Man, I can't believe we're at the 30th chapter already. Thank you all for the support thus far. Nathaniel, if you're still reading, thanks for the words of encouragement. I'll have to tend to that little mistake when I go through to make corrections.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 30: A Real Team Effort

~Aeon Observatory~

"I don't really have all that much to tell y'all this morning," Braviary said. "Just a bit of a recommendation. Try to keep yer workloads light today. I've given Comfey a bit of a break–"

"Because Vulpix ran her ragged wit' his dumb injuries!" Yungoos cut in. "I ain't never seen her looking so tired."

Braviary rolled his eyes. "We don't need to be discussing no specifics, pardner. Point is, she's got the day off. So, I don't want any of y'all getting banged up out there, understood?"

The crowd of assembled guild members muttered their approval. "Good." Braviary nodded. "Now, anyone out there got something they need to say?" Silence followed. "Alright then. Yer dis–"

"Wait! Please wait!"

All eyes in the room turned toward the staircase, where Shane stood, panting heavily. "My goodness!" Bruxish said as Shane stumbled down the stairs. "What happened to you, dahling?"

"Yeah, you look like you got swallowed up by a Muk, chewed on, and then puked back up," Trapinch observed.

"Never mind that," Shane said. "I need everyone's help, like, right now!"

No sooner did he say that than Yungoos moved to block him off. "Youse need our help? After the stunt ya pulled last week? Buzz off! Helping you is a virtual death sentence, bub. And youse still owe me a berry sorbet, anyway. So, I doubly ain't helping."

"But… but this isn't about me. It's Tessa!" Shane said.

"And why should we believe you, huh?" Growlithe asked, limping to Yungoos' side. "As I recall, when I offered to help, I ended up charging into battle against a mutant Bewear with no plan of attack. All because you had no Escape Orbs to bail us out. And what did I get for that decision? A broken leg, that's what." He stuck his snout up in the air. "You've burned up your good will, buddy."

"This is serious, you guys," Shane insisted. "Tessa… she's hurt… really bad. I screwed up, okay. And now I need to make things right!"

"Oh, what a surprise. It's your fault, huh?" Serperior scoffed. "And you're saying you want to fix it, but the reality is we'd just do the work and you'd try to take the credit. I'm sensing a pattern here. One that I really don't like. Whatever you did, you can figure out a fix for yourself." She turned to her teammates. "C'mon girls, we're leaving."

"Will you all just shut up and let me speak for two seconds?" Shane barked, his eyes snapping shut. "I get it, okay. I'm very, verybad at this. I've made dozens of mistakes and it's gotten a lot of you hurt. I'm sorry. Really, truly, honestly sorry! And… and I wouldn't be coming to you guys if I wasn't absolutely, one hundred percent sure that I need your help. But I do!"

"Your mouth's moving, kid, but all I hear is 'blah, blah, blah.' How many times have you said the same things to Riolu, huh?" Serperior asked. "Talk is cheap. If you're really sorry, then prove it."

Shane teared up. "Tessa… she's super depressed because of me," he said. "I know, it's terrible. I don't need you guys beating me up over it. I just need some help to make her happy again. Please…" He looked up at the group with watery eyes. "I can't do this by myself."

Yungoos' brow furrowed. "Don't bother, rookie. Turning on da waterworks ain't changing my mind. Youse ain't trustworthy no more, see?"

Shane glanced Trapinch backing toward the southern hallway out the corner of his eye. "Um, yeah. No offense, Vulpix, but how do we know this isn't going to end like your other ideas?" he said.

Shane's ears folded against his head. "You don't understand," he whispered. "She's holed up in her house. And she refuses to leave."

"Finally realized you're bad company, huh? Took her long enough," Togedemaru heckled.

"That's not it!" Shane said. "She's… she's…" He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from the group. "She's refusing to move. I think she's trying to starve herself to death."

A flurry of shocked looks followed. Shane poked one eye open, just in time to notice the surprise disappear from his guild mates' faces. Under the combined weight of a dozen glares, he shrank back toward the wall.

"Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now?" Serperior growled. "Gods, it's the 'Lycanroc is evil' routine all over again. I can't believe you're willing to lie like that just because you can't make things work with your partner."

"Um… guys? Maybe we should hear him out?" Mimikyu mumbled, trying to push his way past Togedemaru.

"I'm not lying!" Shane shouted, his voice cracking. He hung his head. "It's true, okay. I did this to her. Our mission went so badly, I flew off the handle and told her that her parents never loved her."

A tailfin blindsided Shane, leaving an imprint against his muddy fur. Milotic's tail coiled around his body and hoisted him into air. Shane squeaked as Milotic pulled him up to meet her at eye level. Her normally soft eyes were filled with rage. "How could you do something so insensitive?" she barked, thrashing him about in midair. "I ought to blast you with a point blank Hydro Pump for that!"

"Put him down, Milotic," Mimikyu cried. But he was drowned out by Yungoos' and Togedemaru's shouts of encouragement.

Shane jammed his eyes shut and looked away from Milotic, expecting a sudden wave of pain.

"All y'all, be quiet!"

Shane lifted his head up and his ears twitched at the sound of shuffling. Braviary pushed Yungoos and Growlithe aside. He walked up to Milotic, with Mimikyu trailing behind him. "I'm disappointed in y'all. I sure as heck know I didn't train y'all to act like this. And if the Guildmaster were out here, he wouldn't stand for this malarkey."

"But Braviary, you and Metagross hate him too, don't ya?" Togedemaru said.

"Personal thoughts ain't important right now," Braviary said, waving her off. "What is important is that everyone gets to say their piece." He looked down at Mimikyu. "Go on, now. Speak up, pardner."

Mimikyu nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "Guys, I think we should help Vulpix out. He sounds sincere to me." Several guild members turned to look at Mimikyu. "I know you say you don't want to work with him, but he's already said that this isn't about him. It's about… uh…" His disguise head lolled off to one side. "Wait, who's Tessa again?"

"Riolu," Shane said.

"Right!" Mimikyu's fake head bobbed back and forth. He turned toward the other guild members. "Look, maybe the crying was a bit much, but Vulpix actually put his pride beside him to come to you guys and beg for your help. I may not technically be an official explorer, but that seems like a pretty big thing for him to do."

Mimikyu pivoted back and forth. "I know that I'm willing to trust him this one time. So, are you guys really going to stand here and tell me you'll let Riolu stay depressed simply because you're determined to hold grudges against Vulpix? That… um… doesn't really seem in line with your guys' philosophy." He shuffled back toward Shane and Milotic, stealing nervous looks at the guild members.

"Well, he ain't exactly wrong," Braviary said. Milotic looked over at her teammates. Serperior clearly looked unconvinced, but Dragonair nodded slowly, prompting Milotic to release her grip on Shane. He dropped to the floor, looking up at Milotic nervously.

"So, just to clarify, Riolu's feeling miserable... and choosing not to eat because of it?" Milotic said. Shane nodded. "And you want to try to do something to fix it?"

"Well, I'd at least like to try and make her feel better," Shane said. "See, the problem is, Tessa– sorry, Riolu feels unwanted and alone. Namely, because none of her family's around anymore." Dragonair's eyes narrowed, causing Shane's to panic. "Those were her words. Not mine. I swear! She dold me about her tad– I… I mean told me about her dad." He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "The point is that I thought, maybe if we all pitched in and worked together, we could show her that there issomewhere that she's wanted. Namely, right here in the guild."

Braviary flew over to Shane and landed in front of him. "Well, what did ya have in mind, hoss?"

"Um…" Shane pawed at the ground. "Today's actually Riolu's hatch day."

Murmurs rose up from the group. "Hey! How did you come to find that out? Because I strongly doubt she'd tell you that," Serperior said with a suspicious glare.

Shane winced. "I overheard your team talking about it," he admitted. He squirmed about uncomfortably as Braviary gave him a stern look. "And I heard it because…" He took a deep breath. "I heard it because I was sneaking around the veterans' quarters by myself." He slid down onto his belly, trying to avoid Serperior's scathing look.

"Seriously? You were spying on us?" she hissed. "You little perv! What else did you hear, huh? And what did you see?" She shot her vines at Shane, but Braviary batted them away with a wing.

"It's alright, y'all," Braivary said, holding up a wing, "I've already handled his little eavesdropping problem. So, what's Riolu's hatch day got to do with yer plan, pardner?"

"I want to throw her a surprise party," Shane said. "Tonight."

"Haaaa ha ha ha ha!" Yungoos broke out in laughter, only to abruptly stop. "Wait, youse actually serious? Get outta here! Ain't no way we can get a whole entire party set up in a day. We're explorers, not magicians. Do youse see Hoopa around here? No. It'd take da whole day just to get da supplies for a halfway-decent party." He shook his head. "I shoulda known you'd be t'inking crazy."

"You're right. Anyone would have trouble setting up a party in one day… if they worked alone," Shane said, "But if everyone chips in, I think we can get it done." He looked up at Braviary. "I, um, don't exactly have a concrete plan–"

"Gee, there's a big surprise," Togedemaru said sarcastically, only for Braviary to give her a disapproving look.

He gave Shane a nod to continue. "Err, yeah. Anyway, I was thinking some of us could go into Aeon Town and buy supplies to get this place set up. And, um, maybe some gifts along with the supplies?"

"And what about food?" Growlithe asked.

"Well, I was kind of hoping you would fly me over to Sunrise Village, Braviary," Shane said. "We could ask Sylveon and Eevee if they wanted to help prepare stuff for Riolu. I'm sure they'd say yes."

"And they're more than welcome to come here and use our kitchen!" Steenee said, waving a wooden spoon. "I'm assuming you'd like my help too?" Shane nodded. "And will anyone else want to prepare treats?"

"Oh! Oh! I will… I will!" Mimikyu said, waving a raggedy arm about excitedly. "Err… if that's okay with everyone, I mean…"

"I'd be happy to have you aboard," Steenee said, causing Mimikyu to perk up.

"I was also thinking we could rent out the Sky Jukebox from Crabrawler's Café," Shane said. "Crabrawler still owes me a favor for finding his missing recipe. I'm sure he'd be willing to help. But what I don't know about is how we'll move it all the way up to the Observatory."

"What about Null? He seems perfect for a heavy lifting job," Milotic said.

"Sorry. I've got him keeping Riolu busy," Shane said, frowning. "Trust me, he's in the best position to do that." He looked at Braviary pleadingly. "Do you think maybe the Guildmaster would be willing to levitate it up here?"

Before Braviary got a chance to answer, metallic footsteps jolted everyone to attention. Fact: I am capable of moving the jukebox. Offer: I will move it, provided I am told when the Jukebox is secured.

A metal door slammed shut and relief washed over Shane. "Okay… okay. I think we can do this. It might be tough, but we've gotta try," he said.

"And I think youse is crazy," Yungoos said. "But, fine. If it's for Riolu, I guess I'll give it a shot."

"I like parties! Especially ones with cake. You can put candles on them!" Growlithe said. "So, as long as I get to pick the candles, I'm in."

"Well, we were thinking of trying to do something," Milotic said. "I suppose we could help out as well."

"I'm more than happy to help with the set-up, daaaaahlings. I'm sure my levitation could be veeeeery helpful," Bruxish chimed in.

Braviary nodded. "And I'm ready to fly you over at a moment's notice. Just say the word."

A smile crossed Shane's muzzle. "Great. Let's get to work!"

~Sunrise Village, Sylveon's House~

"You don't exactly look like you're in any condition to be planning a party, Vulpix."

Sylveon's ribbons moved back along a table, grabbing some uneaten berries and placing them into a basket. "Covered in mud. Patches of fur missing. And your eyes are bloodshot." She shook her head. "Are you having trouble sleeping? Because I know a really nice Hypno who could help with that."

"I'm fine," Shane insisted, quickly biting down on his tongue to hold back a yawn. "We could really use your help setting things up for Riolu. You're an amazing baker. I'm sure she'd absolutely love it if you made her a cake."

Sylveon's brow furrowed. "Normally, I wouldn't think twice about it. But the other week, Riolu made it pretty clear she doesn't want to do anything for her hatch day." She looked over and noticed Eevee's head poking up over the counter. He was trying to reach for the basket. Sylveon extended a ribbon and pushed him back onto the floor with a stern look. "I'm sorry. I'm just not comfortable with going behind her back like that. She's really sensitive about that sort of thing."

"Please, you've gotta help me," Shane said. "Look, she's an absolute wreck right now because she's thinking about her dad–"

Sylveon frowned. "She told you about Incineroar."

Shane looked down guiltily. "It, uh, it might've come up in conversation." He shook his head. "Look, the point is, she needs us to show her that she's not alone and that there are people who care about her. This was the best thing I could think of. So, please… would you lend a paw here?" He turned to the dirty item pouch still slung across his torso. "I don't have money on me right now, but I could easily get some from Dhelmise Depot on the way back to the Observatory."

"There's no need for that," Sylveon said. "Are you really telling the truth, though? Is Riolu depressed?"

"It's worse than that. She had me leave her as a sobbing mess," Shane said, pawing at the ground dejectedly. "I know I haven't been very good to her. So, I'd just like one chance to make things right…"

"Very well," Sylveon said. "But I have one condition."

"What is it?"

"You need to adjust your thinking," Sylveon said. Shane watched her pluck Eevee off the ground in her ribbons. "Wanting to make up for how you treated Tessa is great. But, saying this is about how you treat her is self-centered. And frankly, you've come across as rather selfish since I've met you." Shane flinched. "So, if you talk to anyone else about this, I want you telling them that you're doing this to lift Tessa's spirits. Nothing more and nothing less," Sylveon said.

"I… I can do that," Shane said, once again trying to fight off a yawn.

"Great." A smile appeared on Sylveon's face. One of her free ribbons shot toward a cabinet and pulled out a piece of paper. "Truthfully, Eevee and I were thinking of dropping something off at the Observatory for her. I've got a perfect recipe in mind. Though, I imagine I'll have to use a lot more ingredients to make the cake big enough for everyone." She grabbed a scrap of paper off the counter and looked at it. "Yeah, I'd say if I multiply everything by twenty, the cake should be large enough.

Eevee's eyes sparkled. "Does that mean there's gonna be twenty times the batter left over in the bowl for me?"

"Sorry, Eevee, it doesn't work that way. Besides, the bowl I'll be using is so big, you'd fall inside it if you tried to lick the batter," Sylveon said, giggling. Eevee's slumped over in his mother's ribbons. "Well, I think we'd better get going."

"Braviary's waiting right outside," Shane said, leading Sylveon out of the house.

~Aeon Town~

Serperior and Milotic moved down a store aisle in tandem. "What color ribbons do you suppose Riri would like?" Milotic asked. "I was thinking blue, but maybe that's too obvious?"

"She wears a rainbow scarf," Serperior said. "If anything, that's our best option." She turned toward the front of the store. "Yo, Kecleon! Got any rainbow ribbon in stock?"

Kecleon appeared at the end of the aisle, broom in hand. "Hmm, I'd have to check in the back. I don't get party supplies delivered all that often. Give me one second." He disappeared behind some shelves.

"So, you think Vulpix is being sincere this time?" Serperior asked.

"I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt," Milotic said. "Still, there's a part of me that feels uneasy about all of this. You saw how he looked. What do you suppose happened to him on that mission? And do you think Riri had a similar experience?"

"I'm guessing she probably did," Serperior said. "And, not going to lie, I don't trust him to throw a good party. I feel like he's just doing this more for himself than for Riri. So that he can turn around and say that he's amazing because he planned such a great party, or some nonsense like that. You can bet I'll be keeping an eye on him. If he steps out of line…" Her voice trailed off and she whipped one of her vines out against the air. A loud crack sounded through the store.

Milotic nodded. "That does sound like him. Want me to Hydro Pump him if he tries a stunt like that?"

"Only if I get to Dragon Pulse him, too," Serperior said with a laugh.

"Good news, ladies!" Kecleon called. "I found some rainbow ribbons in storage. Come have a look!"

~Dhelmise Depot~

"Hiya, Dhelmise. I need to grab my Super Special Surprise Sparklers out of storage, please," Growlithe announced. He dropped his explorer's badge onto the front desk, where Dhelmise collected it up using a lump of seaweed.

"What exactly do these sparklers look like?" Dhelmise asked.

"They're a big pile of multicolored sticks!" Growlithe said, tail wagging.

"Okay. I'll be back shortly." Dhelmise turned and disappeared into another room.

"Seriously? Super Special Surprise Sparklers? What are those?" Araquanid said.

"My special brand of fireworks. I made them myself," Growlithe said, only for a gray tail to smack him in the back of the head. "Err, I mean, Togedemaru made them. But I provided tactical support!"

"He sat around eating spicy peppers," Togedemaru scoffed. "Nearly lit my tail on fire, too."

"Hey, I can't plan when I get indigestion," Growlithe quipped.

"Is it safe to use fireworks in the Observatory, though?" Araquanid said.

"Of course. At least, with ones this small, we should be fine," Growlithe said. "Now, my 'Big Bad Mamma Jammas,' on the other hand… they'd probably blow the Observatory up." He looked around the building. "And maybe half of Aeon Town, too."

Araquanid looked at Togedemaru. "Do I even want to know?" he asked

"No. You don't," she deadpanned. "Why are you even helping, anyway? You don't know who Vulpix and Riolu are. And trust me, there are much better ways to spend your time than helping out this stupid human."

Arauqanid shrugged. "He seemed like an okay guy from what I could tell. Well-meaning, if not a bit careless. Besides, parties are fun. And I joined the guild to help others. That includes my guild mates." He narrowed his eyes at her. "If you're so angry at this guy, why are you helping, then? Seems like this kind of thing isn't up your alley."

Togedemaru looked a bit flustered. "Well… that's… I…" She scratched at her head and looked away. "It's just because, in the unlikely event he's actually telling the truth, I don't want to be known as the girl who turned her back on a Pokémon at the end of its rope. Know what I'm saying?"

"So, you have a guilty conscience," Araquanid said. "Did you fail to act in a situation like this before?"

"What? No! I just–" She sighed and lowered her head. "Let's just say that, before I came here, I knew what it was like to not fit in."

"Oh? Care to elaborate?" Araquanid said.

"What do you want, a sob story?" Togedemaru said. "Look, I came from Circadian Coast. My parents expected me to be a performer like the Totem and his daughter and when I told them I wasn't interested, they decided to ignore me 'until I started thinking straight.'" She poked her nubby arms together. "One day I caught a glimpse of Team Captivate in action... and, next think you know, I'm packing my bags and sneaking off to Aeon Town in the dead of night."

"So, yeah, I think I know a thing or two about what it's like to not feel welcome somewhere," she said, shrugging.

Araquanid nodded. "There's no shame in that, you know. Sounds like you really do have a good reason to help."

"Whatever," Togedemaru said. "Just don't tell Vulpix I said that. Wouldn't want to inflate that head of his any bigger."

"Here are your things, Growlithe," Dhelmise said, and dropped a pile of sparklers onto the desk. It was such a large pile that some of the sticks rolled onto the floor in front of Growlithe.

Araquanid's eyes widened. "Duh-doesn't that seem a bit excessive to you?"

"Excessive? Hardly!" Growlithe said. "If anything, this isn't enough."

~Crabrawler's Café~

Shane slumped over. "You're… you're kidding me!"

"Fraid not, lad," Crabrawler said. "The thing's been on the fritz since yesterday. And my old man never showed me how to fix it. I'm sure a mechanic could be here to fix it in, say, a week or so."

Shane crouched over, pulling at his ears with his forepaws. "I don't have that kind of time!" He started coughing.

"Are you okay, Vulpix? You look weary," Crabrawler said. "And that's to say nothing of your appearance. You're lucky I don't throw you out for tracking mud in here."

"I'm fine!" Shane insisted. "Look, what if I brought Magearna over? She's a top-notch mechanic. Maybe she can fix it."

Crabrawler shrugged. "Can't hurt, I suppose." Shane nodded and ran out of the café, wincing as he went. Crabrawler sighed and shook his head. "Poor lad is going to make himself sick running to and fro like that."

Shane staggered back into the café about five minutes later, Magearna walking along behind him. Good morrow, Crabrawler. I trust business is boominating as usual.

Crabrawler nodded, only for Shane to shove Magearna. "Listen, we don't have time for small talk, okay? Go take a look at the Sky Jukebox and see if you can fix it." Magearna gave him a blank look, to which he groaned. "… please?"

Of course. Please, give me some room. Magearna approached the jukebox. Her arms retracted into her body, and out popped a glowing rod and a screwdriver. She knelt down and started looking inside the base of the machine.

"Well, see anything?" Shane asked.

Yes. There a few loose bolts and a severed wire that I must repair, Magearna said. I suggest you go and get the Guildmaster. That way, he can move the jukebox when I'm done.

"You… you want me to go back now?" Shane said, lapsing into another coughing fit.

In the interest of preservating time, yes, Magearna replied.

He groaned and stumbled out the door.

~Azure Cape~

"… we're here…"

Tessa slowly slid off Null's back, landing in the sand. She stumbled forward before dropping down onto her knees. "Why did you take me here? I want to go back home."

"… I think… you need some fresh air," Null said. "We could both use it… after all that time… underground…" He sat down next to Tessa. The two of them stared at the ocean in silence, watching sparkling waves lap up against the shore. This continued for several minutes, though Null interrupted the silence with the occasional jostling of his mask. Beside him, Tessa slowly rotated so she was sitting as well. Eventually, she scooted over and came to rest her head against Null's hip.

"… how are you feeling?"

Tessa rubbed her snout. "Horrible. And you?"

"… horrible," Null said, "but what else is new?"

"I know that you didn't mean to attack Vulpix in the marsh," Tessa said. "I wish I could've been there to calm you down, so that things didn't escalate."

"… it's okay," Null said. "We've already… talked about it." Tessa looked up at him in concern. "It's not something… you need to bother yourself with. You should… focus on yourself right now. And how you're feeling…"

"But you're hurting… like really, physically hurting. I think that trumps anything I'm feeling," Tessa said, frown deepening.

"Don't worry… about me. I've… been in pain… since I woke up… at the guild. I'll probably… be in pain… forever," Null said, sliding down onto his belly. Warm sand brushed against his fur and scales. Grunting, he rubbed the bottom of his helmet in the sand.

"Did you, like, feel anything weird when, y'know, you were attacking Vulpix?" Tessa asked.

"Just… headaches… searing, splitting headaches," Null said.

"Do you think, maybe, something's contributing to your pain? Like, say, hunger?" Tessa said. Null looked right at her. "Err, you know what, that was a stupid question." She rubbed the back of her head. "But, um, I have been curious about that since I've met you. Aren't you, like, starving? You can't eat anything with that helmet on, can you?"

Null shook his head. "I don't know. What does hunger feel like exactly?"

Tessa's eyes widened. "Are you joking? What kind of question is that? You get pain in your stomach... and sometimes your mouth starts to drool."

"My… my mouth," Null wheezed. "I don't…" His voice trailed off and he clawed at his helmet. "Nnngh… my head…" He shook his head around. "What if… what if I'm off base? What if… this helmet can't come off… because it's actually my face?" He lay his head down on his forelegs. "You heard… that purple guy. He called me… a failed experiment."

"If that's really true… then Shane is right. I'm not a Pokémon… I'm just a freak…"

Tessa put her paw on Null's side. "I don't believe that. For one thing, when you shake your head, your mask rattles around. There's got to be a face under there."

"Then… why can't I feel it?"

Tessa tensed up. "What do you mean?"

"The only things I can feel up here… are headaches. This helmet… just feels… really heavy… on my neck... and shoulders," Null said. "Other than that… nothing. If I really… have a face… under here… I have no idea… what it looks like. I can't… remember anything… about having a face. Why do you think… it's so hard… for me to speak? I can't… feel my own mouth... assuming it exists…"

Tessa rubbed his side. "I'm sorry, Null," she said, sighing. "Trust me, if I could trade situations with you, I would." Null looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "If I had to give up my memories so that you could get yours back… I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Null coughed loudly. "… this is… about your family… isn't it?" he said. Tessa looked away. "Riolu… you shouldn't… bottle this stuff up. It's just going… to make you… feel even worse."

Tessa's aura feelers drooped. "You… you heard what I told Vulpix," she said.

"I'm sorry… for eavesdropping," Null said. "I just… wanted to help you… feel better."

"I don't want to talk about this," Tessa muttered.

"You've already… talked quite a bit about it," Null said. "Surely there are… still a few things… you'd like to say… right?"

Tessa crossed her arms against her chest and turned away from him. "No. I said I'm not talking about it. And I mean it. My mind's already made up."

"… then I won't... make you talk," Null said.

"Good. Then I'm going back home," Tessa growled, getting to her feet. But Null's hind leg shot out behind him, forcing Tessa back down onto the sand. She gave her friend a look of disbelief. "You're really going to try and stop me? I'm not even doing anything! I just want to lie down in the dark… alone."

Null shook his head. "I'm sorry… I'm not letting you walk off." He turned to look at her. "I saw you... reach for that glass. I can't just… brush that aside…"

"Why not? Vulpix obviously did," Tessa said.

"He got… pulled away… for something important," Null said. "Believe me… he's just as concerned… about what he saw… as I am."

"He is?" Tessa whispered, flinching.

"Yeah. And I imagine... that's pretty hard for him... given what happened in the marsh," Null said, nodding.

Tessa stiffened, grabbing sand with her paws. "What do you mean by that?" she whispered.

"Well... it's hard... to put it... into words," Null rasped. "Things just... got out of control... down there. But... the thing is... even if I didn't mean... to attack Vulpix... I still did. He nearly drowned... because of me. Because... of those voices. And... from what it sounds like... you brushed that all aside..."

"What are you talking about?" Tessa said, aura feelers shooting up. "I managed to stop you, didn't I? That's all that matters, right?"

"Not to Vulpix," Null said with a heavy sigh. "He has to live... with the memory of what happened to him... of this big, scary monster... trying to rip him to shreds... compounded by his other teammate... trying to make it seem... like it was his fault." Null shook his head. "I can't blame Vulpix... for lashing out... like he did. If I were in his place... I'd have done the same thing."

Tessa couldn't believe she was hearing this. She blinked tears out of her eyes. "But... but what about the stuff he said to me?" she squeaked.

"Don't get me wrong... it was uncalled for," Null said. "But... by that point... everything had spiraled... out of control. We all got... swept up... by our own emotions... that we just... fell apart... at the seams. The stress... that Totem Lurantis added... certainly didn't help. If she wasn't there... if that purple guy wasn't there..." Null shifted about uncomfortably. "So many things... went wrong down there. Honestly... I'm not sure why... the Guildmaster did this."

Null looked at Tessa, who sat there, head bowed silently. It was true. She was sure of it. Everything Null said made too much sense. Her desire to win Null's friendship was so strong that she was willing to look past Shane's near-death experience at Null's talons just to make him happy. The realization made her chest tighten.

"You're right," Tessa whispered. "I... uh..." She put her paws on her shoulders and shivered. "Maybe it's a good thing my family's gone." Tessa slouched over. "I guess... I really should just disappear, then. I'd be doing everyone a favor. Even if I could muster the courage to go back to the guild, I can't face Vulpix. Not after what you just told me."

Null nudged Tessa with his helmet, but she pushed him away. "Riolu," Null whispered. "I think... you understand... what I was saying... right?"

"Yeah," Tessa said. "It's why I should stay away from the guild... forever."

"I can't... make that decision for you," Null said. "But what I can tell you... is that... understanding where things went wrong... is a good first step... to making amends."

Tessa refused to meet his gaze. Null figured he couldn't press the issue any further. He lay his head in the sand and took in a deep breath. His ribcage pressed against Tessa's side. Several minutes of silence followed. All the while, Tessa fidgeted with her paws and stole glances at Null. She knew what he said made sense, but there was a mental block in the way. Her gaze wandered off to the water, where she watched small waves roll up against the sand.

"When I was little, there was nothing I wanted more than to join the guild," Tessa whispered. "Dad always brought guild members over to visit. They looked so happy and were always super friendly to me." She repeatedly traced a circle in the sand with a digit. "Gallian and I always talked about how we were going to become Guildmasters… together." Tessa rubbed the bridge of her snout. "When he joined the guild, he'd come home so excited and full of energy. It was the happiest I'd ever seen him."

"And then it all came crashing down last year," she continued, her voice shaking. "After Dad died, I figured that joining the guild was the only way to get Mom and Gallian to pay attention to me again." She lowered her head. "But without anyone to train me, I didn't really make any progress. And, to make matters worse, I couldn't work up the courage to go toward the guild. I'd just think about the morning that Braviary showed up... and the rampage that Mom went on when she learned Dad died."

"I don't blame you… for having trouble. Something like that… has gotta be tough to live with," Null said.

Tessa nodded. "But it just got worse from there. Everyone I'd grown close to dropped out of my life," she explained. "The guild members stopped visiting. Then Mom left, with Gallian following shortly after. Sylveon and Eevee were all I had left." She rubbed her shoulder against her eyes, blinking away tears. "But, what was I supposed to do? Sylveon had her job to worry about and Eevee had other friends in Sunrise Village. He tried inviting me to come with him, but…" Her voice trailed off.

"You didn't go with him?" Null said.

"I tried… once," Tessa squeaked. "But his friends wanted to do practice battles. And I… I wasn't very good at battling. So, they laughed at me... and I ran back to Sylveon's house," Tessa said.

"What happened next?" Null asked.

Tessa's ears and aura feelers drooped. "Every day, I'd walk to Aeon Town. Every day, I'd get a bit closer to the Observatory. Then I'd think of all the bad things that happened since Dad died. And I'd run off. Sometimes I'd go to my parents' house and sometimes I'd come out here."

Null curled his body up so he could face Tessa. She dragged her knees up toward her head and stuck her face in her lap, desperately trying to avoid making eye contact. "And then Vulpix showed up," she said. "Right off the bat, he confused me." She shook her head. "I should've put my foot down. I should've told him to go get help somewhere else."

"But you didn't," Null said.

"Right. And look where it got me," Tessa said, flopping onto her belly. "Look where it got us. I feel so... small. Small and undeserving of any support."

"Riolu... I know that stuff I brought up... was harsh... but I did it... because I still care about you," Null said. "If you hadn't… joined the guild… with Vulpix… we wouldn't have met…"

Tessa winced. "I…" She bit her lip. "I would've worked up the courage to join… somehow."

"If that's… really true… then why did you partner up with Vulpix?" Null asked. "There has to be a reason."

"Because I owed him for getting my scarf back," Tessa said, gently nudging the rainbow scarf with her right paw.

Null looked at her skeptically. "No... there's more to it..."

Tessa's aura feelers stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"If that was… the only reason... you wouldn't have… stayed partnered with him… as long as you did," Null said.

Tessa dug her paws into the sand. "Th… that's… I… don't… um…"

"It's okay… just take your time," Null said.

"I believed him, okay!" Tessa shouted, then stuck her face into the sand. Null leaned forward and gently nudged her back up. Tessa hastily turned her head, refusing to make eye contact. "Despite some of the stuff I said to him, deep down – really deep down – I wanted him to be right. I wanted him to be this special chosen one. Because then I could be special by extension... just like my idols."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm so stupid. I let myself get taken in by the idea of becoming a world-famous hero. I can't believe I was dumb enough to think that I could have stories made about me." She rubbed her eyes with an arm. "I told myself to put up with Vulpix because the reward would be love and admiration. From the guild… from the townsfolk… heck, from the whole world. Everyone knows about Team Poképals, Team Gaia, and the others." She hung her head shamefully. "And I let Vulpix convince me that I could be just as famous as them if I stuck with him."

"It's not your fault," Null said. "That stuff… does sound tempting. Especially if... you're feeling lonely."

Tessa shoved Null's hip. "You're just saying that to make me feel better," she muttered dejectedly. "Vulpix was right. And that's exactly why I can never face him. I am a sad, sorry little Riolu who uses sob stories to get people's attention. I don't deserve anyone's love. All Vulpix and I managed to do was bring out each other's bad sides... until everything exploded." She turned away from Null. "That's why I can't go back. That's why I'm just done with all of this. It feels like I'll only be able to do more harm than good from now on. And besides, I don't matter to anyone. I just…"

She stuck her head back into the sand, letting out a muffled cry of, "I just want to see my dad again."

"You matter to me."

Tessa poked her head up, sand cascading down her face. "Null, you don't have to say that to make me feel better."

"I mean it," he said, scooting toward her. "You're the first person… who's made me feel like... something other than a burden. Everyone else… keeps their distance. But you… you want to talk to me." He pressed his mask against the tip of her snout. "I… I have fun… being with you. When you're around… the pain… it doesn't feel as bad. It feels like… I can handle it…"

"Null," Tessa whispered, her eyes sparkling.

"Please don't leave me," he begged. "We can… help each other… together. Starting with... making sure... you and Vulpix are square." He shuffled backward, his gaze falling toward the ground.

"Okay." Tessa took in a deep breath. "If it's for you… I guess I can try to do that." Her ears twitched at the sound of a relieved sigh. The sand around her shifted as Null lumbered to his feet. "H-Hey, where are you going?" she squeaked.

"… to the ocean," Null rasped. "I'm… sick of all… this muck on me. I'd like… to clean it up…"

"But the ocean's salt water! It'll make you all sticky," Tessa said.

"… better than… being covered in mud," Null said, trudging toward the water. Tessa sat up and watched him wade into the ocean. As he lay down, a wave rushed across his body. The water swept the grime out from his fur and scales. He dipped his mask down, letting water splash across it.

Tessa got to her feet and slowly walked forward. She stood at the edge of shore, wincing as cold ocean spray tickled the soles of her feet. Tessa cautiously inched closer to Null. Each successive wave went a little further up her leg, removing the mud in the process. A sense of relief washed over her, like the waves were carrying her sorrows away with the filth her body had accumulated underground.

Then, suddenly, an unexpectedly large wave struck her. Tessa yipped in fright. She stumbled about and fell into the water, flopping around like a beached Magikarp. Tessa got back to her feet, coughing and sputtering. "Wha-What the–?" She brought her paws up to rub her eyes, only to hiss and blink rapidly. "Ow! Ow! Salt… in my eyes!" she whimpered.

Finally, her blurry vision faded. She noticed Null had shifted so he lay parallel to the shoreline. "Did… did you just splash me?" she said

Null looked right at her. "What? Of course not."

"Don't lie to me. There's no way a wave that big would just come up out of the blue like that," Tessa said. "Okay, maybe a wild Pokémon could do it, but they don't tend to get this close to the shore."

"Hmm. Well… I suppose… I could've done… something like this…"

A rush of wind grazed Tessa's sides before another wave drenched her, knocking her onto her back. Null let out a low, rumbling laugh while Tessa scrambled to her feet. "Hey! You totally soaked me, you… you…"

"… hey… at least you're cleaner now," Null said.

"Oh yeah? Well, let's see how much you like it!" Tessa said. Her right paw glowed bright blue and she slammed her palm into the water. She gave a confident smirk, but it faded when her splash failed to make it to Null. He retaliated by sweeping glowing talons across the surface of the water. Tessa tried to avoid the wave, but the silt on the ocean floor weighed her down. The wave swept her up and pulled her under the surface again.

Null lumbered to his feet, water dripping off his underbelly. Tessa popped back up, trying to shake the water off her fur. "You're not going to get away from me!" she declared, charging after her teammate. Or, rather, she would've, if the silt didn't trip her up and make her stumble. She fall forward, disappearing under the surface with a tiny splash. Null's laugh rumbled through the air

"… you okay, Riolu?" he asked, when he noticed she hadn't resurfaced. He was then taken completely by surprise, as Tessa lunged out of the water from beside him.

"Now I've got you!" she hollered, throwing all of her weight into an attempt to tackle Null. To Tessa's shock, she struck his side, unceremoniously bounced off of it, and fall back into the ocean. Null blinked and shook his head.

"… yeah… that's not… going to work," he said. Seconds later, he felt something yank one of his forelegs forward. Null hopped around, before slowly collapsing into the water like a falling tree. Tessa resurfaced, spitting out a mouthful of saltwater.

"Ha! See? I told you I had you," Tessa boasted, watching Null get back up and shake out his body and tail. The two stared at each other in silence, before breaking down laughing. They went back ashore, and resumed laying under the sun. When Tessa felt completely dry, she stood up and arced her back.

"So, it's getting kind of late," she said. "We should probably get going."

Null looked up toward the sky. "I think… we should go to the Observatory…"

Tessa's smile vanished. "I'd rather not go back there. At least… not right now."

"… I know. It's just… there's something there… that I want you to see," Null said. "We don't have to… stay long."

Tessa sighed. "Okay." She nestled up against Null's side. "But don't leave me alone, understand?"

"… I wouldn't think of it."

A quieter chapter, but we needed the quiet. Sorry if fluffy scenes between Riolus and chimeras aren't your thing. I still had fun with it.

Next time: the surprise party.