"A cart, huh?" the Miltank asks as she continues with her cooking in the kitchen.
Sitting on the floor with a respectable distance from the cook, the Eevee blinks in amazement as he witnesses the large Pokémon easily cooking on four different cooking pots and pans at once, and even checks the food being cooked inside an oven from time to time.
"Well, to be quite honest, dear," the Miltank says without missing a beat with her cooking. "We have some shipment arriving today as well. My husband should be arriving soon from his rescue work so maybe you two can go to the docks together?"
The Eevee nods with a smile. "That sounds good. Thanks," he says as the timid fox shyly walks behind him to put the dishes on the sink. He sighs as the Nickit quickly runs out of the kitchen. "I was wondering how the two of you can manage such a busy restaurant."
The Miltank laughs. "I oftentimes wonder that as well, dear."
He frowns. "I mean no offence, but your, uh, kid, is too timid for this kind of work."
The cooking continues, with no words coming from the cook.
His ears droop. Perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut after all.
"It's training, dear," she suddenly says, her voice lower than usual. She stops attending to her cooking to turn to the Eevee with a sad frown on her face. "You probably noticed how shy she is, the poor dear." She looks at the open doorway. "Hurts for me to say this, but she can't survive the real world like that."
"So you're trying to toughen her up," the Eevee concludes with a nod.
She nods as well. "She does well in school thankfully, but her shyness prevents her from making friends, or even face even the smallest of confrontations."
He nods once again in understanding.
She gives him a small, sad smile. "But despite all of that, she's still doing an okay job, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah, she does," he agrees as he looks out the kitchen door. "Oddly enough," he whispers to himself as his ears twitch to the merry sounds of happy-eating customers.
"She's come a long way," the Miltank says with a smile as she turns back to her cooking.
The yellow sparking Shinx, carrying an unconscious Cyndaquil, dashes out of the way before a large rocky tail slams on them.
"Damn it!" he hisses, his glaring gaze not leaving the two ice-types. He skids to a stop, puts the fire-type down, and suddenly hears rapid footsteps running towards him from behind. He quickly looks over his shoulder and sees the Pancham, a glowing punch at a ready. Gritting his teeth, his tail glows, dodges the punch and lands a nasty iron tail on the Pancham's head, knocking it out.
"Not bad," the Sneasel taunts as she takes a step back. "Now I wonder how you'll deal with the big guy." A blink, and her sly smile widens. "Actually, I wanna see you up close and personal," she says, and pulls her razor-sharp claws out of Vixie's bleeding neck.
"Wait, no!" Shino shouts as the outlaw lets the ice fox drop on the ground. "Damn you—whoa!"
The earth shakes as the Onix suddenly dashes towards him with its head aimed at him.
Gritting his teeth, he dashes out of the way and grabs the fire-type as the large Onix slams its head through the cave wall, creating a miniature earthquake as a few rocks and dusts rain down from the ceiling.
He gently puts the unconscious Cyndaquil down on the ground, his glaring eyes locked on the smirking Sneasel.
She licks her bloody claws. "You look cute when you're angry," she says. "Let me give you an offer."
Shino stays quiet.
Her sly smile widens. "If you can keep up with me for at least ten seconds, I'll keep you as my pet."
His ears twitch as he hears the Onix pulling its head out from the newly-formed hole on the wall.
"I'm already drooling just thinking about it," the Sneasel says as she prepares herself. "Don't disappoint me like your friend did."
Thick strings of web slices through the air, and neatly lands on the Sneasel's two feet.
Surprised, the Sneasel quickly looks down with a dumbfounded look. A powerful sparking noise forces her to look up in time to see the angry electric-type dashing towards her. Her expression turning sour, she prepares her claws to counter, but another string of webs wrap around one of her claws, pulling it back.
With an angry snarl, the Shinx dodges her sweeping claw and delivers an electrifying tackle to her chin. Not wanting to waste his momentum, he quickly follows it up with an iron tail to her face, and as he lands behind her, quickly turns around and delivers an electrified tackle on her back as strings of spider web flies above him, heading straight towards the approaching Onix.
"Is dad not coming home yet?" the Nickit asks as she deposits a tray of dirty dishes on the sink. She turns and blinks to the Miltank who is busy cooking.
"He is running late, come to think of it," the cook says with a frown. After adding a few more ingredients in the pot, she takes a step back and looks out the kitchen window.
The buildings, grass and trees reflect a gentle orange hue from the golden rays of the late afternoon sun, and Pokémon of different shapes and sizes still roam the busy street.
A bell jingles from the main area, and the Nickit quickly runs back despite her not wanting to.
"Deep breaths," the Eevee says as he throws the last of his bandages inside a small trash can. He shakes his head and turns to the Miltank who's returning to her cooking. "I can get your shipments too if you want," he offers, trying his best to not sound so impatient.
"You mention Mister Leon hiring you to get his shipment, right?"
He nods. "Yeah."
"Um," the Nickit suddenly walks in, approaches the Miltank and tells her the newcomers' orders.
"Thank you, dear," the Miltank says, patting the small fox's head. She resumes her task and continues the conversation: "I may take you up on that offer, dear." A pause. "Hm... How much are you charging?"
The Nickit blinks at the Eevee.
He shrugs. "I honestly don't know. That's up to you, I guess." He stretches. "Holy shit, that felt good."
"Language, dear."
He frowns at her. "I'm not a kid, just so you know."
"I'm aware, dear."
He then notices the Nickit with her ears and gaze drooping.
"Oh, uh, sorry. Pretend you didn't hear that."
The Miltank chuckles. "If only it was that easy, dear. Anyway, cart's out the back. Tell our dear dockers that Sarah the Miltank sent you." She looks down and smiles at the Nickit. "Plu? Be a dear and help him get the cart out."
A heavy blush graces her two cheeks. "O-okay..."
The Eevee holds a sigh as he quietly follows the timid fox out the back door.
Sitting on the small grassy backyard is a wooden cart covered in a tarp. Biting one end, the Nickit pulls the tarp off.
The Eevee blinks. "That...looks like a wagon, to be honest."
"Um..." the Nickit shifts in place.
"It even has a harness!" he exclaims as he grabs it. "This isn't a cart, but whatever. Looks more practical if I'm pulling two crates or three."
"Um..."
"Hm?" he blinks and looks at the blushing fox. He sighs. "You really—ugh, whatever. Not my place to tell you what to do."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, speak up." He frowns at her. "You obviously want to say something."
She shifts in place, looking away. "D-do you...want, um, me to h-help?"
"With what?"
"T-the harness..."
He blinks and looks at the straps attached to the cart, or wagon as he decides to call it. "Actually, yeah. I've no idea how to do this." He's about to ask how can she help him if she's a nervous wreck, but decides to keep his mouth shut and just see for himself.
She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. "Deep breaths," she mutters to herself as she continues her breathing exercise. A few seconds later, she reopens her eyes and a heavy blush burns her cheeks as she slowly approaches him.
He sighs a frustrated sigh. "If it helps you, just pretend I'm a wooden..." He blinks, and tries his best to look himself over. "...uh, just pretend I'm a wooden Eevee." And he then tries his best to imitate one.
She shakes her head, closes her eyes, and takes a few more breaths. "Wooden Eevee," she mumbles repeatedly as she reopens her eyes and tries her best to attach the harness on him with very, very shaky paws.
He can't help but roll his eyes as he tilts his head up to avoid some cliché moments that are popping in his head.
The ground is shaking from the retreating rock snake, leaving the panting Shinx and his two fallen allies behind.
A weak cough.
Tearing his focus from the large Pokémon, Shino quickly sits beside the bloody ice fox. "V-Vixie..." he whispers as he tries to stop himself from holding her. "I'm sorry," he says as tears start to form in his eyes.
She slowly gives him a weak and gentle smile.
"Oh, cry me a river," the Sneasel groans, and then sticky strands of spider web covers her entire face.
He nods to the Ariados standing close by. "Thanks," the yellow Shinx grunts as he rummages through the bloody bag.
"Shit," the Cyndaquil groans and coughs as she drags herself towards her two companions. "Shit shit shit, Vixie, I'm so sorry..." She trips and falls but a spider leg catches her fall. She looks wearily at it. "Um..."
"Vixie, don't worry," Shino says as he pulls out one of his team's badges. "We're going back. Don't you dare die on us."
Her eyes slowly close as her smile slowly fades. Shino cries out her name as one of the badges start to glow. Startled, he and the Cyndaquil watches the glowing badge float towards the Vulpix and immediately encases her in a white light.
Shaking his head, Shino raises a badge up.
The badge shines and they are soon surrounded by light, teleporting them out of the dungeon.