"So what did you think?" the Mew asks with a smile.
The Eevee shakes his head, smirking. "That was actually pretty clever," he says as he walks up the stairs with the Mew levitating beside him.
Reaching the second floor, the duo head towards the library.
"Although I'm surprised whoever runs this place went along with it," he says.
"Oh, you give me too much credit," the Mew says, waving a hand. "The guild has been planning on this for months now. All I did was sprinkle a few suggestions on how to make it work, and tahdah!"
The two enter the library, where inside a number of Pokémon are in line in front of a desk.
The Mew lets out a low whistle. "Didn't think there will be so many."
The Eevee shrugs. "I kinda expected it." He blinks at the grumpy-looking Umbreon sitting behind the desk, busy with filling up forms and interviewing the Pokémon in line.
The Mew floats toward the dark-type, looking over his shoulder at the forms as the Eevee follows her.
"A little heads up would have been appreciated," the blue-ringed Umbreon grumbles.
The Mew chuckles. "I did." She kisses his cheek. "Last night."
He glares at her. "That doesn't dampen my mood."
"Aww, don't be like that, Obie" the Mew pleads with sad eyes. "I promise to make it up to you later."
The blue-ringed Umbreon growls at her. "You better." He places the form aside and waves a paw. "Next, please!"
"Who's he?"
The Mew turns to the Eevee and smiles. "Oh, this here's Obie." She floats toward the dark-type and nuzzles his cheek. "My hubby."
He pushes her away with a blush. "I-I'm working right now." He adjusts his glasses and returns to his interview.
She chuckles before turning to the normal-type. "Isn't he cute?"
The Eevee shakes his head. "Well, I better go to that register office or whatever it was."
The Mew nods. "Alright. I'll hear about this wild phenomenon you shared with me later, unless someone will report it before you." After receiving a nod from him, she waves goodbye at the exiting Eevee. "See ya!" She then levitates a few filled-up forms and starts reviewing them.
Cindy walks in the recovery room with an annoyed look on her face.
Shino turns to her and frowns. "Uh, how'd it go?"
"They'll look into it," she grumbles. "Lazy bastards. As if they have anything else to do than be a waste of guild funds!"
"Hey hey," Shino tries calming her down. "Take it easy."
The Cyndaquil takes a breath and sighs. She looks at Vixie lying on the bed, who is smiling at her. "You doing okay?"
The ice-type shrugs. "Could be worse."
"Nurse gave her some medicine to help numb the pain or something," Shino explains.
Cindy nods. "That's good." She sighs as the Eevee walks by the open door.
Vixie blinks at him passing by.
"So anyway," Cindy starts, looking at the yellow Shinx. "What now?"
He shrugs. "Well, it's Vixie's turn to—"
"I mean us," she cuts him off, pointing at him and then at her. "What happens to us now?"
The Shinx blinks, blushes and looks away. "Er, well..." He scratches his neck. "I-is this really a good time to talk about that? Especially in front of..." he trails off, gesturing at Vixie with his eyes.
"Oh, don't mind me," the white Vulpix says with a dismissive paw. "I'll just be taking notes on how these things work."
Cindy laughs. "Too bad, you're not gonna have anything useful to note." She turns to her other friend with a small smile. "Wouldn't it be simpler if we just stayed as friends?" She shrugs. "We haven't had some action for a few nights now, and I'm starting to miss it."
Shino rolls his eyes. "I can't just ignore this, especially when I'm with you, and especially if we fool around."
Cindy sighs. "Damn, you really have it bad, huh?" She looks at him. "So back to my previous question. What happens to us now?"
Shino takes a breath. "Well, um, how about dinner later tonight?"
The fire-type frowns. "Shino, you know I don't do romantic stuff."
He closes his eyes and sighs, his ears drooping.
She shrugs. "Eh, whatever. I might as well see how it'll go." She smirks at the surprised Shinx. "Since you're asking me out on a date, I expect you to be the one paying for everything."
He rolls his eyes. "Fine. I was planning on doing that anyway."
She sticks her tongue out at him. "Can't use that to win points, lover boy." She then turns to her other friend. "Well, that was that. Not very interesting if you ask me."
Vixie smiles and slowly shakes her head. "Actually, it did teach me a thing or two."
"Oh?"
She nods. "Life's too short for me to hide what I truly feel." She shakes her head. "What if I died from the claws of that outlaw? That was what I thought when I woke up here in this room after that mission." She smiles a sad smile at her two friends. "That's why I tried to tell him that day, but sadly, I was too late."
She sighs and looks out the window.
"I was, well, really devastated. What was the point of living, I asked myself. I can't and perhaps never will have him no matter what I do." She hangs her head. "Nothing mattered to me anymore. That's why I didn't care what those two did to me..."
"Well I care," Cindy suddenly interrupts. "And when I see them, I'll let them have a taste of hell here on earth."
"I'm starting to wonder if asking you out is a good thing or not," Shino mumbles to himself, and winces after the fire-type slaps his shoulder.
Vixie chuckles as she watches her two friends teasing one another. She's glad to have friends like them, making life worth living. It still hurts, but she'll move on.
And maybe one day, she'll have something like her two friends are having.
Not today, but someday...
"Here you go," the Bellossom hands him his rescue badge and a rescuer handbook. "You are an official rescuer now." She then goes back to her paperwork. "I still suggest you undergo training in the guild's dojo, but do whatever you want from now on."
The Eevee stares at his badge. "Shiny." He turns it around and sees nothing to attach it on him or on his bag. He tries placing it on his chest. "So how do I—"
It attaches on his chest.
He blinks in surprise, and manages to pull it off of him with ease. "...huh."
He stinks it on his chest once again, places the handbook in his bag, and jumps off the chair. He tries jumping in place a few times, but the badge doesn't fall off.
He pulls it out with ease. "Neat." He puts it on his chest. "Dunno how it works, but I ain't gonna ask."
After saying his thanks, he walks out of the office and heads toward the main lobby, where so many Pokémon are walking and standing around the place, majority of them looking at the posts on the bulletin boards.
He quickly walks out of the building and starts heading back to the restaurant with a frown. "Well at least I can go to dungeons now if I want a break from the world of soap and dishes."
"So you are now working there?" a familiar feminine voice asks from behind him.
Startled, he quickly turns around and frowns. "Oh, it's you." He shakes his head. "What do you want?"
The Buizel leans down and touches his nose with a finger. "Oh, nothing. I just happen to be around, curious as to what was going on." She winks. "And wouldn't you know it? I found you, love."
He swats her hand away. "Well I'm in a hurry."
Her smile widens. "Are you really?" She feigns an aching heart. "Oh, are you just going to leave me all alone here without someone to—" She blinks at his retreating form. She smiles, shakes her head and easily catches up to him. "Oh, I almost forgot..." She fishes out a money pouch from her bag and dangles it right in front of his field of vision. "You dropped this during our date."
"That was payment. And that was not a date."
"What?" she feigns being surprised. "My stars! Do you really think so low of me?"
"The fuck are you talking about?"
She sighs and places the pouch back in her bag. "The joke has flown over your head, love. Nay," she winks at him. "I'll let you figure it out."
The Eevee stops and sighs. "Listen," he starts, glaring up at her. "I'm not interested, okay? So please leave me alone." He walks away, leaving the Buizel standing in the traffic of Pokémon.
She smiles, shrugs, and walks after him, quickly catching up to him.
He groans and throws a glare her way. "Now what do you want?"
"Aw, can't we be friends?"
"No. Go away."
She chuckles. "That's just making me want to chase you more." She leans toward his ear and let's out a sultry growl. "I love a good chase, after all."
"For fuck's sake..." he groans and tries his best to ignore her flicking his ear. He fails. "Stop doing that!"
She chuckles, but thankfully stops and falls into silence as the two continue walking side by side towards the restaurant. They eventually reach the part of the road where there's barely any traffic and the restaurant in plain view up ahead.
She stops, smiling as she watches him continue walking.
He eventually reaches the door, and groans. "Damn it." He turns and glares at her. "Spit it out. I know you want to say something."
She chuckles and feigns innocence. "My, whatever do you mean, love?"
"Going inside now."
She shakes her head as he opens the door, the bell jingling up above.
He growls, ignoring the lively and busy noise from inside. He closes the door and turns to her, glaring.
She chuckles yet again before she slowly turns around, looking at everything and nothing at the same time. She looks over her shoulder, winking at him. "Do enjoy the festival for me, love."
He arches a non-existent eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
A small smile. "Don't miss me too much, okay?" And she starts walking away towards the lower parts of the city.
He shakes his head. "Whatever."
He enters the restaurant and heads straight towards the kitchen, making the Nickit stop for a moment as she marvels at his shiny new badge.
He chuckles as he hands it to her. "You can wear it for now if you want."
"R-really?!" she asks, eyes practically sparkling as she holds the badge on her paws.
He shakes his head and walks toward the sink, frowning at the towering piles of dirty dishes. He sighs and starts working.
"Momma, look! Look!" The Nickit excitedly approaches the Miltank, and then does a pose. "I am a rescuer! Cower in fear, evil-doers! Hiyah!" She kicks and tail-slaps the air in front of her. "Take that!"
The Miltank cheers while the Eevee rolls his eyes in amusement.