Fireworks flew overhead in Veilstone, hewn from rock as they say due to having literally been carved out from a mountain. Throughout most of the year, the city was fairly isolated, having something of a reputation for its quiet, local affairs rarely if ever truly affecting the rest of the region- but today, as was the case every year, it was different.

For tonight was the qualifying round of the Sinnoh Grand Festival, one of the largest fashion shows in the world, where some of the greatest up-and-coming minds in the world of tailoring and glamor come to strut their stuff and show their potential to high society. It was exaggerated, avant-garde, borderline incomprehensible at points- it was the arts. And as expected from most shows of such a high regard, the arriving guests were certainly quite the sight themselves.

"Well, the style's on point and it's as hot as can be here at the Grand Festival tonight," an Altaria called out overhead, her fluttering cloud-like body masking her brilliantly in the sky as she overlooked the scene, speaking into her microphone as all tv personalities do- loudly, "residents from all over Sinnoh are gathered through the spectator stands and on the ground as the guests and our fabulous competitors begin to arrive."

Down at the red carpet, droves of some of the region's most elite and privileged stars have already arrived. The most unsurprising of the lot was local celebrity and gym leader, Medicham, rocking a long hanging scarf and sunglasses in conjunction with her wrappings she regularly wore to her usual battles. She managed to maintain just that right mix of glitz and flair, while also seemingly genuinely intimidating beyond reason for such an event.

"And- there you go," she said, handing back an autograph to a large group of young girls behind the stanchions, her hands flicking into a finger gun as she gave the inspired advice, "and remember- stay in school, cause its cool…And you never know when you'll get a sick ass fight from being there!"

The girls screamed, trying to push past the railing only to get held back by a pair of Poliwrath guards, Medicham only laughing along as she waved at the crowd. This kind of event wasn't usually her thing- frankly she'd much rather be at the gym training or punching something right now, but hey, the spotlight ain't too bad. It's only one night anyway since she usually skipped the following days every year out of sheer disinterest.

As she walked by, she passed another mon covering the event in the form of a Mr. Rime, who's face and belly laughed along to something he just heard mere moments ago, as he declared into the camera, "Yes, indeed, Altaria- everyone who's anyone is here tonight to see the hippest and funkiest of trends! Truly the outfits are to die for-"

Then the heart attack hit, the jovial mime gripping onto his chest and he ran through his staff calling out for help, "Dear God, it's happening, it's actually happening- someone, anyone, get me my medication!"

Altaria just laughed though, ignoring her co-workers distress as she carried on, "Yes, indeed, Rime; this'll certainly be a night to remember- hang on, am I seeing this right?"

Souring down, she fluttered just above the stands as the latest vehicle arrived; a slick black limousine. A strapping young Blaziken tipped his valet hat and stepped out, opening up the door to reveal-

"My goodness, do my eyes deceive me. No, its- yes, everyone, its her!"

Stepping out of the car was Garchomp, styled in a lavash dress meant to accentuate her unique body type as cameras flashed all around her, all the while she gladly smiled and waved at the crowd.

"It's Garchomp, everyone! The Champion of Sinnoh, here tonight! Someone get a close-up!"

"We'll be right back with more on the fly coverage of the Grand Festival- after these messages."

The glower of the tv light illuminated the form of a mouse with a shirt-like pattern on her chest watching the screen, her obvious glee wrapped across her face in much the same way as the blanket over her. She was laying on the couch, snacking on popcorn as she giddily shifted in place in excitement.

The other mouse in the room, walking toward the hall with a book in hand and reading glasses on, was considerably less invested in the happenings on screen. He looked much the same as the other rodent, only with a pants-like pattern on his legs instead.

He shook his head boredly, asking the other half, "I really can't see what you like so much about this, Tande."

She could only grin in response, however, her arm waving him over and musing, "Oh, don't be like that, Maus- it's so cute! The dresses, the ritz, the chance of flashing tits-"

"What?"

"Wardrobe malfunctions are pretty common, you know," she giggled.

"Hardly like there's anything worth staring at," he keenly replied, receiving a nod for his efforts as he offered his partner a smile, stepping up to the couch less out of any investment in such a vulgar display of reality garbage in his eyes, and more just to keep his better half company for the moment.

The pair had known each other for a long while, and been together for a vast majority of it. While most Tandemaus wouldn't find their partners until well into their young adulthood, the two had been nothing less than childhood sweethearts, something Tande, the more eagerly empathetic of the pair, would gladly boast about while showing Maus with all the attention he didn't ask for. The two had an undeniable contrast in personality, and yet their mutual adoration for the other was always apparent.

After a moment of receptive hate watching for the sake of company, however, Maus had still found his limit, standing up and announcing, "Well, I'm off to bed."

"Aw, so early?" Tande asked, a rather mischievous look planting across her face as she sat up slightly to nab at his arm, pulling at him and saying, "The night's still young. We could make it a bit more interesting."

Smirking in return and closing the distance between their faces, Maus hummed in tow, "As tempting an offer as that is, I really should head to sleep- work was less than charming today, unlike yourself."

"Oooh, trying to flatter me now, are you~"

"Only when you dare to let me get away with it," he whispered, leaning in to plant a kiss on her cheek, before unfortunately pulling away, "I really do need the rest though."

Tande, less disappointed and more amused by the two's escapades, leaned back into the couch and coyly wrapped her legs teasingly, mocking her boyfriend with the simple though effective words, "That's a shame; and here I was expecting you to be fun for once."

He shook his head dramatically, raising it and sighing out, "Yes, truly I am the worst unequivocally."

After a moment of overplayed needling, however, they found laughter in each other, sharing another glance as Maus said the ever simple though meaningful words, "Love you, Tande."

"I love you too."

He leaned down and the two exchanged a kiss, before he made his leave, calling out, "Goodnight."

"Night," she called back, getting snug again as the program came back from commercial, reclining into satisfaction as her eyes drifted across the screen, and eventually, fell into sleep.

Once the entertainment was inside the main ballroom; it'd only be a half hour or so before the contest would begin, though in the time prior, it was the perfect chance to make some good first impressions, mingle with your peers, and overall prove why you were given such a luxury of being there in the first place.

Not that as much was currently on Garchomp's mind; she didn't bother to open up or especially try to mingle at these sorts of things. Of course, people would talk to her; it's expected with her status, even with the future in mind, but such a constant flow of social interaction meant she had little reason to reach out herself. Not to mention she knew well and truly that if anyone had anything actually important to discuss with her, they wouldn't bother doing so at an event like this.

Or at least, she'd come to expect that- but when she saw the form of a particular strapping young dog with well-groomed fur, she had a moment where she realized her expectations may very well be false.

"Ah, Furfrou," she warmly welcomed, turning toward the dog with a smile, "I had no idea you were coming."

The dog, ever sporting a relaxed yet professional smile, nodded to her, saying, "Yes, well, Miss Munna simply couldn't help but want to see the latest festivities."

Indeed, hanging beside the dog very closely was a small pink orb, her tired expression betraying her genuine intrigue in the festival. "Hello."

"My my, Munna, you've grown so tall since last time," Garchomp chuckled, remembering back when the girl had just been born.

While Sinnoh lacked any sort of monarchy, as did most of the world, so royal-blooded folks from long ago still held considerable political power. Among them were the residents of the Battle Castle. Located within the Battle Frontier, a land of some of the most skilled trainers in the region, the royals remained in that castle more often than not, with Munna being the youngest and most recent addition to its rank, only being around thirteen or so- maybe a year younger. And Furfrou happened to be her most loyal servant, accompanying her everywhere she went.

As Munna looked about the area, Furfrou chuckled in amusement, nudging her forward, "Go along now; feel free to look around." Nodding thankfully though still remaining quiet, Munna floated off, leaving the adults to momentarily talk.

"She's really coming along," Garchomp whispered, "think she'll take over the castle when the time comes?"

"Ah, doubtful," Furfrou mused with a shake of his head. "Miss Munna never was one to respect the code of remaining within the frontier; far too curious. I have no doubt she'll be an incredible force one day, however."

"I look forward to that day." Garchomp nodded, sipping her wine as the two stood there. It was nice- this lack of any sort of politics…But it was time to acknowledge work. "Speaking of the days to come, let's not dance around the topic."

"Quite right," Furfrou nodded, "if you're wondering about my choice, I've already decided on my representative."

"So early?"

"When you know, you know," came those words of wisdom Furfrou loved to spout so much, "when I saw their potential, I couldn't let it go. I think they're great candidates."

"Well, I'll trust your judgment then," she nodded, going to take another sip- only to stop as she realized his wording, "wait…Was that candidates as in…Multiple?"

Tande's eyes flickered open as the morning light flashed onto her face, her body pushing up with a yawn. She looked over her living room- and saw Maus sitting at their quaint wooden table, still reading that book from last night.

"Good morning to you," he greeted, not taking his eyes off the pages.

Yawning as loudly as she could possibly muster while stretching out her limbs as much as her tiny body could allow, Tande just as quickly relaxed into an easy expression, saying, "Morning!" Breathing in, she practically launched herself from the couch and over to the kitchen throwing open the cabinets and beginning to grab random items out of them.

Headbutting it shut after, she made her way over to the stove while offering Maus a coy smile, "Couldn't even make breakfast for us, huh?"

"I'm sorry, did you want to deal with my cooking?" He asked in tow.

"Touché."

Plopping the armful down, she got to work on throwing together the best meal she could for a late wake-up. Maus' eyes shifted from off the pages for a moment to watch her at work, unable to keep his eyes off her figure as if it were his form of early morning entertainment. In all fairness, she genuinely was quite the wiz in the kitchen, feeling her way around with ease, but considering how he was looking at her, it was clear that wasn't the only thing he was admiring.

While she whistled a little diddy to herself and he haplessly watched, his little daydreaming was ripped away with the sound of a doorbell. His expression fell into immediate disdain, throwing himself from his seat and storming over to the door, which he threw open to reveal the face of the postman, a Pelliper, holding out a stack of mail in his beak, "Package for-"

Maus proceeded to snatch the mail away and immediately slam the door in the bird's face; even with how much smaller he was in comparison, he could still hear the bird squawk out in pain for the briefest moment, which brought something of an amused smirk back to his face.

Filing the envelopes in his hand, he slid them onto the table just as Tande placed a plate in front of him; bacon and eggs with toast. "Ah, perfection- thanks, dear."

Tande rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's formality, taking a seat beside him, "Yeah, yeah, you're welcome, fancy pants."

As the two got to eating, Tande stirred her fork around her plate, eventually asking, "So…A new coffee shop opened down the road…" Maus looked up at this- jackpot. "I was thinking maybe we could check it out. You know…Together."

Watching Maus' attention falter, she knew what he was about to say- and hated it. "Tande…You know I have work-"

"You're always working," she moaned.

"Well…Yes, I am. It's a job."

"It's certainly doing a good one of making you a buzzkill," she teased somewhat passive aggressively.

Groaning aloud, he shook his head at her and replied, "Tande, I'm sorry, but I can't really do much about it. Maybe we can do something tomorrow…"

The repetition of those words she had heard a hundred times rang hollow in her head, turning away and stabbing at an egg with a hushed, "That's what you always say…"

Those words pierced Maus more than any fork could. After a moment of internal debate in his head over whether it was appropriate or would even come across the way he wanted it to, he reached forward and placed his hand atop hers, "Tande…I know it's been a long time since we've gotten to do something, but you know that doesn't mean I don't love you, right?"

"Well…Y-Yeah, duh," Tande muttered in flustered frustration- whenever Maus tried to get personal he usually proved pretty bad at it, tending to jump to extremes pretty quickly as if that were casual, "I get you care, you dork. It just…Sucks not getting to talk as much as I want. Or…You know…Spend time together. Feels like forever since we even went on a date, you know?"

As she took a bite of her food, her reflection met her sight, her frown so everpresent it immediately weighed on her soul like a sack of concrete. "It all feels so…I don't know…Simple."

Frowning, Maus poked at his food as well. After a moment, he breathed in. "Well then, how about we do something about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean- well…I've accumulated quite the vacation time. Plenty to maybe do something with it," he explained, "something…Nice. Together, I mean."

Tande scanned his face as if looking for some kind of crack, but saw none. She couldn't help but stutter a smile, "You don't mean that. Maus, you don't gotta-"

"Tande."

His hand gripped onto hers, and she looked up and met his gaze. He was usually rather stoic, even in his moments of emotive investment, and yet here- he looked so…Genuine. "I want to do this. With you. Let's take some time to do something together."

After a moment of staring, Tande's own face slowly rose up into one of sincere appreciation, nodding and leaning in toward him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, that sounds…That sounds great."

The two spent their moment together at that table, hands interlocked in mutual love, as they just let the morning go by, right by each other's side. It'll be nice to get out of the house and spend some time together…They'll just have to figure out what exactly they'd do.

Unaware that, located in that stack of mail, was a letter from one Furfrou of the Battle Frontier, with a little invitation waiting inside.

Player #1: Tandemaus
Created by: Dark Arcanine 33
Represented Type: Normal

Age: 27
Gender: Female (Tande) & Male (Maus)
Hometown: Medali, Paldea
Received Recommendation from: Furfrou (Battle Frontier - Battle Castle)

"Some say two minds are better than one, but it's time to really put that to the test! Having been childhood sweethearts since middle school, these two have managed to stay together through it all in spite of their heavily clashing personalities. In spite of that, the two rarely spend much time together on account of work and their individual passions regularly getting in the way, and haven't even gotten married despite their long time together, meaning what's essentially a vacation all across Sinnoh may just be the perfect chance to give them some much needed bonding time."

"Tande, recognizable by her shirt, is the more sociable of the pair. A delightful sweetheart who may be a bit too trusting for her own good, she loves going out, partying it up, meeting new people, and making wonderful new memories along the way. Though oftentimes, that can also lead to her being a little flaky and oblivious to the feel of the room."

"Meanwhile, Maus, recognizable by his pants, is considerably more distant. While he adores Tande, he's far more distrusting and openly hostile toward others. He's not a jerk per say and certainly can act with compassion, but he's far more geared to let logic dictate his actions without regard for how someone else might ultimately feel about it."

"Together, they're certainly a strange pair, but up till now they've managed to make it work. But will the stress of the game prove to bring out the flaws in such a dynamic duo, or will it only manage to strengthen what's already there?"

And there we go, bada bing, bada boom, the first character- well, characters, have been chosen. And they're from the new gen so that's pretty sweet- and at that, a duo by all regards. Bet you don't see those too often, unless they're like, a Katie and Sadie situation I guess.

Serious shout out to the new Helluva Boss by the way- wouldn't you know they perfectly managed to give me a sneak peek into how a functional love works since I definitely don't know jack about that (ace life for da win, bby!). Keep sending these in cause I think I'm only confirming one of these a day probably. Maybe more, who knows- like I said, winging this shit.

Oh yeah, and I got told my wording was aggressive in the last chapter, and uh- yeah sorry about that. I don't really pay attention to how I sound to others so I didn't think I was coming across that way. That's seriously my bad. I removed what I was told about from the app.

And a quick side-note to Chillz; I am only taking submissions through PMs.

Alright, I'mma chill then. Later.

Chosen Characters
Tandemaus (Dark Arcanine 33) - Normal Type

Considered Characters
Arboliva (Slimeboisss) - Grass
Dragonair (ShinyRedExp) - Dragon
Indeedee (Litini) - Psychic
Kommo-o (zetsunaflames) - Dragon / Fighting
Malamar (Jeyko) - Dark / Psychic
Maractus (ShinyRedExp) - Grass
Tropius (Plumfadoodle) - Grass / Flying
Wormadam (WryterWarrior) - Bug / Grass
Zorua (Miss Leafea) - Dark