01 - 05

"We're making camp here," Shino says as he looks back at his teammates.

"Whew..." Cindy sighs in relief as she collapses on the ground. "Next time I should check the mission's location before accepting a job." She groans. "Ow, my feet are killing me."

"Serves you right," Shino chuckles as Vixie takes off her bag. "You doing okay?"

Vixie sighs and shakes her head. "I'm just as tired as she is..." She frowns. "And the blazing sun didn't help either."

"Good thing it's night time now then," Shino says as the two of them sit down.

As the ice-type slowly grooms herself, the yellow Shinx pulls out a map from the bag, unrolls it on the ground, lights the star on his tail, and studies the map. He blinks and looks around their surroundings.

A chilly air breezes by as the yellow Shinx sees a few trees jutting out from tall, swaying grasses in the valley, his ears twitching to the sound of calm water running down an unseen stream.

"Hm..." He looks back on the map. "Should be an hour more of traveling before we reach our destination." His tail dimming, he rolls the map up and puts it back in the bag, ignoring the loud snores breaking the night's serene silence. "We should continue by sunrise."

Vixie nods her head. "Okay." She stretches and yawns. "I'm gonna get some shuteye." She curls on the ground and lay her head on her six fluffy tails. "Night-night," she says as she closes her eyes.

Shino lies down on his back and stares at the many twinkling stars up above. "Hey, Vixie..."

"Hmm...?"

"Do you think...?" he trails off as he gazes at the half moon up in the sky. He closes his eyes and sighs. "Nah, nevermind."

"What is it?"

A light blush burns on his cheeks. "Do... Do you think I have a chance?"

A yawn. "What do you mean?" Vixie asks sleepily.

"With, uh, Cindy..."

Silence.

Shino sighs. The ice-type has probably fallen asleep already. He might as well sleep, too. He rolls on his stomach and curls.

"I think so," Vixie suddenly answers in a quiet voice.

Shino blinks and looks at her. "You think so?"

"I mean..."

Despite the darkness, the Shinx can see a hint of redness of her white face.

"Um... You guys are already, well, doing it, so..."

"Yeah, but..." He sighs and lays his head back on the ground. "We're friends with benefits, you know? It was supposed to be just that... But lately, I've been feeling, well, attracted to her...romantically..."

A loud snore. Cindy mumbles something in her sleep as she rolls to her side.

Shino chuckles and smiles, and looks at the sleeping fire-type under the soft silver moonlight. His small smile slowly turns into a frown. "I'm afraid that maybe she doesn't feel the same, you know?"

No answer.

Shino looks at his ice-type friend and sees her already asleep.

He lets out a sigh, and lightly shakes his head. "Stupid lovebug," he mumbles under his breath as he slowly allows sleep to embrace him.

"And for the last time, no, you are not allowed to cook wild Pokémon without a permit," the Manectric explains, glaring down at the Eevee. "If you want to eat meat that badly, go eat at restaurants that serve them."

Barely listening to the electric-type, the Eevee hisses in pain as the Machoke applies the last bandages on his wounds.

"There are many places in the city for you to eat, son," the Machoke says as he finishes his work. He then stands up and carries a black trash bag where he placed the dead bird inside.

The Eevee sighs as the early morning breeze blows by. He frowns as he lifts a bandaged paw up.

"Hey, were you even listening?" the Manectric asks, growling.

The Eevee sighs. "Whatever..."

The Manectric rolls her eyes. She looks at her partner, nods, and leads the way.

"For your sake, son," the Machoke says as he follows the electric-type. "Don't sleep in fountains next time. You're lucky you didn't drown."

The Eevee rolls his eyes. "At least I'll be on the headlines," he mumbles under his breath as he watches the two leave.

"Well, that's that," the Keckleon chuckles awkwardly as the Eevee turns to him.

"I bet they're gonna feast on it," the Eevee grumbles. "And why didn't you wake me?"

The merchant frowns. "Please, lad. Don't ruin the image of our patrol police." He shakes his head. "And I thought you just left. It didn't really cross my mind that you'd fall asleep in the fountain." He shrugs. "Anyway, you're certain that you want to sell all of these items?" the Keckleon asks with a broken smile.

The Eevee nods his head. "Yeah." He blinks. "Oh. Don't forget that apple I took last night, too."

The Kecleon picks up a rod and inspects it. "This one is quite valuable to be sold, in my honest opinion." He looks back at him. "Swing it at wilds and they get petrified and they'll be teleported elsewhere, from what I've heard."

"I'm not visiting any dungeons any time soon," the Eevee says with a glare. He sighs. "And I'm sorry if I didn't clean any of them before I unceremoniously drop them."

"It's no problem, lad," the merchant quickly says, and laughs awkwardly, hoping to dismiss the issue. "But I do hope to not have a repeat of this kind of exchange in the near future."

The Eevee nods his head. "You can count on that, at least," he says as the Kecleon starts placing gold coins inside a small pouch. He blinks at him. "Oh. Right. I don't have anything that can hold money. How much is that?"

"It's on the house, lad." He smiles at him. "Well, on the stall, at least."

He frowns at him. "I'm paying for the wallet."

"It's more like a pouch if you ask me."

The Eevee glares at him.

The Keckleon chuckles as he hands the Eevee the pouch. "Take it, lad. 97 coins."

The Eevee sighs as he reluctantly accepts it. "I really don't like owing people."

"Consider it a gift from me then," the merchant says with a wink. "After all, a happy customer will always come back to do more business, is what I always believe."

The Eevee rolls his eyes. He's about to continue the argument, but his stomach reminds him of something more important. His ears droop. "Well, thanks, but I'll pay you back."

The Keckleon sighs. "Lad, lad, laddie..." He smiles at him. "Life's not all about exchange. Sometimes you give, and sometimes you receive."

"Well, today I'm receiving, so next time, I'm giving."

"Your business is my business and thus the exchange is born."

"I hate you."

The Kecleon chuckles as he turns and points. "You see that building over there?" He looks back at the Eevee. "That there's a diner. The first floor, at least."

The Eevee's stomach growls once more. With nothing else to say, he thanks the merchant and heads over to the establishment. A bell chimes above as he pushes the door open. "Hel—"

A loud crash of silverware echoes all throughout the room.

"I-I'm sorry," a quiet voice says as the Eevee slowly retreats away.

The door suddenly swings open, revealing a large apron-wearing Miltank with a warm smile. "Welcome to Cows'a'lot! Please do come in!"

The Eevee blinks, tilting his head up. "Uh, sorry, wrong buildi—" His stomach stops him right there. He sighs in defeat. "What's on the menu?"

The Miltank walks him to a table and helps him sit on the chair. "Our lovely waitress will be taking your order. We do hope you'll have a good time!" And she retreats back to what the Eevee assumes is the kitchen.

The sounds of silverware being collected catches his attention. Turning, he sees a Nickit picking up the last of the utensils from the floor. She quickly leaves the tray of silverware on the nearest table and slowly approaches him with a heavy blush on her face.

"H-hu-hi..." she whispers, barely audible. "M-may I, um, t-take your order?"

The Eevee frowns. "Deep breaths, kid," he tells her.

"I-I, um..." and her voice fades to mute levels.

"Deep breaths."

She timidly looks away, but then closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths, feeling herself calming down. With that done, she reopens her eyes, looks back at her customer, and immediately looks away with a blush. "Eep!"

The Eevee sighs. "I don't have time for this," he grumbles under his breath as he studies the items on the menu. He skims through the food items and notices the lack of meat on any of them. "Goddamnit," he grumbles yet again and sighs. "I'll just have..." he skims through the prices and finds them relatively cheap at least. At least he thinks they're cheap. "...whatever you can recommend."

"O-okay," she whispers, not looking at him. "I, I-I recommend the..."

For the life of him, the Eevee can't hear her, so he gives up and leans back on his chair.

"Um... W-what about d-drinks?" she asks, barely taking a glance at him.

"Water."

"O-okay. I'll, um," she's saying something more but the Eevee can barely hear her as she retreats to the kitchen.

Seconds later, the Nickit dashes from the kitchen to the tray of silverware, picks it up with her tail, and bolts back to the kitchen with surprising speed.

He sighs as his ears twitch to the sound of the bell ringing above the entryway. He looks back and sees a loud trio of Pokémon arguing about something as they take a seat around a table by the door.

"Hey, Sarah!" the Heliolisk shouts at the shy Nickit who is barely poking her head out from the kitchen. "Give us the usual!" And then he returns to his argument with his two companions.

"Coming right up, boys!" the Miltank's booming voice echoes from the kitchen, ignored by the trio of customers.

The Eevee looks back at the menu as he tries but fails to ignore the loud trio's argument about which dungeon should they explore next. The bell rings once again and two Pokémon walk in and sit themselves around a table next to the Eevee.

The Machop looks at him, smiles and nods his head. The Eevee lamely returns the gesture as the shy Nickit quietly places a tray of food on the Eevee's table.

"Sarah, right?" the Eevee asks.

Blush reddening, the Nickit mumbles her reply, "n-no. T-that's my, um, m-mom's name." She slowly and shyly walks toward the new arrival's table to take their order.

Stomach growling, the Eevee leans forward and stares at his food; thinly-sliced curry oran berries with steamed white rice, and a bowl of water.

It smells heavenly though, making his mouth water.

"Hey," the Eevee calls as the Nickit quietly walks by him.

Startled, she timidly turns around but doesn't meet his eyes. "I-I'm sorry if th-the food is—"

"It's fine," the Eevee says and sighs. "Just curious what this dish is."

"O-oh." A pause. "I-it's Oran Curry."

A blank blink.

The Nickit quietly continues. "It, um, it'll help with your, um, r-recovery..."

Another blank blink. "Huh... Almost forgot I'm hurt all over." He smiles and nods. "Thanks."

"Eep!" and she dashes back to the kitchen.

The Eevee rolls his eyes and shakes his head. His ears twitch as he hears the diners from the next table chuckle. He turns and sees them smiling at him.

"Don't take it personally, mate," the Zangoose say, waving a claw dismissively. "She's always been like that."

"Such a gentle soul," the Machop comments dreamily.

"There you go again."

"What? I can't help it!"

"You're gonna scare the poor girl."

"I didn't even say anything to her this time!"

The Zangoose rolls his eyes as the duo converse with one another.

Leaving them alone to their own conversation, the Eevee picks up a paw-friendly spork, stabs a slice and puts it in his mouth. His eyes widen. "Holy shit," he mumbles as he tries his best to pace himself.