If I Were Just a Little Braver

by SullenFool

Fée, a timid Eevee with a deep - seated desire to explore, finds herself thrown into a world far larger than anything she could've ever imagined. In order to fulfill her dream, she must first overcome her cowardice and learn what bravery truly means. A story based partially on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. Reviews appreciated!

31. Grandpa!

•
Chapter 29

"Grandpa!"

---

Wrooooaaar!

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the night air, splitting the dense carpet of storm clouds hovering far above into tiny wisps and stray bolts of electricity. Dirt, wet slush and clumps of grass tumbled away from the sheer force emitted by the roar; littering the flat field with blotches of brown and green in a circular, crater shape.

A black claw the size of a boulder slammed into the ground, digging into the topsoil with a trio of fierce, black talons. A thin line of red traveled down his chest, gleaming in the dim light cast by the thunderclouds above as it stained the dirt below with a stark shade of scarlet.

Standing at the center of this crater of dirt and upturned grass was a massive dragon. Covered from head to toe in huge, pitch – black scales, the dragon had the appearance of a great monolith hewn from solid onyx. Two great wings protruded out of the dragon's back, hosting the same, dark color as the rest of his body.

However, despite his intimidating silhouette, the dragon was kneeling in the dirt, and his face was a mask of agony. There were innumerable cuts and gashes scattered all over his chest, torso and limbs. Growling, he clamped his claw over his chest to stem the flow, but it wasn't enough. All he managed to accomplish was stain his palm the same color as his wounds.

"G – grraaagh..." A pitiful growl escaped the dragon's throat. He tried to dislodge his claw from the ground, but no matter how hard he tugged, his arm refused to budge even a single inch. It wasn't just his arm, however. His entire body felt torpid and unresponsive. His once – proud wings were now lying flat on his back, unresponsive. He could not muster even a sliver of strength to raise his arms up. Worst of all, his massive tail was now lying in the dirt, half buried under a layer of disgusting mud.

His consciousness flitted in and out of his mind, making his vision flicker like a thunderstorm. He forced another jolt of energy through his body in an attempt to do something, anything to move a part of his body. His arms, his legs... even his wings...! But, to his utter frustration, nothing worked. He was nothing more than a statue, still and immobile.

"M – master Zekrom!"

Panic crossed the dragon's face as he turned toward the direction of the voice. Hiding behind a pile of upturned soil a few paces away was a small Pokémon, covered in a thick, fluffy coat of cream – colored wool. An Oran Berry dangled from her lips as she struggled back to her feet.

"S – stay away!" The dragon – Zekrom – roared at the little Pokémon, baring his fangs at her in an attempt to threaten her away. "Stay away, you stupid Mareep!"

But the Mareep wasn't deterred. A fierce shade of red arose within her cheeks as she furrowed her brow out of determination. Her white teeth flashed as she bit down tight on the berry's stem.

"Master Zekrom, please wait! I'm coming right now!" She shouted.

Splash!

The Mareep didn't even get the chance to take a single step forward. A sharp, green flash erupted before her face, blinding her and and sending several large chunks of dirt splattering against her face. Icy cold mud stained her creamy wool as she tried to withstand the wet assault.

"Eeek!"

A solid chunk of soil struck her in the forehead, sending a sharp pain coursing through her nerves. She tried to keep her legs steady, but it was futile. Her jaw went slack, letting the Oran Berry slip through her teeth and splatter into the mud. The Mareep sent her master one last pitiful look before her legs gave out.

"Den!" Zekrom howled out of despair and horror as he watched his little friend hit the mud. He strained against the leaden feeling in his arms, trying to force his claws out of the ground to reach for her. The little Mareep was lying on her side, shivering and trembling as she lay in a puddle of cold water and mud. Anger flared up inside of the dragon as he saw her in such a sorry state. He reared back his head and tried to unleash a furious roar.

Wrooaa... grerk!

A wave of burning liquid raced up his gullet, forcing him to clamp his jaws shut. His roar became jammed inside his throat, draining what little strength he had left and throwing his head back down. He choked down the foul fluid in his mouth and coughed into the dirt, looking pathetic for such a large dragon.

"...You could've avoided this if you had just cooperated, Dragon of Ideals..."

Zekrom's head snapped upward at the insolent voice. Standing beside his fallen friend was an unrecognizable figure. With a thick, ragged green cloak wrapped around his head and body, Zekrom couldn't tell who, or even what, the stranger was.

"You…!" Zekrom snarled at the figure, baring his sharp fangs in an effort to look threatening.

A lithe, green claw extended out from within his cloak. He picked up the fallen Oran Berry from the dirt and wiped it against his cloak. While the stranger was nowhere as tall or massive as Zekrom, he stood tall and proud in the presence of the dragon – almost as if he was mocking Zekrom's current, pitiful state.

"Haban Berry," the stranger muttered as he held up the tiny, blue – colored berry up to his shadowed face. "while it holds no detrimental effects to most Pokémon when ingested, the same can't be said for dragons like you."

"Rrgh..." Zekrom growled.

The cloaked figure presented the Oran Berry to the dragon, "When devoured by a dragon, the juice of the Haban Berry will produce a steady stream of paralyzing toxin upon contact with their saliva. In theory, you shouldn't even be able to move anything more than your nostrils. The way you can still struggle and talk... such is the power of a legend, I suppose."

He shot a glance over to the Mareep and added, "This toxin, while effective, only lasts for a few hours. Yet – you cannot expect something as small as an Oran Berry to instantly cure it, Mareep." The hood over his head fluttered as he nodded his head, "You have my respect for trying, though."

"Furthermore, I also added a Wacan Berry in that dinner broth of yours." The cloaked figure pointed to the dragon's half – buried tail. "No matter how hard you force it, you cannot generate any power within that body of yours until that berry's effects have run its course."

Zekrom cursed to himself as he struggled to lift his tail from the dirt. If only he had paid more attention to what he was eating earlier, he would've realized that his blasted dinner had been tampered with!

"You... do you even know what you're doing...?"

The cloaked figure tossed the Oran Berry over to Zekrom, letting it land on the ground before replying, "I know far more than you do, Dragon of Ideals."

"Then... then why?!" Zekrom's eyes bulged as he forced a roar at the insolent stranger, groaning from pain. The dragon forced a grimace onto his face as he sent a glare back at the cloaked figure, "If you... if you do know the consequences... then why would you steal the Stone Gear?!"

"Why?"

The cloaked figure sighed and reached inside his cloak with his claw. From within the ragged folds, he pulled out a dull block of gray stone. While it looked like it was hewn from a plain rock, the odd stone was smooth and polished on the surface – almost as if it were a piece of glass.

To a casual observer, it would amount to nothing more than a simple rock. Yet, upon further inspection, it was a true piece of art. A series of ornate markings adorned the surface of the rock. Long, blocky designs protruded out from a small perfect circle in the center; while thin, wispy swirls decorated the outer edges.

"Dragon of Ideals," the figure traced his claw over the surface of the stone, following the markings with his talon. He held it below Zekrom's face, letting the shiny surface reflect the dragon's pitiful expression, "this stone is far more than just a precious treasure. This stone, and its eleven brethren, hold the key to–"

Before he could finish his sentence, Zekrom's wings flared out from his back. Blue electricity began to crackle all over his body, bouncing off his scales and scattering light all over the rain - soaked field. His pained expression sharpened into a threatening glare as he yanked his claws out of the mud. The cloaked figure, startled by this sudden movement, stuffed the stone back inside his cloak. He leapt back and away, just as Zekrom unleashed a powerful roar.

Wroooooar!

"Kuh...!" The cloaked figure swore as he landed in the mud. He adjusted his hood with his claws, keeping it steady as he stared down his resurrected opponent. "...The effects of the berries shouldn't have worn off this quickly... What happened?"

As he glanced around him, a sudden arc of electricity flew across his face – drawing his attention to the source. The little Mareep had raised her jewel – tipped tail and was transmitting all that she had left of her electricity to the dragon during their conversation. He hissed out of anger, frustrated that he hadn't noticed it earlier.

Zekrom slashed down into the dirt and scooped up a huge handful of the mud. With no hesitation at all, he slapped the wet soil over the wounds on his chest and arms. Then, he picked up the fallen Oran Berry and threw it down his throat. As the cloaked figure said, such a weak, small berry wasn't enough to fully resuscitate him. But, to the weakened Dragon of Ideals, just about anything would help.

"Your underhanded tricks won't work now, blasted thief!" Zekrom snarled as he faced the cloaked figure. He extended his arms out to his side, brandishing his claws, "Return the stone this instant, and I may consider letting you leave my domain alive!"

"Feh..." The cloaked figure wasn't fazed by the threat. Instead, he crouched low and clung to his cloak with his right claw. He reached out with his left arm, revealing a set of three leafy blades extending from his wrists.

With a quiet hiss, the cloaked figure crouched low to the ground and directed his blades right at the dragon's face. In response, Zekrom reared up into the cloud – covered sky and unleashed a harrowing roar. A bright yellow thunderbolt came careening down from the heavens, striking Zekrom's tail and enveloping him with an iridescent glow.

"It'd be a shame to defeat a famous legend through trickery, I suppose..." The leaves on the cloaked figure's wrist began to take on a bright, green glow as he pointed it at the powered up Zekrom. "Well then, Dragon of Ideals. Let's see if you're as strong as I've read..."

He reached back and leapt toward the dragon, his mouth wide open as he snarled out a battle cry. Zekrom swung his claw right as the cloaked figure reached him, his fangs bared and his scales crackling with electrical energy.

"Haaaah!"

Wrooooaaar!

---

Blue woke.

He was lying on his back, with his head resting against something soft and comfortable. However, the chaos going on inside his skull was anything but. A painful, frustrating headache rampaged around inside his head as he lay on his back, causing him to wince and moan as he began to regain his senses.

"What was that...?" He murmured to himself as struggled to sit up straight.

The sounds of screaming, of roaring and thunder crashing all echoed around inside his skull. The faces of Pokémon and scenes of places he couldn't recognize flashed about inside his mind, coming and going like transient fireworks. Blue closed his eyes to try and gather his thoughts together.

"Agh!"

A jolt of pain crackled inside his skull, forcing him to clasp his paws onto the sides of his head. He could feel his veins thumping against his palms as he massaged his aching temples. Every single pulse he felt came with it a sharp shock through his nerves, sending his fur prickling up on his back like pine needles.

He opened his mouth and took a deep breath, letting cool air into his lungs to calm him down. It worked; the pain in his head was subsiding, albeit only a little. However, the damage had been done. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't replay what he saw. Everything he could remember was now left in fleeting shards of thought, refusing to come together again..

A flash of green… a big, black dragon… Just what was all of that about?

He tried to dig deeper into his memories to see if he could unearth more pieces and scenes from his aching head. Another jolt of pain struck him, forcing his thoughts to scatter and wasting his effort in the process.

Sighing, Blue shook his head and opened his eyes again. There was no reason to try and force it if his own head wasn't going to play nice with him. Drowsiness still blurred his vision, so he could see nothing around and ahead of him but cold blackness.

"Fée?" Blue called out, hoping for his partner to respond back to him from the darkness. "Fée, are you there?"

"I don't believe I ever said you could call me by that name, Riolu."

Feyley's face appeared to loom out of the darkness, appearing over his chest all of a sudden. Startled that it was a Mienfoo that replied instead of his Eevee friend, Blue let out a loud yelp and scrambled backward, holding his paws over his collar in an attempt to protect himself from her. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to escape unscathed...

Wham!

...as there was a solid stone wall behind him.

"Guagh!" Tears of pain welled up in his eyes as he doubled over, clutching the growing lump on the back of his head. "Ow, ow, ow!"

Feyley sighed and backed away from the groaning Riolu. She sat at the other end of his cot, watching her erstwhile opponent groan and writhe in agony before her.

"Is there any reason to be this surprised?" Feyley asked, frowning. "It's just me, Riolu."

"U – ugh..." Blue quashed down the pain with another huge gulp of air and shook his head. He opened one eye and sent a glare back at Feyley, stating, "Anyone would be surprised if you appeared from out of nowhere like that!"

"From out of nowhere?" Feyley paused to glance around for a moment. "If I were to wake you up, Riolu, then where would I be?"

"Where...?" Blue was a little confused by what she said. He closed his eyes again and rubbed his face, trying to purge the remaining drowsiness from his system before continuing. When he opened his eyes again, he could see a little better. Or at least, a little farther than the length of his arms.

The first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in the training hall. Instead, he appeared to have been placed in a far smaller room in comparison. There were no lights either, as the walls were devoid of the glowing gems that illuminated the rest of the guild. Instead, the only light source in the entire room came from a latticed hole bored in one of the walls. Bright moonlight shone through this hole, casting the room with a checkerboard array of light.

Upon taking a quick survey of his dark, claustrophobic surroundings, he immediately understood what Feyley meant by 'where would I be?' There was no space at all for a Pokémon to stand in this room. It appeared as though every single inch of the floor space had been taken up by furniture. Whether it be squat cabinets, tall shelves or short tables – Blue couldn't turn his head without seeing one of those. Looking down, he noticed that he appeared to be lying on one of the short tables as well.

However, this table was different. Instead of having a hard, wooden surface, soft, cushy material covered the top. It reminded him of the poufs that he sat on back at Mismagius' house in the Forlorn Forest, just larger and rectangular instead of circular.

"That still doesn't explain why you were right next to me when I woke up!" Blue grumbled, rubbing his head. He jabbed a finger at a nearby cloth – covered table and frowned, "You could've sat on one of those instead of invading mine!"

Feyley folded her arms and retorted, "I was using that cot, Riolu. However, I was awakened by the sound of you tossing and turning in your own. I got worried and crossed over to see if you were alright."

"I was... what?"

"Tossing, turning... moaning, and groaning." Feyley said. "You were being incredibly loud as well. Loud enough that you forced me out of my own slumber, you know." She narrowed her eyes and added, "Just what were you dreaming about?"

"I... I don't remember." Blue muttered, lamely.

"Do you really not remember," Feyley remarked, smirking. "or are you lying again?"

Blue coughed into his paw and looked away. Even if he had wanted to tell Feyley what his dream was, he couldn't. His recollection of what he'd dreamt of felt like a wild whirlwind of scenes and sounds, with little to no coherence between them. And if he did try to piece everything back together, a jolt of pain would just cause it all to fall apart again.

A moment of silence passed by while Blue mulled over his choices, and Feyley stared at him. After a minute of waiting, she let out a loud, impatient sigh and shook her head at the troubled Riolu.

"Feh, forget it." Feyley said. "It's not like I was that interested anyway. For all I know, you might've just been dreaming of Kirlia or some such. How revolting." After leaving behind her cheeky remark, the Mienfoo slid off the side of Blue's cot and hopped back onto her own.

"Dreaming of... hey!" Blue shook his paw at Feyley and scowled. "I wasn't dreaming of her! I'm sure of at least that much!"

"Oho, I believe you. I believe you indeed."

"Rrgh..." Irritated, he flashed his fangs at the smirking Mienfoo, but Feyley just snickered and laid back down on her bed.

Now alone on his own cot, Blue took the chance to glance down and survey his body. He kicked his legs up into the air, and rubbed his chest with his paw. Aside from a few scuffs on his fur, and a faint imprint on his chest in the shape of a Mienfoo's paw, he was uninjured for the most part.

Blue let out a deep sigh of relief. For once, he'd managed to get out of a battle without covering himself in injuries! He chuckled and laid back down on his cot, feeling refreshed and rather gleeful at his well being. No need to go and trouble Fée or Brin with his wounds, he cheered to himself. As his head touched the surface of the cot though, a thought came to him.

"Fée? Brin?" Blue raised his body back up and glanced around the dark room again, this time with the intent of finding his friends. He had hoped that he would hear the sound of his companion this time.

To his dismay, all that came from it was the same result as before.

"Would you stop calling me that?" Feyley's sharp voice drew his gaze over to her cot. She flicked her muzzle at him and scowled, "Fey... Fey... I've already granted you enough respect by letting you call me by my name, Feyley. But I draw the line at calling me Fey!"

"I'm not calling you!" Blue snapped back. "My friend's name is Fée! And I'm trying to see if she's around!"

"Your friend? You mean that little Eevee that was bawling over your unconscious body while we were being treated?"

"Treated?" Blue patted his arms and legs as he looked to Feyley for an explanation.

"Miss Audino took care of whatever wounds we had while you were unconscious," Feyley stated, dismissing his question with a wave of her paw. "your two... friends... were rampaging around, desperate to try and wake you up. Miss Audino shooed them out for being a nuisance. I suppose the two of them are probably sitting out there somewhere, wailing and bawling some more."

"I see..." The image of Fée and Brin crying over his body came into his head, bringing with it a sick feeling in his gut. Sighing, Blue made a mental note to apologize to his friends later for worrying them.

"Not that there was much for Miss Audino to heal, mind you." Feyley grumbled, snapping Blue out of his thoughts. "Our battle was an utter travesty, Riolu."

"Oh yeah, our battle!" Blue snapped his gaze back to Feyley and pointed a paw at her "What happened afterward? I remember you getting really mad at me, and then everything else was just sort of a crazy blur."

Startled, Feyley looked away and rubbed the back of her right paw, "Guildmaster Machoke intervened in the end, you ought to recall that."

A twinge of pain ran through Blue's skull as he recalled that unsavory moment. He had his poor, aching collar yanked again by that musclebound Guildmaster, and then hurled high into the air without warning. And to cap it all off, Machoke finished his horrifying show by grabbing him while in the middle of falling, and slamming his noggin straight into the clay floor.

"So I got knocked out by Machoke..." Blue groaned and held both of his paws on his head, patting the small bump atop his skull.

"Yes... you did." Feyley turned her head over to sneak a glance at him.

"Ugh... just how many times did I get hit on the head today? I don't remember..." The Riolu shot a look over to Feyley, who looked startled at his sudden attention and turned her head away in response.

"Come to think of it," Blue tapped his chin as he pondered something, unaware of her discomfort. "there's something I wanted to ask you about our match, Feyley."

"Something?" Feyley echoed, still avoiding eye contact with him. "What would that something be?"

"Well... it's more why than what, I guess." Blue said, scratching his nose. "I wanna know why you were so fixated on fighting me again."

"Why I was so fixated...?" Her voice was no louder than a mumble, leaving Blue no choice but to lean his head in closer just to hear. The Mienfoo brought her paw up to her mouth and nibbled on her digits, thinking of how to best respond, "I... it's a little complicated..."

Blue drew back and rubbed his chin, "Complicated?" He smiled and shook his head, "I thought it was just something like you wanted to take revenge for your loss in our first battle!"

Feyley sat up on her cot and shot Blue a disparaging glare, "I – I am not so petty as to demand a rematch just for my pride alone! There were more reasons for me to want another duel with you than to soothe my ego!"

"Well if it isn't to take revenge on me, then tell me!" Blue shot back. "What were your reasons, then?"

"It's... not..." Feyley bit down on her paw and grimaced, trying to force her words out of her mouth. "I... I just wanted... it's not... aagh!"

Feyley swung her muzzle up into the air and let out a frustrated snarl. She began to unleash a savage beating unto her cot, slamming her fists deep into the mattress over and over again until she left a lasting indent in the surface.

This display of abject rage forced Blue to shift away and press his back up against the wall even further. Distancing himself from the irritated Mienfoo seemed like a prudent plan. After all, there was no telling when she might change her target from her unfortunate bed over to the unfortunate Riolu who set this off in the first place.

"H – hey, calm down, alright?" Blue, worried both for Feyley and for his own well-being, raised a paw and tried to mitigate her anger. "If it's really that difficult a question, then you don't have to tell m– agh!"

Whap!

Blue almost fell off the bed as a soft pillow soared into his face. Confused, he pulled the pillow away and gaped back at his assailant.

"I... I never said I wasn't going to tell you...!" Feyley planted a paw on her heaving chest. "J- just... give me a moment, okay? I need to compose my thoughts!"

Her face glowed bright red in the moonlight as she tried to calm herself down. She inhaled and exhaled several lungfuls of air before turning to face Blue with a fresh, although still glowing, face.

"Listen up... I'll only tell you once!" Feyley snapped at him, wringing her paws. "You... you know that I hail from Mount Travail, do you not?"

"I think you mentioned it while we were all walking down that corridor earlier," Blue commented. "you said something about eating a lot of biscuits and sleeping earl – gggh!"

Whap!

Another pillow flew into his face.

"Why is it that you can only remember embarrassing things about me?!" Feyley snarled as she clutched her last pillow in her paw, aiming it at the insolent Riolu's face. "Is it that much to ask for you to focus on something more flattering about me for once?"

"It's hard to remember anything about you when you keep hitting my memories out of my head, you know!" Blue tossed her pillow back to her and folded his arms.

Feyley caught her pillow and stuffed it underneath herself before pointing a paw back at Blue. "For all the strength you must possess, why must you always act like such a fool? If... if you were a member of my tribe on Travail, you'd never be allowed to act in such a frivolous manner!"

"A member of your tribe?" Blue cocked his head to the side and furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by that? I'm not a Mienfoo, and I'm pretty sure haven't I visited your mountain before."

"Er..." Feyley held her paws over her mouth and looked away, her face growing red hot again. "It's... that's not what I meant..!"

"Then what is it?" Blue felt a little frustration growing inside of him as he continued to try and reason with the Mienfoo. He shook his head and sighed as he rubbed his throbbing head, "Really, I just don't understand what you're talking about, Feyley."

"It's..." Still feeling awkward, Feyley glanced toward the latticed window, nibbling on her paw as if it were some delicious morsel. She turned her gaze back to Blue, staring into his impatient expression out of the corner of her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts. After a few silent seconds had passed, Feyley turned around to face Blue in full.

"You... you're a Riolu, right?" She asked. "A real Riolu?"

"I don't understand what you mean by a 'real Riolu,'" Blue remarked, his tone wry. "but like I said to you hours before, I'm pretty sure I'm a Riolu. The only Riolu in this town, no less. At least, from what I've heard."

"I see..." Feyley murmured as she continued to gnaw at her paw.

"Is there a point to asking me that same question again?"

"I... I just needed to know for sure," Feyley replied. A look of hesitation flashed across her face. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think up the right words to use. After a few minutes of struggling had passed, Feyley swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath.

"Y - you see…" Feyley's voice sounded strained, as if she was trying to choke out her words. "Back at my home, Mount Travail, there was an interesting story that my mother often told me when I was a young girl. It was... a story of her own youth; a story about a Riolu she once met."

"A story about a Riolu?!" Blue's curiosity was piqued. He leaned ahead and stared at Feyley, making her blush at his sudden attention.

"That's correct. If I remember how the story goes… Long before I was born, my mother was traversing the heights of Mount Travail by herself for a training excursion, as she often did. However, on one particular day, something startling happened."

"Startling? What was it?"

Feyley turned her head and stared at Blue's face, "What my mother found on her excursion that day…" She held up a paw and pointed it at Blue, "...was a Riolu, like you."

Blue cocked his head to the side and frowned, "Is that a big deal? I mean… finding a Riolu walking on a mountain doesn't seem like something to be startled about."

"Don't you remember what I've told you before?" Feyley muttered. "With very few exceptions, there are only two kinds of Pokemon that reside on Mount Travail. That is, Mienfoo like me, and Mienshao like my mother."

"I think I remember you mentioning that before," Blue said. He covered up the smirk forming on his face as he snickered, "a mountain filled with nothing but Feyleys... that's kinda scary to think about. I don't think I'd ever wanna go there after hearing that!"

Whap!

"Ha!" Blue held up his paw and caught the pillow flying toward his face. "Saw it coming this time, Feyley!"

"Feh..." Feyley snatched her pillow out of the air as the Riolu tossed it back to her. She wrapped her paws around the fluffy thing, resting her chin on top of it as she sent an irritated glare at the grinning Riolu.

"So then?" Blue asked. "What happened after your mother met that Riolu?"

Feyley folded her arms and closed her eyes, deep in thought, "I asked her the same thing. The answer I got… it wasn't what I expected." Feyley rubbed her knuckles with her other paw, "I had thought that she would've taken out that intruder in an instant, and kicked him off the mountain afterward."

A vindictive look flashed across Feyley's face, sending a cold chill slither down Blue's spine. Thinking that it'd be best to avoid this sort of dangerous talk, he held up his paws and tried to steer the conversation in a different, safer direction.

"Is… is Mount Travail tall?"

Feyley tapped the top of her pillow with her lips and replied, "Not particularly, but that isn't the point. The point is that there was an odd visitor on our mountain that day, and not a welcome one at that."

"Why not?"

"Didn't I already tell you mere seconds ago?" Feyley grumbled, glaring over her pillow at him. "With only few exceptions, foreigners are not allowed to set foot on our lands! The only exceptions are if the visitor was clearly injured and in need of help, if the visitor is someone important from somewhere else, or was invited by one of us. Or... if the visitor becomes a mate of one of the Mienfoo or Mienshao living on the mountain."

"I see," Blue said. "and that Riolu was none of those, right?"

"That's correct," she said. "the Riolu that my mother met was scaling our mountain without permission, for no reason other but his own, personal goals."

Feyley stuck out her tongue and grimaced, "My mother told me that the Riolu wanted to see the summit. Not for training, or for anything else. But to see the sights from atop the mountain. It was a selfish Pokémon who only wanted to invade our sacred home for excitement and pleasure."

"That's a little harsh to say about someone who just wanted to see what was at the top of your mountain, Feyley."

Feyley sighed and buried half of her muzzle inside her pillow, "Evidently, my mother thought the same as you. For whatever reason, at that time she held no qualms with that Riolu wandering around our land... and not only that, my mother even suggested that she assist him in scaling our mountain!"

"Really?" Blue found himself smiling at Feyley's story. "Your mother must be really nice if she offered to help him, even though he was an intruder."

"Nice?" An aghast, incredulous expression flitted onto Feyley's face. Her fangs flashed in the moonlight as she bit down on the top of her pillow, "She was anything but! Oh... years, and years of harsh torment and suffering as I languished under her watch! Languished indeed!"

"L – languished?"

Feyley jabbed a finger at Blue and snarled, "Have you ever felt the sting of hunger stab at you throughout the night? All because you failed to knock out your own mother in a spar?"

"I... I can't say I have..."

"How about the pain of a burning stomach, desperate and screaming for sustenance?! All because you couldn't succeed in fulfilling the nigh – impossible tasks set by your mother?!"

"F – Feyley, I think you should calm down..."

"My mother... nice... What a yarn!" Feyley griped under her breath as she continued to introduce her poor pillow to her fangs. "A yarn indeed! If it wasn't for the fact that my mother would never tell a lie, I would have never believed her Riolu story for a second!"

"Speaking of that Riolu story..." Not wanting to rile up Feyley even further, Blue tried to redirect the conversation toward somewhere safer again. "What happened after your mother agreed to take him to the summit?"

"I have no idea."

A cold wind blew through the latticed hole in the wall, courting the icy silence that fell over the two Pokémon. For a moment, Blue considered humoring the opportunity to throw his own pillow at Feyley for that abrupt remark, or perhaps leaping onto her cot and giving her a solid chop on the head. However, one look at the troubled expression on the Mienfoo's face had blown away his dangerous thoughts with the freezing breeze.

"I don't mean that as a joke, Riolu." Feyley grumbled. "To this day, I've never succeeded in extracting the whole story from her lips. Not without trying, mind you! Every challenge, every ambush, and every duel I initiated with the intent on getting the rest of that tale from her had ended in utter and miserable failure..."

"It's a little hard to imagine someone even tougher than you, Feyley." Blue remarked with a grin. "You're telling me that you can't defeat your own mother, even with all that skill and power you've built up?"

"Regrettably, that is so." Feyley gave her pillow one more chomp before tossing it to the side. "Believe it or not, Riolu. It is quite a difficult task to take down the very Pokémon who taught you everything you knew for all your life. Every single movement, every single technique in my repertoire was countered effortlessly..."

"Your mother taught you everything, huh?" A sudden thought flew into Blue's head, drawing out a bubbling sensation of curiosity. He pointed a paw at his chest and asked, "Does that mean she taught you how to do that strange, explodey... firey thing, too?"

"Must you find every way under the skies to demean me?" Feyley growled. She held up her paw and pointed her palm at his chest, "Calling my technique by a foolish name like that... are you asking for another demonstration?"

"H – hey!" Blue crossed his arms over his chest and scooted away. "I'm not interested in getting thrown across the room again! I only called it that because I didn't know what else to call it!"

"You truly do befuddle me, Riolu." Feyley muttered, lowering her paw. "You befuddle me indeed. While I haven't been able to hear the whole story from my mother, there were quite a few bits and pieces of it I could glean from other sources. Namely... how she learned how to control her aura from that Riolu during their sojourn."

"Aura? Is that what it's called?" Blue said, tapping his chin with his paw. A smile appeared on his face as a thought came to mind. He turned to Feyley, beaming wide, and said, "Say, do you think you can teach me how to use aura?"

"What?"

"Well," Blue thumped his chest with his paw. "you remember when I tried to copy what you did earlier, right? I was wondering why it didn't work for me, when it was doing so well for you! Is there some kind of trick to unleashing that strange attack? Can you teach me how?"

Feyley was struck dumb by what the Riolu just said. She raised her paw, then lowered it… and then raised it again. Then, after lowering it one last time, she lowered her head and muttered something under her breath. Curious as to what she was saying, Blue inched forward a bit and tried to listen in.

"You're unbelievable!"

Feyley's shout rang around inside of Blue's ears with the force of a gong. Yelping, the Riolu flinched and clamped his paws onto his ears. Taking this chance, Feyley bared her fangs and stood up on her cot. She crouched low and sprung off, sending her sheets and pillows flying away behind her.

"Gah!" Blue coughed as Feyley plowed into his gut, head first. The sheer force behind her tackle sent him sprawling on his back.

Without giving him a chance to recover, she pinned him down against the cot by planting her rear on his chest. She then wrapped her paws around his wrists, immobilizing his arms and preventing him from being able to pull her off.

"You're a Riolu, are you not?!" Feyley slammed her forehead against his as she snarled in his face. "If that is the case, then how in the world do you not know about aura?! Are you hiding it from me?!"

She began to squeeze his wrist, all the while still tugging at his limb. It was as if she was trying to coax out some aura from his paw the same way one would milk a Gogoat! However, despite her best efforts, nothing came out of the hapless Riolu's arm but stray strands of fur.

"Gah!" Blue winced as Feyley gave his arm another solid tug. "You're gonna pull my arm out! Stop!"

"How could it be that you know nothing about aura?" Feyley seethed. "If what my mother told me is true, then you should be far more intimate with the concept of aura than I ever could! You must know more than I do! You must, indeed!"

"But I don't know a thing about this... aura, or whatever!" Blue growled back, trying his best to yank his wrist out of her paws, but to no avail. "Today was the first time I've ever heard of anything like that!"

"Today? You mean I was the one who introduced you to aura?!" she hissed. "That's preposterous! Preposterous indeed!"

"How is that preposterous? I can't know what I don't know!" Blue tried to wrest his wrist out of her grasp again, but she just tightened her grip around his arm in response. "Agh!"

Feyley didn't reply. Instead, she returned his glare with a blazing one of her own. She continued hold onto his paw, wrapping both of her arms around it like a vice. The two of them remained motionless for several seconds, staring into each others' eyes. Blue felt as though he was trapped in the middle of a ring of fire. No matter what he said, no matter what he tried to do, he was just going to get burned for his efforts.

Just what did this antagonistic Mienfoo want with him? He just couldn't wrap his head around it. Did she just want to beat him up as revenge for what he did back in the battle royale? At first, that's what he assumed. But after all of that has happened, he wasn't so sure anymore. It didn't help that his mind was still in an aching mess after that head – pounding awakening he had.

Aura, Feyley, and that story about the Riolu...

He tried to piece together all the little tidbits and clues that she had been handing him. Bit by bit, he began to form a hazy picture inside his throbbing head. The reason why Feyley was so insistent on challenging him, why she told him that story, and why she was so angry about his lack of knowledge about this aura thing...

He had a guess.

"Feyley..." Blue said, breaking the silence hanging in between the two. "the reason why you wanted to challenge me again... was it because you thought that… because I was a Riolu... I could teach you what I knew about aura?"

A look of surprise flitted across Feyley's face for a second, widening her eyes and softening her harsh glare. Although she was a little shaken by his surprising guess, she tried to hide it by putting on a scowl. She pulled his arm closer to her, pressing his palm against her chest. Blue could feel her rapid heartbeat behind her coat of tan fur.

"...If I were to deny that," Feyley muttered. "then I would be lying."

Feyley let out a deep sigh and let go of Blue's wrist, and let it drop back onto the cot. Blue rubbed his sore wrist with his other paw. As he massaged the numbness out, he kept his gaze trained on Feyley. While she still held that angry scowl, he had a feeling that she wasn't furious with him anymore.

Sighing, Blue grabbed the sides of his cot and tried to slide a bit more of his body out from under her. To his surprise, Feyley cooperated and lifted herself a bit so he could move himself easier. Despite that though, she still planted herself back down on his lower body after he was done giving himself some space. Blue sighed and shook his head. At least it was progress, he mused.

"I told you that my mother taught everything I knew, didn't I?" Feyley said, eliciting a quick nod from Blue. "It's a common tradition on Travail for parents to pass down their knowledge to their children. I was taught how to speak, how to write, how to read, and how to deal with others by my mother."

I take back what I said about her mother being nice, Blue remarked to himself, smirking. If she was the one who taught her to strangle Pokémon in order to talk with them.

"Aside from frivolities like that," Feyley continued on, unaware of his internal comment. "she was also the one who taught me how to control... and how to use my aura."

She held up her right paw and stared at her palm, "I was surprised. Until that day she decided to train me, I was the same as you are now. I'd never heard of a thing like aura before."

"So you're saying that no one on your mountain, other than your mother, told you about aura before?"

Feyley nodded, "It wasn't that nobody told me, Riolu. Nobody on Travail had even known about aura until my mother returned from her journey with that mysterious Riolu."

"Say..." Blue rubbed his cheek with his paw and hummed. "Do you know anything about that Riolu, then? Like where he came from, for example."

"No, I do not." Feyley said with a shake of her head.

"Eh? But didn't you say your mother returned with him?"

"That is true," Feyley folded her arms and sighed. "but remember what I said. All of this took place long before I had taken my first breath. By the time I was old enough to understand the world around me, there was no sign of that Riolu around the mountain anymore. The only reason I even knew about his existence was because of my mother's stories."

"I see..." Blue felt a pang of disappointment when he heard her reply. He had hoped that he could divine some information about his own past from that mysterious Riolu in Feyley's story. But, it couldn't be helped if she didn't know anything about him. He let out a despondent sigh and frowned.

"What's the matter?" Feyley asked, looking a little perturbed by his reaction.

"It's just..." Blue paused for a moment, mulling over what he should say. After a moment of thought, he shook his head and sighed. "No, it's nothing. I was just thinking of something stupid again. Don't worry."

Feyley narrowed her eyes, glaring at him out of suspicion. Feeling pressured, Blue coughed into his paw and looked away.

"Y – you said that your mother taught you how to use that explodey, firey... I mean, aura, right?" He asked, hoping to dispel the thick mood between them. "Can you show me?"

"You want me to blast you into the cot?" Feyley said, smirking. A panicked look shot across the Riolu's face as he waved his paws around in front of him.

"No!"

"Then what is it you want?"

Blue gulped and bit down on his lip, "I just want to see your aura! Is that so much to ask?"

"Hmph..." Feyley prodded Blue in the nose with her paw and smirked. "Fine. Since you seem so desperate, I suppose I can indulge your curiosity for a bit."

She opened her mouth and inhaled. Her eyes closed as she puffed out her small chest. As she released the air from her lungs, a dim blue glow began to emanate outward from her right wrist. Within seconds, her aura enveloped her entire paw, making it look like she was holding a small, blue fireball. With a small smile forming on her lips, she held it closer to Blue's face for him to get a better look at it.

"Whoa..." Blue felt awed by the little dancing flame on her palm. Now that he wasn't on the receiving end of it, he could see just how beautiful it looked. "It's pretty..."

Feyley averted her face from the Riolu, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. "From what my mother taught me, this flame is the manifestation of the very energy that courses through our bodies. The energy that allows us to move, talk and fight."

"So that's what aura is, huh?" Blue reached up and pinched one of Feyley's glowing fingers. "Huh... I was expecting it to be hot."

"It's not a real flame, Riolu." Feyley growled as she swatted his paw away. "Normally, it would be invisible and kept within one's body. This is just how aura looks like when it is exposed to the naked eye."

"Still, I thought it would be hot," he remarked. "it looks a lot like a flame, after all."

Feyley flicked Blue's muzzle with her non – glowing paw, "Must I say it again? It is not a flame. It is my aura."

"Right, right." Blue shrugged while rubbing his nose. "So... let me get this straight. Your mother met a Riolu one day, who taught her about aura, and she in turn taught you about it?"

Feyley turned her aura – covered palm toward her face and stared into it. Her smile turned wry as she shook her head, "For a certain definition of taught, I suppose. My mother was never a very cooperative teacher. While she had little issue with teaching me how to speak, write and other frivolities like that, when it came to teaching me combat... it became an entirely different situation."

"How so?"

"Unlike the other Mienshao on the mountain, my mother wasn't satisfied with just teaching me all she knew." Feyley flicked her paw and let the aura fade away. Once the blue glow was extinguished, she rested her chin on her palm and sighed. "She treated it as a game. If I wanted to learn a new technique from her, I would have to wrest it out of her by defeating her in a duel."

"You had to beat up your own mother so she would teach you?" Blue said, looking surprised. "That sounds... really rough."

"I assure you, it was only rough on me." Feyley grumbled. "To this day, I have never been able to defeat my mother in a fair fight. Not even once." She held her paws over her belly and groaned, "On top of that, with every failure came a horrid punishment. No dinner that night. Not a single bit of berry or bread. It was utter torture..."

"But you said you learned about aura somehow, right?" Blue replied. He held up his paw and gestured at his chest, "After all, how else would you have been able to use it against me like that?"

A humorless chuckle came from the Mienfoo. She dropped her paw from her chin and placed it atop Blue's chest, fitting it into the paw – shaped imprint present on his fur.

"My mother never did give me any formal training about aura," she muttered. "what I used on you was nothing more than a shallow mimicry of my mother's techniques. I've watched her use her aura on other Pokémon in combat many times in the past, and I tried my best to copy her abilities."

A grimace slid onto her face as she clenched her paw into a fist. The blue radiance of her aura returned. But, it wasn't as bright as before. Instead of looking like a burning flame, the light that covered her fist was softer; a warm glow like that of a fading lantern light.

"I... I am ashamed to say that I cannot control my aura very well," Feyley said. "I don't know if you had noticed during our battle earlier, Riolu..."

"Erm..." Blue scratched the back of his head and grinned. "I can't say I have. I was a little preoccupied keeping you from throwing me across the room."

Feyley shook her head, "You don't understand. Unlike my mother, the control I have over my aura is limited at best." She plucked Blue's paw out from behind his head and pressed it against her chest, "Had I continued to fight on, even after I had lost my temper with you, there was no doubt that you would've been the one standing in... the... end..."

Feyley's voice began to trail off, becoming quieter and quiet until she stopped talking altogether. The grip she had on Blue's wrist slackened, letting him pull his paw away from her chest. Feyley's eyes were wavering, flickering open and closed as she struggled to stay awake. The bright glow of her aura faded into nothing, with the remnants of her flame fluttering off her paw in the form of small, blue embers.

"Mrrgh…" Feyley let out a tiny moan as she rubbed her forehead with her now - darkened paw. Everything around her was spinning, making her feel unbalanced and dizzy. Her shoulders sagged, and her whiskers drooped down her cheeks. She reached out with her paws, and circled her arms around the Riolu's torso. For a moment, she wobbled in place like a spinning top. Then, as if somebody had cut the last string holding her up, she collapsed.

"H – hey!" Startled, Blue reached out and caught Feyley in his arms before she ended up slamming into him. He gripped her shoulders with his paws and gave her a light shake. She didn't react at all. Her body wobbled in his grasp like a bowl of gelatin, her head bobbing left and right like a confused Dodrio.

"Feyley, what's the matter?" Blue took one of his paws and gave the Mienfoo a gentle pat on the cheek, then backed off in case she'd retaliate against his impudent touch. However, no such retort came. Instead, all Blue could get from the Mienfoo was the light sound of her breathing.

Baffled, as well as feeling awkward, Blue tried to dislodge himself from the unconscious girl. It was no easy task, however, as Feyley had sat herself right on top of him before she zonked out. Not to mention, her arms were still wrapped around his torso, hanging on tight like a vise. In his current position, Blue had no real way of gaining the leverage needed to push her off. And even if he had, Blue was concerned that she might slip off and fall onto the hard floor below.

That would be bad, Blue surmised. It was bad enough that she had somehow fallen asleep on top of him, but having her be shaken awake because of his brusqueness? Blue gulped. The consequences of that would be dire...

Fwoosh...

A cold breeze blew in from the latticed hole in the wall, ruffling both of their furs and chilling the air within the dark infirmary. A shudder ran through the Riolu's spine as he tried to adjust to the sudden drop in temperature. As much as he'd rather not admit it, having Feyley lying on top of him was a little comfortable. She was warm, after all. And, for such a violent Pokémon, her body was pretty soft to the touch...

Gah, this isn't the time to be thinking of stuff like that! Shaking those dangerous thoughts out of his mind, Blue turned his head away from the snoozing Mienfoo and took a quick glance at the source of the wind. While the wooden crossbars made it difficult to see outside, there was no mistaking the bright shine of moonlight that was streaming in through the hole.

It must be really late now if the moon's this bright… I wonder if Fée took Brin back home already? Blue frowned at the thought of being left alone by his friends. He shook his head and sighed. Crud. If she did, then I'd probably have to stay the night here. I really don't want to walk around the town in the middle of the night again…

Thinking back to a few days ago, Blue recalled the chilly walk he took through the town after saying his goodbyes to Xatu. Night had already set in, and the air was becoming a veritable icebox when he left the old bird's tent. Had he not run into Fée at the entrance to the guildhouse, he might've broken into a nearby building just to avoid getting his fur chilled to the roots.

Fwoosh…

As if to add insult to injury, another breeze swept into the room via the hole in the wall. Blue shot the window a furious glare, and then tightened his grasp around Feyley's body in order to endure the second onslaught of icy wind stabbing into him.

"What I wouldn't give to have Fée's thick fur right now…" Blue muttered as the image of his friend's thick, brown - colored coat came into mind. "I hate the cold so much…"

"Mrrgh…"

Blue's heart almost sprung out of his chest when he heard Feyley make a sound. He snapped his head back around at her, and found her still snoozing away with her cheek pressed against the fur on his chest. A sense of relief, as well as a sense of dread washed over him as he watched her use him like a hay pile.

I'll have to figure something out. Maybe I can get someone outside to give me a hand...

He let go of Feyley's fur and shifted his position underneath her by turning himself around so that he was now lying on his belly. With the sleeping Mienfoo now clinging to his back rather than his front, Blue arched his back and pressed down against the cot with all four paws. With a final grunt of exertion, he shunted himself off the cot and landed on the floor below.

Thump.

"Ouch…" After giving his bruised chin a rub, Blue shook his head and stood up. To his relief, the Mienfoo on his back was still asleep, even after that rough landing he just made. After making sure that she wouldn't slip off while he walked, Blue strode toward the infirmary's exit.

---

"Here you are, little one. Take this compress and dab it on your friend's forehead for me, would you?"

"Mn!"

I sat nice and still on my stool as Brin held a small patch of cloth up to my face. The cloth was soaked in a deep blue salve of some kind, which had a very sweet scent wafting from it. I smiled as I let Brin touch it against the small cut on my head.

"Eek!" The compress stung when it touched my wound, making me twitch and shiver in my seat.

"Oh, stop squirming! I'm sure you can handle a little dollop of Oran Berry juice on your face! You're a big girl, aren't you? Hoh hoh!"

I winced as I turned to look at the Pokémon talking to me. Standing behind Brin was a rather plump and cheerful – looking Audino. I felt my face heat up as I watched her chortle at me. Her paws were planted on her hips, and there was a dainty shawl draped over her pink fur. Perched atop her head was a small, conical nightcap. It looked as though her raucous laughter would knock it off any second now.

Brin and I had been staying with Miss Audino in her room for the past few hours. I wanted to stay with Blue in the infirmary, but we were ushered out by Miss Audino so that he could rest in comfort. At first, I was a little disappointed that I couldn't be with my partner, but Miss Audino assured me that he would be fine by himself.

That being said, Miss Audino's office was a very interesting place to stay. She had all sorts of medical supplies strewn all over the place. Salves, splints, bandages, and – what excited me most of all – all kinds of books on Pokémon health and care! Brin and I both busied ourselves reading her collection of journals and books while we waited. At least, until Miss Audino decided to give me a quick checkup.

"Now then, I believe that is enough salve for now," Miss Audino patted Brin on the shoulder and took the patch of cloth from her hands. As she threw the cloth into a small garbage bin, she pulled a small earthen jar off the shelf and offered it to Brin. "Take one roll of bandages from this jar, if you would please!"

Brin nodded and reached inside the jar with her slender hand. She pulled out a roll of gauze from within, and began to unravel it into a long strip of white.

"Now wrap that bandage nice and tight around her head, but not too much! We want to make sure the wound has plenty of air to breathe, after all!"

"Mn!" Brin nodded as she stretched out the bandage over my wound. Then, she spun it round and round my head, making sure that not a single drop of that stinging Oran salve dripped off my fur. After a few seconds of hard work, Brin scooted around behind me and tied the bandage taut.

"How long will I have to wear this, Miss Audino?" I asked as I reached up to tap the cloth.

"Just 'Audino' will do, little one!" Miss Audino said with a smile. "Calling me 'Miss' makes me feel ever so old, you know?"

"Oh, um… sorry, Mis... I mean, Audino."

She clicked her tongue at me and poked me on the nose with her paw, "Tsk, no need to apologize! You're just like that Feyley. Ever so polite, and overly respectful!"

I blushed as I rubbed my nose. I looked up at Brin and flashed her a bashful smile. She giggled and held out another strip of cloth in her hands. She had taken off my Aura Bow earlier so that it wouldn't be stained by the Oran Berry juice. I tilted my head to the side and let her tie it back onto my right ear.

"Now, that cut on your forehead head isn't very deep," Audino said. "but it's still a little worrisome if you just leave it untreated like that. Even the smallest wounds can get infected, after all! And we wouldn't want that cute little face of yours be marred by an ugly scar, now do we?"

"Ehe…"

She reached inside her jar with her paw and took out a small glass bottle filled with a deep blue liquid, "I'm sure that you're quite a healthy young girl, so that itty – bitty cut of yours should heal up nice and quick. Perhaps it'll be gone after a good night's sleep, even! But if it doesn't, feel free to use this salve to help hasten it along, okay?"

"Wow!" I took the bottle from her paws and held it up to my eyes to get a better look at it. "Thanks, Mis… I mean thanks, Audino!"

"Why, there's no need to thank me! I'm just doing my job!" Miss Audino chortled and placed a paw on Brin's shoulder. "Your lovely friend here is who you ought to be thanking! You have such deft, delicate hands... I believe that you would make a fine doctor if you were willing to do so! Why, I'm sure loads of Pokémon would jump at the chance to be treated by someone as caring as you are!"

I looked up at Brin and saw her blushing as she fiddled around with my ribbon. The story that Mismagius told me about Brin's past came to mind. I had to wonder how Brin felt about becoming a doctor. It would mean that she'd have to meet a lot of Pokémon who wanted her to help. Would she be interested? Or would she be afraid? I couldn't quite tell by her expression.

"Brin?" I decided to just ask her straight up. "What do you think? Would you like to be a doctor?"

Brin made a little humming sound and drummed her fingers atop my head. There was a funny expression on her face. It was somewhere in between looking amused, and looking pensive. She reached down with one of her hands and plucked the tiny bottle of salve out of my paws, and swished the liquid inside around. Maybe? Maybe not? I wasn't quite sure what she was thinking...

Thok, thok!

Whatever questions I had were thrown out of my head by that horrendous knocking sound. A sudden weight struck the top of my head, making me yelp and duck down with my paws clamped on my scalp. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Brin fumbling around to try and catch the little bottle of salve before it hit the floor.

"My word, what a noisy knock!" Miss Audino puffed out her cheeks in irritation as she strode over to the closed door behind us. "If this is the Guildmaster, then I'll have to give him a stern talking to about making unacceptable noise during the night again!"

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I spun around on my stool and tried to see who the noisy culprit was. The doorway back out to the rest of Machoke's Guild wasn't very large, which made it very difficult to see who it was past Miss Audino's rotund frame. I gulped and clamped my paws over my mouth. That was rude!

"Hooligan!" To my relief, Miss Audino couldn't hear my thoughts. Instead, she was busy scolding whoever it was outside. "Have you any idea what time it is right now? Barring that, shouldn't you be resting in the infirmary? And why do you have her with you as well?"

"Erm... I'll explain later, but I need some help first."

I didn't need to see him to know who it was. Just hearing his voice alone was enough to bring a smile to my face. Feeling elated, I hopped off my stool and rushed over to Miss Audino's side. I poked my head around her back, and spotted him standing in the dark hallway outside.

"Blue! You're awake!" I cheered, earning myself a gasp from Miss Audino. My partner looked startled when he turned to look at me, but his surprise faded into a look of relief.

"You're still here!" He said, grinning while he patted his chest with a paw. "Thank goodness, I was thinking that you had left by now, Fée..."

I twitched my ears in indignation as I shot him a frown, "How could you possibly think that? I wouldn't just leave you here while you were still unconscious!"

He chuckled and shook his head, "I know, I know... it was stupid of me to think so." He reached forward and rubbed my head. "Sorry, Fée."

I tried to maintain my angry stare, but it was hard to do so while he was fluffing my fur. I could feel my frown melting back into a smile as I enjoyed his touch.

"Can I come inside?" Blue asked, looking over at Miss Audino. She looked hesitant to reply at first. After a moment of thought, however, she sighed and nodded her head. Blue returned her nod and mouthed a thanks as he rushed into the room. At first, I was confused as to why he seemed so hurried, but it all became clear once he was out of the dark.

"Is that... Feyley?" I tilted my head. "Why is she sleeping on your back?"

He glanced behind him for a second, then shook his head at me, "It's a long story. For now... can someone please help pull her off of me? I think she might've yanked off a good chunk of my fur by now..."

I giggled and leaned my head around to get a better look at the sleeping Mienfoo. She had wrapped her arms around Blue's chest and torso. I reached up with a paw and prodded one of hers. To my surprise, I couldn't even budge it a single inch! It was like her paws were clinging onto his fur for dear life!

"Well, it wouldn't be safe for you or Feyley if we were to pull her off here." She waved her paw at Blue and gestured to the small bed placed at the corner of the room. "Come, you can go sit on my bed."

"Thanks," Blue nodded and hurried over to the bed. He cut a strange figure as he walked. The sight of my partner struggling to move while... carrying... Feyley like that made me want to just burst out laughing. I giggled into my paw and wiped away my tears before I made my way over to his side.

"Mn..." Brin was already sitting on the bed behind Blue, and trying her hardest to disentangle Feyley's fingers from his body.

"Ow! Ow ow ow!" Blue grit his teeth as Brin yanked, tugged and pulled at Feyley's paws, but all to no avail. The Braixen growled and tried again and again, with each attempt making Blue cry out in abject pain.

"My word, she's really attached to you!" Miss Audino commented as she prodded Feyley's sleeping cheek with her paw. She stared into my partner's face with narrowed eyes, "Just what kind of roughhousing were you two getting up to in the infirmary for this to happen?"

Blue coughed into his paw and looked away, "I told you. It's a long – and exhausting – story. Please, is there some way you pull her off of me?"

Miss Audino sent him another suspicious look. But after a moment of nervous silence, she relented and leaned her mouth over to Brin's ear. I couldn't catch what she was whispering to my friend, but from the look on Brin's face, it must've been something interesting. Brin's face brightened and she held her hand up to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Now then! Get to helping, Brinnie!"

Brin set a serious look on her face as she nodded at the pink doctor. She held both of her hands out in front of her, stretched them out, and smirked as she began to wiggle her fingers as she inched them toward Blue's sides.

"H – hey wait a second," Blue stammered as he eyed her approaching fingers. "I thought you were going to pull her off of me?"

"Oh, don't worry your little blue head!" Miss Audino replied with a smile. "This is a neat little treatment I know to help loosen up nerves and tightened muscles! Just sit still and let your pretty friend give you a nice demonstration, alright?"

"Give me?"

"Mn!" Brin's teeth flashed as she launched her hands forward, digging her fingers deep inside Blue's sides.

"Gyaaah! Haaahahah! Waaagh!"

I felt my fur rise up on my back when I heard those weird sounds my partner made. It was like a strange combination of yelping, shrieking and giggling! His body wriggled and convulsed as he tried to endure Brin's tickling barrage.

"Gaaagh! Heeegh!"

"Ehe...!" I held my paws over my mouth to try and hide my amusement at his suffering, but it wasn't easy! Seeing Blue's face flush bright red like that, along the way he was wriggling around like a baby Caterpie... it was just too much!

"Hee hee hee!" I couldn't hold it in anymore. I grabbed onto my tail with my front paws and released all my laughter into it. Oh, goodness...!

The 'treatment' was working, though. The way Blue squirmed and wiggled around was loosening the grasp Feyley had on his fur. He kept stretching his torso up and up in an attempt to avoid Brin's prying fingers, giving less room for Feyley to hold onto. After a few more amusing seconds of tickling torment passed, Feyley's paws slid right off of him and she fell onto the bed behind him with a dull thump.

"Gah!" Blue slumped low as he clutched his knees, trying to catch his breath after all of that. Brin giggled as she let go of his sides... and then dug her fingers back in for another round of tickles. "Gyeegh! Why?!"

"Now, now," Miss Audino chortled as she reached for Brin's hands, pulling them away from the whining Riolu's body. "if you tickle him any more, we'd have a pile of jelly instead of a Pokémon by the night's end!"

Brin hid her face behind her hands and giggled. She sent Blue an apologetic smile through her fingers, which he replied with a grin and a tired wave of his paw... then collapsed onto the bed in a jelly – like heap.

Whump!

"Oh my," Miss Audino held her paw up to her mouth and chortled. "I suppose I was too late!"

"Blue, are you alright?" I asked, peering at his red face from over the edge of the bed. He groaned and buried his muzzle into the sheets, his body still trembling and shivering.

"I'll be fine..." he said in a muffled voice. "just give me a few minutes to feel my arms and legs again..."

"Ehe..." I patted the back of his head with my paw and smiled at him. Once I was sure he was alright, I turned to look at Feyley. She curled herself up in a small ball, nestling herself in the middle of Miss Audino's sheets while sniffling in her sleep. With how cute she looked now, it's a little hard to imagine that, just a few hours ago, both Blue and her were locked in the middle of a heated battle.

"Will she be alright?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry your little head about her, my dear!" Miss Audino tapped me on the forehead with her paw and smiled. "She's just a little tuckered out, that's all. That rough little Mienfoo will be back on her feet by tomorrow morning, I'd bet!"

"Fée?" I looked over and saw Blue staring at the bandage on my forehead. "Why do you have a bandage wrapped around your head? Did you get hurt?"

My paw went up to my forehead out of habit. Shaking my head, I smiled back at Blue's worried look and said, "No, I'm fine. Brin and Miss... I mean, Audino were just cleaning up some of the scrapes I got from Zubat. There's nothing for you to worry about, Blue."

"Scrapes..." He buried his muzzle back inside the bed again and mumbled something into the sheets. I perked up my ears and tried to hear what he was saying, but the only thing I could make out was, "...sorry..."

"Oh, don't you get all depressed over a small cut like that, boy!" Miss Audino chortled and slapped a paw on Blue's back, making him spring upright with a yelp. "I just finished telling your cute little friend that it'll all be fine! There's no need for you to be moping about a few small scratches here and there!"

"But..." Blue looked like he wanted to retort, but Miss Audino shoved a paw against his lips and shut him up.

"No buts, and no frowns!" Miss Audino said. She grabbed onto his arm and yanked him off the bed, and planted his feet onto the floor. Both Brin and I were stunned. Miss Audino was a lot stronger than she looked! Even Blue looked like he was surprised at being picked up and put down by the pink doctor.

"Now then," Miss Audino smiled as she began to look over Blue's body. She took her paw and unraveled one of her feelers hanging off of her ears, and pressed it against Blue's chest. She closed her eyes and smiled as she concentrated. "you are a tough little Pokémon, Blue. All those bumps and bruises that Feyley gave you are already healing up nice and well. It's remarkable, really."

"Remarkable?" I echoed.

Miss Audino nodded at me as she withdrew her feeler from Blue, "That's right. Not to mention, usually, my patients tend not to be walking - or conscious, for that matter - this soon after taking the full brunt of the Guildmaster's 'Five – Hour Suplex!'"

"It's called the 'Five – Hour Suplex?'" Blue said. "Why's that?"

"Why, it's because most Pokémon don't wake up until five hours after the Guildmaster uses it on them!"

Blue's paws shot up to the top of his head as he looked at me, aghast, "I was out for five hours?!"

"Oh, no, no, no!" Miss Audino shook her head and patted him on the shoulder. "I was just talking about your stalwart body, Blue! You weren't out for five, but instead, you were out for only three! How impressive!"

"Yeah... impressive..." Blue rubbed the back of his head and shot me a wry grin. I giggled and nudged him in the leg with my head.

"Now, I don't see any reason to keep you locked up here if you're already up and about and so energetic!" Miss Audino clapped her paws together and chortled. "I'm sure the three you must be angling to get out of this stuffy place as soon as possible!"

"It'd be nice to head home soon," I said. "our plans got derailed pretty badly by Feyley earlier. I never planned on staying out this late today." I gave Brin an apologetic look and said, "I'm sorry Brin, I'm sure Mismagius must be really worried about you by now."

Brin shook her head and held out her hands to me. I looked down at her palms, and saw that she was holding onto the little bottle of salve that Miss Audino gave her. At first, I was confused by what she meant by that. But, when I saw her smiling face above, I understood.

"Mn!"

"Ehe... okay, I get it." I walked over to Blue and gave his paw a light nip, before pulling him after me toward the exit. "Come on Blue. Let's take Brin back to her home. I think she has something important she wants to tell Mismagius."

"Alright," Blue pulled his paw out of my mouth and stretched his arms above his head. "you lead the way, Fée. I can barely remember how to get to Duskull's Bakery, let alone at night!"

Feeling proud, I puffed out my chest and grinned, "Well, good thing I've memorized the directions on Wigglytuff's letter! I'm sure it won't even take ten minutes to get there from Machoke's Guild."

Blue rubbed my head with his paw and grinned, "Great! Let's get moving then! Come on, Brin!"

"Mn!"

The two of them turned to me with expectant looks on their faces. Giggling, I kept my chest puffed out as I strutted between my friends and toward the doorway with a giddy look on my face. It felt great to be relied on like this, even if it was as small as leading a friend home. Then again, I'd never done anything like this before, so this was a new experience for me as well!

"Oh, please wait a moment!"

All three of us turned around at Miss Audino's behest. I tilted my head to the side and asked, "What is it, Miss Audino? Did we forget something?"

"Just Audino will do, Fée." She coughed into her paw and glanced over at the sleeping Feyley. "Erm... this might sound a little strange, but can you please humor me for a moment?"

"We don't mind, right?" I said, looking at my friends. Blue gave me a grin and shook his head, while Brin seemed to be paying rapt attention to Miss Audino.

"That's great!" Miss Audino clapped her paws together and gave us a cheery smile. "What I wish from the three of you is that... Can either one of you come and visit Feyley here in the guild from time to time?"

"Visit... Feyley?" I repeated, feeling confused.

"Yes... that's right," Miss Audino held a paw over her chest and sighed. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but because of her rather... competitive personality, she has a hard time fitting in and making friends here in the guild. Even amongst girls of her own age, she has a hard time being able to just talk and enjoy her time here."

I tapped a paw against my chin and thought back to earlier. Back at the training hall, didn't Feyley get into a heated argument with that unsavory Kirlia? The two of them didn't look like they had a very good relationship with each other...

"I know it's a little strange for me to ask of this, as I'm neither her mother nor her caretaker, but I do wish to see her enjoy her time here in Treasure Town. So please, if it's not too much trouble, can you all indulge selfish old me for my little request?"

"It's no big deal."

To my surprise, it was Blue who answered. Both Brin and I looked at him with wide eyes, surprised at how glib he was. He was grinning with both of his paws behind his head, and he didn't seem too worried about what he just said.

"Blue?" I couldn't help but wonder why he agreed so fast. While I had no problems with trying to befriend Feyley, I had thought that Blue would be a little more anxious about doing so. After all, he had to suffer through several of her blows earlier.

"I'm sure visiting her won't be as bad when she isn't trying to beat my face in," Blue remarked. "There's still a few things I'd like to ask her about, too, so it works out somewhat."

"Truly? Oh, thank you!" Miss Audino rushed up and grabbed Blue's paws. He let out a yelp of surprise when she started to shake them up and down. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to Feyley!"

Blue looked like his eyes were bouncing around in his head as Miss Audino continued to jump up and down like an excited Spoink, "Y – y – y – you're w – welcome!"

"Oh dear me!" Miss Audino let go of Blue's paws, making him stumble backwards with a dazed look on his face. Both Brin and I rushed behind him so he didn't fall over. "I can already imagine just how pleased Feyley will be when she sees the three of you come and visit! Ohh, she'll be pleased as punch, I would bet! Hoh hoh!"

"Yeah... pleased as punch..." Looking a little as though he was already regretting his decision, Blue clamped a paw on his head and put on a nervous grin. "I'm... I'm sure she will, yeah..."

I glanced over to Brin and gave her a worried look. The Braixen, however, didn't seem too bothered. Instead, she held up both of her hands and mimed unraveling a bandage between them. I gaped at her, then looked over at Blue.

"Brin... you shouldn't use Blue as practice!"

---

Walking through Treasure Town at night is a strange, but beautiful experience. It is almost a tradition for most residents here to return to their homes before night falls. The result of that is an odd, almost eerie feeling when one walks through the empty streets. Treasure Town's always so noisy and exciting during the day, after all. Seeing it so dark and empty like this made it feel somewhat... off putting, I suppose.

That being said, it's not all spooky and scary. Before dusk arrives, a crew consisting of Mankey and Primeape swing through the streets and light all the street lamps with torches. Those lamp posts helps a lot when walking through the town at night, as they provide just enough light to help someone see where they were going in the dark.

I never did like walking around in the middle of the night, or just being in the dark in general. I found myself clinging close to Blue again as we trekked back to the Phantom Patisserie. I didn't want him to pull another one of his mean stunts on me like before. If he did that again...

"Guh..."

I looked up at Blue and saw him with his arms wrapped around his chest, shivering. Even though it was in the middle of summer right now, the nights here in the Frontier can still be a little... daunting. The cold didn't bother me too much, since – being an Eevee – I had a very thick coat of fur protecting my body. Brin also didn't seem to concerned with the temperature. Her golden – yellow coat must be thicker than I thought!

But... Blue wasn't so lucky. He might have his blue and black fur covering him, but it made little difference against the blistering winds. Since his fur was so thin, I couldn imagine that he must have been freezing as he walked with us. My thoughts drifted back to when we were at Meowstic's store. Had I been able to buy him that scarf, or anything else really... then maybe he'd be a bit more comfortable in the cold...

"Blue, are you alright?" I asked, worried.

"Huh?" He looked down at me with a surprised look.

"You just seem a little cold," I said. I pointed at one of the nearby lamp posts, "do you want to sit down over there and warm up a bit?"

Blue glanced over at where I was pointing for a moment, and then shook his head. He smiled at me and patted me on the back, "I'll be fine. I can tough it out for a little longer. Don't worry."

"You sure?" I brushed his paw off with my tail and frowned. "You look like you're about to freeze up, Blue."

"Heh... I can't deny that," Blue muttered. He scratched the side of his muzzle with his paw and fell silent. Then, a few quiet seconds later, he put down his paw and smiled at me.

"Actually, I have an idea that'll help."

"Oh?" Curious, I stopped in my tracks and waited for him to tell me his idea. Was he going to sit by the lamp post? Or did he have some other plan in mind? Whatever it was, I couldn't tell. He just kept smiling at me.

"Hold still for a moment, okay?" Blue asked. Seeing no reason to refuse, I sat still and kept waiting. Blue scooted over to my side, and then inched his way behind me. I continued to wonder what he was doing, until I felt a pair of arms wrap around my back.

"Eh?!" I squeaked when I felt my paws leaving the ground. Blue had pulled me into a tight hug, and was carrying me in his arms like a pillow! A shiver rushed down my spine when I felt his paws on my belly, and his warm breath blow against my ears.

"Ah... now that's warm!" My partner let out a relaxed sigh as he rubbed his cheek against the back of my head. "I wish I had a coat of fur as thick as yours, Fée!"

"B – Blue, put me down!" I could feel my face turning white hot, and not because of my thick fur! I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but he held me in such a tight hug that I couldn't even budge an inch! I craned my head around and tried to appeal to him, "Please, this is embarrassing!"

"But you said I should warm up a bit, didn't you?" Blue said as he grinned at me, sending my face into a deep flush. He tapped me on the nose with one of his paws and said, "If I do this, I can keep warm and walk at the same time! And look! If I hold on to you, then you don't need to walk either! It's a win – win situation for the both of us!"

Blue planted his chin atop my head and let out a proud chuckle at his clever plan. I grumbled back at him and tried to swat at his muzzle with my paw, but he just lifted his head up and avoided it. Annoyed at his reflexes, I puffed out my cheeks in a huff and stowed my paws on top of his arms.

"Fine, if you want to carry me so badly, then go ahead!"

"Don't mind if I do!"

"Rrgh..." Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Brin watching us with a weird look on her face. Mnngh...! I must look ridiculous being carried around like this! Maybe I should nibble on his wrists out of protest!

"Alright, let's head over to Duskull's!" Blue announced in a cheery voice. I gave a half – hearted wave of my paw in response.

"Mm... did somebody speak my name?"

Blue and I both spun around at the sound of that voice. Or rather, Blue spun around and dragged me with him. A scream almost escaped my throat when we did. There were two large, red orbs hovering in the shadows in front of us like a pair of glowing eyes. Terrified, I flattened my ears over my eyes and shuddered in Blue's arms.

Through my muffled ears, I could hear Blue chuckling above me. I felt him unwrap one of his arms off my belly, making me panic and curl my tail up to replace it. Blue chuckled again and patted my head with his paw.

"Don't be afraid, Fée," he said. "look, it's just Duskull and Oro!"

"Duskull...?" Come to think of it, something similar like this happened before too, didn't it? I let one of my ears flip back up, and I peeked out one of my eyes. Through the dim lamp light, I could see the faint outlines of two Pokémon around the red orbs floating in the air. A silly smile crossed my face when I recognized them. It was Duskull and Oro's eyes!

"Oh! Duskull, Oro!" Breathing a sigh of relief, I let my ears spring back up and relaxed my tail. I shook my head and clapped my paws over my burning cheeks to try and cool myself off. I put on a respectful smile and waved at them, "Good evening!"

"Mm... Good evening to you too, Fée. Blue. It's quite a lucky coincidence to have run into the two of you out here in the middle of the night," Duskull said. "I was just in the middle of heading back home after a little shopping."

"Shopping?" I looked a little closer and found that both Duskull and Oro were carrying things. Duskull's robe was wrapped around the handle of a small wicker basket, while Oro had a pair of large, wooden crates hefted atop his shoulders.

"Mm... a certain surprise appeared at my doorstep this noon," Duskull explained, waving his basket at me. "I was... forced out of my house, and told to go procure supplies and… advertise, while she would try to make my Patisserie... mm... habitable."

"Forced from your house?" My cheeks puffed out as I held back a giggle threatening to escape my mouth. The Phantom Patisserie was a bit on the dirty side, and I can imagine that Mismagius wouldn't be very happy about it. A scene popped into my head, wherein Mismagius barged into the Patisserie and tossed Duskull out so she could clean it.

"Sounds like you had it rough," Blue remarked.

"Mm... but not as rough as you, I'd imagine." Duskull's robe fluttered as he chuckled. "I saw you fly through the sky today, Blue. Did you have some fun?"

"Erk..." Blue rubbed the back of his head as he gave a nervous laugh. I glanced up at my partner and gave him a quizzical look.

Duskull hung his basket on to one of Oro's branches and floated over to us, "I see that your leg is healed as well, my boy. How does it feel?"

"Oh, right!" Blue grinned as he held out his leg to show him. "It's all fixed up and healthy now! And it's all thanks to Brin!"

"...Brin?"

Duskull eye shrunk when he heard her name. He spun around, his eye fluttering around inside of his skull face as if he was trying to look for her. I glanced around as well, trying to find where Brin had gone. She was with us just a few minutes ago, wasn't she?

"Mn..."

Blue and I both turned at the sound of Brin's hum. We caught a glimpse of her bright, golden – yellow fur by the side of the street. For some reason, she hid herself behind one of the lamp posts by the side of the street. She was peering out at us with a single eye, while the rest of her body was covered by the black iron.

"Brin!" I shouted at her, waving my paw. "What are you doing over there? Look, it's Duskull! You remember him, right?"

She edged out from behind the lamp post a little more, revealing a bit more of her face. She looked very nervous, and kept fidgeting the small bottle in her hands. I opened my mouth again to try and convince her, but I stopped when I felt a cold robe touch me on the head.

"Mm... I see," Duskull murmured as he floated on past Blue and I. "it has been... a while since we last seen each other... hasn't it?"

Duskull shook his head as he made his way over to Brin. He stopped in front of the lamp post, hovering before Brin's half – hidden face. Brin didn't move, she didn't hide or try to run. Instead, she just stared right back at Duskull, staring into his single eye. For several minutes, the two of them didn't say a word.

I reached up with my paw and patted Blue in the cheek. My partner nodded, and let me back down onto the ground. We took a look at Duskull and Brin, and then backed away. I took my place beside Blue, while he stood next to Oro.

"Brin..." Duskull's voice sounded much quieter than before. Even at this distance, I could see that he was trembling as he spoke. "Brin... do you still remember me...?"

Brin still didn't act. She continued to stare back at Duskull, wordless and motionless. A cold feeling of worry slipped through the back of my head as I watched this nervous scene unfold. I had thought that Brin would be happy to see Duskull again, after all the time they spent apart. But now... seeing how nervous my friend looked... I wasn't too sure anymore.

"You've grown so much... even now, I can't fully remember how long it has been since I've... I've..." Duskull shook his head and coughed. "Brin... I can understand... if you don't want to talk to me..."

A part of me wanted to run up and say something, anything to try and help. But when that thought ran through my head, I felt Blue's paw touch me on the back. When I looked up, I saw him shaking his head at me.

"I wanted to visit... I wanted to meet you and Mismagius again... But, I was afraid... I didn't know how you and Mismagius would've reacted to me showing up... After all, I had... kept myself away from your lives for so long..."

Duskull shuddered as held his robe over his face. I couldn't see from here, but I think... I think he may be crying...

"I'm so sorry... I should've stayed with you and Mismagius, all those years ago... I thought myself as the better Pokémon, and I didn't think of both you and Mismagius's wishes then... And because of this foolish old Pokémon's ego, I've left the two of you alone for so long..."

Duskull coughed again, "Brin... you've grown so much now... Had I not been such a fool... Had I kept the vow I made with Delphox... Then I would've been able to watch you grow into such a beautiful young girl with my own eye..."

Brin covered her mouth with her hands, and she began to tremble against the lamp post. She still didn't say a word to him, and was still hiding herself. I could feel my heart beat against my chest as I watched the two of them. Oro and Blue both seemed nervous as well; Blue kept ruffling the fur on my back over and over again, while Oro kept fidgeting with his crates.

I held my paws to my ruff and breathed deep. I know that I had no part in any of this, but... I still wished for Brin to forgive Duskull. Brin... please...

"Brin..." Duskull spoke in a hushed whisper. I almost couldn't hear him over the sound of my own heart. He held out his cloak to Brin's face, and said, "I... I know I've been absent for most of your life... and I know... I don't deserve to hear you speak to me..."

"But... do you still... can you still... call me your grandfather?"

"Du... Da..."

Everyone jumped when we heard Brin's voice. She squeezed her eyes shut, and her hands were pressed against her chest. Tears streamed down her face as she moved away from the lamp post, and toward Duskull.

"Dus... Dusk..." Brin held out her arms, and opened her eyes. A teary smile came onto her face as she reached forward, and pulled Duskull into her chest for a hug!

"Grandpa... Grandpa Duskull...!"

"Brin...!"

I clapped my paws over my smiling mouth when I saw the two of them embracing, while Blue and Oro both cheered for them behind me. Brin wrapped her arms around Duskull while she spun around on the balls of her feet. Both of them were still crying, but they were crying tears of happiness!

"Oh... oh Brin...!" Duskull sounded so happy as they hugged. "Do you really forgive me? Do you... do you really still think of me as family?"

"Grandpa...! Gra... grandpa...!"

"Thank you... thank you so much..."

---

"You two will be heading home now, yes?"

Duskull, Oro and Brin were all standing with each other. Brin was sitting on top of one of Oro's crates, kicking her legs as she held Duskull's basket in her lap. Duskull was hovering in front of Blue and I. His robes were a little stained, and his single eye was still a little watery. But it didn't matter to him. He looked elated, and I noticed that he just couldn't stop floating up and down.

I nodded, "It's been fun, but I think we'd best head back to our guild before the sun rises. Blue and I have been out on the town for far too long today, and I think we'd both like to have a little rest."

Duskull chuckled and waved his robe at me, "Mm... it's a shame. I would've liked to have the two of you over so I could properly thank you for everything you've done for me... and my family."

I shook my head at Duskull, "No, we should be the ones thanking you, Duskull." I whipped my tail at Blue's leg and smiled, "If it wasn't for your cooperation, we'd never been able to heal Blue's injury. It's all thanks to you."

"Mm... you're too polite, my dear." Duskull chuckled again. He turned around and floated up to where Brin was sitting. He retrieved the small basket from Brin and returned to us with the basket held in his robe.

"Here, Fée. Blue," he held out the entire basket to us. "take it. It's all for you two to enjoy."

"What's this?" I nipped the handle of the basket with my teeth and put it down on the ground in front of us. Blue crouched down beside me, looking just as curious as I am as I flipped open the lid.

"Oh, wow!"

A wondrous aroma wafted out from the basket, making my fur bristle and my nose twitch. If I had a little less self control, I would've started drooling on the spot! It's hard not to! After all, that basket was stuffed to the brim with an entire bakery's worth of fresh bread and pastries!

"Did you make all of this yourself, Duskull?" I asked, tearing my eyes (and nose) away from the delectable basket. "This is amazing!"

"Mm... you flatter me, Fée." A patch of pink appeared on Duskull's face as he chuckled. "But yes, this is all the finest bread you can find at my Patisserie. But you know that, don't you?"

"Of course!" I couldn't help myself, and plucked out a small bun from the basket. It was still a little warm to the touch, and, above all else, it smelled scrumptious!

Ahh... I want to eat it right now! But... it would be impolite to just start scarfing down in front of Duskull and everyone else, so I should put it back and save it for later.

"You're not gonna eat that? Well, I'll take it then!"

All of a sudden, Blue's paw appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bun out of my grasp. I looked up at him, aghast, as he just tossed the flavorful pastry into his mouth. A sinking, despairing feeling flooded through me as I watched my tasty bun disappear down his throat. It got even worse when Blue rubbed his belly, sighing out of contentment.

"That was delicious!"

"Blue!" I bumped my head against his side and growled. "That was mine!"

"Eh? But you looked like you were going to put it back, so I thought–."

"I was gonna save it for later!" I turned my back to him and whipped him with my tail. "Hmph!"

"Aw, come on, Fée! I'm sure there's more in the basket, so don't get mad!"

"Hmph!"

"Hm, hm..." Duskull's chuckle floated over toward us. He held out his robe and flipped the lid on the basket shut. "You needn't worry about that, Fée. I've made sure that there are plentiful amounts of every kind of bread in that basket. It's all for the two of you to share, after all."

He picked up the basket and pushed it into Blue's arms. Then, he returned to back to Brin's side and gave us a wave.

"Mm... Fée, Blue... Be sure to come and visit the Patisserie sometime." Duskull patted Brin on the shoulder with his robe, and they both bowed to us. "You've both done so much, and there's much we are thankful for. If there is any time you feel like you have an appetite for my baking... Then please, come by any time."

"Duskull, of course we'll come visit!" I beamed at them as I returned their bow with a wave of my paws. I looked at Brin and clapped my paws together, "And Brin, I still need to take you to the library some time as well! Don't let me forget, okay?"

"Fée...!" Brin mimicked my action and clapped her hands together as well. She then turned to look at Blue, and waved her arm at him. "Blue...!"

"I'll definitely come and visit you again, Brin!" Blue said. "And I'll make sure it's not because I got hurt!"

Brin and I both giggled at Blue's remark. Duskull then hovered over to Oro and whispered something to him. Oro nodded and put down one of the crates in his arms. He transferred the crate that Brin was sitting on to in between his large, claw – like hands, and lifted it high above his head.

"Ahh...!" Brin waved both of her arms high above her head, smiling and cheering as she looked over the beautiful night view of my beloved Treasure Town. Duskull then floated back down to me, and gave me a curt nod.

"Once more... thank you two so much... Fée... Blue..."

A little proud flame lit up inside my chest. A grin crept onto my face as I nodded back at Duskull. He gave me a pat on the head with his robe, and then returned to Oro's side. The three of them then turned and made their way down the street, and back to their home. Brin shifted her seat on Oro's crate, and kept waving back at us until they disappeared into the night.

I put down my paw, and turned to look at Blue. He also had a funny grin on his face, just like mine. It was a weird feeling, I admit, to be thanked by somebody for something we did. I got the same feeling when I read Marill's letter. I'd never felt someone else's gratitude like this before, and I never would've imagined myself in a situation like this prior to becoming an explorer.

"Becoming an explorer..." I mumbled to myself. Helping others, going on expeditions, and meeting new Pokémon... Ehe! It all sounded so fun and exciting! I spun around on the spot, letting my tail whip around me in a circle. Then, I crouched low and leapt into Blue's chest.

"Oof!" Blue staggered back a few paces as he caught me in his arms. "Fée, what's the matter?"

"Ehe… You said you were cold, right?" I rubbed my cheek against his chest, and smiled up at his face. "Then here! You can carry me back to the guild!"

I puffed out my fur, curled up my tail, and settled myself nice and comfortable within his embrace. I didn't feel embarrassed at all now. After all, this is my partner, and my friend! And if it wasn't for him… I never would've been able to become an explorer!

"Heh... alright," Blue leaned down and picked up Duskull's basket before securing his arms around my belly. "Let's go home, then."

"Let's go home, Blue!"