The golden rays of the late afternoon sun washes over the downslope cobblestone street. Pokémon walk to and fro, some glide or levitate, and some talk among themselves, while others simply minding their own business.
Some carry various things, some none, while some, like the Eevee, are pulling carts and wagons.
After finally reaching the base of the slope, he asks a Wartortle sitting on a bench for directions, thanks her and continues on his way on the stone roads, barely glancing at the tall stone buildings.
After crossing an intersection, the street lamps start to light up despite it still being an afternoon, to ward off the tall buildings' shadows that darken the city streets.
"Not counting the obvious," the Eevee mumbles to himself as he witnesses two patrolling officers chasing after a thief. "This place doesn't really look any different compared to home."
He continues on his way, asking a few Pokémon for directions, and after making a turn, a salty air breezes by as he sees the city docks up ahead.
Pokémon working on the docks are busy doing heavy labor, from lifting crates to pulling ropes to get a large pile of crates on board large wooden ships.
His ears twitch to the dockers' and sailors' shouts at one another as he approaches one who's leaning on a crate.
"Excuse me," the Eevee calls. "I'm here to get some shipments?"
The Vigoroth shrugs and points at a large building. "Go ask there. All shipments go through that office before it gets sent to the city delivery."
"Ah, thanks."
As he approaches the building, he notices a lot of crates neatly piled near the doorway.
He frowns. "Shit. Those look pretty large." He sighs. "Here's to hoping their shipments are, like, in small crates or something."
Two Gurdurrs lift and carry a large crate and places it inside a wagon.
"Two crates, boys," a Buizel yells at them before turning back to the harnessed Scolipede. She gives the giant bug her clipboard and offers her pen. "If you'll sign this, please?" she asks with the sweetest of smiles, making the intimidating bug blush as he trembles to sign it. She takes back the items with a wink as the Gurdurrs place another crate on the wagon. "You're good to go, big guy."
With a nervous nod, the Scolipede starts pulling the wagon away in great speeds.
"You take care now!" the Buizel calls, waving at the retreating bug.
The Eevee blinks a blank blink. "Someone's in a hurry," he says to himself, ignorant of what had just transpired before him.
"Oh, hi there, cutie pie," the Buizel greets him with a wink. "My my, you must be one strong Eevee."
"Yeah, whatever," the Eevee frowns. "I'm here for Leon's and Sarah's shipments." He blinks. "Er, Leon the Keckleon and Sarah the Miltank, I mean."
"Oh?" the Buizel asks as the Gurdurrs start looking for their shipments. She leans down to be eye-level with the Eevee. "A strong Eevee indeed. I'd like to know your name, please?"
"My name's not importa—!"
The Gurdurrs place the crate on the very tail-end of the wagon, throwing the front-side up like a seesaw, with the startled Eevee dangling from the harness.
The Buizel frowns at the laughing Gurdurrs. "Boys," she quietly yet icily says, shutting up the two fighting-types, and slowly lifting the crate from the wagon until it's up-right, and they then place the crate on the very middle. "So sorry about that, cutie pie."
"Were they trying to give me a heart attack?!" the Eevee screeches in anger. "And stop calling me that!"
"Well perhaps you should tell me your name so I can stop calling you a cutie pie, cutie pie," she says.
He glares at her as he feels another crate placed in the wagon. "Just how many crates do they have in total?"
"Ah, speaking of," the Buizel says as she scans her clipboard. "Hm... Five in total, love."
"Shit," the Eevee grumbles under his breath.
"You sure you can manage that many?" she asks, blinking.
He sighs. "My problem, not yours," the Eevee grumbles as she leans down once again with a sly smile.
"Aw," she says as she pets his head. "You don't have to impress little ol' me, love." She hands him a pen and shows him the clipboard. "Just sign here and here as their recipient."
The Eevee angrily scans the writing on it, and grabs the pen.
The pen falls off of his paws.
He and the Buizel blinks at the pen on the ground.
Grumbling, the Eevee tries but fails to pick it up. "Freaking hell," he grumbles.
The Buizel chuckles. "Here, allow me, love." She leans her head way, way, way down to the ground, all the while looking at him with half-lidded eyes, and slowly picks the pen up with her mouth, and then slowly rises back up.
Frowning an unimpressed frown, the Eevee starts grunting as he ever so slowly pulls the wagon forward. "Holy shit, this is heavy," he hisses through gritted teeth as he ignores the chuckling Buizel.
"Are you sure you don't need us to help, love?" she calls after him. A few easy steps later and she's standing by him. "Oh, and I still need you to sign this."
"Go away," he grumbles as he continues on his sluggish journey.
The Buizel shrugs as the two Gurdurrs catches up and places the fifth crate on top of the others.
"Fuck's sake," the Eevee grumbles under his breath. He grits his teeth as he presses on. "I should be able to pull this thing no problem once I get a good speed going."
And he eventually does gain enough speed to pull the wagon with relative ease, making him smile as the Pokémon traffic in the city streets makes way for him.
As the sun slowly hides behind the horizon, the stars start to twinkle on the early evening veil in the sky.
His smile instantly turns up-side-down as soon as he reaches the base of the sloped road. "...fuck."
Something lands on the wagon. Blinking, he looks up and frowns.
The Buizel is looking down at him with a sly smile. "The offer still stands."
He glares at her. "I doubt you can make a difference."
"Oh?" she blinks, her smile widening. She jumps down and lands beside him. "Is that a challenge, love?"
"What of it?"
"How about a bet?" she asks as she leans down, their noses almost touching. "I leave you alone if you can make ten steps up the road." She winks. "With the wagon, of course."
The Eevee grumbles.
The Buizel chuckles as she walks away and leans on a street lamp, smiling at him.
Ignoring the passersby, he looks up the long road up to the upper parts of the city. Eye twitching, he looks back at the water-type. "And if I lose?"
She winks. "Good luck!"
Glaring, he looks back at the road and pulls forward. "I fucking hate this wo—" and his words turn into hisses as he's about to take his fourth step, the wagon refusing to move uphill, much to the Buizel's amusement.
"Thanks," the Cyndaquil quietly says with a sigh as the timid Nickit retreats back to the kitchen. She stares at her ordered food, barely acknowledging the cheery noise in the restaurant.
Seconds turn to minutes.
The bell rings and the Nickit timidly greets the newcomer who ignored her as he takes the seat opposite of the fire-type.
The yellow Shinx glares at her.
The Cyndaquil is still staring at her still-warm food.
Closing his eyes, the Shinx groans. "She's fine."
No response.
"M-may I, uh, t-ta-take your—"
"Water."
The Nickit is taken aback, but noting his serious look, she simply nods her head and dashes back to the kitchen.
The two continue to stare not at each other.
A bowl of water is quietly placed on his side of the table. He grabs it, contemplates, sighs, and decides to drink.
"I'm sorry," the Cyndaquil finally whispers.
Standing on his chair, the Shinx leans forward and baps her head with his empty bowl.
The Cyndaquil doesn't react to it.
"You're lucky I can't stay angry at you forever."
"Sorry..."
"Also you're apologizing to the wrong Pokémon."
She hangs her head even lower as the Shinx takes a piece from her plate and eats it. "What if she wont..." she trails off.
"She will," he immediately answers her. "You know she will."
"I know," she says. "And that's what makes it even worse..."
He sighs as he grabs another piece and eats it.
"You're paying for that," she mumbles.
He chuckles as he jumps off of his chair, pushes it beside her, and sits on it again. "Hey," he whispers as he grabs her and pulls her into a hug. "At least you realize your mistake, late as it may be."
She leans into him. "I j-just wanted us to rank up and—"
"Hush," he whispers. "No shortcuts."
She sniffs and chokes on a sob.
He ignores the many worried faces and the offered help he's been receiving from the many concerned Pokémon. Panting and sweating, he grits his teeth as he tries again. Four steps. Fifth. Sixth...
He lifts his shaky paw up as he pulls the wagon up the road, about to take his seventh step. His paws give in and, with a gasp, he slips and the wagon pulls him back down.
A sigh escapes her mouth as she frowns at the panting Eevee. She walks toward him, and lies down to be eye-level with him. "How are you doing, love?"
"Fuck off," he grumbles, panting.
She chuckles. "There's no harm in asking for help, you know?"
"I don't need your help."
She frowns at him. "Then why didn't you—"
"I don't need anyone's help!" he hisses at her. Closing his eyes, he slowly stands back up on shaky paws. "Damn it..."
She backs away as she watches him pull the wagon. "What are you trying to prove, love?"
He ignores her as he takes his fourth step.
She sighs and smiles a small smile as the wagon pulls him back down again. As he's lying down, panting, she untangles the second harness and starts wearing it.
"W-what...?" he asks as he looks up at her.
After tightening it on herself, she smiles at him and winks. "Come on, love. Two's better than one, right?"
He groans, looks back down on the ground, and drops his head on it.
Blinking in concern, she sits down and places a paw on his back. "You don't have to work too hard."
"Why won't you just leave me alone?" he says as he glares at her.
She smiles at him. "I can't ignore a cutie pie like you who needs help." She shows him the clipboard pinned between her two tails. She winks. "And you didn't sign this yet."
"Damnit, whatever," he hisses as she helps him get back up on his paws. "I don't care anymore. Let's just get this over with."
"Oh?" She smiles as the two of them start pulling the wagon up the road. "Does that mean I win?"
"Whatever," he grumbles as he takes his tenth step. He grits his teeth as the two of them continue pulling the wagon up.
She chuckles as she looks ahead. "Looks like we have a few minutes to kill 'til we reach the top." She looks at him. "Why don't we spend it by introducing ourselves first?"
He grunts, but doesn't say anything.
"Name's Skarm, and I'm actually from another region." She smiles. "The very first time I saw a boat, I immediately took the chance to get on it. Imagine my surprise when I arrived here for the first time, where things are more advanced than back home?"
"I don't fucking care," he hisses. "Shut up."
She chuckles and pats his grumpy head. "I can do quiet strolls, too," she says, and starts to hum.
"No humming!"
"Want me to sing instead?"
"I swear to god, if you break into a song, I'll—" he sneezes, groans, and shuts up.
She rolls her eyes in amusement as they continue pulling the wagon up.
"Thanks," the Cyndaquil quietly says as she and the yellow Shinx walk out the restaurant.
"Hey..." He playfully punches her shoulder. "That's what I'm here for, right?"
She stops and sighs.
He stops and frowns a concerned frown. "Cindy?"
She slowly shakes her head, and starts walking away. "I'm going home."
He walks after her. "You, uh..." he hesitates, blushing. "Um... You want me to walk you home?"
"No," she quietly replies. "Sorry, but not tonight, Shino... I wanna be alone for now."
He watches her go down the sloped road.
"See you in the morning," she whispers, barely audible.
He nods his head. "Yeah... Good night, I guess?" He sighs, ears drooping. "Give her space, dude," he tells himself as a wagon passes him by. He shakes his head. "She'll be fine." He frowns. "...I hope."
Another sigh escapes his mouth as he turns and walks back to his apartment.
The two Pokémon pulling the wagon stops in front of the restaurant.
"Ahh," the Buizel sighs in relief as she wipes the sweat off of her forehead. She looks up and smiles at the restaurant's door. "I haven't been here in quite a while," she says as she starts removing the harness on her. With that done, she smiles down at the Eevee. "See? Teamwork can make the dream work, as my old friend used to say," she says, and chuckles.
The Eevee says nothing as he sits down to take a breather.
"Allow me, love," the Buizel says as she kneels down and grabs his harness.
"Go away," he glares at her as she closely and slowly tries to remove his harness, their cheeks almost brushing against one another.
The restaurant's door opens, and an exiting customer blinks at them. "Oh?" He looks back inside the restaurant. "Yo! Plu! Sarah! You guys expecting deliveries?"
"Yes, actually," replies the Miltank as she steps out of the kitchen.
The Eevee fails to suppress a frustrated groan as the water-type "fails" to remove his harness.
"Whoopsie," she teases him. "Silly me."
"You know I can bite you, right?" he threatens her.
She winks at him. "If you're into that, I won't kink-shame."
"Not what I meant," he grumbles
The Miltank blinks as she steps out of the restaurant. "Oh my," she says after overhearing what the water-type just said.
Blowing air at his face, the Buizel stands up straight and bows at the cook. "Good evening, madam. If you'll sign this, please?"
The Miltank signs her name on the clipboard as her Magmar customer lifts up a crate. "You really shouldn't, dear," she tells him.
The Magmar just smiles at her. "Hey, it's the least I could do." He walks up the steps to the restaurant. "I'd really hate to leave with the thought of lovely females lifting these heavy things."
"I'm a guy," the Eevee mumbles to himself, batting the water-type's paw away from petting his head.
The Miltank rolls her eyes in amusement as she returns the clipboard and moves to lift a crate up with ease. She smiles down at the Eevee. "Come back after your delivery to Mister Leon for your pay, okay, dear?"
The Eevee sighs. "I'm starting to think all of this is not worth it."
The Buizel chuckles as she easily wears her harness again. "I forgot we have two deliveries."
"Fuck you."
They reach the excited merchant's stall in no time.
"Thank you, lad!" the Keckleon says as he signs the clipboard. "And to you, too, lass." He quickly runs beside the wagon and lifts two crates on each hand and the third one with his tail.
The Eevee and the Buizel blink as they watch him easily walk past them, and places the three crates behind his stall.
"Here's your pay for today, lad!" the merchant happily says as he grabs the Eevee's paws and places a coin pouch on it. "You've earned it! Thank you for your honest work today!"
"Uh, yeah..." the Eevee absentmindedly replies as the excited Keckleon runs back to his crates and starts opening them.
The Buizel leans down to his ear. "We should leave him alone," she whispers as they watch the happy merchant admiring his new wares.
The Eevee nods in agreement and the two quickly pull the wagon back to the restaurant, where the timid Nickit is waiting for them.
"Um..." the shy fox mumbles as she shakily hands him a coin pouch with her tail. "M-mon says th-thanks for t-today."
"Aww..." the Buizel awws as she adores the blushing fox. "You're so cute." She quickly snatches the startled fox and hugs her.
The Eevee rolls his eyes as he lamely stares at his three coin pouches. "...I need a bag," he mumbles to himself, ignoring the Buizel hugging the frozen Nickit. "And some goddamn peace and quiet."
He takes a deep breath, the cool night air soothing his burning lungs, and exhales as he looks up at the silver half moon.
Freed from the embrace, the Nickit takes a few deep breaths. "Um," she starts, catching the Eevee's attention. Her blush intensifies and she looks away. "I, I can, um, take the c-c-cart back, to um, the back..." Her ears droop.
"Such a cutie," the Buizel says with a very happy smile as the Eevee starts removing his harness. "Shame you're not older," she leans toward her with a gentle smile. "One day, you'll grow and become a fine and sexy Nickit." She winks, and chuckles at how red the young Nickit's cheeks are burning now. "I can't wait to see so many Pokémon fawning over you."
"Eep!" The Nickit quickly grabs her bushy tail and hides her burning face in it.
Chuckling, the Buizel leans back and smiles. "Right. Now then, wanna eat..." She blinks at the empty spot where the Eevee should have been.
Frowning, she picks up a heavy coin pouch the Eevee has left behind. She looks around, but sees no sign of him anywhere.
"Huh..." With a shrug, she removes the harness on her and after a few more teases, she watches the Nickit pull the wagon back. With a sigh, she shakes her head and starts walking back to the docks.