TEAM: Twigs (Thwackey) & Crumbs (Greedent), Spike (Drednaw) & Tilda (Vileplume), Hook (Galarian Slowpoke) & Cress (Charjabug)

Flare's POV

Whew…

Stepping into new territory was something else. Just entering this other half of the Wild Area felt different. For starters there was definitely something about the atmosphere that felt off compared to when I was last out. And of course the Pokémon we encountered here were stronger too, so we had to be more careful than usual.

But just because things were getting tougher didn't mean my team was slacking. Neither was I. I looked up a map and got a grasp of what was in store for this next Wild Area, and with my team tagging along behind me, we continued the trek forward like a real team would. I had to admit, it was a proud moment being able to tread confidently with a full party watching my back.

I looked at the new Pokéball in my hand before it got warped away by my Box Link. Another new area, another new catch.

I let out a breath of relief as I looked back at the rest of my team, who were hanging back and watching the whole thing happen. The catch routine was the same as it's always been, but considering we were walking on serious ground now, I felt like I needed to set the mood.

I quickly gathered everyone's attention. "Okay, team! As you may have noticed with what we just fought, things are gonna get tougher from here on out." I tried my best to put on a peppy pep talk voice. "I know you've all done your best, and I'm proud of you all for getting stronger!"

My words seemed to please everyone. At least they didn't mind the trek so far. Felt good seeing them all in high spirits, which must've meant something good if I wanted to take this trainer thing more seriously.

I thought about how everyone else was doing, Marnie out and about looking for Team Yell and Hop duking it out with Bede somewhere. "Everyone is really going at it to get stronger, and I think we can try to match their efforts too! Let's get some training done, whaddya say?" I did an enthusiastic fist pump and everything.

My first attempt at a rousing speech was met with positive responses from almost everyone. Tilda was hopping excited as always, Spike had that confident look in his eye, Twigs and Crumbs looked determined to jump back into the fray again, even Zap looked happy. Did he even understand what I was talking about?

And then Hook came back to join the crowd, having returned from his brief rest after the battle. He looked at me with a very inquisitive eyebrow raise. "Tough new catch? It was a Maractus."

Okay, you got me there. My peppy leader's composure gave way to sheepishness when he said that. "Well, my point still stands, right? I just think it'd be nice to get some more training in, that's all!"

Spike nudged Hook with a leg. "Come on, don't be a spoilsport."

This seemed to convince Hook, surprisingly enough. His frown went away. "I suppose there's no time wasted if it means getting stronger."

I felt both triumphant and relieved, partially because I wanted a break from walking, but regardless! Things have gone well for us so far, so it's only fair we kept the momentum going as a team!

I opened up my Pokédex app and got a feel for everyone's movesets. I knew I could already tell my Pokémon what to do without calling out a move, but I felt we could be more creative with this.

Let's go, coordinated team attacks!

We found a nice dry clearing where we could test this stuff out. A big group like us gathering out in the open meant we'd be luring more attention from any wild Pokémon aiming to challenge us, but that's exactly what I wanted. Wild Pokémon the likes of Linoone and Rhyhorn surrounded us.

I looked at Spike and we both nodded at each other. Time to test this out! "Rock Tomb!"

With a stomp, my Drednaw created a rock pillar from the ground, similar to the structure of a Max Rockfall, conjuring it beneath Tilda to give her the high ground.

I watched my Vileplume stumble a bit as she was lifted into the air, but she regained her balance and looked down at me. All part of the plan. "Tilda, Sleep Powder!"

From her elevated position, Tilda spun, spreading the sleepy pollen all over the area. The rest of us stayed close to Spike as he put up a Protect barrier to shield us from it.

All the other Pokémon around us fell sound asleep before they could get any closer. Tilda fell too, though rather than being sleepy, she just stumbled off the rock pillar all dizzy. Good thing Hook was there to levitate her down.

I chuckled. "Maybe try not to overdo the spinning next time."

"B-Birds!" I heard Cress cry out. I looked up to see a few winged Pokémon hovering above us, just out of the reach of our Sleep Powder cloud.

"Let us handle this!" Hook spoke, already using his psychic power to lift himself and Cress into the air.

I nodded. "Just like we practiced!" I pointed to the figures above as the two darted skyward.

Hook and Cress both ascended upwards in a spiral of pink and yellow, rocketing towards the flying Pokémon with a combined Zen Headbutt and Spark strike. The attacks knocked the wild Pokémon to the ground, leaving my Pokémon to descend with a more graceful landing at least.

Hook had a proud smile on his face as he floated himself down, Cress resting on his head. "Dare I say it, that actually went well. My psychic powers are getting stronger by the minute, unsurprisingly."

"That was really good, you two." I spoke.

A sharp gust of wind suddenly blew past me, barely missing my head. I frantically looked to see where it came from, finding a flapping figure getting back up and heading towards us. A Sigilyph?!

We had to duck the next Air Slash it shot at us. Twigs and Crumbs were quick to step forward, shielding Zap.

"O-Okay!" I stepped forward, getting ready to face the unexpected threat. "Let's stop it while we can! Razor Leaf and Spit Up!"

My duo stood their ground, one conjuring up a gust of leaves and the other stuffing berries in his mouth.

I pointed forward. "Fire!"

Twigs and Crumbs unleashed their projectile barrage of leaves and berries aimed at the incoming Sigilyph. Our attacks held it back a little, but it still managed to swerve around it until it got dangerously close.

Twigs stopped her barrage and readied her sticks. "Crumbs, Berry me!"

My Thwackey lunged forward, Salac Berry in one hand and sticks in the other. With a surprising burst of speed, she quickly closed the distance and swung at the Sigilyph with sticks sparking dark energy. The Knock Off attack sent the Sigilyph reeling back into the dirt, this time staying down.

I let out a sigh of relief, this time taking a good few seconds to look around just in case. "Looks like that's that, you guys." I let out another breath, this time in triumph. "Whew… we did it, team! Looks like we can mark down Flare's terrific team tactics as a success!"

Twigs snorted at me. "Was that your attempt at givin' that strat a name?"

"... maybe." I rolled the idea around in my head a bit. "Flare's terrific team tactics that I came up with after catching a Maractus. Or Maractics."

"Sounds silly."

"... okay you kinda have a point there."

Tilda got up from her dazed rest. "That was awesome!" She repeatedly shook herself as she got to her feet. "What did we do?"

Spike chuckled. "Kick butt."

"I… I actually beat a bird!" Cress piped up.

I looked near my leg to see Zap clapping at me, looking as excited as a baby Toxel could look. "Awetthum!" he babbled.

Twigs and I both had a good chuckle at that as she picked him up, placing him on her shoulders. She turned so that they were facing all the sleeping Pokémon. "See that, wee lad? One day you'll be big and strong like us!"

Zap clapped some more. "Exthited!"

The scene of that final strike with Twigs still played in my head. I was especially proud. "You know, for someone who hasn't done much battling recently, you still got it."

Twigs smirked at me. "You kidding me, lass? I dinnae know if you've forgotten, but I'm nae the slacker type! I can still knock some heads even if I've got a wee softie to watch! Just ask Crumbs!"

I had a little giggle at the amusing retort. "So is that a yes to more training?"

"Heh. Who do you think I am, goldilocks?" Twigs paused to look ahead. "Just need to make sure Scarf McGee is on board too."

The mention of Crumbs got me wondering where he scurried off to. But it seemed like both me and Twigs had a hunch.

"Found him." Twigs spoke up, directing my gaze to a spot ahead where some of the knocked out Pokémon were resting. There he was, unmistakable because of his scarf, scurrying between the other Pokémon and leaving berries for them.

"I'm not even that surprised." I smiled. "Though it seems like he's gonna take a while."

Twigs nudged me, hopping back and forth in a battle stance. "Sounds to me we got time to kill! Come on, I'm up for another round of training!"

I glanced back at the rest of my team to see that they were still excitedly talking amongst themselves about what just happened. I guess more training wouldn't hurt. And then I looked up and saw how much shade was over us. "I… did not realize how long we were training. Is it evening already?"

Twigs blinked and looked up. And then she blinked again when a drop of water fell on her head. "Not evening. It's gonna rain. Should've expected it, weather gets weird around the Wild Area."

"Heh." Spike was marching right beside us, looking awfully… happy about all this. It looked like there was a sudden spring in his step, as if he was trying to frolic. "You could say that the weather in the Wild Area gets wild."

Twigs poked him in the eye. "No."

I looked up, trying to think about what to do. I put up a hand to block a droplet. "It's drizzling fast. We should probably find some shelter or set up camp."

Spike just chuckled at me. "Why would you want to hide? Mighty fine weather if I say so myself."

I chuckled back, trying to stay lighthearted about all this. "I don't have an umbrella."

"Tilda is right there."

Twigs poked him in the other eye. "No." She then looked up at me, an excited glint in her eye. "If you need somewhere to stay, I know just the place! Everyone, follow me!"

Twigs grabbed me by the arm and tried to tug me away, Zap also clinging to me. I couldn't possibly say no to faces like those, but even as I was led away, I looked back. "Spike, can you get the others for me?"

"Alright, alright."

Author's POV

The vast area of Bridge Field was to be expected, but Twigs still led the team as if she knew the place, expertly avoiding any dangerous patch of grass as if this was all routine to her. Eventually it wouldn't take much longer for Flare and the others to see the area's namesake: the towering arcs holding up a bridge above them.

Flare looked up at it, taking a second to admire it. "Wow… why does it look so familiar?"

Twigs gave her a little nudge, still full of energy. "Thought the same thing. Enough faffing about, we're almost there!"

As Twigs continued running off, Flare took a second to catch her breath. As she did, she noticed something weird about the atmosphere.

"I don't know why she's so eager to find shelter." Spike spoke next to her, still unusually pleased with everything. "I mean, the weather's still perfectly fine."

Flare still cast a hand in front of her eyes. "Spike, this is really weird. Now there's a sandstorm."

"Oh. Still mighty fine weather to me." He just continued attempting to frolic the best a big heavy turtle can frolic.

By the base of a nearby cliffside, a humble daycare facility sat tucked close to the rocky walls on the eastern side of Bridge Field. The recent weather notice made it so that all the Pokémon there were led inside, some resting in the fenced backyard. That was, other than an Indeedee scouring the area with her trainer, a daycare worker dressed in the uniform of hat and overalls.

Twigs was the first to see the two. "Chloe! Therese! It's me!"

The older trainer narrowed her eyes, a smile coming to her face as she spotted the waving Thwackey. "I dinnae remember raising a raving little beastie. Do you?"

The Indeedee playfully elbowed her trainer. "Oi, that's not funny!" She eagerly ran towards Twigs and picked her up in a hug. "Twigs, you wee lassie! It's been too long!"

Twigs went up to hug the daycare lady next. "I really missed the place. Hold up well without my help, Chloe?"

The trainer scoffed. "You kidding? Ever since that Leon lad stopped by we've had more Pokémon to foster than ever! And what of you? You've evolved, lass!"

Twigs stepped aside to reveal Flare, the meek trainer with a Toxel on her shoulder and the rest of her odd team behind her.

Flare waved with a smile. "Uh… hi."

Chloe smiled. "Guess we got a lotta catching up to do."

The group were all led inside the daycare house for shelter, brought into the open kitchen where Flare could rest and her Pokémon could mingle.

"Here's a hot cuppa. It's chocolate." Chloe handed her a cup from across the table. "So you're the lassie who picked up little Twiggy here." She leaned forward with an elbow on the table. "She cause you any trouble?"

Flare raised an eyebrow at the mention as she took a sip. "She's been a reliable team member. Is she supposed to be a troublemaker?"

Chloe chuckled. The kind of laughter that reminded Flare of the kind of woman her mother is, albeit Chloe had more Of a brashness to her. "I'm only pulling your leg. Twigs was one of our long staying fosters at this daycare. She actually helped loads with raising all the others with me and Therese here."

Chloe briefly motioned to her Indeedee, the one preparing a tray of meals for all of Flare's Pokémon hanging around nearby. She did her job with a smile and even found herself with some smirk-worthy banter with Spike.

Twigs hopped up on a chair next to Flare. "You bloody bet I helped! Go on, C! Tell her how wonderful I am!" Flare just chuckled and scratched her Thwackey's chin, already proud.

"She was helpful, yes." Chloe smiled, leaning back into her seat. "We had a bit of trouble for a while after she left because we were so used to having her around. But we do have a new volunteer now."

Then, as if on cue, the door to the kitchen opened, revealing another Indeedee. His half opened stare and permanent frown gave him an air of strictness compared to the liveliness that Therese carried.

"All the fosters have been accounted for, Miss Chloe." He spoke flatly, walking up to her. His tone was as rigid as his posture. "They're resting in the safe backyard as we speak."

"Good job, Levin." Chloe patted him on the arm. "I dinnae have much for you to do right now. Maybe help Therese out if she needs it."

"Consider it done." The Indeedee pivoted to move, but stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Flare. His expression subtly shifted as he raised an eyebrow before approaching her. "It is nice to finally meet you, Miss Clare."

Flare curiously shifted in her seat, eyes widened at the hand Levin outstretched for her. She slowly returned the gesture, albeit hesitantly as she wondered how he knew her name. "Do I know you?"

"Hmm. Forgive me. Perhaps she hasn't informed you. Allow me to properly introduce myself." The Indeedee's expression barely changed as he brought his hand back. He bowed. "I am Levin. I am merely serving as a humble volunteer to this daycare. Otherwise, I have also served as one of the members of Miss Judith's team."

Flare just stared in absolutely dumbfounded silence, still taking in the revelation. "That's… you're… mom's Pokémon?"

Levin nodded, lack of emotion contrasting Flare's utter surprise. "That is correct."

Twigs just laughed to herself as she looked back and forth between Flare and Levin. "Just how many secrets is that woman hiding…" She then directed her attention to Chloe. "Big deal that you got a fancy talking apron man. When it comes to helping Therese, I bet I still got it!"

Chloe smirked. "Think you're still hot stuff, lass?" She quickly glanced at where Therese was. "From the looks of things it seems like there are dishes piling up."

Twigs was quick to hop off her seat. "See ya, teapot!"

Levin's frown deepened. "I assure you, I am no Polteageist." He resorted to floating with psychic energy to make it to the sink faster.

"Heh. She hasn't changed a bit." Chloe smirked. She watched the two race to the sink before looking back at Flare. "Your tea's gonna get cold at this rate, lass."

"Hmm? Oh." Flare snapped out of her train of thought and picked up her cup. "Thanks for letting us stay here, miss."

Chloe just grinned and placed a hand on Flare's shoulder. "You can drop the formalities, lass. Friend of Twigs is a friend of mine. Just make yourself at home."

Flare quickly found herself relaxed at the mention. "Thanks." She took a more confident gulp of her hot chocolate. "Speaking of home, did you happen to know a Miss Judith as well? I'm really out of the loop when it comes to stories about my mom, believe it or not."

Chloe chuckled and withdrew to her seat, picking up her own cup. "Not personally, no. But she must mean business if that Levin lad is a Pokémon of hers. Must explain how well behaved you and him are."

Flare took a brief pondering look into her reflection in the drink. "I always thought it was just her and Banana… I wonder where the rest of her team is. I wonder if they're strong."

"Wouldn't worry about that if I were ye." Chloe took a hearty gulp of her mug, making sure to wipe her mouth afterwards. "You've made it this far, haven't you? I usually see a bunch of strugglers actually, but from the looks of things you ain't one. This leg of Galar isn't just some place any Gym Challenger can go prancing through."

Flare's gaze briefly trailed off as she found herself quietly giggling. 'But that's exactly what Spike did.' She quickly focused on the current conversation. "My team is pretty strong. I definitely wouldn't have made it this far without them."

"Oh, I can see you going real far, lassie." Chloe chuckled. "You got Twigs with ye, obviously. But seriously, I've seen many a trainer pass by year after year. Sometimes, a lack thereof. Maybe it is just because Twigs is on your team, but I feel like there's something else special about you."

Flare just blinked, unsure how to reply.

Chloe was quick to laugh it off. "Try not to look too much into it, lassie. You overthink this kind of business when you spend all these years helping Pokémon grow up. Just try to kick back and relax. We'll tough it out here until the storm passes." She glanced at the window. "In this case, until the hailstorm passes. Weather was never this dodgy before, but whatever."

Flare couldn't help but lighten up at Chloe's carefree shrug. "I will."

"And then I said, I dinnae know!"

Most of Flare's other Pokémon had a good laugh at Therese's story. With a good meal and a good storyteller, they seemed like they were far ahead in making themselves feel at home.

"Golly, I'm stuffed." Crumbs groaned, rolled over on his side. His scarf had morsels on it. "You want my leftovers, Zap?"

The little Toxel had already started helping himself to eagerly gorging on Crumbs' portion. He let out a loud burp afterwards, then flopped over next to Crumbs.

Therese was amused. "Cute wee gudgey you got there. He part of your squad?"

"You could say that." Spike looked up from his plate. "He doesn't do any fighting but he's still part of our team."

"We've never seen him battle, actually." Cress spoke up, resting nearby. "He could be stronger than me for all I know. He's bigger than me."

"Are you kidding me?" Hook frowned at her. "You're not- erm, he's not possibly any good at battling. He's a child. He's not even evolved."

"Ooh!" Tilda chimed in. "Hook, when are you gonna evolve? We've all done it except you."

The Slowpoke glared at her. "I'll eat your petals."

"Eek! Spike, help me!" She ducked near him, which barely did anything since her petals still peeked over his shell.

Therese laughed at the sight of it all, having taken a seat on the floor nearby. "I dinnae remember the last time we met a team as amusing as you lot." She got up when she realized something. "I lost track of time faffing about with you guys. I forgot I got dishes to do-"

"You nae need to worry!" Twigs spoke up, panting as she approached the group. "What'd I miss? Did anyone take my food while I was washing?"

Zap just burped again. "Thhhuffed."

Levin stepped into view, levitating the last few dishes away from the stuffed Toxel. "I'll simply deal with these last few." The dishes all floated into the sink.

Therese excitedly hopped to her feet, as lively as ever. "Actually, Twigs! Forgot to introduce you!" She eagerly stepped to Levin's side and slung an arm around him, pulling him close. "This wonderful volunteer who's been helping us out! Ain't he just the handsomest thing you've ever seen?"

Levin's expression stayed painfully neutral. "Help me."

Twigs chuckled at Levin's implied agony. "Oh, we've met. He already got my expectations to sink." She made a show of shaking the wetness out of her fur.

Therese rubbed against Levin's face. "Ain't he just a beaut?"

Levin didn't react. "It's pronounced but, as in butler."

Therese just chuckled. "Beaut, butt, same thing. Oh, you wanna know the best part? You can call the two of us… Tea and Leaves!"

"I'm Levin." The Indeedee still looked unamused.

Therese still kept her arm stubbornly wrapped around him. "Leaves."

"I'm leaving." Levin wriggled free and promptly exited through the door.

"Hmm… yeah." Spike slowly nodded as he watched the ordeal. "Hope that works out."

"Oh, he's always like that." Therese laughed it off. She sighed dreamily as she stared at the door. "Now that's a Pokémon after me heart."

"Right." Hook stood up, sighing not so dreamily. "Speaking of leaving, can someone ask Flare when we're going? This place is too… warm and fuzzy."

Cress inched closer to him. "Come on, dude. You telling me you don't like warm and fuzzy?"

"Ergh."

Twigs scoffed. "Are all you Psychic types this grumpy?"

A sudden crash of thunder got everyone looking at the nearest window. Even Crumbs and Zap leapt in surprise at the noise.

Therese watched it too. "The bloody weather patterns are really buggered now. I wouldn't recommend going out at this hour. Best just stay the night. Good thing we got some spare rooms."

"I don't mind staying the night, really." Spike stood up to stretch his limbs. "All that training and battling took a lot out of me.

"Oh gosh, the battle!" Crumbs eagerly perked up at the mention. He dug his paws into the depths of his furry tail. "Golly, I haven't stopped thinking about how cool you all were back there. We should have a victory berry feast later! I've gotten a ton of berries from outside, like-"

"No Pecha Berries." Hook froze him with his cold stare. "Vile things are too… sweet for my liking."

"Aw." Crumbs paused. "W-Well, how about Aguav? Iapapa?"

Hook relaxed his stare. "Those will do."

Crumbs sighed with relief. He looked down and saw Zap crawling towards him, wanting to be carried.

The little Toxel smiled as he was lifted. "You a papa." He wriggled with joy in Crumbs' arms.

"D'aww… alright!" Therese finally stood up. "I've been dawdling a bunch with you lot for too long now! I'm gonna go get your room ready! I'll get Leaves to help!"

They all watched as Therese left the room, eagerly waving as she did so.

Zap waved back. "Bye bye Theeth."

Twigs picked him up. "Lookit you, you big baby. Already learning to speak. At this rate you're nae a wee gudgey anymore."

Spike chuckled at her. "Well, at least now we know where you got your roots from. Leaves and all."

"You must think you're so funny. Could've fooled me." Twigs mockingly chuckled back. "I dinnae know."

Crumbs' POV

Golly, that smell…

At first, I thought I was having another cupcake dream. You know, the usual food dreams everyone has. Everyone has them, right? But the scent of sweetness became so vivid that it woke me right up.

I continued sniffing. It was just a dream. We were all still in the daycare room. Zap was still snoring soundly next to me from our spot on the floor. Everyone else was sleeping all soundly too. But the smell of sweetness was still there.

Something else was off. Twigs wasn't here. The thought woke me right up. Aw shucks… did she leave?

I got up and carefully placed Zap on the floor, hoping he'd be fine sleeping by himself for a while. I looked at him sleeping peacefully all by his lonesome before I left for the door. "We'll be back later, okay?" I whispered. I had to jump a few times to reach the doorknob.

It took a bit in the pitch black night, but I managed to find my way to the front door of this big place. All I had to do was follow that weird sweet smell that was still there, which surprisingly wasn't coming from the kitchen. I just hoped I didn't wake anyone because I stumbled quite a bit along the way. I'm no night critter.

I stepped outside, getting a whiff of that good old fresh air, even if I still smelled cupcakes for some reason. My nose must be busted or something. It wasn't much longer until I saw Twigs sitting by a nearby tree, all by herself.

She must've noticed me, because she spoke first. "Didn't think you'd come out here, Crumbs. Thought that whole berry feast would've knocked you out for the night."

I got on all fours and ran towards her. "I could say the same myself! At least I gave myself some extra Chesto Berries just in case!" I caught up to her, feeling awfully relieved. "Golly, what're you doing out here?"

She turned to face me. She looked real relaxed. "I was just enjoying this pretty view here. Was waiting for when the sky would clear up, and now it has." Not the tired kind, but like she was happy about something.

Twigs just silently patted the ground next to her. I've never seen her be this quiet, but I couldn't say no to that smile of hers. I shifted in my spot for a bit before trying to match her gaze to see what exactly she was staring up at. Hope she didn't catch me staring at her instead.

"Golly…" I muttered aloud. A towering sight of bricks all the way up. I haven't seen many bricks before, but there was just something peculiar about these ones. "Is that supposed to be a bridge?"

Twigs nodded beside me. "The very same. Route 5, do you remember?"

Route 5… is that the one where… I immediately thought about little Zap. "Ohhhh."

I caught Twigs' smile. A wonderful warm smile. "I have a lot of good memories with this place, you know. Ever since I was a wee Grookey I've been looking at that bridge and wondering what was up there. Did this with all these other friends I had who've long been adopted now."

"Aw shucks…" I hesitated, unusually meek about how to reply. "Does it get lonely around here?"

"Sometimes." She looked down for a second, then back at me. Directly at me. "But now I got Flare, and you, and Zap, and everyone else. I was kind of hoping I'd be able to relive these memories with Sev, but having you here works well too. You're still cozy."

"Golly…" I gulped. She thought I was cozy. "You know, maybe one day I can show you around Route 1 if I get the chance. Well, there's not exactly much for me to show you, but still."

Twigs quietly stifled a laugh. "I'd be up for it." She jabbed me on the arm. If I wasn't on edge I probably would've fallen over. "You're awfully nervous right now, I've noticed. Something on that mind of yours? I thought you'd still be hyped from all the training we did today. Instead you're here blushing like a Cheri Berry."

"O-Oh, that." Was I that obvious? I really did feel warmth in my face. "Gee, well… remember back in that battle when you told me to 'berry' you? I… kept on thinking I could've misheard it and maybe you meant something else." I pulled over my tail to hide my face in it. "And maybe I… liked the thought of it. The thought of you."

I knew it was a silly thought, Twigs and me, but it just never left my head. Or my rapidly beating heart. I was waiting for a reaction, a laugh, a nudge, something, but no.

I mustered the courage to look back at her. And she was just… smiling at me. Not mockingly or anything, just something genuine.

"Who knows, Crumbs?" Her voice and her stare were gentle. "Maybe one day, someday, I'll be able to 'berry' you first." She was surprisingly playful about it.

She suddenly inched closer and suddenly used a finger to boop me right on the nose, surprising me and making my nose twitch more than it already is. My poor heart.

I ended up goofily sneezing right in front of her. "Aw shucks…" My mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts. The good kind, but the sorts that made me wanna hide again.

"Don't look so down, ya big softie. You big red Tamato Berry." Her usual fun smile was back. "Maybe look at the bridge some more. It'll calm you down."

I let out a breath and went back to looking up at the view, night sky and all. It was a quiet sense of peace, but the nice kind. I said what I needed to say and all was still well. I'm still here… with Twigs.

Twigs finally broke the silence. "It's nice, ain't it?" Her tone was gentle. The kind of sound that made me feel at ease.

Part of me wanted to look back at her, but I still kept my eyes glued to the view. "Yeah…" I tried inching closer and found myself leaning right against her fur. I was surprised and would've tried to move away, but then she suddenly put her arm around me. I calmed down and let myself stay there, next to her. I sighed. "Yeah… this is real nice, Twigs." She was real nice.

Twigs looked at me again. I liked looking at her. "Heh. Please, call me Tara."

We just kinda sat there for a while. All quiet and peaceful and everything. It was all nice and sweet and-

Wait… sweet?

I suddenly remember what brought me here in the first place, and why my nose was twitching this much this whole time.

Twigs must've noticed my look of worry. "What's wrong?" She looked worried too.

"It's just…" I kept sniffing. The scent was still there. "Ever since I woke up, there was this weird scent of something sweet in the air. Even out here."

She smirked and nudged me. "There's nae a need for you to go sweet talking me, lad. We're a thing now. What, do you wanna snog now or something?"

I stopped. "What's a snog?"

Twigs raised an eyebrow. Her head tilted ever so slightly with her mischievous smile. "Want me to show you?"

I quickly looked back around in alarm. The smell was getting stronger. "It's probably not that, whatever that is." I got up and tried to track the scent. "It's super duper sugary… like… a fresh batch of pastries, or a huge pile of cupcakes, or…" I pinpointed my gaze straight ahead. The ground shook. "A… A giant…"

The ground beneath us trembled again, messing with my footing. Dead ahead, radiating a weird red aura and overwhelmingly sweet scent. A giant Slurpuff.

Golly… I didn't know if the giant stomping was making me uneasy or if just the sight of it all was enough to keep me quivering on the spot.

"It's coming right this bloody way!" Twigs exclaimed in panic, getting right up. She already had her sticks ready. "At this rate, it'll… it'll crush the daycare!"

Oh no… I looked back at the building. Everyone was all asleep there, even the little critters in the backyard. I was afraid, but I had to shake it off. I can't let them down, I have to protect everyone!

Twigs was already running ahead like it was nothing. I desperately tried catching up to her, getting closer to… the giant Slurpuff that's also getting closer…

I was still trembling. It was as if the Slurpuff just got bigger the more we ran. Its sweetness became so potent it was nauseating. I had to keep looking up, and up, and up…

I froze. I was right in front of it. The memories came flashing back. I was just a tiny Skwovet standing before this giant Corviknight, and I was gonna fall.

I gulped. I was still just a small critter in this big… big world.

Author's POV

"Hmm… Zap?"

Flare was suddenly awoken by the nudging of a very shaken Toxel. Little Zap couldn't sleep well all alone, so he quickly climbed up onto Flare's bed to bother her about it.

The trainer rubbed her eyes for a bit before she noticed what was off. Twigs and Crumbs were nowhere to be seen. She quickly grabbed her glasses and got up.

Zap climbed onto her shoulder. "Outthide."

Flare nodded. She quickly snagged her backpack and left the room, noticeably slamming the door as she did.

"There's nothing to worry about, Zap." She muttered to him. "I'll just find them real quick and you can go back to sleep."

Flare quickly realized that there was actually something to worry about. Mainly the Dynamaxed Slurpuff facing down the two figures she figured were her Twigs and Crumbs.

"Twigs! Crumbs!" Flare yelled, breaking into a frantic sprint to reach the duo on the other side of the field. She was silently thankful she brought her Dynamax Band with her, even if she had no idea why a Dynamax Slurpuff was there in the first place.

"Flare!" Twigs turned around, desperation in her voice. "This thing is gonna attack the daycare if we don't stop it! Quick, Dynamax us!"

"I…" Flare looked at her wrist in horror as she noticed that her Dynamax Band wasn't harnessing any energy. "I can't!" She tried slapping the wristband to see if that would do anything, but to no results.

Twigs nervously stepped back, making sure to grab the quivering Crumbs to bring him with her. "Then… how the heck are we gonna fight this thing?!"

The Slurpuff still had yet to notice the tiny creatures in front of it. It took another step forward, eyes still dead set on the daycare.

"We're heeeere!" A voice suddenly cried out in triumph, right as a chunk of Acid poison was hurled at the Slurpuff's face. The beast roared out in shock and pain, clearly disoriented.

Flare looked behind her to see her other four Pokémon quickly catching up, taking their battle stances in front of her. She couldn't believe it. "You… guys? How?"

Spike chuckled as he glanced back at her. "Maybe don't close the door so hard next time? Or maybe do. Point is that it's a good thing we're here now."

"Tch, what does this… freak of nature think it's doing here?" Hook grimaced. "Way… way too sweet."

Cress nodded beside him. "I just wanna go back to sleep. Come on, the order is yours, Flare!"

Flare nodded. She looked up at the threat with more confidence. "We can do this, team! It's the six of us against it! Let's do this!"

The Slurpuff finally managed to shake the Acid gunk off of its face, only to come face to face with a levitating Slowpoke.

"You bore me." He covered his mouth with a paw as he yawned, then used that same paw to send a Yawn bubble forward while harnessing psychic energy in an attempt to push the Slurpuff back.

The distance the Slurpuff was pushed back was barely visible, and the Yawn bubble barely did anything. The Slurpuff merely blinked for a second before shaking it off like it was nothing.

Hook widened his eyes in shock as he floated back to the ground. "We can't lull this thing to sleep!"

Cress revealed herself atop the Slurpuff's head. "Then we'll just have to paralyze it instead!"

The Charjabug bit into the Slurpuff's cherry, using electricity to zap its weak point in such a way that caused the shock to spread to its whole body. The giant pastry Pokémon flinched at the attack, but only for a brief period. At that point it had already noticed its assailants and started focusing on that, starting with shaking Cress off.

The Charjabug was sent flying through the air, but only momentarily before she was caught with psychic energy and brought to the ground safely. She sighed. "That didn't work either… Are our attacks even doing anything?"

"Guys, look!" Flare noticed the mystical fog clouding the floor around them. "This is Misty Terrain, status conditions won't work!"

Twigs dashed forward. "Brute force it is then! Spike, boost me!"

The Thwackey stopped in front of the Slurpuff, a rock pillar emerging beneath her to serve as an elevated platform. Twigs stood in front of the Slurpuff's face and let out a loud Screech, once again disorienting the giant Fairy type and granting Twigs an opening for a Razor Leaf barrage. The sharp projectiles caused the Slurpuff to hesitate a bit, but it quickly composed itself, angrily staring at the annoyance in front of it.

It stomped on the ground, causing a spontaneous build up of energy to rumble within the ground beneath Twigs and the pillar she stood on. Feeling this, Twigs immediately dove away, just moments before the Max Strike erupted from the ground where she once stood.

Twigs panted as she landed on the ground next to Flare, staring in shock at the pile of fine powdery rubble that used to be Spike's rock pillar. "Okay… we cannae afford to get hit… Any other plans?"

Flare stared on, trying to remain confident as she held Zap in her arms. "Let's try to overwhelm it. If we use enough attacks we can definitely take it down. But we'll need to be stronger, too. Crumbs, do you have any berries?"

The mention of his name got the Greedent to snap out of his fear-induced trance. "Berries? Oh, gotcha." He took out several batches of Salac, Liechi, and Petaya berries. Everyone quickly had their portions.

The giant Slurpuff stepped closer, roaring an echoed cry of aggression as it readied another move. Flare used this opportunity to send everyone forward. "Quickly, go!"

Twigs and Crumbs were first with a direct attack to its face with a Razor Leaf and Spit Up combo. Crumbs rapidly spat an accumulated bunch of Tamato Berries into the Slurpuff's giant open mouth. The Razor Leaf projectiles then cut open the spicy berries, instantly unloading a flavor so powerful that the Slurpuff had to stop in its tracks and try to cough it out.

As the giant Fairy type panted in desperation, Spike conjured a rock pillar in front of him that he quickly knocked over to create a ramp. As he let Tilda hop onto his shell, Hook and Cress were readying another levitating attack again. As Spike sped off the ramp in his spinning Razor Shell, Tilda readied Acid clumps in her hands and joined him in his spinning formation. As the duo's combined spinning attack collided with the Slurpuff's side, Hook and Cress were quick to follow up with their own spiraling electric Zen Headbutt combo on the other flank.

As the Slurpuff staggered to and fro from the combined attacks, the others landed and took their place right next to Twigs and Crumbs.

Flare seized the opportunity. "Everybody, now!"

Everybody took their spots and unleashed their projectile attacks all at once, from String Shots to Water Pulses to more Acid chunks and the like. Spike held his ground and caused several Rock Tomb structures to rise and strike at the Slurpuff's stomach in an attempt to push it back.

Each hit only served to agitate the Slurpuff even further. Its stamina was much well spent at that point, but it didn't want to go down so soon.

The Slurpuff put its arms in front of its face, manifesting its Dynamax Energy into a large glowing barrier that covered its entire figure. The creation of the Max Guard unleashed a shockwave that instantly repelled all attacks that were aimed at it. The shockwave ended up reaching Flare and her team, sending them all reeling everywhere.

With Flare and her Pokémon all scattered about and disoriented, the Slurpuff was free to charge up its next move. The cherry on its head started glowing, manifesting its Dynamax Energy into conjuring a single large star-shaped projectile that rocketed towards Flare's party. The star slammed into the ground in front of them, lodging itself into the dirt.

Twigs was the first to recover. She frantically looked around. "Zap! Zap, where are you?!"

Flare got up to see that her Toxel wasn't in her grasp. "He must've been launched away!"

Tilda just stood in front of the star stuck in the ground. "Guys, there's nothing to worry about! It missed!"

And then to everyone's horror, the star slowly started glowing.

"It's gonna blow!" Spike stood his ground, readying a move. "Everyone, get behind me!"

Tilda was the first to brace for cover behind Spike, having already scrambled for safety behind him without a second thought. Next came Hook, who then used his psychic to help Cress, who would've been too slow to squirm her way there by herself. That just left Twigs, Crumbs, and Flare, who were frantically searching the grass nearby.

"Flare!" Twigs called out. "Go to Spike! We'll take it from here!"

Flare hesitated, but she steeled herself and had faith in the both of them. "Okay."

As she continued searching, Twigs waited until Flare went away. "Okay, Crumbs! I'll take it from here, you-"

"N-No!" He exclaimed, voice shaky. "I'm not gonna leave you here! We'll find him together, gosh darnit!"

Twigs hesitated, but she didn't have time to waste arguing. "Okay! We can do this!"

Spike briefly glanced back, looking past the group huddling around him. "This thing is sure taking its time, but still! Hurry it up, you two!"

"Found him!" Twigs had a look of relief on her face as she held up the dazed but alive Toxel.

Spike glanced back at the star and noticed it was just about ready to burst. "Come on!"

Clutching Zap tightly, Twigs made a beeline for the group, Crumbs not too far behind.

The Thwackey stared ahead, coming to a fearful conclusion. "We're… we're not gonna- agh!" She was suddenly shoved from behind.

At that very moment, Spike saw the moment the star leaked mist, prompting him to put up the largest Protect barrier he could muster to cover everyone close. The Max Starfall attack created a violent misty explosion that covered the area in an all consuming fog, engulfing everything except the large protective dome created by Spike. And even then, the sheer might of the lingering blast caused cracks to appear in the supposedly impenetrable Protect shield. Eventually the cracks finally burst, leaking some of the blast's force within, but luckily it was in the explosion's final and less powerful moments. Still, it was enough to send everyone reeling back again.

Flare coughed as she got back up. The fairy mist still enveloped the area around them, knee high and nigh impossible to see through. "Is everyone okay?"

Spike got up and shook it off. "I'm all good."

Tilda popped up next to him. "Me too, all thanks to Spike!"

Hook nodded, though a brief panic struck him when he couldn't make out the shape of a Charjabug amidst the mist.

"Right here, chum." Cress spoke from atop his head.

Twigs got up, out of breath, but still managed to muster a sigh of relief as she hugged the Toxel in her arms. "We actually made it…" She frantically looked around as she realized something. "Crumbs! Where… I'll go find him!"

Flare looked ahead and remembered that the Slurpuff was still there. She noticed that its movements have slowed. "Guys! It must be tired by now! You can still finish it!"

The other four nodded amongst each other and split up, aiming to attack from different angles again.

"Hey! Meanie!" Tilda yelled from behind the Slurpuff as she arose from a pillar. "Over here!" She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry as she chucked repeated Acid projectiles at its back.

The Slurpuff cried out in pain at the searing poison, angrily turning around to locate the Vileplume.

From the other side, Hook watched. He gently placed Cress on the ground nearby. "I'll handle this."

The Slowpoke concentrated, lifting himself into the air as he manifested a geyser of water below him. Hook lifted himself higher as the water continued growing and spreading until it was a giant tidal wave that towered even the Slurpuff.

"Why don't you pick on somebody your own size?!" As Hook brought both his paws forward, the huge wave violently crashed over the Slurpuff, catching it off guard with its relentless volume.

The giant pastry menace had enough time for one last attempt at a roar before it lost balance and fell to the ground face-first. As it did so, the impact caused the ground to shake and encased the area in a blinding red glow. When the light subsided, the Slurpuff was back to its normal size, lying on the ground. The mist around the area started to dissipate.

Flare sighed with relief as she assumed the disappearance of the bright red Dynamax glow meant the battle was over. "We did it! Okay, whew…" She let herself calm down. "How's everyone?"

Spike let out a sigh of relief as well. "All fine and good over here."

Hook frowned, panting. "Yes, well, I'd say that fight took a lot out of me."

Flare smiled and gave him a pat on the head. "It's okay, Hook. I saw that new Surf attack of yours. You were great."

Cress crawled up to him. "Yeah, lighten up, big guy."

"Woooo!" Tilda cheered, happily skipping around everyone. "We were so awesome out there! Ooh! This calls for another berry feast, don't you think?"

Flare chuckled, feeling back at ease with Tilda's usual display of enthusiasm. "Sure, sure. I'll be sure to take that up with… Crumbs?"

She quickly looked behind her to see where he was, only to find Twigs seated nearby. Flare hurriedly reached her spot only to see the absolute devastation on her face. "Twigs… Twigs, what-"

It was then that she noticed the motionless pile of fur in front of her. The heap of fluff being stained by Twigs' tears. Unmoving paw clutched by one of Twigs' hands. Unmistakable white Silk Scarf, flowing in the breeze in a motion that the body no longer can.

Once again, the ground shook once more. Flare's other Pokémon took their positions and caught notice of the distinct red glows surrounding them, ones that made the Slurpuff look like a runt in comparison. There were more.

As for their trainer, she was still focused on the limp mound on the floor. Her emotions were sucked dry. She collapsed on her knees, eyes welling. She hoped that if she blinked enough, this nightmare would go away. But even with a view obscured by tears, she knew this was what happened.

The nightmare resurfaced. The Onix, the Rock Slide, the rubble. It was all the same, except this time this was reality.

Twigs could only mutter one sentence. "He didn't make it."

Flare couldn't look away. "Crumbs?"

It was all overwhelming. And with all that was going on, as the ground continued shaking with stomps as the crimson Dynamax glows drew closer, time seemed to slow down.