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Chapter 24

"You can just live as Brin!"

A lazy yawn left my mouth as I roused from my sleep. With my eyes still closed, I stretched out my legs and neck. A satisfying popping sound came from my body as I loosened up my muscles, making me smile for no real reason. I put my paws on my cheeks, rubbing them while I rolled onto my back.

When I flopped onto my back, however, I felt as though something was pulled along with me. I opened my tired eyes and glanced down. Through my blurry vision, I spotted something big and yellow covering my body. Curious, I reached out with my paw and patted it without thinking.

"Mnn..." A jolt ran through my body, waking me up even further. The yellow thing made a low, moaning noise when I touched it! Startled, I rubbed away the blurriness and the sleep in my eyes to get a better look at it.

"Oh!" A sense of relief washed over me when I recognized what – or rather, who – it was. Brin was still sleeping away; her arms were wrapped around my side, and her cheek was resting against my fluffy tail as if it was a pillow. There was a warm, yellow blanket was lying on the ground beside us, unused and forgotten.

I let out another yawn as I patted the sides of my face with my paws, trying to beat away the rest of the drowsiness in my body. I shook my head and let out a deep breath of air. Feeling much more awake than before, I glanced around at my surroundings.

A bright ray of sunlight was shining into Brin and Mismagius' cabin, piercing through the darkness from the window. The fireplace was out, leaving nothing but charred logs and ash in the hearth. Specks of dust were floating around in the air, illuminated by the sunlight.

While Brin was still clinging onto my tail like a Shellder on a Slowbro, I noticed that Blue and Mismagius were both nowhere to be found inside the cabin. Feeling a little confused, I took another look around me, wondering if I had missed them snoozing somewhere. But no, both my blue – furred friend and Brin's cloaked mother were absent. All I could spot lying around us were dust – covered books and unused poufs.

I glanced over to the entrance to the cabin. The door was left ajar, squeaking as the morning breeze nudged back and forth on its aging hinges. Blue and Mismagius must be outside already, I assumed. To think that Blue would wake up before I did... how absurd! Giggling to myself, I shook my head and smiled. That was a little mean of me.

"Brin..?" I turned around and patted my friend on the head to rouse her from her sleep. She grumbled back at me and nuzzled her cheek deeper into my tail in defiance. Her arms wrapped tighter around my belly as well, making me cough a little.

Blue's grinning face came to mind as I prodded her nose, making it twitch. "Great, another heavy sleeper," I muttered to myself. I wedged my paws underneath her arms and tried to loosen them around my midsection. But she just hugged me even tighter in response, pinning my paws to my side.

"Brin, let go...!" I grumbled at her as I tried to pull my paws out. I've never met a more troublesome sleeper in my entire life! I felt my body stretch out as I put all my strength into yanking my legs out of her tight embrace. Her brow furrowed as she clung on even tighter to me, pushing the air out of my lungs.

I let loose a loud grunt of exertion as I increased the force behind my yanking in a desperate bid to free myself from her clutches. It became a crazy, one – sided tug of war between us. With me struggling to break out of her grasp while she continues to clamp down tighter and tighter. I can't believe just how much strength she has! And she's asleep too, no less!

After several minutes of muted struggling, I felt her grip loosen for just a moment. I used this opportunity to put all my strength behind one more pull. If this doesn't work, then I give up and I'm going back to sleep!

"Hnng!"

It was like a bar of soap slipping out of someone's paws. My paws, body and tail slipped out of her hold at a speed much faster than I expected. I tumbled across the empty cabin, rolling over the wooden floor and carpet like a furry ball before crashing into a pile of books. Pages, paper and dust scattered all around me as I laid there, upside down and standing on my head. A piece of paper landed on my chin as I sighed out of exasperation.

"Well, at least I'm free now," I mumbled. Puffing away the page on my face, I rolled over onto my feet and shook the dust off my fur. I lifted my paw up to my nose and flicked off a single obstinate mote of dust off my nose before letting out another relaxing yawn. Having gone through that harrowing experience pretty much knocked out all the drowsiness in my body. Smiling, I stretched out of my legs and trotted over to Brin, who was now snuggling with the fallen blanket in lieu of my absence.

"Brin, it's morning," I whispered into her ear as I patted her on the head. The snoozing Braixen let out an annoyed grumble and rolled the other way. Frowning, I gave her a hard poke in the back of the head and said – in a louder voice this time – "hey, come on. It's time to wake up!"

My words fell on deaf ears as she just grumbled again and dug her face deeper into the soft blanket. Sighing, I rubbed my cheek and sat down beside her. I glanced around the empty cabin, looking for anything I could use to try and wake her up. If there was a bucket of water, then I could use it to rouse her like I always do with Blue.

"Hee, hee," I shook my head and covered my giggles with my paw. I stood up and wandered over to the other side of Brin and bit onto her blanket. I pulled it up and threw it over her sleeping form. Fine then, if she wants to sleep; then let her sleep. Maybe Mismagius will have a better way to wake her up outside of drenching her face.

Once I made sure she was nice and snuggled up inside of the blanket, I turned toward the door with my tail held high. Glancing outside the window, I could see the bright day shining outside through the treetops. It looked like a nice, fine day today!

"Hiee!" All of a sudden, a jolt of pain ran through my tail as I began to walk toward the door. A powerful yank pulled me back, making me lose my balance. I tumbled forward, slipping off my front legs and falling flat onto the carpeted floor.

"Oww..." I rubbed my aching chin as I turned my head around at what happened. An exasperated sigh left my mouth when I saw Brin grabbing onto and hugging my tail again. Her face looked so peaceful and comfortable as she rested her cheek against my fur. Grumbling, I stumbled back onto my feet and turned toward the door. I put on a determined look on my face and trudged forth, carrying this weight attached to my behind.

Fine then. If you're going to be that way, then I'll just have to drag you outside!

As Brin and I exited the fallen log that the cabin was housed in, I spotted Mismagius' cloaked figure hovering over in the distance. She was floating over some kind of big, black cauldron that was emitting small clouds of steam into the air. A nice scent was floating around, making my nose twitch as I took a deep sniff. Feeling curious, I plodded over to Mismagius with Brin in tow.

"Oh my," Mismagius' head turned toward Brin and I as we neared the odd, steamy cauldron. A smile appeared on her face as she hovered down toward us, placing herself between Brin and my tail. She turned toward me and chuckled, "I see you've awakened, Fée. Good morning."

"Good morning to you too, Mismagius," I replied, beaming back at her, "I'm awake, but I can't say the same for Brin."

Mismagius covered her face with her cloak as she chuckled again. She floated over to Brin's side and fluffed the top of her head, "Well, she was always quite the heavy sleeper. Not to mention, Brin also spent a large amount of energy last night curing your friend, so I can't blame her for sleeping in."

"You're right!" My paw shot up to my mouth as the events of yesterday came flooding back into my mind. A wave of gratitude washed over me as I looked down at the sleeping Braixen on my tail. I looked up at Mismagius and said, "If it wasn't for Brin, Blue would still be limping and covered in scars."

I bowed my head down and expressed my overflowing gratitude, "Thank you so much, Mismagius! Thank you!"

"Mm... you're thanking the wrong Pokémon, my dear." Mismagius lifted the hem of her cloak and closed her eyes. A second later, a dim purple glow enveloped her body. She directed her cloak toward my tail, sending the glow over to Brin.

"Up you go now."

With a swish of her cloak, Mismagius lifted Brin up several inches into the air. Seconds later, I felt my behind leave the ground as well. Brin's arms were still wrapped tight around my tail, making it so that she tugged me up into the air along with her.

"Eep!" I cried out, feeling my back legs dangle in the breeze. I clung to the grass beneath me with my front paws, trying to anchor myself to the earth. Mismagius made an amused – sounding chuckle as she waved her cloak left and right, with Brin's body – and my behind – following her movements. A blush spread across my cheeks as Mismagius continued to shake my rump around in the air.

After several embarrassing seconds, Brin's grip loosened and relinquished my tail after one last shake. Now freed from her grasp, my lower body fell back down onto the grass with a thump. Feeling a little hot in the face from that ordeal, I picked myself up and tried to brush away the fire that was burning away in my cheeks. I'm a little glad that Blue wasn't anywhere to be seen. I would've been mortified if he saw that shameful display.

"I'm sorry about that, Fée," I heard Mismagius say in a voice that was all – too – happy sounding to be a sincere apology. I turned around and saw Brin snoozing away while hanging upside down in the air, while her mother hovered beside her, smiling wide. "I needed some way to detach her from your tail, and this way appeared to be the quickest."

"Mmmgh..." I wasn't subtle about showing her my displeasure with her method. Still grumbling, I turned around and flicked my tail at her, which elicited another amused chuckle from the cloaked Pokémon.

"How about I make it up to you, my dear?" Mismagius said as she hovered past me. She paused in front of the big cauldron, smiling.

"What do you mean?" I said as I backed away a few paces as she put Brin down beside me. The Braixen's hands were already reaching back out toward my tail.

Mismagius didn't respond. Instead, she held the hem of her cloak into the air and waved it around. As she did so, five balls of fire appeared from out of thin air around her. They burned with a pretty blue color as they spun around her. With an almost carefree – looking flick of her cloak, Mismagius sent the fireballs toward the cauldron.

The flames struck the logs that were stuck underneath the cauldron, and erupted into a bright orange flame. I flinched as a wave of heat flew into my face, making me fold my ears back and my nose twitch. The clouds of steam that were coming from the cauldron earlier intensified into a huge tower of white, stretching up into the air and touching the canopy of leaves above.

"Wow...!" I gasped, breathless from excitement, "What is that, Mismagius? Are you making some sort of special soup like yesterday?"

"Hm, hm..." Mismagius covered her face with her cloak as she chuckled. "Breakfast will come later, my dear. For now, how about a little relaxation?"

"Relaxation?" I echoed, confused.

Mismagius swooped down next to me and put her cloak against my forehead. She rubbed at my fur, flaking a few dried bits of dirt and grime from yesterday's battle. As she cleaned off my face, I started to become aware of just how dirty my body was. That Sylveon's face from town – Barie's – came to mind, along with his mindful comments about grooming and being clean.

Feeling self – conscious again, I tried to brush away some grains of dirt from my ruff, but Mismagius stopped me by wrapping her cloak around my paw. I looked up into her face and saw her shaking her head while smiling.

"There's no need for that," she said, "not when there's a perfectly good bath in front of you."

"A – a bath?!" I shouted, my eyes widening. My paws flew up to my ruff, pressing against my chest. I felt my heart beat like mad from excitement. A big smile was forming on my face as I stared at the aromatic cauldron with glee sparkling in my eyes.

"You look excited, Fée," Mismagius said with a chuckle.

I spun around with an astonished look on my face, "How can I not be excited?" My paws flew up to my cheeks as I closed my eyes, "Ooh... I've always heard about how delightful a hot bath is, but I've never had a chance to experience one for myself!"

"You've never had a bath before?" Mismagius said, looking a little surprised. A blush came onto my face as I realized what I said.

I quickly shook my head and clarified, "No, no. I've had baths before. But I've never had something as luxurious as a hot bath before!"

"I see," the odd expression on Mismagius' face faded into a warm smile as she let go of my face. Her cloak wrapped around my right ear and undid Blue's ribbon.

"Well then, I hope you'll enjoy your first – ever hot bath, my dear."

Thunk! Thunk! K – thunk!

"There, that should do it."

Giving a short nod of approval, Blue dropped the rock he was holding in his paw and flopped down onto the ground. He laid on his back on the soft grass and released a long, tired breath into the air. His arms were aching, and his head was pounding. His furry body was covered with a mixture of dirt, wood chippings and the occasional leaf.

He was back at the decimated grove from yesterday. Team Skull – that is, Zubat and Koffing – were nowhere to be seen now. All that was left of their presence was a massive crater, and the charred remains of Brin's Mago trees.

Despite feeling exhausted and grimy, the Riolu wore a pride – filled smile on his face. With a grunt of exertion, he picked up his head and sat up from the ground. He supported his weight with his arms as he beamed at the big, wooden contraption lying ahead of him.

He had been working on this project for most of the morning without rest. The searing, burning energy that Brin had imparted into his body yesterday had prevented him from being able to just lie down and sleep. So, instead of wasting away all the excess energy sizzling inside of him, he decided to make use of it somehow.

"So what do you think?" Blue turned his head to the side and grinned, "Is it sturdy enough to hold all of us?"

Groaaar...

The earth shook for a moment as the heavy Trevenant set himself down beside Blue. Oro, now looking healthy and refreshed, folded his arms as he bent himself forward in a tree – like imitation of a nod. Blue let out an amused laugh as he patted Oro's trunk.

"I'll take that as a yes," Blue said, muffling his mouth with his paw as he turned his head back to their creation.

It was an idea that came to his mind after accepting Mismagius' request. He figured that, since both Fée and Brin were exhausted after yesterday's ordeal, he should figure out a way to make the trip back to Treasure Town less daunting. After all, the route they took to get to the Forlorn Forest involved quite a hike through several tall hills and vast fields.

Therefore, he thought of mimicking something he saw during his first trip into Treasure Town. It wasn't a perfect copy, and compared to the ones tugged by the Tauros back at town, it looked rather pathetic. But for Blue, it was something to be proud of.

It was his own caravan. Or, to be fair, his and Oro's.

"You think they'll be surprised when they see this?" Blue said, "I can't wait to see their faces."

Groaar...

At first, despite having a clear idea of what he wanted to make, Blue had no clue how to even begin. It wasn't until he ran into the guardian of the forest once more before work on his project could even get off the ground. Much to Blue's surprise, the Trevenant was already well – versed in woodcraft and carpentry. All the Riolu had to do was sketch out a design on the dirt, and Oro would bring him the materials from the forest.

The odd pair spent most of the morning working side – by – side on their project. Oro would take the lumber he brought from the forest and mold them into various shapes for Blue to use. After several hours of backbreaking labor, they finished it.

Their so – called caravan resembled a long, wooden table mounted atop two logs. The pair of logs were placed on their side in order to form wheels at the back. A single stick was embedded in the surface, with one of Mismagius' large blankets draped over it to make a tent. It wasn't very wide, but it was enough to fit at least an Eevee and a Braixen.

Blue scratched the side of his face as he admired their work. He turned toward Oro, who was giving the caravan a fond, approving look with his single eye.

"Hey, Oro," Blue said, tapping him in the trunk, "thanks for your help."

Groar? Oro made a questioning groan as he turned to face Blue.

"If you hadn't come along, I'd probably just be sitting in a pile of twigs and leaves."

Grooar.

Blue scratched his cheek and glanced away, looking a little bashful. "Also, I wanna apologize for yesterday."

Groar?

"You know, for breaking your arms."

Groar.

"I know they grow back and all, but it still hurt, right?"

Groar.

"They don't?"

Groar.

"So is that a yes or a no?"

Groar...

"You're not making this easy for me, are you?"

Groar.

"You're annoying, you know that?

Groar.

Unable to contain his irritation, Blue punched Oro in the side. Oro let out an echoing laugh and returned the favor by poking the Riolu in the cheek. Blue, annoyed and amused, retaliated with a kick aimed at his roots.

Groar! Oro moved his root to the side and made it so Blue's foot got caught on the wood, throwing him off balance and throwing him onto the ground with a thud!

"Why you!" Smirking, Blue pushed himself off the ground and punched Oro in the claw, "I'm trying to be honest here and you're just making fun of me!"

Goho! Oro let out a creaky chuckle and grabbed onto Blue's fist. With his superior height and strength, he pulled the Riolu off the ground and high up into the air. Dangling like a puppet on a string, Blue's feet flailed around in the air, kicking and swinging as he tried to free himself from the tree's clutches.

"This isn't fair!" Blue growled as he tried to punch Oro's arm, but all he got was a bunch of splinters embedded in his fist. But then, as he looked up at the smiling tree, an idea popped into Blue's mind. With a loud shout, he began to swing his entire body forward and back, building up momentum like a pendulum. Once he had enough speed, he flung himself over and curled his torso around Oro's arm. He perched himself atop Oro's arm like a bird, nestling his feet on the Trevenant's leafy wrist.

"How's that?" Blue smirked as he wrestled with Oro's arm, "You might have my paw, but I have your arm!"

Groar...! Oro wiggled his arm around in a playful manner, trying to shake the Riolu off. Despite his best efforts though, Blue was obstinate and clung on tight like a Staryu on a rock. After a minute of frantic arm shaking and growling, Oro gave up and let go of the Riolu's paw in defeat. Smiling, Blue adjusted his perch on the Trevenant's arm and sat down straight.

"Alright then!" Blue shouted as he patted the side of Oro's head, "Let's head back like this. We can surprise Mismagius and the girls with our project later."

Groar!

With a happy growl, Oro raised up both of his arms and stood up on his six root – like legs. But, as he turned to face the grove's exit, Blue tapped the side of Oro's head.

"Hold on a moment," the Riolu said, "I just had an idea. Can you turn around for a moment?"

Groar?

Oro obliged and spun around so that the two of them were now looking at the great crater in the center of the grove. Blue jabbed a paw at side of the crater, where the remnants of Brin's Mago trees lay.

"I have an idea that I think your sister'll appreciate," Blue leaned his muzzle close to the side of Oro's head, "here, let me tell you..."

This... this is bliss.

Never before had I experienced such a wondrous feeling. I was up to my ruff in hot water, letting it soak deep into my fur and heat up my body. It felt like the water was washing away all my troubles, cleaning off my aches and carrying away all my worries with the steam. Not only that, there was a delightful fragrance emanating from the water, reminding me a little of the soup Mismagius made yesterday.

The heat, the scent, the steam... it was all so comfortable, so calming that I almost want to just lie my head against the surface of the water and just... melt away...

"How's the water, my dear?"

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of Mismagius' voice. Through the white steam, I could just make out the faint outline of her cloaked body. A loose, silly smile was on my face as I raised up my head just a bit.

"It's... it's wonderful..." My voice was just as transient as the steam, "I wish... I wish I could have a hot bath every day..."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," she said, chuckling, "now, would you mind scooting over a little? Someone else would like to join you."

I nodded through my steam – addled mind. Like a lazy Slakoth, I paddled out of the center of the cauldron and over to the side. Warm water swished around me as I moved, licking my face and splashing me with little droplets of heat.

"In you go, my dear."

The water level of the cauldron rose just a tad as another body joined me inside the bath. I squinted through the steam and saw a yellow silhouette sitting across from me. Feeling a sluggish glee welling up inside my heart, I circled around the cauldron until I was right beside her.

"Hello, Brin!" I said, giving her a lazy wave of my paw. "Good morning!"

Brin's face loomed out of the white cloud as she turned toward me. Her eyes still looked unfocused, and the fur on her face was all messed up – no doubt from all that nuzzling she did in her sleep earlier. A smile crawled onto her face as she returned my wave, but she was quickly interrupted by a large, tired yawn. Giggling, I watched as she rubbed away the sleep in her eyes with her hand.

I prodded her in the shoulder, grabbing her attention. I gestured to the water and made a downward motion with my paw. She seemed to understand, as she nodded at me with a smile. We shared a giggle and let ourselves sink up to our necks in the water. The two of us sighed in unison as we both relaxed in the warmth together, letting the quiet crackling of the flames below serenade us in the bath.

"You two enjoy your bath now." Mismagius' voice floated through the steam like a breeze, "I'll be off to do some cleaning. I'll only be gone for just a moment."

Brin and I were both too enamored with the bath to reply with words, so we just nodded together. Mismagius chuckled at us before floating away to somewhere.

"Mnn..." Brin made a quiet noise as she washed her face with the water. I mimicked her motions, cupping the water with my paw. However, with my dulled senses, I ended up throwing the water too hard and splashing into my face. I coughed and sneezed as water went into my nose, making it twitch and sting.

Warm water dripped off of my soaked face, making me look like a shaggy Stoutland. Brin broke out in titters as I turned toward her. Feeling abashed, I wiped off the water on my face and gave her a playful frown. With my paws, I cupped up some bathwater and threw it at her face. Her quiet laughter stopped as she took a pawful of water.

Splash!

"Hee hee!" I giggled as the white fur on her face drooped down from the water. Her cheeks puffed out as she wrung the water out of her fur. Then, my mirth was interrupted by a sudden spray into my face.

"Hee!"

Annoyed that I looked like a Stoutland again, I sent Brin a glare through my weighty fur. An evil smirk crawled onto my lips as I lowered my paw under the surface of the water where she can't see it. Then, with the ferocity of a Sharpedo, I attacked!

"Hieee!" She let out a cute cry as I tickled her in the sides. The water in the cauldron splished and splashed as she wriggled around like crazy, trying to get away from my paws. Who would've thought that the Legendary Panacea Elixir would be so ticklish?

"Ha!" I finished my assault by prodding her in the chest, eliciting one last giggle out of her before we both sat back down in the bath. We glanced at each other, both of us looking rather frazzled and messy from that all of that. Then, we broke out in laughter.

Even though we're both soggy and frumpy, it was just so much fun to take a bath with a friend! I've never had this much fun cleaning myself before, I must admit! It was so entertaining, and we're just sitting inside of a pot of hot water!

After our bout of laughter ended, we both sat back down and let out a loud sigh of contentment together. Closing my eyes to relax, I lowered my mouth beneath the surface of the water and blew out some bubbles.

"Feeh... fuuh..."

"Hm...?" My ears twitched when I heard something odd. I turned toward Brin and opened my eyes. She was opening and closing her mouth, as if she was trying to say something. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were squeezed shut like she was concentrating hard.

"Feeeh...!" She managed to squeak out. Her voice was quiet, but it sounded very pretty. It was like listening to a little flute being played.

"Are you trying to say my name?" I said, lifting myself out of the water. Blushing, Brin looked at me and nodded. Giggling, I shook some water off my face and straightened my back. I held my paw up to my mouth and took a deep breath.

"It's pronounced Fée. Faaaaaay."

"Feeeeh..."

"No, not like that," I pointed to my mouth with my paws and showed my front teeth, "you put your teeth on your bottom lip and say it like this: Faaaaaay"

"Fuh... fooh..."

Brin furrowed her brow as she bit down on her lip in an attempt to follow my instructions. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her cheeks puffed out as she struggled with vocalizing the syllables in my name.

"Faaah..."

"You're getting close!" I cheered her on, clapping my paws together in front of me, "Like this! Faaaaay...!"

"Faah... faaeh..."

"Oh!" My face lit up when I heard that last attempt, "You're close! Just a little more! Faaay!"

"Faaeh... faaay...!"

A bright, beaming smile appeared on her face as she realized what she just said. "Faaay...! Fée! Fée!"

"You did it Brin!" I rejoiced, throwing my paws around her and pulling her into a big hug. She hugged me back, laughing and cheering.

"Fée!"

"Brin!"

"Féée!"

"Briiin!"

We continued to repeat each others' names as we spun around in the cauldron, oblivious of everything else around us. Water swished around in the cauldron, creating a whirlpool in the middle. Some of our bathwater spilled out of the edge, drenching the grass and sending steam everywhere. But we didn't care, we were just too wrapped up in our reverie to mind.

"You two seem like you're having a lot of fun in there."

All of a sudden, a new voice joined in our midst. We stopped spinning and turned around to see who it was.

"Yo, good morning partner," Blue raised up his paw and grinned at us. "you too Brin. You're looking nice and energetic today."

"Blue!" I shouted, surprised. I waded over to his side of the cauldron and leaned over the edge, smiling wide at my partner. "Good morning!"

He reached over and patted me on the head, sending a little jolt of happiness racing through me. As he fluffed my fur, I glanced down past his torso and down to his legs. His right leg, to be specific. To my relief, his leg was black and devoid of any angry red scars or wounds. I let out a deep sigh and draped my body over the edge of the cauldron, letting my head and paws hang over the side.

"How are you feeling, Blue?" I asked, tilting my head up and staring at him sideways, "Is your leg okay?"

"Of course it is," Blue stated as he put his paws on his hips, "I was cured by the Legendary Panacea Elixir, after all. Isn't that right, Brin?"

"Mnn!" Brin clapped her paws in front of her chest and nodded in agreement with me.

"Do you want to come in too, Blue?" I asked, putting a coy expression on my face, "It feels really nice and comfortable in here! You'll love it!"

To my disappointment, my partner shook his head. He gestured toward his forehead with his paw and said, "Nah, I'll have to pass on that." He gave me a sideways grin, "I've been busy with something all morning, so I'm just a bundle of sweat and grime right now. You wouldn't want that in your soup there."

"Oh, it'll be fine!" I reached out the pot and grabbed him by the paw. Inwardly, I was a little shocked by how bold I was being. Maybe it was because of the steam making my emotions feel looser than usual, "It's a bath! You're supposed to clean yourself up in here!"

"You're being surprisingly forward today, Fée," he commented, poking me in the nose. Frowning, I puffed out my cheeks and bit down on his paw with my teeth, making him wince. Then, while he was recovering from that, I used all my strength to yank him inside.

Splash!

Blue fell into the bath face – first, sending our bathwater and steam spraying everywhere. Brin and I both let out loud giggles as Blue's head popped out of the water like a drenched Diglett. His fur was all wet and matted down, making him look much skinnier than usual. Water droplets were scattered every – which – way as he shook his head in an effort to dry himself off.

I shot Brin a mischievous look and held my paws under the bathwater. She seemed to catch my drift, and smirked back at me. Once Blue was done drying himself off, he frowned at us and opened his mouth.

"What was that for, Fée?"

"Hee, hee!" I nodded at Brin and shouted, "Now!"

At my command, both of us began to pelt him with waves and waves of steamy water. His face became drenched once more under our combined assault, forcing him to cower and cover himself with his paws. Our laughter filled the air as we tormented our Riolu friend.

"Geh! Cut it – cut it out!" He shouted over the sounds of bathwater spraying into his face, "I give up! I give! Bleeh!"

Both of his paws shot up in defeat, signaling Brin and I to his surrender. Feeling excited and proud that I managed to 'defeat' my partner, I grabbed on to Blue's arm while wearing a big smile and began to laugh. Brin, following my lead, grabbed onto his other arm and tittered along with me. Stuck in between the two of us, all Blue could do was sigh and shake his head while the two of us scrubbed away at his body.

"Alright, you win," he said with an air of defeat. With a crooked smile on his face, he sank himself up to his chin into the bath and closed his eyes. After several minutes of cleaning had passed, Brin and I let go of his arms and submerged ourselves as well, enjoying what was left of our bathwater together.

Blue made a loud, relaxing yawn and smiled, "You know Fée... you're right." His arms reached out of the water as he stretched them over his head, "This really is comfortable. I think I can get used to something like this..."

"Isn't it?" I mimicked his motions, stretching out my legs as well. I looked over at him and said, "What if we asked the guild to install a bath like this in the guildhouse? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Blue made a bark – like laugh and grabbed onto my paws.

"I know I'd be in those baths every day if that was true," Blue remarked as he wiggled my paws around, "let's bring it up when we get back. I bet no one would object."

"Hee, hee!" I pulled my paws out of his grasp and retaliated with a quick poke in his ribs, "That's something to look forward to when we're back home, hm?"

"Definitely," he replied, patting my head. I felt my tail my tail swish around underwater as I enjoyed the feeling of his paw between my ears. "Speaking of heading back home," Blue turned to his other side, facing Brin with a grin on his face. He held out his paw to her and said, "how about it, Brin?"

Brin froze in the middle of washing her ears and turned toward him. Her head cocked to the side, her face wearing an expression of confusion. Her inquiring eyes asked mine, but I just replied with an apologetic shake of my head. I didn't know what my partner meant by what he said either.

"Heh," Blue shook his head and clarified, "what I mean is, do you want to come to Treasure Town with Fée and I?"

The Braixen's eyes flew wide open, and her hands shot up to her face, covering up her wide – open mouth. I couldn't hold back my surprise as well. My head spun around so fast that the world became a blur. Blue, for all his forwardness, didn't seem to be affected by our shocked expressions at all. Instead, he just held out his paw and continued on with that silly grin on his face.

"It'll be great!" Blue said, "I don't know much about the town yet, but it's a really interesting place – filled with fun sights and a lot of different Pokémon!"

"Y – yeah!" Realizing what Blue was trying to do, I swam over to Brin's other side and clasped my paws around her hand, "You should come back with us, Brin!" As I shook her hand, I felt as though excited sparkles were flashing about in my mind.

"Treasure Town's a great place! There's all kinds of neat stores that sell all kinds of things, and restaurants that make the most wonderful meals." A thought popped into my mind, making me smile wide at my friend, "And there's Mr. Mime's library too! Remember?"

She must have, since her entire expression brightened up as she nodded. I giggled and let go of her hand and stuck my paw up into the steamy air.

"We can go together," I suggested, "and see if anyone brought in some new books about Dusknoir, or even any other books you might like! There's a gigantic –" I illustrated my words by throwing my paws out wide, "gigantic selection of books in there! Trust me!"

Brin's jaw dropped wide open in response to my show, while Blue chuckled away behind her. I continued to beam at my friend through the steam, hoping that she'll consider our offer.

But, Brin's expression faded into a sad frown as she shook her head at me. When I saw that, I felt like a balloon popped inside of me, letting out my enthusiasm like deflating air. My legs flopped back into the bathwater with a dull splash, and my ears flattened atop my head in disappointment.

"Y – you don't want to?" I said, dejected, "Why not?"

Brin held her hands in front of her chest and sighed. She shook her head again and gave me a sad smile as she pointed at herself with a finger.

"Are you worried about being the Panacea?" Blue said, folding his arms across his chest. Brin gave him a small nod and sighed.

Despite my disappointment, I could understand how she was feeling. After all, she spent most of her life living in seclusion because of her power. For Brin, the though of returning to society might be rather frightening to her.

"Don't worry about it!"

All of a sudden, Blue threw his arm around Brin's shoulders and laughed. Both Brin and I gaped at the Riolu, shocked and bewildered by his outburst. Brin let out a startled cry and squirmed, her face turning bright red. Blue stopped laughing and grinned at the blushing Braixen.

"If you're scared of being the Panacea, then just hide it away!" Blue said, grabbing onto her hands, "You can just live as Brin! Not as the Legendary Panacea Elixir. After all, I'm sure only we know about your powers, and we've already promised to never tell anyone, right Fée?"

"R – right!"

My eyes brightened up at Blue's suggestion. He had a point, outside of us and Mismagius, the only other Pokémon that would know about Brin's status as the Panacea would be Duskull and the Guildmaster! And since they were the ones who swore us into secrecy about it in the first place, I doubt that they would tell anybody about it!

Following Blue's lead, I tossed my paws around Brin's side too, pulling her into a tight, affectionate hug.

"Blue right," I said, nodding at my friend, "your secret's safe with us, Brin. No one will ever know about your powers, and even if someone finds out..."

Blue chuckled and flexed his right arm, "I'll protect you."

"We'll protect you!" I added, prodding Blue in the nose, "We're friends, after all. If anyone tries to harass you, we'll support you!"

"So, what do you say?" Blue asked again, grinning, "Do you want to come back to town with us?"

With both turned to look at Brin wearing expectant smiles on our faces. For a moment, the Braixen didn't move at all. Her head was drooped down, with her nose almost touching the water. A weighty tension was tugging at my heart as I waited for her response. Doubt, eagerness and hope were mixing together in my mind as I clutched my paws together.

Then, after a minute of silence, she lifted her head and opened her mouth.

"Y... yes..."

Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I rushed forward and embraced my new friend. Brin hugged me back, throwing her arms around my neck and rubbing her cheek against mine. Blue, for his part, put his paws atop both of our heads and laughed along with us. Then, the three of us threw our heads back and let loose a raucous cheer into the skies.

"Fée!" Brin shouted, smiling wide while water streamed down her face. I couldn't tell whether the droplets were from the bath or her eyes. But in the end, I decided that it didn't matter. I was just so happy to have made a new friend!

"Oh my, just look at the state the three of you are in."

Brin and I both grinned back at Mismagius as we shivered in the grass. Our fur was completely and utterly drenched, making the two of us look way skinnier than normal. Blue, thanks to his thinner coat of fur, looked normal in comparison. Though, judging by the way he kept sneezing in the corner, I'm willing to bet he was feeling the chill as well.

"Dear me, I better get you three bundled up before you catch a cold." Mismagius shook her head and conjured up three thick, fluffy blankets. With her incredible powers, she made the blankets wrap around our waterlogged bodies. I grabbed onto my blanket with my paw and pulled it tight around me, enjoying the soft warmth it provided.

"Thanks, Mismagius," I said to the cloaked Pokémon. Mismagius gave me a nod and smile as she floated over to Brin. With her cloak, she wiped off the water dripping off of her daughter's face.

Blue, with his blanket tied around his neck like a cape, waddled over to me and took hold of mine. "Here, let me help you." Nodding, I sat up up straight and held still while my partner dried off my fur with the blanket.

I c losed my eyes and took a deep breath. Now that my head was free from the steam, my dulled thoughts began to sharpen again. The first thing that came to mind was just how bold I acted while in the bath. Not only did I bite my friend's paw, I even brought him into the bath with Brin and I. What was I doing? That's... that's...

"Fée, your face is burning up!" Blue held his paw against my sizzling hot face, "Your fur's all red too! Did you catch a chill?"

"N – no, I'm alright..." I mumbled, covering up my blush with my blanket, "I'm just a little tired, that's all. Don't worry about it."

"If you're sure..." Blue still had a concerned look on his face, but, to my great relief, he didn't pry further. Taking a deep breath, I tried to wrangle with calming my beating heart and quashing my rising blush. However, the awkward sensation of his paws scrubbing all over my drenched fur wasn't making it easy for me.

After several discomforting minutes had passed by, Blue finished his drying and pulled the blanket off. A twinge of excitement ran through my body as I felt the cool air brush against my fur. I stretched out my legs and shook my entire body, shooing away the last few stubborn drops of water on my fur.

"Pfft," I opened up one eye and glanced up at Blue, who was busy trying to stifle a snicker with my blanket.

"What's so funny?"

Blue shook his head and pointed at me, "N – no, it's just..." his excuse was interrupted by a quiet chuckle. He coughed into his paw and said, "your fur... you look like a great big ball of fluff!"

He broke out in mirthful laughter after spouting that out. Grumbling out of annoyance and embarrassment, I lowered my head and butted him in the chest.

"I can't help having a thick coat!" I growled, grinding my forehead into his torso. Blue just laughed and pinched my cheeks in response.

"Ha... I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. With a hmph, I detached my head from his chest and stuck my tongue out at him. Blue just returned my indignation with a grin and blotted away a drop of water on my cheek with his paw.

"Have the two of you dried yourselves off now?"

Blue and I turned toward the sound of Mismagius' voice. The cloaked Pokémon was hovering toward us with a fluffy – looking Brin following close behind her. As soon as I caught sight of Brin, I had to cover my mouth with my paw to prevent myself from breaking out in giggles. It was just like Blue said. She looked like a great big ball of yellow and white fluff.

Brin was covering her pink – tinted face with her tail, evidently embarrassed about her appearance. I couldn't blame her, I was in the exact same situation. Mismagius and Blue both tittered over our mutual puffiness, making the two of us grumble out of embarrassment and annoyance.

"So then," Mismagius waved her cloak at us, as if she was brushing away the awkward air, "I've heard from my daughter that the three of you have decided on something." She held out her cloak to me, handing me a pink strip of cloth. "Would you mind letting this old granny in on the secret?"

I giggled and shook my head, "It's not really a secret, Mismagius," I reached up with my paw and took my ribbon back from her, "in fact, we were planning on telling you anyway."

"Oh?" Mismagius chuckled, "Then, do tell, my dear."

I handed my ribbon over to Blue, who understood my intentions and began to twirl it around my right ear. Beaming, I sat down and looked up into Mismagius' face and announced with an excited shout, "We're going to take Brin back to Treasure Town with us, Mismagius!"

"As I had hoped," with a whooping laugh, the cloaked Pokémon swooped down to her daughter's side and pulled her into a big hug. "I'm so happy for you, my dear Brin!"

"Mnn!" Brin made a happy cry and hugged her mother back, smiling wide.

Blue and I both watched as the happy family rejoiced together. But, as I sat there – letting Blue tie my ribbon for me – something at the back of my head began to irk me. I turned around and glanced up at Blue, who had his tongue sticking out of the side his mouth as he focused on my ear.

"Hey, Blue," I said, drawing his attention from my ear to me, "I have a question."

"Hm?" Blue tilted his head to the side as he pulled my ribbon taut, "What is it?"

"It's about how we're going to get home," I said, "is your leg feeling well enough for that long walk back?"

"Walk?" A smirk appeared on my partner's face, filling me with a sense of bewilderment. He let go of my ribbon and fluffed the poofy fur on top of my head. "I told you, I'm fine with walking. You and Brin on the other hand..."

"Eh? Brin and I?" I cocked my head to the side, wondering what he meant.

"Come on, I'll show you," Blue stepped back and waved his paw in the air, "Brin! Mismagius! Can you two come with us for a bit?"

"My, whatever could it be?" Mismagius said. She and Brin looked at each other for a second, sharing a mutual look of confusion.

"Let's go, Fée!" Blue grabbed onto my paw, pulling me onto my feet, "I guarantee that you'll love it!"

"H – hey! Hold on! I can't run with only three legs!"

Groar!

As the four of us stepped into the grove, an ear – splitting roar erupted from the center of the decimated clearing. Then, it was followed by a series of loud, earth – shaking rumbles. Before I knew what I was doing, I was already hiding behind Blue and peeking out from behind his back.

"Oro!" With an energetic shout, the shield I was cowering behind left me behind and rushed toward the rumbling. I let out a yelp and fell onto my behind, startled.

Groar!

Another loud roar rang out as I picked myself off the dirt. Oro, the guardian of the forest, the Trevenant that we ended up fighting by utter accident yesterday was trundling toward us like a big, lumbering beast. His thick, log – like arms were extended wide as my partner hurled himself at him. Blue, with the deftness of a Mankey, grabbed a hold of Oro's arm and swung himself onto it.

"Hey, sorry I took so long!" Blue spun himself around and threw a playful punch at the moving tree trunk, "I got a little sidetracked."

Groar.

"Okay," Blue shook his head and shrugged, "I got really sidetracked."

With a noisy creak, Oro nodded and folded his branch arms in front of him, making Blue wriggle about and yelp at his sudden movement. Unable to hold on any longer, my partner dropped onto the ground, shaking his head and chuckling into the air.

"The two of you sure became fast friends," Mismagius commented as she hovered over to the boys. She covered her mouth and chuckled while Brin and I followed in her wake. She patted Oro's arm and said, "it's hard to imagine the two of you having that fight just a day ago."

Blue scratched his nose as he used one of Oro's roots to help himself back up. He knocked the back of his paw against Oro's trunk and grinned, "Of course! We worked out our differences in the end, didn't we?"

Groar.

Oro bonked my partner over the head with a claw, knocking him back onto the ground and making him wince.

"Well, maybe not everything yet." Blue said with a lopsided grin as he rubbed the bump on his head.

Mismagius, Brin and I all began to giggle at their antics. As we laughed, I noticed that there was something strange and eye – catching lying behind the Trevenant. I tilted my head to the side, and narrowed my eyes. It looked a lot like an indecipherable jumble of logs and sticks.

"What's that?" I asked, puzzled as to what that strange construction was. Blue and Oro both glanced at each other for a moment, before their faces both cracked into a big, beaming smile. Well, Blue smiled wide enough for the both of them.

"That!" Blue hollered as he stepped over to the side. He swept his arms over to his side, presenting the wooden whatever – it – is with a prideful air. Then, he puffed out his chest and shouted, "Is our caravan!"

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

"Mn?"

I think the three of us had the exact same thought rushing through our heads when Blue made his big presentation. It was either: 'what did he just say?' or 'that's a caravan?!' Out of all of us, I recovered first.

"B – by caravan... you mean like the ones being tugged by Tauros and Bouffalant back at town?"

"Yup!" Blue hopped over to the mass of wood and knocked on it with his knuckles as she spoke in a voice filled with pride, "The very same!"

"How..." I shook my head, trying to make sense of this odd situation, "how did you even build it? When did you even build it? Wha – what is it?!"

Blue folded his arms across his chest, looking miffed. "It's a caravan! Oro and I spent all morning working on it, and I think it turned out great!"

"Well... it's certainly something, I suppose." Mismagius hovered over the yellow blanket that they had stretched over the top of the wooden... caravan, "Is this the blanket you borrowed from me earlier?"

"The very same," Blue said with a hint of smugness, "you don't mind if we use it, do you?"

"Not at all," Mismagius chuckled as she sat herself on top of the caravan's rough surface. Her cloak flew up to her mouth as she let out a light chuckle, "It's surprisingly comfortable."

The cloaked Pokémon patted the surface beside her and beckoned Brin and I over with her cloak, "Come, have a seat with granny, my dears."

Brin and I shared a worried glance. How could we not? The so – called caravan looked less like a solid object, and more like a bundle of sticks and lumber that might fall apart at any moment! But, as I looked at the eager, almost child – like expression present on Blue's face, I felt my worries melt away into exasperation. Well, if he made it for us, the least I could do was give it a try.

"Alright," I said, wearing a wary smile, "Blue, can you help me up?"

"Certainly!"

With the help of my partner, I clambered on top of his contraption and seated myself underneath the blanket beside Mismagius. At first, I thought the entire thing would just collapse under my weight. But then, to my utter astonishment, not only did the makeshift caravan hold itself together, it was remarkably sturdy as well! Even the shade cast by the blanket – tent was enough to cover my entire body.

"How does it feel?" Blue asked as he helped Brin up as well. The entire caravan lurched as it picked up the weight of a Braixen as well. But aside from that one rough bump, the entire thing still held firm. Unmoving and strong.

"It's incredible!" I couldn't hold back my sheer incredulity as I gaped at Blue's grinning face. I clapped my paws together and nodded in admiration at Blue and Oro, "I'm amazed! I really am!"

"I am as well," Mismagius added. She pointed her cloak at the Trevenant standing beside the caravan and said, "you've quite outdone yourself this time, Oro."

Groar. Oro made a loud, creaking noise as he lurched forward in a bow.

"I helped too..." Blue grumbled, puffing out his cheeks. Mismagius, Brin, Oro and I all laughed at his indignation, with Oro patting him in the back with his claw.

"Yes, of course you have," Mismagius said, waving her cloak at him, "it was your idea after all. My, I was wondering what you were up to this whole time. To think you were building such a thing..." Her cloak flew up to her mouth again as she stifled an amused chuckle, "You're quite a resourceful one."

"Thanks!" Blue clapped his paws together as he basked in Mismagius' praise.

"But that only makes me feel a little disappointed..." Mismagius floated over to Blue's side and smirked, "are you absolutely sure you don't want to be my son? She wouldn't mind, you know. And I would love to have a clever boy like you with me..."

"H – hey, Oro! How about we show them how this thing moves!?"

All of a sudden, Blue spun around and sped away from Mismagius at a surprising speed. As he began to chatter with Oro, Mismagius hovered back to the caravan, giggling. She sat herself between Brin and I, and wrapped her cloak around both of us.

"You have an entertaining partner, Fée," she said, smiling at me, "you're quite lucky to have him by your side."

"I... huh?"

I glanced up into her shining face, seeking an answer. But, all I received was a shake of a head and a stifled giggle, making me feel more confused than anything else. I looked over to Brin, but she seemed like she didn't know either.

"Alright!" My questions would remain unanswered though, as my attention was drawn away by Blue's hearty shout. All three of us turned to face the front of the caravan, where Blue and Oro were standing. My partner held his arm up into the air and shouted.

"Oro, would you mind doing the honors?"

Groar!

With an eager roar, Oro's claws grasped onto the front of the caravan and – without showing any exertion at all – lifted it up into the air. Brin and I grabbed onto each other, terrified, as the caravan made a sudden upward lurch. Mismagius, on the other hand, laughed and made an excited – sounding whoop.

Once Oro had a firm purchase on the caravan, he spun around and began to run around the grove in a wide circle, tugging us along with him. With every step he took, the caravan trundled along with it. We charged through the loamy soil, sending mud and dirt splattering everywhere.

Once again, I was dumbstruck at how solid this creation of theirs was. All things considered, even though the caravan wasn't the... best looking thing in the world, the movement was smooth and was pretty comfortable.

"Haha, it works!" I heard Blue let out a cheer as Oro made another lap around the grove, "Woohoo!"

He chased after us, leaping for joy and whooping the whole while. I peered out from underneath the blanket and waved my paw at my partner, "It's amazing! Blue, it's really comfy!"

"That's great!" Blue shouted back. He sped up his jog and began to trot alongside Oro. I watched as he patted the Trevenant's trunk, stopping his stampede and taking us to a stop.

Groar! Oro let out a cheerful roar and waved his leafy arms in the air. Blue let out a loud laugh and mimicked his action, swinging his arms in the air. Brin and I were both hugging each other as we giggled from the fun and excitement, while Mismagius had her cloak wrapped around us.

"All we need to do now is load the cargo, and we're ready to go!" Blue hollered.

"The cargo?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, "What cargo?"

Blue shook his head, smirking. He jabbed a paw at Oro and said, "You got them, right Oro?"

Groar!

At that, both Oro and Blue disappeared behind the caravan. Brin and I glanced at each other, then stuck our heads out under the blanket. When we opened our eyes, our jaws fell wide open out of surprise.

Blue and Oro were both carrying something long and bushy over to the caravan. The two of us quickly ducked our heads back inside the blanket as a large bundle of leaves came looming into our faces. We spun around to the side, curious as to what the two boys were doing.

"Incoming!" Blue shouted, giving Brin and I just enough time to duck back inside the safety of the tent. And for good reason too, since whatever it was they were carrying was just hurled on top of the caravan. Brin and I both grabbed onto each other as the cart began to lurch and wobble from the sudden added weight.

"I – is that a tree?" I said, prodding the leafy cargo with my paw. As I was inspecting it, a sudden yellow blur came zooming past me. A startled cry left my mouth as I almost tumbled off the caravan.

"Oh my, isn't that one of Brin's Mago trees?" I heard Mismagius say. A little dazed, I pulled myself together and shook my head. In front of me, with her head half – buried in the fronds, was a cheerful Brin. Her arms were thrown around the tree's branches, giving it a tight hug filled with affection.

"That's right," Blue leaned over the side of the caravan and pointed at the bushy tree, "Oro and I picked out the least damaged tree of the four." His lips pulled up into a grin as he shrugged, "If she was going to leave the forest, then why not bring a souvenir?"

Brin spun around and clapped her hands together; her eyes were glittering with happiness as she spoke silent thanks over and over again to Blue. My partner just waved his paw in the air, brushing off her gratitude and shook his head.

"If you're going to thank anyone, thank Oro." He pointed his paw at the Trevenant standing at his side, "He was the one who found it and cleaned off all the charred portions. All I did was come up with the idea. Again."

All eyes fell on Oro, who turned away and scratched his face with his claw. I giggled. It was funny to see such a big, scary Pokémon look so bashful. In fact, I would say that it looked a little cute!

"Now then!" Blue said as he clapped his paws together, "The three of you sit tight now. We're about to set off!"

"Wait, you're gonna tug the caravan too?"

"Of course!" Blue shot me a grin before he disappeared behind the tree with a wave of his paw, "It's the least I can do after getting healed by Brin."