Chapter 15 - The Perfect Night

Sparks had overslept.

He knew it the moment he opened his eyes. The bright light of day was streaming through his window, looking nothing at all like the glow of a morning sunrise. The question was just how much had he overslept. Had he missed breakfast? The morning briefing?

With a groan and a stretch, Sparks heaved himself out of bed. Oversleeping was never a good thing for anybody, but sometimes he just couldn't help it. Sometimes stress just got to be too much, or the nightmares would keep him awake all night. And, though it happened far less often these days, sometimes he just couldn't find the strength to wake up.

But not today. Sparks reasoned that he had just been extra tired and had slept through his usual wakeup time. It was a new year, and things had been going well.

Sparks stood up and stretched once more. His grumbling belly was telling him that he had indeed missed breakfast and now it was angry at him. As he looked around his room for his badge and scarf to put on, something didn't seem quite right. There was something strange about the way his room was lit up.

When Sparks turned around and looked out the window in his room, he gasped in delight. It was snowing outside, and the lawn outside his window was blanketed in a smooth, pristine layer of untouched snowfall. Quite a lot of snowflakes were falling from the light grey clouds, but at such a gentle pace that it was absolutely gorgeous to look at. It was the first snowfall of the season.

Excited and suddenly full of a lot more energy, Sparks immediately headed out the door of his room. Snow was one of those things that always made him feel like a cub, no matter how old he got. He looked forward to snowfall every year, and this year was no different, especially since things had been going relatively well lately.

After the brief fallout of Carmen finding out that Ziggy had entered the MD, thoughts for the whole guild had quickly turned to congratulations. The young Buizel had gotten plenty of praise from his peers, and though he seemed bashful he did seem to genuinely appreciate the compliments.

Christmas had been a fun celebration. It had brought Sparks a sense of joy he did not often feel when he snuck into Ziggy's room on Christmas morning, and then gently woke him up so he could deliver his present. Ziggy had been emotionally shaken just from the fact of receiving a gift in the first place, and he was very appreciative of the warm mittens Sparks had gotten him. Christmas dinner and the party afterwards had been a fun event, and so had New Year's Eve. Sparks had taken Ziggy out to see the fireworks.

It was now January 5th, less than a week into the new year. Things had somewhat gotten back to normal after the heyday of the holiday season. The active team was all together and working on jobs for the public, Ziggy was doing his chores around the guild, and Danika was still locked in her dungeon upstairs. Dante had returned, as promised, and was now staying with the guild for a couple of days. Sparks had delighted in seeing Ziggy's eyes light up the moment the Lucario stepped into the common room once again.

Sparks knocked on the door to Ziggy's room and called out the Buizel's name. Ziggy didn't tend to sleep in, but he also wasn't keen on leaving his room without seeing Sparks first. A moment later, he heard Ziggy reply. "Sparks…?" His voice sounded quiet, only just loud enough to be heard through the closed door.

"Can I come in, buddy?"

"Uh huh…"

"Cool. Sorry for sleeping in," Sparks said as he used his badge to open Ziggy's door. He stepped inside and said, "Did you see? Did you see outside? It's snowing!"

Sparks then paused once he was fully in the room as he looked over at Ziggy. The Buizel was standing up on his bed, his paws resting on the sill of the window that was right above it. He was just tall enough to be able to look out the window, which he was doing in silence. It looked like Ziggy was watching the snowfall, which Sparks could definitely relate to.

"Pretty, huh?" Sparks asked as he walked over to the bed. Ziggy didn't reply and when Sparks got closer, he noticed the Buizel's expression. Ziggy looked positively mesmerized by the sight of the snow outside. His eyes were wide and Sparks could swear there was a literal twinkle in them. His mouth hung open just a bit while he breathed quietly, remaining silent and unmoving save for the tiny movement of his pupils.

"Ziggy?"

Still he didn't move. He seemed spellbound by the snowfall, hypnotized and rooted to the spot by the mere sight of it. It almost looked like he was watching something never before seen by a Pokémon's eyes.

"Ziggy?" Sparks again prodded gently, "What's up?"

"It's…" Ziggy whispered, "I-it's…incredible…"

Sparks glanced up at the window, tall enough to be able to see out of it without standing on the bed. "Yeah, it's quite a sight isn't it?"

"I've…I've never…" Ziggy murmured.

"Never what?" Sparks asked, "You're not gonna tell me you've never seen snow before. That's impossible."

"No, I've seen it before…" Ziggy replied. He was silent for a moment before saying in a slow, soft tone, "I've just…never seen it like this…"

"What do you mean?"

Finally, Ziggy turned and gave Sparks a very solemn look. "Well, usually…snow is a really bad thing for me."

To say Sparks was confused by that remark would be an understatement. He gave Ziggy a baffled look for a moment, but soon his expression lit up as he realized what Ziggy meant. "Ohh…"

Ziggy frowned. "Snow means…cold…cold nights…wet, cold snow in the spots I usually sleep…cold paws while I try to sneak around and run…and it makes the mud even colder on my fur…"

"Oh goodness, I didn't even think of that…" Sparks remarked. It made sense to him now, and it was a sobering thought. This was the first time Ziggy was seeing snow without it being a deadly threat. Sparks figured he had probably never taken the time to just stop and look at the snow.

"It's…really nice looking," Ziggy said, having gone back to looking out the window.

"Oh yeah," Sparks said, "Snow is wonderful. Always brings a smile to my face. But it's especially nice when you can watch it somewhere warm and cozy."

"Y-yeah…" Ziggy fidgeted a little with his paws and said, "It's kinda weird…There's still a part of me that's, like, tryin' to tell me that I'm in trouble 'cus there's snow…"

"It's baked into your brain," Sparks said, "Just try to ignore it and enjoy the spectacle. Y'know, there's a bigger window down in the common room…Did you get breakfast yet?"

"Uh…No…"

"Yeah, I slept in. Sorry about that," Sparks said, "We missed it so we'll have to go beg Liz for something, heh… C'mon, let's go."

Ziggy didn't reply right away. His attention was still trained on the sight of the snow outside of his window. After Sparks reached over and tapped him on the shoulder, Ziggy said, "R-right. Sure."

As Ziggy followed Sparks out of his room and over to the common room, Sparks said, "We can go out in the snow today if you want. We can go out in the courtyard, or if you want we can go in the front yard where there's more room."

"Outside…?" Ziggy asked, a hint of trepidation in his voice. Sparks wasn't sure if it was because of the snow and his preconceived notions of it, or because of going outside entirely.

The two entered the common room. As Sparks expected, it was deserted save for the remnants of the breakfast they had missed on the table. "Yeah," he said in answer to Ziggy, "You've got your hoodie and your brand new mittens, so you should be warm enough. We could build a Snow-Pika!"

"…What's that?"

Sparks chuckled as he and Ziggy sat down at the end of the table, where two empty plates sat. He knew that Liz would drop by soon enough to clean up the table before she headed out on a job, and Sparks was hoping she would be bringing leftovers with her.

"So, you got your list of chores for today?" Sparks asked him.

"Yeah, it's in my room," Ziggy answered. Sparks was happy to say that Ziggy had settled in quite nicely to his new position as 'errand boy' for the guild. With every passing day, he became more comfortable with the tasks that were being asked of him. They were still refraining from giving him tasks that took him outside, but he almost always did what he was told to do without question. Sometimes he would get a little nervous or anxious about something, and sometimes he needed Sparks' help to get him through his anxiety, but otherwise he was doing pretty well.

"More Danika help?" Sparks asked.

"More Danika help," Ziggy answered, "But, also…Carmen wants me to help Dante with something today."

"Oh, really?"

"Uh huh…" Ziggy said with a nod. He paused for a minute and then looked up at Sparks with what could almost be described as a hopeful expression. "Do you think…he'll tell me another story?"

"Haha!" Sparks laughed, "I'm sure he'd be happy to if you ask him nicely."

"Y-yeah…?"

"You really seem to like him, huh?"

Ziggy looked away and bashfully fidgeted with his paws. "S-sorta…"

Sparks chuckled. "He's nice, isn't he?"

"He's…really cool," Ziggy said. There was just a hint of cublike wonder in his voice, something Sparks didn't often hear from the Buizel. "The stories he tells are…incredible. He can probably do anything!"

"Heh, sometimes it seems that way… I think all of us strive to be like him in some way or another…"

A moment later, the door opened and Liz stepped inside with a tray, ready to clean off the table. She caught sight of the two and said, "There ya are! Y'all are missin' a perfectly good snow day!"

"Liiiiiiz," Sparks playfully whined, "Where's my coffeeeee?"

"It's cold, ya Snorlax! That's what happens when ya sleep in. You know that!"

Liz approached the table and started picking up a few dishes. Ziggy had stood up and was already starting to help her without needing to be asked.

"Don'tcha worry, I'll warm it up," she said to Sparks, "I know it fuels ya."

"Thanks, Liz. Anything good for leftovers?"

"Berries are prob'ly your best bet today. Maybe have a big lunch later." She then turned to Ziggy, took a few plates from him, and said, "How 'bout you, hon? Why don't I make ya some hot chocolate tonight?"

Ziggy looked up at her and said, "What's 'hot chocolate'…?"

In the end, Sparks managed to convince Ziggy to come out and play in the front yard of the guild. The flat, open lawn was surrounded by hedges so there was still somewhat a sense of privacy, and Ziggy felt at ease because he was wearing his hoodie anyway for warmth. The yard was still open for Pokémon to come in and put something on the requests board, which did make Ziggy noticeably nervous, but he always just turned away whenever somebody came in. Nobody ever bothered them directly.

Ziggy had been quite hesitant to venture out into the snow. Sparks could see just how hard-wired his brain was to associate snow with danger, but his warm winter clothing seemed to help. Before long Ziggy was trudging through the snow, catching snowflakes on his tongue, and making snow angels. Sparks had showed him how to make a snow Pika, and then he'd made one on his own. It was almost laughably lopsided, but Sparks couldn't deny it had charm.

Sparks was now standing under the guild's awning, watching from the side as Ziggy wandered around and just explored the snow-covered area. The Buizel was walking along the hedges, seeing how the snow accumulated on its branches, and running his paws along it to cause the snow to fall. In some ways, it kind of was like Ziggy had never seen snow before.

He belatedly realized that he was like a parent, sitting on the sidelines and watching his cub play in the yard.

The sound of extra pawsteps in the snow grabbed his attention, and he saw a rather miserable-looking Lombre wander in through the gates holding a piece of paper. Grass-types generally didn't like the snow, so Sparks didn't blame him for looking grumpy. While the Lombre went over to put his request on the board, Sparks worriedly looked back at Ziggy.

He was still looking at the snow on the hedges. He hadn't even noticed.

Working at the guild had definitely had a positive impact on Ziggy. Perhaps it was the sense of duty that gave him a better feeling of belonging. Sparks had heard him say in the past that he didn't feel like he deserved to be sheltered in the guild, so maybe that was changing now. Furthermore, it seemed the simple act of having something to do helped to keep his mind from going in circles. He was less worried about a lot of things now.

Going outside was still the big obstacle they were trying to overcome. Sparks was happy Ziggy would still agree to go on short walks from time to time, albeit in his hoodie, but it would be a long while before he would be able to go anywhere near the busy downtown or the marketplace.

Sparks glanced up at the skies. The snow was still falling, and it didn't look like it was going to stop any time soon. The days immediately following a snowfall were usually some of the guild's busiest days. While it was beautiful, snow caused a lot of problems for a lot of Pokémon, so the guild was there to help. Sparks knew he was going to have to help pick up the slack and take on some tasks that he usually wouldn't do, considering his position in the guild. He would be spending more time away from Ziggy until the snow melted, so he hoped the Buizel could handle it.

After a few minutes of just watching the snow, Sparks crunched his way across to where Ziggy was. "Hey, bud," he said, "How're you doing? Not getting too cold?"

"No," Ziggy replied.

"That's good. Whatcha lookin' at?"

Ziggy showed him some little patterns he had made in the powdery snow with his paws and tail. Sparks stood behind him, watching and listening. He delighted in seeing the Buizel enjoying something, even something as small as this. Sparks kept an eye out to make sure Ziggy wasn't shivering. He had become quite aware that Water-types had a resistance to the chills but, as Ziggy himself had pointed out, freezing temperatures like this were something else entirely.

Sparks then yelped loudly as something cold and wet struck him in the side of the head. He winced as it stung slightly, and turned to look behind him. Ziggy had heard him shout and was now looking around in fright.

Standing in the middle of the courtyard were Terry and Rico. Rather, Rico was standing while Terry was sitting. Both Pokémon had freshly-made snowballs held in their paws and both were giving Sparks a devious look. A split second later, Terry reared back and tossed his snowball right at Sparks, who held up his forelimbs to block it just in time.

"Ha! Ya almost got him again!" Rico said while laughing.

"I told you his reflexes were too good!" Terry replied with a giggle.

Sparks brushed the snow off of his limbs and shoulders. He caught a glimpse of Ziggy beside him. Ziggy no longer looked frightened now that he had seen Terry and Rico, but now just looked confused. Sparks then looked back at the pair of explorers and was about to hurl a playful insult at them, when he saw that Rico had already thrown his snowball.

Even with his trained reflexes, Sparks didn't have time to block the snowball before it struck Ziggy in his chest, causing him to yelp.

"Hey!" Sparks shouted, "What's the big idea, Rico? What's wrong with you?"

"Rico…!" Terry was giving the Riolu a surprised and concerned look. Rico had been wearing a smug expression after hitting his target, but it immediately melted away to a frown.

Sparks grumbled loudly and turned his attention back to Ziggy. The Buizel just looked more confused than anything, looking down at his chest as if he was trying to figure out what had just happened. "You okay, bud? Did it hurt?" Sparks asked as he leaned down to brush the snow off of his hoodie.

"Uh…N-no, I don't think so…" Ziggy murmured.

In the background, Sparks could hear Terry talking. "Rico, what did you do that for?" he said in a voice that wasn't angry or scolding, but was certainly not positive by any means, "Why'd you hit Ziggy?"

"Ah…I, uh…" Rico muttered.

Sparks finished cleaning off the remnants of the snowball, and Ziggy just looked up at him with questioning eyes. "It's a snowball," Sparks explained, "It's just a way for cubs and dumb teenagers to have fun in the snow. Young Pokémon sometimes have 'snowball fights' with each other."

"O-oh…" Ziggy replied.

The sound of pawsteps crunching in the snow caught Sparks' ear, and he and Ziggy turned to see the other two walking over to them. Rico looked incredibly remorseful. "Hey, Ziggy, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, that was dumb of me. I just threw it without thinking. I've been having snowball fights since I was a tiny cub, so…"

"Uh…I-it's okay," Ziggy replied.

Sparks gave Rico the stink eye, and Rico wilted under it. He had just managed to convince Ziggy to go outside and enjoy the snow. Ziggy had been having such a nice, peaceful time too.

"Sorry…" Rico said again with a big frown. Sparks saw him cast a remorseful gaze at Terry as well. The Eevee looked like he wanted to be upset at Rico, but could only manage a bit of pity for him. Sparks knew it could be hard to be mad at one's girlfriend or boyfriend even if they messed something up, but he also knew how badly it felt to be the one to mess up in front of one's girlfriend or boyfriend.

"It's okay…" Ziggy repeated, "Just, um…Please don't do it again…?" His voice got smaller and smaller as his request came out, to the point where the last word was almost inaudible.

"Of course, of course. I won't, Ziggy. I promise," Rico said.

Sparks sighed softly and tried to shake off the negative feelings. It was a small incident of poor judgement. No need to dwell on it. "So, what're you two doing back so early?" Sparks asked.

"Client cancelled our job due to the snow," Terry answered, "So we came back to pick something off the request board."

"Ah, yeah. That tends to happen," Sparks said with a nod, "You guys prepared for the big workload we're gonna get?"

"Oh yeah. We're totally ready!" Rico said, regaining some of his bravado.

"You sure? You seemed a bit overwhelmed last year," Sparks remarked. During the previous winter, Terry and Rico had only been recruits for a couple months.

"Yeah, we were newbies back then! We're so much better now!" Rico retorted, "Right, Ter?"

Terry chuckled and said, "We're stronger than ever!"

"We're the best team we can possibly be!"

"Heehee…" Terry giggled, then leaned over and gave Rico a quick kiss on the cheek. "Love ya!"

Rico immediately blushed and looked away from Sparks. "Heh… Love you too…"

"You two are just the cutest, you know that?" Sparks said.

"Hey, c'mon now…" Rico murmured in a quiet voice, scuffing his paw in the snow.

"You've grown really close to one another, especially over the holidays. At Christmas and New Year's, I swear I've never seen two more snuggly Pokémon."

"Heh, well…Blame his soft fur," Rico said.

"Heehee! He's the best boyfriend!" Terry proclaimed with a smile, "I wish we'd started dating sooner. I was missing out this whole time!"

"Well, you two'd better get going if you're gonna take another job. The sun goes down a lot earlier now, remember."

"Yeah…" Rico replied. He then perked up and said, "Oh! Hey, speaking of which…Uh, we were gonna go for a walk in the snow after the sun sets. You wanna come with us?"

"Me?" Sparks replied in confusion, "You want me to come?"

"Sure! We're gonna ask everyone on the team. The more the merrier!"

"Oh! Oh, well then sure. I'll tag along," Sparks said. He chuckled to himself for thinking he'd just been asked to be a third wheel on a date between the two.

"Great!" Terry cheered, "I haven't had a nice walk in the night snow in a few years now! I never get the chance!"

Sparks then turned to Ziggy. "You wanna come, bud?"

"Huh?" Ziggy replied, "A walk…at night…?"

"You can wear your hoodie, of course. And it'll blend in with the night too!"

"Uhh…" Ziggy fidgeted his paws and looked down at the snowy ground nervously, "We're…We're not gonna go…to the…?"

Sparks knew what Ziggy was asking and forwarded the question himself. "Where are we going?"

"Probably around the perimeter road. Maybe along the cliffs if someone can bring a lantern," Rico said.

"So, not to the market," Sparks said to Ziggy.

"Um…I guess so…" Ziggy said quietly, "I-if you're coming with us…"

"Cool!" Rico said with a thumbs up, "We'll head out at about 6 or 6:30."

"Sounds good!" Sparks said with a nod.

"C'mon, Rico! Let's go get another job from the board now!" Terry then said, giving Rico a nudge in the side.

"Sounds like a plan, sweetheart!" Rico said with a grin, "Let's go!"

With that, the two young Pokémon ran off through the snow. Laughter filled the courtyard as they raced one another over to the board, where they stood for a few moments before tearing off one of the job postings.

Sparks grinned. "Heh heh… They may have only 'officially' started dating a couple months ago, but those two have been dating for years without even realizing it…"

As Terry and Rico ran out of the gate, Ziggy turned up to Sparks with a quizzical look. "What do you mean…?"

"Nothing," Sparks said, shaking his head, "We should probably head inside. You've still got chores to do."

"Okay," Ziggy said, and then obediently began making his way back over to the guild's employee entrance. Sparks followed after him.

Several hours later, night had fallen on the bustling Radiant City. It was still snowing just as much as it had been in the morning, and the snowbanks were slowly starting to pile up.

But, while nighttime had arrived, darkness did not entirely join it. With the land covered in the bright white blanket of snow, coupled with the light from torches and streetlights, a mysterious orange-yellow glow was cast across the land. Even the sky didn't seem as pitch black as it usually did during the night. It created a strange yet beautiful landscape, quite different from the one seen during the day.

Six Pokémon were walking alongside the perimeter road that encircled the city. Their paws crunched through the snow, which was thankfully not yet quite deep enough to make walking troublesome. Terry and Rico were at the front of the pack. Only four Pokémon, including Sparks and Ziggy, had accepted their invitation to go on a walk, but spirits were high despite how small the group was. To Sparks' left was Kona, and just in front of them but behind the couple was Lupe.

And, to Sparks' right, there was Ziggy. The little Buizel was bundled up in his hoodie and wearing his new mittens. He looked quite snug under his warm layers, which Sparks was happy to see since it had gotten chillier after the sun had set.

There weren't many Pokémon out in the snow. Most were probably huddled up at home by the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa. This left the streets of the usually-bustling city rather calm and quiet. There was a strange sort of stillness in the air, despite the plentiful amount of snowflakes still falling to the ground.

When he was out on walks Ziggy was usually looking all around himself, keeping on the lookout for threats. Today, though, Sparks noticed that Ziggy's gaze kept drifting upwards towards the falling snow.

"It sure is pretty…" he remarked.

"Yeah…" Ziggy replied softly, "Real pretty…"

"I love the way the snow looks," Lupe said, glancing back at them, "I just wish it was a little warmer, heh heh…" The Vulpix was wearing a scarf, a toque and mittens on all four of her paws.

"It's nice…" Ziggy said, "I…really never realized how…nice it is…"

"I love doing this!" Terry said, apparently having heard their conversation. He stopped walking and turned around to face the others, with Rico doing so as well a moment after. "I've always loved snow at night. It's amazing to watch!"

"Yeah," Sparks agreed, "It's something that doesn't tend to cross your mind."

"It's the best when it's still a fresh snowfall, like it is tonight!" Terry grinned as he glanced around at the scenery. "I'm so happy I got a chance to do this. I'm having so much fun!"

Rico was smiling as he looked over at his boyfriend. It was uncertain whether his rosy cheeks were from the cold air or from seeing Terry look so happy. "Glad we could make it happen," he said.

"Aw, I'm so glad I can share this with you, Rico!"

"Heh…" Rico murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. He was only wearing a toque and a small backpack, which he said he had packed a few snacks into.

The group continued walking after that, moving further along the perimeter road. They started approaching the more residential side of the city, which meant that the atmosphere only got quieter. At one point Sparks glanced over at Ziggy, who seemed to be intrigued by the puffs of air created by his breaths.

"Let me know if you're cold," Sparks said.

"I'm fine," he replied.

Sparks was about to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of a sudden sneeze. He glanced over and saw Rico rubbing his muzzle with his paw. "S'cuse me," he said.

Lupe giggled. "Well, that was cute."

"Hey, c'mon. Riolu aren't cute," he retorted, sticking his tongue out at her.

"That might be the dumbest thing you've ever said," Lupe remarked.

"I gotta agree with her on this one," Terry said, giving Rico a playful nudge.

"You're the cute one…"

"Aww, flatterer…" Terry giggled, and then leaned in to kiss Rico on the cheek. Rico appeared particularly flustered by the display of affection.

The Riolu then cleared his throat and addressed the group as a whole. "Say! Why don't we fire up Kona's lantern and go walk along the ridge?" He pointed off into the distance, and Sparks followed his paw. There was an area where the land rose up slightly, with a couple paths and staircases leading up to the top of it. From the top, one could get a great view of the cliffs that bordered the city to the north, as well as the city itself.

There were no light sources up on the ridge, which wouldn't be a problem as Kona was carrying a lantern. "Sounds good to me," Kona said. When there were no objections, he opened the small latch on the side of the lantern to open it up, and then held it out towards Lupe. "Would you do the honours?"

Lupe grinned, breathed in, and then exhaled a small Ember attack. The tiny stream of fire slipped through the latch and immediately illuminated the lamp, while keeping Kona's paws safe from harm.

"Excellent flame control as always," Sparks remarked.

"Oh stop, you'll make me blush," Lupe replied.

"Yeah, that's Rico's job tonight," Terry said, earning a small laugh from everyone.

Once the lamp was illuminated, the group walked forward a little more until they came across one of the trailheads that would lead them up to the top of the ridge. They chose to take this one as it had a staircase, which would reduce the risk of slipping on the snow while climbing up a hill. As they walked down the path, the city lights faded into the distance and the darkness of night encroached around them. The sounds of the city, what few there had been, also dampened to a barely noticeable din.

There were a couple scattered trees along the hill and the ridge, which caught the light of the lantern and created some dazzling light patterns. Their lantern was thankfully quite bright and lit up the area around them nicely. Its light caused all of the snowflakes to glow like falling embers.

Ziggy was walking in front of Sparks, but he kept pausing to look at things along the way. "C'mon bud, keep up," Sparks gently encouraged, "We don't wanna get left behind."

"Sorry," he apologized, "It's just…really really beautiful up here…"

"I know. Radiant City wears the snow well."

The Buizel turned back to look at him. "…Thank you for bringing me with you," he said.

"Aw, it's no problem bud. I'm just glad to see you having a good time."

Before long they reached the stairs that led up the steeper part of the ridge, and all six of them carefully made their way up. It seemed like nobody else was out on the ridge, leaving them alone in the dark and the silence. It was getting pretty chilly, especially considering they were going nearer to the ocean, and Sparks was wishing he had worn something more than a scarf and mittens. Ziggy didn't seem too bothered by the cold, though. It was amazing what a change in perspective could do.

"Whoaa! Look at that view!" Lupe exclaimed once they had reached the top of the ridge. Everyone turned around and followed her gaze back to the city. From this slightly elevated location, they could see quite a bit more of the city. All of the lights from the various buildings and streetlights, whether they were electric or simply a burning torch, all lit up the city in a dazzling array.

"Radiant City has never looked so…radiant," Kona said with a chuckle.

"D'you think they named the city during winter?"

"It'd make sense, I suppose."

They kept walking further along the ridge, until they reached what seemed to be the highest point. There were no trees at this particular spot, allowing for the best view that the night would permit. The group slowed down so they could appreciate the view for a minute.

"What an amazing sight!" Terry commented, "Isn't it great, Rico?"

"Yeah…Yeah i-it is…"

Sparks glanced over at the two. The fire from the lantern was lighting up Terry's fluffy fur in a dim orange glow, almost giving him the appearance of a Jolteon-Flareon fusion. However, he was more paying attention to Rico. The Riolu had been quiet ever since they had started their climb up the ridge. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous or uneasy about something. Sparks had caught the brief stammer in his voice a moment ago.

He wasn't sure, though. Maybe Rico had just taken notice of Terry and his orange glow as well. Sparks did have to admit it was a good look on him.

"It's been a good holiday season," Kona commented, "Even if we did almost get lost in a dungeon that one time."

"I'm still so jealous that I missed out on that!" Terry replied.

"Haha! Poor Rico had to go in without you."

"Yeah…I wish I coulda backed you up, hon!"

Rico nodded. "It…wasn't the same without you."

Sparks frowned as he watched the group converse with each other. Something was definitely up with Rico. He wasn't acting like his usual self. Sparks couldn't figure out why, though. It had been his idea to come up here on the ridge in the first place.

"Hey!" Terry exclaimed, "I just realized something! Rico…This ridge…Isn't this where we completed our first job for the guild?"

Rico looked over at him and nodded. "Yeah…It is."

"A cub ran away, and we went looking for him," Terry said, "Rico suggested we look up here, and that's where we found him. Oh boy, we were so happy when we found him. Our first job together, as a team, and as guildmembers! I'll always remember that day…"

"Yup…" Rico said, nodding, "This is a special spot for us. That's why I wanted to come up here." He started walking across the snow over towards where Terry was standing. "And that's why…Well, I can't think of a better place for this."

Terry tilted his head. "Hm? For what?"

"We're up here on this ridge, the first of our many adventures together…The snow is beautiful, the city is beautiful…and you're beautiful, Terry. I'm…really glad you came up here with me…and I'm glad we're here surrounded by some of our closest friends."

"Wh…What? Rico, what're you talking about…?"

Rico was now standing directly in front of the Eevee. "Terry, I…" he spoke, "I have something important to ask you…"

Terry's eyes opened a little wider. In the background, Lupe quietly gasped.

"I…I know we're still young. I know we maybe might be too young to do this, but..." Rico smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "But, Terry…I've never been more certain of anything. I love you, Terry. I've loved you for a long time."

"I…I love you too, Rico…" Terry whispered, a rosy blush adorning his cheeks, "But…wh-what are you…?"

Rico got down on both of his knees, ignoring the chilly snow. Lupe gasped again. Rico reached around and took off his backpack. With shaking paws, he undid the fastener and opened the flap. As he reached in, he said, "I love you, and I want to be by your side…forever. We make the best team, you and I…and I want us to be together for whatever life throws at us."

From within the backpack, Rico pulled out a small bangle. It was bronze in colour, similar to Terry's brown fur. It was mostly simple in design, except for the clasp which was formed by two points that hooked into each other so that they looked like a pair of tails next to one another.

"Terry?" Rico said, holding the bangle out towards the Eevee, "Will you be my mate?"

A heavy silence fell over the group. Nobody moved a muscle. Terry was staring wide-eyed at both Rico and the bangle, his mouth hanging open wordlessly.

Rico's paws lowered a little, as if the bangle suddenly weighed a ton. "J-just know…Even if you say no, that's okay. I'll still be your teammate. I'll still be by your side for as long as-"

However, he couldn't get another word out. He was silenced by the heavy ball of fluff that suddenly tackled him into a tight hug, nearly knocking the wind out of him.

"Yes!"

Now it was Rico's turn to open his eyes wide in shock. "Wh-what?"

"Yes, Rico! Yes! Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"

It took a moment for Terry's words to sink in, but then Rico broke out into a huge, relived smile. "Y-yes? You said yes?"

"I love you, Rico!"

Rico hugged Terry back just as tightly. "I love you, Terry."

The sound of applause and cheering then filled the air as all the other Pokémon, Sparks included, began to offer their congratulations to the pair. Lupe was weeping and wiped a tear from her eye with her paw, but was smiling and clapping nonetheless.

"Did…Did you really say yes?" Rico said, and then laughed, "I wasn't just hearing things?"

"I would love to be your mate, Rico!" Terry replied, "Nothing would make me happier!" The two then moved back from their hug slightly and shared a passionate, loving kiss with one another.

Terry then reluctantly pulled himself away from the hug and sat down. Rico had dropped the bangle after the sudden hug, and so picked it up and brushed the snow off of it. Terry held up his right-front paw, which was trembling a little. With a huge lovestruck smile, Rico carefully attached the bangle around Terry's wrist, securing it in place with a defining click. Terry examined it for a moment, and then tackled Rico into another hug.

Sparks felt someone tugging on his forelimb, and looked down to see Ziggy was trying to get his attention. He knelt down closer to the Buizel and said, "What's up?"

"Uh…What just happened…?" he said quietly.

"They got engaged to be mates," Sparks explained.

"What does that mean…?"

"Well, it's like…" Sparks stopped himself suddenly. He was about to compare it to the example of two parents, but realized that wouldn't be the best choice of words for the orphan to hear. "It's when two Pokémon love each other so very, very much. To the point where it feels like the love they feel is going to burst and they can't hold it in any more…" After a pause, he quietly added, "They decided they want to spend the rest of their lives together."

"Oh…" Ziggy said. He nodded a moment later, and Sparks figured he was thinking of older couples he must have seen when he was younger and on the streets. "What's that thing he put on him?"

"The bangle? It's a symbol of commitment. Rico gave that to Terry now when he proposed, and Terry will give one to Rico during the ceremony when they officially become mates."

"Oh, okay…" Ziggy said. He seemed to understand what he had been told. "What did he mean about being too young…?"

"Well, Pokémon usually don't become mates until they get older. It's usually no earlier than their late 20's or early 30's, but there's nothing wrong with them doing it now. They both seem sure that it's the right choice."

There was a short pause, and then Ziggy asked, "Do…you have a mate?"

Sparks glanced down at Ziggy. "No," he said simply, "No, I don't."

"Aaaaaaah, I'm so happy!" Terry's gleeful voice cut through the air and drew everyone's attention. He was still hugging and nuzzling Rico.

"Wow…" Rico said, "That was the scariest moment of my life…"

"What? Really?" Kona remarked in disbelief.

"Oh, heck yeah!" Rico said with a laugh, "You can throw me down a deadly dungeon, make me fight a giant Tyranitar, lock me in a cage underwater…That stuff doesn't rattle me one bit. Bring it on!" He looked into Terry's eyes and his expression softened. "The thought of Terry saying 'no', though? …That was terrifying."

"Rico, don't be silly. You had nothing to worry about!" Terry said. He nuzzled his nose against Rico's and added, "And now that I've said 'yes', you can be truly fearless, huh? Heh heh!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Rico proclaimed, "I'll be the bravest adventurer ever! I'll be the next Dante!"

"Hey c'mon, let's not set impossible goals now…" Terry said, and everybody shared a laugh.

"Guys," Kona spoke up, "I don't mean to be a party pooper, but we only have so much oil in this lantern. If we stay out here too long it's gonna get a lot darker."

"Yeah, good point," Rico said, "We should probably head back anyway."

"I can't wait to show this to everyone!" Terry exclaimed, holding up the limb with the bangle on it.

"You two thought the guild gossip was bad when you were dating? Just wait…" Kona said.

After a moment, the two lovestruck Pokémon finally managed to separate themselves from their hug and everybody prepared to start heading back. Before they headed off, Lupe walked over and gave the both of them a hug of her own.

"Congratulations, Rico," she said, "Congratulations, Terry."

"Aw, thanks Lupe…" Rico said.

"I'm really happy for you both," Lupe said softly.

"Yeah, me too," Sparks said as he walked over to give them each a pat on the back, "You two really were made for each other."

"Y'think so?" Rico asked.

"I'd put more confidence in that than my ability to remember what I ate for breakfast the day before." Sparks snickered.

Sparks had never seen everybody so upbeat before.

There were smiles all around as the active team crowded by the whiteboard for the morning briefing. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, not the least of which were the newly engaged Terry and Rico. They were both right up at the front, standing close enough for their fur to brush against one another, and looking up with determined smiles.

Last night had been quite the adventure, to put it lightly. After the group had returned from their walk, most of the active team were still relaxing in the common room. Terry had strutted in proudly, hopped up on the bench with his forelimbs up on the table, and had said, "Notice anything new about me?"

Shay, of course, had been the first to notice his new bangle, and the room practically exploded after that. Someone had suggested having a party, but everyone knew that they still had to work in the morning and the wintertime crunch was still going on.

Indeed, Carmen had a clipboard full of assignments ready to distribute to the waiting team members. She was delegating as many of them as she could, and was then going to look for guildmembers outside of the active team to take on the rest.

Sparks was only exempt from taking one on himself because today he would be teaching Ziggy both how to use the vacuum cleaner and the dishwasher. At the moment, the Buizel was practicing writing in his room.

"Alright, then! Let's do some good, today!"

"Yes, Guildmaster!"

Sparks then watched as most of the members of the active team excitedly headed off, either right out the door or back to their dorms to grab supplies. Rico ran off with a huge smile, Terry chasing after him and the both of them laughing like school cubs. Soon, only Sparks, Carmen and Danika were left. The latter was standing nearby, checking over a folder with information that she was holding.

"So," Sparks said as he walked up closer to Carmen, "You gonna be the minister at the ceremony?"

"By the grace of Arceus, no!" she exclaimed, "Good lord, don't even joke about that or I just know they'll ask me for some reason."

Sparks laughed. "They look up to you."

Carmen sighed softly. "This is the first time since becoming guildmaster I'm gonna have two mates under my command."

"Aw, they'll be fine. They were practically mates already anyway."

"Fair point, I suppose… Young love, hm?"

"Yeah…" Sparks chuckled.

"Liz wanted me to tell you that she's going to murder you in your sleep if you break the dishwasher," Carmen stated, "Again."

"Duly noted."

Carmen then politely excused herself to attend to other duties, likely involving finding other Pokémon to take the assignments. Sparks noticed Danika still hadn't left and so walked over to her. "What's up?"

"Hm?" Danika glanced up, and then adjusted her glasses, "Oh, hey Sparks. Sorry, I was distracted by this."

"What's going on?"

"Dr. Hilo is coming back here today," Danika said, "We're doing the last round of studies on our mysterious rock before it finally gets transferred over to his labs."

"Aw, really?" Sparks said, "That's gonna be the end of an era…"

"I know… And one without a proper ending…"

"That thing's been up there for months now. It's the most exciting, if most infuriating, thing I've been a part of here for a long time."

"He should be here any minute…" Danika said as she turned around to face the door to the main hall. As she did, the door opened and Tora briefly poked her head in. "In fact," Danika continued, "I think that's him right now. Go ahead and show him in, Tora! Thank you!"

The avian nodded and closed the door again. A few moments later it opened again and the white-robed Inteleon stepped through. "Miss Danika, good morning!" he greeted her with a smile, "So nice to see you once again. I trust you had an enjoyable holiday?"

"I certainly did, Dr. Hilo," Danika replied, quickly shaking paws with him, "And you as well?"

"Oh, I mostly spent it at work in the lab, but I did get a chance to have dinner with some friends on Christmas Eve…" The Inteleon then noticed Sparks. "Ah, and hello again to you as well, sir. You must forgive me, but I'm afraid I have forgotten your name."

"Sparks," he reminded him.

"Yes, of course. Sparks the Raichu! Such a charming moniker." Dr. Hilo stepped over and shook paws with him as well. "Was your holiday enjoyable as well?"

"It was. Thank you for asking," Sparks said, nodding professionally.

"Sparks, do you want to join us for a bit and help us take notes?" Danika asked him, "I asked Carmen to push through permissions for you, since you already know everything."

"Is that so? Ah, I suppose I could join you for a short while."

"Splendid, splendid!" Dr. Hilo proclaimed, clapping his hands and nodding, "Miss Danika has told me you were quite insightful during previous research on this anomaly…"

"Sure, I guess…For however far it got us…"

The Inteleon nodded with an eager grin. Sparks then noticed him subtly crane his neck to the side, as if looking over the Raichu's shoulder. "The little cub is not running around with you today, then?" he asked.

Sparks gave the Inteleon a slightly perturbed look. "No, not right now anyway…"

"I see, I see…" Dr. Hilo said with a simple nod. There was a pregnant pause before he asked, "I trust he is doing well?"

"He is," Sparks replied.

"Ah, good. Yes, quite good…" Dr. Hilo then trailed off and turned his attention back to Danika. He asked her something but Sparks wasn't paying attention. He skewed his lip as he regarded the older Inteleon. Sparks wasn't entirely pleased with the tone in the doctor's voice when Ziggy had been brought up, reminding him of the first time they had met. But, on the other paw, that was just how most Pokémon, especially in Radiant City, behaved. Compared to most of the Pokémon out on the street, Dr. Hilo's behaviour around Ziggy was leagues milder. It was clear the doctor wasn't entirely keen on Ziggy being a shiny, but Sparks figured it wasn't worth getting riled up about so long as Dr. Hilo didn't do anything outwardly antagonistic towards the Buizel.

"Right!" Dr. Hilo proclaimed, "Shall we get started then? I am eager to see it again. I feel as if I have been separated from an old friend."

"Are you taking it back to your lab today?" Sparks asked.

"Unfortunately no," he replied, "We at Jiuji are still in the process of setting up a holding environment for the object, where it can be properly monitored and studied at all times. I am simply running some tests today that are more vital to get done."

"A bit more time before our child goes off to boarding school then?" Danika asked with a chuckle.

"Something like that… Has there been any changes since my last visit? Anything unusual to report? Different colours or such? Any more vibration?"

"Sadly no…" Danika replied as the two began to walk off. Sparks followed behind them at a leisurely pace.

"Well! I am sure with some smart heads working together it can all be figured out eventually, hm?"

Ziggy felt accomplished. He had learned to use the dishwasher! And it was kind of fun in a weird sort of way.

The day was winding down, and Ziggy was sitting on the couch in the common room. Everybody had just enjoyed dinner, but nobody seemed keen on leaving the room. Sparks was talking with Danika about something over at the table, but Ziggy didn't mind. The only other one on the couch was Rico, and he was nice to be around. He felt relaxed.

At least, quite a bit more relaxed than he had felt when trying to operate the noisy death machine, also known as the 'vacuum cleaner'.

Sometimes, he still couldn't quite believe what had happened to him. Where his life had taken him. He was sitting quietly and calmly, surrounded by other Pokémon, with his golden fur out on full display. In this environment, at least, he didn't even feel the desire to cover it up any more. He knew he could trust these Pokémon.

He was still nervously waiting for the day when he would wake up and find out it was all a bad dream.

Ziggy shook his head and told himself to think about better things. He was safe here, with little to worry about. He had what could essentially be considered a 'job', and that was astounding to him.

His wandering eyes eventually fell upon Rico, sitting across from him on the couch. Rico was laying down on a pillow that was propped up against the armrest, forelimbs behind his head and a very content smile on his muzzle. His eyes were closed but it didn't seem like he was sleeping.

Ziggy couldn't remember the last time he had seen a Pokémon smile that brightly. For so long, smiling Pokémon had been like a foreign concept to him. He still didn't quite fully understand what this whole 'mates' thing was about, but he figured it was probably something like what two parents do. From the shadows of his past, he'd seen plenty of pairs of Pokémon hug and kiss and smile and go everywhere together, usually with cubs in tow.

The only thing that seemed certain was that it had made Rico very, very happy.

Rico opened one eye and caught Ziggy's gaze. "Somethin' on your mind, dude?"

"Wh…!" Ziggy was caught off guard. Rico had spoken before he'd even had a chance to look away. How had Rico known he was looking at him? "Uh…I dunno, not really I guess?"

The Riolu shrugged and adjusted his position on the pillow.

"Um…" Ziggy murmured, "You look really happy."

"What gave it away?" Rico chuckled.

"Is it because you two are…so much in love?"

The faintest rosy tint appeared on Rico's cheeks. "That has somethin' to do with it, yeah."

"Mhm…"

A quiet moment passed, and then Rico opened his eyes again. He sat up straighter and gave Ziggy a more serious look. "You ever been in love?" he asked, "I know you're younger than me, but…Well, I fell in love with Terry when I was younger than you…"

Ziggy shook his head. "No… Kinda hard to be in love when everybody around you hates you…"

"Oh… Yeah, that's right. Dumb question. I'm sorry."

"I have seen other Pokémon in love, though. Like, y'know…" Ziggy paused for a moment and blushed. "K-kissing Pokémon and hugging and…stuff…" He cleared his throat and added, "It looks nice…"

"It's fantastic…" Rico said, "It's even better when your love loves you back, though."

Ziggy regarded him. "Is that why you were scared? I remember you said you were scared…"

"I…" Rico trailed off for a moment and rubbed one of his paws on his shoulder. "I've been planning this for about a month…and I would have nightmares that he would say no…That he would stop wanting anything to do with me, or that he'd say…he didn't love me. I got no qualms about saying that was a really, really scary moment for me..."

"Oh wow…"

"But," Rico added with a smile, "It all worked out! He said yes and now I can't stop smiling!"

"How…did you do it? If you were so scared?" Ziggy asked in a very quiet voice.

"What else was I gonna do? Not do it? I wasn't gonna know the answer without asking. And if I didn't ask, then I wouldn't have heard a 'yes'…I just had to try. I was pretty sure I knew what the answer was, but still…I wanted to do it, so…I did it."

A moment of silence passed as Ziggy considered his words.

"Y'know…" Rico said as he kicked back and returned to his lounging position, "Things don't always work out…but if you don't try anything, then nothing will work out…"

Ziggy didn't reply. He just looked over at the Riolu thoughtfully. A moment later, Terry wandered over to the couch. Without even saying anything, he jumped up onto the couch and snuggled up next to Rico before the Riolu even noticed he had arrived. "Heeey, honey!" he swooned, nuzzling into Rico's neck.

"Oh no!" Rico said in a playful voice, "Snuggle attack! Literally my one and only weakness!"

For a few minutes, Ziggy sat nearby and somewhat awkwardly watched the two canoodling Pokémon. Honestly, their shared happiness was kind of infectious, but Ziggy got the feeling he wasn't somewhere he belonged anymore.

Thankfully, he noticed that Sparks was done talking with Danika now, so he hopped off the couch and made his way across the room towards where the Raichu was sitting.

"Hey, bud," Sparks greeted him.

"H-hi, Sparks…" Ziggy said as he sat down next to the larger Pokémon.

Sparks looked over at the couch where he had been sitting and said in a wry voice, "A grim reminder that both Riolu and Eevee can learn Attract."

"…What?" Ziggy muttered in confusion.

"Nothing. Bad joke. What's up?"

"Uhm…" Ziggy fidgeted with his paws for a moment. Sparks didn't pressure him to talk, which was something he never did and Ziggy was always thankful for that. Sparks was always content to let him speak at his own pace. "I… I was just thinking…about what Rico did…"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night…up on the hill, he said he was really scared of asking Terry," Ziggy said, "He's always been pretty strong and brave, so…that surprised me. But he did it anyway and…now he's really happy."

Sparks nodded, glancing over at the couch briefly. "He sure is…"

"And it made me think of you, too…" Ziggy continued, "How I thought you were strong and fearless all the time, and then your…thing happened in the alley." He briefly wilted under Sparks' sobering expression. "A-and I know that…even though you're strong, you get scared sometimes too…but you still do the things you want to do, even if they scare you…right?"

"That's right… I try my best not to let my fear control me. Or my…other demons…"

"Y-yeah…"

"Where're you going with this, Ziggy?"

"I…" Ziggy paused for a moment and took a slow breath. Then, he looked up at Sparks, trying his best to put forth what he thought a determined expression looked like. "I want to get better… I want… to make myself a better Pokémon."

Sparks looked down at him in surprise. "Ziggy…"

"I know that you want me to try things…and do things that make me scared…and we're always going so slow because everything's so scary…but I don't want to be the one holding everything back anymore…"

"…My goodness, Ziggy. That's a brave thing to say right there," Sparks said as a smile graced his lips.

"I…I just have to try…right?" Ziggy asked, "Just like Rico did…I just have to try…"

"And that's all I can ask of you, Zig. That you try." Sparks reached down and patted Ziggy on his shoulder. "I'm happy to hear you say that, bud. I know it must be scary just thinking about it, but…I think you're stronger than you realize. Braver than you realize. If you're willing to try, then I'm willing to help."

"Heh… Thanks, Sparks. I just know I wouldn't be able to do it without you."