Cat memes.

I wasn't particularly proud of myself, but I got the job done. When just the baby-doll eyes failed, I acted out as many cat memes as I could remember when only having access to Yvonne's closed bag, the lunch supplies she had used to cook, and the mile marker sign. Like I said, not my finest moment.

However, it didn't take too long before Sylvie was sure enough that our trainer's attention was solely on me. I didn't risk looking her way until Yvonne and I both couldn't help but notice the growing light show.

Yvonne gasped, then an open mouthed look of elation crossed her face. Nothing could be seen of Sylvie, I hoped we weren't about to shatter her dreams too hard. It had to be done, though. Neither of us would've been happy.

I kept telling myself that when Sylvie's light died down and she took a recognizable shape, because Yvonne didn't miss what was happening. However, it must've been too late by then. She just stood there, one leg a half-step forward and arms raised like she was thinking about reaching out and physically shaking Sylvie out of the evolution. Her face was the worst part, though. It was the most pure form of uncomprehending betrayal I had ever seen.

"…Sylvie?"

Her orange-furred ears tilted to us, then she turned her whole body and sat down. Yvonne darted her eyes across the new flareon in what had to have been an attempt to figure out how the evolution happened. "Yeah, it's me." Sylvie's voice was a bit deeper, but that must've came with the bigger vocal chords.

"Y- How-" Yvonne finally looked down to my empty bowl of water. That was when she took in a long breath through her nose, then put on the angriest face I've seen from her as she walked to Sylvie and knelt down on her knees. "Okay, missy. You have some explaining to do. Did you know that Fireball's water had a firestone in it?"

"We did, Yvonne." Sylvie was keeping it calm and steady, though.

The scowl was broken by a look of shock. "And, you still took it from him… Why?!" Putting a few fingers to her forehead, Yvonne rethought that question. "I mean, was he bragging about how he was going to evolve before you, or making fun of you for having trouble with your own evolution?"

I tried defending myself by saying that I would never do that, but they had ears only for each other, at the moment. Sylvie answered, "No, I didn't take it out of spite, and he didn't do anything like that."

"Then…" There were no more words from Yvonne for a time, just her touching a tuft of the poofy neck fur in disbelief. "What about the team's sylveon? You've known I wanted to start with a fire and fairy duo for years…"

The hurt in her voice was beaten into submission by the level look Sylvie gave her. She motioned her muzzle at the untouched cupcake from her meal and then to me.

Yvonne followed the gaze, but, apparently, not the intention. "But your names. I guess Sylvie could be a common enough girl name that it could go with any type, but Fireball could only ever be a name for a fire type. It just wouldn't make sense-"

I took that moment to walk right up to them and pull out my best Sylvie impression. No, I didn't give them a deadpan stare. I shoved my face down onto the poképuff, stuffing it all into my mouth at once. "Waf' me."

Sylvie must've recognized the imitation, since she turned her head away in shame.

"Yeh, dif iff wha' I faw f'om 'ou." I finished chewing in time to question what I was seeing. Was it a trick of the light that made Sylvie's cheek fur look red, or was that really how mammal-like pokémon blushed?

"Did you know she was going to do that?" Our trainer had finally found some words for me. I nodded, but was barely able to get through the motion before she put it together herself. "You were in on it! You didn't want to be a flareon, either?"

It was around then that Sylvie rubbed against Yvonne's side. I imagined it was in an effort to put all the bad blood behind us, and it seemed to work. Our trainer took a moment, then wrapped her arms around Sylvie's neck to hold her tight. "I'm sorry for stabbing you in the back like that, Yvonne. I should've tried telling you sooner."

Yvonne mumbled something into Sylvie's collar fluff, but I couldn't hear it clearly. Then there was a louder sniff and she looked over Sylvie's shoulder to me. "Hey, get in here. The way I understand it is that you were part of this, too."

I tried to protest interrupting their moment, but Sylvie cut me off. "She's right. Hug it out already, Wilder." She jerked her head their way, and I found myself walking over.

Dang it, I was trying to be selfish back when I first wanted to take the sylveon evolution for my own. Why'd these two have to make me develop a soft spot for them?

Either way, we had our group hug that was made warm by the magic of friendship and Sylvie's new high body temperature.