Hey, you guys; long time no see. XD

WELL. Straight to the point, then. This is my team from PMD:EoS. ^^

I have other one-shots posted on DeviantART featuring them, as well as the first chapter of Roles Reversed; I'll be posting them here eventually, I assure you. c:

Also, this's just gonna be a pile of one/two-shots featuring members of Team Relic. |3

That's their team name, by the by. :D

The sky looks dead tonight.

That was what Erica thought as she gazed at the black expanse. The stars were oddly absent that night and the clouds were still- it was as if she were observing a painting, and not the world as it was at that moment.

Her body ached from the day's exploration, but it had become a tradition to visit the beach after each difficult mission. The vulpix's five tails (one had been ripped off months ago by Skuntank and his gang) swished from side-to-side as she tried to avoid being splashed by the ebbing waves.

"You're always out here..." her partner, Riolu, sighed as he came toward her. "You don't even like water..."

"Well, I like the beach," she said haughtily, though backed away from the shoreline as the salty water rocked further up the sand.

Riolu just chuckled in response. In truth, the vulpix had hated the beach since she woke up there almost two years ago. She'd always ranted and raved about how disgusting the air smelled or how dangerous it was to even come near the water. Her opinion had changed only after she had reappeared four months ago.

"I didn't ask you to come and get me, anyway," she said with a yawn.

"If I didn't, you'd end up sleeping out here every night." The jackal-like Pokemon smiled softly at her.

"I'd never make such a mistake," she insisted as she turned her gaze back to the sky. Riolu reached over and brushed the hair out of her eyes impulsively.

"You need to cut it, you know," He grinned toothily as the auburn fringe covered her brown eyes again.

"And you need to stop surprising me." She humphed and hid her face by turning away. She wouldn't admit it to anyone later, but a blush covered her cheeks.

"Erica?" She looked up at the sound of her name. "Hey, we should head back."

"... Yeah, okay," The vulpix stood and started up the beach toward the stone steps. Riolu stared after her for a moment before following.

That was how it had always been between them; he'd always followed along after her, though he was technically the team's leader. He'd always, always, without fail, been there to catch her when she fell; he'd been her first friend when she woke up in an unfamiliar body, and he'd been the first to see her when Dialga brought her back to life.

Well, technically it was Bidoof, but that wasn't the point.

"The beach is where you came back, right?" he blurted suddenly. He kicked himself mentally as Erica's form swiveled around and she watched him from the top of the stairs.

"Mm-hmm," was her soft reply before she turned and kept walking.

Riolu remembered the time before his partner had come back. He remembered how much it had hurt to be separated from her for that agonizing three months, two weeks, and four days. She never spoke about what it had been like- what nonexistence had felt like, though. He assumed it had been tough for her, from the way her eyes glazed over when others asked about it.

"I'm sorry, Erica, I didn't mean to-," He stopped himself as she turned and shook her head at him.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it." She gave a sad smile and waited for him at the Guild's outer entrance.

She wasn't being herself tonight. She definitely, absolutely, was not the hot-headed, over-enthusiastic vulpix he knew and loved.

Loved?

Riolu's face turned a deep red (though it was tinted purple because of his blue fur) and his voice was quiet as Erica said goodnight to him in their room.

"Hey, Erica?" he started softly after her breathing had slowed and he was sure she was asleep. "I realized something tonight. You might be mad at me if I tell you, but I think I might love you." He continued on in a muffled whisper now, his face still heated and his eyes closed. "I think I might've always loved you, too. I'm pretty stupid though; it's pretty hard to believe I didn't realize it sooner, right?" He chuckled quietly and rolled onto his side so that his back was to her sleeping form. "I don't have the courage to tell you to your face right now, but I'll work on it..."

Unbeknownst to Riolu, Erica had been awake for his entire confession; she felt unable to breathe until she heard her partner's soft snoring echo through the silent room.

It's about time, you idiot... she thought flatly as she shifted, tightening herself into a ball on her bed of straw. You better tell me soon, or I'll have to do it first...

She thought about teasing him tomorrow, but evil scheming was best left to an alert mind. For now, she'd just spend the days waiting for her lovable riolu partner to tell her, and her nights star-watching on the beach...

Can't promise I'll reply right away, but I wouldn't mind a review or two.

Also, I don't own Pokemon, but I do own the characters (besides Bidoof) featured in this story. Please don't steal~! DB