Special Chapter 2 - Joy

Joy the Espeon is many things. The magnitude of her intelligence is comparable only to her beauty. Her upbringing made sure that she possessed these qualities. As the daughter of two wealthy parents, it only made sense that she should have the aptitude to carry on their legacy. Her family made its fortune selling soap and other hygiene products. It's not the most exciting story to tell about how they made their wealth, but it's actually not too unusual to hear about enterprises gaining success through the sale of mundane items. Joy had little interest in the career of service and business, but neither did she have interest in anything else, so she couldn't necessarily object to the path chosen for her.

Long before her enrollment in Cradily University, Joy was mostly concerned with what most females in their adolescent age would be thinking about. Unlike the boys, who were enthralled with the idea of forming their own mystery dungeon exploration and/or rescue team, the girls were more preoccupied with what it was like to be in love. The topic of romantic relationships became the juiciest bit of gossip that filled the mouths of her fellow female students. The slightest rumor of a boy and a girl even talking to eachother would spread like wildfire.

While she excelled in her classes, Joy found her schooling to be tedious and unfulfilling, so she couldn't help but become interested in all the commotion. Fortunately, she found that she too had begun to be acknowledged by her male peers. Puberty hit her early and with a surprising force. She transitioned from being the nerdy brainiac of her school to being a genius that also happened to be quite the looker. The day she became an Espeon days further amplified her features, and only did more to support her title. The evolutionary line of Eevee also had a peculiar charm about them that was adored by many, and the natural elegance that psychic-types seemed to carry both acted as benefactors to her desirability. Joy inevitably caved into her boredom, and decided to take the chance when she was asked out by a bold classmate. She was shy at the idea of making a move, but the constant preaching of how fulfilling it was to be loved was still present in teenage gossip, so she tried to keep an open mind.

She was hesitant at first to warm up to her new boyfriend, whom she accepted not only because he was attractive, but also because he didn't seem entirely motivated by lust. She also felt pressured by how her parents might react to her new endeavors, but when it turned out that they didn't care what she did as long as it didn't interfere with her academic performance, she pursued her relationship with renewed determination. After a few months, she had given away her first kiss to her lover, and learned that all those rosy rumors were not as exaggerated as she believed. Maybe, just maybe, love actually was as great as it sounded.

Joy didn't know the incredible fortune she had to have found her soulmate on her first try. The chances of something like that happening were slim to none. She had heard that breakups were a risk, as well was being quite common, especially with first dates, but she dismissed it. That was an impossibility, not with her. He would never do that, because why would he? He's too sweet to even think about such a thing.

When he told her that he didn't love her, she didn't believe it. When he told her that he loved someone else, and was just using her for status, she didn't believe it. When the supposed girl in question appeared and embraced him right in front of Joy, she believed it. It was like a part of her had cracked. After locking herself in her room for days on end, she was still in shambles. Eventually she gathered up the resolve to trudge along with the rest of her miserable life, relying on the philosophy that time would heal her wounds. She cursed herself for being so gullible, and vowed never again to go through such betrayal.


As the year flew by, she was beginning to feel better. Perhaps a little bit of bitterness resided within her, but she decided to not let it cloud her judgement. She tried to pay less attention to the drama that's always associated with teenagers. What helped was that recent gossip in her grade appeared to have shifted away from who's dating who, and more towards the new girl that had just moved into her town. According to the teachers introducing her, her name is Maple, but to everyone who has spoken to her, her name is Mabel. One thing was for certain though, she was a Leafeon who always seemed to be smiling.

The latter name turned out to be the correct out of the two when Joy was suddenly face-to-face with her. The grass eeveelution explained that she just wanted to get acquainted with all her fellow freshmen, and Joy happened to be next in line. They quickly got along under the common ground that they've both had rough times with the opposite sex, but what came as a surprise to her was that Mabel already had several accounts with them. Joy couldn't fathom how she could seem so calm about all her awful experiences, and even more so when she learned that Mabel's previous attempt had soured just a week prior. There was not even the slightest hint of a frown on her face. In fact, she was smiling.

"Of course I get sad after them! I'm not some kind of sociopath!"

"But you just broke up with some guy because you had to move here. How does it not bother you?"

"It wasn't because we couldn't see eachother anymore, if that's what you're wondering. He was just being… disrespectful, so I don't feel too bad about it."

"Okay, but what about your other ones? You're not bummed about those?"

"Well, duh, yeah I was pretty bummed, but I don't let it get to me. There's definitely someone out there. The longer I spend being bummed, the more time I waste trying to find the one who's right for me, you know?"

Joy was mystified, though she wasn't entirely convinced by her explanation. She had spent months crying over her first love, and she still wasn't completely over it, so how does Mabel take it so well? Joy couldn't help but stare at her with wide eyes. There had to be more to this girl. She came to the conclusion that there must be a fundamental reason why the Leafeon could rebound so quickly. She wasn't going to pry it out of her, but it wouldn't hurt to know how she could always be smiling.

Over the course of her freshman year, and then the following year, Joy tried to deduce an answer for herself. Within this period, Mabel had been through a decent amount of affairs with some of her fellow students, each lasting for a considerable length. They were definitely long enough to have a profound effect on her after they've ended on bitter notes. It came as no surprise that Mabel had secured herself so many dates. She was popular, gorgeous, and smart in her own right. They actually both acknowledged eachother's talents and had friendly rivalries in their academics, particularly in mathematics. It was not the best score that they competed for, since obtaining a perfect score was a given for them, but it was who could finish the fastest. What shocked Joy was that Mabel remained largely unaffected by her romantic foul-ups. Instead, she was smiling.

Joy did more than just observe Mabel from afar, she also made an effort to ask her herself, though her simple and off-topic answers in which she just "keeps on keeping on" still leaves her unsatisfied. Joy's frequent inquiries, alongside many other silly and humorous interactions, mostly on the fault of Mabel, had also made them inadvertently close, and since she had no else whom she could truly call a friend, she held Mabel in very high regard. This resulted in matters becoming more personal than Joy originally anticipated, as she became genuinely concerned that Mabel might be in pain, even if she was always smiling.

Mid-way through Joy's third year was when her suspicions reached an all-time high. Mabel had just suffered a crushing conclusion to her longest relationship yet, which lasted a whole summer break, semester, and then some. It was so drama-inducing that it was the talk of the school's gossip for a day. Mabel was convinced that he was the one, that is, until she caught him getting more frisky with someone else than he does with her. It was such a disaster that even Joy was disturbed when she heard about it. And yet, even after such a moral-crushing event, Mabel still behaved how she always does - energetic, and of course, smiling.

Joy had enough of remaining unconvinced. If she had been in Mabel's place, she would have been hysterical with grief. There was absolutely no way Mabel could walk that off without feeling the least bit self-conscious. Joy decided to be more pressing than she typically was, in other words, she came to Mabel's home unannounced afterschool. Mabel's grandmother, whom she lives with, let Joy into their den and pleaded she go see her granddaughter. Joy did not need to be told twice, as that was what she was planning to do anyways. Before Joy came into Mabel's room, she had already found her answer, or rather, heard her answer. She was crying.

Mabel was not invincible. Finding her in such a pitiful state did nothing but make Joy's admiration for her grow. Before seeing her like this, she was increasingly under the notion that Mabel, for lack of better words, had no soul. Joy was hugely affected by her first and only relationship. Being cheated on is the worst, and you feel like the worst, was what Joy had determined. It was why she was so bewildered by Mabel's ability to brush off breakups that would leave any girl shattered. She felt alienated and jealous of Mabel's tenacity, but finally seeing her in such a sorry state made her feel guilty from how relieved she was. Mabel, like everybody else, had emotions that could be shaken.

Contrary to what Joy probably should have done, she yelled at Mabel, who was soaking a pillow with her sobbing. She screamed at her for not telling her how she truly felt. It turned out to be the right way to approach the situation, as Mabel had begun making an effort to hold back her tears so she could apologize. The Leafeon tried to put on a smile, but the accumulating tears and mucus welling up in her throat made her cough. Again, Joy shouted, and again, Mabel gagged in her futile attempts to stop her weeping. The Espeon changed her tactics by tossing her a box of tissues lying next to the bed, which the tan eeveelution blew through within the span of a few minutes. Now there were soggy tissues everywhere.

Joy settled with stroking Mabel's back until she was calm enough to produce interpretable words. She asked her why she seemed to be so hell-bent on finding a mate.

"What's the point if you're just going to get hurt in the end?"

Mabel, after she was done using her blanket as a tissue substitute, gave the Espeon a look of displeasure, like she had just asked the dumbest thing of all time. Joy became squeamish under her judging eyes, and she tried to hide it by repeating her question, adding that she wanted a serious answer.

The sniffling Leafeon was silent for a brief moment before shrugging her shoulders. She had been caught in the act, so there was no reason to hide it anymore.


Mabel has an odd set of parents. It was to a degree that "questionable" would be a better way to describe them. They are madly in love with eachother, so much so that they are almost always messing around when they are together. While it may be considered healthy that their interests in one another haven't died out, it does come with its own set of problems. They were incredibly young when Mabel was conceived, which explained the oddity in that her grandmother did not look as old as what her role in the family might suggest. Joy had actually mistaken her for Mabel's mother when they first met. Moreover, Mabel has no siblings, which led her to believe that her birth was not planned, but likely the accidental byproduct of one of her parents' whims.

Mabel's parents were so caught up on being affectionate towards eachother that they failed to show any towards their only offspring. They firmly believed that they were not prepared to care for a child at their age, so they left their mistake in the responsibility of someone who was more suited for the job, Mabel's mother's mother, much to her disappointment. Mabel's grandmother demanded that her parents accept the consequences of their actions and care for her themselves, and would only agree to supervise how they were faring. And so, Mabel spent her childhood with Pokémon that only gave her food when she asked and a room in their home to sleep in. She was like an awkward roommate.

Mabel's favorite days were the weekends, since those were the days when her grandmother would come visit and end up being the one to raise her. In all other parts of the week, she was alone and stuck with having to listen to her parents playing in the room next to hers. The only times she ever hears her parent's speak are just them flirting with eachother. The slightest implication of something perverse would cause them both to run towards their bedroom. Because they haven't done anything, it also means they haven't done anything that would be considered bad either, so by that logic, Mabel had no solid argument to hate her parents. She settled for the reason in which she could not remember a single time where the three of them did something together as a family.

It took a while for Mabel's grandmother to be convinced that it was up to her to raise her granddaughter, and she allowed Mabel to move into her home when she was reaching her teenage years. She had grown fond of her little munchkin. Despite all odds, Mabel was gifted with a bright mind and a sociable personality, and her grandmother wanted to ensure she stayed that way. It was also because Mabel was at the stage where romance would begin to revolve around her life, and she would've been damned if her granddaughter had to go through those years while living with the worst possible role models to look up to.

By then it was far too late to properly educate Mabel on the Pidoves and the Combees, as she had practically been exposed to it everyday. Her grandmother suspected she actively avoided it out of fear that she would become just as irresponsible as her parents, but she wasn't. Mabel instead displayed a genuine curiosity. It couldn't be helped that she picked up on a few of her parents' habits, with one of them being that she doesn't really shy away from the subject. The high praises she had heard while growing up raised a golden question within her: what made love so great? Is it really the pinnacle of one's happiness? Is it truly enough to make you abandon your own daughter?

Mabel wanted to experience it firsthand. Her grandmother had given her all the parental affection she could ever need, but that was beside the point. What she craved are true, intimate, romantic feelings for someone who wanted her to be just as happy as she made them. She wanted to prove that even under the influence of its delightful spell, she could still retain the common sense to extend that love towards her own children.

She was determined to build upon what her parents could not, and she was certainly putting in the legwork to do so. She tried hard to make herself appeal as much to the opposite gender as she possibly could. Her curvy shape, bubbly speech, and even her name were all meant to catch the attention of a potential candidate to spend the rest of her life with. "Maple" was the plain name given to her by her father when she was born during the autumn season, implying a bare minimum thought process. While it certainly carried its own set of likable characteristics, it simply did not meet her standards. "Mabel" is a much better alteration. In her opinion, it made her femininity more obvious and sounded much more endearing. The coincidence in that it was reminiscent of her true name also served as a constant reminder of her ambitions.

The choice to be a Leafeon followed the same principles. An Eevee's decision to evolve into one of its eight forms was something that was taken very seriously. It was not only permanent, but also reflected upon who they are as an individual. It was why Mabel's grandmother was so unsure of her methods, telling her that basing her evolution solely on what she believes to be the most attractive wasn't very thoughtful. She worried that Mabel's perception of love was geared more towards lust rather than companionship.

Mabel has not regretted her evolution ever since. Umbreon, Flareon, and Jolteon were out of the question. They were an overwhelmingly popular choice among male Eevees, and the last thing she wanted to do was come off as masculine. She ranked Sylveons as being number one on the "cuteness factor", and the same for Espeons on the "sexy factor", but they weren't very subtle. She didn't want to come off as desperate. Joy didn't know exactly what she meant by "subtle" and not wanting to come off as "desperate", but she nonetheless took offense. A Glaceon was also a tempting choice, but Mabel wasn't a huge fan of the cold. By process of elimination, she was split between Leafeon and Vaporeon. She ended up choosing the former out of a literal coin flip, much to the horror of her grandmother.

Still, Mabel grew accustomed to her new image. The stereotype for Eevee's donning their grass-type incarnation was their affinity and respect for nature and its bounty. Mabel was only partial. She enjoyed mother nature's ability to make beautiful, romantic scenery, but that was as far as her appreciation went. Nonetheless, she was resolute in her belief that a Leafeon was right for her. She also liked how they always had a pleasant, earthly scent to them - an aura that she believes will help her on her quest to find a suitor.

Mabel was not picky with who she dated. Even though she was still innately attracted to manly qualities and thus bias towards them, her only criteria was mutual interest. She will not force anyone into being involved with her, nor will anyone do the same to her. She thought her standards were fair and just, so she was baffled when she was met with so many difficulties. She was devastated by her first breakup, and then by her next one, and the next one after that, all because of reasons that were out of her control. She would exile herself to her room for a short period, having been driven to a solemn state each time her belief that things were going well would go horribly wrong. What set her apart from the rest of her female competitors was her emphasis on staying upbeat. When she was hurt, she learned to put up a smiling facade that fooled just about anyone, refusing to be slowed down. She kept her chin up out of sheer desire to achieve a blissful married life and to declare her superiority over her parents. She told herself that there had to be someone out there, someone who would truly cherish her, someone who could give her confirmation that what she was doing was right.


Joy idolized Mabel more than she'd care to admit. The young girl's unwavering conviction struck a chord within the Espeon. It was hard not to want to root for the Leafeon after she had given Joy her trust by confiding in her. The distressed teenager begged Joy to not speak of this again, including the ugly scene that was the entourage of snot-stained tissues surrounding her crumbled form, both of which she found extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable to talk about. The pink eeveelution nodded begrudgingly. If she didn't want to bring up her past, then Joy thought it better for her to just say that she had a one-upmanship complex, and left it at that.

The resulting aftermath of the shocking finale of Mabel's longest term with a guy to date was nothing out of the ordinary. She still continued to chant about how wonderful it must be to be swept off her feet. It would have been surprising to Joy to see her recover so quickly, but now she understood where she was coming from, even if only somewhat. Her outwardly devotion towards finding true love was also beginning to spread. For as long as Joy had known her, Mabel has been making incessant comments about how the lavender-furred eeveelution should return back into the fray. Joy preferred to tune out her words of encouragement, occasionally making the excuse that she was not like her, which was true, but that didn't stop Mabel from trying.

By some sort of miracle, Mabel's constant jabbing was starting to make visible progress. The Espeon had made the mistake of expressing how bored she was during their junior year. Mabel brought up the discussion for the millionth time that she should get herself wrangled up with someone, and to her surprise, her friend replied she was starting to consider it. Mabel was quick to congratulate this sudden change with overenthusiastic remarks. Joy could not keep herself from grinning. Her pride made her annoyed that Mabel's optimism was starting to infect her.

Joy had no trouble finding someone whom she thought seemed nice, though she was a lot more cautious this time around. The betrayal she felt two years ago was still fresh in her mind. She made it a little too obvious that she was putting her new lover under constant scrutiny. The boy told her that he understood her initial distrust, and was patient with her. She came to appreciate his honesty after a few months, and as soon as she started to let her guard down, they began their relationship in earnest.


Mabel envied Joy, for a year had passed and she was still going strong in keeping intimate relations. On a night that had a starry sky, Joy was not able to hang out with her best friend when they usually did, since she was getting ready for her anniversary with the Pokémon who had rekindled the fire in her heart. He invited her to a round of drinking, just with the two of them. They were still at what was considered to be a developmental age, so Joy didn't exactly jump at the offer, but he sweet-talked her into it. It was because it was an act of rebellion that it would be a night to remember.

Joy was living the dream. Maybe she had been met with misfortune before, because she sure wasn't now. Who would've thought her boyfriend could be such a romantic? She was scared at first to engage in something so taboo. Her parents would've cracked down hard on her for sure, but they had no way of knowing. She had a sound enough mind to stop drinking when she assumed to have hit her limit. Her beloved, however, might've had a bit too much. He suddenly made a crude attempt to woo her. It was so ridiculous and spontaneous that it borderlined the realm of sarcasm. The flustered Joy, having taken it literally, gave a meek reply of reciprocation - perhaps she really did have one glass too many. Before she knew it, the setting had turned from the local tavern to a dimly lit bedroom. What was going to happen would pale in comparison to her first time drinking, and amidst the ensuing moment of passion, she soon learned how right she was. The boy was evidently still drunk, as the moans he roared were names that did not sound anything like Joy, they didn't even rhyme. Joy initially thought it was gibberish when he finally said it, but then quickly realized that her name was among several of her fellow classmates and underclassmen. She demanded an explanation, praying to every god and deity that she was just hearing things.


Joy did not remember that specific night because she had tried something new and exciting, she saw it as the day she had been dirtied by a dirty man. Her heart had shattered into unrecognizable pieces. All men are selfish, horny degenerates, and exist only to toy with your emotions - this was the revelation that Joy had come to. It was the only thing that made sense to her, and she will not be fooled again. Mabel strongly disagreed, making Joy react with utter befuddlement. Not long after the destruction of the remainder of Joy's innocence, Mabel discovered that she too had been soiled by a man that was equally as filthy, if not more by the way Mabel recounted the events. Knowing that, how can she still say such a thing?

"You're delusional."

"No, I'm not."

Joy could see it clearly now. Mabel was a living definition of insanity, and her very existence is proof of Joy's thesis. Each and every time the Leafeon gets cast aside, the room for error gets smaller, thus making her theory stronger. She planned to use it to protect herself from being ensnared by the corruption, and had already come up with several ways to protect herself. In choosing to not associate herself with males, she omits any possibility of being hurt by them. She made sure that she was in full control of herself when in their vicinity. When interaction becomes inevitable, the silent treatment will be administered to the offender, and in situations where that was not appropriate, then plain professionalism will have to do. The constitutional loathing she felt whenever a male was in sight was so powerful that it also caused her to scowl, as if it were second nature. It was unintentional, but it made her less approachable, so she found no reason to stop. It inspired the idea that she should also come off as mute, which led to her tendency to communicate telepathically - perks of being a psychic.

Mabel was taken aback by her sudden behavior, and urged her to reevaluate her decisions. She had always found her hard and tough exterior to be the most adorable thing about her, but this was too much. Some time and recollection might do her some good. Joy retorted back with venom, arguing that she had no right to speak on the matter. Whereas Joy had been taken advantage of twice, Mabel had been used almost a dozen times, and even with that many, the Leafeon gained nothing she could use to back up her claim that men had some redeeming quality about them. Two is two too many, but a dozen? Mabel might as well save herself the trouble and ask to have her feelings stomped on right from the start.

"We were just unlucky. That's all there is to it!"

Unlucky. Joy scoffed. Now that is just being ridiculous. There is a difference between hope and stupidity, and the sooner Mabel realizes it, the better. One would think that after so many failed attempts, they might start to reconsider their methods. Mabel must be crazy to not have not realized this. The pain is just not worth it.

"So, you want proof, is that it? Hah! Easy!"

Joy expected that answer with verbatim accuracy, even before she said those harsh realities, and she wanted so badly for Mabel to be right. There was no way Joy could do it herself. The risk of being hurt was just too great. She couldn't bear it. Not again. Mabel was the only one that could do it. Joy reiterated that as long as Mabel had no hardline evidence, her statement would be truthful.

Joy's leniency towards silence allowed her to become more perceptive than ever before. It made her realize that she could not stand idly by while her friend was torn to shreds in a loveless world. There was still a very real possibility that Mabel could be chewed and spat out with a black amalgamation for a heart. Such a transformation would kill her.

She got good at reading faces. It was the least Joy could do to help. She discovered patterns and expressions that uncovered a male's motives before they'd even realize it themselves - a skill that she wished she had before her outlook became grim. It made her angry when Mabel chose to ignore her warnings. She couldn't even get the satisfaction of saying "I told you so" when she was right in the end, but she didn't feel the need to be shocked at that point. Mabel was too pure, so why should she listen to a pessimist? Joy gave her answer in her own way. The foolhardy Leafeon could not be discouraged once her mind was set on something, but she was not the only option.

Joy was deft in her operations. Her interventions were always indirect and untraceable. The goal was to dissuade the other party into backing off before they could go through with their evil intentions. The ending result would then be a Leafeon becoming perplexed at why her advances had gone unnoticed, but a confused Mabel was better than a heartbroken one. Joy made it a point to only allow herself to take action once she was sure beyond a reasonable doubt that Mabel was falling in with the wrong crowd, thus giving her the occasional chance for her attempts at courtship to flourish. By then, Mabel was on her own, which of course led to her still falling victim to a male's amusement, but Joy had solace in knowing that she prevented more than a few from happening in the first place. Once it came time to attend Cradily University, Joy became adept at her scoutings. Identifying even the most unassuming threats was a chore for her.


Mabel saw the prospect of college as the ideal environment for her search, whereas Joy saw it as just another setting to be right behind Mabel in whatever she did. The Espeon was content to live in the shadow of someone that brought so much attention to herself. Pokémon seem to gravitate towards her, which made Joy's role as a guardian all the more easier, and it didn't take long for her to grow confident in her abilities, afterall, it's hard not to become reliant on beliefs that have yet to be disproven.

The young Espeon ended up taking a liking to specific classmate that, like many others, was drawn in by Mabel's magnetic personality. She was a Sylveon, and Joy could immediately tell that she was soft-spoken, even though the eccentricity of most fairy-types was telling her otherwise. Joy soon discovered her to be a relaxing contrast to Mabel's usual loud conduct. The Sylveon was a frequent daydreamer, and liked to seclude herself in the college's library or the bookstores in the town plaza. Joy almost always found her to be surrounding herself with lofty tales of a wide range of genres, though her preferred fantasies seemed to be of those tailored towards romance, because of course it was. To be a bookworm probably meant that she was also booksmart, so Joy thought her to be a suitable partner for philosophical and other intelligent debates, but then found her submissiveness to be tiresome. Joy didn't mind overall. This girl seemed like she needed more friends in her life, as implied by her tendency to fade into the background, which again, was unlike most fairy-types. Joy saw a bit of herself in the Sylveon, so she was more than willing to lend a friendly paw. The coincidence in that she also wanted a second opinion on certain matters may have also been a selling point on making an acquaintance.

"Stella, what do you think of that Leafeon?"

"Huh? W-Which one? Mabel?"

"No, the one she's talking to."

"Oh, y-you mean Milo? I don't know… he's alright, I-I guess."

"Didn't you two come from the same hometown?"

"Y-Yeah, but that's just about it. I d-don't know what to think of him."

Joy couldn't have said it any better herself. This Milo character was the first case in which she had absolutely no idea of what to make of someone. The way he gawked at Mabel suggested he had just been charmed not because a splendid-looking female was in front of him, but by the simple fact alone that someone wanted to converse with him at all. That was the only thing Joy could interpret, which was laughable in comparison to her first impressions on any other male.

It was frustrating that she could not decipher such a simpleton. Milo defied everything she knew about what it meant to be masculine. He has a face that gets more handsome the longer you look at it, which he should be using to his advantage, but he was always so anxious in public that his mouth looked like a squiggly line. And while he may look a bit scrawny at first, closer inspection revealed an undeniably athletic build. He certainly was no Machamp, but he was muscular enough that it did not fit well with his apprehensive demeanor. He also pals around with a Flareon that embodied every trait necessary to be a total casanova, which he was, so one might think some of that womanizing confidence would've rubbed onto Milo, but it didn't, in fact at times it appears he doesn't welcome the fire type's company. Joy could read what the Flareon was into like a children's book, but Milo was a bunch of incomprehensible scribbles. She hated not knowing what he was after. It was because there wasn't any sort of discernable air about him that made him so antagonizing to her.

She did find some amusement when watching Mabel's flirts, ranging from obscure to basically straightforward, fly far above Milo's head, to the point where they hit the clouds. It takes a certain level of obliviousness to where Joy had no way of knowing if it was intentional or not. It was a shame though, as there was definitely some chemistry between the two, given that they were both of the same species.

Eventually, Milo's blatant passivity sparked an idea within Joy. What if he were to serve a different purpose? It was genius, since to her relief, Mabel was not going to be combining her and Milo's name together as part of some weird couple's tradition anytime soon. Upon coining it to the now discouraged Mabel, she shocked her by taking her advice.

Milo was going to be Mabel's boyfriend, just not in the way that would be considered conventional. Joy specified that they start off in a platonic relationship, emphasizing that the benefits of this opportunity were numerous. If it works, then Mabel could stay on positive terms with a potential mate while simultaneously being on the search for others. She could also use him to gain insight on a male's perspective on things, which would be a valuable commodity for someone like her. In the meantime, Joy can explore Milo's hidden motives at her own pace. If his aloofness turned out to be an elaborate ploy for something distasteful, Joy had already thought of several countermeasures.

The plan went off without a hitch, though not in the way Joy had hoped. At the very least, she discovered that the idea of being friends was a language that Milo could speak, despite romance being an entirely different matter. Perhaps he was still a child in a young adult's body.


To say that Joy was agitated in her studying of the anomaly that was Milo throughout her first year in Cradily would be an understatement. Her lack of findings were justified in that she did not place him under much priority, as evidenced by the time Mabel brought him into their dorm once while she was in there. She paid him very little acknowledgement, since Mabel does that to everyone she befriends, but now Joy realized that it might've been a mistake. Throughout such an extended period, she unveiled nothing except that Mabel was growing increasingly fond of her platonic associate. It was starting to worry her. The more Mabel got attached to someone, the harder she was going to inevitably fall. Her description of him to be a nice and likable Pokémon was the signal to Joy's alarm. She has heard her say that countless times. That's exactly what they want you to think. They're vile creatures, every single one of them.

Milo is a timid individual, that much Joy can understand, since that too was obvious. She is well aware of how some girls just eat those types of boys up, and Mabel is undoubtedly one of them. Just that knowledge alone could not be used to infer any kind of motivation. Mabel did not make it a secret that she visited Milo at his home on occasions, so she must be overflowing with information about him. Joy was out of options, she had to swallow her pride and ask Mabel herself.

Once the Leafeon was done poking fun at the possibility that Joy might finally be succumbing to her loneliness again, she ironically became flustered. She began to try to put Joy's mind at ease by stating that Milo will never once even think about overstepping his boundaries. It was like he was under the notion that being "best friends" with someone was the highest level of bond that could be obtained, and nothing more. There was, however, a period where Mabel thought she had the honor of being his crush. He would stare at her the same way he stared at his garden, of which he had an extreme dedication toward. Mabel wanted to ask him how he felt, but was too afraid. While it was not the kind of connection she was used to, it was still the longest time she had ever been on a male's good graces, and she wasn't going to risk scaring him off just to satisfy a simple curiosity. She ultimately stayed silent, and the strange intensity in his eyes went away.

She noticed his mellowness right after another dark moment in her life. She had just been dumped by an upperclassman who called her perkiness irritating. Her sadness devolved into what Joy called "irrational thinking", because only a deranged idiot would think to seek shelter from a male's harsh criticisms by going straight to another one, who was liable to do the same thing. Mabel reminded her to get her facts right. Milo did not push Mabel away when she banged on his door. He allowed her to collapse into his arms and cry until her eyes were puffy and dry. He listened to her and told her that everything was going to be okay. Admittedly, given how inexperienced he was in dealing with those sorts of interactions, he was not very good at conveying those words, but they were authentic. She would always come when he was in the middle of something - usually when he was napping - and to set aside hours of his day to comfort her was a gesture she did not take for granted. She didn't realize how much she needed a true sense of compassion until she finally received it. Mabel was empowered - she wanted more. While she could have confided in her female friends like she had always done, since they were definitely more well informed about her situation, there was a certain kind of security and assurance that only a male's embrace could offer. She latched onto his sincerity the moment she discovered it. It was practically an addiction.

What Mabel was telling Joy were things she didn't need to know. She learned nothing incriminating about him. She needed another firsthand account, as Mabel's was too rosy to be deemed credible. Her solution came to her unexpectedly when her roommate dragged her from their dorm one day. Mabel was going on a shopping spree around the Cradle Town plaza and Stella was not available to be her pack mule. Joy was seldom in the mood to go out, but decided to hold back her negative comments when they found a Leafeon sitting alone by the center fountain, likely having completed his own buying excursion due to the bag he was carrying. Joy was about to protest when Mabel invited the young man to have lunch with them, but then saw it as the perfect opportunity to do some research.

The Sunkern Café was his favorite diner - a completely unrelated piece of trivia about Milo - but that was not all. Figuring out his underlying motives was implausible, that much Joy had to accept, but she was content in knowing that she could at least read his expressions, as he was spectacularly bad at hiding them. Determining if he was lying or not was easy based on his reactions. Through this method, she eliminated the strong possibility that he was a homosexual after seeing the comical grimace on his face. Even though she detected his romantic disinterest towards her best friend to be true as well, she still had her doubts. She was certain that he did, because how could he not? It should be impossible to spend time with someone for over a year and not feel anything. Hormones just do not allow that to happen.

She took her findings back to her dorm, only to conclude that she needed to conduct more trials. She surprised both herself and Mabel when she accompanied her on a handful of visits to Milo's house. Joy was just asking to be teased later, so Mabel didn't object. There was a surprisingly no tension in the air when there were three eeveelutions in eachothers' presence, rather than the usual duo. The experiment was to see how Milo would react to there being two temptresses in the same room with him, and the results were underwhelming. The male Leafeon treated his guests with a kind of casual courtesy, like it was an everyday occurrence for him. Although he was unnerved by his unfamiliarity with Joy, he was generally unfazed. His lack of a reaction could likely be blamed by how hard he was trying to hide his exhaustion, which was unusual considering that it was a weekend noon when they visited. His voice was ragged, his tan fur was battered, and his paw pads were coarse. He brushed off any comments about his condition by making the excuse that he had been busy tending to his garden as of late, saying that it was harvest season. Mabel was concerned and offered to leave early so that he could rest, whilst Joy could only shrug. He was clearly doing some kind of a rigorous workout routine, since she doubted that simple gardening chores could support a physique like his. What struck her as odd was why he would try to lie when there was no tangible benefit in doing so.

Joy thought she was onto something. Deceit always implies something malicious. She brought it to Mabel's attention, who instantly dismissed it as normal. Mabel knew he was lying too, but said that it was hardly worth mentioning. That's just his thing. He's way too modest to accept anything remotely related to praise, and refuses to talk about himself. His confidence was something that direly needed improvement, so until then, the way he deflects comments was just something that she had to get used to.

That must be it. Mabel's undermining of her hypothesis had laid the foundation for a new one, and it was a breakthrough. Milo is an asexual. It is of course a claim that Joy could not confirm, nor will she ever try to find out, but it did make everything unusual about him become logical. His nonexistent sexuality and esteem could all be explained because he believes that he does not deserve to have them. It seemed like a waste to have such awful virtues, and even a bit irrational for someone like him, but that was his choice, and no one else's. If he had a character as boisterous as his Flareon buddy, he too would've had a popular and exciting college life.


The long-awaited conclusion to the mystery came as a relief to Joy. She was a little annoyed to have dwelled on it for so long, but she was glad to not have to worry about Milo anymore. He was not a threat, so Mabel could do whatever she wanted with him. Even Joy was asking to tag along with Mabel on some visits by her own volition. The boy made himself an easy target for Joy's sense of humor, and it would be a crime not to toy with his naïveté.

The freedom from being off the case allowed the Espeon to focus on much bigger issues. Cradle Town has been in a recent uproar about an unknown vigilante around the forest. They compared their exploits to a ninja of all things. Joy initially thought it was a prank. They could not be riled up about something so ancient. Really? Ninjas? In this day and age?

Joy tried to ignore it until she couldn't anymore. The speculations on who this savior could be was like a plague that specifically affected the mouth. Mabel was infected, so it naturally transmitted to everyone she knew. Nobody was immune. Anyone who claimed to have a near-death experience before being rescued were promptly questioned by the local press. The reporters, including an adorable little Eevee girl in particular, were entrusted with compiling all the information they gathered into the newspaper. They published articles on their cross-examinations and interviews stating that the vigilante must at least be a male. They were making slow but steady progress on uncovering the Pokémon's identity. The amount of data they had was proportional to the town's excitement.

A new symptom had mutated in the disease, this time affecting almost everyone on campus. They were infatuated with the real-life superhero. Mabel was singing to Joy how much she wanted to do not-so-innocent things to him, and Stella was convinced that one of her fairy tales was playing right before her very eyes. Joy didn't get why they were so entranced until she found out that they were both saved by the so-called ninja. Commendations were in order. If the anonymous rescuer had not been around, the tragic young woman would've been alone and left to grieve over her best friends. Just thinking about it terrified her. If she ever came across this ninja, she'd make sure to express her appreciation. Many others seemed to share the same sentiment, and there was already a huge stockpile of their letters of gratitude at the Pelipper Post Office. Joy wanted to say her thanks personally, so she tried to be unique with her postcards by trying to provoke the recipient. A hero's ego would demand that they answer the supposed challenge, to which she would clear up the misconception when they met.

When several eye-witness accounts officially confirmed the vigilante to be a male Leafeon that was roundabout her age, Joy couldn't help but feel a little peeved. The idea that she had essentially asked to see a boy in private didn't appeal to her. She surmised to just get her message across that she was grateful, and then go about the rest of her day. The possibilities on who it could be had already been narrowed down to a handful of the population. It was only a matter of time until the hero was revealed, so she didn't bother to do any detective work herself. Joy only knew of one Pokémon who matched the known description, but he was a definite alibi. A defeatist like him had no way of being responsible for preserving the lives of so many loved ones.

The anticipated discovery of the mysterious forest savior turned Milo's life upside-down, including the lives of those who knew him. He exiled himself into his own home for a time, refusing any and all forms of recognition. Mabel was screaming into her pillow every night. Joy was frustrated when she found out. She abhorred the prospect of being indebted to a male, but Milo? That's like pouring salt on the wound. The only silver lining was that it also meant that expressing her gratitude to someone she knew was going to be much easier. She had all the time in the world to do it, so she was not in a rush. She could still have fun knowing that Milo was the one receiving her ominous letters. Just imagining how much he must be freaking out made her laugh.

Mabel was dead set on confessing her feelings. She simply couldn't hold it in anymore. Milo had always been there for her, and now, after she learned that he was the one that prevented her life from potentially being cut short, bottling up her emotions was just impossible. The one problem was that she was too scared to do it. She had put him under so much stress about the whole hero situation that it gave him every reason to despise her. Rejection had never seemed so horrifying.

It was up to Joy to push things along. She fully expected Milo to reciprocate. Even though he may be a staunch aromantic, he would likely accept out of sensitivity for Mabel's feelings. Over time, Mabel's devotion should change his opinion. Their feat in maintaining a friendship for so long should at least guarantee their compatibility. It'd be a happy ending for both of them, and if it wasn't, she assumed that Mabel would have the willpower to shrug it off. There was nothing Joy could do about it anymore without compromising herself. All the pieces were clicking into place, and all she had to do was wait. She would be leaving soon to study abroad anyway, an opportunity that she only cared to go on because her parents wanted her to, and she didn't want to leave any unfinished business behind. This of course meant that she was now obligated to admit that she owes someone as pathetic as Milo a favor, but it had to be done. She knew even before her talk with him that it was going to leave a bitter taste in her mouth.

She preserved a bit of her dignity by slapping his idiot face. The jerk got what was coming to him for reacting the way he did. Nonetheless, she could now leave for most of the summer without any worries. There was a minor inconvenience that occurred just as she was about to depart. She recognized the Flareon more because of his reputation rather than him being one of Milo's friends. He reminded Joy to keep her guard up.


Joy was appalled to have come back from her trip and find that her predictions were off by a significant margin. She prepared herself for the disgust she was going to feel to see Milo and Mabel getting mushy with eachother, only to find that little progress had been made. Mabel said that he was thinking about it, and needed time to work things out, but wouldn't tell her what it was. It made Joy furious. She never expected him to be stringing Mabel along on potential falsehoods. It could've been worse, but she will not settle for anything less than the best outcome. She retaliated his cruelty with a practice of equal magnitude. Her anonymous letters now demanded that they meet so she could set him straight. She thought of her punishment as clever, since Milo was only being tormented for as long as he chose to ignore them. He could blame no one but himself.

She grew more upset with him when he continued to be unresponsive, causing her anger to be translated onto her future notes. At the same time, the Espeon was secretly relishing it. She knew her messages were scaring the wits out of him, because she observed him herself sometimes, and she loved it. Eventually she started signing her notes with a random alias she came up with, just to increase his fright. She was doing it for his own good, so she might as well get some enjoyment out of it. To finally be able to manipulate a gender that caused her and her friends so much agony brought her great satisfaction.

His suicide was a total miscalculation. The news spread rapidly, and the whole town went through another round of chaos. Stella now believed that one of her nightmares was becoming a reality. Had Joy known this would happen, she would've shown some restraint. She didn't think empty threats could push someone to such lengths. Other pressures must've been at play, but either way she was willing to accept some of the fault. She was remorseful mostly because of how much Mabel was affected.

"I think... I'm done with this… you know... with this whole dating thing."

Milo had done it. The seemingly harmless boy had obliterated Mabel's ironclad resolve. The Leafeon also believed to have been responsible for his death, and the overwhelming guilt she felt made her become withdrawn. The mere act of speaking had lost its appeal, and she only did it out of necessity. Her chirpy tune morphed into single-worded, monotone fragments. It was like she became possessed by a spirit that robbed her of her very identity. She pressed hard into her academics as a sort of crude defense mechanism, trying to hide her melancholy, but her barrier was so transparent that it made her condition contagious. Her nights of crying drew even Joy to tears.

Mabel's despondency was permanent. The days, weeks, and then months went by like white noise. Joy tried desperately to restore her jolly nature, but to no avail. She became stricken with her own special kind of grief. If only she didn't let her past frustrations interfere with her actions, then she wouldn't have became the enemy of her own inner turmoil. Joy's worst fears were coming true. She failed to protect her dearest friend, and now she had to live with the consequences.

Winter, along with its coming holidays, did little to uplift the dejection that both the eeveelutions felt. Mabel was on the slow road of recovery, but Joy had a gut feeling that it would be so sluggish that it'd take a century for Mabel to remember how to speak in a complete sentence. The Leafeon said in a meek tone that a faraway town had recently been constructed, yet it was already being prided for its marvelous shopping district. She thought indulging in a nice ladylike outing would remedy her aching heart, and wanted to organize a group to share the experience with, but no one wanted to waste their vacation on a journey where it'd take about a week just to get there. Her initiative came as a surprise to Joy, who was still busy dragging herself and Stella to wallow away in all the "what-if's."

Mabel went at it alone, which put the Espeon in further awe. She really was intent on going on such an extended pilgrimage in an attempt to reform. Joy at least had to see her off, and she could've sworn that her disappearing figure on the snowy, prairie horizon was shimmering. It left the still distraught Joy with an odd sensation.


She was glowing when she returned. Mabel was gone for much longer than she promised, making her friends back at Cradle afraid that she had left for good, or even worse, the Leafeon might've succumbed to her grief and allowed the harsh wilderness to finally lay her sorrows to rest. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. More importantly, Mabel seemed to be completely cured of her anguish. Joy was astonished by the drastic improvement; she wanted all the juicy bits and details. Unfortunately, Mabel's playfulness was back in full force, and she wasn't going to loosen her lips without a fight.

Her jubilance was greater than ever before. The wide and cocky grin she wore as Joy prodded her for answers was mimicked by anyone who had the pleasure of seeing it. They bickered like they were siblings, and inevitably, Joy was able to corner her. Mabel accidentally let slip about a "he", which Joy used to spearhead her offensive. Mabel caved and gave an amorous summary of her adventure to the town of Floridity.

Milo was still alive and well. The words resonated within the Espeon before she exploded with a seething rage. That scoundrel! None of this would've happened if he wasn't so selfish! This must've been his plan all along! Oh, that was it. She was going to cherish the day she gets her paws on that vermin and make him feel her wrath. Her forked tail twisted, as if it were ready to wring around someone's neck.

The inferno that burned inside her was immediately extinguished by the still beaming Leafeon that stood in front of her. Mabel, completely unfazed by the animosity that was just pouring out of Joy, waited patiently for her to calm down so she could continue to gush about her grand voyage. That smile on her face was there to stay. Joy had put an excruciating amount of effort into resurrecting it, and she only just realized that Milo was able to restore it in an instant, and then go above and beyond. It seemed obvious in hindsight. Of course the only way to fix an ailment as severe as this was to find the cause itself. Granted, neither of them even knew that Milo was still alive, let alone find him, but such an extraordinary coincidence hardly calls for complaint.

Joy gazed at her with a dumbfounded expression, no longer capable of listening to what she was saying. It was at that moment Joy knew that her theory just got debunked. There are indeed males of her generation that are the key to reaching the peak of one's happiness - they really were just unlucky this whole time. Mabel's struggle was being rewarded once and for all. She had won, and Milo was going to be at her mercy whenever she decides to celebrate. The poor sod has no idea of the beast he just unleashed upon himself.

Joy was envious, now she wanted to be happy as well. She was captivated just by seeing someone in such an enchanted state, making her wonder what it must be like to experience it herself. The delight must really be worth the risk of letting her guard down. Even if she was going to be slow to adapt, she owed it all to Mabel that she could start to feel this way. She wouldn't dare think where she would've been if she had never met her.

It became painfully aware to her that she has none of what Mabel has an abundant supply of. It was the defining characteristic that secured Mabel's victory right from the very beginning, and Joy caught a glimpse of it when Mabel left for Floridity by her lonesome. It reminded her of why she never considered herself to be Mabel's equal. To have the strength to bounce back from the brink of depression, even if there is only the tiniest glimmer of hope, is something to be admired. Joy knew it all too well, but still couldn't find an answer that explained her inferiority. It was once Mabel came back with an iridescent glow that she finally figured it out.

She simply lacked the mental fortitude.