Sausage note: Jesus, how long since the last chapter!? O,o Sorry, mate! Guess having three bad colds and a ton of fun life issues since the last update really dragged things down, eh? It's already the next bloody year, for Christ's sake... XD
Ah well, no worries! Here we are with the long awaited tour of the village! An important thing to cover, considering Buneary's gonna be spending most of her time here. Well, when she's not dungeoning, anyway. XP Hope you enjoy this long, bizarre venture!
Ah, and I may as well say this now... in case you start wondering where Flower Café is (one of the locations from the older Questing For Respect™)... well, ravengal wants to use it in her eventual Mystery Dungeon story (as well as 'Mate' Roserade'), so I'm leaving it to her. She's kicked Lilligant and Petilil out on the street, though, so I may as well scoop up the poor buggers for meself (though their familial bonds will be a bit different). Hope that clears things up!
Last time: Buneary met a load of rowdy football hooligans, and is now being taken on a tour of the village by a weasel and a pumpkin! An average night out at the pub, in other words.
Chapter Thirteen: The Valiant Venture
Following behind Sneasel and Gourgeist - both of whom were now carrying their treasure bags - Buneary marveled at the sights of Venture Village. Gosh... sure, she'd been in a beach village before, one known as Tempest Beach... but this was on a whole other level! It was bordering on being a town, instead!
The colorful buildings making up the village were dotted around in rather inconsistent patterns, so it was hard to tell where they were going to visit first. She was still somewhat excited, all the same. Especially since she had someone to lead her around, now!
It was fairly busy, too. Various pokémon were milling about, talking to each other, or just minding their own business. It wasn't too bustling, unlike Lively Town of the Water Continent, from what she'd read about the place... but it was still busy enough to make for an exciting atmosphere!
While following her friends, she found herself having to dodge around many pebbles, seashells and flowers strewn across the sand. After her encounter with Kakuna, she didn't really want to risk annoying anyone else. Especially after meeting Zoroark...
A shiver travelled up her spine, prompting her to try and strike up a conversation to ignore it. "So, um... where to, first?" she asked, hopping over another seashell.
"A good question indeed, Buneary," Sneasel replied, looking around. After a short while, he gasped excitedly and indicated towards a nearby building. "Aha! I believe this place shall do nicely!"
Gourgeist also saw where he'd been pointing and beamed. "Ooh, aye! Good ol' Lairon is a fun lad to be around!" he said.
"That he is!"
"Well... okay!" Buneary replied, eyeing up the blocky, steely-looking building a small distance away. It seemed as good a place to start as any! Plus, she'd been good friends with a young aron back in Wildfire Village, so maybe it would make her more comfortable to talk to this man.
Sneasel gave a grand nod and went towards the building. Gourgeist followed him in large bounding steps that almost made him seem like he was gliding, oddly.
Shrugging to herself, Buneary hopped after them.
On approaching the small, gray building topped with steel spines, Buneary noticed that the lairon behind the counter looked rather bored and irritated.
Seeing that made her worry that he would be a bit grumpy... but, when the reptile saw them, he suddenly perked up. "Hello!" he eagerly greeted, voice rather boyish. "How can I help you, Team Valiant?"
"'Ello, Lairon!" Gourgeist replied. "We're just poppin' by for a spell."
"He is right, my friend!" Sneasel added. "That's not all, though! Buneary here has joined our fair guild, today. So we're taking her on a grand tour of the village!"
"Oh, that so, huh?" Lairon replied. He peeked behind the two of them and, on spotting her, beamed. "Hey there, lil' lady!"
Buneary waved meekly. "H-Hello!" she replied, very much surprised by his enthusiasm. "Um... I'm Wallflower Buneary."
He chuckled. "I'm Safe Lairon! Welcome to my bank, Lairon Bank, where your money is as well-guarded as my hide!" He chuckled again. "... Not the most original name, I know, but it shouldn't be too hard to remember, huh?"
She giggled. "Well... I knew a Duskull Bank back home, so I'm used to it."
"Fair enough! You're a Treasure Towner, then, eh?"
Her eyes widened in intrigue. Treasure Town...? "Oh? Um... not quite. I come from Wildfire Village in the Sand Continent."
He tilted his head. "Oh, really? Huh... never heard of that place. Tell me about it sometime, why don't'cha?"
"Not a bad idea!" Sneasel added eagerly. "Perhaps you could even do so while exchanging money!"
Lairon nodded eagerly. "Yeah, definitely! I love a good chat, so come often, won't'cha?"
"Okay, sure! Sounds like a plan~" Buneary replied, happy to get such an eager invite.
"Sweet! Oh, and because Mr. Director gets all us banks one of them fancy shmancy deposit boxes, any money you donate to other banks'll be here, too. So no worries, there!"
"Ooh, even better!" Well, that was nice! It was one thing less to worry about. Well... provided Money Hoard Duskull had one of these 'deposit boxes', anyway. Things were simple on the island, so... maybe she would have to check later somehow.
Sneasel hummed out a chuckle. He suddenly clicked his claws together. "Ah, on that note... I think I may need to draw some money after all. It shall come in handy during our trip!"
"Ah, sweet, again! Sure thing!" Lairon replied. He turned and retreated back into the small building. Sounds of rummaging could be heard shortly after. "Right, down to business... you've got about three thousand poké. So lemmie know how much you want!"
"Hmm, let us see, then..." Sneasel started, scratching his chin.
"Always best our Sneasel handles the money," Gourgeist commented. "Never was good with the ol' dosh, meself."
"I know how you feel..." Buneary admitted. She knew her way around handling poké, but legends only knew the intricate ins and outs of what to do with it, at least when it came to exploring. Back in her days of being part of the Blazing Squad, she'd always allowed her brother to handle that sort of stuff...
A realization made her gulp. On that note, she was going to have to manage her inventory in the future, wasn't she? Uh oh...
After having said their goodbyes to Lairon - who had sighed and gone back to looking bored after they'd left him be, making Buneary feel somewhat guilty - the trio had left in search of another place to explore.
They didn't get too far before Gourgeist eagerly piped up with, "Oh, 'ow about we pop over to Lilligant's?"
"An excellent idea, Gourgeist!" Sneasel agreed eagerly. He crossed his arms and grinned. "After all, she will be most pleased to see her favorite fellow gardener!"
Gourgeist beamed. "Oh aye, same!"
Buneary also smiled. "Okay, then! You sound like real good friends," she replied.
"Yup! I like to do a lotta gardening to remind meself of the ol' farm, so she lets me plant things in 'er green'ouse."
"She allowed him his own key to come whenever he pleases, and everything!" Sneasel explained.
"Aww, that's cute~" Buneary cooed.
"Heh, I agree wholeheartedly!" He gestured towards a large building further down the beach, allowing his wide, black and white scarf to billow behind him dramatically. "So let us waste no more time! Off we go to Lilligant's!"
"Right'cha are!" Gourgeist replied, starting towards it.
"Okie dokes~!" Buneary replied, now rather excited to meet Lilligant. Even if she didn't quite know what sort of business to expect from her. Something plant-based, from the sounds of things? She didn't really know what a greenhouse was, so she could only guess.
Buneary marveled at the big, long, tube-shaped building before her. Amazingly, the whole thing was made up of glass panels, making it see-through. She could only imagine why it was built this way, but it definitely made for a unique building!
Her eyes lit up in wonder as she looked through the transparent walls. The place was almost like a jungle! Various berry bushes were lined up in neat rows with space to walk between them, and all of it sat upon a huge floor of grass and soil. Many different kinds of fruit trees, vegetable patches and colorful flowers lined the sides of the building, right next to the walls, further adding to the appeal.
Well, if nothing else, she could confirm that, yes, Lilligant's business was plant-based. Very plant-based.
"How she managed to afford building such a place is anyone's guess!" Sneasel joked, apparently noticing her staring. "It truly is a lovely sight, though, isn't it?"
"Oh, yes! It is~" Buneary chimed. "Whatever Lilligant paid, it was worth it!"
"Aye, fer sure!" Gourgeist agreed. "Wish I could show everyone back 'ome."
Sneasel chuckled. "We never even had a normal greenhouse back on the farm, so they would be most impressed, to be sure!" he replied. He walked over to what appeared to be a glass door indented in the side of the building. Pushing it open, he indicated for the others to enter.
Following behind Gourgeist, Buneary entered the building. The second she stepped foot inside, she was hit by a wave of warmth. Phew... it was quite humid.
Oh well, she preferred her heat to be more dry and arid, but this was still a welcome change to being in Drenched Bluff! It smelled delightful, too. Like every flavor of berry was dancing across her nose. She was loving this place already!
She heard the door close behind her. Its noise seemed to attract attention, as a green pokémon with a white face and leaves coming out of her head peeked around a row of bushes.
Buneary looked at her in surprise. Was this Lilligant? She seemed rather young to be owning such a huge place, though. Probably not even a teenager, yet, looking at her... so younger than three years old?
"Oh! Gourgeist! And visitors! Hi there!" the pokémon greeted, waving one of the several green stubs that made up her body.
"'Ey up, Petilil!" Gourgeist greeted.
"Yes, hello!" Sneasel added. "Is your dear cousin home?"
"We're givin' Buneary 'ere an ol' tour o' the place."
"Ooh, okay! Yeah, she's home!" 'Petilil' replied, coming out from behind the bush. She gave Buneary another wave. "Hi there, Buneary!"
Smiling, Buneary returned it. "Um... hi!" she replied. Well, she knew why the little girl didn't look like she owned the place now, at least.
"Here, let's go see my cousin! Make sure to follow~" Petilil responded. She turned around and reached down to touch the floor with her stubs. "Readyyy, go!" She zipped down the long path running alongside the rows of bushes, surprisingly speedy despite her stubby limbs.
"Oops, we had better follow!" Sneasel said, rushing after her.
"Right-o!" Gourgeist replied, taking to the air to hover behind.
Not expecting the sudden chase, Buneary was the last to hop along in pursuit.
After a short chase, Buneary, Sneasel and Gourgeist finally caught up with the speedy petilil. Panting lightly and wiping sweat away - more from heat than from fatigue - the rabbit looked around to get an idea of where she'd been led to.
Before her was a long string of berry bushes and fruit trees, alternating as they stretched across the back of the greenhouse. However, one bush was missing, replaced with a big hole in the soil and a large mound of dirt and sand sitting next to it.
Petilil was standing in front of the hole, giggling to herself. "You three are very slow. Careful, or you'll grow roots~!" she teased.
"Cheeky as ever, aren't you?" Sneasel asked with an amused huff. "Not everyone's quite as fast as you!"
"I didn't even know we were about to go running..." Buneary mumbled with a pout.
Landing nearby, Gourgeist laughed. "That's our Chase Petilil for yer," he said.
Petilil giggled. "Yup! I was a slow baby a few years ago, but all my training made me real fast!" she boasted.
Her cute explanation made Buneary brighten up immediately. "D'aww, well, no kidding~" she cooed.
The young grass-type giggled. Remembrance flashing across her eyes, she shook her head and faced the hole. "But anyway..." She raised her voice. "Hey, cousin! Someone here for you~!"
"Oh?" a girly voice asked from the hole. Seconds later, a big red flower emerged, attached to the head of a pretty white face. "Hello there!" she said, gaze resting on Buneary. "What can I get you? Berries, perhaps?"
"Oh, h-hi!" Buneary replied. "Uh, I'm not sure. Um... are you Lilligant?"
The lady nodded. "That's correct!" She hunched down before jumping into the air, landing next to the hole. As she righted herself, Buneary couldn't help but notice that - in a stark contrast to her pretty face - Lilligant was utterly coated in muddy dirt and wet sand. She didn't seem to mind much, though, so clearly she was used to it. "Garden Guard Lilligant is what they call me. Now, who might you-?" Her eyes lit up in surprise, and glee shortly after. "Oh, why if it isn't my gardening companion! And Sneasel, too! Nice to see you."
"'Ey up, Lilligant!" Gourgeist replied just as happily. "'ow's she cuttin'?"
She giggled softly. "Very well, thank you! I was just removing some more sand to allow the plants room to grow."
"Oh, grand! Are ya upturning the soil, while you're goin' about it?"
"Yes! Just like you taught me."
"Good t' 'ear!"
While Sneasel huffed in amusement with crossed arms, Buneary blinked. She soon smiled, though. Well... she didn't know how digging soil and sand was related to cutting, but at least they seemed happy to be talking to each other!
As Gourgeist drifted closer to Lilligant, the rabbit couldn't help but be surprised by their size difference. Goodness, he was at least a few feet taller than her. Pretty impressive, considering she was twice as big as Buneary was, even. Heck, she was even bigger than Sneasel, who was also taller than Buneary was by several inches or so...
Buneary had to hold back a displeased pout. Tsk... if it weren't for Petilil lingering nearby, the rabbit would feel like such a shrimp right about now. Not that it really mattered, but still, it didn't help her already small ego...
Lilligant indicated towards Buneary. "So, is this little cutie your new teammate?" she asked, not helping the rabbit's self-esteem.
"Not quite, Lilligant!" Sneasel responded. "Wallflower Buneary here is a part of..." He paused and gave Buneary a curious gaze. "Well... in all honesty, it skipped my mind to ask which team you belong to."
"Um... that's still a little work in progress..." Buneary admitted, face warming slightly. In all the excitement of today, she'd almost forgotten that she was still waiting on Donphan and Snorlax to help her with that...
"Ah, okay then..." He turned to Lilligant with a smile. "All the same, she is a proud new member of our glorious little guild!"
"Oh, how nice!" Lilligant replied with a delicate clap.
"We're takin' 'er 'round the 'ouses on a tour!" Gourgeist explained.
"Okay then." She offered Buneary a small curtsy. "Well, I'm Lilligant, as you know. And I grow all manner of berries and fruit here for purchase. As you're likely aware, because of the sign outside."
... The sign? Oh, whoops... Buneary hadn't even bothered looking for anything like that.
She smiled in a manner she hoped wasn't too sheepish. "Um, y-yeah...! I knew!" she fibbed.
Lilligant nodded with a satisfied hum and gestured towards Petilil. "This is one of my cousins, Chase Petilil. The youngest."
Petilil cheerfully hopped up and down. "I help out around the shop at breakneck speeds!" she chimed.
"Heehee, I see!" Buneary replied, charmed.
Petilil stopped hopping. "Y'know, my sisters are roaming around doing some work, too!"
Lilligant nodded. "Indeed they are. My auntie allowed them to travel here with me from Seasong Beach, and they have been ever so helpful ever since."
Petilil giggled. "When Maturity Lilligant isn't chasing boys, anyway."
"Aye, she's a rascal is our other Lilligant," Gourgeist said with a chuckle of his own.
Sneasel's smile went sheepish. "Yes... indeed quite the rascal..."
Buneary blinked. Huh... well, if this Maturity Lilligant was a 'rascal about chasing boys', it didn't leave much to the rabbit's imagination on what to expect from her at all. The only question was if she was better or worse about it than Flirts Riolu, back at Tempest Beach on Wellware Island...
Lilligant let out an amused giggle at everyone's comments, before collecting herself and hopping towards the path. "Now then, how about a small stroll through my greenhouse? I'll introduce you to my other cousins as we come across them," she suggested.
Buneary smiled. "Sounds like a plan, sure!" she replied, following behind her. Sneasel and Gourgeist followed suit.
"Should I do stuff while you're away?" Petilil asked excitedly.
"Hmm, I don't know..." Lilligant replied uncertainly. "Upturning duty might be a bit much for you..."
Petilil's excitement rapidly died down. "Awww...! But I wanna be useful...!"
"Y'know, yer remind me of me wee little brother, Fulla Beans Pumpkaboo," Gourgeist said jokingly. "Why don'cha do what he does and go 'round, checkin' for dead branches 'n' berries, 'n' the like? We can collect 'em up 'n' use 'em for compostin'!"
Petilil's excitement rapidly cycled back. "Oh, that's a great idea! Thanks!" She ran off in a random direction. "Yaaay! I get to do stuff!"
Buneary smiled. Oh, so Gourgeist had blood siblings, too, did he? Well, considering he'd known exactly what brotherly thing to say here, she would believe it. How cute~
"Oh, thank you, Gourgeist. You always know just what to say," Lilligant praised, making the pumpkin beam happily. "Now, let us be on our way, shall we?"
Everyone agreed and went with her as she hopped ahead down the path.
They didn't travel far until Buneary frowned in light concern, looking Lilligant up and down while walking. "Umm... do you want a second to clean up, first?" she asked.
Lilligant checked herself over and giggled again. "Oh, it's quite okay. I don't mind getting dirty. After all, I have been told that I'm quite the tomboy. Especially before I worked as Queen Serperior's retainer."
... Her? A tomboy? She seemed so feminine and dainty, though. Not to mention a bit reserved...
... She gasped. Wait a minute. Queen Serperior!? As in the one who rules over the Arbor Area!?
Sneasel yelped, sounding just as surprised. "Q-Queen Serperior!? One of the four Area Keepers of the East PokéPark? Am I hearing you right?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, you are," Lilligant replied, seeming slightly surprised herself at his reaction. "I used to work as her retainer. Helping her with tasks and defending her from rowdy pokémon."
Sneasel's eyes widened. "Goodness, this is... this is the first time I am hearing this! I can hardly believe it!"
"Aye, I know, right?" Gourgeist responded cheerily. "It was a right ol' surprise to me, too! I didn't even know what one o' them serperiors was, 'till I 'eard about the one Lilligant knows. But they're grassy snakes, from what I 'eard!"
Sneasel let out an exasperated, yet amused, huff. "Gourgeist, it is the Queen herself that surprises me, not her species," he explained.
"Ohhh, right-o, then, I get'cha," Gourgeist replied.
Buneary and Lilligant giggled at their conversation. After, the rabbit cupped her paws together in admiration. "Working for the queen, herself! Wow... what an honor~!" she praised, earning a curious look from Sneasel.
Lilligant let out an amused hum. "It was quite nice, yes~" She sighed. "Sadly, Serperior decided to retire some time last year, leaving Area Keeper duties to her long lost son... so with nothing better to do, I set up shop here, on this lovely beach."
Buneary and Sneasel spluttered in surprise.
"Her long lost son, you say!?" the weasel yelped.
"I thought her only kid was Princess Snivy!" Buneary added.
Lilligant let out another amused hum. "It's a rather long and complicated story. And to be honest, I don't remember all the details." She smiled pleasantly. "But perhaps we could all have tea sometime soon, and I could tell you then?"
Buneary gained a bounce to her step in her excitement. "That sounds great! I really loved the story she's in, so I'd love some behind the scenes stuff!"
Sneasel crossed his arms and grinned at her. "Aha! And by 'story', I presume you mean 'Wonders Beyond part 2: Beyond the World'?"
Buneary gasped in delight. "Oh, oh! Have you read it? The one where Lightning Strike Pikachu and his friends save the park from the dark void?"
He nodded happily. "The very one! My, Buneary, I didn't know you had a taste for adventure stories as well!"
"Yeah! Hero Recorder Butterfree's biographies are my favorite!"
Unfolding his arms, he let out a happy chuckle. "I would say the same! Wow, we should definitely have a get-together of our own sometime! Discuss the stories we've read!"
She beamed. "Oh, yes please~!"
"Haha, then it is settled!"
"Oh, it's nice to see you're such a couple-a good mates, already!" Gourgeist praised.
"Agreed! How cute," Lilligant added. She gave a curious hum and stopped in place. She held her soil-soaked leafy hand to the side of her head. "... I believe I hear my other cousins somewhere..." She looked around. On apparently finding the source, she pointed in a general direction, towards the hedges. "Over there?"
Everyone stopped and turned their gazes to match hers. Seeing nothing of interest down the rows of bushes, Buneary extended her rolled ear. She heard some girls chatting a short distance away, voices muffled. "Yeah, I think I hear them!" she said, retracting her ear.
"Then let us go and say hello!" Sneasel proclaimed, heading down between the rows of hedges. Lilligant and Gourgeist followed closely behind.
Buneary started after them, but stopped when she quickly realized that there wasn't much room for all four of them to comfortably go down the one row. Not without going single-file, anyway.
Shrugging, she decided to go down the next row of hedges for convenience. She soon came to realize that this row seemed more unkempt than the others. Berries were randomly dotted around it in no particular pattern, and branches were jutting out all over the place, making it hard to see and maybe even move ahead. Clearly this area was still a work in progress.
She slowed, wondering if coming this way had been a bad idea. However, the voices from before seemed stronger over here, so maybe the cousins were actually working in this area?
Letting out a breath through her nose, she continued onwards, pushing through the leafy branches in her way down the colorful hedge hallway. As she got closer to the voices, their conversation became easier and easier to hear.
"Big sis, are you sure it's a good idea?" the younger sounding girl asked, seeming worried. "This greenhouse is still public, so..."
"Aww, pshh!" the older girl replied dismissively. "Who's gonna go down this messy lane?"
"They might do, though..."
"Well, I'll take that chance." She let out a tuckered out breath of air. "It's either that or sweat my goods off. Who said grass-types like hot, sweaty weather?"
"I don't really think it's all that bad..."
"Hah! As if, sis! You're sweating just as much as me!" She giggled mischievously and seemed to shuffle around. "Hmm, maybe I should be a responsible big sister and help with that...!"
"Umm... what are you doing, sis...?" She shrieked and shuffled as if she'd dodged out of the way of something.
"C'mere, sis~! I just wanna help!"
"Wahhhh!"
... Buneary pulled her lips tight. She suddenly had a strong feeling she didn't really want to get involved.
Before she could turn tail and run, the heavy shrubbery ahead of her parted, allowing her to see a petilil - one decorated in lots of pretty flowers and notably larger than Chase Petilil - burst out and slowly try to get away.
A lilligant burst out behind her with a playful roar, holding both her arms high in a faux-threatening gesture. The pose gave Buneary a good look at her large, exposed chest. Even her nipples were on display.
Buneary's lips tightened even further. Well, she hadn't expected anything less...
The lilligant - presumably Maturity Lilligant - evilly wiggled the ends of her leafy hands as if they were fingers. "Don't think you can get away! Aha!" she exclaimed. A brief crouch and a large hop later, she easily caught up to the petilil and grabbed her front from behind.
The petilil squirmed. "Noo, don't you-!"
"Be free~!"
Lilligant's hands went in different directions, pulling apart poor Petilil's green chest coverings. Her small breasts joined her sister's, flopping out for the world to see. Well... sort of. They were much smaller, in a way that suggested she was still a teenager, but almost an adult. Was she three, maybe?
"Wahhh! Sister, you're awful!" the petilil squealed, wriggling no less than before.
Lilligant giggled heavily. "Don't blame me for thinking about your health~"
Buneary backed away, starting to feel really awkward. They were sisters, so it wasn't so bad for them, but... Yeah, she wanted to slink away quietly, now...
The petilil finally managed to break free of her sister's grasp. She immediately got to work on trying to fasten herself up again. She froze up when she made eye contact with Buneary through the branches between them.
Buneary gulped. Oh, crud, she hadn't been quick enough! "O-Oh... hello!" she stammered nervously.
Petilil shrieked in surprise. "Oh no, I knew it! A visitor!" she yelled, taking a flower from her head and plastering it over herself in panic.
"Oh, shit, really?" Lilligant said worriedly. She followed the petilil's gaze and quickly spotted Buneary. "Uh oh! Uh... h-hello!" she yelped. She quickly covered herself with her hands. "Welcome to the... umm..." She glanced at the petilil. She quickly hopped in front of her, "... the greenhouse! Uh, or rather, 'Berry Bonanza'! That's, uh... that's its name. Yeah."
"Th-Thank you!" Buneary said, chuckling awkwardly.
Lilligant sighed. "... You're never coming back after this, are you?"
"Ohh, this is awful...!" the petilil whined.
"N-No, it's okay!" Buneary said. She jumped over the branches in her way and offered them as pleasant a smile as she could, under the circumstances. "I, uh, used to take baths with my baby brother, so I know what it's like. There's no need to worry!"
"... So you don't feel too awkward about this?" Lilligant asked, sounding hopeful.
"N-no, no, it's fine!" she replied, looking around. She was relieved to see that they were surrounded by plants, so nobody could see them through the building's glass walls. Phew...
Hearing that, Lilligant seemed to drop her guard immediately. She even let her arms go lax, leaving her shamelessly exposed once more. "Oh, well, thank heavens for that! Thanks a ton. If I accidentally chased another customer out of here, I think my cousin would get rather ticked off."
"I'm a bit ticked off," the petilil whined, walking into view from behind her. She was now fully covered up, and frowning up at her older sister. "I told you it was a public place, so people might see... but you ignored me! I'm so mad, Sis!"
"Aww, it's fine, Sis!" Lilligant reassured. She turned towards the shrubbery on her left and made her hands glow white with energy. "She's a girl, too. It's nothing she hasn't seen before!"
The petilil's face went red. "That's not the pooooint...!"
"R-Really, don't worry! I don't mind," Buneary reassured. Even if Lilligant's chest was making her feel a bit inadequate... "I was just on a tour, anyway, so..."
"A tour, huh? I didn't even know we did those," Lilligant said, curious. She dragged her glowing hands across the surface of the hedges. As she did, protruding branches were cleanly shaven off, falling as if they'd never even been connected at all. Gosh, how sharp were her hands, exactly!? "Are you a friend of our cousin, or something?"
Buneary tore her eyes off Lilligant's hands and nodded. "Y-Yeah! Sneasel and Gourgeist introduced me!"
Lilligant paused. A strange glint crossed her half-lidded eyes. "Oooh, Sneasel and Gourgeist, you say? Well, then..."
Her hands stopped glowing as she reached for a random bluk berry. Pulling it off the hedge, she smooshed it between her hands, and afterwards carefully spread the resulting juice on her eyelids. It gave her a very pretty appearance, as the purple of the berry complimented her red eyes, red flower, and her green and white skin quite nicely.
"Time to get to work then! Heehee~" Lilligant chimed.
"Oh no... not this again..." the petilil whined.
"Hello? Cousins, are you there?" Lilligant's voice rang out. Er... the other Lilligant's. That was, Garden Guard Lilligant's.
As the petilil responded, Buneary blinked when a stray thought hit her. Gosh, it wasn't often she came across this problem. Two pokémon of the same species she was acquainted with in the same area. She would have to keep track of who was who better.
In fact... thinking about earlier today - after the whole incident with the 'imposter' corsola - she should probably try and remind herself of her friends' titles more often. And... oh, their appearances, too, of course!
She glanced at the two grass-types, now turned away to face the incoming party, who rustled as they pushed through bushes to come over. Well... this petilil was covered in flowers, and seemed more dainty, albeit taller, than her sister. Her stubby legs weren't as toned as Chase Petilil's, either. With the younger sister's love of chase, though, it made sense.
Maturity Lilligant's figure was womanly compared to Garden Guard Lilligant's dainty, yet strong figure. Especially in the bosom department, though it was hard to directly compare their chests when one of them kept hers covered, while the other hadn't even put hers away yet.
The rabbit nodded to herself. Okay... she definitely had to pay more attention to what her friends actually looked like! Lest she fall for another fake friend's tricks. Or at the very least, get confused by who she was talking to.
On that note, Garden Guard Lilligant, Sneasel and Gourgeist finally pushed through the heavy load of branches separating the two parties.
"Aha! Hello there, gir-! Oh, legends!" Sneasel started, interrupted by the shock of seeing Maturity Lilligant in all her topless glory.
"Ooh 'eck!" Gourgeist said, just as surprised.
"... That's not good," Garden Guard Lilligant said simply, eyes crinkled in an obvious cringe.
"Hello, Sneasel~ Gourgeist~" Maturity Lilligant cooed, posing against a hedge somewhat suggestively. She gave a wiggle of her bosom. "It's a shame I didn't know such handsome boys were visiting the greenhouse today. I've barely had any time to... prepare myself."
Gourgeist smiled. "Oh, I get it. Did we catch ya at a bad time? Sorry, lass," he apologized.
"Somehow I, um... doubt it," Sneasel mumbled, looking rather red in the face. Covering his front with his wide scarf, he waved meekly with a very flustered chuckle. "Hello there, Lilligant. You're as... flirtatious as ever, I see. Now more than ever, even, haha..."
"Only for cute boys like you~" Lilligant replied, making the weasel's awkward chuckles rise in pitch and volume.
"Now, now, Lilligant," Garden Guard Lilligant said in a scolding tone. "What did we discuss, before?"
Maturity Lilligant huffed lightly. "Oh, they hardly count as paying customers by now, surely. You're cherished friends, aren't you?"
"What about Buneary? I'm sure she's... Hm?" Garden Guard Lilligant looked around in confusion, as if trying to find her.
"N-No, it's okay!" Buneary replied, catching everyone's attention.
"Wow, 'ow'd you slip past us?" Gourgeist asked in amazement.
"... Uh, some stealth," she replied, not knowing how to phrase herself at all.
He chuckled. "Oh, ya wee slippery devil!"
"Eheh, y-yeah..." She tried to grin. "Um, but yeah! I don't really mind Lilligant's... you know."
"I wonder about that..." Petilil mumbled under her breath.
"See? Off the hook!" Maturity Lilligant replied, seemingly not hearing her.
Garden Guard Lilligant didn't respond, but she let out an annoyed, or perhaps defeated, breath through her nostrils. "Well, in any case..." she mumbled. She seemed to cheer up as she indicated her two cousins, "here they are, Buneary. My cousins!" She pointed at the petilil. "This 'ere is-" She stopped in surprise. A second later she giggled at herself, hand against her mouth. "Whoops. I think Gourgeist's charming accent is starting to rub off on me."
Gourgeist chuckled. "Oh, bloody 'ell, that can't be good! Next, you'll be makin' me talk all nice 'n' fancy, 'n' all!" he joked.
She giggled again. "Maybe so!"
Buneary smiled at the spectacle, and noticed Sneasel doing the same. Those two grass-types sure were good friends, no doubt~
"Anyway, I'll try again..." Lilligant continued, pointing at Petilil once more. "This is my second youngest cousin, Flowery Petilil."
"Hello!" Flowery Petilil said, waving at Buneary with a pleasant smile. "I prefer raising flowers to playing chase, or growing berries, or, um..." She gave her older sister a look of displeasure, "... flirting."
Maturity Lilligant giggled cheekily in response. "Give it a year or two, and you'll be joining me~"
Petilil stuck her tongue out in distaste. An action that surprised Buneary, who didn't even think they had mouths. "Nuh-uh! I'm sticking to my flowers!" She took a large flower off one of the leaves on her head and slowly walked towards Buneary. "I'm so sorry about her. I hope you'll accept this as an apology."
"Oh, of course, thank you! Flowers are lovely!" Buneary replied cheerfully.
Petilil beamed and handed her flower over. "Oh, definitely! Heehee~"
Taking it, Buneary took a good look. It was a pretty red flower, with a tall, yellow thing sticking out of the head. It sort of looked like the flower on both the lilligants' heads, though not quite.
She held it close to her nose and inhaled deeply. It was heavenly! "Thank you, I love it~" she chimed.
"Yaaay~" Petilil cheered, doing tiny hops of joy. "I'm so motivated, now! I'll go and try growing even more flowers for you~"
Buneary put her flower into her treasure bag. "I'm rooting for you~"
Petilil beamed at her and apparently took that as her cue to say her goodbyes and leave the scene. Slowly.
"Well, I suppose that leaves my oldest cousin," Garden Guard Lilligant said, indicating towards the other lilligant. "Maturity Lilligant!"
"Yes, that's me!" Maturity Lilligant replied. "And as I'm sure you can tell..." She pulled Sneasel sideways into a hug, causing him to get lost between her big breasts. "I am very mature~ Heehee!"
"Y-Y-Yes! Very, um... m-much so!" Sneasel stammered, clearly trying his best to keep his composure.
Garden Guard Lilligant huffed. "You're such a handful, Lilligant," she remarked. She dragged the weasel out of her cousin's cleavage, who seemed very much relieved at being rescued. "What exactly happened to that old mentality of yours, anyway? I thought you once wanted to be 'seen as mature and grown up, no matter what'?"
"Well, being all stuffy and stilted wasn't for me." She winked at Sneasel. "I'd say this works much better, wouldn't you say~?"
"A-Absolutely! Most definitely!" Sneasel responded a bit too quickly. He gestured in some general direction. "In any case, it would seem we are all properly introduced! So would you say it is time for us to continue our tour of the village?"
"Aye, we'd better crack on while we've still got sunlight," Gourgeist added.
"Oh... well, seems fair," Garden Guard Lilligant replied, seeming a bit disappointed.
"Aww..." Maturity Lilligant said with a small pout. She shrugged and gave Buneary a pleasant wave. "Well, it's been good, Buneary. See you around!" Her wave turned rather sultry as she turned it towards the boys. "And I'll see you two around very soon, I'm sure~"
"Aye, we'll be seein' ya both!" Gourgeist said with a cheery wave.
"M-Maybe so!" Sneasel said hastily, turning to leave. "Goodbye, ladies!"
"Thanks for the tour~" Buneary added, joining Gourgeist's wave.
"It's alright. It was quite fun!" Garden Guard Lilligant replied happily. "I'll see you all soon! Please let Swadloon know I said hi~"
Sneasel turned back to face her. "Swadloon? Oh, are you both friends?" he asked.
"Hm? Well, I suppose so. Actually, I know her mother, more. Queen Defender Leavanny, my partner in serving Queen Serperior as her retainers. While she was queen, anyway."
Buneary gasped while Sneasel spluttered in surprise. "Her mother? Truly?" he asked.
"Why, yes," Garden Guard Lilligant replied, seeming somewhat amused by the reactions. "I was very surprised to see that Swadloon had also come to live at this beach, but lo and behold." She giggled lightly. "It's a small world, it seems."
"Wow, no kidding!" Buneary chimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I can't believe she never told me! I have to ask her about it~"
"I would say the same!" Sneasel agreed. "It has been a while since I've spoken with her properly, so it'll be an exciting excuse to start!"
"Sounds like a right ol' belter of a time!" Gourgeist added. "Maybe I might even learn what one o' them 'queens' is."
Sneasel let out an amused, if not exasperated, huff while the others giggled. "They are, um..." He tapped a claw to his chin contemplatively. "Actually, I shall tell you later. It would require some explaining!"
"I would love to tell you what I know, too!" Garden Guard Lilligant added.
"Right-o! Cheers, you two," Gourgeist replied, looking pleased.
"Y'know... I could be your queen, Sneasel~" Maturity Lilligant teased, sidling closer to Sneasel.
"Th-Thank you...!" Sneasel replied, fluster rapidly returning. He cleared his throat and stepped away from her, apparently amusing her with his response. "Anyhow, we shall be on our way!" He gave them a friendly wave. "Goodbye, ladies!"
Buneary and Gourgeist copied him, along with giving their own goodbyes. Both lilligants waved back, one in a prim and proper way, and one in a... less prim and proper way.
As they got a fair distance away, pushing past branches and overreaching bushes, Buneary heard Garden Guard Lilligant mutter something. "Hmm... I wonder where her fluff ends and her body begins...?" she pondered.
"Didn't you ask the same thing about Gourgeist?" Maturity Lilligant asked.
"Well... it is a good question, to be fair." A pause went by. "... Please don't tell me you're not going to put those away."
"Oh, don't you start, cousin..."
Deciding to stop listening, Buneary tilted her head down at her lower body. Where did her... body start? Wasn't it easy to tell? Her fluff was so short, though.
That said, Lilligant was pretty tall, so... from her perspective, could she only see the top part of her fluff? The part she'd left unshaven for style?
Well... in any case, she didn't want to shave any further. If she shaved off her cream fluff, people would see the brown fur underneath. If she shaved that off... Well, dying from embarrassment wouldn't be all that far from her future, that much was for sure.
Upon leaving the greenhouse, the cooler air from outside hit Buneary like an arctic blast. Yelping, she shivered. Y-Yeesh... and after she'd gotten completely used to the warm air, too.
Gourgeist let out a slight shuddering breath too, perhaps feeling the same as her. Sneasel, however, just let out a deep sigh. Clearly, he appreciated it much more.
"Well, that had certainly been an adventure!" Sneasel said. He smiled somewhat sheepishly. "They are a... unique family, are they not?"
"Y-Yeah," Buneary replied, rubbing her arms for warmth. "They seem pretty close to each other. They were friendly, too!" She cringed lightly. "Especially that, um... Maturity Lilligant."
His smile grew more sheepish. "Yes... for sure..."
She copied his smile. "Um... I... guess she's not your type, huh?"
"Eheh... you are not wrong, sadly. Perhaps I would at least consider it, but goodness me... I cannot help but wonder what dating someone who routinely flirts with boys would go."
"Oh, aye," Gourgeist added. He chuckled. "She's a fine thing, but I think our ol' feller would call 'er a floozy."
Sneasel laughed. "Yes, I think you might be right!"
"Aww, well... I think she's okay," Buneary said. She smiled. "To think, though... two pokémon who know Queen Serperior, living right here in Venture Village!"
"Yes, it is amazing!" He crossed his arms. "Come to think of it, actually... Swadloon was always quite well-spoken. Perhaps a little reserved, actually. I wonder if that has anything to do with her mother serving the queen...?"
"Ooh, maybe! And Swadloon said she came from the Arbor Area, too!"
"Hm, okay then! Yes, there's no doubt about it. I most definitely must ask her all she knows about..." He stalled, a look of comprehension coming over him. He clicked his claws excitedly. "Actually, just now, I had a great idea! Why don't we head off to Venture Library?"
"Library...?" Buneary asked, tilting her head.
"Yes! It is a special one where you may borrow and, if you wish, buy books!"
A sharp gasp escaped Buneary. "A place just for buying books!?"
"Oh aye, lass!" Gourgeist replied. "I go there meself sometimes, t' borrow me some books on gardenin'." He scratched his head. "... Don't always know the fancy words they use, but the pictures 'elp out enough!"
Sneasel huffed out a chuckle and nodded. " Ay- Er, yes! And I, too, often frequent there myself, for stories about great explorers and their adventures. So if you are anything like me, I know you shall love it, too!"
She hopped up and down excitedly. "I'm sold already~! Let's go!"
Sneasel laughed. "No need to tell me twice! Let us go..." He pointed forwards dramatically, allowing his wide scarf to billow behind him,"... to the library!"
"Yay!"
Buneary excitedly followed behind Sneasel as he led her and Gourgeist somewhere. She expected them to approach a building of some sort... but, instead, they seemed to be headed to the large mountain-like formation that made up Drenched Bluff. The very edge of it a far way down the beach, at that.
She was a bit confused. That is, until she saw a door carved into the wall of rock. Above it was a wooden sign, a picture of a book painted on it.
She smiled. Well, that would be it! She excitedly went over with her friends and quickly entered.
As soon as she went inside, the dry smell of dust hit her like a geo pebble, making her sneeze. Yeesh... well, at least it didn't seem damp, like the actual bluff...
"Bless ya, lass!" Gourgeist said, amused. Looking at him, she noticed that the face-like pattern on his belly was glowing in the dim lighting of the building. Had it always been doing that?
"Thanks..." she replied, trying to ignore how creepy it looked. Sniffling, she rubbed her nose with the back of her paw and looked around at her surroundings. The building seemed to be made up of a long hallway with a ceiling that stretched high, all lit up with lanterns hanging down from it.
Sure enough, there were hundreds of books lining the walls, all tucked away inside long holes neatly cut into the rock to make shelves. Said shelves were stacked high, making up most of the wall.
Wow, that was a lot of stuff to read! She could hardly believe her eyes!
Sneasel laughed. Looking at him, she saw him grinning amusedly at her. "That is not unlike my reaction, coming to this place for the first time!" he said.
She giggled sheepishly, face going warm. "W-Well... it's certainly different to what I'm used to. I always had to wait until Mrs. Gastrodon brought some to our village for us to buy," she explained.
"Ah, is that so? Well, I know that feeling, somewhat. There were no stores in Pumpkaboo Forest."
"Aye!" Gourgeist piped in. "So our ol' feller was always bringin' books back for our Sneasel to read."
Sneasel gleefully crossed his arms. "Haha, yes! He knew me too well!"
"Heehee, how sweet~" Buneary replied happily.
"Hey!" a young, nasally voice snapped, interrupting their conversation. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to talk so loud in a library?"
Surprised, Buneary whirled around to see who'd spoken. It was a small, young-looking white bear with a blue face. The boy was wearing some round blue glasses with some odd green lenses, and... ugh... had a humongous, wet dribble of what seemed like snot hanging down from his nose, long enough to almost touch the floor.
Buneary looked at it in disgust before she could stop herself. He didn't seem to notice or care, though, thankfully. Yeesh... she knew it was dusty in here, but...
"Oh, uh... my apologies, Cubchoo," Sneasel replied somewhat sheepishly. "Did we interrupt a study session, or anything like that?"
"No... but you coulda done!" He haughtily crossed his arms with a smirk. "Man, you should watch out, or you could get yourself kicked outta the library."
Sneasel's lips stretched into an obviously forced smile. "I'll... watch out for that..."
Buneary pouted. Hmph! That kid sure was being mean. Sneasel hadn't done anything wrong...
Cubchoo gave a self-satisfied nod. His attention snapped towards Gourgeist, who was slowly approaching him. "Uh... can I help you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, yer nose is a mite scruffy, there, lad," Gourgeist replied, smiling innocently. "Got a nasty bit o' mucus dribblin' down."
Cubchoo frowned in confusion. "Huh? But that's the source of my ice-type energy! It's supposed to be-"
The pumpkin brandished a scuffed up rag, likely taken from his treasure bag. "'Old still, I'll get it for ya!" He reached down and, rather roughly, began to try cleaning the offending snot away.
Cubchoo squealed and flailed around, trying to get him to stop. "W-What're ya doin'!? Ow, ow, ow...!"
Gourgeist relentlessly continued. "Oh, it's a tough little bugger, this one. Give us a sec...!"
Buneary heard Sneasel huff loudly, as if trying to suppress a laugh. Not that she blamed him. Even she couldn't hold back a small grin of amusement at the unintended karma.
"Hey, get off me!" Cubchoo protested, pushing away from Gourgeist. He accidentally stumbled backwards, towards Buneary.
Surprised, she reached out to grab hold of him. Before she could save him, he twisted around, allowing his giant strand of snot to face her.
She squealed in terror. Oh, gross! Noooo!
She prepared for the worst, but a ball slightly smaller than Cubchoo rammed into him, sending him tumbling to the side, crying out in pain.
Buneary blinked a few times. Realizing she was miraculously safe, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. Good legends, she was going to have a heart attack if this day didn't calm down soon...
She looked at Cubchoo, wondering if he was okay. Standing on top of his side as he lay in a heap was a strangely round pokémon. Its smooth, hunched back was gray and covered in yellow and brown triangle patterns, while its face was white and looked rather cute and rodent-like.
She frowned. "Cubchoo!" she yelled, sounding quite young with her squeaky voice. "You said you were gonna just take a few minutes looking for something! What the heck'ja call this?"
"Get off me, Sis! It's still just a few minutes!" He forcefully flipped onto his front, sending the small rodent tumbling off. She rolled along the ground, coming to a stop in front of Buneary. Standing up, the rodent blinked at her.
Buneary blinked right back, not exactly knowing what to say. "... Um... hello!" she tried.
The rodent's features lit up like a fire in a dark cave. She was so excited, even, that the once-flat triangles on her back protruded into spikes all of a sudden. "Wow! You're so pretty!" she chimed. Her back smoothed out again, all spikes gone. "Please, will you marry our daddy?"
Buneary stared in shock, no longer able to blink. "... Huh!? M-Marry!?"
"Yeah! He needs a pretty wife to keep him company!"
She continued to stare. "... Uhh..." She glanced at Sneasel and Gourgeist. The former seemed to be suffering second-hand embarrassment, and the latter seemed confused, if not somewhat amused.
Cubchoo was red in the face and seemed ticked off. "T-Togedemaru! I told you already, don't just ask that!" he shouted. He ran up to his sister, picked her up, and sent her rolling down the library aisle like a ball.
"Please think about iiiiit!" she yelled as she went.
Buneary let out a breath. Well, at least she didn't have to crush the girl's dreams. Marrying someone she didn't even know, though? That sounded like something straight out of a goshdarned fairytale!
"Oh dear, that's a mean thing to do to yer wee sister, isn't it?" Gourgeist asked in surprise, putting his rag away.
"Well, she should've thought about that, before-" Cubchoo started, stopping as he noticed Buneary. On seeing her, he gasped, eyes brightening. "Hey, you're a buneary, aren't you?" he said, pointing at her.
"Um... y-yes?" she replied, wondering what this was leading up to.
"Wow, that's so cool! This is my first time meeting one!"
She scratched her head, perplexed. "Oh... neat?"
"I suppose you have not met Barista Spinda's wife, then," Sneasel commented, crossing his arms.
Cubchoo ignored him to give Buneary a big look over, as if she was the most interesting thing on the planet. She wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassed or flattered, honestly.
He stopped in his tracks when he looked at her fluff. "Huh, what gives? Your fluff's supposed to be puffing out, but it's all short and flat!" He lightly tugged at the top part of her fluff. "It's only puffed out up here at the top, where it sticks out!"
"Oh, well..." Buneary started, awkward, "I came from somewhere really hot, so I... well, a friend of mine shaved most of it to stay cool."
"Oh, well, that explains that," Sneasel said. "I'd been wondering, honestly speaking."
Buneary giggled softly. "Well... now you know, I guess!" She wondered if she should mention that she'd known a sneasel who'd had his fur heavily trimmed, too...
Cubchoo started talking before she could consider it, though. "Hey, that makes a lot of sense! That and the fact you needed a friend to help you out!"
She tilted her head. "It... does?"
"Yeah! Buneary have that awful ability, Klutz, which makes you guys totally useless with items!" He readjusted his glasses in thought. "Not as bad as that Run Away of yours, which makes you panic at the drop of a hat."
Her self-esteem shot through the floor. "Thanks for reminding me..." she mumbled.
"Hey, now! Don't be so quick to insult Buneary's kind," Sneasel chastised. He held a paw up, as if readying a grand speech. "It has been said that the adrenaline gained from Run Away gave Redemption Flareon the power needed to hold his own against Team A.C.T., back when they believed that being rid of him would save the world from the natural disasters. So if not for Run Away, not one of us would be alive today!"
"Wow... that's pretty nerdy of you, Sneasel," Cubchoo remarked, unimpressed.
Sneasel spluttered, flabbergasted. "H-Hey!"
"That's a lot coming from you, Cubchoo!" Togedemaru snarked, having come back from her trip down the library. "They call you Know It All for a reason!"
Oh... so he was 'Know It All Cubchoo'? Well, he seemed to have more smarts than politeness, so it was certainly appropriate, Buneary thought to herself with a pout...
"Well, I've gotta be!" Cubchoo replied to Togedemaru. He smiled smugly. "To own this whole library, I have to know all there is to know!"
The rabbit looked at him in surprise. "What? You own the library!?" she asked.
"You bet! Impressed?"
"Oh, bleedin' 'eck, I'll say!" Gourgeist replied, also rather surprised. "You shop owners are gettin' younger by the day!" He smiled. "Oh, that's a right impressive thing!"
"I... do not think that's quite the case," Sneasel said unsurely. "After all, the owner is Mim-"
Cubchoo got into a huff. "Hey, what do ya mean!? Don't you trust me!?" he shouted.
Sneasel held his paws up sheepishly. "H-Hey, come now... That's not-"
"You're darn right they don't believe you!" Togedemaru retorted, pulling a pouty frown at Cubchoo. "If you owned the library, nobody would come, and the books would just live on the shelves forever!"
"They would not!" Cubchoo argued. He paused, shock building on his face. "... Gah! I-I meant don't! They don't live on the dumb shelves!"
Togedemaru hopped up and down happily. "Got'cha! You don't own the library! Literally!"
Cubchoo frowned. "That's not how you use literally! I keep telling you!" He crossed his arms, somehow missing his huge snot dribble. "... And I do too own it!"
Togedemaru stuck her tongue out at him. "Well... libraries are boring, like you, so maybe you do!"
"What the-!? No way! I'm not boring! You're a big pest, who-"
"Oh, now 'ang on, ye wee seeds!" Gourgeist said worriedly, attempting to calm them by holding his hands up. "No need t' bite each other's 'eads off, now, eh? Good brothers 'n' sisters should get along!"
Cubchoo and Togedemaru stared at him.
"... I... got the last part?" Togedemaru said, looking perplexed.
"He's probably telling you that you stink," Cubchoo said sassily.
Her eyes widened. "What!?" She glared iron thorns at the bear. "No way! He meant you, you big-"
Buneary's attention was broken when she felt someone pat her on the ear. Looking up, she saw Sneasel patting her, and Gourgeist's back, too. "Um... perhaps we should just leave them to have their sibling rivalry in peace," he suggested.
"I guess we should..." Buneary said with a sigh, walking further down the hall with the other two. She was cursed to keep causing fall outs just by being in the area, wasn't she?
"Oh dear..." Gourgeist said, seeming a bit sad. "Maybe I need t' learn me 'ow to speak t' children better..."
"Aww, I thought you did a good job!"
"Agreed!" Sneasel added. "Sadly, though... in the one month they've been here, they've shown themselves to be..." He rubbed the back of his head with an apologetic smile, "well... there's no better word for it, is there? Rather bratty. I do not think anything we could have done would have helped."
"I guess so... Cheers, you two!" Gourgeist said, seeming to have cheered up.
"No problem~" Buneary replied smiling.
"Yes, you're quite welcome!" Sneasel added happily. His apologetic smile returned as he looked at Buneary. "On that note, though... I hope you'll forgive them."
She nodded. "Of course! They're only kids, so they'll get better behaved. We've all done things we're not proud of as kids." She let out a small breath. Even her...
"You're right as rain there, lass!" Gourgeist replied. He rubbed his chin. "Can't say I know why you'd want yer nose t' run so much, though..."
Sneasel huffed in amusement. "I suppose you haven't seen much of Cubchoo, yet, have you? It's something his species has in common. It is too sticky and cold to have any kind of bacteria growing on it, so it's nothing to worry about."
The pumpkin looked unsure. "Still a right messy thing t' be lettin' drip down yer face, if you ask me."
"I'll say..." Buneary agreed. Well, at least she hadn't had to touch it. This time, anyway...
Buneary beamed at the sight of the shelf in front of her. On it was a whole row dedicated solely to Hero Recorder Butterfree's biographies!
Wow... Sneasel hadn't been kidding! She was in Heaven right now! She could even see many she'd never even heard of before, let alone read!
Sneasel chuckled from behind her. "Not bad, eh?" he asked. "The whole set's here!"
"Yay~!" Buneary cheered, hopping up and down in joy. She stopped to quickly glance at the books' spines.
She could see World Rescue: Deluxe Edition, the story of Peace Psychu and Redemption Flareon. As a pikachu and eevee at the time, they'd been the rescue team who'd saved the world from natural disasters caused by an meteor. One which they'd had to team up with Rayquaza to destroy, before it would hit Earth.
She really loved that story! Her favorite part had to have been the arc where Eevee had been accused of being a bad human brought forth from the mystical 'Human World'. One whose actions had caused the natural disasters, due to a curse laid on him by a ninetales he'd antagonized.
Even when all the town's pokémon had set out to 'eliminate' Eevee to save the world... Pikachu had stuck with him, travelling with him across the continent as a fellow fugitive until they could prove his innocence.
It had been so cute! Buneary'd had tears in her eyes from relief when Cast Curse Ninetales - the one who had cursed the bad human from the legends - had come forward and confirmed that Eevee was, in fact, simply a pokémon who had been owned by a human. Something that was apparently common in the Human World, as weird as the idea of owning someone was.
She looked at the next book over. Time & Darkness. A story that was rather relevant to her right now, considering she was joining Puzzle Solver Donphan and Relic Finder Snorlax's guild!
She was really pleased about that, too. Their story was so cool! A phanpy who had fallen backwards through time to save the present, helped by a once timid munchlax, turned brave and hardy through adventure!
They'd gotten through so many narrow scrapes that she'd been on the edge of her seat the whole time reading. From saving lives, to escaping deceptive villains from a doomed future, to eventually defeating Dialga, who had gone mad from time being out of whack. None of it would have been possible if it weren't for Phanpy's dimensional scream allowing her to see visions of the future and past!
Buneary blinked. She held back a pout on remembering Snorlax admitting that Donphan's dimensional scream wasn't quite how the book had described it. Gosh, she sure hoped nothing else in these books was made up...
Mentally shrugging the thought away, she looked to the next book. Gates To Infinity. The story of Hope Snivy, the human-turned-pokémon, and Angelic Axew, her ambitious best friend. After buying a desolate wasteland, they had banded together to turn it into a wonderful explorer meeting place known as Paradise. All with the help of the many friends they'd made on their adventures.
Buneary smiled. The story was so heartwarming~ Even though times had been very rough for all pokémon in the continent - no thanks to rampant crime and everyone being generally miserable and pessimistic - they had never given up on trying to make the world a better place. Eventually, their unwavering hope and positivity had allowed them to bring happiness to the continent, make friends of the villains, and even defeat the Bittercold. A being made of pure negativity.
Oh dear... even just thinking about the story threatened to make Buneary tear up something fierce. She had to move onto the next book quickly!
The next one on the shelf, and the one next to it, were part of a series. Wonders Beyond: Pikachu's Adventure, and Wonders Beyond 2: Beyond the World. The first in the series was mostly a tale of Lightning Strike Pikachu's exploits, while he traveled across the PokéPark in search of the pieces of the Sky Prism. On finding them all and having Rainbow Mew combine them, he saved the park from having the Sky Pavilion fall onto it.
It was a very charming story... but Buneary thought the sequel was much cooler! It had an whole plot involving a dimension of fun and wonders! Sadly, though, some bad guys had taken it over for... some reason or another. Admittedly, she hadn't finished the story yet. She was excited to continue soon, though! The action was starting to heat up!
The final story she knew on the shelf was Supernatural. A story of two children - a boy called Light Bringer Squirtle and a girl called Darkness Defeater Chespin - who had gone to school together, left their home to pursue a life of working at the Expedition Society, and not too long afterwards, had to fight for the survival of the world against an evil space alien... thing called Dark Matter.
It had been an extremely complicated story, making it hard to remember all the details - even though she'd only finished reading last month - but she'd loved it all the same! Buneary's heartstrings had been torn after the immense betrayal had occurred midway through the book...
She let out a breath through her nostrils. Those kids were so lucky. Buneary wished she could have gone to school. The way it had been described in the story made it sound very fun! Reading, making friends, and some dungeon exploring. She and everyone else on her island had only learned lessons from Elder Slowking, or the other inhabitants. Very helpful, but not all that exciting...
She looked back and forth between all the books on the shelf. Well, that was all the ones she'd read already... but there were even more than that! "Wow... how many famous explorers are there, anyway?" she pondered aloud.
"You would be surprised!" Sneasel replied. He tapped a claw against a book's spine. "This one in particular has, if you were to ask me, the greatest one of them all!"
"Oh?" she asked excitedly, pulling it out to take a look for herself. It was called 'The Greatest Exploration', and featured an illustration of a long, winding road leading into a mountainous horizon. Several pokémon were staring the road down, clearly ready to go on the before-mentioned 'greatest exploration'.
"Oh, I know that one!" Gourgeist happily said from behind the weasel. "It's that story about the lucario you'd never stop goin' on about."
Sneasel laughed. "You're quite right! And for good reason, might I add! Greatest Lucario was the one who practically invented the concept of explorers!"
Buneary gasped. "Wow, really?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yes! Once, before he and his team set out on their journey... there were simply no exploration teams." He paused and shook his head. "No, rather... there was little exploring, period! Pokémon would stick to their own kind in clans, nestled wherever they lived without a care of what might lie outside." He grandly gestured to the book. "However... he and his team changed that! Travelling across the lands, they encouraged pokémon of different kinds to intermingle and create societies... Traveling to the Tree of Life, he resurrected its owner, Xerneas, which they say was the cause of mystery dungeons appearing... Travelling to the Mystery Continent, they came across Mr. Director, whom they inspired to found the very organization that helps explorers to do the very thing we're known for...!" He blinked and chuckled sheepishly. "Well... I probably shouldn't spoil any more than that. It is a good story, is all I am saying!"
"Okay, then!" she replied with a giggle. She beamed and clutched the book tighter to her chest. "Well, I don't need any more convincing! I'm gonna go get it bought right now!" She looked around for the owner. The real owner, that was. She knew she was a little too trusting for her own good, but she wasn't stupid...
She looked down the hallway. There was a desk with a book and some sort of yellow bundle of cloth on it. Nobody seemed to be over there, though.
At the other end of the hallway, near the entrance, Cubchoo and Togedemaru were still arguing, and had even resorted to roughly shoving against each other. Loving siblings they were not...
Well, that was perplexing. Where in the heck was the owner? There were no other rooms, as far as she could tell...
She decided to ask her friends. "Say, um... where do I go to buy this, anyw-?"
A yellow figure suddenly rose up to stand in front of her. "You only need to ask me, Buneary...!" he said in a shady murmur. "Hello."
"H-Holy sugar!" she shrieked, so surprised she actually toppled onto her back. Were the heck had he come from!?
As Sneasel and Gourgeist also reacted in surprise, she got a good look at the sneaky pokémon. It was a pikachu.
... Well, he looked like a pikachu. There were something very strange about him, though. His eyes and cheeks were scribbled on, like some sort of kid's demented drawing.
Sneasel calmed from his surprise, though he still seemed flustered. "Um, there you are, Study Mimikyu!" he greeted.
"'Ey up, Mimikyu!" Gourgeist added.
"Mimic you...?" Buneary mumbled, getting up to her feet.
Mimikyu chuckled in a creepy manner, head flopping around unnaturally. "Why yes, that's me...!" he said. "You didn't think I was a real pikachu, did you...?"
"... Not too much..." she replied, face warming.
He chuckled again. "They say it's praise worthy when a mimikyu like me can pull off a convincing disguise..." A clawed hand of pure shadow reached out from under him, really creeping the rabbit out when she saw it. He used it to readjust the glasses he was wearing on his chest. The same odd kind that Cubchoo was wearing. It really creeped the rabbit out even further. "Even more so when one can scare a pokémon off their feet..."
She pouted. Tsk! What a smug guy.
"Now, now, don't tease Buneary," Sneasel chastised. "She is interested in buying a book from you!"
"Buying one, eh? Not renting?" Mimikyu asked.
"Um, yes please!" Buneary said, deciding to put his cheeky comments aside.
He murmured in interest. "I see... you must be an avid fan of reading, then, right?"
"Huh? How'd you guess that?" she asked, amazed.
He chuckled again. "It's simple, isn't it? Most would be happy to just rent it, and give it back when they're done... but here you are, wanting to keep it forever." He huffed. "Then again... maybe you're just a collector, or it's your favorite story."
"Well... I don't know about collecting them. I just like reading them." She let out a small awkward chuckle. "And, um... I haven't read this one, yet..."
He stared at her. "You're buying it even though you haven't even read it before? Not even going to skim through a few pages?"
Her face grew warm again. Was that such a weird thing? "Um... n-no, it already looks like it's really good!" She smiled. "It even has Sneasel's seal of approval, so it has to be good!"
"Absolutely!" Sneasel agreed, smiling with crossed arms.
"Hmm, I see..." Mimikyu said, rubbing his... groin? Oh, wait, or was that his face? Now that she thought about it, Buneary wasn't sure, considering that's where his glasses were...
Speaking of them, he readjusted them again. "Well, Buneary, you're an interesting one indeed, aren't you? Maybe, out of the kindness of my heart, I should let you have it for the price of a rented book..." he suggested.
"Wow, really?" she asked, excited.
He angled his glasses her way. "Why not? After all, perhaps it will help you become a worthy rival...!"
"Wow, would'ja look at that!" Gourgeist said happily. "Our Sneasel's always 'avin' to rent books to save money, so ain't that nice?"
"Y-Yes, that's right," Sneasel replied, looking off to the side with a very light chuckle. "He must be rather fond of you, eh? Eheh..."
Mimikyu let out another chuckle. "No offense, Valiant Sneasel... but I have a hunch she'll make a fine thing to study," he said. He turned his head, allowing his glasses to gleam in the light. "And afterwards, who knows? Perhaps we'll even compete for superiority. I'll have the upper hand, of course, considering I've read every book here... but it'll be interesting." He chuckled loudly again, as slowly and darkly as always.
A shiver went up Buneary's spine. Man, he sure needed to work on how he spoke to people. He came across as a little creepy...
She shook off the feeling. Well, creepy or not, he didn't seem bad. He was giving her a book on the cheap, after all! "Well, um... I don't know about competing or anything like that, but..." she started. Beaming, she held the book under her arm to hold his claw in appreciation. "Thanks so much for the cheap book! I'll treasure it, always!"
He yelped in surprise, the area around his glasses turning red. So that was his face! "Oh, uh... you're welcome?" he muttered, sounding flustered. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand back. "I-In any case, don't mention it, Buneary." He quickly readjusted his glasses, smugness returning. "Now then, as fun as this is, I had better calm the two louts who are messing up my fine store."
She looked over his shoulder as he indicated behind himself. Togedemaru was hopping around, dodging as Cubchoo swung his giant snot strand around in an attempt to hit her. "Oh, okay," she replied, cringing at the gross sight.
"Would you like any help?" Sneasel asked.
Mimikyu let out an amused huff. "Appreciated, but no thank you. Handling this will be easy enough...!" He indicated towards the other end of the hall. "Wait by my desk, and I'll be with you soon..."
Buneary, Sneasel and Gourgeist all agreed and moved towards his desk.
"Oh, by the way..." Mimikyu started again before they got far, "Study Mimikyu's the name. Or Stalk Mimikyu, if you'd prefer. Whatever you like...!"
"Oh, okay! That's... er..." Buneary started, pausing as she thought about it. "... Why 'Stalk' Mimikyu?"
He chuckled darkly and readjusted his glasses in response. "... Anyhow, what should I call you?"
... That was so ominous. Oh, unless he was embarrassed about it? Yeah, that had to be the reason. "Oh, um, they call me 'Wallflower Buneary'!"
"That so? Such a fittingly pretty title they gave you." He turned to face the kids by the entrance. Oddly, his shadow seemed to stretch far as he turned. "Well, I'll be seeing you soon, then, Wallflower Buneary."
"Y-Yeah! See you soon!" she replied, flustered by his comment. 'Fittingly pretty'? Well, he knew how to charm a girl, at least.
Mimikyu chuckled darkly and somehow sank into his own shadow. The shadow snapped towards its furthest point, allowing Mimikyu to step out behind the kids. "You two, would you mind telling me why you're causing a ruckus in my library again...?" he asked, irritated.
Cubchoo shrieked and literally leapt a foot in the air, crashing to the ground after. Togedemaru yelped loudly, but soon went back to normal as if nothing had happened.
"... And did you steal my spare pair of goggle specs?" Mimikyu continued, glancing at the bear's similar glasses.
"Oh, hi, Mimikyu!" Togedemaru said, not seeming too scared, unlike her brother, who was crying puddles into the floor.
"That's so meaaaan!" Cubchoo wailed, having a tantrum. "I'm telling my dad, and he'll beat you up! Wahhh!"
"Do that, and I'll put you under my cloak again...!" Mimikyu said rather ambiguously.
Cubchoo yelped and stood up, tears immediately gone. "A-Actually, never mind!"
Togedemaru giggled. "Last time was kinda fun! Sure, let's do it!"
Mimikyu stared at her. "... What!?" he said in utter disbelief. "Who enjoys being scared half to death!?"
Togedemaru blinked. "... Scared...?"
Sneasel sighed, though with a small amused grin. "And they say libraries are supposed to be peaceful..." he said, crossing his arms.
Gourgeist laughed. "It's like when wee Big Noise Phantump learned 'ow to play 'erself the tin whistle," he reminisced.
"Hmm. Nobody slept that night..."
Buneary giggled. "Oh dear... Well, that's kids, for you, I guess," she replied.
They chuckled amongst themselves for a small while. A grumble from Buneary's belly made them pause. She felt her face heat up as they chuckled again, though at her expense this time.
"Um... e-excuse me..." she murmured, tapping her paws together.
"It's okay," Sneasel reassured. "Though on that note... I suppose now would be a good time to show a place that deals in food! Wouldn't you agree?"
"Ooh, maybe!"
He rubbed his chin. A thought soon seemed to occur, because he clicked his claws excitedly. "Oh, are you a fan of sweet food, by any chance?"
She excitedly clapped her paws together, already happy with where this conversation was going. "Yes, yes, definitely! I love all things sweet!" she replied.
"Ooh, well, I'd better do you one of me baked treats one o' these days, then," Gourgeist said. "One o' the things I learned to do, back on the farm."
"His baking is indeed a treat for the taste buds, so I'd recommend it!" Sneasel added.
Buneary beamed. "I'd love that so much! Thanks~" she chimed.
"In the meantime, though... there is another place where you can satisfy your sweet tooth! And I shall show you once you have gotten your book! Sound like a plan?"
"Hee, certainly~!"
Buneary and Gourgeist followed Sneasel as he led them through town once more. After just a short while, he indicated towards a large, orange tent a short distance away. One that had a huge, white swirly lump on top, for some reason. "Behold! Vanilla Delish!"
The rabbit stared in intrigue. Ooh, she had no idea what to expect, but it still sounded tasty, somehow! "Sounds great!" she said with a giggle, eagerly hopping towards it, soon followed by the others.
She stopped in front of the small counter at the front of the tent. "H-Hello!" she started. "I heard they sell sweet things... here..."
Her excitement rapidly died down when she noticed the ledian seemingly in charge, though. Instead of manning the counter, it was lounging in a small hammock to the side of its tent, fast asleep.
She frowned in disappointment. Aww... but she'd wanted to see what sweet things it had on offer! Darn it...
She looked the ledian over, wondering if it really was the one in charge. It had a small white hat, it was snoring soundly, and... well, it had no chest bulge, but its groin was fairly smooth, too, no thanks to the hard bug shell it was wearing. Double darn it...
"Asleep, is he?" Sneasel asked, coming up to her side alongside Gourgeist.
He, huh? "Yeah..." Buneary sighed. "I guess he didn't get much sleep last night."
"That's not quite it. For you see, Ledian's species tend to sleep in the day and then become active at night."
"Aye. 'E's always 'avin' a kip, is our Ledian," Gourgeist added.
"Oh, okay," Buneary replied. She blinked. "... So... he only sells things at night? That's a bit of a weird idea..."
Sneasel crossed his arms and chuckled. "That's not quite the case," he explained. He pointed to a sign next to the counter. "See for yourself."
Tilting her head, Buneary moved over to look at it. It read: 'Am I Icesleep? Snow worries! Just wake me up, and we'll get down to busislush!'
Buneary giggled. "Um... what's with all the ice puns?" she asked.
"He's... 'fond' of them, so to speak," Sneasel explained with a sheepish chuckle.
"Never quite know what'll come out of our Ledian's mouth next," Gourgeist said in amusement.
"Heehee, I see," Buneary replied. She rubbed her chin in thought. "Um... is it really okay to wake him, though?"
"He never seems to mind, so no worries!" Sneasel replied. He reached for a small bell on the counter and pressed the button on top. It made a shrill jingling noise.
Ledian's eyes snapped open. "Oh... hello!" he said, smiling in their direction.
Sneasel and Gourgeist eagerly greeted him, though Buneary's greeting was hesitant, considering they'd just woken up this poor guy. Did Ledian really not mind?
After a stretch, Ledian jumped from his hammock and flew in front of the counter. "What 'cold' I do for you, today?" he asked.
"We're goin' about showin' Buneary the town," Gourgeist explained.
"Ahh, okay!" The ladybug beamed at Buneary. "I thought you looked new! Well, it's..." He paused, as if to consider his wording. "... 'snow ice' to meet you!" He visibly cringed. "... Sounded a bit better in my head."
Buneary giggled. "N-No, it, uh... wasn't too bad," she replied.
He chuckled. "No, it's okay. I know my puns are very cringe worthy." He put all four of his hands on his hips. "But! If it'll help get my business on the map, then 'ice' shall continue!"
She giggled again. "Okay, I see!" She blinked. "Umm, or... 'icy'?"
He laughed. "Good to see someone else knows their way around a cheesy joke, too!"
Buneary sheepishly kicked at the sand, face warming. Yeah, there was no arguing that one...
Gourgeist chuckled. "Oh, that one was right smart o' yer, Buneary. Whenever I try me 'and at a pun, it always goes all pear shaped," he explained.
"It is all in the spirit, Gourgeist," Sneasel reassured in amusement.
Gourgeist brightened up. "Oh, oh, aye! Just like me. One o' them spirits!"
Sneasel and Ledian huffed and chuckled at his little joke respectively.
"There you go, that wasn't 'flurry' bad at all!" Ledian praised.
"Y-Yeah!" Buneary added, even though she hadn't really gotten it. A spirit?
"Oh, grand, thanks!" Gourgeist replied, floating slightly with a surprised, if not proud, look on his face.
Her eyes widened. He could float!? Huh... maybe he was a spirit.
Gosh, on that note... ghosts sure did seem to love frequenting Donphan's Guild a lot, didn't they? Yamask... Gourgeist... Banette... everyone on Team Specter... She was starting to wonder if the place could be considered haunted.
Grinning lightly at her silly joke, she shook the thought away and decided to ask something. "So, um... I guess you sell ice, right?"
"Heh, I gue'ice' you could say that!" Ledian replied. He paused and lightly cleared his throat. "Um... you like ice cream? That's what we have here!"
Stifling down a giggle from his awkward pun, she tilted her head. "Ice... cream?"
"The before mentioned sweet foods, in other words!" Sneasel clarified.
She gasped and looked at Ledian in great intrigue. "Oh, really?"
He nodded. "Yep! Also, there's slushies, lollies, shaved ices, sundaes, snow cones... Pretty much any icy treats you can imagine, I'll whip 'em up in my pot of never-melt ice, permasnow and chilly crystals for ya!"
Buneary joyfully cupped her paws together. "Oooh, okay~! Sounds really exotic!" She paused, a horrible realization causing a worried frown to form. "Um... wait, if it's made of ice... how cold is it?"
"Huh? How cold?" He huffed out a perplexed chuckle. "Er... as cold as ice usually is, I guess?"
Her frown deepened, both from apprehension and a bit of embarrassment from her obvious question. "Ah..."
"Don't tell me... are you not a fan of the cold?" Sneasel asked. He smiled somewhat sheepishly. "If that is the case, I had better not tell you what type I am."
She gasped lightly and shook her head. "N-No, it's okay! I don't mind if you're an ice-type!" She rubbed her arm. "I just get cold very easily, is all..."
Sneasel gave an amused huff and crossed his arms. "It is okay, Buneary. Believe it or not, I, myself, can also feel cold, if the weather is bad enough!"
"Aye, 'specially after a wee bit of a fur trim," Gourgeist added. He chuckled. "Just like the time when our lil' sis, Rascal Phantump, got a'old of the ol' Cut TM and found yer 'avin' a kip."
Sneasel visibly cringed. "I-I'd prefer not to remember the day I lost all the strands of fur I had, thank you very much." His cringe deepened. "... And my poor feather..."
Ledian chuckled and even Buneary couldn't stop herself from grinning in amusement from the image. Gosh, what would he have even looked like? Nothing but pink skin, maybe?
... Oh dear, and he would be left nude, too. Had that happened?
Her grin widened slightly, but she tried not to make it obvious.
"Ah well, no worries, Buneary," Ledian said, seemingly changing the topic. "The treats you can get here are cold, sure... but my ice cream sundaes are no Ice Beam sundaes! So you won't be freezed... you'll be pleased!"
Buneary let out a small chuckle, though his words left a parting shiver to travel through her. Ugh... Ice Beam... Thank goodness ice cream wasn't as bad as that move, because she really didn't like it. Not one bit.
"Um... 'freezed', you say?" Sneasel asked, looking very amused.
Ledian blinked a few times and blushed. "... Sometimes, you have to defy English to get a good pun out. You know how it is."
Buneary giggled. "It's okay. It was some, uh... good bad English," she reassured.
"Oh... that was bad English, now, was it?" Gourgeist asked, tilting his head. "Didn't even know. You lot sure know yer way around yer fancy words, eh?"
"If you say so, Gourgeist," Ledian replied with awkward amusement. He smiled in Buneary's direction. "Well, tell you what, Buneary... I'll 'whippy' you up a regular ol' swirly soft serve ice cream. That's a good one to start with!"
She blinked. "Well... that's nice, thanks! But, um... 'whippy'...?" she asked.
"I... heard some guy call 'em that, once," he quickly explained, smiling sheepishly.
... She still didn't really get it, but as his smile went normal again, she decided not to question it. "Uh, okay, then."
"Anyway!" He grinned. "You're a real ice little girl, so this one's on the igloo!" He pointed at her with his four hands and made a strange gesture with them which reminded her of wands, somehow. "Yeah...!"
Sneasel let out a chuckle while looking like he was trying to hold back a cringe. "Y-Yes! Indeed! Good to get more things on the cheap..."
Gourgeist, instead, looked intrigued. "On the igleh-what'sit now...?" he mumbled.
Buneary would have giggled at the corny joke, but she found herself trying to hold back a pout, instead. "Y-Yeah, eheh..." she grumbled.
Ledian pulled a face. "Yeesh, that bad, huh?" he asked.
"N-No, it's just... I'm an adult."
He stared at her. "... Really?"
She couldn't hold her pout back any longer. "Y-Yeah!"
"Oh, right, yes!" Sneasel replied, looking more awkward by the minute. "Earlier, she, uh... said so herself, so I believe she is."
Ledian's lips stretched in a grimace. "... Ah," he muttered.
Gourgeist nodded happily. "Aye! If she were a wee tyke, the ol' melon bump wouldn't be showin'!" he explained.
Buneary felt her face flush. "Um, y-yeah..." she muttered, not sure if she was embarrassed by his statement or the fact that her bosom wasn't all that big, anyway...
"G-Gourgeist, don't phrase it like that!" Sneasel scolded, awkwardness going into overdrive as his face lit up in a blush.
Gourgeist blinked. He laughed lightly, face going slightly red. "Oh, right you are. Sorry, forgot to watch me wordin', there!"
Very sheepishly, Ledian let out a laugh of his own, face growing red to match everyone else's. "So, um..." he started. "I definitely knew that! Um... 'snew' that! ... N-No, I mean I 'snowed' that! ... I-I mean...!" He blinked several times and cringed heavily. "... I'm gonna go get that ice cream." He quickly retreated into his tent.
Buneary sighed, feeling no less embarrassed. Well... she really hoped that ice cream was worth it, now. Yeesh, why did things always get so awkward around her?
With a soft, swirly chocolate ice cream in paw, Buneary murmured in delight while licking at it. Ohh, where had this thing been all her life? It was as delicious as promised! Not too cold, either, like she'd feared.
Apparently - as well as being able to choose from the flavors on offer - customers could also bring their own ingredients, if they felt like it. Not unlike a place called Spinda's Café, in Treasure Town. It was an exciting idea, being able to try all sorts of different things!
Case in point, Sneasel and Gourgeist were walking with her, enjoying some soft-serve ice creams made with bluk berries the latter had grown.
Gourgeist seemed to be enjoying his, but Sneasel didn't. He was eating his rather apathetically.
"Oh no, Sneasel... is it not very good?" Buneary asked.
Sneasel looked at her curiously. "Oh? Why do you ask?" he replied. "It seems okay to me."
"It is?" she asked in surprise. "Well... that's good then, I guess. You just didn't seem to like it..."
"Oh, no need to worry, none," Gourgeist explained, taking a second to swallow some ice cream. "Our Sneasel's never been one t' fuss much over food. Not even a wee bit."
Sneasel chuckled. "Quite true," he replied.
"Not at all?" Buneary asked, eyes wide. "That can't be true!"
"Oh, but it is." He let out a small sigh. "Before living with Gourgeist, I had to endure a rough childhood... living on the icy streets of Stormur Town with nowhere truly concrete to call home..." He dramatically clenched a fist, causing his claws to stab into his ice cream cone. "I was forced to eat whatever unfavorables I could find, no matter my thoughts on taste or texture. Because of that, my tastes have dulled dramatically over time. Things that are disgusting and, sadly, things that are tasty tend to blend together for me."
She frowned sadly in pity. "Aww, that's no good, Sneasel... Was it really that awful? That's so sad..."
He grinned. "Do not worry, Buneary! This is not a sad story, but a happy one, as it made me who I am today! Besides..." He grandly held his ice cream aloft. "With no tastes but the extreme to hold me down, my valiant ways shall never be toppled by any sort of food!"
Buneary stared at him in awe. Wow... he took it in such stride that she couldn't help but find it admirable!
Gourgeist smiled widely. "Oh, seems pretty bang on for ya, Sneasel!" he praised. "Able to eat anything that's not a gold gummi without battin' an eye."
A scared yelp escaped Sneasel's lips and his back stiffened. He seemed so startled that he even ignored the dark purple dollop of ice cream that had melted and dribbled onto his face. "... P-Please don't mention those things, Gourgeist," he mumbled, all sense of grandness dead in the water.
Gourgeist blinked. "What'cha mean? Gold gummis?"
Sneasel's face went green. "Y-Yes, Gourgeist!" He gripped his stomach with his free hand. "Anything but those, please, I beg of you."
"Oh, okay. Never mind the gold gu-" A sickened grumble from Sneasel made the pumpkin stop. "... I mean never mind the... you know."
Buneary stared at the spectacle, confused. ... Um... oh dear? Gosh, after that, she had to make sure not to show him anything gold, then. For his sake. Or anybody for that matter, remembering Yamask's fear of gold bars...
"Heyyy... are you, like... sick, or something?" a sleepy-sounding voice said from the side.
Startled, Buneary turned to see who was talking. Slowly trotting up to them was an extremely feminine white pony with a sparkling blue and lavender mane, complete with a dark purple horn poking out.
"Oh, 'ey up, Ponytale!" Gourgeist greeted eagerly, apparently recognizing her.
"O-Oh, Ponytale," Sneasel said. He swallowed and recomposed himself. "N-No, thank you, my friend. I am quite well!"
Ponytale's head drooped to the side, grazing the sand with her long mane. "But.. you're looking sort of green. That's not good..." she replied. Her head drooped to her other side, gaze turning to the sky. "... Or was it red that's the bad one? Or orange? Hmm..."
"No, really, it's okay, thank you." He smiled sheepishly. "Besides, my fur is always dark green, anyway..."
His words apparently didn't get through to her, because her gaze stayed trained on the sky. "... Yeah... green is like algae, and that stuff's no good. I'd better tell Mom." Her head went upright and her horn glowed brightly, along with her mane as its colors flashed rapidly.
As pretty as it looked, Buneary started to grow concerned. Especially when she saw some dread in Sneasel's eyes. "Oh no... Ponytale, w-what did you tell your mother?" he asked.
She gave a small, droopy smile. "Oh, not much... Just that there's a tiny chance you might be... like, dying, or something, so she should stop that..."
Sneasel gasped. "W-What!? But I'm not!"
She frowned in worry. "... I hope you don't die. You're pretty cool..."
"He's fine, though!" Buneary added in distress. Oh, legends, what was going to happen now!?
"He might die? Oh, that's no good!" Gourgeist said, seeming somewhat alarmed for once. "Oh, thank our legends you doctor types are top o' the line at this sorta stuff."
Sneasel let out a bemused huff and shook his head. "No, no, Gourgeist," he replied, "she is mista-" A red glow surrounded him, stopping him dead with widened eyes. "... -ken."
Some sort of force lifted Sneasel off the ground and sent him sailing away. Flinging his ice cream in shock, he cried out the whole way.
Buneary yelped. Wah! Who was attacking Sneasel!?
"Oh bugger, what's goin' on, now?" Gourgeist said in surprise. He flew away, rushing in Sneasel's direction.
"Ah... Mom just works fast, don't worry..." Ponytale murmured, not even seeming to notice that the pumpkin had already gone out of earshot.
"What? Works fast?" Buneary asked. As she said that, she noticed Sneasel disappearing within the folds of a large, distant white tent, adorned with a red cross.
The pony nodded. "Yeah..." Sneasel's ice cream dropped from the sky and landed on her head, splashing her face with dark purple slush. Mild surprise was her only reaction. "Oh... it's snowing..." She licked some off her cheek as it dribbled from the cone on her head. She smacked her lips several times and giggled airily. "... It tastes niiice... I guess it must be Christmas, then..."
... What? Buneary was so confused she couldn't even begin to know how to respond. Since when was snow tastier at Christmas? ... Did it taste better?
She shook her head. No, she had to stay focused! She hopped over to the tent as quickly as she could, trying her hardest to keep her ice cream intact as she bounded over.
On reaching the tent, she moved past Gourgeist - who was watching through a plastic window in the tent's door - and peered through the tent flaps. Inside the room cluttered with various books and strange implements, she saw Sneasel against a heavily tilted metal table, held against it via some psychic force, much to his displeasure.
Bearing down on him was a large, white, obviously female horse pokémon with a long, admittedly beautiful mane looking like something out of a fairy tale.
Concernedly, the horse's face was stern and stoic as she looked the weasel up and down. "Hm, yes, it is exactly as bad as the vision my daughter showed me," she said, her voice as stern as she looked. "I need to treat you immediately."
"I-I'm not unwell! Please, Magilope, just... unhand me!" Sneasel protested.
'Magilope' rubbed a hoof against her chin. "Intriguing... the patient is displaying signs of irritated denial, despite obvious sickness. Might this be an onset of delirium? Further examination is required." She lowered her long, dark purple horn to face him, which glowed red.
"E-Examination?" Sneasel asked, frowning in worry at the sharp tip aiming at him.
Oh no... Buneary needed to stop this now! She slipped into the tent and hopped up and down while waving both paws. "Wait, w-wait! You've got it all wrong!" she exclaimed. "He's not-!"
"Another patient?" the horse interrupted. Her horn glowed an even brighter red. "Apologies, but I am already saving a life. Unless you are dying, please wait a moment."
"B-But-!" Buneary was cut off as the same red glow enveloped her. She felt a strange force mess with her mind, making her limbs move on their own without her permission.
She gasped and tried to fight against her own body. It was useless, though, as her legs forcefully walked out of the room, then made her hop onto a bench outside and sit down.
Agh, darn it! She kept struggling against the strange force controlling her.
"Oh, are yer alright, there, Buneary?" Gourgeist asked. "I thought we were 'elpin' Sneasel, some'ow."
"I... can't... move...!" Buneary forced out. She strained with all her might to at least move her ar- Ack!
All of a sudden, she regained control of her body and accidentally slammed her ice cream into her face.
"Ooh, feck!" Gourgeist yelped. "Well, that made a right grumpig's ear of things! Are you okay?"
Shivering lightly from her cold face, Buneary groaned. Oh, for goodness' sake, she wasn't having a good day... "I'll... b-be fine, thanks..." she reassured.
"Alright. Well, at least yer a fair bit brown, already," he said cheerfully. "No one'll see anything!"
She huffed in amusement. "Y-Yeah, true..." She tried wiping some of the chocolate gunk and cone fragments off her face. She pouted. "Man... it's still all sticky."
"Yeah, I guess you would be a bit manky after that business. Best wash yerself up. "
She licked the contents off her paws. "Yeah..." She gave one last displeased exhale before steeling herself and hopping off the bench to head inside again. However, the flap was closed tight, locked up with what appeared to be a zipper. One without a handle. Was it on the inside right now?
She looked up and down it in concern. Oh crud, now what? She looked around for a way in. Before she found one, Gourgeist scooped a 'hand' under her, and lifted her up.
"'Ere you go!" he said with a smile, holding her closer to a window on the door. "Let's 'ave a gander at 'ow she 'elps our Sneasel. She's one o' them doctor types, so she'll know what she's doin'."
"Um... okay..." she replied, looking through. Well... even if she couldn't do anything, she could at least watch, and, with her sensitive hearing, listen in.
Currently, Magilope had the tip of her glowing horn in Sneasel's mouth, holding down his tongue and peering inside. "Hmm... temperature and color is adequate, save for berry stains..." she muttered to herself. "No sign of dryness, either..."
Sneasel tried to say something, but her horn made it unintelligible. He was still bound to the table, making escape impossible.
The horse removed her horn from his mouth and lightly jabbed it into his stomach.
"H-Hey...!" Sneasel spluttered, still recovering from her horn.
"Hm, no signs of pain or discomfort here, either, thus disputing my 'stomachache' theory. How very perplexing..."
Buneary's spirits rose slightly. Well... maybe there was no need to stop her. Maybe she would figure out the truth on her own. She was a doctor, after all. Health Happy Wynaut back home on Wellware Island had always talked about how they were medical experts, so maybe Buneary was just worrying over nothing...
Magilope began combing through Sneasel's thick fur. "... Pink healthy skin... no displacements in temperature..." Her eyes lit up. Well, as much as they could with such a stern expression, anyway. "Aha! Cold sweat. Yes, I believe I am onto something..."
"Th-That is from fear, I think you'll find," he retorted. He let out a breath. "Please, it is as I said before: I simply pictured eating a..." He cringed, "... g-gold gummi, and had a bad rea-"
Her eyes widened. "That expression... the patient is having another attack!" Her eyes narrowed. "There is no time. I must take drastic measures."
He cringed even harder. "Oh... no."
A book hovered through the air towards her, kept aloft by what seemed to be Psychic, or Confusion. She opened and studied it for a few while, ignoring Sneasel's pleas the whole time.
"So, how's it going...?" a sleepy voice said. "Is Sneasel going to make it...?"
Buneary turned around in Gourgeist's hand and saw Ponytale standing behind her.
"It's lookin' like our Sneasel's poorly with somethin' bad," Gourgeist explained, glancing at her.
"Um... I don't know about that..." Buneary mumbled. Her hope of this resolving itself was beginning to fade rapidly.
Seeming to ignore her, Ponytale frowned worriedly. "Oh no... that's not good at all..." she said. She seemed to lighten up slightly. "Well, no worries. I went and sent a message to Dad, so he'll come and help, for sure." She blinked and absently looked off to the side. "... Somehow..."
Buneary sighed. Somehow, she wasn't exactly excited by the prospect.
"Ah, I think..." Magilope muttered aloud. Looking back inside the tent, Buneary noticed that she was nodding to herself, having apparently come to a conclusion. "... Hm. Yes, definitely." She willed the book away and approached Sneasel. "Please brace yourself."
"F-For what, dare I ask?"
Magilope didn't offer an explanation. Instead, she aimed her horn at Sneasel's groin and quickly unraveled his fur coverings using psychic energy.
Buneary's eyes went as wide as they could go. When his penis and testicles flopped out in full view of her, the rabbit's rolled ear sprung up in shock. Holy flipping moly!
Sneasel went as red as the feather on his ear. "Oh, dear legends, what're you doing!?" he yelled, any sense of composure gone as he desperately flailed around.
"It is theorized that pent up sexual urges can cause one to become unwell, left unchecked," Magilope explained, as stone faced as ever. "I must assess that you are not experiencing a sexual emergency."
"W-What is wrong with you!?"
The horse rose an eyebrow. "Hm? My health is not a concern. I am more worried about your wellbeing, hence this diagnosis." She paused. "... Sufficient study will be required to determine a cure, but this shall provide a good starting point."
Buneary could barely pay attention because of what she was seeing. Her face felt extremely hot, and she could swear she was sweating.
"Oh... my, what sorta doctor'ins goin' on? " Gourgeist said, looking rather perturbed. "They 'ave some right 'ol strange practices outside Pumpkaboo Forest, those towns pokémon."
"Y-Yeah..." she mumbled quietly. She knew she had to do something, but... goodness, she couldn't help but stare! Oh... legends, and he was hung, too. That wasn't helping.
"Wow... it's a cock," Ponytale mumbled in surprise, having propped herself up on her back legs to look into a window. Her head drooped into a tilt. "I wonder why people blow them... What's the point if they inflate on their own? Hmm..."
Buneary would reply - particularly in confusion - but her attention was a bit preoccupied. Especially as she noticed Sneasel starting to 'stir'. Heehee~
The poor weasel let out an irritated growl. "Okay... I did not want to do this, but if I must!" he cried. A dark, evil aura emanated from him, overpowering Magilope's psychic move.
In fact, it overpowered her move so much that it had even begun to envelop her entire head. As that happened, her eyes widened and she gave a loud groan in pain. Backing up, she crashed into a desk, causing books and equipment to fall.
Buneary snapped back to her senses. Oh, what had Sneasel done!?
... Actually, he was a dark-type, wasn't he? Yeah, she remembered hearing something about them from her old friend, Textbook Vulpix. Or rather, Blazing Vulpix, to go with the theme of their adventure squad like they'd all agreed. She'd told her that dark-types could cancel psychic-type moves by releasing dark energy, making them null and void.
On top of that, because psychic-type moves used the power of the mind, it generally wouldn't end well for the user. Something about dark-type energy being similar to pure hateful energy, which is a big strain on the psyche. Not that dark-types were all bad or anything, but that's what she'd learned from Vulpix...
Knowing that, seeing Magilope writhe around with a hoof to her head in pain made sense to her, now. However, Gourgeist and Ponytale apparently didn't know the same things she did, because they were currently gasping in horror, looking like they were about to freak out.
Notably, Ponytale was even visibly shuddering. "Oh no! Mom has the... thing. That Sneasel had. I think..." she exclaimed, petering out into her usual sleepy mumble.
"Ohhhh, that's right bloody bad, that is!" Gourgeist said fearfully. "This sick thing is so strong, even the doctors can't 'andle it!"
"N-No, it's okay!" Buneary reassured. "You see, i-it's a dark-type thing! It, um..."
"Don't worry, lass!" Gourgeist interrupted, looking as if he was starting to charge a move. "I'll sort out that sickness!"
"B-But...!"
Ponytale's shuddering grew somewhat violent, as if she was terrified. "Ohh... I-I think I should, like... r-run for my life, or something," she said before galloping away.
Buneary looked at her retreating form in worry. What? Why? It wasn't like Gourgeist was going to explode, or anythi-
... She blinked. Wait. Explode? Explode...
"... Coulda sworn people call him 'Big Bang Gourgeist," Strength Skorupi mumbled, scratching his head with his tail.
Hearing that, Sneasel grimaced. "Um... I suppose in some circles, they... call him that," he muttered.
"Yeah, it's 'cos you like to blow up, don't'cha, Gourgeist?" Expedition Skwovet said.
The pumpkin nodded, the big smile on his lips and on his belly unwavering. "Right'cha are, Skwovet! If an enemy pokémon gives me team any bother, I give 'em a good Explosion to send the wee buggers packin'. Does the job good 'n' proper!" he replied.
... Buneary's fear spiked at the memory. Oh shoot!
Fueled on adrenaline, she instantly started to panic. Thinking of nothing else but escaping, she jumped off Gourgeist's hand and hopped away as fast as she possibly could.
She got a fair distance until she nearly bumped into another pokémon. Calming down enough to look at it, she saw what appeared to be another large horse. Black with white stripes, and an extremely spiky white mane.
"Hm, you appear to be in a hurry," the pokémon said. His voice was more gentle and high-class than she'd imagined it would be, what with the stern look on his face. "I'd suggest you watch that you don't bump into anyone. Just to be safe, of course."
"Th-There's no time! My friend's going to explode!" Buneary answered hurriedly.
The horse gave her a very strange look. "... I... see." He huffed through his nose. "Well, young lady, if that is the case, I'd suggest you take her to see my wife as soon as possible." He pointed towards the tent she'd just escaped from seconds ago. "She is a doctor, so-"
It disappeared in a huge explosion, topped with a mushroom-shaped flame that went towards the sky. It dissipated soon after, leaving a smoldering crater with a wrecked tent inside.
Buneary stared in horror and awe. Holy crud...
She looked at the horse next to her. He stared at the destruction with widened eyes. After a beat, he put a hoof to his forehead in displeasure. "... Might I ask, was it Gourgeist or Whimsicott?" he asked.
"Um... G-Gourgeist," she replied meekly.
"Right, yes, naturally." He sighed. "Well, I had better investigate the damages." He started towards the tent. "I'd suggest you accompany me. If you'd like, of course."
"Okay..."
Walking alongside him, she couldn't help but shake her head at herself. Well, that could have gone better... She only hoped everyone involved was alright.
TO BE CONTINUED!
Finished: 04/01 (January)/2022 (Happy New Year!)
Word count: 17,175 (Oof!)
VGS2's sausage notes: Phew... I think I had a bit too much fun exploring this bloody town. XD Well, hopefully you did, too! Even though there's a little bit more to go...
I guess I should ask... do you guys prefer longer chapters, or would you have preferred me to split it up into several shorter ones? I'm only doing it this way to avoid another 'milk maid café incident', if you catch my drift, but I'm eager to know what you think. XP
By the way... thanks, Bc414, for giving me Ledian! I know it was really just a species recommendation, but I still appreciate it, man! XP
Also, ravengal helped me come up with Ponytale and Magilope's species names. And boy did it take her and I a million years to brainstorm them up, too. It really wasn't easy. Especially for Magilope... XD We came up with so many different names, but they either didn't look good written down, they were too much of a stretch, or they were just plain dumb. Also, we nearly went with 'Magicant', but, er... then we got a cease and desist from Ninten and Ness, so that didn't quite pan out. So Magilope it was!
You're probably asking your computer screen things like: "Why not just use 'Rapidash'?" Or "It's a Galarian Ponyta, isn't it?" Well... for the former question, we think it should have been its own pokémon and not just a form, when it looks and acts so different. (Imagine if they'd made Unova nowadays? They would've probably called Blitzle a ponyta, too!)
For the second question... well, there is no Galar, or Alola in this world. So it'd be weird if someone brought them up, or if Buneary's POV implied that she knew about those places when there's no such thing, eh? XD 'Buneary looked at the ponyta. She could tell it was one from the non-existent land of Galar, because it looked like it was from MLP, instead of being on fire. This greatly amused Buneary, as her auntie was from the ancient non-existent land of HisuaninsansinsansomethingsomethingArceus.'
Today's shameless promotion: A Wild World
Author: destinedjagold
Universe: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (Original world)
Main species: An eevee, a shinx, a cyndaquil, and many more.
Summary: An Eevee wakes up in an unknown yet familiar world, full of wild wonder.
Romance: A good amount! Some cucking does ensue, however.
Wackiness: A fair amount of humour! Mostly grounded, though.
Lewdness: A shit-ton, but it's very random. You'll never expect it when it shows up!
Action: A fair amount, whenever they get to dungeoning! Otherwise, it's generally slice of life.
Grittiness: Somewhat dodgy shit happens sometimes.
Length: Rather long!
This is another one of those fics I've glanced over, but never fully read, I will admit. Whenever I do glimpse through, though, it always surprises me, somehow. Especially when it decides to do something lewd out of the blue... XD An easy recommendation from me! If only because it'll give you plenty of double-takes, I'm sure. Not to mention, it's got some decent humour. XP
Fun mistakes of the day:
#1: 'Buneary marveled at the large building before it.'
(Somehow I forgot Buneary's bloody gender, apparently. Or, considering it's her own POV, maybe she's the one who's forgotten. Oh dear... XP)
#2: 'As Gourgeist drifted closer to her, the wabbbit couldn't help but be surprised by their size difference.'
(Dat wascally wabbit!)
#3: 'Hm, though if Maturity Lilligant 'chased boys', as Petilil aid...'
(Getting little kiddies to help in her flirting efforts... what a devil.)
#4: 'Lilligent checked herself over and giggled again.'
(It seems she finally noticed that she's actually the rare and elusive male lilligant.)
#5: 'She was the Area Keeper of the Arbnor Area, wasn't she!?'
(I think you're wrong, Buneary. XD Unless she recently moved to a Lord of the Rings universe, or something...)
#6: "I used to work as her as her retainer."
(So... not only does she work for Queen Serperior... but she is Queen Serperior, too!? I guess that's one way to avoid hiring staff.)
#7: 'Gosh, it wasn't often she came across this problem. Two pokémon in the same area she was acquainted with.'
(What an introvert.)
#8: 'Okay... she definitely had to pay more attention to hat her friends actually looked like.'
(Princess Peach's mindset during Odyssey.)
#9: '"Y-Yeah," Buneary replied, rubbering her arms for warmth.'
(Buneary becomes the main protagonist of One Piece. What a strange rubber soul.)
#10: "I often frequent there for stories about great explorers, so I know you shall love it too!"
'A sharp gasp escaped Buneary. "Book?"'
(Book! :D)
#11: "That is, until she saw the large door carved into the rock wall of rock."
(Is there a mosh pit inside, or something?)
#12: "No... but you coulda done!" He crossed his eyes.
(Yeesh... I guess he really does need to wear glasses.)
#13: "Thanks so much for the cheap book! I'll reassure it, always!"
(Thanks to auto-correct, I guess Buneary must have a very antsy book on her hands.)
#14: 'He peeked behind the two of them and, on spotting her, spotted'
(Have you ever met someone and then immediately they went all spotty? Is this how chicken pox spreads?)
#15: 'floating slightly with a sus looking somewhat surprised but proud of himself.'
(While trying to figure out what to write, I made Gourgeist an avid fan of Among Us, I guess. Or should that be... Amoguess? I guess? XP)
#16: "Believe it myself, I, myself, can feel"
(That's nice, Sneasel. You believe in yourself!)
#17: "Aye. 'e's always 'avin' a kip is our Leadian,"
(How can he fly if he's made of lead? His wings must be pretty strong.)
#18: "Oh... that was bad English, now, was it?" Gourgeist asked, tilting his head. "You lout"
(I guess he disagrees...)
#19: 'customers could also bring their own ingredients, if they fell'
(Jump into the hole and you can have any flavour you want, children!)
#20: 'She frowned in sadly in pity.'
(That sure is one negative emotion.)
#21: "Oh, seems pretty bang on for ya, Sneasel! Able to ear anything"
(Hey, don't steal the main character's gimmick, Sneasel!)
#22: 'At a glance, one could mistake her for a pokémon...'
(Well, what is she, then? A yo-kai? A digimon? A... er... charabom?)
#23: 'She liked some off her chin.'
(Ponytale likes thick, creamy substances on her face, eh?)
#24: 'She lowered her long, black to face him, glowing red.'
(Lol, um... not only did I mess up the horn colour, but I missed a word, too. XD Do I even want to know what's going on?)
#25: "I-I'm not unwell! pLEASE"
(Lol, fucking hell, capslock. XD He must've been through this song and dance with her before.)
#26: 'A book hovered through the air towards her, powered by what seemed to be psychic, or confusion.'
(I didn't capitalise the moves, so... the book's floating because of generic psychic energy or Magilope's pure confusion.)
#27: 'When dark green peenis and testicals flopped out in full view of her, her rolled ear sprung up in shock.'
(The sight made Buneary's brain melt, it seems. Also, mentioning that they're dark green like this makes them sound like they're gonna rot and melt off, any second. Poor Sneasel. XD)
#28: 'Her face was hoot,'
(Buneary turns into an owl. I'm sure Snapshot Noctowl will approve.)
#29: '"N-No, it's okay!" Nuneary reassured.'
(No, it's not! I hear that nuns aren't allowed to have sex anymore. Do you really want that to happen? D:)
-From a different fic me and ravengal read recently-
#30: '"So... You're telling me that there will be strong Pokemon tbatbatAn ahance for Ash to finally achieve his dream he has been fighting for...?" Charizard wanted to confirm.'
(I don't often poke fun at other people's fics like this, but man... XD I guess for ruining Ash's chances at the Kanto League on purpose, Charizard's punishment is an advanced stroke. Seems justified!)
-Just one more Super Mystery Dungeon mistake-
#31: "I'm Palkia! I am a deity in charge of sparce. Grrrooaaaarr!"
("Am Pokiah! Eyem diety in cherg of sparce!")
Welp, that'll be all for now! Thank you for reading, my dear reader! :P
Oh, and don't forget to check your PMs! I swear they haven't been emailing people whenever they get one (again). I didn't even get the notification, myself, until I personally checked my PM inbox... so be sure you're not missing out!
All the same... tata for nowwwwW! c:
