Before long, Larry and Katy's casual encounters had evolved into making a habit of regularly visiting each other.

Whenever Larry had a bit of extra time before work in the mornings or on weekend evenings, he would make a stop at Cortondo for a delicious treat and a conversation with Katy. All the staff there eventually came to know him by name, alongside the numerous cabbies who fare between Mesagoza, Medali, and Cortondo.

Against his better judgment, Larry on occasion even found himself asking Rika to finish his last few tasks for him just so he would have a little extra time to make a visit.

And whenever Katy found herself with some extra free time between baking at the Soapberry and training for battles, she would book a cab to Medali to deliver something sweet to Larry, or if he was too busy, go browsing around. On the first visit, she came back with enough money to purchase those crystal earrings this time.

On one silly day, Larry and Katy both looked around for each other, only to find out on the phone that they were both in the other's city!

Whenever they were lucky enough to find themselves seated at the same table, Larry and Katy found it continuously easier to spark conversations as they got more and more comfortable being around themselves with each other.


Katy's biggest pride, no huge surprise, was Patisserie Soapberry itself. Over time, Larry learned her entire life story of apprenticing with some of the finest chefs in several regions, with Kofu being her latest and biggest inspiration that triggered her to open a bakery near the city where her master thrives, as well as how a chance visit from Tulip on a modeling trip led to an unexpected friendship.

"She spent ages gushing about the aesthetic of me and my shop being so 'pastel' and 'chiq' and other words I didn't really know the meaning of at the time."

"I still don't," Larry confessed.

Katy laughed. "Before long, I found her calling me a bunch asking how business was and wanting my opinions on her makeup or her latest fashion ideas. Turns out, that's how you know that she really values you as a friend."

She then imitated Tulip's voice, recounting one of her 'proverbs'.

"The people you hire will tell you everything you do is wonderful, because of course, everything you do has to be wonderful in order for them to have a job."

"…But true friends are a commodity," Tulip had continued. "They have no money to lose and so they are maskless and blunt. They're honest and they will tell you when you're making an ugly choice. And one always needs to know when they're being ugly."

"Being blunt isn't a terrible way to live," Larry remarked. "…Finally, something I can agree with her on."

"I guess in the kind of industry she's in, you get a lot of folks who only want to be your friends for the status or the fame. So she has a hard time finding people she can actually trust."

"That must be why she gravitated to you then," Larry figured. "Because you don't care about any of that. … You're just a genuine person."

Katy blushed. "I never thought about it that way before."


Outside of her business exploits, Larry got to hear all about the thrills of foraging for Berries and other ingredients out in the wild with her partners, as well as the history of Cortondo itself and some of the small town's oldest traditions apart from the Grand Olive Harvest.

She also loved to talk about battles! Her passion for exciting battles was apparent and flowing, with how much she would rave about the kinds of battles she watches on TV, along with constantly prodding Larry for details on his own battles.

One thing Larry came to notice is that for how much she got excited talking about battles, she almost never had any stories to share regarding her own battles as a Gym Leader. Any time Larry asked, she would just shrug it off and say there's nothing really interesting going on there. …Sometimes with, Larry would swear, a tone of slight disdain.


Larry was more of a listener than a talker, Katy observed. But on their last visit, he was at least able to regale her with tales of a recent business trip he took to the region of Galar.

"Ooh! Did you get to see one of those Dynamax Battles? I've always imagined those must be extra exciting to watch live!"

"Not really, no. I had mixed feelings on paying for a seat in a stadium full of people where I could be potentially crushed to death by a giant sheep."

Apparently, the purpose of trips like these, he explained, was to scout other regions' Pokémon Leagues and see where Paldea compares and can stand to improve. This was the work often designated to him as a member of the Elite Four… because he isn't already stacked with plenty of other duties.

"Geeta must really care about our league standing out and being the best it can be," Katy gathered.

Larry's face became quite cold. "Between you and me, I think it's a round of insecurity on the part of our La Primera."


Katy quickly learned that Larry did not enjoy talking about his work much at all, and you especially never wanted to mention Geeta. It seemed like his relationship with their boss is quite strained and his triple-stacked job puts him in an eternal bog of stress, so it was quite clear these visits doubled as a hope for him to escape it all, even if just for a moment.

So… as one might expect, a conversation with Larry more often turned into talking about food. Which Katy hardly minded. As a foodie herself, she could practically get lost hearing Larry talk about food. Whether it was all the places in Paldea and in other regions whose food he's tried, what his opinions on the Soapberry's newest dishes were, or just what he had for lunch that day. (And Katy was making sure that he always had an answer for that.)

What especially grabbed her was the way Larry loved to talk when it came to food. He spoke of restaurants like a real professional critic, being able to articulate every single feeling he has about a dish and how each component of a meal adds to the experience of a delicious course.

One time, Larry actually caught her dozing off in the middle of one such laudation. Larry stirred her up and asked if he was boring her.

"Not at all," Katy had answered. "In fact… I don't think I ever want to leave here."

"Well… that makes two of us."


These visits made time fly all the faster. Even though the Olive Harvest festival seemed like it was just yesterday, the weeks added up and turned into months. And before long, the first signs of winter were coming in.

The days grew shorter. The air was getting colder. The bright orange coats of Deerling around Cortondo were turning brown. And snow was trickling down on more than just Glaseado Mountain.

Indeed, by the time Larry found himself walking into Cortondo one Saturday evening (not taking a cab had been a poor choice in hindsight), fine white powder was coming down all over Cortondo. It was sticking to the ground, and fast.

And it was cold. Very, very cold. Katy, wearing a brown shawl over her baker's clothes, went to look at the thermometer outside the Soapberry and was stunned at how fast the temperature was dropping.

"Gosh. If it keeps getting colder than this, we probably won't even need to leave anything in the freezer overnight," she joked.

Her junior chef Krista walked out, huddling with a magenta jacket on over her uniform.

"I'm heading out, chef."

"Do you have a ride home, Krista?"

"Umm, of course?" On cue, Damian's truck honked from the distance.

"Oh! Right," she giggled. "Sorry, I forgot."

Krista was about to wave goodbye, but stopped when she saw something in the distance.

"Oh. My gosh. I know I've made jokes about him not wearing any other clothes, but does that guy seriously not even own a coat?"

"Hmm?" Katy turned to see what she was looking at and gasped. "Larry!?"

Larry was bunching the jacket of his trademark business suit over himself as much as he could, but could barely hide how much he was shivering from the cold.

"Hello," he said rather casually. "I'm sorry I got here just as you were closing. It probably goes without saying that I'd be in the mood for something very warm today."

Katy could only sigh dramatically.

"I'll never be astounded at just how blasé you can be about everything, even when you're standing there looking like you're catching frostbite."

"Me neither," Krista muttered as she walked off to meet Damian in his truck.

Larry hastily scrubbed some snow off his hair.

"I didn't get here before you shut off the ovens, did I?" he asked, still huddling in his clothes.

"Shouldn't you be thinking more about how you're going to get home?" a worried Katy asked. "I think they might've already closed Flying Taxi services with this weather."

"I'm fine," Larry tried to assure her. "I'll probably just walk on back home to Medali."

"You will absolutely NOT!" Katy snapped, taking Larry aback. "You are downright impossible sometimes and I won't let you put yourself in danger out of pure stubbornness!"

"Okay. You're right… Sorry." Larry paused for a bit and said, "I'll walk as far up to Cascarrafa and see if there's someone there who can give me a ride."

"Sweet muffins, you're a handful…" Katy mumbled, hands to her temples in disbelief. "Alright. How about this. You said you want something warm, right? I can whip up some delicious hot cocoa for the two of us. Back home, at my house."

"Your house? Katy, I couldn't possibly intrude on you like that."

"Well, I'm not going to take no for an answer!" Katy sternly replied, locking the Soapberry's doors. "You're also welcome to freeze your butt out here in front of my store if you want."

Larry had to think about it for a distressingly longer time than Katy liked.

"I think I'll take my chances out here." Katy started to steam. "Sorry! That was my attempt at a joke. Fine, I'll come have hot cocoa with you until I can arrange something."

"That's better," Katy said through her teeth as she walked forward, keeping her head on straight before she could blow a gasket.


"Well, here I am! Home sweet home!"

"This is your house?" Larry said, stunned immediately upon entering. "It looks… more like a mountain cabin."

The wood finish of the walls and support beams in Katy's house certainly gave it that woodsy feeling. A large chandelier lit up the main space, which was one half a living room and a fireplace with a mantle. A wall divider with a window hole separated it from the kitchen.

The kitchen had yellow tile flooring and was filled with not just a huge fridge and an expensive-looking oven, but also a lot of fancy looking cooking equipment. Several rows of cabinets lined the kitchen walls, some of which looked like they were screwed-in rather than pre-installed.

The living room had a simple green couch, a coffee table, a wall-mounted television, and a large red rug in the center of it. Silky blinds lay partly covered over the window looking out.

"It's my little cabin in the woods alright," Katy proclaimed. "It helps me feel close to nature, and my skittering friends all appreciate it too. Feel free to make yourself comfortable. I'm going to get changed real quick and then start on that cocoa."

"Okay."

Larry raised his suit jacket and freed his sleeves. His eyes were closed, but when he opened them, he saw Katy staring.

"What?"

"Erm, nothing!" Then Katy quickly turned her eyes away and went upstairs.

He put up his jacket on Katy's coat rack next to her fireplace. Looking over the mantle above it, he noticed several knickknacks and framed pictures. A snow globe of Montenevera. A single white lily in a small vase. A blue and white plate that looked like it had sea-based patterns on it.

Katy came back down, wearing a pink sweater and casual brown pants, and headed into the kitchen.

Larry took a closer look at the photos on the mantle. One of them was of a slightly younger-looking Katy holding up what looked like a certificate with an older man Larry didn't recognize smiling alongside her. Her father, Larry presumed.

Next to it was a single frame showing a woman smiling, eyes closed. She was wearing a silk maroon gown and had dark green hair (similar to Rika's) with four curls in the back similar to Katy's one. Katy had told him about her mother, a hair stylist who taught Katy how to make fancy curls and buns.

"Is this your mother, the hairdresser?" Larry asked.

"Yes!" Katy responded enthusiastically from the window to her kitchen. "I'm impressed you remembered that!"

He looked at the other photo next to it. It was Katy with another woman who looked to be around her age, with teal hair that was a little darker than Katy's. She was giving a V-sign to the camera.

"Who's this?"

"That's my sister Jules. She lives with her husband Val in the Kalos region. He owns a little bistro in a city called Santalune, and she does photography for a nature journal. She likes it there because it's really close to Lumiose City, one of the hugest cities in any region."

"Oh."

"Jules and I are alike in a lot of ways, like our shared love for Bug Pokémon, and freaking her husband out with them," she chortled. "But she's different in a lot of ways too. Unlike me, she's always been really huge into big cities. I guess she takes more after our mom in that way, whereas I've always been a bit more of a daddy's girl, preferring the small town vibes."

Katy came out of the kitchen holding two cups of hot chocolate, two marshmallows in each. She handed one to Larry, who took a sip, made a noise of approval, and gave her a thumbs up. She sat down next to him with her cup, still looking at the photo.

"Jules and Val are actually expecting a second child now. They've got a son already, little whirlwind of energy. And to think, she's three years younger than me…"

She drifted off a bit there, and seemed to have a wistful look as she stared at the photo.

Larry leaned in. "You okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah! Sorry. I guess I got a bit lost in thought there. Sometimes… it feels like time is moving a bit faster for everyone else than it is me. You know I… I also just found out that two of my junior chefs are dating now. Krista and Damian?"

"Oh," Larry responded. "That… explains a few things."

"Meanwhile… it's just always been me. My only constant companion in life has been Lizzy."

"Who?"

"Oh! Sorry. Lizzy. She's my oldest partner Pokémon. I guess I've… never gotten around to introducing you two." She stared off again, not at the photo but just seemingly into the distance. "As time goes on and other people's lives advance around you, one starts thinking about how the years are creeping up on you. Sometimes, I find myself thinking about my age and where I am in my life."

"Of course." Larry caught what he just said and clarified, "Not that! I'm not saying of course you're old enough to— well…"

Katy turned to him with a sly eyebrow.

"You don't even know old I am, do you?"

"A gentleman knows better than to ask a lady of that," Larry answered, taking a large sip of his cocoa.

"Well. I know I've still got my youth. I like to tell myself that no matter how well things seem now, that the best years of my life are still in front of me."

"That's… an interesting way of thinking."

Larry looked over at Katy, who still looked rather wistful. He tapped on his cup a bit, and started smiling to himself.

"You know what I think?"

"What's that?"

"I think anyone would be lucky to have you, Katy."

Katy found her cheeks turning red. "Oh… stop that! You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm serious. You're a really wonderful person, Katy." Larry turned to face her fully now. "You're so sweet. And warm… and kind… and well, generous," he said, pointing his eyes around the house. "I think it's only a matter of time before you find someone who truly appreciates all of that."

Katy smiled bigly at him and went in for a hug. "Ohhhhh. Thank you. You smooth operator. You're actually going to make me blush."

Their arms in each other's, they found their faces subconsciously pulling in closer to each other. Eventually, they realized what was happening and embarrassingly pulled back. Katy couldn't help but giggle.

"You know, I'm sure… somewhere out there, a woman would be just as lucky to have you."

Larry smirked a bit at this, but then he lowered his head and grimaced, in a way that alerted Katy she might've hit a soft spot.

"Oooh, I'm sorry. Bad history?"

Larry sighed. "The last time I was in a serious relationship was about four, maybe five years ago."

"What happened?"

"Oh. It just didn't work out. I ended up having to put all my focus into my work. She got wrapped up in things too. There wasn't really any closure, I just kind of… let her go."

"I'm… so sorry to have brought those feelings out."

"It's okay," Larry reassured. "It feels like a long time ago now."

He gave her a soft smile to tell her he was alright. Although, to Katy his eyes still looked a little sad.

"Larry…"

"Yeah?"

Katy felt herself wanting to say something. She didn't know what. She could feel her heart rising. But… she couldn't really articulate anything.

"Nothing," she said with a hand over her heart. Looking out the window, she said, "Looks like the storm's getting pretty bad out there."

"Oh. You're right."

Katy rose from the couch. "I'll go and fetch us a couple blankets."

As she opened the closet door, Larry scooted himself closer to the window to take a better look outside.

The snow was falling much harder now, harder than he'd expected. A thick sheet lay on the ground, at least a couple inches deep, if he had to guess.

"Well," Larry commented. "I'm definitely not getting back to Medali now. Not before morning, anyway. Do you know of any hotels nearby?"

"I'm not too sure… We used to have an inn here until a couple years ago. I know there's a big hotel down in Mesagoza. But it's such a popular spot that I can't promise it isn't fully booked already…"

"So my best bet would be to check in Cascarrafa…"

Katy came back over, huddling a blanket over herself as she draped one over Larry.

"Which is a huge walk away from here," said Katy. "Past all those winding windmills. Not to mention I think one of those scary kids from Team Star has a base right on that path." Larry's face didn't change a muscle, which made her worried. "You're not… seriously thinking of walking all that way, are you?"

Larry was silent.

Katy sighed, got up, and put her hands on her hips. "Alright. It's decided then."

"What's decided?"

She got up and opened the door next to the TV. Inside was a room with a bed.

"You're staying here tonight."

Larry sat up. "What? Now you're being ridiculous."

"I think it's a little less ridiculous than trudging several miles in the harsh snow risking getting ambushed by some hooligans, don't you?"

Larry blew air through his nostrils. He had learned vicariously through Hassell that the "Team Star" group who'd been causing trouble around Paldea had sorted things out with Uva Academy, and according to a memo from the school's director were going to be operating special training centers for the students from now on, not ambushing trainers on the road.

But he also recognized that Katy wouldn't be up to hearing any of that and calmed himself down.

"I can take care of myself. Besides, it'd be rude of me to banish you to the sofa in your own home."

Katy let out a soft giggle. "My bedroom's upstairs, Larry. This is the guest room that I loan out to Jules whenever she visits. But these days, she's so busy at home that I'm usually the one making time to see her, so this room just kind of… sits here most of the time."

Larry looked down at his cup, still hesitant.

"I just… I feel like I'm already troubling you too much."

Katy walked over to where he was sitting. She knelt down to look at him at eye level.

"And I want you to trust me when I tell you that you're not, okay? I'm really enjoying your company tonight, and it was me who offered all of this. Because you're my friend, and I care about you."

Larry felt his whole throat close up. It was so uncharacteristic to feel his heart beating this hard. He even thought he was beginning to sweat a bit. What was wrong with him? Maybe it was a good idea to stay somewhere safe and comfortable after all.

"Alright… you win," Larry conceded. "You really know how to wear me down."

"And you really don't know how to take yes for an answer," Katy smiled. "I promise you it's a very comfy bed."

"I'm sure it is. It's just… I'm not the world's greatest sleeper. If I look tired all the time, it's because I am."

"Really?" Katy replied in a tone of mock surprise.

"I have a hard time sleeping anywhere. Even in the cushiest of hotels. So, I guess what I'm saying is, don't be alarmed if you wake up in the middle of the night to hear me pacing."

"You and I really are polar opposites," Katy laughed. "I'm able to fall asleep anywhere, and then I sleep like a little bug in its cocoon. When I was a kid, my parents used to joke that they couldn't leave me laying down anywhere for more than five seconds or I was out like a light."

Larry rolled his eyes in disbelief. "The odd couple, you and me. Are you definitely sure you still want me here?"

Katy looked towards the mantle of her fireplace, hands resting over her torso.

"Look at it this way. Very few things make me so anxious that I wouldn't be able to sleep. The thought of you possibly freezing to death or being in danger out in the middle of nowhere, however, would keep me awake. All. Night. Long." She looked at Larry. "You wouldn't want that, now would you?"

Larry sighed and smiled. "No. You're right. I wouldn't."

The two continued to sit and talk and eventually watched TV for a few hours before the night finally drew in, and they both headed to bed.

Larry got into bed, a very soft bed, and got comfy for his usual round of ceiling staring. But this time, instead, he started to feel oddly calm and peaceful. And he closed his eyes… And… began to drift…


The sight of Starly flying in the air heralded a bright sunny morning in Cortondo. Most of the snow from last night had already melted, and the sun shone down on Katy's house.

Katy, an early riser, was out and about in the kitchen. She was making a delicious flan in a mixer bowl while a morning talk show played on the television. Surskit and Spewpa were both on the countertop watching her work.

The sound of a door opening made her whip her head over, and she almost splashed some of the batter onto the floor.

Larry stepped out, dressed up the same as he was yesterday, minus his suit jacket. He calmly adjusted his tie as he gazed out at the sun through the window.

"Hello," he greeted Katy.

"Morning! I didn't expect you'd be up this early! Sleep well, or… close to decent, at least?"

Larry took a heavy sigh, which Katy met with a dour expression. He walked over to the divider window… and let out a big smile.

"No lie? That was probably the best night of sleep I've had in a while."

"…Really?"

"Yeah."

Katy looked at Larry. And his face didn't lie. It was probably the lightest she'd ever seen it. He had less lines on his face, he was holding himself up better, and his hair… well, his hair was still not straight. But obviously he doesn't have a comb or anything here.

As Larry stood there fastening his cuffs, a Venonat ran over to him holding his suit jacket.

"Oh. Thank you," he said, bending down to take it from the eager bug.

"My friends have already taken quite a liking to you," Katy giggled. "You must cast a really good aura. So what's on your itinerary for today?"

"That's a good question" Larry replied, putting on the jacket. "I was able to catch up on most of my work, just barely, yesterday. Whenever that happens, Sundays are usually just a day for Gym Battles. But…" He took another look out the window and grinned at Katy. "This is the freest I've felt in a while. Beautiful day. No clouds. And eight hours of sleep for once. I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but… I might just call in today."

"Wow," Katy said in awe. She poured the flan mix into two baking dishes and put them both in the oven. "So you're free for the rest of the day then. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Larry shrugged. "I always say I'll do something special on a day off but I never get very far with that before I just resort to training or something. Why? You have an idea in mind?"

"Hmmm," Katy pondered with a finger to her chin, unknowingly dabbing some flan batter to her cheek. "I know! How about—"

Larry pointed to a spot on his face. "You have a… little something right there."

Ahh!" Katy stuck her tongue out and lapped it up. "Mmm! Those flans are going to turn out good! Now then… if you really want to make today special, how about taking a trip with me to Porto Marinada today?"