INTERMISSION: Confessions

Shelly's trip across the beach wasn't a smooth one. The coast was separated from the mainland by enormous cliffs, some of which slanted across the beach to create segmented areas of sand. These slants of cliff weren't high, but were made of jagged enough rock that they needed to be climbed to be traversed. Determined to see if the firelight was Ruby or not, Shelly crawled his way over the rocks and soon reached a secluded enclose where Ruby was in full view.

She didn't seem to notice him as she was deep in training, so he lay forward on the last rock to watch her from a distance. Even though this was only practice, she was nothing short of awesome. She practiced her Flamethrower without a care in the world. With a deep breath in until her cheeks and belly bulged, she would exhale with all her might, unleashing a mighty blast of flames straight up into the sky. He could hear the explosive streams from here. The initial blast was a huge fireball that was so hot it was white, surrounded by a draconic storm of red and orange flames that sparked and swirled around the fireball. She kept up this stream for as long as she could muster, creating a serpent of fire to accompany her mighty fireball.

Ruby lit herself up with her attack, too. Her fur flowed back with howling force, and her stance was ready to move, with one foot slid forward and arms curled. The heat of her attack created an intimidating lighting over her face, a complete contrast to the way her aquatic eyes normally shone. Right now, she looked undefeatable.

He could watch her all night if he was inclined. That might be creepy though, if what she taught him was anything to go by. Asking if that was okay was only right. With his thoughts gathered, he slid forward to roll off the rock he was leaned on, but wound up tumbling to the sand instead. "Ack- argh!"

Ruby instantly stopped and shifted at his presence, but calmed when she saw him. "Geez, keep it together. You scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. You were deep into it," he replied, scratching the back of his head.

"You've really gotta stop sneaking up on me you know," she rolled her eyes and turned away.

"I was going to ask this time! But I didn't want to interrupt you," he cried.

"Whatever. If you're not here to join me, then don't get in my way," she dismissed him.

"Er, I was actually going to warn you lass… your flames are going too high. The Pokémon in the village can see them in the sky," he said, rushing back into her sight.

"Oh wow, I'm really reaching that high up? On my own power, that's something," she remarked. She stared at her forepaws and grinned. "I really have grown stronger. But this is it. The final battle with the guy who killed my mother. The reason I've been travelling and fighting and growing stronger all this time. I can't afford to stop giving it my all just 'cos the goalpost is in sight."

"Have you eaten? You don't want to tire yourself out right now," Shelly asked. His heart was beginning to race.

"Eh, I'll do it in a bit. If I can't aim at the sky, I'll try and break the rock. I know Bestia's weakened it, but let's see what kinda destruction I can do," she proposed, and flared her back.

"Whoa, whoa, let's not break the place apart! Who knows what'll happen," he gasped.

"Geez, what's with you? What happened to not getting in the way of my training, huh?" she complained. "Unless you're saying we should fight. One last bash before the end, huh?"

"Not that either! Just," he trailed off. His heart was heavy, and he sighed to try and calm himself. He couldn't. "Let's just not break anything, okay?"

There was a pause. She stared at him. His worry right now was he couldn't tell the difference between her determined look and her annoyed one. In fact, even when she was idle, her face normally held this sense of aggression. It was cool, but he wished for calmness right now. Her lack of smile flooded his mind with anxiety thoughts.

"You're usually so eager. What's up with you now, huh? You wanna watch me, but you don't want me to attack anything. So what's up? I didn't have a go at Lucca for bottling stuff up for nothing," she asked.

Alright Shelly. It's now or never, he gulped. He reached into his belongings, not his treasure Orb, his actual bag, and presented a band with a Gospel Vibe attached. His own vibe gained a slight hint of pink upon doing so. "Since it's our last night, I wanted to take care of this."

"That thing… oh yeah! That's that thing that changes colour with your emotions, right? You're gonna give one to Crystal, aren't you?" she finally smiled. At last he grew a little more relaxed, though his heart began to beat heavier.

"Yes. Van Akens give Gospel Vibes to Pokémon they have feelings for. If the recipient feels the same way, then the plant glows pink," he explained. "I'm… going to give this to the Pokémon that means the most to me in this world. So that I don't have any regrets going into the last battle."

"Aww. If I remember properly, you said they're for marriage, right? I doubt Crystal's gonna say yes to marriage, but a date?" Ruby cocked her head. "You know what, go for it! I'm in your corner. Metaphorically, of course. I think you're cool enough to make someone happy."

"Well it won't be marriage. I'm too young, I think… but I want to make a certain someone happy. Yeah… I'm going to give this to the Pokémon that means the most to me," he announced. He took a deep breath, but his heart felt like it might beat out of his chest. He held the bracelet close to him, and then held it out to Ruby.

There was another pause. A long pause where neither said a word. His eyes were shut, and he almost wasn't breathing. Eventually he dared to look, and the Cyndaquil cocked her head, perking up. "Oooh, right. Er, I know I just said that and all, but I can't come with you for this. What you wanna say has to come from your heart and stuff, y'know? I can't give it to Crystal for you."

Shelly was dumbfounded. He blinked, blushed, then started giggling. He held back his laughter and gestured the bracelet towards her again.

"Okay… that was weird. You okay there? You can't go acting like a weirdo when you confess, you know. That's not me giving man advice and all that, that's just a thing," she said.

Shelly giggled again, which broke into laughter, making her give a half-lidded sigh. "R-Ruby, wow. I thought I slow was sometimes, but this is amazing!"

"Hmm?" she cocked her head. He came closer and held the bracelet out to her, and it finally hit. Her face went bright red and she recoiled so wildly she almost rolled back. "Wha-wha-what the-hey-uh-whaa… wha-wait a minute, back up, go back ten billion- you're not s-seriously giving it to ME? Are you?"

There was so much heat in Shelly's cheeks. He wanted to laugh but held back with a shudder and a smile. "It's for you, Ruby."

"But why? Me? Like, me me?" she squeaked, tensing up. "Why me? I'm just a fat, ugly, stupid, weird—"

"Will ye just take it? I've made no mistake," he assured. She couldn't close her mouth, but after a few grunts, hesitantly snatched it from him.

"You're way outta your mind, just so you know," she pouted aggressively as she slipped the bracelet on her arm.

"I'll admit, I liked Crystal at first because I thought she was cute, and she was adventurous, calm, and smart. But as the journey went on, I realised I looked up to you a lot more. You're nothing like any other Pokémon I've ever met. You're powerful, you know what you want and you go for it with everything you've got, no matter what's going on or what anyone says. You never give up, even when it feels like the whole world is against you," Shelly praised. His gospel vibe began to glow pink, so pink it was as if it had a fiery aura around it. He couldn't hide his own blush, either. "As we trained and you taught me how strong you were, I realised… I can't be that strong. It's just not me. But I can support it. I wanna see you happy more than anyone I've ever met. I want to protect you. Even after all this is over, I want to do my best to protect you. Erm… if you'd let me stick around, I can be the shield to protect the sword I admire."

"Wh-whoa… you were serious about this whole thing. You rehearse that or something?" Ruby replied with a cocky smile. She snuck a glance at the Gospel Vibe she'd just been given, which had very quickly taken on its own pink glow. It was almost as strong as Shelly's, too. "A-ah, what the? No way, this thing must be broken! You rigged it so it always turns pink, didn't you?"

Shelly couldn't close his mouth. All the weight in his chest vanished into a cool, chill relief that ran throughout his body. As Ruby cutely pouted about, he loosened and smiled back her. "R-Ruby… Do you really…?"

"Hmpf! I was planning to continue my journey after all of this, anyway. Suzie's gone, so I kinda don't have a home to go back to. A-and I didn't wanna stop journeying, anyway," she continued to pout. She couldn't stop blushing, and slowly turned back to him, though she couldn't look him in the eyes. "Wha-what I'm sayin' is, you're welcome to tag along if you want. I wouldn't complain."

"Ruby…" Shelly muttered.

"Tha-that was pretty cute, okay? U-ugh, stop making me say things!" She cried. She rubbed her face to relieve her blush, but couldn't. "I-I mean it, too. When we've brought Bestia back, I'm happy to keep travelling. If you wanna come along, you can."

"Ruby… Ruby, thank you," he replied quietly. His eyes gleamed brightly, as did hers. They shared a moment of staring into each other, until Shelly began to slowly come forward and held his paws out.

"U-uh, wa-wait a minute… I-I know I just said all that but I er, I'm not ready for a kiss yet… or anything like that…" she squeaked, turning away and playing with her paws. "So don't. S-sorry."

"I was actually gonna go for a hug, but that's okay. Really, that's okay!" he said with a cheerful grin. "I'm so happy right now. Ruby, thank you!"

Ruby moaned lightly, still rubbing her face. "… I suppose it wouldn't be right if we didn't do anything like that… but just a cuddle, okay?"

Shelly answered that with a giggle, and held his paws open. She was surprisingly hesitant, and glanced around a lot. At her paws, her feet, the scenery, and then settled on him with a gulp. He held still for her, letting her test his reaction with a tap on his arm. He didn't move or stop smiling, so she soon calmed enough to sit back and held her own arms open. He leaned in and hugged her close. She was taller, so his head settled into her chest, letting him tell how calm she was.

"Huh… you're… actually really soft. Like, your fur's way softer than I thought," she said quietly. "You're gonna have to show me how you do that."

"But you're soft, too. I thought you'd be rugged because you're strong," he smiled as they held each other.

"Ugh, that's just because I'm fat. We've been through this," she turned away. She rubbed her cheeks yet again, still unable to stop blushing. "I guess I have to take trying to look better seriously now, huh?"

"I never said that. I-I like you just the way you are," he frowned at her comment.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he nodded.

"You really like me even though I'm fat?" she challenged.

He leaned forward to emphasize his response, but a better idea quickly formed. He raised a paw to ponder it, and then nodded at his thoughts. He quickly poked her belly, making her belch a little fireball.

"You little—" she squeaked and covered her mouth. She was even redder than before. "That's all ya really wanted to do, didn't you? You little weirdo, you- you!" she squeaked. He laughed as he ducked away, but she chased him, flailing the Parashelter about to try and hit him. "Come back here! We'll see how you like getting poked my way, huh?"

New feelings made themselves known to the Oshawott. Ruby tackled him to the floor, but he couldn't stop laughing. He playfully slapped at the air and poked her face to keep her back, and she returned in kind with her own playfighting. It wasn't like he was ill; the laughter just wouldn't stop even as his mouth started to ache from laughing so much. Before he realised, Ruby had stopped, but remained stood over him with a serious frown.

"Seriously. You don't mind that I'm fat at all?" she asked.

"I think you're cute! Don't you believe me?" he replied gleefully. Her face didn't change, so he calmed down at last. "I mean it, Ruby. I love you just the way you are."

Her frown slowly turned into a mischievous grin. "Oh really? Enough to learn to make pizza?"

"H-huh? Pizza seems easy enough to learn how to do…" he replied. She let him sit up to wiggle her arms in glee.

"Sweet! I can eat as much as I want without feeling bad!" she remarked.

"What happened to me being a weirdo? Was that all you wanted to ask me?" he cocked his head.

"Good food is a different tier to belly pokes!" she cried, going red. "This ain't an exchange, either. Don't go thinkin' you can poke me all the time, now."

"I promise, I wasn't. You know I save Fire Burps for battles," he reasoned. She leered at him, and he flinched. "That's with your permission, too! This time was just me playing, I swear!"

That made her turn away and moan a little. "You dumb weirdo."

At the same time, with Lucca…

The Brionne was psyching himself up for his own encounter. He did his duty to a T: swords were sharpened, items stocked, and he'd read over the strategy enough that he could recite it if he wanted. He even hung the sheet with it over where he intended to sleep. All he really had to do now was rest and be ready when everyone else was.

Okay. Here goes, Lucca. Just be honest and natural, he told himself as he snaked his way up the mountain path. The town had a few exits that winded throughout the valley, and this one ascended. He remained concentrated until about ten minutes passed and he realised he was leaving the village. "Huh? Wait, they said she went this way, didn't they? Did Azu really go this far outside?"

He looked over his shoulder and was surprised. He'd gone far higher up than he imagined. The cliffs to his sides could be jumped on if he was inclined, and he could see a bit of the valley he'd gone through to get here. The town was a collection of white dots in the grey scenery.

Continuing on for a little longer, he finally made it to a camp. A couple of tents had been put up, as well as a hut in the shape of a Xatu's head that peeked over the top of the walls around them. Books were spilled out of the entrance, and many lay with their pages saved scattered all around the space.

"Uh…" the Brionne mouthed as he came to a stop. If it's not Azu, someone studious is here. She's not really this messy, is she?

Wary not to touch any of the books, he peeped through the curtains covering the entrance to the hut. Azu was there, book in hand, pacing the room while reading intently. She seemed to be multitasking despite her eyes being glued to the pages. If he walked in now, he'd definitely get in her way. That was until he noticed her tail contently swaying as she paced. It glowed too, bringing a smile to his face.

"Azu," he slid inside and waved.

She kept pacing for a minute, and then stopped by one of the windows. Several notes where there, and she added to them without looking. Her free hand moved fast enough to blur, writing something on a new note. She did it without looking away once.

"… Azu?" he cocked his head.

She still didn't answer, but her face became intense. She glanced back and forth between the pages and her wall of notes, aggressively mumbling to herself. She concluded with a light gasp, dropped the book, and rushed outside. It was as if Lucca wasn't even there.

"Wow. Okay, this is what Shelly was alluding to," he snickered. He positioned himself in front of the doorway and stood on his tail. The moment she came back in: "Boo!"

"Lucca!" Azu shrieked and bounced backward. She quickly recovered and laid a hand on her chest. "Good gods, don't do that. You know how sensitive I am to stuff like that."

"If I didn't, you'd have probably bumped into me or something," he snickered. "I've never seen you work so intense. What is all this?"

Her eyes remained closed for a moment. "It's work."

"… What kind of work?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Research work, obviously," she sighed, picking herself back up. "I just hit a breakthrough, but I've still got a lot to sift through. I'd appreciate it if you gave me space."

"Can't it wait? I wanted to talk to you," he watched her walk past. She returned to the wall with the notes and compared her new book to it.

"You know how important this is, so you know the answer to that," she replied without looking at him.

"This is really important, too. To me," he said. She didn't answer, but it definitely looked like her work slowed down. "Look we can't keep running away from this."

"Who's running away from what, Lucca?" she cried. "We've been through everything already. There's nothing else for us to talk about."

"I wanted to know what your plans were after all this is done," he asked calmly. She slumped and sighed tiredly, and then returned to her books. "Yours is extra special, you know? Like, this is the thing you were aiming for this entire journey. Once we make a world that doesn't rely on Bestia… what are you going to do?"

"I'll go to whatever my next major task is. I'm a scientist, I'm always on a major pursuit," she replied again without looking at him.

"No idea what that is?" he asked.

"Of course not. We're not done yet, Lucca. And even if everything goes our way and we do magically solve the Bestia crisis, Heroica still needs to be rebuilt. It'll be months before life is back to 'normal' for any of us. It'll be a new normal for everyone, in fact. So it's no use me thinking about things that're so uncertain," she reasoned.

Lucca turned away to ponder his thoughts, and then made sure to look at her with an unwavering face. "Is there any room for me in your future?"

Finally, Azu came to a complete stop. She sighed softly this time, put her book down beside her, and then turned to him. She wasn't upset or happy, she was completely blank. "Why me?"

"Huh?"

"Why me?" Azu shook, and looked at herself. "I'm a poor scientist with no renown, poor fitness, and… well look at this room, I'm not even tidy. I couldn't possibly make anyone happy, yet here you are insisting we try and make something work."

"Subtlety's gone out the window, huh?" Lucca rubbed his face. "You say all of that about yourself, but here I am, wanting to make up for all the trouble and distress I've caused you. You're the most passionate Pokémon I've ever met, who I want to help support. You make me smile a lot too, your habits are cute, and I feel like our qualities align. This isn't about me being crown prince anymore. I want you in my life, Azu."

"Me? You really mean that?" she said softly.

"There's a lot I want to learn about the world, and you made it really fun to do. I know it was fleeting, and it didn't end positively, but… that date we went on in Girage, I can't forget it," he explained. His eyes gleamed with his warm smile. "That was one of the best days of my life. The feelings I got there are the same I got when Mimia was first allowed to be my retainer. I know that means you're someone special to me."

"So despite your lies and how carelessly you took the lives of other Pokémon, and how much you know I hate that, you want us to do it again," she finished for him. "You want me to treat you like we have something together, like we can be beautiful couple exploring life together."

"That… is a way of putting it," Lucca replied. It took everything he had not to take his eyes off her. "This is going to take time, but I'm going to change. I'm not royalty of Reverie anymore. You heard it from Alver, I don't have a home or a family anymore. When all of this is over, I'm going to have to put everything I can into learning to live here. If I got to at least try that with you, I'd be the happiest Brionne on the planet, no matter how tough it got."

"You want to change?" she asked.
"I have to change. I have to change to live, but most importantly, to prove to you the kind of male I can be," he stated.

"You're prepared to do so much for me. You're so desperate for love," she said quietly as she slid towards him. She went right up to him and held his flippers between them, and then started to sway playfully. "Goodness, your heart is racing. I didn't take you for someone who got shy."

Ack, her big ears! She can seriously tell? He gasped in his mind. He masked it by gesturing to nuzzle her, and to his surprise, she allowed him to. After a moment, she leaned in and wrapped an arm behind his back to hold him close, to which he copied to cuddle her.

She was warm. Probably because she was nervous too, but she was warm and surprisingly tense. "I'm sorry I hurt you so much. I promise I'm going to be a better Pokémon. Will you wait for me for when I am?"

"I really am flattered. You really are prepared to make me happy no matter what it takes, huh?" she replied, looking up at him lustfully. He finally blushed, but then she broke away. "I'm sorry, Lucca. I just wanted to know what it felt like to be loved. Because this is probably the last time I'll feel it from you, and I don't know anyone else who's interested in me this way."

"H-huh? Wait, why did you- what in the world do you mean by that?" Lucca leaned forward, but she shifted back, making him freeze.

"If circumstances were different, maybe I would play along. I want to see what kind of Pokémon you'll grow into. And I'd love to teach you more about Heroica. I'd love to take you to another place like we did in Girage," she explained. Her eyes were shut and she faced the floor. She shook her head and managed to give him a serious glare. "I can't in good conscience let you make an impulsive decision. Not when I know you already have someone."

"I… I don't already have someone. Azu, I choose you!" Lucca replied.

Azu leaned forward, but held back her words. With a sigh, she waved to him. "Come with me."

"Look, what're you talking about? I'm saying I love you, you're saying you want to give me a chance, so why are we back to denying it?" he stated, but she didn't answer. She kept walking, and would leave him behind if he didn't pick himself up. With a sigh and a shrug, he ran after her.

He fired all sorts of desperate questions her way but she didn't answer any of them. She kept on in silence until they were back in town, where he clammed up in case others overheard him. He wasn't mad at her. He was more confused than he'd ever been, especially when she began to head toward the sea.

"Okay, seriously. Where are we going? Is this a fancy experiment?" he asked, half-lidded. She still didn't answer. "Azu, c'mon. This isn't like a cool surprise anymore. Now I'm just worried."

She made a noise before she started to skip, and he groaned in effort to keep up. He soon spotted Mimia and Brine, and stopped. The Stufful stared straight in his direction and was a little faded with the sea glistening behind him. As if acknowledging something, both girls walked off to the side, leaving him to stare back at his old friend.

What in the world is going on? Was this planned? He cocked his head. He snuck a glance at Azu and Brine, but neither gave any hints. They observed with worrisome curiosity, folded arms, and at a distance. Mimia on the other hand, he was concentrating harder and harder as Lucca got closer, and then spread his feet apart as if preparing for battle. The motion brought Lucca to a halt.

"Lord Lucca!" Mimia called out.

The Brionne's eyes widened at the tone. "Speaking of things we've been through already - I'm not your lord anymore. Just call me Lucca."

"… I can't," Mimia replied. That got Lucca's attention. "I know it is what you prefer, but I… I simply cannot go on this way anymore. Not without knowing."

"Without knowing what? Look all of you ought to just stop being cryptic and just tell me what's going on, or like, I guess get to bed or something. Maybe being tired is making you all weird," Lucca complained.

"Very well then. I will get straight to the point," Mimia promised with a slow nod. "Lucca, my feelings for you cannot be buried any longer. I want to confirm them myself, and the only way I know me and you will be able to. Through my feral code."

"Wait, I don't understand—" Lucca replied.

"I love you, Lucca. In the new Heroica, I want to spend my life with you. I am worried that if you were to choose Azu, a rift could grow between us, and then all would be uncertain. I am sure you feel a similar way, but cannot understand these feelings, even to yourself," Mimia explained. "So we will do things by my feral code. In order to truly resign from my duty to serve you and live with the one I love, I must overcome my master… which happens to be you."

"Wait, are you serious? This isn't really going to happen, is it? You're going to fight me in order to not feel bad about having feelings for me?" Lucca summarised with a furrowed brow. What he just said clicked after a moment. "Wait, me? Love, as in, love love? Like, kissy couple married love?"

Mimia nodded. Since his face was already pink, it was tough to tell when the Stufful was blushing, but Lucca knew what it looked like. Yet still, Mimia's face was determined. He was serious.

"This is silly, buddy. You're already free, we announced this after you defeated Fionn. You don't need to fight to prove your affection to me or anything. You're not going anywhere either, I want you in my life even if me and Azu get together. Even if I didn't get with Azu, I wouldn't want you to leave," Lucca stated.

"Don't you understand that?" Mimia replied. Lucca cocked his head. "You are dishonouring me, Lucca! This is the way I have to do things. To prove to myself that my feelings are real. I need you to fight me, and properly!"

His feral code is way stricter than I thought, Lucca sighed. "I can't fight you over something like this. You're being silly."

"Get your swords out! Or I will kill you!" Mimia shouted. He pulled his knife free and glared, ready for battle again.

Lucca sighed and shut his eyes. "I'm not going to fight you over this."

"Lucca!" Mimia shouted at the top of his voice. His face was livid.

"You don't need to fight me to prove anything to yourself or to me, especially not this seriously. Neither of us are ferals. Also, I can't in good conscience hurt you," Lucca said calmly.

"Oh for goodness sake – can't you just play along for his sake?" Azu snapped. "This is his last action as a feral, don't you understand that? If he can defeat you, then he knows his feelings for you are real. If he can't defeat you, then he knows his feelings aren't."

"Do you not want to confess to Azu? If you defeat me now, then it means your want to be with her is real. If I defeat you, then it means my feelings for you are real, and you will have to give me a true answer," Mimia explained.

"This just feels a little barbaric and dated. Are you really okay with this?" Lucca asked Azu.

She put her hands together and appeared surprisingly lustful. "I want you to be happy. It's either I'm the Pokémon that can do that, or Mimia is. If this is the way Mimia has to do it, then this is the way."

His mouth hit the floor. He glanced back at Mimia to see the Stufful as rigid as ever, knife in mouth and feet ready to sprint. "If you lose, you're resigning yourself to servitude at the paws of a Pokémon you can never confess to for the rest of your life."

"And that is why I will be able to put my all into this fight," the Stufful assured.

"If you're worried, I'm kinda here to make sure the two of don't literally kill each other," Brine assured. "Couldn't have you two wounding each other right now, could we?"

Lucca was half-lidded, sighed once again, and then tiredly drew his swords. "Can't believe I'm doing this, but if it's the only way you'll truly feel free, then fine. But I don't like it one bit. You not feeling that you're free even though I've announced you are."

Silence fell. Azu and Brine stood right back to the cliff walls, leaving Lucca to lock eyes with his opponent. Mimia's eyes locked back at him, yet he couldn't truly feel up to this. Nothing about the Stufful implied he was an opponent.

"Or maybe you don't trust or believe me," Lucca continued, making Mimia tilt his head. "I've said you're free, I've said you can be honest, I've said you're not a feral anymore. If you don't believe I'm telling the truth with that, then you don't believe me."

"Do not try to spin this. I have only behaved as I should have, as per your orders!" Mimia replied. He howled a battle cry, and then sprinted towards Lucca. The Brionne held both swords over his front, ready to defend.

"I literally fired you! Me saying you're free wasn't an order, it was an announce—" Lucca was cut off by Mimia's powerful tackle. The Stufful leapt into Lucca so hard the two of them slid back, and the blades of both Lucca's swords were ground against Mimia's knife. Ack, he's serious about this feral business!

It had been a long time since Lucca had ever fought Mimia. Long enough that he couldn't recall the last time they had. Either way, he was surprised at how hard he was being pushed against. He was leaned forward in his usual standing stance, but if they stayed like this, Mimia would push him onto his back. He knew not to give that weakness away, and intensified his growl.

Lucca quickly moved one flipper to motion into another slash, but the instant he did, Mimia began to push him over. He motioned with it, sliding to the side to make Mimia trip up. The moment that happened, he slashed upwards, but Mimia was fast. The Stufful's hind legs both kicked up, and Lucca's sword was knocked out of his flipper.

And he knows my moves! Lucca cursed himself as he motioned into his usual dance moves. Even with one sword, he made himself an awkward target by bending and twisting around the area the way only a Brionne could. With a spare flipper, it meant he could flip, handstand, or even shove Mimia in advantageous ways.

Despite all of that, this wasn't an easy fight thanks to Mimia's frightening speed. Lucca twisted and spun to the left and then leapt over Mimia's back as they tackled him. He should have landed behind Mimia, but they were fast enough to kick and spin to stop Lucca's attack. Lucca attempted to dodge with a handstand to flip over Mimia's second attempt, but by the time he righted himself from the handstand, his opponent was spaces away, and motioned to throw their knife. Lucca had an instant to bend his body and avoid it, and then a second to prepare as Mimia came charging toward him.

He knew what to do. Mimia was weapon-less for this moment, which meant he had a chance to land a fatal hit with his one sword. However, Mimia charged right into his stomach headfirst, choking the Brionne and sending him tumbling to the floor. Lucca winced and rubbed where he was hit, giving Mimia an easy chance to retrieve his knife. He simply wasn't fast enough.

Now this is a familiar feeling, Lucca growled as he attempted to recover. The first night he'd begged to keep Mimia, he was headbutted just like that. And again during their training. And maybe a few times when he'd upset the Stufful. It hurt just as much as it ever did.

When he got up, Mimia was glaring at him from a distance again. He took the opportunity to retrieve his other sword, and this time held them both pointed forward. He didn't say anything. He hoped the frown would say enough. Mimia's growling certainly said enough.

The Stufful charged him again, but this time Lucca didn't hold himself defensively. He flipped backwards as Mimia leapt, letting his tail kick them high into the air, where he jumped after them. Any normal opponent would be sliced up by Lucca's moves by now, but Mimia was hardly fazed. They engaged in a moment of dodges and clashes in the air. Slashes were blocked, the duo bent their bodies to dodge stabs, and flipper met paw as punches were parried. Both Pokémon moved so fast they were a blur of colour in the black and white world. The only detail that was clear was how much effort they both put into their attacks.

The clash of metal echoed throughout the valley, while faces of gritted fangs emphasized the shouts and grunts of both Pokémon. I thought it'd be him trying to keep up with me, but if things stay the way they are, he's actually gonna cut me! There's got to be a way to end this without one of us harming the other.

They broke off when they landed, and Lucca slumped a bit as he had to catch his breath. "Damn buddy, here I thought I was ready for FinVarra, yet you're threatening to give me more of a workout. How long've you been plotting to fight me, huh?"

Mimia seemed surprised. "I have not plotted. I am aware of your habits and styles, and trained to react to you so that I could keep up with you during combat. That was why I succeeded as your retainer. I can support you better than anyone else."

"Yeah, but in battle? I can't even remember the last time we fought this seriously," Lucca replied.

"We used to train all the time before we came to Heroica. How could you forget?" Mimia barked in feral speech. "Does what we have been through not mean anything?"

"I remember. You're the one who suggested I use two swords instead of one, after all," Lucca smiled. "But I don't remember our fights being nearly this intense. And this is without Bestia. What're you gonna be like with Bestia? I'm actually kind of excited to find out."

"You are enjoying fighting me?" Mimia cocked his head. He was very confused, now.

Gotcha, Lucca snickered. He turned tail and sped towards the sea, surprising all the onlookers. He was so focused that he hadn't realised the many Pokémon that had gathered to watch them. He even had to push aside a crowd to get through.

"Where are you running? Come back here!" Mimia went back to barking.

Lucca didn't look back once, he just kept going as fast as he could. He didn't sheath his swords so it was a little awkward, but he had enough of a head start to reach the ocean before he was caught. No one was here. He slid across the sand to stop and give Mimia a playful grin.

"It is unlike you to flee from a fight. I said this was a duel! You cannot forfeit or escape!" Mimia growled at him.

Lucca answered with wink, and then stood on his tail. That finally brought the Stufful to a halt. Instead of attacking like the Stufful expected, he backflipped as high as he could, and disappeared into the sea. As he sunk below the surface, Mimia's continued barks became more and more muffled.

If we tie this closely, then the only way I'll win is by using my element to my advantage, Lucca grinned cockily at himself, and then flinched when he noticed the bubbles escape his mouth. Even if I can't breathe. Stupid black water.

He expected Mimia's barks to get quieter and more muffled the lower he went, but it sounded like they were getting louder instead. He stared at the surface with concern, and then almost screamed when the Stufful splashed in, knife bared and paws front. Mimia attempted to tackle him, lost all momentum thanks to the water, but kicked his way through to pin him down instead.

Nothing but panic fuelled Lucca's movements as he cowered behind his flippers, letting himself get pushed down. He slammed against some rocks below and coughed as a splitting pain shook his form. Mimia didn't hold back at all, acting as if the water wasn't there at all. He growled and snarled down at Lucca, and then raised his head to brandish his knife.

"You're out of your mind!" Lucca cried as Mimia swung his head down to try and stab him. Several slashes forced him to try and push the Stufful away, and he wound up gripping the Stufful's ears to pull them back as hard as he could. Mimia held stiff and pushed back hard, keeping his body pressed down on Lucca's tailfins.

This wasn't the first time they had been in this exact same position. The memories hit him like a truck. Right now, he was in the depths of an ocean of black water, surrounded by grey coral, rock, and all sorts of other formations. Yet, his mind was showing him faded sepia, with an almost completely white background.

Mimia had been struck in the eye and the wound was enough kill him. That was what Lucca had thought at the time. With his chest full of angst and panic, he had brought Mimia to the pool of healing water in the basement of the castle and submerged him. The entire time the Stufful rested with his face in that magic liquid, Lucca stayed with him, praying that they eye would heal.

The eye healed, but Mimia's sight didn't, nor did Lucca's act of care and patience get through to the feral. The first thing Mimia did when he awoke was thrash and attempt to kill Lucca, tackling him down into the depths of the pool. Lucca was weapon-less with no way to fight back, and could only push Mimia's head back while he was expertly pinned down.

A painful-sounding snort flashed him back to reality. Mimia had weakened even though he was tensing up so hard he was twitching. He needed air, and it was showing. The way his eyes were clenched shut and his head was raised, cheeks swollen and red, gurgling growls and grunts, it pushed every emergency sense at once. Lucca flicked his tail to kick Mimia up, then hugged him tightly from behind. Like this, he made his way to the surface as quickly as he could. Despite that, Mimia still wiggled and squirmed, grumbling in complaint.

Lucca leapt out of the water like a dolphin, performing a couple of flips before splashing back in. He kept a hold of Mimia the whole time, and made for the surface much slower this time. The Stufful was left coughing and sputtering to regain his breath, and Lucca patiently lay on his back on the surface. When Mimia got a hold of himself, the duo locked eyes, and he smiled warmly. "Are you okay? I'm not going to hurt you."

Mimia flinched, but remained latched to Lucca. "You… you!"

"Whoa, easy there. Don't want to fall in again," Lucca snickered, hugging the Stufful. He wasn't opposed this time. "You're seriously something else, you know that? You'd go that far just to take someone down?"

Mimia blushed and looked away. "Please take me back to land."

"Anything you say, buddy," Lucca replied, and began leisurely flicking his tail to swim back. He kept staring at Mimia the whole time, who tried not to stare back, and wouldn't stop blushing either. The moment the sand was close, Mimia jumped off and made space between them.

"Are you two alright?" Brine gasped.

"I know this was a feral duel, but that is still black water. Lucca, you could've drowned in that as well you know!" Azu warned.

"I know. But it was only meant to be until Mimia gave up. Now I know you want to kill me so bad you'd kill yourself over it," Lucca joked.

Mimia didn't reply. He kept his back to the trio and didn't so much as shiver.

"If I'm being real, it's the only way I would've won. You really didn't leave me with a lot of options," Lucca rubbed the back of his head.

"… But I lost," Mimia replied quietly.

"And do you know what that means?" Lucca asked. Mimia finally shuddered, but no words came. "It means I get to choose what I'm going to do. And no matter what, you're going to have to put up with it."

The statement made Mimia shudder even harder, but he sucked it up. With a raised head and a stiff stance, he faced Lucca and immediately locked eyes. There was a glint, but he shook it off. "I am a 'mon of my word. You are right. I lost the duel I proposed, so there is nothing more to be said from me."

"… Yeah right. That's what my demand is," Lucca folded his flippers. Mimia cocked his head. "If you really are a man, a 'mon of your word, then you're going to confess to me properly."

"Huh? But I—"

"Go on, no excuses. I want to hear it from your own mouth, exactly how you feel about me. And I don't want it to be watered down because you think you're not allowed to, or because you're a feral or any of that. From a lifelong friend to another friend, I want to hear your heart," Lucca demanded.

All of that stiff bravado drained from Mimia in an instant, and his head, ears, and tail drooped like a shrivelled flannel. He could barely utter a word, even though he was trying to. Lucca unfolded his flippers and stood casually to help, but it didn't.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"This isn't fair!" Mimia cried up at him. His cheeks had gone red again. "I lost. You're supposed to get what you want since you won! And what you want is Azu!"

"I'm pretty sure I always say what I want," Lucca replied plainly. "You just said it yourself, after all."

"But I… But I…"

"You're a lot more prideful than I thought, you know that? You really don't feel you're allowed to say anything until you defeat me, even if I literally tell you I want you to speak?" he folded his flippers again. Mimia whimpered. "Or maybe you're just inconceivably shy. I don't think I've ever seen you this weird."

Mimia shifted back, but still struggled to look him in the eyes. It was a bit annoying to see him like this, but equal parts adorable. Amongst his shivering form, legs knocking together, and reddened face, one fact was clear: their tail was wagging, a lot. Seeing that, Lucca stood normally, and gave a warm grin.

"Fine, have it your way," he said quietly, making Mimia look up. "To think that not even a few minutes ago you were staring me down like I was prey. Now you look like you're gonna run under the nearest pillow if I try to hold your paw or something."

"But why would you…?" Mimia muttered.

"Mimia!" Lucca raised his voice to speak sternly, to which Mimia stood up straight. "I'll admit I don't know what I'm going to do after all this is over. Everything's up in the air right now. But whatever it is I end up doing, I know I want you by my side during it."

Mimia started gawking, but his tail was still wagging.

"That's not even necessarily to help me or follow my orders and stuff. I just want you there. Maybe we can have some fun for once, rather than having to train or hunt or be on some secret mission," Lucca continued. He slid around as he spoke his thoughts, and stopped to smile at his friend. "To think that you felt this way about me though. I started mulling it over as we fought, and I don't think I mind. If you're gonna go crazy without me, what've I got to lose?"

Mimia gawked even more, but it was no longer a smiling gawk. He caught Azu and Brine palm their faces too, and started growling. "Lucca!" he squeaked as he tackled the Brionne to the sand.

"Wh-whoa hey, ow! What's that for?" Lucca cried.

"That was a horrible thing to say! Is that your idea of a confession?" Mimia snapped.

"I dunno, I was just speaking my mind!" he snickered. Mimia sighed. "It's true, isn't it? You like me so much you'd dive into the black water and try to kill me over it. Somebody's got to keep you in check, and I might be the only one who can."

"Do you actually like me, or do you feel you have to look after me still?" Mimia complained as he stood back.

"I meant what I said though! I want you in my life, you want me in your life, what's the big deal?" Lucca rubbed the back of his head.

"Lucca. Since the day you saved my life and strove tirelessly to keep me alive even though your family deemed me a feral like all the rest, I have had boundless respect and adoration for you. You taught me how to live, and that there is so much more to life than the tasks we our given by our elders. Before we came to Heroica, I already knew how I felt about you. That I wanted to spend my new life by your side," Mimia explained. "In my feral pack, we have a golden rule: 'Never grow attached to your master'. It is to ensure that we always play our role unquestionably, as replaceable units in a pack. Having the feelings for you I had, I was always conflicted. If I felt so strongly about staying with you, then would I be able to protect and serve you as efficiently as I always did? Was it a sin to want your romantic affection in response to my servitude? Was that how relationships worked? And then, somebody very cool pointed me in the correct direction: 'if you really want something and it's not hurting anyone, you should go for it with all your heart'."

"Somebody really cool? I don't remember saying anything like that…" Lucca snickered.

"When I realised that we would encounter Fionn at the trial, I knew that I had to set myself free. It was not enough to have you announce it. I wanted – no, I needed to prove to myself that my feelings were real, and achieve my own freedom to confess to you," Mimia stated. He looked down with a whine. "But I was not strong enough to defeat you. Perhaps it is pride, but I cannot conquer these feelings with anyone's help. I want to love you so badly. But I just cannot do so until I truly break free of this code. Permit me to try again one day. I will overcome the feral code so that we can be together as partners rather than servant and master!"

Lucca had gone into a thought pose midway through the speech, and calmed when Mimia finished. "I wish you'd told me all this sooner. I actually understand now. I think I'd feel the same. It's like stepping out into maturity on your own," Lucca replied.

"Precisely! It is achieving my independence and happiness!" Mimia stepped forward.

"There's something we both overlooked, though," Lucca said. He glanced at Brine and Azu, who were confused. "I'm the one who chose you as my retainer, yes, but Father is the one that officially announced it."

Mimia gasped sharply. "You're right!"

"FinVarra is even the one who gave you the test to serve us. That means the one you really need to overcome is FinVarra, not me," Lucca explained.

"Wait are you serious? How could you forget something like that?" Azu challenged.

"If this family were a pack, then FinVarra would be the current leader, and the one who makes all the decisions regarding who to allow into the family. I am an outsider recruited by him to serve his son. Lucca never truly had command over me; following Lucca's wishes was merely my role, so it seemed like he was my master. We both lost sight of that!"

"I'm not saying this to spin things, either. But this fight's as much yours as it is mine," Lucca stated. "If we win… will you admit your feelings then?"

"You have seen how much I want this. I will stop at nothing to overcome FinVarra and set myself free for true. Lucca… will you wait for me until then?" Mimia replied.

"If it means you get to stick around and be happy with me, then I'll wait as long as it takes. You're the only partner I want, Mimia," Lucca answered.

"Hey, Azu?" Brine whispered and leaned into the Azumarill. Mimia hugged Lucca and brought him to the sand again, where the duo started nuzzling playfully. "I don't really get what's going on anymore… they basically just confessed to each other, right? I mean, just look at them."

"They're just… different, let's leave it at that," Azu blushed and rubbed her face. "I'm glad to get that off my chest, though. Mimia said some pretty unruly things thinking I couldn't hear."

"Hmm? Huh, wait you understand feral language?" Brine asked.

"Fluently, too. Mimia wasn't joking when he said he's had these feelings this whole journey," Azu stated, watching the couple playfully roughhouse in the sand. "Anytime Lucca showed affection for me, he'd bark about it. Hopefully this'll be the end of it, and they can be happy after all."