03 - 12 - 01
"Are you excited for tomorrow?" the energetic Nickit asks as she sweep-sweep-sweeps the floor with her tail. "Are you? Are you?"
The Eevee rolls his eyes and shakes his head in amusement. "Plu, calm down," he tells her as he wipes a table with a wet cloth. "Or else you're going to tire yourself out."
"That's probably a good thing," the large Pangoro says and laughs. "That way, my little girl can go to bed early and then wake up early, too."
"I suppose," the Eevee says with a frown. "Gonna be super busy tomorrow."
The Nickit stops in place, blinking. She hasn't thought about that part yet. How could she forget such an important detail! Oh no...
"Actually," the Pangoro suddenly says, catching the two smaller Pokemon's attentions. "I was thinking that maybe you can take Plu out during the festival."
Her eyes practically sparkles. "R-really?!"
The Eevee frowns at the smirking fighting-type. "Is this an attempt to make me fall for your daughter?"
The Nickit blinks, her wide smile slowly fading. And then she blushes. "Eep!" She glares at the laughing Pangoro. "D-dad!"
"I wish it was," the large Pokemon says as he wipes a few tears off of his eyes. "Nah. The festival's once a year, and, like you said, it'll be a very busy day for us." A frown. "So busy that we never had the chance to take Plu out to enjoy the festivities."
The Pangoro turns toward the window, his gaze on the many excited Pokemon walking under the light of street lamps repelling the dark veil of the night in the busy cobblestone street.
"Of course, my little daughter was a shy little ball of fluff, so we had little reason to take her out."
He turns back to them with a small yet proud smile.
"But now? I see my daughter has grown out of her shell."
His smile grows.
"And it's all thanks to you, kid." He nods. "So, thank you."
"Eehhh," the Eevee brushes it off with a wave of a paw. "I barely did anything."
"Oh, I disagree," the Miltank suddenly chimes in as she walks in the room from the kitchen, smiling at the Eevee. She scoops her daughter up into a hug, giving the giggling dark-type a nuzzle. "I've already said it before, but I'll say it again anyway." She looks up at him with a very warm smile. "You made her smile, and seeing her smile everyday has been one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me." She shakes her head. "No, to us."
The Pangoro walks up to her and throws his arm around her, pulling her into a one-arm hug, all the while smiling at the Eevee. "And none of this could of happened if you didn't come in here one day asking for a room to rent."
Ears already drooping, he stares down on the wooden floor. "Y-your welcome, I guess..." he quietly says as he mentally starts kicking himself. He thought he only made a big impact on Plu, but he now knows how wrong he is. Not only to her, but to both her parents as well. He takes a breath and frowns as he slowly looks up at them. "I'm...leaving soon." And as expected, their smiles morph into sad frowns almost instantly.
Better continue talking before they can stop his train of thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make such a big impact." He looks away, eye twitching. "I..." he trails off, unable to think of anything else to say.
"When?" the Pangoro simply asks as the Miltank puts the Nickit back down on the ground.
The Eevee closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I don't know. Probably a day or two after the festival." He looks back at them. "Hopefully not more."
The Miltank closes her eyes and sighs. "People come and go, I suppose." She looks at him with a small and gentle smile. "But regardless, thank you still for coming into our lives, dear." She blinks, and then places a hand on her chin. "Maybe we should save this kind of talk on the day of your leaving?"
The Eevee shrugs. "Yeah, sounds good."
"Well then," the Pangoro suddenly says with a big grin on his face. "All the more reason for you and Plu to go out there tomorrow!"
The Eevee rolls his eyes. "I feel like I have no choice on the matter."
"Nope!" the Nickit confirms as she approaches him and nuzzles his neck. She pulls her head back and smiles at him, her tail slightly wagging. "And I think it's going to be really fun!"
"Just a few things," the Pangoro says, catching the two smaller Pokemon's attentions. He lifts a finger up. "One, be back before lunch rush." He frowns. "That's the busiest hour tomorrow, and we'll need you two to help us around."
The Nickit frowns as the Eevee nods in understanding.
"You can go back outside to enjoy the festival at around two." Another finger lifts up. "And two, be back before dinner time, as that is also a very busy hour for the restaurant."
Her frown goes further down. Her plans are ruined now! Can she still salvage this? Maybe if she'll make a few adjustments—
The Miltank shakes her head and turns to her husband. "Dear, I think we can handle the evening rush hour." She smiles. "Don't you remember? The festival ends with a big dinner party."
The Pangoro blinks. "Ah, you're right." He chuckles and turns back to the two. "Well, nevermind about number two then."
"So we'll return to help during the lunch rush," the Eevee says and shrugs. "Sounds reasonable."
The Nickit nods her head. She can work with that.
The Pangoro smiles and gives him a thumbs up. Hopefully that yellow Shinx won't mind. The restaurant's more important than the electric-type's "mission" anyway, but still, he's looking forward to how things will work out.
"Alright, you two," the Miltank suddenly announces with a smile. "Go get some sleep. The festival starts early tomorrow."
"How early, exactly?" the Eevee asks with a blink.
"Two in the morning."
The Eevee blinks once again as he takes a slow breath—
"He's gonna blow," the Pangoro whispers with a smirk as he and his two other family members cover their ears.
"IT'S ALREADY MIDNIGHT!" he screeches, an eye twitching. "WHAT'S THE POINT OF SLEEPING IF IT'LL START IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS?!"
The Miltank blinks. "Huh, no bad words."
"FUCK!"
She frowns. "There it is..."
"Language!" the Nickit chirps at the fuming Eevee.
A young Nickit and a young adult Eevee walks out of the restaurant, greeting the chilly early morning air with a smile as they gaze upon the many Pokemon in the street, who are busy with their preparations for the first part of the festival.
"What are they doing exactly?" the Eevee asks.
The Nickit shrugs. "I dunno." She smiles up at him. "We should go and ask!"
The Eevee shrugs as he follows the Nickit approach one of the many busy Pokemon.
"Hi!" she greets a Maractus. "So what's going on?"
"Oh, hello," the Maractus greets the two of them with a smile as she lifts a woven basket full of berries and places it on her head. "Is this your first time participating in the festival?"
"Yeah," the Eevee says with a nod.
"Really? Then I hope you enjoy the festival!" she tells them. "Anyway, we grass-types are going to be dancing through the streets of the city."
The Eevee blinks, and looks around. As far as his eyes can see, all the gathered grass-types in the immediate vicinity all have baskets and are doing various stretches and preparations. "So it's a parade?"
"Yes," the Maractus confirms as she looks around. "It symbolizes the greens overcoming the frosty winter months, and we give thanks for a new cycle of life."
"Wow..." the Nickit says in awe. "That's amazing!"
The Maractus smiles down at her. "Why thank you! It truly is!"
"Everyone!" a booming voice echoes through the crowd, silencing them and managing to get their attention. The Tropius smiles and continues, "We will begin soon, so please get yourselves ready!"
"Oh! It's about to start!" the Nickit says, jumping in place.
The Eevee turns to the Maractus. "So uh, what are we supposed to do?"
She smiles at him. "You can join in on the dancing, or just march along with the parade."
"I see."
The Nickit stops and blinks. It's about to start. What is she doing?
"What's wrong?"
She gasps and looks up at the Eevee, who's regarding her with a concerned look. She gulps and chuckles. "Eh heh heh... I ah uh..." She shifts her eyes left and right, and then spots a burning tail among the crowd. "I uh, need to pee?"
He rolls his eyes. "That's what you get for being all jumpy and excited." He quickly ruffles the fur on her head. "Now shoo, but hurry up!"
She pouts at him, but nods and scampers away, heading towards the fire, until she finally reaches—
She skids to a stop and blinks at the Magmar having a lively conversation with other Pokemon. She frowns and looks around, unaware of the tall Pokemon standing behind her, until one of its claws tap her shoulder. Blinking, she turns around, looks up, and smiles. "You're here!"
Blushing, the Charmeleon looks away as he scratches his cheek. "I-I'm not really sure about this."
She snickers. "But you still came!"
He sighs and smiles at her. "What can I say?" he asks as he kneels down and pats her head. "I couldn't say no to an evil mastermind like you." He stands back up as the Nickit chuckles. "Looks like the parade's about to start."
"Mhmm," she nods. "So should we start as well?"
He looks down at her and shakes his head. "Er, not yet."
She frowns at him as the crowd suddenly starts cheering, startling her.
The air suddenly vibrates with the sounds of various instruments playing a very lively tune, and the crowd starts to sing and dance, and soon the parade starts to move forward, heading towards the east. Grass-types dance to the rhythm, almost in sync with each other, the baskets on their heads perfectly balanced.
"You should probably go back to him," the Charmeleon says as he and the Nickit walk side-by-side, his eyes on the Eevee who is walking along the crowd in a slow pace and looking around in concern.
The Nickit nods her head and then looks up at him. "Okay." She smiles at him. "Mission start!"
He chuckles as the Nickit runs toward the Eevee, and he then lets out a sigh. "Okay, I can do this." He glares ahead, on the Eevee sighing in relief as the Nickit says something to him. A faint blush graces his already-red cheeks. "I can do this." He smirks. "Yes, I can!"
The parade continues to move through the street, collecting more and more Pokemon walking and dancing along.
"Goddamnit," the yellow Shinx curses, and then lets out a very big and very long yawn.
The white Vulpix chuckles as she walks alongside him. "Told you to sleep early."
"Two freaking ey em!" he hisses. "I'd still be fast asleep at this hour!"
"Or probably inside a certain fire-type," she says with a sly smile, and giggles after receiving an embarrassed glare from her friend. She shakes her head. "Speaking of, where is Cindy?"
He sighs, his ears drooping. "Probably still asleep."
Vixie chuckles, and then smiles a sly smile at him. "I bet you're going to join her when we get to her apartment."
"Don't tempt me," he hisses under his breath. That's such a wonderful idea, but no, he has to make sacrifices for his mission to succeed! He just hopes Cindy will forgive him. He tries looking around nonchalantly, and spots a few Eevees in the parade, but none of them are with a Nickit. "Where are they?" he grumbles under his breath.
Vixie blinks and turns to him. "Shino?" she calls. "Did you says something?"
Oh shit. She heard him! He needs an excuse and qui—he lets out a very long yawn. "Bleargh..."
She frowns at him. "Maybe you should go back to your apartment and sleep?" She looks ahead. "Speaking of, there's your apartment building!"
"I'll be fine," he tells her.
She continues to frown. "Shino. I really appreciate you keeping me company, but I am starting to feel bad now." She shakes her head. "I'll be fine on my own, so go get some sleep."
He glares at her. "I said I'm fine!" he yells, silencing the Pokemon near them. He yelps and immediately starts apologizing to the Pokemon around them.
Vixie chuckles in amusement and shakes her head. He's a sillyhead, and a sweet friend, who closes his eyes, lets out a sigh and hangs his head. Hm... Maybe... He can... And she can...?
Will it work? And will Cindy be okay with it? The two of them has invited her in jest, so she's not really sure if they're serious or not.
"Look!" the Nickit suddenly shouts, startling the Shinx. He looks back and sees the happy Nickit talking to the smiling Eevee. "That's the guild, right?"
The Eevee nods his head. "Yeah, it is." He looks at it and blinks. "Wow... Even at this hour, the guild still looks busy."
"I'm gonna go take a closer look!" the Nickit suddenly says. "Can I?" she asks him with pleading eyes. "Please please please?"
He rolls his eyes and chuckles. "Why am I going to stop you?"
"Yey!" And she skips ahead, towards the guild.
He blinks at her. "Oi!" He frowns. "Wait up!"
"Now's my chance!" the yellow Shinx and the Charmeleon whisper in unison.
Before the Eevee can give chase, he feels a gentle yet sharp tap on his shoulder. Blinking, he looks over his shoulder and frowns at the smiling Charmeleon. "Oh, it's you."
"Yep, it's me again, my dude!" he says with a big grin. "Fancy meeting you here!"
"Yeah, I guess." He looks ahead and gives cha—
"Wanna know something about this parade?"
The Eevee frowns as the Charmeleon walks beside him. It doesn't look like he'll be leaving soon, and if he leaves, the Nickit will probably not be happy about it. Although...she wouldn't be if she doesn't know, right?
With a roll of his eyes, he looks back at him, playing along. "Spill."
He smirks at him and winks. "It's also a good time to meet new people."
"We already met a few days ago."
The Charmeleon blinks at him, his train of thought suddenly on a halt. "Er... I mean..."
Up ahead, the yellow Shinx is looking at them with twitching eyes. "Who the fuck is that bozo?" he hisses under his breath as he sees the Charmeleon smiling at the Eevee as the fire lizard gestures at the large crowd around them.
"Shino?" Vixie calls. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing," he sighs as he slows down a bit. It doesn't really matter who that Charmeleon is anyway. "Just a bit sleepy."
She frowns at him as she matches his slow pace, unaware that they're slowing down enough for the Eevee to reach them. "I told you to go back to your apartment and sleep."
"And I told you that I'll be fine," he tells her with a tired smile, while thinking to himself that him being actually tired is actually doing him a favor.
"See?" the Charmeleon asks as he smiles down at the Eevee. "A lot of chatting is going around!"
Deciding to amuse the fire-type for a bit, he looks around and blinks. Aside from the dancing and singing Pokemon, many others are also having a very lively discussion with one another, their voices and their laughter mixing with the lively sounds of the parade.
Yet he frowns, as he sees no point of knowing anyone anyway. Unbeknownst to him, he catches up to the slow pace of two Pokemon up ahead as he turns to the smiling Charmeleon. "I suppose you're right."
His grin grows even wider. "It's in the spirit of the parade, my dude!"
The white Vulpix blinks as she notices an Eevee is now walking in between her and the yellow Shinx. As she takes in his scent, the electric-type glances aside, making sure the frowning Eevee is blocking the ice-type's view of him, and with a smirk, he quietly summons electricity on the star of his tail and taps the Charmeleon's foot.
"Oh, hi!" Vixie greets the startled Eevee with a smile after recognizing his scent, ignorant of the yelping Charmeleon falling on top of the yelping yellow Shinx. "Didn't think you're the type of Pokemon to be joining such an event."
He frowns at her. "You're right."
She chuckles. "So who forced you to join?"
Why do Pokemon love to have a conversation with him anyway? Then again, should he blame them? It's also like that back home anyway. Strange how he's still not used to it.
He shakes his head. "It was either this or clean a horrifying amount of dishes."
Vixie giggles as they pass by the guild, where a frowning Nickit runs from the entrance towards the parade.
"Get off of me!" the Shinx yells.
"Sorry, sorry," the Charmeleon apologizes with a wince as he allows a few Pokemon to help him back up. "Ow..." His eye twitches as another wave of pain jolts up to his brain.
With an annoyed grunt, the yellow Shinx glares up at him before walking along with the parade.
The Charmeleon lets out a sigh as the Nickit stops beside him.
"What happened?" she asks, her anger shifting into worry after she notices the hurt look on his face.
He looks down at her with a strained smile. "I ah, tripped." No he didn't. That Shinx zapped him, but it was probably an accident.
She frowns a worried frown at him. "Are you hurt?"
"Only my pride," he says and laughs. He gestures for the two of them to continue walking. "Ow," he hisses. "Yeah, I don't think I can catch up to your brother," he says as he searches for him but fails.
"He's probably getting worried about me," she tells him. "I'll go back to him for now."
He gives her a thumbs up. "Sounds good."
With a determined nod, she then runs ahead.
His smile morphs into a frown, and he lets out a sigh once again. "Ow..."
The Vulpix and the Eevee haven't really said anything to each other, just walking alongside each other, looking here and there.
"This is getting awkward," the Eevee mutters to himself as he slows down a bit—
"Hi!" the yellow Shinx suddenly greets him, startling the Eevee. The Vulpix and the Eevee regard him with a smile and a glare respectively, and he tries his best not to laugh. "Hey there, dude! Great to see you!"
"I wish I could say the same," the Eevee grumbles and sighs. "Welp, you two have fun." And he completely stops walking.
"Aw, come on, don't be like that!" Shino says with a smile as he and Vixie stop as well, turning to him. "You know what they say about this parade?"
The Eevee is still frowning at them. "It's a great time to know new people," he says, rolling his eyes. "Yes, I've heard."
With a grin, Shino pats the frowning normal-type's shoulder. "That's right! So come on!"
"Why do I feel like this is too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence?" he grumbles as he resumes walking, albeit in a slow pace.
"You seem energetic all of a sudden, Shino," Vixie points out with a smile.
He smiles back at her. "Of course! We're with our new friend, after all, who isn't from here!" He grins at her. "We can be like tour guides!"
She blinks. "That sounds fun."
The Eevee rolls his eyes. "I am overwhelmed with excitement."
"Big brother!" the Nickit calls as she runs toward him.
Blinking, he looks back and braces himself from her tackle-hug. He stops walking and pats her furry little head. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?"
She looks up at him with teary eyes. "I-I thought I wouldn't find you!"
Ahh shit. He forgot she went to the guild, and he completely just passed by it, too. He wraps his paws around her. "Sorry, Plu."
She buries her face in his collar fluff, hiding her smirk. "I-it's alright," she says, feigning a sad tone.
Vixie looks at the siblings, reminding her of her siblings. She didn't have a close bond with them compared to these two, which she finds...
She closes her eyes and lets out a longing sigh. Reopening her eyes, she turns to her friend, and blinks.
Shino is scowling at the two. It was the perfect scene! Well, kinda, since he needed to jump in before the Eevee could get away, but still, it was going so well until this Nickit showed up!
"Shino?"
He blinks, and turns to his friend. "Huh?"
She frowns at him. "What's wrong?"
"Er..." Shit. "N-nothing!" He laughs awkwardly, scratching his neck. "J-just a bit annoyed that the conversation got interrupted, you know?"
She tilts her head. "I...guess I understand."
He sits down on the road and nods. "Yeah. We should wait for them."
She arches a non-existent eyebrow. "Why?"
Shit. "Er..."
A clawed foot steps on his tail, eliciting a yelp from the yellow Shinx.
"Whoops," the Charmeleon says without stopping. "My bad," he says with a smirk.
Petting his tail with his two paws, Shino glares at the crowd, trying but failing to find the culprit.
Vixie sighs. "We shouldn't be sitting in the middle of the parade, or just standing."
Sighing as well, Shino nods in defeat and the two walk along the crowd. With a frown, he looks over his shoulder and sees the two siblings finally breaking their hug. His eye twitches.
The Eevee smiles and pats the Nickit's head. "Are you feeling alright now?"
She 'sniffs' and nods, and smiles up at him. "Mhmm."
He sighs, and they soon walk along with the parade. "I can't imagine what that's like, feeling lost and hopeless as you were trying to look for me." He frowns. "I'm so sorry, Plu."
Oh no, she made him feel really really bad.
"Wanna head back to the restaurant?"
Oh no! This is the complete opposite of what she wanted! She violently shakes her head. "No! No no!"
He blinks, surprised at her sudden shift in mood. "Er..."
"I mean..." She blushes and looks away. "Uh, I'm okay now." She smiles up at him.
"You sure?"
She nods vigorously. "Yep!" She puffs out her chest, her pink badge reflecting the lights from the street lamps. "I'm a tough Nickit!"
He rolls his eyes in amusement. "Heh, if you say so."
The parade reaches the eastern gate, and the Pokemon up front turn to the road heading down towards the lower portion of the city.
Noticing this, the Eevee turns to the closest stranger. "Hey."
"Hm?" a pink Deerling turns to him, carrying a small basket full of berries on his back. "Hello."
The Eevee nods at him. The Deerling sounds young, despite the grass-type being a few inches taller than him. "So I was wondering about something. Is there like a finish line for this parade?"
The Deerling blinks, tilting his head slightly. He then lets out a chuckle. "Mister, this isn't a race." He shakes his head. "But I think I understand what you're trying to say." He looks ahead. "The parade ends when we reach the city docks." He turns back to the nodding Eevee with a smile, and blinks when he notices a familiar creature trying her best to hide from him. "Oh, hey, Plu!" His smile widens. "Is that you?"
"Huh?" the Eevee blinks curiously, turning to the Nickit whose every fur suddenly stands in surprise. "Plu? You know this guy?"
"So it is you!" the Deerling says cheerfully as he walks closer and takes a peek at her blushing face. He frowns. "Plu, are you alright?"
"Eep!" Her blush reddens even more as she tries to stick to the taller Eevee to hide herself, making it difficult for the Eevee to walk properly with their paws bumping into each other.
"Plu!" the Eevee yelps as he almost loses his balance, only to be saved by the Deerling as he pushes his side against his. He glares down at her. "Plu, what are you doing?"
"S-sorry."
"Maybe she's not feeling well?" the Deerling suggests with a worried frown. "She always look so sickly every time I see her at school."
The Eevee blinks and turns to him, ignoring the Nickit who is still trying to merge with him. "School?"
The Deerling looks at him and nods with a small smile. "Yeah. Plu and I are classmates."
"Huh..."
The Deerling shakes his head with a frown. "A few of our classmates make fun of her because of it." His frown goes further down. "I always try standing up for her whenever I can."
"I see..." the Eevee says as he tries his darn best to hold back a grin. But then he realizes that Plu is being bullied in school. He frowns. "Thanks for looking after my sister."
Or wait, maybe Plu's being teased because their classmates know it's obvious?
The Deerling blinks at him. "Your sister?" He gasps. "Oh! I'm so sorry for not realizing sooner!" He repeatedly bows his head in apology, the basket on his back waving left and right.
"Er, it's fine, it's fine!" the Eevee tells him, more afraid of the possibility of the basket falling off of the young buck's back. After the deer finally stops apologizing, he decides to poke a bit of fun as he turns to the Nickit, who is shyly looking up at him. He grins a sly grin, making her blush even more. "Plu. You mind introducing me to your..." he wags both his non-existent eyebrows. "...classmate?"
She shyly glares up at him, and quickly shakes her head.
"Aw, come on," he says. "Where did my courageous little sister go all of a sudden?"
"M-maybe I can introduce myself instead?" the Deerling offers.
The Eevee ignores him as he nudges her off of him.
Blushing heavily, the Nickit violently shakes her head and then glares up at his sly grin. She can't waver here. Not now where she's in the middle of her mission! She closes her eyes and takes a very deep breath.
The Eevee lets out a quiet chuckle as the Deerling looks at her in awe. Somehow, she looks a little different today.
Letting go of the breath she is holding, she reopens her eyes and glares up at her brother. "Big bro," she says as she turns to the Deerling looking back at her, ignoring the rising heat in her cheeks. "T-t-this is Soma, my c-classmate!"
"Soma, huh?" the Eevee says as he turns to the Deerling. He nods. "Pleasure to meet my sister's knight in shining armor."
The two youngsters blink blankly at him.
Realizing his words got lost in them, he rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "Nevermind."
"And Soma!" Plu suddenly says, almost shouting, startling both males. She looks up at the Eevee. "T-this is my big brother!" She takes a breath, hoping it'll stop herself from stammering. "J-Jay..." It didn't, but at least introductions are over now.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir!" the Deerling suddenly says with a smile.
"Yeah, likewise." He smiles back at him and pats his shoulder. "My sister's friends are friends of mine, too."
Soma smiles widely at that, his small tail wagging. "I've never had the opportunity to talk properly to Plu before, or any of her family."
Plu blushes and looks away.
"I wonder why," the Eevee asks as he throws a grin at the pouting Nickit. "By the way," he says, turning back to the Deerling as a realization suddenly pops into his head. "May I ask why you aren't dancing?"
He smiles a sad smile at the curious siblings. "I...get tired easily."
Huh. That's not good. He should improve his stamina if he ever wants to please Plu in the future.
Yep, the ship has sailed, and he will protect it with his life!
The Deerling frowns at him. "Mister, why are you smiling like that?"
The Eevee blinks. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't find your lack of stamina amusing! I swear it!" His ears twitch, and he looks down to see Plu giggling.
"Aw, Plu!" Soma suddenly says, smiling at her. "You should be smiling more often! You look really nice when you do."
She blinks at him, her face immediately burning red.
The Deerling starts to panic. "S-she's not feeling well again!"
"Oh my god," the Eevee whispers to himself as he really tries his best to hold his amusement. Ah, to be young and innocent.
...something he and his sister were not able to enjoy back home.
He quickly shakes his head. Best not to dwell on the past for now.
The parade reaches the lower portions of the city, where more Pokemon are waiting for them. Many Pokemon in the streets start playing their instruments, while many others dance along and join in on the marching parade.
With a grin, the Cyndaquil punches the nervous Sentret's shoulder. "There's the parade, Linik!"
He rubs his aching shoulder with his paw. "Yeah... I can see that."
She points at the crowd. "And look! There she is now!" she says, her eyes on the white Vulpix walking along the crowd. She 'blinks', her smile fading as she sees the yellow Shinx with the Vulpix.
She frowns. What's going on? Why is Shino with Vixie? That lazy ass of his never joins the spring festival. Not the early morning parade anyway. So what changed? And why now?
Wait... Is Shino cheating on her? That bastard! Wait, no, she shouldn't jump to conclusions. He may be a pervert, but he never cheats. It's just not in his nature.
...Maybe he's trying to invite her into their relationship? Yeah, that's a possibility. She doesn't mind, really. But wait, no! That'll ruin her mission! That just won't do! As much as she loves to screw with the fantasy having sorts of 'fun' with the white Vulpix and her boyfriend, there is a more important matter in reality she needs to attend to.
But wait... Hm... Maybe...?
She looks at the Sentret, and really looks at him. She shivers and shakes her head. Nope, she's not into him, so that's out of the picture.
"Wait, is that Shino?" the Sentret asks.
"Sure is!" the Cyndaquil suddenly says. Right, it's go time! She grabs the yelping Sentret's paw and drags him towards her two friends. "Now come on!"
"Wait! Wait wait wait!"
"Waiting later, moving now!"
Their ears twitching, both Shino and Vixie turn and see their fast-approaching friend heading towards them, with a frightened Sentret being dragged along.
"Cindy, hi!" the white Vulpix greets her.
"Vixie, hey!" the fire-type greets her back, and then she 'gasps' as she notices the electric-type giving her a nervous smile. "Shino! My love! I didn't expect to see you here!"
The yellow Shinx blinks at her. "I'm your what now?"
She grins at the ice-type. "Vixie, you don't mind if I'll borrow my boyfriend for a while, right?"
Vixie blinks. "Er..."
"Great!" Cindy then pushes the yelping Sentret towards the yelping ice-type, and then grabs the yelping electric-type. "Be a dear and keep Linik company, will ya? Thanks!" And she's off, dragging along a dumbfounded Shinx away.
"What was that all about?" Vixie asks no one in particular. She then turns to the Sentret. "You okay?"
He sighs, blushing a bit. "Yeah, I think so." He scratches the back of his head. "Is Cindy always like that?"
She chuckles. "Yep. She can be a bit overwhelming at times." A blush. "It sometimes makes me wonder how Shino can handle her."
"Let's not think about it, for our sakes," Linik suggests.
An awkward silence hovers around the ice-type and the normal-type.
Dragging the Shinx in a dark and empty-looking alleyway, the Cyndaquil pins him against the wall and starts attacking his mouth with her own. Startled at first, Shino immediately melts into the kiss as their tongues go to war against each other.
Wait, no. What is he doing? He's on a mission! He grabs her shoulder—
Cindy breaks the kiss, a strand of saliva connecting their panting mouths. She grins. "Wanna have a quickie?"
He gasps. "W-what? You mean right here, right now?"
She leans forward and kisses his nose as she drags a paw from his furred chest all the way to his excited little rod. "Oh, I don't know," she whispers as she gently grabs the base of his member, eliciting a moan from him. "What do you think, lover boy?"
Well, having a quick one wouldn't hurt the mission, right? Paws already on her shoulders, he pushes her down on the ground.
"Oof!"
"Sorry."
She grins at him. "I deserve it for being a bad girl," she tells him as she aligns his twitching cock in front of her folds. "I should be punished."
Shino rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "And you call me the perverted one." He then locks her mouth with his own in a deep kiss to silence her as he pushes himself inside her, a wave of pleasure pulsing through his entire body as her warm and wet walls massages his thick rod.
A fast Nickit runs by in front of the alleyway, her eyes glued on the Charmeleon walking along the crowd. She skids to the stop beside him, startling him a bit. "Hi!"
He quickly calms down and smiles at her. "Hello." He blinks, noticing the faint red hues on her face. "You okay?"
She looks up at him with fire in her eyes. "Nevermind that. The coast is clear!"
"Oh?" That took a while, but hey, he shouldn't complain! "Let's go then!"
She nods and together, they stand on the sidewalk beside the alleyway, away from the parading Pokemon, waiting for their prey, who is currently walking alongside the Deerling. Her ears twitch, hearing a weird and faint noise coming from...somewhere. She ignores it and focuses on her mission.
"So," the Eevee starts, frowning at the Deerling. "Does Plu get bullied all the time?"
The grass-type frowns back at him. "Yes, sir, unfortunately."
"Drop the sir," he tells him with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, how bad is the bullying?"
The deer shakes his head. "I try stepping in as soon as I can." He sighs. "But I can't be there for her all the time. I wish I could."
Yep, this is a solid ship. The Eevee keeps a frowning face as he listens on.
"Sometimes I wonder if I should tell her to try standing up for herself but..." He shakes his head. "I don't know if she can."
"First off," the Eevee says, still frowning at him. "Plu is not sickly."
He blinks. "She's not?"
"No." The Eevee shakes his head. "She's just shy."
An ear flick. "Huh... Really?" The Deerling looks up at the dark sky. "I...guess that makes sense." He frowns at the Eevee. "But why does her face go red and feel hot?"
"She is extremely shy."
He tilts his head slightly. "Is that how it works?"
Also, hot? He can only imagine how cute it must have been. The Eevee shrugs.
The Deerling nods with a small smile. "So is it okay to tell her to try standing up for herself from now on?"
"Probably," the Eevee says with a smile of his own. "But she won't suddenly gain the courage to do so."
The Deerling nods once again. "Okay, I understand." He smiles. "I'll try my best to look out for her."
"Look out for whom?" a new voice suddenly asks.
Frowning, the Eevee turns to the Charmeleon walking beside him. "Heya, my dude!" the fire-type greets him as Plu stealthily starts walking behind her brother.
Eye twitching, he glares at the smirking fire lizard. "Not now." He notices the dark-type out of the corner of his eyes, so he looks over his shoulder, glaring at him. "Plu."
Why is he looking angry? Is he angry at her? Oh no, did he figure it out? Her ears droop. Is he going to scold her? She was just trying to help!
"If the bullies will keep on bullying you, let either me or Soma know, okay?"
She blinks at him.
"Wait, bullied?" the Charmeleon asks with a frown. "Who is being bullied?"
"Um," the Nickit stammers, and glances at the Deerling who is looking at her with a supportive smile. She sighs, her cheeks reddening as she looks up at her brother with a glare of her own. "That was the old Plu!" She puffs out her chest, her pink badge reflecting the many lights in the area. "This new Plu is not letting those meanie bullies bully me!"
The Deerling drops his mouth open in awe. This Plu is very different from the one he knew back in school. For some reason, she looks so...amazing. Why does his face feel a bit hot all of a sudden?
The Eevee smirks and quickly ruffles her furry little head. Annoyed, she bats her paw away and sticks her tongue out at him, making her big brother chuckle.
Up ahead, a cloud of awkwardness still linger around two Pokemon. The Sentret scratches his head, trying but failing to come up with something to say. And the same with the white Vulpix. She doesn't really know much about him, so she has no clue what to talk about it.
Which is ironic considering what the parade is all about.
The Sentret quietly sighs. "So uh," he starts.
Her ears twitch, and she nervously turns to him. "Hm?"
What to say what to say what to say what does he want to ask her anyway? "Seeing any guys lately?"
...what the fuck, Linik? That's the best you can come up with?! And out of the blue, to boot! Stupid, stupid, stupid!
As the Sentret continues looking away from her and mentally slapping himself, the white Vulpix frowns at him. "Uh, no. Not yet." But she then realizes how shy the Sentret is acting at the moment. It reminds her of herself towards Lithe. So this is what she was like before? She finds it a bit cute.
She takes a breath as the Sentret slowly looks at her. She's still as nervous as he is, but she made a promise to herself. Now then... What would Cindy do in this situation?
She gives him a sly smile. "Why do you ask?" Noticing his blush, her smile grows even wider.
"Er, n-n-no reason!" he says, and quickly looks away as his entire brown furry head starts to redden.
Oh, so that's why Cindy brought him along and took Shino away. The couple probably had this whole thing planned. She shrugs. Well, why not? If she's being honest with herself, Linik doesn't really look bad.
But can she see herself with him? Eh, maybe. Who knows, right? And there's only one way to know.
"So, Linik," she slowly says as she closes the walking gap between them, their furs brushing against each other, sending electric sensations to the reddening Sentret. "How about you? Are you seeing any girls lately?" She leans closer to his ear to whisper: "Or do you only see me?"
He immediately restores the gap between them as he starts to hyperventilate, making the white Vulpix giggle.
Wow, so she has this kind of effect on guys if she acts like Cindy? She has to admit, it feels really nice, but kinda wrong at the same time. Like she's not being herself. Oh well. She can't really catch a guy if she stays the same, right? She might as well see where she'll get herself into with this kind of approach.
A few paces behind them, the yellow Shinx frowns at the two. Linik's a friend, but he doesn't really see the two of them together like that. Why did Cindy brought him along anyway? And why is Linik trying to hit on Vixie? Or perhaps it's the other way around? From the looks of it, yeah, it definitely does look like it's the other way around.
He blinks. Wow... He won't believe it if he didn't see it. Despite it all, he manages a smile. Who knew Vixie had it in her?
Regardless, Linik told him that he was trying to woo someone else. Best not to let Vixie continue her little flirting with him. It could get messy, especially if whoever Linik was wooing finds out about this.
But if he takes him away, Vixie will be all alone. Where the hell is that Eevee anyway? Oh, he's with that Charmeleon again. Wait, is that stupid fire lizard trying to hit on him? The fuck? Is that why the Eevee doesn't look interested, because he's as straight as a squiggle?
Shit. What's he supposed to do? Things aren't going as he hoped! And it's getting worse by the minute!
Out of panic, he quickly approaches the ice-type and 'borrows' her away from the nervous Sentret.
"Shino?" she asks with an annoyed frown as she lets him drag her away from the parade. "What has gotten into you?"
Away from the crowd, he lets her go and starts to look around in a panic.
Her frown morphs from annoyance to that of worry. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Cindy?"
"Huh? Cindy?" he asks, blinking at her, her white fur reminding him of his love fluids pouring out of the fire-type's gaping pussy a few minutes ago. He closes his eyes and violently shakes his head. "She's fine, but..." His ears droop as he hangs his head.
Damn it. He just cockblocked his two friends! What kind of a friend does that?! But then again...
He looks up at her with a serious look. "Vixie, Linik is already seeing someone else."
She blinks and tilts her head. "Huh. Is that true?"
He nods. "Yeah. Forgot who it was, I was too drunk to pay attention, but I remember the gist of it at least."
"Then why isn't he with her?"
He shrugs. "I dunno. Probably still asleep?"
That makes sense, Vixie thinks to herself. Cindy probably didn't know and just decided to drag Linik along. She can't really blame her friend for trying to pair her up with someone. And it's really nice to have a friend who's looking out for her, too.
She nuzzles his neck. "Thanks, Shino."
He shrugs after she leans back. "No problem."
Vixie looks back at the marching parade. "I should probably apologize to him."
"Nah, I'll handle it." He smiles as he sees the Eevee walking by. "Meanwhile, why don't you get to know our grumpy friend some more?"
"Huh?"
He winks at her. "You know who I'm talking about." He then runs to the parade to search for the Sentret.
She frowns as she watches him leave, and then notices the Eevee walking by. She rolls her eyes as she joins the march. "Cindy's trying to pair me with Linik, and Shino with mister grumpy." She sighs.
A few paces behind her, the Cyndaquil 'blinks' at the white Vulpix. "What the...? Why did Linik leave her all alone?" She starts looking around. "Don't tell me he chickened out? Damn it, Linik!"
"I said I'll be fine!" Plu says with an angry pout.
The Eevee rolls his eyes. "I'm sure you will." He winks at her. "You have Soma to watch over you after all."
She blushes but keeps her pouty glare pointed at him.
The Charmeleon laughs. "You're one lucky Nickit, having a cutie like him as your big brother."
The Eevee rolls his eyes. "Stop calling me that."
He winks at him. "I might if you tell me your name."
A sparking star touches his foot once again, eliciting a yelp as he falls down on the ground. Startled, the Nickit and the Deerling try to help him back up, while the white Vulpix rolls her eyes as the yellow Shinx quickly runs away, blending with the crowd.
"He'll be fine," the Eevee says.
The Charmeleon curses under his breath as the two young Pokemon help him walk to the sidewalk, away from the marching parade. He's about to go follow them when the white Vulpix greets him.
"Oh, it's you again."
She nods. "Yep. It's me again."
He squints his eyes at her. "You had nothing to do with what just happened, right?"
She arches a non-existent eyebrow. "I can't inflict pain on someone with my mind, you know."
He shrugs. "Just making sure."
She rolls her eyes. "Of course you are." She then stands beside him with a smile. "Care to join me?"
He frowns at her. "I'm not leaving my sister behind."
Wow. He prioritizes his family more than a potential mate. As she watches him leave, she's not sure if she should be happy about his priorities or not. A smile graces her features. How lucky is the Nickit to have a brother like him. She wonders what that is like, to have a loving and caring older sibling?
Before she even realizes it, she's walking alongside the Eevee as they approach the others, which surprises her a bit. She might as well say something to not make it look awkward. "How are you feeling?" she asks as they reach them.
Sitting down on the street, his back on the concrete face of a closed shop, the Charmeleon shrugs. "Could be better."
With a nod, she approaches the fire-type. "Let me help."
Another shrug. "Can't see how you can get it any worse, miss."
She gently places a paw on his injured foot, and starts to summon gentle pulses of cold.
The Charmeleon lets out a sigh of relief. "Damn, that feels great."
The Nickit and the Deerling share a smile. Plu blinks and quickly looks away with reddeing cheeks, making the Deerling worry. Wait, no, she's not sickly. She is just shy. So does that mean she's shy towards him? But why?
The Eevee shakes his head. "Maybe you should stop walking for a while." He frowns. "No offense, but you seem like you're prone to hurting your leg."
The Charmeleon grumbles something under his breath as the Vulpix pulls her paw back.
Vixie turns to the Eevee. "We should keep him company until he feels better," she suggests.
The Eevee sighs. "Fine. I don't seem to have a choice on the matter anyway."
The Charmeleon shakes his head. "Nah, my dude." He smirks at him. "Don't let me drag you guys out of the fun." He shrugs. "My apartment's close by anyway, so I'll just go over there and rest up a bit." He smirks at him. "Or maybe we could—"
"The Lava Pit?" the Nickit asks, making the Eevee arch a non-existent eyebrow at her.
Vixie blinks. "Oh? That's where Cindy rents, too."
"I dunno who this Cindy person is," the Charmeleon says as he slowly rises to stand, with the Deerling helping him up. "But yeah, it's close by."
The Eevee nods. "We'll walk you there then."
The Charmeleon dismisses his offer with a wave of a claw, making the Nickit frown. "Nah, my dude. I'll be fine."
The Eevee shrugs. "If you say so."
The white Vulpix chuckles. "And here I was expecting a different answer from you."
"You can leave if you want," the Eevee immediately says as he tails her sister tailing the Deerling who's assisting the Charmeleon.
She smiles, watching the group leave. "Now that I expected." She looks at the marching parade, and then catches up with the Eevee. "I think I'll stick around."
"Suit yourself."
She blinks at him. "I was kinda expecting you wanting to get rid of me again."
He sighs. "I'm starting to realize that everyone here is like that Buizel in varying levels."
"Huh?"
He shakes his head. "Nevermind."
She frowns at him. "You're just making me curious now."
In front of them, the Charmeleon chuckles, making the Nickit look curiously at him. "Sorry, Plu," he tells her.
"Huh? Why are you saying sorry?"
He smiles a sad smile at her. "Looks like I'm out of the race."
She tilts her head, not understanding what he meant. With the fire-type's eye gestures, she looks over her shoulder and sees her brother having a not-so-fun conversation with the white Vulpix.
She blinks at them, and then looks up at the fire lizard. "So... The mission failed?"
He chuckles. "Looks like it." He grins. "But I'll be back in the race soon." A sigh. "Probably not this one though..."
"Mission?" the Deerling asks.
He winks at her as he pats her head with a smile. He wasn't really sure if he had it in him to pursue someone. But while it looks like he failed, it does give him something to think about...
...that he has it in him to go find and get someone.
And who knows? Perhaps on his next hunt, he can finally get someone give him a good rut.