The diluted evening sun was drifting off to the west for the day, beginning its inevitable departure into the new horizon that was the island of Zen Oasis. An isolated patch of land that was soon spruced up into a four-star aquatic paradise, plentiful in fishing spots and water-themed landmarks, remained active even as the summer months came and left. At the center of the island was the Central Plaza, the land's origin point that housed the only market and boutique on the island, as well as the Zen Oasis Museum. Finally, there was the heart of the island's development: Resident Services, a large beige building with a blue roof that oversees almost everything that happens on Zen Oasis. Even there, things were lively.
Inside Town Hall was a spacious office that took up the back half of the room, separated by a wide counter and two stools for visitors. It was currently occupied by two important figures of Zen Oasis. First was a brown raccoon with dark patches of fur, including that which formed a mask around his eyes, a white button-up shirt with turquoise leaf prints, and khaki pants. This was the well-known, and in other cases infamous, Tom Nook: head of the Nook Inc. travel agency and head of construction for the entire island. Beside him was a cheery, bright-yellow Shih Tzu dog with a red shirt with white leaf prints, a white skirt, and her hair tied into a ponytail by a red band with jingle bells. This was Isabelle, the local secretary that was responsible for monitoring the island's image as well as the well-being of its visitors. The two of them worked together to keep the island in check, especially during the early years of Zen Oasis. However, now the island was nearing its peak condition so work was slow. This gave the two downtime, much more often than before. Tom was casually browsing on his laptop, sipping a cup of joe while Isabelle was taking time to sniff a small arrangement of red roses on her side of the room. Then, the front door breaks the silence. There was a visitor!
"Guess who stepped in the room!"
The loud, carefree cheer came from a human girl with long blue hair with straight bangs that proudly strolled in, closing the door behind her without turning around. She was wearing a short, blue kimono jacket with red kanji on the back and a black sash, blue athletic pants, and a pair of sandals. She was also holding a big bag of Bells, gold coins that served as the island's currency, in her left hand. She could easily pass off as another visiting islander but she was, in fact, one of the most famous and important people on the entire island. Enter Aurora, one of the original travelers that visited the island with Tom Nook, back before it was just a deserted piece of land. She was the one the partnered with Tom to transform the whole area into a paradise of her design and attract a whole crowd of residents to bask in its glory. Due to her jolly, kind-hearted nature, everyone on the island was on good terms with her, and Isabelle and Tom were no exception.
Though the loud shout made the raccoon jump a bit at first, Tom immediately recognizes Aurora's voice and sat up from his computer table to wave at her. "Ah, Aurora! Hello, hello!"
Isabelle deviates her attention from her roses and quickly perks up in mood, following Tom's lead upon seeing her human friend. "Aurora! Hi there!"
"Heya, Tom! Isabelle!" Aurora acknowledges, flashing them a quick wave with her free hand. "I just got back from another fishing trip. Seriously, the salmon would NOT stop biting!"
The human child laughs, walking over to the southeast corner of the room where a blue machine that resembled an ATM, the Automatic Bell Dispenser, was waiting for her. With Zen Oasis already becoming a suitable home for its visitors, Aurora often spent her days fishing, swimming, and frolicking on the beach. The first hobby often netting her quite a bit of income when it came to selling her catch to the local market and passerby fish enthusiasts, after donating newly-discovered species to the museum for everyone to see. While she was depositing her earnings into the ABD, Tom took a closer look at the girl's body, noticing there were several wet patches visible on her face and even her arms. The funny thing was her hair wasn't even the least bit soaked but the raccoon didn't notice, thus knowing Aurora…
"My, my! I reckon it was a nice day for a dip, even in this chilly weather?" Tom Nook casually assumes.
Aurora was just done putting her bells into her checking account when she turned to face Tom. She bashfully rubs the back of her head upon answering.
"Maybe, but I actually didn't go swimming today," Aurora admits. "I worked up a bit of a sweat, right before coming here."
Isabelle looked a bit concerned. "Oh, dear. Coach wasn't working you too hard again, was he?"
Aurora just smirked at the dog, amused. "Oh, haha, Isabelle! Nope, I was just practicing my martial arts skills again. Autumn climate is perfect for cooling yourself off, after training!"
"Oh? Martial arts?" The dog presses further.
Aurora proudly nods and grins. "Yep! If there's one thing I love more than water, it's martial arts. Sometimes, there's nothing like heading down to the beach, kicking off your shoes, and throwing a few punches and kicks at the air. I took Karate as a kid and, ever since then, I always liked seeing and trying new ways to have fun with all kinds of flashy techniques from all kinds of martial arts out there! I always wanted to try getting more people on the island into it too…"
Just then, the girl looks away, a little disheartened.
"...but it can get kinda violent, in most cases. I don't want to scare anyone," She refutes herself. "It's such a bummer too because it's so much fun when you can handle it."
"Well…" Isabelle chimes in, putting on a bit of a bashful look, "you'd be surprised."
Aurora's disappointment had been interrupted by her friend's input. Now the dog had really caught her attention. "Huh?"
"Not too long ago, I was actually invited to a special battle tournament that only happens once, every few years. I had the chance to compete with all kinds of famous fighters from many different places. It was really fun!" Isabelle testifies. Her shy expression had even completely shifted to a cheerful glow.
"Uh...WHAT?!" Aurora was wide-eyed and speechless. She never expected to hear such news from the gentle Isabelle, the ray of sunshine that was even known not to like confrontation.
"Oh, ho, ho! I was quite surprised, myself when I first heard," Tom contributes, "but Isabelle is quite right. Once every blue moon or so, the legendary Super Smash Bros tournament takes place to draw in fighters from different worlds. People from all over have only dreamed of being invited to such an event and it just so happens that Isabelle was invited to the very latest installment. She performed rather well, hmm?"
As Nook was glancing over at his secretary with pride, Isabelle went right back to bashful mode. Her cheeks were blushing bright pink as she attempts to remain modest. "Haha, I suppose so… It all happened so fast, though. It was a lot to take in!"
Meanwhile, Aurora's eyes were gleaming with excitement. News of a battle tournament was another to arouse her scrappy heart but the thought of Isabelle being a competitive fighter, even for just one event? It gave her a newfound sense of respect for her canine friend.
"No way… I had no idea you were a fighter, Isabelle! That's so cool!" Aurora fangirls in delight.
The dog's blush now a stubborn stain, Isabelle responds, "Thank you, Aurora! I don't really do this sort of thing all the time but I have learned a thing or two since then. I even took up a bit of martial arts while I was practicing for the tournament."
That clicked with Aurora immediately, in all caps. Her very pulse was racing in excitement. At this point, what was about to happen was inevitable.
"Seriously?! In that case, could I ask a big favor, Isabelle?"
The helpful worker in Isabelle quickly kicked into gear without even thinking. It didn't take her long to answer, "Of course! How can I help, Aurora?"
The human's emotions were in a frantic stir right now. She was a bit nervous about what she was about to ask her friend but, deep down in her gut, she'd never stop thinking about it if she didn't pick up the guts to do it now. Thus, with her sheer impulse upsetting the balance with her caution, Aurora quickly clasps her hands together and blurts out:
"Please have sparring practice with me, tomorrow!"
Of course, Isabelle was caught in a slight state of shock. "Oh, really? Well, I don't know..."
"Please?" Aurora persists. "It's been so long since I had a sparring partner! It would be so awesome to have someone else to practice with. Martial arts are always more fun when you have a friend to enjoy them with and it doesn't have to be too serious if you don't want it to. After hearing about you and the Smash Bros tournament, I just thought it would be great to see that kind of skill for myself! What do you say?"
Isabelle mulled it over for a bit. Though she was more of a gentle canine, she was no stranger to the battlefield. She always worked hard to help Aurora with any request she had, ever since the island first came together, though something this practical was a first. Isabelle was nervous about this but she didn't want to disappoint her friend. She takes a deep breath and soon gives Aurora a calm look while revealing her answer.
"Okay. I'm still a little unsure about this but I'd be happy to give it a try," Isabelle accepts.
"WOO-HOO! Thanks, Isabelle! This going to be so much fun!" Aurora triumphantly throws up her right fist in a cheer. Such a bold acceptance made her very, very happy. She was finally going to share her favorite hobby with a close friend. "Let's get together at the south plaza beach, early in the morning. I like to come out there, right when the sun rises."
Isabelle nods. "Sure! I'll be there as soon as I can!"
"Great!" Excited, Aurora quickly makes a break for the door. "I'm gonna spend the rest of the day getting ready! See ya then, Izzy!"
With that, Aurora quickly bolts out of Residental Services, closing the door behind her. It would be pretty easy for the two to guess that the eager child had gone off to practice her moves before morning. At first, Isabelle was shy about being roped into this kind of thing but seeing the look on Aurora's face put those concerns to rest...at least for now. Even Tom Nook found the aftermath appealing.
"Haha, it seems you've gained quite the admirer, Isabelle!" The boss raccoon laughs.
Once again, the dog's cheeks were paid a visit by another recurring blush.
"I never thought that would make Aurora so happy like that. It's a little flattering," the modest little pup reacts. Isabelle looks directly at Nook with a formal request in mind. "May I be excused to do a bit of shopping before the day ends? I want to visit Able Sisters before they close."
"Oh, of course! By all means, take the rest of the day off," Tom graciously obliges. "I'll finish things up here."
"Thank you, Mr. Nook!" Isabelle accepts with her usual cheerful smile.
With that Isabelle makes her way past the counter through a flipping panel to the east side and calmly makes her way out the door as well. She had a big morning ahead of her tomorrow!