A/N: Hey there! Local "I should be focusing on my multichapter fics" dummy here! Here to bring you- This! a 7,769 word long one-shot because I had no idea where I was going after I finished 4,000 words!

But for real, this is the longest one-shot fic I have on record so sorry if it isn't perfect! A lot of stuff feels vague towards the end and I didn't know what to do since another one-shot idea snuck up on me and kicked me in the back of the head. So sorry in advance if things seem off- my one track mind hates me. And I hate it just as much.

I should also apologize in advance for any OOC dialouge. And Purrloin's abuse of tildes. (~)

But try to enjoy this nontheless!

"A festival? Here?"

A pair of brown eyes suddenly light up as she noticed the frames of several stalls lined up around Cove Town. Ignoring the fact that her friends glanced over at her with slight perplexion. They all watched as she rushed up to one of the pop up stalls, staring at it inquisitively; exchanging confused glances until one of them, a serious natured otter-like pokémon, took the initiative in catching up to her.

"You… never knew?" The otter spoke, cocking his head to the side. "One's held here every year."

"Well, of course not, Clown Nose!" She turned away from the wooden stall, placing her hands on her hips as the otter became the focus of her attention. "How can I know of anything when Queen 'You Need to be More Ladylike' never lets me attend any sort of party or festival outside the Arbor Area!"

The otter dismissed the insulting nickname, raising a brow once more. "You mean your mother?"

She, the by-blood princess, groaned. "Yeah, yeah- The point is she didn't let me do anything fun until I met you guys!"

Just then, a swine like pokémon appeared at the otter's side. "Then why don't you ask her if you can join us for the festival tonight!"

"Tch. Even though it's you guys, I doubt she'd let me go."

"But it doesn't hurt to try!"

The princess hummed. "You have a point, but…" She paused, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "I doubt I'll be missing much, anyways."

"Are you kidding me!?" An electric mouse suddenly chimed in, his black, button eyes widening in shock. "There's SO much to do during these festivals, Snivy!"

"Like what?"

"A lot of these stalls are meant for fun games!"

"And the food here's really good too!" A penguin, who finally found the opportunity to join into the conversation, beamed. "So many sweets- They even make the cookies the size of your face!"

"As much as I love the food here, I really love the fireworks they do at the end of the night!" The swine grinned as he recalled previous firework displays the festival had done in the past. "They're so pretty! And they do a new, unique show each year!"

"Oh yeah! The fireworks!" The otter lit up at the mention of the festival's main attraction. "I wonder what theme they're going for this year- and if they're even gonna try topping what they did last time!"

Snivy lightly chuckled as the males in front of her gushed on every aspect of the festival they liked. (This does sound kinda fun…) She mused. (Maybe... there isn't harm in asking her if she could join her friends here tonight…)

"Alright, alright! I get it! I'll ask the queen if she can let me go with you guys tonight."

And ask she did.

What was supposed to be a simple "yes or no" question turned into a whole afternoon of gussying up and frantic telegramming. Making sure of the cleanliness of each and every scale that donned her skin, and trying to get a chaperone for the night… despite Snivy's protest against having one, since she'll be with her friends.

And now she just sat there, watching as Lilligant, one of the queen's servants, sifted through the flowers she had gathered about an hour ago; presumably to decorate her with.

She crossed her tiny legs as the living flower nearby struggled to find colors that would compliment her, furrowing her brow as she picked one flower up; and shake her head as she placed it back down- and eventually got to the point where she looked up at the preened grass snake, a hint of embarrassment dusting her cheeks.

"Your highness?" She called out to Snivy, silently hoping that the sudden break in silence didn't bother her. "May I ask you a question, if you don't mind?"

Snivy shrugged. "Sure. I don't mind."

"This may sound a bit too… 'girlish' for your tastes…" Lilligant paused, ignoring the soft "oh boy" that slipped from the princess' lips as she gestured to the assorted lineup of flowers in front of her. "... but I was wondering which color combination you think suited you the best."

"What suits me the best?" Snivy raised a brow. "Mind me asking why you want to know my opinion?"

"Oh! For tonight, of course!" Lilligant smiled. "We wanted to gussy you up before you went out tonight!"

"Of course I know that!" Snivy huffed, rubbing one of her slightly sore arms. (Straightening your scales isn't necessarily pleasant, you know.) "I just want to know what this is all for!"

Lilligant paused, her gaze shot back down to the flowers before her. "Well… you're getting rather old now, princess-"

An annoyed groan cut through the bipedal flower's words. "THIS talk again!? I told you guys that it was too early to worry about this sort of thing!"

"Apologies, but your mother had this exact talk when she was your age. It's practically family tradition that-"

"I find a suitor that's suitable for me to be courted by for the sake of the area's future balance and harmony, or whatever." Snivy's eyes narrowed. "You guys told me this the other day… and last Sunday. I think I get it."

Lilligant snapped her gaze back up at the royal snake, her browline furrowing in a somewhat intense glare. "Then why aren't you taking our words seriously, then? It's like you're not listening to us!"

Snivy reeled back slightly at, the usually soft spoken, Lilligant raising her voice a bit due to her slight annoyance; eventually slumping back on the rock she was propped up on, huffing a sigh through her nostrils before speaking up once more. "It's kinda… embarrassing."

Lilligant hummed, the harsh glace she once had quickly vanished once she noticed Snivy shrink into the chair-like rock she sat on. "Em… barras… sing?"

"Yeah, like… you, and Leavanny, and mom all seem to make this whole 'finding a husband' thing seem more like a chore than a 'natural process'. Like yeah! Maybe I'll get a husband someday! But I'm not tying the knot with some weirdo who I hardly have a connection with!... I'd rather have it be someone I actually like. Y'know?"

An awkwardly long pause came between the two as the young princess vented her frustrations out to the living flower, causing her to sit up in surprise. Quite honestly, Lilligant thought that Snivy hadn't been paying attention to her lectures about a suitor due to not even considering the idea of a significant other at all. But after hearing her spill some of her qualms and personal feelings about the royal practices like that, she couldn't help but smile a bit. "I… believe I do, princess." She chuckled. "You just want to fall in love naturally, right? And not have the weight of responsibility dictate the time it takes for you to do so, let alone who you fall for?"

Snivy stared at Lilligant with wide eyes for a brief moment, before loudly clapping her hands together in some form of accomplished relief. "FINALLY!" She threw her hands over her head. "Someone here gets it!"

This action only made Lilligant giggle louder. "I take it that I'm correct then?"

"You have NO idea how long I've been trying to voice this to you guys! Like, you're all HORRIBLE with reading the room!"

"Well, it would be nice if you'd open up to us more often. If not with the queen or Leavanny, I'll be happy to listen to whatever you need to get off of your chest." Lilligant's smile slightly grew. "After all, I was quite like you when I was in my younger years."

"I'll… I'll keep that in mind." Snivy hummed, hopping up out of the stone chair she sat in to get a closer look at the flowers spread out before the servant. Taking a moment of deliberation before speaking up again. "And uh…"

"Hm?"

"Those pale red flowers look pretty neat, along with those blue-violet ones over there… and with those little white flowers, the ones that look like little bells? I think those would look nice as an accent, don't you?"

Lilligant looked up at the grass snake. "You want a flower crown?"

"Well, I am a princess, right? Royalty needs a crown, y'know."

The two grass types stared at one another before breaking down in a fit of giggling and laughter, almost alerting Leavanny due to how loud their snickering had eventually gotten.

Personally, Lilligant didn't know what made the princess more enjoyable on this night. Was it the fact that she was going to spend the night with people who love her as a friend? Was it the idea that she was dipping her toes into a culture that was outside of the boundaries of Verdant Court- let alone the Arbor Area itself? Or was it some third thing that was only known to the princess, and the princess alone?

And quite honestly, she didn't care. Her highness was happy, and that was all that mattered at that moment.

It was awkward, and the air was rather tense.

Then again, it would be; if you were being guided through the arbor area by the very pokémon that falsely accused you for "kidnapping the princess", quote-en-quote. And that's how Oshawott felt. Despite having several questions regarding why the Queen specifically requested him to escort the princess to and from the festival when Bisharp was, quite frankly, right there. Then again, if he were to ask, he'd probably get a blunt response about it being "the Queen's orders" or something.

So he just held his tongue until they got to the Queen's quarters in Verdant Court. And it worked for the most part… until Bisharp spoke up.

"Oshawott."

The otter pokémon hummed, trying to hide his flinch as he looked up at the pokémon who towered over him. The latter not making eye contact with him. "What's up?"

"I expect you to keep the princess out of harm's way, tonight."

"Don't worry, she'll be-!"

"Words merely promising her safety won't be enough to keep her safe, you know." Bisharp crossed his arms. "Queen Serperior requested that you specifically watch over her tonight due to your battling etiquette. Or so I've been told."

(Or so you've been told…?) Oshawott tilted his head in internal questioning, attempting to hide the slight offense that came with that statement.

"Regardless, I expect you not to thwart your responsibilities tonight. Otherwise there will be consequences." Bisharp gave the otter a sharp side glare. "Understood?"

Oshawott ulped, looking back at the approaching den up ahead. "Y-Yes sir."

The young otter really didn't want to admit it, but Bisharp? He was rather scary. Sure he towered over him, but that didn't hold a candle to his long, sharp claws and his piercing glare. And when Bisharp makes a promise, or rather, a politely phrased threat, he follows through with them. No questions asked.

And the last thing Oshawott wanted was to have Bisharp act on a "promise of repercussions". So needless to say, this supposedly care-free night, kinda got stressful on the spot. What fun.

Before long, the two pokémon stepped into the Queen's quarters. Coming to a halt when they stepped into the ring of water that surrounded the bit of land that the queen sat upon.

"Queen Serperior." Bisharp knelt, bowing his head to respect the presence of the royal that served as the enclosed area's centerpiece. "I brought Oshawott of the Cove Area here, as you requested."

The Queen only smiled, giving a gentle nod in return. "Thank you Bisharp. You are dismissed."

Oshawott felt the weight lifting from his shoulders as Bisharp's presence from beside him faded away. Leaving only him and the Queen in the small clearing.

"I presume Bisharp has informed you of your task tonight?"

"More like threatened, but yes." Oshawott walked forward, stepping out of the rather shallow river.

"Typical Bisharp. Always fretting about the princess' safety, even when he knows she's in good hands." Serperior smiled reassuringly at the otter pokémon that approached her. "Worry not of him, alright? He may be rather harsh with his words, but his intentions are generally pure."

"Riiight." Oshawott rolled his eyes, silently doubting the queen's words regarding the head of the royal guard. "Speaking of the princess, where is she? I don't want to keep the others from waiting any longer than they already are."

Serperior nodded, glancing down to her side with a smile before moving her tail; revealing a gussied up Snivy donning a freshly made flower crown. Something that immediately caused a silent tension to arise in both him, and the princess herself.

He had… never seen her this radiant before.

Sure, the rascal herself generally beamed in the face of danger. Her enthusiastic, fun-loving nature brightened up the group's adventure around Poképark. And much to his pride's dismay, he genuinely enjoyed the banter he regularly had with her… Despite it starting off on the wrong foot for the both of them.

But this was all too different for him. It was like the warmth and light she generally had came from her appearance, rather than her personality. As if she had put actual effort into her looks for once, regardless if it was by choice or not.

He really, really, didn't want to say it, let alone think it. But Snivy looked beautiful. Like, really, REALLY beautiful.

"Hey! Earth to Oshawott!"

Oshawott flinched, noticing that Snivy already made her way towards him, and was now snapping her fingers to get him out of the trance he was lost in. "Y-Yeah?"

"I thought you didn't want to keep the others waiting!"

"Oh yeah! Right!" Oshawott sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…"

Snivy shook her head, giving him a signal to come follow her as she walked past him. "It's fine, let's just get going."

Oshawott eagerly followed her directions as the two began to make their way to Cove Town, partially disregarding the well wishes Queen Serperior called out to them as they went; eventually breaking the silence between the two of them once they were far enough away.

"So…" He began, tucking his arms behind his head. "You look fancy tonight."

"Yeah, I'm always forced to get all neat'n'tidy for events. Despite its size." Snivy shrugged her shoulders. "It involves sorting out my scales and plucking off dead ones, deep-skin scrubbing… peeling off any stray shedding."

Oshawott smiled, letting out an amused huff. "Snivy, that's disgusting."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm a growing young lady." She propped up her posture and placed a hand on her chest in a mockingly regal manner. "And growing young ladies need the most rigorous of cleaning regimens."

"Sounds painful."

"Oh, you have no idea." The princess slumped back into her casual posture. "Anyways, I heard that Bisharp threatened you. How was that?"

"Terrifying." Oshawott shuddered. "He didn't word it in a threatening way, but the way he glared at me was just… eugh."

"Tell me about it." Snivy too, shuddered at the thought of receiving yet another one of Bisharp's seething glares. "But better to have him threaten you than to ruin the entire festival because a handful of pokémon looked at me funny, right?"

"Yeah… right." Oshawott let out a nervous chuckle, shrugging his shoulders. "Speaking of Bisharp, you know why he brought me to get you instead of bringing you to me and the others?"

"Hm? Why ask?"

"Well, I figured you'd know since you're the daughter of the person who arranged this meetup."

"I wish I could tell you, Oshawott, but I was hanging out with Lilligant for most of the time. Sure I may have caught my mom stating that she specifically wanted you to watch me tonight, but the reason as to why? I'm totally drawing a blank on."

"Darn." Oshawott pouted. "I guess my detective skills are getting rusty."

Snivy smiled, letting out a soft chuckle. "I suppose so."

"But now I gotta ask." He put a paw to his chin. "Why were you hanging out with Lilligant like you said you were? I thought you hated being around the Royal Guard."

"Persistent, aren't we?" The grass snake chuckled once more, slightly louder this time.

"Well you can't just bring it up and leave it at that! Y'gotta tell me now!"

"Fair enough." Snivy shrugged. "Lilligant is actually… kinda chill. I was talking to her earlier and she seemed to understand what I was talking about. So yeah, pretty chill."

"What were you talking about?"

She laughed. "Okay, now you're just pushing your luck."

Oshawott grinned, knowing full well he was caught red handed with his questioning; joining in with her laughter while they made their way through Windmill Way.

"So… what's taking those two so long?" A small blue penguin, Piplup, placed his fins on his hips. "It's been a good ten-or-so minutes since that big scary guy whisked Oshawott away to pick Snivy up!"

A yellow mouse, Pikachu, merely rolled his eyes. "Be patient, Piplup! Knowing the Queen she's probably giving the two a talk about Snivy's safety." He almost mimicked his friend, placing a singular paw on his hip. "And that 'big scary guy' is a part of the royal guard. Part of his job is to be 'big' and 'scary'."

"I am being patient!" Piplup huffed. "It's just weird that they'd both take so long. Especially when Oshawott said he wouldn't keep us waiting!"

"He's gotta point, y'know." The remaining pokémon, Tepig, chimed in. "It's kinda weird that Oshawott is taking so long even though he said that he'd hurry back."

Pikachu put a hand to his chin, humming in thought as he briefly pondered what the two complained about. While it was true that the otter said he would be back "in a jiffy", and generally didn't fail to be on time, there were many factors that could have held him back given that the person he was "escorting" wasn't just some plain jane. Of course the Royal Guard, if not, the Queen of the area would have a few words for him. It would be protocol, essentially- and it wouldn't take a genius to understand that.

But, knowing the nature of the princess, she would have dragged the otter off with her, not listening to a single word being told to the both of them regardless of who it came from. So for the two of them to take so long… it raised a brow for the electric type.

It was odd.

Sure the two had their off-handed banter from time to time, but it never really sidetracked them. Nor did it slow down the rest of the team down when they were on their grand adventure to save Poképark. It didn't even slow them down when the four of them went on smaller adventures throughout Poképark; and at that point they began to actually consider one another as friends!... At least, from what he could tell.

Like sure, they got off on the wrong foot. Implying that their first impression was even made by something that remotely resembled a foot, that is. He said that they were on a case. She thought it was fun. And then he proceeded to be somewhat of a killjoy for her throughout their adventure. It was natural for a dynamic like that to turn into a form of banter- but it still felt strange. The friendly banter was still there, but Pikachu thought she would have held some form of dislike towards Oshawott's guts. Especially after that huge scare he gave her one time.

Perhaps… that was the moment they finally clicked. The moment where Oshawott "sacrificed" himself to the gaping maw of the Dark Vortex so everyone else could get away. That moment.

He couldn't tell much from the back of the line, but he could see Snivy's brief hesitation before she seemingly rushed forward; like she was about to dive after him, or something; not that it would help much, of course. But it did show that she at the very least cared for the guy, and at most… (Wait-)

"Hey guys, sorry for the hold up!"

Before Pikachu could mentally connect the dots as to why Snivy and Oshawott were so late in meeting up with the three of them, the pair rushed through the open gate of the Arbor Area; the former dragging the latter behind her with her vine. "Oshawott here was talking to me about how Bisharp threatened him." She gestured to the otter, retracting her vine. "And then we noticed that we were keeping you guys waiting, so we hauled tail to get here."

(For ten minutes?) Pikachu cocked his head to the side. (I didn't think "Bisharp being Intimidating" would be that hot of a topic.)

"Nah! It's okay!" Tepig responded, beaming at the two. "What matters now is that you two are here! And we can finally head in!"

"Yes!" Piplup pumped a balled up flipper into the air. "And if we hurry on in there, I can go enter that Pie Eating Contest!"

"No way, they're actually holding one this year!?" Tepig snapped his gaze to Piplup, who looked back at him with an equal amount of excitement in his eyes. "I've always wanted to enter one of those!"

"Me too! And if we get there on time, we'll barely be allowed to enter!"

"Well what are we waiting for!? Let's GO!"

Before any of the three other pokémon could get a word in, especially one of protest, the fire type and the water type rushed down into the heart of the town. Causing the three to collectively sweatdrop at the sight. "Well…" Pikachu shrugged. "I guess someone has to stop them from getting food poisoning." He turned to Snivy and Oshawott. "You guys have enough berries, right?"

"Plenty." Snivy nodded, patting a small burlap satchel that rested at her side. "I snagged a couple of berries from the Royal Berry stash before talking to the Queen about tonight."

"You mean you stole them?" Oshawott raised a brow, snickering at the princess' blunt honesty.

"Oh, pftch-" She swatted the air with her hand. "It's only a thousand-or-so berries, she won't miss them."

(In THAT little bag?) Pikachu's eyes widened. (Also, how big is this 'royal stash'!?) "So… That means you two are all set, right?"

"S'far as I'm concerned yeah." The princess shrugged. "I think we already know where you're gonna be so we'll meet up with you if we need anything… And maybe watch Piplup and Tepig regretfully stuff their faces with pies."

"Oh shoot- right-! I should catch up with those guys to at least try to talk them out of entering!" Pikachu gasped before he spoke, beginning to take off towards the lively festival with a slight sense of urgency as soon as the pair crossed his mind once more. "I'll see you guys later!"

The pair watched as the yellow mouse dart into the distant crowd, turning to one another once they both lost sight of him. The otter smirking at the grass snake. "And then there were two."

"Yeah…" Snivy amusingly huffed. "I guess we're gonna have to wait if we're gonna play any games with them tonight. Have anything else you wanna do in mind?"

"Hm? Why ask?"

"Well, this is the Cove Area, right? You should know this event like the back of your paw!"

"Yeah, but as you once said before, I'm a clown in a business suit! I should be the last person to ask!"

"Oh please." Snivy playfully punched Oshawott's shoulder. "I last used that insult on you like what? Three years ago? You've loosened up considerably since then."

"I appreciate the compliment, Greenie, but regardless of how old it was, it's still a good insult. Got it right on the nail when you first said it too." Oshawott placed a paw to his chin and hummed. "If only I remembered how it went…"

"Oh shut up!" Snivy playfully swatted at him once more. "You've got a stall in mind or not?"

"Well… I am hungry… And there is a stall I stop by every year to get something to snack on while I'm here."

"What are you waiting for then?" She gestured towards the festival on the other side of the alleyway. "Show me the way, Clown Nose."

Oshawott smiled, shaking his head. "With pleasure, Bean Sprout."

The festival was packed to the brim with pokémon from every corner of Poképark, despite most of its attendees being native to the area the event was being held in. Some came to butt heads in competition, while others came to sample foods from various cooks in Poképark. And the rest? They either hung out with their friends or played any of the fun little games sprawled out throughout the town.

Snivy however, tried her best not to give in to the temptation to try everything this festival had to offer the moment she and her escort stepped into the lively crowd. And as much as she wanted to run off and go do her own thing, she couldn't due to being stuck to the otter's side… as well as being hungry, of course.

And the stalls the pair walked past did not ease her stomach in the slightest; with the surrounding aromas nearly overwhelming her, testing her patience as she was led through the crowd by Oshawott. "Are you sure you know which stall you're taking me to, Oshawott?" She grunted as she felt her stomach grumble. "Or should I just pick a food-stall myself?"

"No, no! I'm pretty sure I know where the stall is!" Oshawott reassured the princess, squeezing the vine he held to make sure the two won't be separated as they made their way through the crowd. "It's just hard to see through- aha!"

He made quite a sharp turn towards a stall he managed to catch a small glimpse of between the pokémon that towered over him, jerking Snivy rather abruptly in the same direction. "Hey! Dewott!" Oshawott called out to the stand, ignoring the yelp that came from the grass snake behind him. "I see you're running the poffin stand again this year!"

"Like always, my young apprentice." Dewott bowed his head to greet the other otter pokémon. "Are you here for your usual snack for this festival?"

"You bet I am!" Oshawott beamed, his tail wagging in excitement.

The princess, on the other hand, was rather perplexed. "Wait… Dewott knows how to bake?"

"Are you kidding me!?" Oshawott turned to face his confused friend, maintaining the energy he had when talking to his mentor. "Dewott's baking is probably the best there is in Poképark! For real! If he wasn't so busy training all of the time he could open a killer bakery!"

Snivy hummed, placing a hand below her mouth. "The more you know…"

"The way of the wott does not require such arbitrary skills… it's… merely a hobby of mine." Dewott spoke once more, now leaning on the stall desk he stood behind. "Anyways, young princess! Would you like anything?"

"Please!" Snivy grinned. "I'm starving!"

"Well then, what would you like?"

"Whatever Oshawott's having!"

"Ah, so the 'Cove Town Specialty', a fine choice."

The princess halted her excitement for a brief moment. "'Cove Town Specialty'?"

"It's a huge poffin that's covered in these awesome pearl candies!" Oshawott beamed. "It may not sound like much, but Dewott's recipe makes these things to die for!"

"To die for?"

"Yeah, yeah! These things sell out so quickly, it's hard to get your hands on one!"

"It's true." Dewott butted into their conversation once more, already having two poffins waiting for the pair. "I had to bake extra just to keep up with demand this year." He watched as the two younger pokémon took their food off the stand. "But even then, I'm still struggling to keep up!"

"That's crazy." Snivy uttered, half listening to what Dewott was saying as she examined the adorably shaped pastry. Only having it's delightful scent bring her back right as his short ramble ended. "Anyways, do we owe you anything for these?"

"Usually, they're thirty berries per poffin. But for you princess, you both can have your poffins free of charge."

"Aw, c'mon!" Snivy rolled her eyes, playfully. "That seems kinda unfair."

"I insist."

She shook her head. "Well let me at least tip you. You work too hard to not get much out of it!" Her hand slipped into her berry pouch, pulling out a gold berry to toss to him. "Think fast!"

Dewott nearly flinched as the shiny berry came hurling towards him, fumbling with it as he tried to catch it before having a secure grip on it. He took a moment to examine the rare fruit before giving Snivy a smile. "Thank you, your highness."

"Ah, it's nothing!" She waved Dewott off, signalling Oshawott to come with her. "See y'later Dewott!"

As the two wandered away from the stand, Oshawott's gaze settled on Snivy. Who trailed on ahead of him as she took dainty bites from her scallop-shaped treat. "Wow Oshawott-! You weren't kidding about these things!" Her eyes gleamed as she glanced back at the otter. "They're amazing!"

"Yeah, I know!" He replied, glancing down at his poffin for a moment before looking back up at her. "Anyways, I uh… wanted to bring up something with you, about what happened back there."

"Alright, shoot." The princess took another bite.

"Well, you usually jump at the chance of getting something for free so…" The otter cocked his head to the side. "... Why did you pay him anyways?"

Snivy shrugged. "I wanted to be nice. Something wrong with that?"

"Oh no, not at all! It just sorta… confused me. Like, 'who are you and what did you do to my Snivy!?' y'know?"

"I get what you mean, actually." The princess shook her head. "Me? Being nice? Never."

The two of them shared a quick laugh as they happened upon a bench, albeit a bit awkward on Oshawott's end. As they climbed upon it, the otter got caught up in his own thoughts once more. Snivy must have been in a really good mood tonight- she was never this nice to anyone, especially him! Not like she already wasn't a nice pokémon, she totally was!- it was the overall generosity she showed so far; the pleasant atmosphere she had about her; and, as much as he still didn't want to admit it, the radiant beauty she gave off the moment he saw her; all meshed into one.

It made her far more charming than usual. And Oshawott couldn't peg whether he actually liked that or not.

But then again, that would be implying that he liked her! Like, in that sort of mushy-gushy matter. Like how Krookodile is with-

"Yoohoo! Didjya head float up into space again, Oshawott? You feelin' okay?"

Oshawott gasped as his friend's words snapped him out of his rather intrusive thoughts. His cheeks tinting pink out of embarrassment as he glanced over at Snivy. "No, no, no! My head's completely grounded like the rest of me! Don't worry!"

"Well, you literally took a seat on the other side of the bench and zoned out on your poffin as I was talking to you! Don't you find that the least bit concerning?"

Oshawott hummed. "... Maybe a little."

"Then c'mon!" She gestured at him to move a bit closer. "Get over here so I don't have to yell to get your attention the next time you space out!"

The otter tensed up at her request, trying to ignore a suddenly apparent blush on his cheeks as he shook his head. "N-No, I think I'm fine over on this side of the bench, thank you."

The snake did nothing but laugh at Oshawott's flustered stance. "Well, if you aren't gonna move over here, I might as well slide on over to you." She spoke as she siddled her way to his side once more, making sure to put a few inches between them as she went. "You won't mind that, right?"

"I-I guess not."

She chuckled once more. "What's up with you all of a sudden? You weren't this flustered earlier!"

"Nothing much!" He blurted. "I-I was just thinking!"

"Oh? About what?" She paused. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

"I-I don't mind you asking, it's just…" Oshawott hummed, mentally noting the space between the two, and more importantly the way his heart thumped after that mental note. "I-I was thinking about how…"

There was a pause.

"How…?"

"How d-"

Oshawott was cut off by a "what seemed to be" blur rushing by, snatching the- apparently loosely tied- berry satchel off of Snivy's shoulder, taking the pair by surprise as the princess took a tumble to the pavement below; the sudden tugging force catching her off guard.

The otter, on the other hand, gasped loudly as he saw his friend fall. His instinct unsure on what to act on first; the princess, or the quite obvious thief that rushed into the crowd. He hopped down from his spot on the bench and glanced down at the princess, hoping for a quick response.

All he got the moment he did so was a hasty nod from her, a wince in pain was held back to deter any further- distracting- concern.

And that's all he needed.

Oshawott took off into the crowd, leaving the snake behind as he went on this hot pursuit of his. The serious nature he thought he left behind for the night quickly returning to him.

"Stop that thief!"

Oshawott pushed himself through the crowd of Pokémon before him, being particularly weary of the small purple one that seemed to be doing the same.

Now, he and his friends were familiar with this feline's antics. Purrloin always pulled stuff like this- absolutely nothing out of the ordinary there.

But the fact that she'd pull her usual tricks on a night like tonight, something that was supposed to be special for Snivy, really rubbed him the wrong way.

He picked up his pace as he slipped by more and more pokémon in order to approach the thieving feline, letting out another shout in hopes to get someone else's attention so he won't have to chase her alone.

"Someone stop her! Please!"

Some of the surrounding pokémon seemed to take a hint, as the surrounding crowd lightened a bit. Making the path Purrloin was taking much more clear to him. "Hey!" He called out to the purple feline, picking up his pace as a wall began to form on her side of the sea of pokémon.

"Oho-! Hey there Oshy!~" The feline spoke, hiding the satchel behind her as she turned to face the otter that approached her. "What brings you here?~"

Oshawott shook his head, placing his paws on his hips. "I should be asking the same thing! Why did you steal from the princess!?"

"Princess? Whaddya mean princess? I saw no-"

His gaze flattened, causing Purrloin to choke on her own bluff.

"Ahem-! I-I didn't see any princess, Oshy!~" She forced a smile. "All I saw was somethin' shiny so naturally I-"

"Purrloin, give the satchel back."

"Heehee!~ What satchel?"

"Pur-"

"Hey, is there a problem here kids?"

A gruff voice cut the two bickering pokémon off. Knowing full well who it was, the two hesitantly glanced upwards to their sides; meeting a part of beady eyes tucked beneath a pair of shades. Purrloin audibly gulped as the two smaller 'mons gave their answer at the same time.

"No~~~?" "Yes."

The taller one's eyes shifted to the otter. "What happened?"

"Purrloin snatched Snivy's berry satchel."

"Wha-?" Purrloin shook her head, holding the satchel out in front of her. "This lil' ol' thing? Belonging to the princess herself? Surely this dingy little twine bag doesn't belong to royalty, does it?"

(Did she… literally go from almost confessing to outright denying that the satchel was even Snivy's to begin with?) Oshawott sighed. At that rate, he should have expected the purple cat to pull something like this, forbatem. After all, it WAS the local thief he was talking to, he should have expected no less- but here he was:

Disappointed with her usual stint anyways.

The otter watched as Purrloin was picked up by the scruff, being raised to the point where she met the taller pokémon face-to-face; cackling nervously as she was met with narrowed eyes.

"I thought you made a promise not to steal a thing this festival."

Purrloin sheepishly smiled. "W-what? Since when did I say that, Krooky?~"

The taller mon shook his head, plucking the satchel from the pure Dark Type's paws. "Don't call me that."

He glanced down to the otter pokémon, tossing the satchel to him- much to the otter's relief.

"Thanks, Krookodile!" Oshawott beamed as the pouch landed in his paws.

"Eh, just doin' my job." Krookodile shrugged, focusing his attention to the pokémon he held. "As for you. You're sticking with me for the rest of the night. Got it?"

"Aww! Come on!" Purrloin groaned. "I don't want to hear you flirt with Audino for the rest of the night!"

Krookodile shook his head, ignoring the light blush that appeared on his cheeks as he walked off with the feline in tow- who was still complaining about her predicament. Leaving Oshawott alone once more.

Oshawott sighed in relief. That was far easier than he thought it was going to be! He thought he would have to brandish his scallop and have to take Snivy's satchel back by force! Thank goodness he didn't need to resort to such a-

"Oshawott? You okay bud?"

Oshawott stalled his rather optimistic train of thought as he turned to face the source of the new voice he knew all too well. Readying himself to tell her the good news as his eyes were met with something alarming.

Sure, it was still Snivy, as casual and calm as she usually was despite being robbed. Not a flower messied on her crown, not a scale out of place. She even seemed to hold up his novelty poffin up just fine despite its size. Yet…

"Oh no."

(Bisharp is gonna kill me.) Oshawott frantically dug through the first-aid kit, trying to find a bandage large enough to cover up the shallow scrape that was on Snivy's belly. Beads of sweat forming at the top of his head as all he could find was adhesive gauze. (He is SO gonna kill me.)

Snivy on the other hand, peered over the otter's shoulder, his poffin still in hand. It was rather obvious that he was a tiny bit panicked- not sure what for, though. It was a small pavement scuff, after all. Something that was hardly noticeable to the naked eye.

"Okay! I need you to raise your arms!"

Snivy leaned back as Oshawott turned back to her with the adhesive gauze in hand, hesitantly raising her arms as she raised a brow. "What for?"

Oshawott fidgeted with the roll of bandages. "S-so I can patch up that scrape?"

She chuckled. "C'mon, it ain't that bad! You don't need to-"

"Snivy it's really noticeable! Like super duper noticeable!"

"Hm? It isn't that noticeable-"

"It's across your entire tummy! Please let me patch it up!"

Snivy blinked, but nonetheless obliged as she raised her arms up the rest of the way, being careful as to not drop the otter's food as he moved himself closer to her; raising her head up a bit as well to give him more breathing room as he worked on patching her up.

There was a brief moment of silence as he weaved the bandage around her torso before Snivy spoke up once more, her voice a bit strained due to the position she was holding. "Y'know, you don't need to be such a worry-wott. It's not like I'm bleeding or anything, right?"

Oshawott sighed as he brought the roll back out in front of her. "I know, it's just-"

"Just…?" Snivy cut in as the otter briefly lost his voice for the second time that night.

"Bisharp."

The princess hummed inquisitively. "What about him?"

"I learned he has a sharp eye and can observe the slightest of disturbances- all through battling him. If he saw that scrape of yours he would let me have it without hesitation. So I figured that patching you up will… lighten his load, so to speak."

"I…" Snivy tilted her head to the side as Oshawott ripped the roll from the bandage being used, replacing the adhesive roll back into the kit; allowing her to lower her head. "Wait- wouldn't he get suspicious if he sees me with bandages, but then sees you without anything on?"

Oshawott froze up. "Oh no- you're right-" he frantically turned back to the princess. "WhatdoIdo!?"

Snivy glanced over at the first-aid kit behind him, then back at the otter pokémon himself as she handed his poffin back. "Here, hold this."

The otter took the poffin, raising a brow of his own. Now it was his turn to be a bit perplexed. "What are you doing?"

"Here." Snivy reached over with one of her vines, pulling out a few smaller bandages before pulling back; taking one of the smaller bandages from her vine and continued to speak as she began to unwrap it. "If Bisharp sees some bandages on you, then he'll think you got hurt trying to protect me." She took the bandage, now unwrapped, and stuck it to his cheek in a slightly skewed manner. "Therefore waving off most, if not all, of his suspicion."

The otter felt the gentle touch of Snivy's hand quickly leave his cheek as soon as it grazed it. His paw subconsciously reaching up to touch the bandage she left behind once she focused on unwrapping another, slightly larger, bandage. "That's genius."

"Hey now, don't go fanning the flames of my ego." She smirked. "Now which arm is the one you use your scallop with?"

"Right."

"Alright, bring it here."

Oshawott did so, shortly after shifting his grasp on his poffin, and allowed the princess to "patch him up" the rest of the way. His arm, an area around his scallop, one of his feet- all while engaging in a somewhat endearing banter. Making the process of "patching up fake injuries" go by much faster than anticipated.

"Alright!" Snivy sat back, admiring the fake bandage work she did on her friend. "That should be the last of 'em!"

"Thanks, Sni!" Oshawott smiled. "You're a life saver!"

"It's nothing! You got my berries back, so consider that my 'thanks'."

"Aw, c'mon! You deserve somethin' a little more than that!"

"No really! It's fine!" The princess sat back on the new bench they were sitting in, causing the otter to do the same. "... 'less… you wanna share that poffin."

"Share?" Oshawott's smile turned into a smirk. "What for?"

Snivy shook her head. "I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I dropped mine when I was robbed!" She let out a huff. "I'm a bit disappointed too, I was really enjoying it."

Oshawott glanced down at the poffin, then back up at Snivy, then back down at the poffin. A strange sort of confidence rising up in him as his gaze lingered on the poffin itself. "Well… I could..."

Snivy let out a small hum.

"... On one condition."

"Oh boy, bribery!" Snivy rolled her eyes. "What do I need to sell my soul for in order to get this poffin, detective?"

Here goes nothing.

"I was thinking:" Oshawott placed a free paw to his chin. "'I like this Snivy I've been hanging out with tonight. I wanna spend more time with her.' So maybe we can hang out at Seasong Beach tomorrow?"

"With the others?"

The otter shrugged. "Preferably just the two of us. But I'm not picky."

"Ah. Then I wouldn't mind-" Snivy paused, realizing what the otter was proposing. "Wait."

The otter, who now averted his gaze, hummed. "Yeah?"

"Wait!" She repeated, her voice much brighter than before. "Oh my Arceus- You're asking me out aren't you? You like me don't you!?"

Oshawott didn't say anything, but a subtle blush on his cheeks told her everything she needed to know- causing her to laugh more than anything.

"I KNEW it!" She covered her mouth, trying her best to control her laughter. "I knew it from the MOMENT you stepped into Serperior's quarters that you felt funny, and it was because of me!"

The otter shook his head. "Are you gonna answer or not?"

"Oshy-" She placed her hands on his arm, beaming over the current situation they're in. "Oshy you can't just sell me on a date like that!"

"What do you mean?"

"You gotta give me deets, Oshawott! Haggle me into this date like your life depends on it! You're asking out royalty after all!"

His eyes widened slightly at her overbearing… enthusiasm... over this off-the-cuff proposition. "Well, there are some places on the beach that look rather… beautiful… in the evening." His blush darkened. "But in the meantime, I thought we would explore the place a bit… maybe go to uncharted territory and explore?"

"Oh you can count me IN!" She lurched towards the otter pokémon and tightly squeezed him, still cackling from before.

"S-so…" Oshawott, now completely flushed, hesitantly wrapped an arm around her. "Is that a yes?"

"Definitely."

The otter couldn't help but internally fistbump himself at that moment... as well as curse himself for letting a fragment of his thoughts slip out so... nonchalantly. But in that moment, he knew that those thoughts that burdened him off and on that night felt right to get out. Like some sort of self-assured high that came to light in the heat of the moment.

And her elation to this only made him feel better. Not because of the reciprocation, but rather, the idea that similar thoughts had plagued her throughout the night… maybe even longer.

"Hey… Hey Oshy-"

Oshawott was snapped out of his internal conflict of sorts and looked down at Snivy. "Yeah?"

"So you think I'm preeeeeeeetty?~"

His blush intensified, looking away with a grunt.

This only caused the princess to burst out laughing once more.

Yeah, definitely for longer.