bella simply smirked at the actions of her Pokemon, "easy there girl, be nice…" Fluer looked up and at her mistress and then back at Lebaron, she then let out a frustrated huff of smoke from her snout.

"So does she have a name?" Bella then looked to Lebaron and said "yes her name is Fluerette."

The fox Pokemon then puffed out her chest and gave a dignified and proud yip. Lebaron chuckled, "heh cute" he said.

"So Lebaron, shall we go to the bakery now?" Bella asked as she began to head out of the Inn with Fluerette following her. The boy's eyes soon widened as he hastily trailed behind, "oh yeah! Sure I'll buy!" She grinned at his reply, "I know".

After a long afternoon spent with Lebaron, Bella finally decided to call it a day and return to her manor, much to the delight of Fluerette and the objection of her friend. Lebaron begged Bella to stay just a bit longer while Fluer bit down and tugged at the bottom of her dress, obviously signifying that the tiny vixen was ready to leave.

"Im sorry Lebaron, but I really must go my father will begin to worry about me, besides Fluer is ready to leave anyway," she said as she picked up her Pokemon.

"Oh ok… Well goodbye Bella…" Lebaron replied with a disheartened look on his face.

"Goodbye Lebaron." Bella called out.

"Bye bye Lebaron" Fluer thought happily as she was being carried off to the manor by her human companion.

After a short walk back to the manor, Bella and Fluerette decided to retire to the library room of the home. Bella was reading a romance novel out loud to Fluer who was listening intently to the story. This particular tale was about a poor, servant girl who was in love with a handsome noble man yet his heart was set on her mistress. The fox Pokémon was fascinated by the novel's characters and how tragic of a situation they were in. She particularly sympathized with the peasant girl, as she had to watch her one, true love court another woman. The two were now getting to the meat of the story when one of the great doors leading into the library opened up to reveal the small, shy servant, Agathe.

"H... h..hello" Agathe stuttered as she entered the library. "Lady Bella, are you in here?" she carefully treaded through the rows of giant shelves filled with books until she heard her mistress speak.

"Yes Agathe, over here!" The servant approached the young lady and her Pokémon timidly.

"My lady your father has sent me to inform you that dinner is soon to be ready…" as Agathe said this she lowered her gaze so not to meet eye level with her superior.

Bella giggled at the display finding it cute, she then walked over and placed her hand on the poor girl's shoulder.

"Heheh… Come then, let's not keep my father waiting." Bella then took Agathe's hand, which shocked and embarrassed the maiden, and led her out of the library leaving a confused Fluerette behind.

"Wait, is Bella just going to leave me sitting here waiting? And why was she holding that girl's hand?" The Pokemon thought about this as she rushed out to accompany her owner.