"Grass"
By: SnapDragon, written as a drabble reward for SparklingEspeon

CREEEEEAAAK!

Edna cringed as the gate let out an excruciatingly high pitched squeal. Immediately, she realized that she forgot to tell Gladys that the old rusted thing needed to be replaced. Or at least it needed a good oiling. Though it wasn't like the prospect of talking to that Roserade was on the top of Edna's priority list. She gets yelled at enough as is—and she didn't need to be talked down to at that moment either.

Oh well. A headache for later, as she always said. It's not healthy to deal with more than one stressful situation each day. However, Edna hadn't been following her own rules recently. Not only that, but she had been doing so deliberately.

The gate let out another high pitched squeal as Edna pushed it shut, now effectively enclosing the Leafeon in the garden proper. She took a deep breath, allowing the sights and sounds of that blissfully serene place to seep into her skin. The chirping of distant birds, the glow of green leaves in the sunlight, and the gentle flowing of blades of grass in the wind was enough to calm Edna's heart, if only momentarily. One would think that the simple joy of being outside would pass with time, but to Edna, it was one of the two aspects of her life that kept her grounded.

The other was in the garden itself, further in.

The grass type padded through the garden, crunching leaves under her paws and slipping past patches of flowers. Despite everything happening in town with the guild and her parents and...plenty of other problems, it was remarkable that the townsfolk still had taste when it came to maintaining greenery. Edna would go as far to say that her surroundings were picturesque—hence why she insisted on coming here so often. It gave her a chance to breathe and think.

As she walked, the Leafeon swiftly picked out the perfect blade of grass, and placed it behind her ear for later. Edna wouldn't call herself a connoisseur, but she had done this enough times to know what works. That was all she could really hope for.

The remainder of her walk was uneventful. Past all of the marble fountains, berry trees, and expertly laid, multicolored flower beds—there was a small, wooden shack. It's paint, over a decade past its prime, had mostly faded, giving the building a sort of rustic look. It stood out against everything else in the garden, not for its beauty, but rather the lack thereof. Since it was so out of the way and situated behind some rather cleverly placed trees and foliage, most would have to be actively looking for it to find it.

Edna happened to be doing just that. And after ducking under some tree branches, she soon found herself at the door to the tool shack of the garden.

Knock knock! Knock! Knock knock!

With her paw, Edna rapped on the decrepit, wooden door no more and no less than five times. She waited patiently as various crashing noises sounded out from inside of the shack. At least he's still here, Edna thought with a sigh.

After a few seconds, the crashing stopped and the door slowly opened. Tired, dull eyes peeked out from the crack of the opening, barely illuminated by the light of the sun. "E-Edna…?" the pokemon croaked out. "Is that you?"

A sort of half smile appeared on Edna's muzzle as she nodded. "Yes, it's me, Aggro," she said. "Can I come in?"

The pokemon did not say anything, but the door became more ajar after the eyes disappeared from the opening. That half smile became a full smile. Not because Aggro letting Edna in made her excited or anything, but more just as a way to prime herself for what was about to happen next. Delicately, she pushed past all of the cobwebs and stray mounds of dust and made her way into the shack.

...Only to sigh and drop the smile once she took in the state that the shack was in.

Somehow, it had gotten worse. There were gardening tools all over the place, broken bottles, half eaten bits of food, tattered books, a few holes in the walls—it was a mess. And at the center of it all was Aggro, a disheveled, dreadful looking Delibird. Just like the shack, he seemed to have gotten worse since last time. Edna might have felt pity had it not been for the fact that she had made an attempt to clean the place before, and made some good progress.

Aggro...didn't try. Either that or he made his situation actively worse. Still, Edna tried her best to stay cordial with him. Yelling wouldn't fix his affliction. And unlike her mother, yelling wasn't her go-to solution.

"How are you feeling, Aggro?" Edna asked warmly.

"...Awful..." He sounded like it too.

Edna sighed. She knew that Aggro couldn't fix his problems on his own, but the least he could do was meet her half way. "What have you been up to since I've been gone?"

Aggro blinked a couple times as his shoulders slumped. "Not...much of anything, really. I liked the books you got me...but, I can only stay focused for a few minutes at a time before the headaches come back."

After carefully stepping over some trash, Edna approached Aggro, bringing her face nearer to his and staring into his eyes. She could tell, just from one quick glance, that he wanted nothing more than to rest. The mess probably wasn't even his fault. "I'm so sorry, Aggro," she whispered sadly. "You didn't deserve this."

His eyes would not meet hers. Instead, they fell on the sleeping bag on the other end of the room, situated between an assortment of buckets and crates. "...Can I just go to bed now?" Aggro muttered.

Edna nodded. "Of course." As much as she wanted to talk more and perhaps help clean up some, she knew that she could always come back another time. And he would be here...waiting for her.

Once situated on the sleeping bag, Aggro looked up at the ceiling in preparation. "Hey...Edna?"

"Hm? Yes?" she said, padding up next to him and sitting down.

"Thank you...for doing this for me. I…I..."

She placed a paw on one of his arms. This time, the smile returned, and it was genuine. "Shhh...you're welcome, Aggro. I'm happy that I could help you."

"…" Aggro closed his eyes. Whatever he was planning to say never reached Edna's ears.

She took his resignation to fate as a sign to begin. Reaching behind her ear, Edna produced the blade of grass from earlier. Unremarkable as it may be, it was the key to Aggro's happiness. The Leafeon's unique powers, worthless to some, had finally found a use.

And she couldn't be happier.

The blade was at her muzzle in an instant, and after a deep breath, the Leafeon began to blow.

The resulting sound could have soothed a raging dragon into submission. It was akin to the song of the most talented of musicians, and affected all who listened twice as much. Any and all in the direct vicinity would feel immense comfort and relaxation.

The song was a lullaby, and it lulled even those plagued by crippling insomnia into a slumber.

Aggro's chest, as such, began to gently rise and fall with his breathing. He was asleep within a few moments.

Edna continued to whistle into the grass as Aggro experienced the wonders of proper rest. Even if it was nothing special to the majority of other pokemon living today, with Aggro, sleep was rare. Edna's powers were worth cherishing.

Edna herself didn't feel the same, though she acknowledged how important it was to the Delibird. Even after all of the yelling, the disappointment, the disdain, the hatred—Edna found solace in the fact that there was one that recognized her worth.

She remained by Aggro's side for a while longer before returning to the world she dreaded seeing again. It would be painful, yes, but at least she could always come back tomorrow and provide her friend with the comfort he rightfully deserved.

Someday...he might even be able to live a normal life.