A quiet sigh escaped the Braixen's lips as she flopped over the cute table that resembled a tree trunk. Obviously not one, but just resembling one, and crafted in such a way that it looks really like one. It was too short for Xena, but just right for Ria, being a Vileplume. Lazily, the Fox Pokemon grabbed the yellow pen and drew something that in a strange way, resembled a very distorted chicken. Then, in her best effort, she took the red pen and neatly drew a vixen next to it. The vixen appeared to be shredding the chicken to bits, explaining why so little effort was put in while drawing the chicken. Xena smiled at the picture.

Rose would be the chicken.

Ria looked at the drawn picture and sighed, rolling her eyes. Again, her best friend was daydreaming.

I would be the vixen.

The center of Ria's rafflesia bubbled. Xena, too caught up in her daydreaming, didn't notice it.

The prey and the predator..?

While Xena admired her drawing, Ria shot out a vicious, bubbling Sludge Bomb. Xena's head snapped up, reacting to the gurgling sound of the poison, and blasted it away with her own Psychic. Ria ducked, dodging the splattering acid that shortly disappeared after being blown away by the Braixen's Psychic. Growling softly, Xena folded her arms and turned her head away in arrogance, snorting.

"What was that for?" the Braixen asked in her most demanding voice.

"You were daydreaming," Ria said shortly. "You said you'd try and create a list on what to hate Ford on. That's what you said, at least."

"Yes, I did say that, Ria. But I never said to spit some Sludge Bomb at me. I said to call my name if I wasn't paying attention!" Xena snapped heatedly, glaring back down on the Vileplume in a non-serious manner. The Flower Pokemon returned it with a release of very stinky and unwanted air. "Ugh! Ria!"

"I called your name four times, Xena," Ria said shortly. "You wouldn't pay attention, though."

"It smells like you farted, Ria! Absorb it back in!"

"I can't do that."

"Argh!" Xena covered her snout with her paw, threw open the door and darted out.

Ria, blinking from inside of her house, called out, "Close the door next time!"

The Vileplume only wanted the Braixen to realize that she couldn't hate her crush, after all.

"Stupid damned Vileplume... aren't best friends supposed to be supportive? Not shooting out some foul air in the same room..." Xena muttered, taking in fresh air—and treating it like it was a gift from Arceus. "I suppose she's my best friend, but just not the typical best friends most people have..."

"Hello!" a cheery voice greeted from behind her. Xena, irritated, turned around and saw Zuzure—that one Azumarill who knew everything that happened in the village. "You must be Xena! Aren't you?"

"Yes," Xena replied shortly. As she mentioned sometime ago, she didn't hold a liking for this Azumarill. "If there's nothing you need to tell me, then please, with all due respect, leave me alone. I am, in fact, needing some privacy."

Zuzure tipped her head to her right, smiling. "But I can help you!" Now curious, Xena blinked at the Azumarill. "You see, I overheard from a conversation between you and Ria—well, I think it's Ria, it sounded like her—and I heard that you like Ford—"

Xena cut her off. "Why were you eavesdropping?!"

The Azumarill made an indignant sound. "It's not my fault my hearing is so good! Sometimes I hear things I don't even want to hear... anyways, I'm here to give you a little help... or something that you might consider help, considering on your attitude."

Xena nodded sharply. "On with it, then!"

"I'm just trying to help..." Zuzure said defensively. "Well, I heard that Rose—you know that Roselia?—has a major crush on Ford, and I think he knows about it, but you know... earlier today, Rose confessed... I think."

Xena blinked. She had seen Rose yesterday, when Ford was looking after his amaryllises. She hadn't seen Ford or Rose this entire day so far—well, she had been with Ria most of the time.

"When Ford rejected her, Rose—I think she started crying. Her voice sounded wobbly and choked. She asked why not. It's either because Ford was tired of her or was saying the truth, but he said he liked someone already."

"What?!"

"Xena, calm down. He could have been saying that to get Rose off his tail... does he even have a tail?" Zuzure looked admiringly at her own zigzag tail with a blue sphere at the end. "Well, whatever. It was just something I heard today."

Xena controlled herself from releasing all her anger. "Is that all?"

Zuzure nodded. "Yep, that's all!"

So... maybe the Azumarill wasn't so bad after all. "All right... thank you, Zuzure." She couldn't quite believe she was saying that, either.

"Oh... um, you're welcome." It was as if the Aqua Rabbit Pokemon hadn't been expecting that—she probably hadn't, judging by how Xena always had been giving her snarky remarks in the past.

Xena felt that she and Zuzure would be able to get along just fine in the future, but right now, she had run off already, searching for the Frogadier.

After all, she just needed to know who he liked.