Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The train rode across the countryside, the view peaceful and relaxing as it showed herds of Wooloo and Miltanks and Tauros grazing happily.


 Chewing her lip anxiously, a young woman sat in the train and took a deep breath. She knew this would be a good thing, a new start in life. That's all she's wanted.


"Leaf?" On her lap, a Leafeon awoke when he sensed his trainer's stress, lifting his head to observe her behavior.


She gave him a reassuring smile and patted his head. "I'm okay, don't worry."


It didn't seem like he was convinced, though, and his paw reached for one of the poke balls in her purse.


She gently grabbed his paw to stop him. "I promise, really."


He stared at her for a long time before deeming that she was indeed well and curled on her lap, but he didn't go back to sleep. He kept his head up and looked out the window with her, his ears flicking occasionally.


The woman wiped her hands on her pants and smiled fondly. He was always so worried.


Things are going to be fine, she told herself. New beginnings, no one will know who I am or my family.


Sinnoh was a long way from Galar.

After an hour, the train came to a stop and she returned Leafeon to his poke ball, fearing he might get stepped on in the small crowd.

She exited the sliding doors and found a secluded spot so she could check the map on her phone. Turffield was a small town, and it wasn't known for being a complicated place to navigate, mostly fields and farmland. But she wanted to make sure she was going the right way.

Once determining the way, she put her phone in her purse and headed out, clutching the straps close to her chest.

The air felt so clear and cool in the afternoon, and a light breeze ruffled the woman's blouse. She inhaled the scent of oncoming rain and walked leisurely on the dirt road.

Her new home wasn't far from here, and the movers were probably finished putting her boxes in the house, so she wasn't in a rush to get home yet. She wanted to take in her new town, and after getting friendly waves on the road from passerby's and truck drivers, she allowed herself to be cautiously optimistic about the future.

When she finally arrived in Turffield, she passed by some wooden fences, probably holding a few of the farm Pokemon she saw on the train. She wondered if it would be okay if she got to pet some of them.

"BAAAA!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by loud bleating, and when she turned her head, she saw what looked to be a large white ball of cotton the size of a boulder rolling towards her at incredible speeds.

"Watch out!"

She froze on the spot, her legs becoming glued to the ground.

Suddenly, a white flash shot out of her purse, revealing a mid-sized green and purple humanoid Pokemon crouching dramatically with one leg and arm out.

"Reena!" It cried, bounding forward from its crouched position to deliver a powerful kick to the oncoming Wooloo, sending it flying with ease as if it were a soccer ball. A distant 'baaa' could be heard coming from the ascending sheep Pokemon before it became too far to see.

Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Tsareena nonchalantly returned to her trainer.

"Wow! That was amazing!" Came the voice that told her to watch out earlier.

Once the woman calmed down, she patted her Pokemon on the head in silent praise and smiled shyly at the stranger.

"Sorry about your Wooloo. Tsareena tends to go a bit... overboard with protecting me." She said sheepishly.

"It's alright, Wooloo's wool is as cushiony as they come, I doubt he even felt that kick!" He replied good naturedly.

The woman took in his appearance. It was obvious he was very built, with his broad shoulders and wide chest, and arms that looked like they could lift a Rapidash. He was also quite short, she noticed, coming to about her height. His hair was a light peach color and he had friendly green eyes. She wondered if he was a farmer.

"I'm Milo, by the way." He said, respectfully removing his hat. "I'm the gym leader here."

"I'm Dorothy," she replied. He wasn't what she was expecting a gym leader to look like, or act like for that matter. But then again, she's never actually met a gym leader before.

He put his hat back on and grinned widely. "Nice to meet you. Are you a new challenger?"

Her eyes widened and she frantically shook her head. "O- oh no! I just moved here, I'm a baker."

"A baker?" His eyes lit up. "That sounds great! Maybe I'll stop by the shop someday to try your creations."

Dorothy wasn't used to this kind of attention. Usually she prayed that no one would notice her, but his kind smile didn't seem to hide any sort of maliciousness.

"Thank you... I start in a few days, I hope I live up to your expectations." She said, her voice growing increasingly quieter. She had no idea how to talk to people.

He didn't seem to notice her awkwardness, or was too polite to say anything. Instead, he directed his attention somewhere else.

"That Tsareena of yours is powerful, that was some kick! You must be a really skilled trainer."

The Pokemon in question huffed and lifted her head in a haughty manner. Dorothy placed a hand on her crown. "As much as I'd like to take the credit, she's just always been this way. Not that her ego needs to get any bigger."

She gently shook her Pokemon's head and laughed softly as she made a noise of protest.

Milo's smile grew wider as he saw her tease her Tsareena. Her demeanor seemed to loosen up when she was talking about her Pokemon, and he took the time to observe her subtly, his eyes immediately drifting to her odd hair. It was a deep purple color, thick and voluminous, and stuck out on both sides of her head in large curls. But the most noticeable was the large strand of hair curling at the forehead. The sight reminded him of a Wigglytuff's hair, and he couldn't help but find it cute. He wondered if she styled it that way on purpose.

She was his height, and had a chubby, curvy figure. Her eyes were a lighter shade of purple than her hair, almost a lavender. They were beautiful.

Two more flashes suddenly shot out of her purse revealing a Leafeon and a Liligant, both Pokemon rushing to their trainer's side.

"Lili!" The flowering Pokemon placed her leaf hands on Dorothy's leg, concern written in her gaze.

"I'm alright, Lili. Tsareena took great care of me." She said reassuringly, patting the beautiful flower on her head.

“What in the world happened?" Asked Leafeon. Tsareena scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Nothing I couldn't handle. Some punk Pokemon was rolling towards us and I sent it flying."

"You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. The eeveeloution groaned and shook his head. She was so reckless.

"We just moved here, you don't want to make a bad first impression, do you?"

"It's not like I was picking a fight, that ball of wool was about to knock Dorothy over!" She argued. She saw the human man staring at her human and stepped forward protectively. "And this guy is about to get his teeth kicked in if his eyes keep wandering!"

Dorothy, picking up on her Pokemon's defensiveness, quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I'm sorry, she's... really protective."

"It's alright." Milo said. "That just means you're a great trainer to have your Pokemon love you so much!"

She could feel a heat crawling up her neck and cleared her throat. "Well, we should probably get home. It was nice meeting you."

Sliding her hand down to wrap around Tsareena's, she gently pulled her along as she started walking away, the other two following dutifully behind.

"It was wonderful meeting you, ma'am. Welcome to Turffield." He said warmly, ignoring the glare Tsareena was throwing at him.

"You really shouldn't be so confrontational with new people." Said Liligant passively, holding Dorothy's other hand. "We're trying to make a new life here, we don't want others to think we're aggressive."

"I didn't like the way that guy was looking at her." Tsareena replied stubbornly.

A sweet scent wafted up from the garland on Liligant's head, and she relaxed when she saw Dorothy's shoulders loosening up and her breathing become steady on the walk to their new home. Her companion on the opposite end lowered her head when she realized how stressed her trainer was and sighed. She hadn't meant to cause trouble.

Leafeon nudged her affectionately. "Don't beat yourself up, we know you just want her safe. But this isn't Sinnoh, we don't need to be on the lookout at every turn yet."

The fruit Pokemon felt herself lighten up at his encouragement. He was right, all she wanted was to protect her trainer. But, she did have a tendency to overdo it at times.

While her Pokemon conversed, the purple haired woman felt her thoughts drift to Milo. She hoped she hadn't come off as rude when they were leaving, she just didn't know how to handle the compliment he gave her about being a great trainer. Talking to people for long periods of time wasn't her strong suit, even if it was something simple. People back in Sinnoh usually avoided her like the plague, so she didn't get a chance to really develop decent social skills.

When her mind started focusing on Sinnoh, she inhaled the scent of Liligant's flower, feeling her mind and body instantly relax, her past immediately pushed aside.

Before long, they reached their new house. It was a modest sized brick house with only one story and two bedrooms. But the best part was the large backyard just begging to be filled with flowers and all kinds of fruits and vegetables!

Feeling her worries melt away, Dorothy unlocked the door and opened it with an uncharacteristic flourish. "Welcome home, gang!"

The trio of Pokemon ran in the box filled room and eagerly scoped out every inch of the new space. What little furniture they brought was jumped and rolled on, and the glass door in the kitchen was thrown open so they could traverse the yard.

The woman laughed at her cheerful companions and watched as they played like children again. She couldn't remember the last time anyone was this happy! The yard would take some time to get ready, but not nearly as much time as it could if she were alone. She was lucky to have such a wonderful team of hard working, loyal friends.

She turned from the yard to explore her new kitchen. The entire house had a very old school design, and the kitchen reflected that with its pastel yellow wallpaper and light blue countertops. The floor was made of white tile, but most of the appliances didn't seem that old, much to her surprise. Well, if they worked fine, then there was no reason to replace them in her mind.

After checking to make sure things were clean enough to not be a major concern, she returned to the living room and stared at the amount of boxes. They didn't bring much, mostly gardening tools and electronics and knick-knacks she could collect over the years. She didn't even have a decent bed to bring, but she knew she would have time to choose a nice, comfortable one soon.

Plopping down on the vintage couch she brought, she took a deep breath and grimaced when she could very clearly smell the dust that had accumulated over the years. This place really needs dusting.

The sounds of her companions playing outside filled her with a deep sense of peace, and before she knew it, her eyes drifted shut.

Chapter Text

We just finished unpacking, I like the way the house looks. It makes me think of a kind elderly couple living here, and I can't help but imagine what they were like. I don't think I'll change any of the wallpaper or floors.

We keep finding cotton in the most random places, like the tub and the cupboards, and no matter how much we clean, we always seem to miss a spot, and I swear I hear giggling at night, too. Maybe our home is haunted? If it is, I'll leave some poffins out for the ghost to make it happy. We can be friends!

Dorothy took a deep breath and tightened her grip around the pencil.

I haven't felt too anxious, though that's mostly because of Lilligant. Having her as my emotional support Pokemon was probably the best thing you could've done for me. Leafeon and Tsareena have also been big helps in adjusting to the change. Tsareena's still being overprotective, but I know she means well. I just wish she would control her temper better... but maybe that's on me for not being a great trainer.

Sorry... I know I shouldn't doubt myself so much, I'm trying my best. I was thinking of taking them to see what a gym battle looks like, I know Tsareena would really enjoy that, and it'll do me good to be around more people, right?

My job starts on Wednesday, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's been my dream to bake for a living, and now I can do it every day! I would love to make cookie or cupcakes for my new neighbors, but I don't know if I have the courage to do that yet.

Twirling the pencil in her hand, she pressed it to the paper before lifting it again. What else could she talk about?

There was also... this guy I met...

Quickly erasing the words, Dorothy huffed and wrote the final words down.

So far, things are going great. I'll update you on anything interesting that happens.

Love, Dorothy.

After folding the paper and grabbing an envelope, Dorothy went outside to mail the letter and curled up on the couch as her Pokemon watched TV on the floor.

Her therapist, Emily, had been with her since the early days of her foster life, and was one of the few people she trusted and felt safe with. Emily had taken great care in making sure Dorothy was stable enough to live healthily in society, and Dorothy was extremely grateful for everything she did. Unfortunately, with Emily's deteriorating health, she was forced to retire, but she was adamant about keeping in touch with Dorothy.

Now that she's away from Sinnoh, Emily advised the young woman to write to her about her time in her new home, and if things got too difficult, she was just a video call away. But she was confident Dorothy would make it; she had grown from being that anxious little girl.

"Lil?" Lilligant looked back at her trainer, a silent question in her eyes.

"Just mailed it. Shouldn't take too long to reach her." She said with a small smile. Stretching her arms out, the purple haired woman laid on her side as she watched the screen. It looked like a tournament was taking place, so Tsareena was hyper fixated on the battle being shown. Ever since learning about the Dynamax phenomena that was unique to the region, she had become obsessed with watching matches that featured it.

"Yes!" She cheered, pumping her fist as the Pokemon on screen landed a heavy blow. "Did you see that Focus Punch? No way he's getting up from that!"

Leafeon rolled his eyes beside her and rested his chin on his paws. "It was a lucky shot, Blastoise' shell is tougher than that."

As Lilligant draped a blanket over Dorothy, Tsareena spoke confidently about how the Medicham on the TV was far stronger.

"It was point blank, I wouldn't be surprised if his shell was cracked!"

As the dust settled, they both leaned forward, eagerly anticipating the results of the battle. Lilligant joined them after smoothing out the blanket and sat daintily next to Tsareena.

Suddenly, explosions burst around the giant Pokemon and the red aura surrounding him faded away as he shrunk down to his regular size. Collapsing on his stomach, the Blastoise fell unconscious.

"Blastoise is unable to battle, Medicham is the winner!" The announcer declared.

Tsareena jumped up with a cheer and spun around on one leg happily as Leafeon handed over his share of poffins Dorothy made for them earlier.

"I told you, my battle instincts are never wrong. A Medicham would never lose to a Blastoise."

"Whatever," He replied grumpily.

Lilligant giggled into her hand at their antics. Hearing a quiet snore behind her, she saw their trainer sleeping soundly under the blanket. Dorothy had changed out of her usual blouse after they finished unpacking and was now wearing her maroon tank top and a pair of shorts to combat the heat. But the flowering Pokemon silently wondered if she should've fetched her pajamas before covering her.

"Finally asleep? Good, she was overdoing it." Leafeon said when he noticed, giving a firm nod.

"I hope she buys a proper bed soon, that one in there is so hard." Lilligant mused.

"And dusty," added Tsareena.

The trainer stirred at their chatter and they instantly quieted down.

"Let's get her to bed. It's been a long day," Leafeon orders gently.

With Tsareena's strength, she holds Dorothy's upper half while the other two hold her legs, and with practiced teamwork, they carry her to the bedroom and lay her down.

They slept in the other room in the house, but tonight they wanted to be near her, so Leafeon snuggled under her arm while the two females laid on each of her sides. Soon, they all drifted off to sleep.

Wednesday had come quickly, and despite her excitement, Dorothy struggled to get out the door in time due to nerves. Her hands shook as she dressed and brushed her hair, and she nearly forgot her housekeys when walking out the door.

Everything's going to be okay. New start, new job, no one will be mean to you, she told herself as she made her way to the bakery. She lived relatively close to it, so she knew a taxi trip wouldn't be necessary, especially with how fast she was walking.

It was a newly opened establishment, with the only other one being on the opposite side of town. That was probably why it was easy for Dorothy to get a job here. Very small business, small town, not many people to hire.

Stepping into the building, she was greeted by her new boss, a woman who looked only a few years older than her with a bright and peppy smile.

"Hiii! Come on in!"

Angela was a tall woman who lit up the room with her upbeat attitude. Being the granddaughter of a skilled baker, she decided to put her grandmother's recipes out into the world and show how amazing her cuisine could be.

The two girls met each other briefly through a video call after Dorothy submitted her application. Angela, impressed by her repertoire, hired her quickly, saying she could sense Dorothy was just the person her bakery needed, and even offered to pay for the ride to Galar, but the purple haired woman politely declined. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have done a background check on Dorothy either, which was both a relief and yet another source of anxiety she forcibly shoved to the side for later. She would cross that bridge when she came to it. And hopefully she never did.

Dorothy smiled shyly at her and grabbed her apron from a hook in the back room. While she tied it around her waist, the sound of shuffling could be heard coming from the front, and when she returned, she saw a small white Pokemon scrubbing furiously at the tables and floors with its bushy tail.

"Oh, that's my Minccino," Angela said nonchalantly. "They make the best cleaners."

Apparently, thought Dorothy, because within seconds, the floor was sparkling so much she could see her reflection.

The Pokemon let out a loud huff after the job was over and leaned with one hand against the wall.

"Thanks, Minc," his trainer said, patting him on the head. She took out her phone and began texting absently.

"I left the recipes in the back, and I'm still looking for someone to take the waiter job. Also I need to figure out what Pokemon to choose as our mascot, something that'll make people really want to come and eat our sweet treats. Any ideas?"

She blinked at the onslaught of words thrown her way and wracked her brain for a good response. "Um... I've seen a lot of places use Milcery as the mascot."

"Yeah, but I don't want to be like everyone else. We need something unique and palatable."

Dorothy pondered her boss's explanation and began working on some cinnamon rolls. She wasn't used to being asked her opinion on things, Angela was the first real friendly person she's encountered in a long while. Well, besides Milo.

"What about your Minccino?"

The blonde flipped her thick ponytail over her shoulder and pursed her lips in thought. "He's a cutie, but he doesn't fit the vibe. I need a Pokemon that looks like it can bake, that gives people an appetite for sweets!"

She didn't really understand the difference, the exhausted Pokemon on the floor seemed cute enough to be a mascot. But she wasn't going to argue with her employer.

As Angela spoke about her plans for the bakery, Dorothy worked in silence, both listening while also kneading the dough with skilled hands. The atmosphere felt peaceful, relaxing, and the tension left her shoulders as she homed in on her task.

Soon, all the pastries were finished and placed in glass displays, and Dorothy wiped her forehead with a deep breath. It was a nice assortment of croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies, donuts, cakes, and pies in various flavors. The sweet smells wafted around the building and Angela munched on a cream filled donut as she put up the 'open' sign.

"Mmm. Dorothy, these'll sell like hot cakes- oh! I should put those on the menu, too!"

She couldn't help but giggle quietly at her scatterbrained boss. She had a feeling this was the norm for her, and she found herself looking forward to working with Angela more in the future.

The bell above the door rang when a customer walked in and Dorothy froze and put on a polite smile, silently praying it doesn't look forced. Thankfully, Angela rushed behind the counter and gave a much more convincing smile.

"Hello ma'am. How can we help you?"

The elderly woman scanned the pastries on display with squinted eyes. Dorothy couldn't tell if it was because she had bad eyesight or if she was just in a bad mood.

The lady continues to walk around at a slow pace, her hands firmly behind her back and her posture bent forward at an angle that looked uncomfortable. She didn't appear to have heard Angela, or if she did, she was ignoring her. This did not deter the blonde in the slightest, because without missing a beat, she approached the woman and began showing her the sweet treats on display, and she made sure to keep her voice a little louder in case the woman actually couldn't hear her.

Dorothy took a deep breath and felt her shoulders relax. In her pocket, she rubbed the small pokeball containing Lilligant. It was a habit at this point, making sure her friends were where she could access them, and it gave her a small comfort knowing they would always be there when she needs them.

"Have a wonderful day!" Angela's voice cuts through her thoughts and she sees the elderly woman walking out with a small paper bag.

Turning away from the register to face Dorothy, Angela dusts off her hands with a confident smirk.

"Done and done, our first customer of many more!"

Giving a small, quiet chuckle, the purple haired woman turned away and wiped a smudge off the counter.

Customers steadily started pouring in as the day continued, and Dorothy was more than happy to stay in the back and keep things on the shelves. Soft music played over the speakers, which added to the nice ambiance. Angela surprised her. Despite her... flighty demeanor, she proved how capable she was at her job, handling every customer with grace and kindness. She made sure every person that came in felt comfortable and appreciated and handled conversations like a champ. Dorothy was half tempted to ask the woman to teach her her ways.

When lunch started, Angela hung up the closed sign and laid on the cushiony bench with a large sigh. "Geez, being successful is tough work."

"Mhm." Dorothy sat across from her and rested her chin on her palm, her eyes drooping. The day was halfway through and she was already wishing for sleep.

"Heeey," she drawled as she slowly sat up, "you just moved here like three days ago, right?"

Dorothy nods and Angela goes on. "So you haven't had a chance to stop by the gym?"

"Um, no... but I got to meet Milo..." she reveals. Was that okay to say? Would she get jealous? After her meeting with him, she did some research on the gym leaders in Galar and discovered that they were pretty much celebrities in this region. The people of Sinnoh greatly respected their gym leaders, but they were simply viewed as powerful trainers and nothing more, the only one gaining any sort of celebrity status being Fantina, which was because she didn't just do that, but competed in contests as a talented Coordinator.

But thankfully, Angela only gave a lazy smile as she brought out her phone. "Milo's pretty cool. He's always chasing after Wooloos, so his fans get to see him a lot." She scrolled through the device before stopping on what she was looking for and showed Dorothy. "I like to watch him do farm work because he looks hot moving around those giant things of hay. I mean look at his arms!"

The picture on the phone showed the man lifting up a large bale of hay that was twice his size using only one arm, that signature smile he gave her back then glowing as he looked at the camera. He was very fit, she'd noticed that when they first met.

Clearing her throat to distract from the heat creeping up her neck, she bit both her lips and nodded. "He looks real strong."

"He is, and so are his Pokemon! He doesn't show it very much because he goes easy on new trainers, but when he's fighting other gym leaders, that's when he really goes all out!" Her boss said excitedly, turning her phone back to face her and started scrolling through more pictures.

Dorothy relaxed her shoulders and let out a sharp exhale at her enthusiasm. Was this considered girl talk? She'd never spoken to another girl before about these things, especially for this long, so it was a new experience.

"Here, look at this!" The phone was shoved back in her face and she saw a video displaying a battle between Milo and presumably another gym leader. This one was a very tall man with dark skin and his short black hair tied into a ponytail. He had a thick orange headband on his head and a black and gold hooded jacket with orange accents, and he wore a confident smile on his face. Some of the Pokemon they used were unfamiliar to Dorothy, but she didn't have much time to observe them due to their constant movement. It was an intense fight, and she found herself on the edge of her seat when they clashed and blasted each other. The skills of two very experienced trainers were prominent in every quick order and well thought out strategies. It had to have taken years to get to that level.

After five long minutes, the battle ends with the other man the victor, and both gym leaders share a handshake, respect shown in the friendly smiles on their faces.

Dorothy released a breath she didn't know she was holding as Angela pulled the phone back. "He's pretty cool..."

"Mhm, you should go to one of his matches, he has 'em all the time."

It would be good to get out, she'd been cooped up in the new house ever since they moved, but being around such a large group of people sounded like a big leap. The last time Dorothy was in a crowd was at her college graduation. A stadium filled with screaming, over excited fans was a bigger feat. Still, she needed to get out of her shell.

As she was contemplating, Angela's voice faded into the background, but her thoughts were interrupted by the woman standing. She made her way to the door and took down the closed sign and hung up the open one with an energized smile back on her face.

"Time to get back to work!"

After her shift was over, Dorothy fell on her couch with a long sigh, her feet aching. Her Pokemon, happy to be out of their pokeballs, stretched and wandered the house in search of something to do.

"She seems nice, but it's too soon to tell. I'm keeping my eye on her." Tsareena said, giving the air a few practice kicks.

"You're suspicious of everyone." Leafeon responds with a deadpan expression. "She's a saleswoman, hardly anyone harmful."

"That's what some people want us to think, then they'll backstab and humiliate us!"

"But she's not that bright. She didn't even do a background check on Dorothy, if that's not dumb I don't know what is."

"But she could be faking it to lure us into a false sense of security before she strikes!"

"I think you need some therapy." He mutters.

Leafeon giggles into her leafy hand and places it on her friend's shoulder. "Reena, I think you should relax. You'll get sick worrying so much. Let's just give Angela the benefit of the doubt and be a little optimistic."

"But cautious." Tsareena urged.

"Cautiously optimistic," she said agreeably.

"Fine." Letting out a huff, Tsareena relaxed her shoulders and continued her training, the activity helping her let off some steam. "Achoo!"

"Where is this cotton coming from?!" Exclaimed Leafeon.

I'm happy to hear you're doing well so far, I knew the move would be good for you! Don't forget to tell me how your job goes, I want to hear everything. And cotton? I've never heard of a ghost Pokemon that leaves cotton, but I'll look into it, it might be a Pokemon only found in Galar. Either way, they'll be lucky to have those delicious poffins!

And Dorothy, you are a good trainer. All Pokemon have their own personalities that don't always match with the people that take care of them, but that doesn't mean you're not doing a good job. You told me you wanted to take Tsareena to see a gym battle, right? That tells me everything I need to know that you love and support her interests. And I know she sees it too.

If you do end up going to the match, remember your breathing exercises and to have Lilligant on standby. I hope to hear from you again soon, dear!

Love, Emily.

Dorothy folded the piece of paper with a soft smile on her face, feeling much lighter now that she heard from her. Her companions, who had been hovering over her shoulder as she read the letter, hopped down once she finished. Leafeon lazily wagged his tail and nuzzled Dorothy's leg affectionately when he saw how relaxed she was. In response, she scratched behind his ear. He purred and leaned into the touch.

It had been a long week, but thankfully without any problems. Dorothy was settling into the job and Angela seemed like a nice boss. On one of their lunch breaks, Dorothy had released them from their pokeballs and the blonde-haired woman practically smothered them in kisses. Leafeon can still smell her strong perfume.

While he was receiving his much needed attention, Lilligant had turned on the tv and started watching a cooking competition. Tsareena, who was eating a cupcake Dorothy had brought home, perked up and quickly sat beside her.

"I bet Dorothy could beat them." She said confidently. Lilligant only nodded her agreement, and Leafeon smiled softly, not even bothering to point out that it was a cooking competition and not a baking one. But he supposed she could win that, too.

The people on the tv rushed about the large kitchen and stumbled to finish their dishes within the time limit, but one contestant knocked over a bowl and it splattered all over the floor. There was no way he'd be able to start over now, the time was almost up, but he continued with the main course and abandoned the side dish. When the timer went off, the remaining contestants presented their dishes to the judges, and to everyone's surprise, he had enough points to enter the next round!

Dorothy giggled at her companion's shocked faces as she worked on her response letter. She loved these peaceful moments when they could just relax and do whatever. She wished she understood what they were saying, though, being part of the conversation would be fun.

Dear Emily,

My job is going rather well so far! My boss is very nice and the hours pass by fast. I'm never too tired and I fortunately don't have to interact with any customers, I just stay in the back and make the food.

Her pencil hovered over the paper as she contemplated what to say next. Nothing noteworthy had happened, really. Maybe she should wait a few more days until she had something interesting to report?

Just then, the tv switched to a battle and Tsareena jumped up in excitement. Running to the couch, she hopped next to her trainer and bounced in her seat. Dorothy couldn't hide the fond look on her face. Tsareena has always loved battling, even when she was a Bounsweet, the grin she wore was the biggest tell of her passion for the sport, and Dorothy always tried her best to train and help her get stronger despite her poor skills for battling.

"It looks like a lot of fun, huh?" She asked softly.

Her Pokemon nodded vigorously, eyes glued to the tv. She'd do anything for that smile, as she knew her friends would do the same for hers.

With a deep sigh, Dorothy stood up and went into her bedroom to grab her laptop. When she turned it on, she looked up tickets for the next gym battle and bought two.

In the afternoon light, people were already starting to gather at the entrance, the air smelling of popcorn and other assorted sweets and drinks. Tsareena was practically dancing as she stood by her trainer, ecstatic to actually be at a real stadium! When Dorothy came in the house yesterday with two tickets in her hands, she nearly knocked her over as she tackled her in a hug.

The trainer in question chuckled at her excitement and loosened her grip on her hand. She knew this would be just the thing.

After turning in her tickets, she led her Pokemon to the concession stand and ordered popcorn, a drink, and a cupcake. She gave the cupcake to her friend and they made their way to the stadium. She wasn't able to get close seats on such short notice, but she doubted Tsareena would even mind.

Deep breaths, she reminded herself. It was starting to get noisy with the oncoming people, but she rubbed Lilligant's pokeball and looked at Tsareena, who paused once she noticed her trainer's tense posture. She was just fine.

With a firm nod, she turned her eyes to the grassy arena and waited for the event to begin.

When the stadium was filled, Dorothy subtly scooted closer to Tsareena and hunched her shoulders to make herself smaller. Most of the lights started dimming and the spotlights turned on to shine on the approaching trainers.

"Welcome everyone to the exhibition match featuring our very own gym leader: Milo!" The commentator announced as the man strode onto the field with an easygoing smile, waving happily to his fans. "And the former gym leader from Spikemuth: Piers!" Another man walked slowly from the other side, his demeanor the complete opposite of his competitor. He looked exhausted and his posture was hunched. He was thin and lanky with pale skin and long, black and white striped hair tied into a ponytail.

They both got to the middle and nodded at each other with mutual respect, sharing a few words that were inaudible to the audience, and then walked a few paces away.

"LET THE MATCH BEGIN!"

Milo threw a pokeball with a strong arm and released a long nosed, brown and white Pokemon with leaves for hands. Dorothy recognized it as Shiftry. Piers followed suit and tossed his own pokeball and released an orange Pokemon that looked almost as exhausted as he was. It had loose yellow skin that resembled a hood hanging around its neck and what looked to be baggy pants around its waist with a short tail, and a large red crest on its head that reminded Dorothy of a mohawk some of the delinquents back in Sinnoh would wear. She'd seen this Pokemon on TV before. It was called a Scrafty.

To Dorothy's confusion, the man called Piers suddenly pulled out a long microphone stand seemingly out of nowhere and started directing his Pokemon while talking into it.

Where was he keeping that? Dorothy thought.

"Alright, Scrafty. Let's give 'em a good show and start off with a Fake Out."

Obeying his trainer diligently, the Pokemon's expression quickly turned fierce as he leapt forward with his hands outstretched. Milo gave Shiftry the same command and being the faster mon, he clapped his hands over the area where Scrafty's ears would be, making him flinch. Milo took advantage and commanded Shiftry to use his Leaf Blade. With lightning quick speed, the leaves on the Pokemon's hands began to glow and lengthen, and he swiped his opponent's vulnerable body with them, sending him flying a few feet away.

The Scrafty landed on the ground but jumped up to his feet with a determined expression, not deterred by the advantage Shiftry had gained. With an angry growl, a dark aura surrounded the hoodlum and he attacked the opposing mon with Payback, wounding him as the aura was released on impact. Both being dark types, the move normally wouldn't have been very powerful, but it provided a bigger effect due to Scrafty getting attacked twice before, and Shiftry grunted in pain.

Since Scrafty was part Fighting type, he had the bigger advantage in that area, and Piers used this to command a Brick Break. His companion lifted his hand in preparation to chop it down on Shiftry's head to end this round, but he lacked in speed in comparison to Shiftry.

"Shiftry, dodge it and use Throat Chop!" Milo shouted. The wicked Pokemon's eyes snapped open and he rolled away just as his opponent's hand slammed down on the ground. Pushing himself forward, he crossed his arms in front of him and straightened them in a powerful strike and landed on the other side of the hoodlum, grunting proudly as the opponent fell in defeat behind him.

Dorothy leaned forward in her seat, her mouth open in awe. It all happened so fast, but it was so intense! Despite Piers having the upper hand, Milo was able to use his Pokemon's speed to gain them a win. That must have taken incredible skill and years to perfect.

Tsareena beside her was equally as enthralled, her eyes sparkling in amazement. It was like a beautiful dance, Pokemon and trainer working in sync to pull off the right moves and react accordingly with each other's wishes. She wondered if she and Dorothy could ever be that powerful.

"You almost had me there!" Milo commended, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Piers scoffed and gave a smirk, his former exhaustion seemingly dissipated at the exciting atmosphere. "Yeah, but we're not done yet. Malamar, you're next!"

Throwing his next pokeball, a squid like Pokemon emerged with a sinister grin on its face. It was dark purple in color and had bright yellow eyes that were narrowed and spots on the front of its body that seemed to glow. Dorothy was unfamiliar with this Pokemon, but just looking at it made her shiver. It was definitely not something you'd want to encounter in a dark alley.

"Alright, Shiftry, let's use Leaf Blade on Malamar!" Milo commanded, waving his arm dramatically. Shiftry grinned widely and charged at the squid, his arms held straight out behind him. Piers and his Malamar remained stagnant, waiting until the perfect opportunity to strike.

What is he doing? Is he just going to get hit? Dorothy stared in confusion at the scene before her, and Tsareena craned her neck forward to see what the former gym leader was planning.

"Alright Malamar," Piers murmured, his voice coming out low and smooth. "Foul Play."

The corners of the Pokemon's beak twitched and his body began to emit a dark glow like Scrafty before him. But instead of tackling Shiftry, he lifted his thick tentacle and swung it down. The long nosed mon barely managed to dodge the fierce attack, but his shoulder was grazed in the process.

"Great, now hit him with a Night Slash."

He tried to dodge the next move, but the previous attack left him clutching his wound, and he was unprepared as Malamar slashed him with his sharpened tentacle.

"Shiftry is unable to battle!"

The audience went wild now that they were both down a Pokemon, and Dorothy found herself clapping along with everyone else. She turned to see Tsareena's reaction and was pleased when she saw the giant smile on her face while bouncing happily in her seat.

As the battle continued, Tsareena grew more excited with each new move and strategy that was showcased. She was so grateful to Dorothy for bringing her here, this was a dream come true!

Milo and Piers were both down to their last Pokemon. Milo lifted his arm to throw his final pokeball, but before he could release it, a low rumbling shook the stadium. He dug his heels in the grass to steady himself and looked around, Piers doing the same.

Dorothy's brows furrowed in confusion. Was this not part of the battle?

Her ears perked up at the sound of a pained groan and she whipped her head around to see Tsareena kneeling in front of her chair, her face twisted in a tight grimace. A deep red glow started coming out of her skin and she clutched her midsection.

"Tsareena," Dorothy started gently, reaching a hand out, "are you okay? What's wrong?"

"REEEEEEEE!"

The Pokemon's guttural shriek echoed throughout the building, and in one leap, she was on the field. Milo's eyes widened and he swept his arm in a frantic motion. "Everyone back away! She's about to Dynamax!"

"What?!" Dorothy jumped out of her seat and attempted to run to the front, but Tsareena's glowing body began to enlarge to Dorothy's height and beyond, reaching up to over a hundred feet tall! Dorothy and the other people in the stands were blown back from the force of the sudden growth, and she could vaguely hear Milo directing the staff to get the audience out of the building. She rubbed her aching head and slowly pushed herself off of the chair she landed on. She needed to get to Tsareena, but the towering Pokemon that was just at her side was untamable at the moment.

"No no no..." She mumbled. She needed to get to her. She tried to move forward but a young boy with dark purple hair appeared in front of her and gently grabbed her hand.

"Come on, ma'am, it's not safe." He guided her to the exit.

"But... I need..."

"Don't worry, my friend will handle it." He said confidently. "He's the champion."

Tsareena had no idea what was happening. She was just sitting there with Dorothy when this power started bubbling up inside her, causing her to lash out at everything in sight. When she saw that boy leading her trainer away, she wanted to destroy him! Where was he taking her?

She made a move to attack but was stopped when a small red ball barreled into her, knocking her off balance. Anger boiled in her stomach as she stumbled back and a roar erupted from her lips. The little pest that hit her flew like an annoying bug around her head, his high pitched voice screaming in her ear.

"I know this must be confusing, but you have to calm down!"

Tsareena swung her leg above her head to strike him, but the little green dragon dodged it with a midair roll. This only made her angrier.

"ARGH!"

"Please, you'll hurt yourself and others! Don't you want to see your trainer?"

That made her pause. She did want to see Dorothy, but she was nowhere in sight, that boy took her! What did he do to her?! She grasped her head, the energy flowing through her making it hard to think properly.

"Where is she?! I want to see her now! What did you people do to her?!" She screamed, stomping her large foot and causing a giant dust cloud.

Seeing as he couldn't get through to her, the Flapple made his way down to his trainer where reinforcements finally showed up.

"The Dynamax energy has made her too unstable, she won't listen to reason." He reported to the others while their trainers planned what to do next.

"Then we'll have to calm her down the old-fashioned way." The champions Cinderace said, the fire rabbit cracking his knuckles in preparation.

Piers' Obstagoon smiled excitedly and howled. "Great! Our match got interrupted, so this'll be a fun substitute!"

Hops' Rillaboom hooted beside him once he returned inside with his trainer. "She belongs to that girl my trainer escorted out; we should be careful not to hurt her too bad."

"Alright," said Victor, the champion. Pulling everyone out of their huddle, he continued, "Flapple will keep Tsareena distracted while Rillaboom attacks her from the front and Cinderace from behind. Obstagoon will provide protection, and when the time is right, I'll Dynamax Cinderace and finish her off!"

"Right!" They all said in unison.

The sky above them was a deep pink color with clouds swirling overhead as powerful energy sparked around the battlefield. Flapple flew back above Tsareena and began pelting her with Grav Apple and Acrobatics. This worked to chip away at her health while his teammates hit her with their own attacks on both sides. For any other Pokemon it would be near impossible to dodge hits from such a large form, but Flapple was gifted with his tiny body and incredible speed.

Hurling a missed Trop Kick towards the little wyrm, Tsareena's foot slammed into the empty stands and got stuck in the broken concrete. As she struggled to pull it out, a Pyro Ball was sent flying to her back, and she screamed in both pain and anger as the flames licked her body.

"Rillaboom, use Slam!" Hop yelled. The gorilla ran at full speed towards the large Pokemon and used the full force of his body to ram into her. Unfortunately, this caused her foot to loosen from its confines. Tsareena tumbled back with her now freed foot and caught herself by holding onto the wall. With a growl bordering on feral, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and unleashed a whirl of Magical Leaves to the puny Pokemon beneath her, her eyes wide with extreme fury. How dare they keep her from getting to Dorothy?!

Using Obstruct, Obstagoon protected both himself and Rillaboom, but with Flapple being out of reach, he was nicked a few times by the sharp edges. This wasn't enough to slow him, however, and he continued to fight.

Victor's Dynamax band around his wrist began to glow, and he called back Cinderace. Returning him to his pokeball, the energy of the band entered the ball, and it enlarged in the young boy's hand. He held it with shaky arms and turned to throw it behind him. When Cinderace emerged, his body expanded to the size of the opposing Pokemon.

Tsareena's eyes widened when she saw her enemy join her in height and gritted her teeth. Stupid rabbit! He wasn't going to stop her!

With an enraged yell, Tsareena bounded forward in preparation to kick the living daylights out of that punk. In her blind rage, she paid no further attention to the regular sized adversaries on the ground and the one in the air, her eyes focused only on Cinderace. This fortunately gave them the advantage, and the forgotten Pokemon began to attack at once.

"Drum Beating!"

"Dragon Rush!"

"Shadow Claw!"

"Max Flare!"

Flapple roared as he breathed out a beam of draconic energy. It hit her on the side of the head, causing her to stutter in her pursuit. Rillaboom pounded on his drum at a rapid pace, causing spiked vines to spring up from the ground to trip and whip her with sharp snaps. A ghostly aura engulfed Obstagoon's hand as he jumped to slash at her falling form, and with a finally, Cinderace kicked his leg in a powerful sweeping motion, a fireball the size of a small sun sent flying towards her.

It felt like an inferno was surrounding her, and Tsareena collapsed to her knees as pain overtook her senses. Small explosions appeared around her and her body shrunk down to its original size.

"Yes!" Hop cheered, his fist pumping in the air.

Milo ran to the downed Pokemon and kneeled in front of her. His large hand rested on her head in a soothing manner while taking a revive out of his pocket. "It's okay. We're going to get you back to Dorothy."

She lifted her head shakily to look up at the human, before her vision faded to black.

Dorothy's chest heaved as her lungs grew tighter, her panic rising when she couldn't seem to get enough air in. Leaning with her back to the wall to support her increasingly shaky legs, Dorothy tried her best to focus on her surroundings, but it was a monumental effort due to the influx of panicked voices running from the stadium. Black spots dotted her vision and her head felt light. She knew she needed to calm down so she could be there to comfort Tsareena, but her anxiety wouldn't allow her to come to her senses. She was a failure as a trainer who couldn't protect her friends who relied on her to take care of them! How could she?!

In a blinding flash, Lilligant emerged from her pokeball and grabbed her trainer's hand in her leafy ones, the scent from her flower reaching Dorothy's nose. The flower on the Pokemon's head was a well known relaxer for both humans and other Pokemon, but it took a skilled gardener to help it bloom and flourish. When she had given Lilligant to Dorothy, Emily taught the anxious girl how to care for it. It had become a steady routine for her to sit in silence or with the occasional music on in the background while she cared for her companion, and soon she began doing it for Leafeon and Tsareena, who greatly appreciated the extra TLC.

The sweet smell helped ground Dorothy to reality and brought her back down to earth, and she took a deep inhale and breathed out through her nose slowly. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

She pushed herself off the wall when her legs grew steadier and smiled gratefully at Lilligant, her voice silent for the time being. It seemed like the place had emptied out in her panic, and the rumbling of the building from the battle inside had stopped. Maybe they already detained Tsareena?

She allowed Lilligant to guide her out of the building, a reassuring warmth in her chest as she held her hand. The crowd outside stood and waited for the champion and his teammates to emerge victorious.

"Oh my, that poor Pokemon."

"I wonder what happened to its trainer."

"Did it get abandoned?"

"What kind of trainer just leaves their partner?"

Lilligant tightened her grip on Dorothy's hand as people gossiped around them. It was fine, she knew how hard Dorothy worked to be where she is now, how strong she was to deal with her past and move forward. These people didn't know her.

The woman took another deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the voices around her fade out into nothingness.

"Lilli!"

Feeling Lilligant shake her hand suddenly, she opened her eyes and saw Milo walking out with her Tsareena by his side and hastily attempted to fix her frazzled appearance. She didn't need Tsareena to worry about her when she had just been through something awful.

People cheered, but she didn't hear a thing as she rushed over to her exhausted Pokemon. Dropping to her knees, she embraced her tightly with Lilligant by her side, joining the hug.

"Sorry for the wait, we didn't want to go too hard and hurt her." Milo said with a gentle smile. The crowd started to swarm him before Dorothy had a chance to thank him and was promptly shoved out of the way. Tsareena, even in her exhaustion, moved herself protectively in front of her trainer and lifted her leg in preparation to attack.

"Let's go." Dorothy said placatingly. She gently ushered her friends away from the crowd, but not before looking back at the gym leader. To her surprise, he looked in her direction and gave her a wave.

She gave him a grateful smile and nodded. It was a poor excuse of a thank you, but it would have to do for now. It was time to go home.

Chapter Text

Milo wiped the sweat pouring down his brow, the setting sun casting a warm glow on the land, but the extreme heat of the day still lingering on the hard worker. Ever since the rogue Dynamax incident at the gym, it had to be closed down temporarily for repairs, which gave the young man more time to dedicate to his farm.

"Milo!" Called a familiar voice. A young woman stepped onto the field as he was moving some large hay bales for the farm Pokemon. He threw one by one into the barn and greeted her.

"Nessa! What can I do for you?" His fellow gym leader was a very beautiful woman with a thin, athletic body and dark skin. Her straight black hair with blue streaks shone in the afternoon light.

"I heard your gym is down. How about a battle to keep you sharp?" She held out her pokeball with a determined frown. Milo couldn't help but chuckle. Ever the competitive one, she considered him her greatest rival, and while he was honored to be given such a high position in her mind, he thought he was far too easygoing to be that. His greatest rival was himself. Still, a battle didn't sound too bad right about now.

"Sure, why not?"

Closing the barn doors, he walked further out with his friend following. She lifted her leg straight in the air as she winded up for the pitch, and she threw the ball in one smooth motion. Her Drednaw popped out and opened his heavy jaw threateningly.

Seeing as she was starting with her strongest, Milo released Flapple, who flapped his wings to keep himself afloat. They each commanded their Pokemon and watched as they began to battle.

"So how's that Pokemon you and your team took down?" Nessa asked. Milo thought that was strange, she usually waited to make conversation until after they were done battling.

"I don't know," he answered, "I haven't had a chance to check in on the trainer. I don't know where she lives, but I'm sure she's doing fine; I can tell her trainer's a great person."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "You've met her?"

"Oh yeah," he chuckled, "she's nice. She reminds me of a Wigglytuff, and she's a baker, how cool is that!"

"You should look her up, she sounds nice." She suggests. "But maybe drop the Wigglytuff comparison."

He tilted his head in confusion. "What, why?"

"I don't think a girl wants to be compared to a balloon Pokemon like Wigglytuff. She might think you're calling her round."

Milo frowned. It was Dorothy's hair that reminded him of the Pokemon, not her body. He didn't see how that could be offensive, but he didn't argue. Instead he shrugged and carried on with the battle.

Back at Dorothy's house, two days had passed and the woman was moving frantically around the kitchen while the oven hummed with use. Leafeon was sitting calmly in at the entrance as he watched his trainer.

Tsareena had been exhausted from the event, the incredible surge in power draining her of all her energy. Dorothy had waited on her hand and foot, giving her all the massages and poffins along with some soothing oils she bought online from her old hometown. When the Pokemon finally showed signs of returning to normal, Dorothy helped her around the house with a careful hand, holding onto her and watching for any signs of falling or fatigue. Leafeon could tell the constant doting was starting to get on Tsareena's nerves. She was used to being independent, Dorothy's dutiful protector, but he also knew her heart outweighed her pride. Dorothy needed to feel needed, and she needed to know that her Pokemon was safe, so Tsareena swallowed her irritation and allowed her kind trainer to take care of her. Besides, he knew she liked it more than she was willing to admit.

Now that she's starting to return to normal, Dorothy laid Tsareena on the couch with a bag of poffins and a cozy blanket to relax while she worked on a cake.

I don't know what his favorite flavor is. Should I play it safe and make it chocolate? But what if he doesn't like chocolate? Some people don't. Maybe I should put multiple flavors? I don't want to overwhelm him! But two or three wouldn't be too bad, right?

Waving her hands nervously, she paced around the kitchen until the timer beeped. Jumping at the sound, the purple-haired woman scuttled to the oven and put on her oven mitts to protect herself from the heat. With careful hands, she pulled out the round cake and inhaled the scent of it. It was perfect.

Setting it down, she gathered the frosting and mulled over what flavors to use. Chocolate and strawberry seemed like the safe options. But her mind continued to torment her, saying that as a baker, she should be more creative with her confections.

Feeling something brush against her leg, she jolted and looked down to see Leafeon staring up at her. Right, everything was fine. It's just a cake, there's no need to freak out.

Taking a deep breath, Dorothy eventually chose a few more frosting flavors. She could add a nice design to the cake so it doesn't look boring.

She always enjoyed making art on her cakes. The more challenging the better, and it gave her a sense of accomplishment to see it completed.

Her tongue peeked out from the corner of her lip as she concentrated, the butter knife smoothing a light green color over the base. Small brown drops decorated the expanse of it and she added a darker layer of green to form the head and face of the Pokemon she was painting. Brown eyes were the finishing touch to it, and the purple-haired woman stepped away to survey her work. The Pokemon, Eldegoss, was one of Milo's strongest, and was the one he seemed to favor when it came to normal gym battles. Dorothy liked the mon for its cute appearance. It reminded her of Milo himself for some reason.

A small smile formed on her lips, the first one all day. It felt nice to do something other than fret over Tsareena's health. She knew she was smothering her, so this was a much needed distraction from the past two days.

With the gym closed down, Dorothy worried she wouldn't be able to find where Milo usually was. She didn't have his address or number, they'd only spoken once - twice if you counted the wordless interaction at the gym, and both times she'd been a bumbling idiot. But word around the town suggested he was quite easy to find, chasing after runaway Wooloo with his trusty Yamper behind him. So if she just walked around the farmlands, then hopefully she'd run into him.

"Good?" She asked Leafeon, who jumped on a chair near the table to look at his trainer's creation. The Pokemon's ears perked up and he let out a quiet 'oooh' in awe, his caramel-colored eyes widening. She recognized that look, and her hands swiftly removed the cake from the table.

"Uh-uh!" She exclaimed, holding it high above her head as her companion's tongue lolled out of his mouth. The sight made her chuckle and shake her head. He knew better than to get her dishes! "You little brat."

Returning his tongue back to his mouth, Leafeon's shoulders shook with silent laughter. He was hoping that would cheer her up.

Outside, Lilligant hummed quietly as she walked around the soft grounds of the garden. The plants were already growing nicely, the sweet scent of flowers barely peeking through the dirt. She needed to get sun every day to keep her flower in perfect bloom, and with Leafeon promising to watch over Dorothy, Lilligant stepped outside to soak it in and the delightfully fresh air.

Arms outstretched, she spun around with closed eyes and a peaceful smile on her face. Autumn would be approaching soon, and she happily anticipated the cooling air and the delicious pumpkins Dorothy would grow. She made the most wonderful treats from those!

A rustling noise sounded behind her in the bushes, interrupting her reverie. She attempted to brush it off as just being the wind, as it was becoming more common these days, but the next time it happened, it was closer to her destination, and footsteps could be heard padding in the dirt along with it.

Lilligant whipped her head around when the small pattering of feet surrounded her and high-pitched giggling emitted from the bush in front of her. It was like the mysterious force was teleporting. Could this be... the ghost?!

Dorothy nearly dropped her cake when the sliding glass door was swung open by her startled friend, the pale face of the flowering Pokemon showing a frightened visage as she hopped up and down frantically.

"What's wrong, Lilli?" Dorothy asked, setting the cake down and approaching her Pokemon.

She didn't respond, only shutting the door as quickly as she could without outright slamming it. The tense shoulders of the otherwise serene Pokemon lowered with a deep breath, and when she faced her trainer, a small smile was back on her face.

"Lil!" She said cheerfully, her hand going up to scratch her head with a bashful expression, her pale cheeks turning pink.

Dorothy raised an eyebrow. Lilligant may be responsible for calming her when she was anxious, but when the flowering Pokemon was by herself with no one to look after, she could get spooked fairly easily.

"Is there something out there?" She asked. Moving around her, she pushed the door open and went outside with Leafeon on her heels.

"What's going on?" Asked Tsareena's groggy voice.

Lilligant turned from watching Dorothy and Leafeon to see her friend entering the kitchen, her hand braced on the wall. She had just woken up from her nap to investigate the ruckus being made, her eyes droopy yet shining with interest.

"Oh, I... got startled..."

Tsareena was so strong, it was embarrassing to admit such a thing to her. Lilligant knew her role on the team; Tsareena was the protector, Leafeon was the leader, and she was the support. She wasn't built for battle. But getting startled over a little noise when her teammate has gone through far worse was humiliating!

Luckily, Tsareena didn't react, only humming in acknowledgement while she shuffled into the room. She was still tired it seemed, and sore, if her slow pace was anything to go by. "Dorothy finished the cake?"

Lilligant's eyes followed hers to see the cake.

Oh right, she thought, that's what she was doing. Her cheeks burned once again. At least she hadn't interrupted Dorothy while she was decorating.

Get a grip. You're the supposed to be the one that calms people down, not the other way around!

Shaking her head, she slapped her hands over her cheeks while Tsareena occupied herself with the cake.

Meanwhile, Dorothy was searching the garden with Leafeon, whose skilled nose sniffed for any intruders. If it was in fact a ghost, then he doubted he'd smell anything, but it didn't hurt to check for any other beings.

"Nothing over here." Dorothy told him, approaching with slumped shoulders. She really wanted to see a ghost Pokemon. "Anything on your end?"

Leafeon's rump could be seen sticking out of a bush as he sniffed around, his tail waving lazily. When he turned back to Dorothy, he was holding a large ball of cotton in his mouth.

"Again?" Dorothy groaned. "We really need to figure out what's leaving these."

"It's a nice cake," Tsareena observed quietly, her chin resting on her hands as she admired the design.

Lilligant nodded. "I hope Milo likes it."

Milo. That made Tsareena pause. He saved her and brought her back to Dorothy. She was grateful, but the entire ordeal had left her with a myriad of conflicted feelings.

As a Bounsweet, Tsareena was helpless, weak, vulnerable to the large predators of the world. Dorothy was the one who brought her home and gave her her first sense of safety and kindness, and the fruit Pokemon had never forgotten the warmth that encompassed her trainer's presence. She vowed to always protect that warmth.

When she was defeated by Milo and his allies, that cold, vulnerable feeling returned, reducing her back into a helpless little Bounsweet. But the large hand that rested on her head just moments later washed away that coldness, the gentleness soothing the anxieties running through her entire being. She'd never felt that with another person - she didn't trust easy, Dorothy had been burned by other humans enough to leave Tsareena on edge, but Milo...

The glass door slid open again, pulling her from her thoughts. Dorothy and Leafeon walked in, the former with slumped shoulders.

"I take it nothing was there." Lilligant said. Leafeon only nodded, the cotton preventing him from speaking. He spat it out with a loud 'pleh' and flicked his tongue, grimacing at the dryness in his mouth.

"Thupid cotton," He responded. He padded over to his water bowl and began lapping up the liquid to clear his mouth, and Lilligant fought a giggle at her friend's grumpy disposition.

Figuring she should make herself useful, Tsareena picked up the slightly soggy ball and carried it to the trash can.

"Wait," Dorothy said suddenly, halting her Pokemon's movements.

Tsareena sighed. Was she really going to stop her from doing this? It was a cotton ball!

"We've just been throwing these out, maybe I can learn to make you guys sweaters or something." She took the bundle from her friend and eyed it thoughtfully.

Tsareena raised an eyebrow. She loved her trainer, but her sense of fashion was not something she shared.

"Hehehehehe..."

Everyone's ears were alerted to the sound emitting from above. Tsareena straightened and got in a fighting stance, her legs poised and ready. Leafeon immediately stopped his drinking and crouched low, his ears perked up to listen closely, and Lilligant jumped in surprise and ran to hide behind Dorothy.

Dorothy kept a surprisingly calm face and looked for the source of the sound. Her hand calmed Lilligant and cautiously strode forward. "I have some poffins left if you want some."

The night after Tsareena's incident, Dorothy had made too many poffins in a panic and left a bowl out for the ghost; the next morning, not a crumb was left. Since then, everyone was on the lookout for it.

"Oooh..." Everyone's eyes trailed upwards where the sound was coming from, but nothing was there except for the blank ceiling.

"Alright... I'll put them out for you."

The giggling continued and a swift breeze passed through the group, making everyone shiver. Dorothy brushed her hair back with her hand and nodded firmly. If their new housemate wanted poffins, then she would get them some!

Tomorrow she had to go to work, so after leaving a new plate of poffins, Dorothy picked up the freshly made cake and exited the house with her antsy team in tow. They were all quite eager to be away from the house for a while.

She made her way down the same road she walked when she first entered Turrfield. Luckily there was no sign of that giant Wooloo that nearly knocked her over, but others of the same species grazed lazily on the grass on the other side of the fence. Unfortunately, there was also no sign of Milo.

She debated asking some passing people if they'd seen him anywhere, but when she opened her mouth to speak, her throat seemed to swell up and her mind blanked.

Dang it! She had been making so much progress, but that Dynamax incident had her acting like a timid little Growlithe with its tail between its legs again! She cleared her throat and huffed in frustration. She was not going to allow one setback to degrade all her progress.

"Excuse me, do you know where-"

"FLAAAAAAAA!"

Dorothy's question was promptly cut off by a red apple hurdling straight towards her and landing only a few feet away from where she was standing. Letting out a surprised shriek, she ducked her head and covered the cake from the dirt kicked up by the crash.

When Tsareena popped out, her purple-haired trainer got a huge sense of deja vu. Why did this keep happening?

Standing in front of her human as the dust settled, Tsareena instantly recognized the Pokemon that had landed by them and silently wished she had decided to stay at home.

"Ack- Pluegh!" Flapple sputtered, flapping his wings frantically as he righted himself. The little dragon type looked up when a shadow covered him and saw the female he and his teammates had fought just two days ago. "Oh! It's you!"

She shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and avoided his gaze. "Yeah... I remember you..."

"How are you feeling? Dynamaxing for the first time can be pretty tough!"

"Um, a little tired, but nothing I can't handle." She responded, standing a little straighter. He didn't need to know how exhausted she'd been, physically and mentally. But if he noticed her unconvincing lie, he didn't show it.

She felt the weight of Dorothy's hand on her head and her shoulders relaxed slightly. Flapple's eyes landed on her and he gave a wide grin, which made his goofy face look even goofier in Tsareena's opinion.

"We were just talking about you two!" He exclaimed.

She stiffened in response. Talking? She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Oh, hey!" Called a voice. When Dorothy turned, she saw the man she was looking for jogging towards her, tailed by a very pretty woman. She recognized her from TV as one of the gym leaders. Stepping over the fence, Milo grinned when Flapple returned to his side and nodded to Dorothy. "We just keep meeting like this."

Dorothy smiled tightly and gave a small nod, the cake feeling heavy in her hands all of a sudden. "Mhm."

The female gym leader stood beside him and put one hand on her hip lazily, gazing at the sight before her with an unreadable expression. "I think I won, by the way."

Milo nodded. He had been far too casual during the battle, seeing it as a fun exercise while he waited for his gym to open back up, but apparently Nessa didn't see it the same and went all out, causing his Flapple to get sent flying.

"Sorry about that, buddy." He told his Pokemon sheepishly, his hand scratching the back of his neck. His friend merely crooned and landed on his shoulder to nuzzle his cheek, causing him to chuckle and pat his little head.

Dorothy couldn't help but find the display cute. He seemed so gentle for such a buff man, it was heartwarming to watch him interact with such a small creature.

After returning his Pokemon to his ball, he turned to Dorothy. "Oh, Dorothy, right?" She nodded and he gestured to Nessa. "This is Nessa, she's the gym leader of Hulbury."

Dorothy gave a small polite wave. Nessa was so pretty; it made her feel a little self-conscious with her frumpy outfit. Nessa nodded at her and returned her smile with one of her own.

"Nice to meet you. You're the baker." It was more of a statement then a question, and before Dorothy could wonder how she knew, she remembered the cake in her hands.

"Oh- uh, yes." She stuttered. Clearing her throat, she held out the box to Milo. "I made this for you, a- as a gift for saving Tsareena."

His green eyes widened and his grin became bigger. "Oh? You didn't have to do that!" He carefully took it out of her hands and lifted the lid, looking over the art on the cake with appraising eyes. "This is amazing, I almost don't want to eat it."

Nessa leaned over and eyed it, her eyebrows raising as she gave a half smile. "It looks good. I'll eat it if you don't want to."

"No way!" He chuckled, pulling the box away to glare playfully at her.

They were obviously close, Dorothy wondered if there was something deeper going on between them. Social media painted them as rivals due to Milo's type advantage and Nessa's skill and competitiveness, but many people thought they'd make a great power couple. She could see why, they were both very attractive and had an obvious love for battle, but something about that sentiment made her chest tighten. She shoved it down and turned her eyes to Tsareena. She looked a bit dazed, and Dorothy could see a slight unsteadiness to her stance.

Milo, who had looked up from the cake, lifted his head and observed the tired Pokemon. "How has Tsareena been feeling since the incident?"

"She's... been very tired." Said Dorothy. She laid a hand on her Pokemon's head and gently rubbed the crown. "She was really sore afterwards."

Milo nodded in understanding. "That happens after a Pokemon's first Dynamax. The process usually isn't so bad if their trainer has a Dynamax band, but because it was a freak accident, she got the full effects."

That made her feel even worse. Going to the tournament had been such a mista-

"I'm sorry I didn't check in on you," He continued, "I don't know where you live. But I knew she'd be in great hands, and look! She's walking around just two days later." Walking to the two of them, he crouched down to look Tsareena in the eyes. "Most Pokemon stay sore for almost an entire week, but she's up and about already."

"Well, she's always bounced back fast." Dorothy responded quietly.

He grinned up at her. "But I bet you were a great help in that." He looked back at Tsareena and began talking to her. "You had the best trainer looking after you and got all the best foods, right Tsareena?"

His endless praise was making her heart do a strange jump. She bit the inside of her cheek and smiled shyly, fighting off a blush. Tsareena, in spite of her usual arrogance, matched her trainer's expression and looked away with a redness to her cheeks.

"I hated seeing her so hurt. I kind of panic made a bunch of poffins to help her feel better." Dorothy admitted.

He chuckled and stood up, leaving a gentle pat on Tsareena's head. "I bet those tasted good. Are those a specialty of yours?"

"Sort of. They're a common treat in Sinnoh."

Apologize, you idiot! You destroyed his gym! Her mind shouted. She twisted the hem of her blouse nervously as she prepared her apology.

"Uh... listen, I'm really sorry about your gym. If I had been paying attention to Tsareena, then that would've never happened." Instinctively, she leaned forward and bowed her head in an apologetic gesture. It was common for people in Sinnoh to do it out of respect, and though this was a different region with different cultural norms, the act felt necessary to her in conveying her regret.

"Hey, don't worry about it!" She heard Milo say from her prone position. "It wasn't your fault. This incident happened all over Galar, it was just some troublemakers causing a panic. And no one was seriously hurt! So don't feel bad."

Dorothy stood back up straight and gave him a questioning look. All over the region? She hadn't heard that; she just thought it was an isolated incident, not a region wide one - but then again, she was too busy caring for her Pokemon to check the news much.

"Oh, I... didn't know that..." She suddenly felt foolish. "But still, I'm sorry for causing you trouble. And... thank you, for everything."

"No problem! I'm just glad you and your Pokemon are safe." He rubbed the back of his head with a bashful smile on his face.

Nessa, who had been watching the exchange silently, came up beside Milo and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you're new in town, why don't you come to a party I'm hosting at my house next week? We're celebrating the release of my new clothing brand. Milo and the other gym leaders will be there, along with a few of my friends. It'll be a fun time."

When she heard Nessa's invite, her mind momentarily blanked. A party? When was the last time Dorothy had been invited to a party? Never, she kept her head down back at home to avoid the stares and bullying, and people who knew of her were more than happy to give her a wide berth.

"That'd be fun, wouldn't it?" Milo chimed in. "You could see Hulbury and meet new people, maybe you'll make some friends, too! I'll give you the address."

"Uh- well..." Her mind raced as she wracked her brain for excuses not to go. "I... I work a lot next week... we just opened and I'm the only baker..."

"The party's on the weekend," Nessa added. "Will you be working then?"

She wasn't. "No, but..." They just moved in, there's a ghost haunting the place, her Pokemon needs her attention after growing five times her normal size and going on a rampage, none of those were good enough excuses. She was finished packing, the ghost wasn't harmful - unless you counted eating too many poffins, and Tsareena would be back to normal by next week. It was so impolite to reject an invitation, especially from a gym leader who was kind enough to offer after she'd been irresponsible in watching her Pokemon properly!

Eventually she sighed and answered honestly, "I'm sorry, I'd love to go, but I don't do well in large crowds." She bowed her head once more, but in a more subdued manner. "I appreciate the invite."

Nessa remained silent before giving a lazy shrug. "That's alright, there'll be more parties."

Even with those words, Dorothy still felt awful. She lifted her head but was unable to keep the remorse off her face. Her hands were starting to tremble, and she hid them behind her back.

Tsareena noticed the obvious signs of her trainer's growing anxiety and stepped closer in case Lilligant was needed.

"You know, if you change your mind, you can always call." Milo said with that easygoing smile. "Nessa knows a lot of people. You can have her number."

"Milo's too," The woman said, taking her phone out of her shorts.

"Yeah, both of ours."

Dorothy watched as they took out their phones and she clumsily typed in their numbers with shaky thumbs. Two. She now had two more phone numbers in her contacts, and they weren't work related. That was progress, wasn't it?

"Thank you," She replied. "I'll call if I change it."

She doubted she would. Crowds of people weren't her thing. The stadium incident was only two days ago and she was only coming down from it now. What if something else went wrong? She didn't know if she could handle another potential accident so soon after the last.

"We better get going." Milo said. "It was great seeing you again, thanks for the cake! It looks delicious!" He nodded to Tsareena and gave a salute as he backed away "Bye Tsareena, take good care of her now."

"Nice meeting you." Nessa gave a small smile and walked away with a sway of her hips.

"Goodbye," Murmured Dorothy, waving at them. When they were a good distance away, she let out a long, shaky breath and dropped her shoulders. Her body felt boneless and heavy, and when she looked down at her hands, she saw them trembling still.

She'd been making so much progress. The cake was made and given to Milo, Tsareena was healthy and recovering smoothly, she was invited to a party and got two contact numbers. By all accounts, today was a success, so why did she feel so lousy?

Dorothy had offered to return Tsareena to her pokeball, but the fruit Pokemon refused, wanting to stay by her side as they silently walked home. She could tell her trainer was feeling discouraged just by her slouched posture alone, and she wanted to be there to offer some support. Her small purple hand reached out to hold Dorothy's, and she relaxed when she felt her fingers curl around it.

When they made it home, Dorothy sighed and released her other Pokemon from their confines, and when they gave concerned looks, she only smiled and retreated to her room.

Tsareena stepped forward but was stopped by a leafy tail blocking her way. She gave a questioning look to Leafeon, but he just shook his head and padded to the couch.

"She's being too hard on herself," murmured Lilligant, absently fluffing up a decorative pillow on the couch. "Going to a party would be very stressful, it was wise of her to decline. And she wasn't rude about it."

"Yeah, but she hates that she can't do it all." Reasoned Leafeon. He pawed at the carpet as he thought about their trainer and sat on his haunches with a huff.

"I remember when she couldn't even leave the house without getting a panic attack. She's come so far, but she needs to realize that if she forces it too much, it'll backfire."

Tsareena hops up on the couch and lays her head on the newly fluffed pillow. "Milo was very patient. She's so awkward, but he didn't care. That Nessa girl is suspicious, though."

Leafeon huffed and shook his head at her assumption. He wasn't in the mood to refute it. "If you say so."

After changing into her nightgown, Dorothy plopped on her bed with a long sigh. She'd gifted the cake to Milo, but she barely made any conversation. He was polite to not mention it, but she could tell her behavior was off putting. She wasn't used to talking much, though, and her Pokemon destroyed his gym and put him out of the job until it could get fixed! He had every right to dislike her and avoid her, but he didn't. He just gave her that sweet smile and told her not to worry.

Didn't he say it happened all over the region? I should've asked what he meant. I'm so stupid.

And Nessa, oh, she was so pretty. Dorothy remembered reading that she was a model, and she certainly looked it. Her body and face were perfect, and Dorothy felt so intimidated. She could only dream of looking like her. And she seemed polite enough, but she could've been pretending for Milo's sake, but then why did she invite Dorothy to the party and give her her number? Dorothy hadn't counted on another gym leader being there when she gave Milo the cake, and it threw her off.

Her thoughts continued to spiral and she groaned in frustration and rubbed her face. She was hoping to get to sleep without needing Lilligant's help, but her mind had other ideas and just wouldn't let her rest.

The gang turned when they heard the door creak open and saw their trainer walk out with a sheepish look. "Sorry Lil. I can't sleep."

The flowering Pokemon immediately approached the woman and led her back in the room, her sweet scent emitting from her flower and soothing Dorothy. The others followed suit and watched as Dorothy laid down, this time looking much more at ease. It wasn't often Lilligant was needed to put her to sleep these days, but she was more than happy to give her assistance.

She cuddled up to Dorothy as the woman held her head close to her nose, humming in appreciation as she felt her mind grow fuzzy. Leafeon hopped up and rested his head on Dorothy's legs while Tsareena laid her head on her back, the purple haired woman sandwiched between her loving companions. They couldn't speak her language, but the meaning was clear; 'we're here for you.'

Her lips turned upwards and she whispered quietly before drifting off. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

Dorothy's mind was in a haze as she kneaded the dough on the counter, the music on the overhead speakers further lulling her into her own world, a world where she could imagine herself as a fun, outgoing person who could carry a conversation without fumbling like an idiot, a world where she was confident, cool, funny, maybe even a little prettier. Yeah, that was nice. She could go to the party like that. She'd strut into the place with her hands on her hips and her head held high, smile charmingly at the other guests, tell a joke or two to get a few laughs, and then she'd leave fashionably early, making the people wonder who that stunning, elegant, mysterious woman was.

"Dorothy... Dorothy... DOROTHY!"

"Huh-" Dorothy was startled out of her fantasy by Angela, who stared at her with an exasperated look.

"I said we'll need another batch of those oran berry cookies. They're almost gone."

"Got it..." She mumbled, more than a little embarrassed that she'd been so engrossed in her own fantasy that she couldn't hear anything. She put the dough aside to let it sit and rise and got to work on the cookies. Angela had been in a mood all morning; the Dynamax incident hadn't hurt the business too bad, but it had slowed a noticeable amount compared to last week due to news of the bakery getting overshadowed by the event. Though apparently not enough to dissuade people from buying oran berry cookies. They'd become the most popular by far.

Angela sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she went to the front to wait for customers. Dorothy could hear the rhythmic sound of Minccino sweeping near the tables, though he wasn't as frantic as he usually was because of the low activity. The upbeat pop music playing switched to a softer ballad, and Dorothy focused on that instead of letting herself drift off to her daydreams again.

Her thoughts were plagued with memories of the other day, running through the conversation between Milo and Nessa. If she accepted the offer, then she'd have to struggle through the anxiety of dealing with unfamiliar people and places, the loudness of the music and the claustrophobic feeling of being in a large crowd with no visible exits.

It was best she declined. She wasn't at the right point in her life to be in that situation. Her mental health had improved exponentially since she left high school, but she knew her limits and what she could handle, and a party with a large crowd of loud and possibly drunk people was absolutely not on the list of things she could handle.

Puffing her cheeks out in a frustrated huff, her hands kneaded the cookie dough with more force than necessary. There was no use dwelling on the past and what-ifs. There wasn't. So why did she keep doing it?!

After the cookies were placed in the oven and the pecha berry bread was finished, Dorothy wiped her hands on her apron and leaned against the counter, her shoulders slumped. The shelves were fully stocked, so she didn't need to continue.

Lilligant's flower had worked wonders for her mind last night. When she woke, she was well rested, but her body felt sluggish. It was a common thing at this point, whenever her mind would torment her, her body would bear the aftermath, her muscles aching from how tense they had been. Still, she wasn't shaking anymore, so she counted that as a positive.

Angela scanned the area outside, teeth lightly biting at her long thumbnail. It was a habit Dorothy had noticed when the blonde was thinking deeply, which happened at least once a day.

Mincinno climbed up his trainer's body to settle himself on her shoulder, rubbing his cheek against hers affectionately. She didn't reciprocate the gesture or perhaps didn't notice it, because she turned around so quickly it nearly swung the poor Pokemon off.

"I can't believe this." She muttered. "We're doing worse!"

She all but stomped to one of the booths by the door and plopped down, Minccino hopping to the table in front of her after regaining his balance.

Fiddling with the straps of her apron, Dorothy silently debated on what to say, or if she even should say anything. She didn't know Angela enough to gauge the appropriate response. When people were in a less than pleasant mood, she tended to stay far away.

"That stupid Dynamax thing ruined everything."

Dorothy nodded in agreement. Looking to her right, she noticed a half-eaten muffin on the counter, likely forgotten by Angela in her frustration. Deciding to use that as an ice breaker, she carefully picked it up and carried it to her boss.

She placed it in front of her and sat across from her while still figuring out what to say.

Angela took the muffin without word and munched on it grumpily, crumbs falling all over the table. Minccino, happy to be doing something while his trainer moped, hastily swept away the crumbs.

Silence hung in the air between the two women, and Dorothy fidgeted in her seat. "The... oran berry cookies are doing well at least."

Angela scoffed. "Yeah, with the two grannies who bought them in bulk wanting a senior discount."

Dorothy quickly shut her mouth and looked down, silence once again befalling the bakery.

Sighing, Angela ate the last of her treat and rolled the wrapper into a napkin. Her brows were furrowed in irritation as her hands moved, and she brushed the newly made ball aside for her Pokemon to pick up. Resting her chin in her hand, she tilted her head and watched as people passed by the building without so much as a glance.

"So, how was your weekend?" She suddenly asked Dorothy, her tone bored and uninterested. Still, Dorothy was glad the silence was broken.

"It was... nice," she replied quietly. She didn't want to divulge in what happened at the stadium, knowing it might set Angela off again. Plus, she'd rather forget it happened in the first place. The rogue Dynamax Pokemon were being talked about everywhere, Tsareena especially since it was revealed that Milo had graciously kept any information about her trainer a secret. It was yet another kind thing of him to do, adding to the list of things she owed him for.

"I... met the gym leader of Hulbury," she decided to say instead.

Angela hummed in acknowledgement. "Nessa? Is she as catty as she looks?"

That made Dorothy blink a couple of times. Nessa certainly looked like the same girls who used to bully her in school, and even now she was surprised by how nice she was and felt the need to defend her against her boss's uncharacteristic attitude.

"No, she's actually really nice and generous. She even invited me to a party."

Something about that made Angela perk up in her seat. Her head slowly turned to Dorothy and the poor woman froze on the spot.

"A... party?"

Dorothy nodded, and when the taller woman suddenly stood from her seat, she flinched. "And what did you say? Did you say yes, tell me you said yes!"

"I- uh, I said no because I'm not good in large crowds-"

"No!" Grabbing Dorothy's shoulders, Angela stared at her with a crazed expression. "Do you have any idea how big that is?! Nessa throws some of the biggest parties in Galar, she's loaded! If we can offer our catering services, she might promote it on her Pikagram and we'll be famous! Imagine the customers that'll be flowing in!"

Dorothy felt like her brain was being rattled in her skull as her boss frantically shook her with a surprising strength as she ranted. "Uh, well-... she gave me her number in case I changed my mind!"

The abrupt stop to the shaking left Dorothy's head spinning. When she got her bearings, she saw Angela leaving the table to pace around.

"You have her number." She muttered, though she spoke so low that Dorothy had a feeling she was more thinking out loud than anything else. "You have Nessa's number. How the heck does that happen? She's a top tier model."

Dorothy found herself regretting telling her she acquired the gym leader's number. It was meant to be for just her, if Angela insisted Dorothy give it up, then it would make her seem untrustworthy.

The purple haired woman jumped when her boss stopped her muttering and quickly turned around.

"You have to call her and tell her you changed your mind," she demanded. "Or better yet, ask her to hire you for a catering job. When's the party?"

"This weekend, I think."

"Perfect, plenty of time. You can call her tonight and start working on those desserts."

Dorothy's eyes widened in shock. "Wh-what? There's probably going to be hundreds of people there. I can't make enough food for that many people on my own!"

"Sure you can, we're just going to serve the same things we do here, I'll pay for the supplies." Angela responded nonchalantly with a wave of her hand. "This could be huge for the bakery. Right after work, tell her. I don't care how many times you have to call, tell her we're the best up and coming bakers Galar has ever seen."

"But... that's a lot of people..."

"You'll be fine. You work pretty quick here when you're not all airheaded."

Dorothy felt sick. How in the world was she going to pull this off?

Leafeon, Tsareena and Lilligant watched their trainer as she anxiously paced around the living room, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. She stared at the screen with her finger hovering over the call button, her teeth chewing her lip as she worked up the courage to do it.

"Angela is completely out of her mind for this," commented Tsareena. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed. "The party is in five days and she expects Dorothy to work up a miracle."

"I agree," said Leafeon. His eyes scanned the stress showing on their human's face and frowned. He was hoping after she got back to work that the issue about the party would be forgotten by the monotony of daily work life, but Angela completely threw a wrench in that expectation.

Lilligant, who was standing beside them, had her mouth covered with a leafy hand as she observed Dorothy's behavior, ready to step in if the woman got more anxious.

"She should've said no. That's way too much for one person to do alone." Tsareena said, her brows furrowed in irritation. Dorothy had barely started working there and Angela was already taking advantage of her. "I knew we couldn't trust her."

Leafeon opened his mouth to argue, but before he could say anything, his ears twitched when he heard buzzing coming from Dorothy's phone.

Deep breath. In, out, in, out. Her chest moved up and down slowly, her eyes staring intensely at the calling indicator. She silently hoped Nessa wouldn't answer, but then she'd have to call her again. If only she hadn't told Angela about having her number!

The ringing stopped and an unfamiliar man's voice came from the other end. "Who is this?"

Blinking in confusion, Dorothy took a moment to answer. Did Nessa give her the wrong number, or did Dorothy type it in wrong?

"Oh uh-... I'm sorry, this might be the wrong number. I'm calling for Nessa."

"Name?" The man asked, his voice sounding bored.

"Dorothy."

He hummed in response and fell silent. After waiting for ten seconds, she wondered if she should hang up, when a voice she recognized sounded in her ear.

"Dorothy?" Asked Nessa. Dorothy sighed in relief before remembering why she was in this situation.

"This is me," she responded. "I thought I called the wrong person."

"Sorry about that, I have bodyguards when I'm modeling, so I give the phone to them when I'm busy. Lots of crazy fans get my number and claim to be my friend."

"That makes sense..." The nervous woman let out a long exhale and began speaking. "Uh, the reason I called was because I wanted to talk about the party. I know I rejected the offer to come, but my boss thinks we would be perfect to cater for it if you don't already have people hired."

Of course she has caterers hired already! She probably planned this weeks in advance.

She held her breath as she waited, and to no one's surprise, the other woman sounded a bit doubtful. "We do have caterers hired. The party is going to have around 200 hundred people, so it's not too big. But you guys just opened up, didn't you?"

Two hundred people?! That was more than Dorothy knew in her lifetime. The number rang in her head as she responded hesitantly. "Y-yes, but we can make double that amount."

Double that amount. She couldn't believe the words falling from her lips. Was she that big of a people pleaser that she was resorting to this?

"Double that? Really?"

She didn't blame Nessa for her suspicion. She invited Dorothy to go to the party as a guest and here she was asking for a catering gig.

"I've been told I have really quick hands," she adds lamely.

Nessa remained silent on the other end and Dorothy checked her phone screen a couple of times to make sure she hadn't accidently hung up or muted it. When she heard the other woman's voice again, her body jolted in surprise.

"The cake you made for Milo was good. I haven't tried your other desserts, but if they're half as good as that, then I wouldn't mind having more treats."

Dorothy's eyes widened at her words. Was she really going to give them a chance?

"I won't be paying you as much as I do my normal caterers," Nessa continued. "But if you're good enough, I'll do you guys a favor."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Dorothy breathed, her shoulders sagging with relief. "We won't let you down, I promise."

"Okay, see you then." Nessa replied smoothly before hanging up.

Dorothy let her arm drop to her side, her heart's rapid pace beginning to slow. One challenge was over, but now she had to make desserts for two hundred people.

Lilligant took hold of her hand and held it between hers, and the woman noticed that while she was on the phone, she had been rubbing her fingers together so much they had become raw.

When she returned to work the next morning, Dorothy's ears rang at the squeal Angela let out, and while she was making the treats for the day, her boss sat in front of her laptop ordering the supplies they would need.

For two hundred guests, she'd need to make a few dozen of everything they had. The shipment would come in two days, so that meant she would only have three days to prepare. She'd also need to make extra in case people wanted to take some home. Angela told her to forgo the cakes and pies to focus on the smaller treats, so the cookies, donuts, cinnamon rolls and bars were going to be her main focus, along with some cupcakes.

Maybe twenty-three dozen would be enough. I'll focus on the donuts and cookies on the first day, then the cinnamon rolls and bars on the next, and on the last day, I'll make the cupcakes. I'll ask Angela if I can stay in the building after work so I can get everything ready, and I'll probably have to skip a few meals if I want to get things done on time. Sleep... maybe I can stay up a little later.

Her anxiety grew with each passing day, and Lilligant worked overtime in keeping her trainer from falling over the edge, following her throughout the house and letting her scent hang in the air.

When the shipment finally came, Dorothy poured herself into her work after her shift was over. Angela had given her a key to the building so she could make the most of the little time she had, something she was grateful for, because she needed everything at her disposal. The only time Dorothy spared was for her Pokemon, the rest dedicated to baking and quick bathroom breaks.

The first day passed by far too quickly, and though she pulled an all-nighter at the bakery, she was barely halfway through making the batches of donuts.

"Oh no," she gasped when she saw the sun rising. If she kept going at this rate, there's no way she'd make enough! "Tsareena, quick, make me a coffee, please."

Tsareena dutifully nodded and went to make the drink. Dorothy didn't often drink coffee. She hated how jittery it made her, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

She rushed through the process as she made the next dozen, her hands shaking as Lilligant watched over her and Leafeon assisted in grabbing what she needed.

After receiving the coffee - extra vanilla creamer with eight scoops of sugar and two ice cubes - she thanked Tsareena and chugged it down before going back to her task.

The door jingled when Angela stepped in, her head down as she typed on her phone. The woman was oblivious to the glares of Dorothy's Pokemon when she finally spotted her disheveled employee. "Oh good, you're here. Have you been at this all night?" She looked Dorothy up and down, noting the same clothes as yesterday.

"Yeah," Dorothy admitted, her hands quickly working at the donuts. If she saw another donut again after this was over, it would be too soon.

They still had little customers, which was fortunate for Dorothy, because she could focus on finishing the batches instead of keeping the shelves stocked. She finally finished making twenty-three dozen donuts before her shift was over, but she was far from done. Now she needed to make the cookies.

I'm too far behind! I should've been at the bars and rolls by now, how am I going to get to the cupcakes?

Her hands shook as she slid a pan of cookies in the oven and immediately started preparing another dozen.

"We have to do something," said Leafeon. "She's going to get sick or hurt from doing all of this on her own."

"But we don't have much experience in this." Lilligant replied, wringing her hands together as her flower emanated the calming scent.

"It doesn't matter, we know enough to help." He said stubbornly.

It was true that they weren't skilled in baking like Dorothy, but they observed her for years. If they could help even a little bit and take some weight off her shoulders, it was worth a try.

Tsareena nodded in agreement and nudged their human. Dorothy jumped in surprise, as if she had forgotten her companions were there.

"Oh, I'm sorry guys," she sighed. "I need to get this done. After that party is over, we can all jump into bed and sleep for an entire day... hopefully."

The trio could see the exhaustion on her face, the dark circles and heavy eyelids. Tsareena grunted and started gesturing to the counter of baking supplies and to her and the others, attempting to communicate to the tired woman their desire to help.

Dorothy's eyes flicked from her friends to the places Tsareena was gesturing to with a weary expression before it finally clicked what the fruit Pokemon was trying to say.

"You... want to help?"

They all firmly nodded and stood straighter, determination written on their cute faces.

Dorothy felt her eyes sting. "Guys..."

Wiping her face, she slapped her cheeks a couple of times and shook her head, her body filled with a new burst of energy. "Okay, let's get this done."

With the new help, the cookies were finished before midnight. Lilligant packaged the cookies while Tsareena helped mold the dough with Dorothy, and Leafeon kept the area clean and made it easy to reach things.

That Minccino would be real handy right now. He thought dryly.

The trio had managed to convince Dorothy to take a small nap after they were finished. She was too tired to put up much of an argument, but she'd set an alarm on her phone before laying on the bench, her body falling limp as soon as she hit the leather seat.

Two hours passed before she and her team were jolted out of dreamland by the shrill alarm, and she sat up and rubbed her eyes with a groan. The group steadily got up and prepared to make the rolls, four cups of coffee being made this time.

The rolls were made and finished during the middle of Dorothy's shift. Her entire body ached with the nonstop work, and her stomach craved more than just the sweets she was eating at the bakery. A nice hot shower would also be wonderful, she was sure she stunk, and her hands were painfully dry from constantly washing them.

"You're going to go home after this, right?" Angela asked, wrinkling her nose at Dorothy. "The party is tomorrow. You can't be looking like a homeless person."

"We need to finish the bars, and we haven't even started on the cupcakes." She responded, her voice weak and slightly slurred. The fumes she was running on were starting to fizzle out at a rapid pace, and her Pokemon's movements were also beginning to slow.

Angela let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes. "Finish the bars after work and worry about the cupcakes tomorrow. Make as many as you can, but you need to fix yourself, and you can make more at the party, too, if we need it."

She wouldn't even get relief at the party? At this point, Dorothy's sleep deprived self wanted to scream, cry, whimper pathetically, or all three at once. Instead she just gave a halfhearted nod and continued the task.

The group continued long after her shift was over, and by the time they were done, it was almost eleven o'clock at night. Dorothy slogged home on tired feet that were screaming for relief, her hands swollen, red, and cracked from the amount of labor she endured.

She fumbled with the keys in her hands and shakily turned the knob, weakly pushing open the door. All but stumbling in, she stepped out of her sweaty shoes and slowly walked to her bedroom, collapsing on the bed.

Her Pokemon, sensing they were finally home, emerged from their pokeballs and collectively groaned, falling to the floor in a tired heap.

"We actually pulled it off," mumbled Tsareena.

"Not completely," reminded Leafeon, his face buried in the carpet and ears drooping. "We still have the cupcakes. But we'll worry about that tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow..."

Too exhausted to retreat to their own room, the trio crawled next to Dorothy and promptly passed out.

Chapter Text

The next day was far less tumultuous. Dorothy woke up at ten o'clock, took the time to have a long shower, scrubbed away all the remnants of the past two days, moisturized her incredibly dry skin, brushed her teeth, changed into some clean underwear and pajamas, and went out feeling like a new woman.

"What in the world?"

The furniture was covered in large bundles of cotton, with smaller ones sticking to the walls and decorating the floor. Had she really been so tired last night that she didn't notice?

Her bonnet covered head whipped to and fro as she took in the state of the interior.

"Did I... make you mad?" She asked the empty space. There was no answer of course, but she swore she could feel a tension in the room.

"Okay," she said warily, her eyes still traveling around the room. "I'm sorry, but we have something really important to do. I'll leave some poffins out for you to eat."

After tending to the neglected flower on top of Lilligant's head, brushing Leafeon's fur, and rubbing Tsareens's tired hands, the purple haired woman grabbed a leftover batch of poffins and left it on the coffee table in the living room.

Making nothing but sweets for two days made Dorothy crave something filling and healthy, so she cooked up a delicious meal of broccoli soup for her and her companions, who were also grateful for the food.

Making the cupcakes was a fast process, and she used what ingredients she had in her home to make two dozen and carried them to the bakery for shipping. Before leaving the house, Dorothy glanced at the coffee table and saw only crumbs left, her living room now completely devoid of cotton.

When she got to the bakery, Angela was talking to the driver of the delivery truck, her hair up in its usual ponytail, but her attire far more subdued than the loud flowery blouses she liked to wear. Dorothy was dressed similarly in all black, a button up and pants with some comfortable sneakers. Angela seemed content to wear high heels for the occasion, however. Dorothy silently questioned the practicality of them when the blonde was going to be walking most of the night.

It was now three o'clock, the party started at seven. The trip to Hulbury would take an hour by taxi. She and her team made fifteen dozen, but it wouldn't be enough to feed two hundred guests. Decorating the cupcakes was the most time-consuming part of the process, but she refused to make them sloppily. If they wanted to be promoted as a good bakery, then she had to show the creativity and passion behind the work.

She sent the cupcakes off at five o'clock and brushed a hand through her hair, mentally preparing for her next challenge: the flying taxi.

In Galar, all of the taxi cabs were carried by Corviknight, while a pilot directed them where to go. Dorothy had seen quite a few of them during her time in the region flying overhead on her way to work, but she never had a reason to use one until now.

The large bird Pokemon stared down at her with deep red eyes as he stood perched on the cab, his large head tilting curiously. She tentatively approached with shaky legs, avoiding its gaze as she got in.

"Welcome to Galar Taxi! Hang on tight and get comfy while we head to Hulbury. It'll be a long ride." The pilot said cheerfully. Once she was securely seated and buckled in, the cab was lifted into the air, and she gasped as it swayed in the wind.

"Sorry about that, little lady. It can be a bit jarring for first timers, but you get used to it. And don't worry, it's completely safe!"

She sure hoped that was the case, because she could already feel herself getting nauseous. The swaying slowed once the Corviknight started really moving, and the pilot informed her that it should be smooth sailing from there on out.

Dorothy exhaled slowly, her cheeks puffing out from the action, and leaned back in her seat. When she looked out the window, she could see the town of Turffield beneath her, the houses nothing more than dots from that high up, the miles of green grass blanketing the countryside. It was beautiful.

Taking out a pokeball, she released Leafeon from his confinement and pointed to the scenery. "Look at this, bud."

Jumping on his trainer's lap, the Pokemon's caramel eyes widened as he saw what lay outside. Dorothy knew he'd love this; they used to always take walks together growing up, when it was just them and she would hide from the world to just be with her best friend. Being a Grass type, he loved the walks in nature and the sights and smells, especially if he got to feel the sun seeping into his skin through his thin fur. She eventually discovered that he also loved car and train rides.

As her Pokemon took in the land below, she kissed his head lovingly and relaxed in her seat.

The cab landed with a slight jolt and Dorothy opened her eyes - when had she fallen asleep?

"We're here, little lady! Have a good night and thank you for using Galar Taxi!"

"Thank you, sir," she said kindly as Leafeon hopped off. She returned him to his pokeball and stepped out of the cab, but not before paying and leaving the pilot a generous tip.

Taking out her phone, Dorothy yawned and checked the directions. Hulbury was bigger than Turrfield, and was primarily a fishing town that lived near the water. Nessa had given her the address to her house after their conversation on the phone, and Dorothy followed the GPS without stopping to look around.

The smell of freshly caught fish hung in the air as she neared the docks, and Dorothy had to hold her breath as nausea swelled in her throat. Just keep walking, she told herself. You're almost there.

She quickened her pace and kept her eyes trained ahead of her, concentrating on keeping herself calm and in control.

Once she was far enough from the docks, she exhaled and huffed for air, breathing in and out through her mouth. Her cheeks were red from the exertion, and she swallowed another gulp of air. The smell was still there, but it was weaker now that she had put some distance between them.

With that behind her, she continued on her way and walked up the hill that led to Nessa's place. A small sense of pride filled her at the fact that she didn't need to bring out Lilligant to mask the smell.

When Dorothy made it, she gawked at the sheer size of the place. A mansion stood before her, modern and sleek in design. Three stories from what she could see, with large windows on every side overlooking the town. People were already lining up at the front door holding invitations, and Dorothy took out the business card Angela gave her and stood in line.

She tugged nervously on the collar of her shirt and shifted from foot to foot. The people in line were so well dressed, the women wearing dresses that Dorothy could never in her lifetime afford, not to mention the shoes.

I'd have to sell my house to buy those. She noticed jewels embroidering the straps and frowned. Actually, I probably wouldn't even be able to afford half of that.

She eventually made it to the front and showed the bouncer her card. He nodded and wordlessly stepped aside, and she entered the building. It was even more lavish inside, the walls a stark white showing a rather minimalist style aside from large paintings of the ocean and photographs showing Nessa in various glamorous outfits and posing expertly to showcase them.

Are those waterfalls?!

Dorothy stopped before two walls of running water on each side of her, a white marble pathway leading outside. It was as if the sea was parting just for her.

She walked slowly, the soft rumbling filling her ears. She stopped to gaze up at the clear liquid curtains, her mouth dropping open in awe at the beauty as her reflection danced in the running water.

Beside her, feminine laughter could be heard and she turned to see two women passing by her, staring her form up and down with barely disguised contempt. Their hands daintily covered their mouths as they spoke in hushed tones to each other.

She felt her cheeks burn as the all too familiar feeling of being looked down on hit her. She felt the stares when she was in line earlier, but she was so focused on the woman's outfit in front of her that she tried not to let it bother her, but now, the memories of high school came flooding back. She didn't belong here, and they knew it.

Biting the insides of her cheeks, she lowered her head and continued to white double doors leading out to the backyard.

Angela already had a large table set up with half of the desserts Dorothy made strewn atop it. Her eyes brightened when she saw her employee and she approached her with a bounce in her step. "Oh my gosh, we are going to be so huge after this! Say cheese!"

"Wha-" Dorothy's eyes were met with a blinding flash, and Angela giggled as she lowered her phone to see the picture she'd just taken. Her lips formed a pout when she saw the startled look in Dorothy's picture and deleted it.

"We'll take another one later. We have to sell the idea of us being a fun and sociable bakery." She pocketed her phone and planted her hands on Dorothy's shoulders as the shorter woman still recovered from the assault on her eyes.

"Now, you remember the slogan?" Angela asked.

"Do I really have to say it?"

"Yes."

Dorothy sighed and spoke in a low tone. "The Blissey Bakery, happy to serve you with a Blissey-ful smile."

She cringed when Angela squealed and clapped her hands, earning a few stares from passerby's that had her shrinking into herself again.

"That sounds perfect! Though you could, you know, actually smile when you say that." She advised. Leaving Dorothy's side, she went behind the table and handed her a folded pastel pink apron. When the purple haired woman unfolded it, she saw the logo of the bakery, a shiny Blissey holding a cupcake in her pouch instead of the usual egg. She had to admit, it was very cute and very her style.

"Okay, it starts in an hour. Go and make the rest." Angela ordered.

"Thank you. We are the Blissey Bakery, happy to serve with a Blissey-ful smile!"

Dorothy had lost count of the number of times she'd said that tonight. The party was in full swing and people were crowding the table to get a taste of the desserts on display.

The kitchen staff hadn't regarded Dorothy with the same disdain as the guests had, but it was obvious she wasn't quite on their level by the looks in their eyes. She gave them a wide berth and found a spot where she could make the rest of the cupcakes in peace. She made fifty by the time the party started, each with their own unique designs.

Angela had left her to manage the table while she took off to promote the bakery and make connections. Dorothy could already feel her exhaustion settling in, her social battery draining from saying the same repeated line to people who barely spared her a glance and went on their way nibbling on the treats.

Nessa was nowhere to be found. Dorothy thought she caught a glimpse of her a few times, but Nessa either didn't see her or didn't have time to talk to her. She knew Nessa had far more important people to be interacting with, but she wished she'd come by just to see how well Dorothy managed to do with making all the treats.

"Hey, I know you!" Said a familiar voice. When she turned her head, her heart jumped as she saw Milo waving at her. He was out of his usual gym attire and instead wore a dark green button up shirt and black slacks. He still wore thick boots, but these ones were polished and cleaner, and he was devoid of his straw hat, making his hair look even fluffier.

She waved back as he approached her with a wide grin on his face.

"You made it after all."

"Yeah, my boss thought it would be a good idea to cater for the party." She replied.

"I'm glad you were able to come, though, even if it's for work." He grabbed a cookie and took a big bite of it. "Mm, and you made the best treats!"

Her cheeks burned at the compliment and she smiled. "Thank you. My Pokemon helped out a lot."

"Well tell them they did a great job. And so did you."

He plopped the rest of the cookie in his mouth and crunched on the chocolate chips and razz berries. After swallowing it, his eyes scanned the other options and picked up a cupcake with a Gengar face design.

"That cake you made was so good," he said after a few bites. Dorothy handed him a napkin with a quiet giggle and he wiped away the crumbs that fell on his shirt, as well as the frosting on the corner of his mouth. "Me and my brother scarfed it down."

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "You have a brother?"

"Yeah, Alpine. He's almost ten and ready to start his Pokemon journey."

Milo reached behind him and took his phone out of his back pocket. In a few swipes, he turned the screen to her and showed a picture of him and a young boy in a field, each of them holding bales of hay twice their size. Alpine was the spitting image of his brother, albeit a much scrawnier and shorter version of him.

"He's so cute," she cooed, leaning closer to see it better.

"He is," Milo agreed. "His Pokemon are going to love him. He's a good kid and really hard working." He pocketed the phone when she was finished looking at it and took a final bite of his cupcake. "Do you have any siblings?"

Her body went still. She hadn't anticipated anyone asking her that.

"... Yes," she answered hesitantly. "We... don't talk."

Milo gazed at her, curiosity swimming in his eyes at the mood change.

"That's too bad," he said carefully.

The woman nodded and bit her lips, swallowing thickly as she cleared her mind of the memories that once plagued her.

"I don't really have family that I'm in contact with," she explained. She wrung her hands together and let out a calming breath. "They... weren't the best people, and I wanted to get away from that environment."

Milo's eyes softened and he gave an affirming nod. To her relief, he didn't pry and instead grabbed a donut.

"So, do you exclusively train Grass types?" He asked between bites. Her shoulders relaxed at the change in subjects and she shook her head.

"No, they just seem to find their way to me."

Thinking back fondly on how she met her companions, her smile returned. "Leafeon was my only friend growing up, and I met Tsareena when she was a Bounsweet. She was getting attacked by these predator Pokemon and I managed to rescue her in time. She never left my side after that."

As she spoke about her Pokemon, Milo listened intently, leaning on the side of the table as he held the half eaten donut. "You have a Lilligant, too, don't you? I saw her with you when we rescued Tsareena."

"Yeah, she was assigned to me by my therapist... she helps when I get anxious."

Some people got weird when she would mention having an emotional support Pokemon, as if she were suddenly frail and breakable in their eyes, and the conversations always came to a halt with the other person making an excuse to leave. She hoped Milo wasn't like those people.

Oblivious to her inner turmoil, the Grass specialist rested a hand on his chin in contemplation. "Does she know Sweet Scent by any chance?"

Looking at him in surprise, she answered yes.

"I've heard that helps people with anxiety, but I've never met anyone who's used one. Her flower is tricky to keep blooming healthily."

"Yeah, that's part of the process of raising her. It helps me concentrate on the task at hand and not whatever it is I'm anxious about."

"That's a neat way to help people. A lot of Wooloo I've helped raise have made great therapy Pokemon, too. Their wool is soft and makes for great cuddling!"

As the conversation continued, Dorothy felt more at ease. The entire day - no - week, had been filled with nothing but stress, and she was grateful for a break from all the madness.

"I also heard of someone using a Misdreavus for anxiety because they feed off it and it helps their trainer."

Dorothy's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I'd love a Misdreavus!"

The new attitude Dorothy was showing gave Milo a look into what was hidden beneath all that timidness, and as her lavender eyes lit up at the mention of the Ghost Pokemon, he couldn't help but chuckle. She was cute.

"You really are like a Wigglytuff."

Silence suddenly fell between them, and when she gave him a confused look, it took Milo a moment to realize he'd just said that out loud. Eyes widening in horror, he frantically waved his hands in front of him.

"I mean- your hair! It's like a Wigglytuffs, and you're cute like one!"

Dorothy's cheeks tinted pink when he said that and grew darker as he continued.

"Well, now that I look at it, you're also like the Blissey on your apron, the swirl is more similar, heh."

As soon as the words left his mouth it hit him that that might be a worse comparison to make, considering how large of a Pokemon Blissey was.

"Wait! I'm not saying you're round, I'm saying-"

Dorothy was perplexed by Milo's sudden panicky attitude. Despite his apology, she didn't feel attacked by the comparison to the two round Pokemon. Maybe if it was someone else, but with Milo she could feel the sincerity when he mentioned finding her cute.

The man's poor attempt at rectifying his mistake was cut off by the soft giggling of his companion, her hand covering her mouth daintily as her shoulders shook. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, relieved he hadn't offended her. "Sorry."

Dropping her hand, she calmed her giggling and smiled reassuringly. "Don't be. It was... cute."

He'd seen her smile in the past; timid smiles, polite smiles, gentle smiles she gave her Pokemon, but this one was his favorite so far, because it felt open and unguarded, a genuine expression of joy, and it was all because of his stupid fumbling.

"Well, look who's here."

Milo sucked in a breath, not realizing he'd been holding it, and turned to the person who spoke.

Nessa strode up to the table, dressed to the nines in a beautiful red dress that showed off her figure while still remaining classy. She wore gold jewelry on her arms and ankles, her red heels making her look taller than she already was. Blue sapphires hung from her ears, bringing out the blue in her eyes and hair.

Dorothy stood straighter when she saw the host of the party, quickly sobering her expression to something more professional, and Milo hid a sigh of disappointment.

"Hello." Dorothy greeted, her voice back to that polite professionalism.

Nessa nodded at her and stopped to scan the desserts on the table. "Looks like you guys are pretty popular. I'm glad I took a chance on you."

The hint of approval in her tone made Dorothy feel lighter, and she felt her head raise just a bit higher. "Thank you. I still have more if you'd like me to bring them out."

"You should try the cupcakes," Milo advised, his voice muffled by the cinnamon roll he had taken a bite of. "They're amazing!"

"Maybe I will." Nessa mused, eyeing the cutely decorated confections. Picking up a cupcake that was made to look like a Chewtle, she elegantly removed the wrapping and licked the frosting that had gotten on her finger.

Dorothy held her breath as she waited for the Water specialist's opinion, her hands clenching at the tablecloth.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't know Nessa was here at our table! Dorothy, why didn't you tell me?!"

Angela appeared at Dorothy's side, eyes wide in amazement as she gazed at the gym leader. Nessa chewed on the soft pastry, seemingly unaware of the new presence or ignoring her.

Dorothy sighed. She was hoping to experience Nessa's reaction to her food and hear her thoughts, but Angela was already on the other side of the table shmoozing the host.

"The party is gorgeous, the lights, the music. I'm so grateful you gave us a chance to serve at such short notice. I'm a huge fan of yours."

"No problem," replied Nessa, her eyes flicking to Angela momentarily. She didn't seem to regard her with any sort of interest, but she remained cordial all the same.

As more people came, Dorothy took a deep breath as the peace she'd had ended. Quickly excusing herself, she made her way to the back and grabbed more desserts for the table. She returned with multiple trays balanced on her arms, something Milo offered to help with, but she politely refused and began to fill the table back up.

While Dorothy busied herself, her nose crinkled when a familiar scent hit her. Someone was barbecuing across the yard.

"Hey, are you okay? You look a little green."

Dorothy barely heard Milo's concerned words as she focused on not vomiting right there on the spot. Of course someone would be barbecuing, it was a party for crying out loud! But with all the chaos happening, the thought hadn't crossed her mind. Swallowing thickly, she took a few short breaths before nearly gagging again.

"Dorothy?"

Covering her mouth, she made a vain attempt to block the smell from entering her nose, but it was futile. It was everywhere, and it was so strong. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed out of her chest as she struggled to breathe.

"Dorothy!"

From her pocket, a white flash escaped and formed into her Lilligant, the support Pokemon immediately springing into action. Using her Sweet Scent, the flower on her head began to pulse as a light pink cloud emanated and filled the noses of the people in the vicinity.

The smell overpowered the barbecue one, making it far more tolerable to Dorothy's senses. Slowly removing her hand, she opened her eyes to see Milo, Nessa, Angela, and a few other unfortunate onlookers staring at her with curious gazes.

Oh no.

"What happened, Dorothy?" Asked Milo, his voice filled with concern.

She swallowed back the nausea and tried not to focus on the multiple pairs of eyes staring at her. This was so humiliating. The only thing keeping her sane at the moment was Lilligant's Sweet Scent in her nose and leafy hand holding hers, keeping her grounded.

"I... uh... I'm not a fan of the smell of meat," she answered shakily. "It... makes me nauseas."

She saw Nessa raise an eyebrow but otherwise remain silent. Angela looked extremely confused as to why her only employee was about to pass out just seconds ago and now seemed fine.

Even with the music going on in the background, it felt deafeningly silent with everyone staring at her wordlessly. Then, to her relief, Milo spoke again.

"I take it you're a vegetarian, then?" The question was light, his voice taking on a more casual tone as opposed to the worry he had prior, but she could still hear the mild tension.

Dorothy's lips perked up. "Yes. I... I prefer to not eat meat."

He nodded, his eyes flicking from her to Lilligant, seemingly understanding why she was needed.

"Are you going to be okay?" Asked Nessa, the cupcake she was previously holding now gone, the wrapping all that was left.

Dorothy nodded. "Yes. The smell isn't as bad now, so I can work fine."

"If you're sure..."

"I am," she replied, smiling brightly at the other woman.

"Alright then. I'll have another cupcake, and maybe a cinnamon roll."

Handing the picked treats to the gym leader, she sighed in relief as her nerves slowly settled.

Angela, who stared at Dorothy for a few more moments, finally tore her gaze away to continue speaking with Nessa.

Two hours had passed since Dorothy's episode, and most of the table was wiped clean by the hungry partygoers. Lilligant never strayed from her trainer's side, the Sweet Scent gently permeating the air around the table - and to Angela's delight, brought more attention to the area. She had trailed after Nessa as the gym leader left to go mingle with the rest of the guests. Milo had stayed longer to eat more pastries and speak with Dorothy. He didn't bring up the incident, something she was very grateful for. Instead they talked about simple topics; favorite Pokemon types, tips on caring for Pokemon that sprouted flowers, advice on the best soils for planting certain fruits and vegetables, etc.

Eventually, Milo left with the promise to return to say goodbye, and she was left to tend to the fort with Lilligant. The rest of the night passed without anything else happening, and when midnight struck, the guests started to fizzle out, with some taking plates of multiple desserts. Like she thought, the cupcakes weren't enough to feed that many people, but with so many of the treats already gone, it didn't seem like anyone noticed.

As she was beginning to put things away, Angela bounded up to her, a spring in her step. "Nessa left a good review and recommended us to people! We are so going to have more customers now!"

"That's great," replied Dorothy with a small but tired smile. She was ready for bed more than anything. Thank Arceus she had the day off tomorrow.

"You did awesome! The rolls are amazing," the blonde said as she took a bite of the sugary treat. After finishing it, she helped Dorothy put the rest of the supplies away and took the remaining boxes to the taxi.

"Wait! I'll have one more box." Called Milo, running up the woman.

Seeing who it was, Angela eagerly handed over one of them with a wink and strutted away.

Dorothy sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she picked up four boxes. Guess I can put these in the fridge. Maybe the ghost will like them.

With his box in one arm, Milo held out his other. "Here, I'll take those." He didn't give her a chance to refuse this time before carefully taking them from her and balancing them on his arm.

"Thank you," she mumbled shyly, walking side by side with him to the exit.

"No problem."

The stars shone brightly outside Nessa's home, the dim streetlights doing little to hide the beauty of them. She and Milo walked in silence down to the docks where her taxi had landed earlier, Lilligant holding her hand like a child.

"Tonight was fun," spoke Milo. "Maybe you could join me for a smaller one next time where you don't have to serve everyone." He suggested.

Giving a rueful chuckle, Dorothy responded. "I don't really know what to do at parties. I'd probably just stand in the corner looking awkward."

He laughed at that. "Well, think about it. You have my number, don't you?"

"Yes." She had it in her contacts but never had the courage to actually send something, or if he'd even want to hear from her.

"Let me know when you're free, I can take you on a tour of the farm or something simpler like getting a coffee."

She blanked when he said that. Was he... asking her on a date?

"I... uh, I'll think about it," she eventually said.

"Great!"

As they neared the docks, Lilligant activated her Sweet Scent to keep Dorothy from being affected by the smell of the fish.

Smiling down at her friend, Dorothy relaxed her shoulders and slowed her pace now that she didn't have to worry about the smell.

"She's a good helper," Milo commented, noticing the silent bond between the two.

"She is," Dorothy agreed. "She's gotten me out of some rough spots in my life."

They eventually made it to the taxi and Milo opened the door for her as the pilot prepared to take off. Taking one step up, Dorothy abruptly stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Brushing her pants off, she bowed her head to him in gratitude like before. "You didn't tell anyone Tsareena belonged to me. Thank you. I would've gotten a lot of flak from people if they knew. I heard the news was criticizing her trainer for being negligent, and I don't think I could've handled that."

"Don't worry about it. I know some people can take it too far, and I didn't want you to get harassed. Though... if you want to repay me, I wouldn't say no to a second cake."

"Deal." She chuckled.

Milo handed Dorothy the rest of the boxes and she placed them on the seats opposite of her while Lilligant sat beside her.

"Thank you again." She told him, giving him a genuine smile.

"You're welcome. You can bring the next cake to my gym. We're opening it back up in two days."

"I will. Bye, Milo."

"Bye Dorothy."

He shut the door and waved as the Corviknight began to ascend. Dorothy waved back at him before the cab began to wobble in the air, causing her to let out a small squeal.

Milo chuckled to himself as they took off. When they were finally out of view, he turned and made his way down the road.

Chapter Text

Things have been pretty hectic. There was an incident at the gym and I had an attack, but Lilligant was there to help, so it wasn't too bad. I got invited to a party as well! But I declined...

Dorothy sighed. She knew she was greatly downplaying the events of the past week, but she didn't feel like divulging every detail to her former therapist.

But I took a job as a caterer to the same party! It was a big success. The bakery is thriving and my boss couldn't be happier. I think I even made a friend out of the gym leader here.

The conversation she had with Milo at the party was still fresh in her mind. She revisited it throughout the workdays, but unlike other interactions where she fretted over every word she said or how her attitude might have come off, she found herself feeling warm and elated as she remembered his laughter and how easy it was to talk to him. With how awkward and shy she was, Dorothy rarely found someone with the patience to willingly engage with her for long periods of time. Angela loved to talk, but she more talked at Dorothy, not with her. The time she put into actively listening to Dorothy was minimal, the conversation about the party being the exception. Dorothy had learned her lesson to be more cautious in the future about what she revealed to her boss. She did not want to be pulling all-nighters for three days straight again.

There was meat at the party, though. I was so focused on my job that I didn't catch it in time and almost threw up. Lilligant saved the day again, and I'm doing better.

Our ghost friend still hasn't revealed themselves, but I have a plan that might get them to come out. Poffins are its favorite treat by far, and I've noticed it has a slight kleptomaniac streak. Lately our stuff has gone missing and replaced with cotton; my knitting needles, Leafeon's old blanket, and my Sunflora watering can! So I was thinking of offering a little bargain. In exchange for a lifetime supply of poffins, our friend has to show themself and return our things. And if they refuse, I can always set a little trap. Putting sleep powder in the food should do the trick.

She didn't want to resort to that, but the unknown Pokemon couldn't be allowed to steal more things. The loss of her watering can wasn't a big deal, she could get another. But the knitting needles and blanket held precious memories. The blanket was the first thing she made when she started learning the hobby. The mismatched patterns and uneven knots were clumsily made with love, and Leafeon slept with it every night in his bed. Since then, it had become a tradition to make one for every new companion. Tsareena and Lilligant had their own, each one showing the progression of Dorothy's skill. She didn't want them to lose theirs, too.

She continued to write about her days at the bakery before writing her farewell and sending the letter off, her heart feeling lighter.

"So here's the deal," began Dorothy, holding a plate of poffins fresh out of the oven. "We want our stuff back, and you want to keep eating. So, I'd like to make a bargain. I'll continue making poffins along with the tastiest desserts you've ever eaten. All you have to do is reveal yourself to us and return our belongings. If you refuse, I'll stop leaving out food for you.

"I hate having to do this, but you are part of this family now, and I want us all to live peacefully together, and we can't do that if you're stealing."

She looked around for any sign of the little fiend that had been causing trouble, but there was none. Tsareena, who had been dutifully at her side, placed her hands on her hips, her expression stern like a bodyguard on high alert. Leafeon's nose twitched and he flicked his ears, listening intently, but silence was all he was given. Lilligant stood with her back pressed to Dorothy's. She claimed she wanted to assist in bargaining with the ghost, but her teammates knew she really just didn't want to be left alone.

The silence continued for a few more minutes before a high-pitched growl could be heard. They all looked around, their eyes searching every spot, every crevice. The sound seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

Dorothy's hair tickled her cheeks as a breeze blew through the kitchen.

"Did you leave the door open, Lilligant?"

When she looked behind her, Lilligant stiffly shook her head, her body trembling as the growling increased in volume, along with the wind.

The breeze quickly turned into a fierce gust, knocking over various utensils and blowing away stray papers. A cloud of pale yellow cotton formed a tornado around the group, and Dorothy dropped the plate to hold her Pokemon close to her. "That's enough! Stop this!"

Her voice could barely be heard over the terrified screams of Lilligant and the furious screeching of the ghost.

Tsareena kicked her legs out in an attempt to break through the cotton, but the speed and force of the tornado threw her back, and she clutched her leg with a frown.

"We won't make you show yourself, you jerk!" shouted Leafeon. "Take the poffins and leave us alone!"

Cotton swirled around the broken plate of food and it disappeared in a flourish, leaving only the fragmented shards. The tornado dissipated, silence once again filling the house.

Dorothy ran a hand through her hair, the purple strands poofing into an afro. "Well... time for plan B."

Tsareena and Lilligant's blankets were stolen that night, and Dorothy set out to planning her next move. She wrote down a recipe for a sponge cake. It would be easy to make with simple ingredients she already had, but all she needed was the sleep powder. Since none of her Pokemon knew the move, she'd have to buy it after work.

I'll put it in the sugar so the ghost can't smell or see it. She thought. It was a simple plan, but a new thought made her pause. What if the ghost saw what she was doing? It was obviously intelligent, and they never knew where it could be hiding and what it could see.

Maybe I could... make it on my lunch at work.

The thought of working on her break made her mind drift to last week and the extreme stress it caused her and her friends. But there was nowhere else for her to make the food, and she didn't want to risk the ghost seeing what she did.

She sighed. I really wish you wouldn't drive me to do this!

After the ghost had left its cottony tornado residue all over the kitchen, Dorothy checked Tsareena's leg for any damage, but there was only a minor a bruise that would heal in the morning.

Drugging a Pokemon to catch it felt so wrong, but if they were being injured and their belongings were stolen and they couldn't find any way to track it, then she was willing to push aside her discomfort to bring peace to their home.

The bakery was bustling with customers every day now, and Angela was beaming as she greeted and assisted each one. Her mood was significantly better since the party, and as the week got busier, Dorothy happily stayed in the back making desserts. The days also went by much faster with the constant work.

"This is amazing," gushed Angela as she counted the cash in her hand. "That party was the best thing to happen to us!"

Dorothy had to agree. Despite the stress and anxiety the party had caused her, it was a great decision to make in the long run.

The day was almost over, so Angela had taken advantage of the slow hour to speak to her employee. "I need to come up with new recipes, we can't sell the same things forever. Fall is almost here, so how about pumpkin cookies? Pumpkin flavored muffins, pumpkin cupcakes, we can even have a Ghost Pokemon themed menu!"

Dorothy perked up at that, going from only half listening to fully listening. A Ghost themed menu? That sounded perfect to her!

"I can make a Trevenant cake with little Phantump candies under the roots, a giant chocolate ball in the shape of a Gourgeist, and when you crack it open, little Pumpkaboo shaped cakes will be inside, and maybe a Baked Kissaki in the shape of a Litwick-"

"And chocolate mousse in Sinistea teacups!" Added Angela.

"Yes!" Dorothy told herself she'd have to look up what a Sinistea was later.

The women poured over ideas until a customer rang the bell on the front desk, prompting Angela to go tend to her. When she came back, she had her phone in her hands and a sly grin on her lips.

"Congratulations on your new beau, by the way. I didn't think you had it in you."

"Thank... you?" Dorothy replied, confusion written all over her face. "What are we talking about, exactly?"

"You and Milo, silly! You guys were so flirting at the party."

Redness spread across the purple haired woman's cheeks and her eyes widened. "What?! No, no. We were just talking-"

"Nuh uh, I know just talking, and that was not just talking. You two were giving each other the eye."

"There was no eye, I swear! He's just... a friend."

"Yeah, sure." She replied dryly. Winking exaggeratedly, she nudged Dorothy with her elbow. "Just friends whose eyes sparkle when they see each other. Milo didn't even look at me, but he never took his eyes off you."

Was that true? Dorothy couldn't remember if it was. She was busy trying to survive the night without another incident.

"He... wouldn't like someone like me."

"Maybe not, but he definitely seemed to at the party. I even tried to get his attention a few times but he didn't budge," she added with a pout. She let out a dreamy sigh and rested her cheek in her palm. "Those big, strong arms. What I wouldn't do to get carried by him!"

Imagining that did not help Dorothy's burning face. It wasn't like she hadn't thought about it before, being picked up like some damsel in a fairytale as if she weighed no more than a feather. But those fantasies were about book men in the romance novels she occasionally read, not an actual, real person.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she grabbed a napkin and pen and began to write ideas down to divert her attention.

It would never happen. She told herself stubbornly. Milo is just very nice. There is no way he's interested in me.

"I think Dorothy is doing much better now, don't you?" asked Lilligant. Angela had graciously allowed Dorothy to use the bakery after her shift to work on the sponge cake the next day. She didn't want her favorite - and only employee to work on her lunch and be too exhausted to continue the rest of the day.

The team had just returned home from shopping for the sleep powder at the farmer's market and Dorothy hid it in her purse, keeping it tightly wrapped and zipped up so its scent couldn't be picked up. While she spent the afternoon making the cake for Milo, the group of Pokemon went outside to sunbathe.

"Yeah. Too bad that thief keeps trying to mess things up," grumbled Leafeon. He'd been quite irritable since his blanket was stolen. Lilligant and Tsareena loved theirs, but they weren't as dependent on them as he was with his. His sleep had been fretful, so he had taken to sleeping with Dorothy for the time being to bring him some comfort.

Lilligant regarded him with a sympathetic smile and patted his head with a leafy hand.

Leafeon huffed and rested his chin on his paws. The sun soothed some of the irritation he was feeling.

Tsareena yawned and stretched her arms out. "I hope the plan works."

"Reena!" Lilligant snapped. They had all agreed to not talk about the plan in case the ghost would hear.

"Uh- the plan to win Milo's heart!" she rectified. She turned to her friends for validation and Lilligant gave an encouraging nod. Leafeon merely groaned and rolled his eyes.

At the mention of the Grass type gym leader, Lilligant's voice softened. "I think he's very nice. Dorothy was so comfortable around him; I've never seen her like that. Have you two?"

Leafeon flicked his ears in contemplation, the tension on his expression loosening. "No. She's never been at ease with other people."

"Yeah," added Tsareena, her voice turning quiet. "The most comfortable she's ever been with another person is Emily, and that took months."

Though Leafeon and Tsareena were in their pokeballs during the party, the way Lilligant had described her observations between the two humans was unlike anything they'd seen before.

"He was so gentle..." Lilligant murmured, a hint of awe in her voice.

The cake was ready. This time, Dorothy decorated it in the style of Milo's Flapple, with real apple slices arranged to form the wings.

Nodding proudly, she covered the cake and sat it on the table for tomorrow. Ignoring the way her heart leapt at the thought of seeing Milo again, the purple haired woman slid open the door. "Dinner time!"

Her team padded into the kitchen with content expressions, their time outside doing wonders for their Grass type bodies.

Leafeon nuzzled his trainer's legs as he approached and sat at her feet.

Scratching behind his ears, Dorothy grinned at his relaxed posture. She knew he was upset about his missing blanket, and that only made her more determined then ever to enact her plan.

Since moving to Galar, Dorothy had learned that curry was one of the most popular cuisines in the region for both humans and Pokemon, so she looked up vegetarian safe recipes to try out.

Tsareena routinely made her way to the sink and washed her hands, Lilligant close behind. They all worked at an unhurried pace, the warm afternoon sun making the atmosphere loose and relaxed. Leafeon cut the vegetables and Tsareena grabbed the spices while Lilligant set the table, making everything ready for Dorothy to cook.

Judging by the way her friends ravenously dug into the new meal, it was safe to say it would be a regular at the table from now on.

After the delightful dinner they had all shared, the team soon went to bed, with Leafeon stretched out at Dorothy's feet.

As the night continued, Leafeon's ear twitched as an unknown sound reached his hearing. His sensitive ears picked up on many things, and most he had learned to block out, but this sound was unfamiliar, and far too close for his comfort.

Lifting his head, he scanned the room for anything unusual. It was dark, but his keen sight saw nothing. He angled his chin upwards and sniffed the air. There was nothing in the room, but he could pick up something faintly outside it, something earthy and new.

Hopping off the bed, he crept out of the room and down the hallway, his ear picking up more strange noises. He sped his pace until he reached the kitchen, and his eyes widened in horror when he saw a rounded shadowy figure lifting up the ceramic cake cover.

No!

Leafeon darted after the fiend using Quick Attack, his sharp teeth bared threateningly. He leapt onto the table, but his teeth only chomped down on a mouthful of cotton, the mysterious Pokemon vanished.

Spitting out the cotton, he growled furiously and stomped his foot. Airy giggles surrounded the frustrated Pokemon, and he tensed his muscles in preparation for a battle, but as soon as they appeared, they were gone.

You coward. He thought. Remembering the cake, Leafeon's anger was momentarily gone as he frantically lifted the cover. To his relief, the cake was untouched, flawless and ready to be eaten. He had managed to catch that cottony menace before he could eat it.

"Thank Arceus," he breathed, shoulders sagging. The crisis was averted for now, but the Pokemon could easily come back after he left. The last thing Leafeon wanted was for his trainer's hard work to go to waste because that cottonball was such a glutton.

"This bites," Leafeon sighed. Curling his body around the cake protectively, he rested his chin on his paws and kept his eyes open, his senses alert. I hope the plan works and you get what you deserve, you menace!

Dorothy stretched her arms out with a groan, her bones popping as she walked lazily down the hall. Leafeon hadn't been at her feet when she awoke like he usually was, and when she entered the kitchen, she frowned curiously at the sight of him curled around the cake, his eyes droopy and his posture slumped.

"Leafeon?"

He slowly lifted his head and stood, stretching out his stiff body. Dorothy could see dark circles under his eyes and she approached him with concern in hers. "Hey, bud. Why were you up all night?"

He nodded towards the cake and sat on the edge of the table. Dorothy understood enough of what he was trying to say and nodded, reaching to pet him on the head. "Good boy. Get some rest, yeah?"

The tired Pokemon didn't need to be told twice. Hopping off the table, he lumbered to the living room and promptly plopped down on the small poke bed on the floor.

Dorothy decided to put the cake in the fridge for the time being to keep it safe as she worked on breakfast. While she was busy, Lilligant and Tsareena soon joined her in the kitchen with sleep still in their expressions.

"Shh." Putting a finger to her lips, she pointed to the living room. The two Pokemon exchanged looks and craned their heads to see their companion fast asleep on his back, his legs splayed in the air.

Poor Leafeon, thought Dorothy. While she was grateful that he'd gone through so much trouble to guard her cake, she also felt horrible that he'd lost sleep over it.

Things will change soon, I promise!

When Dorothy was finished cooking, she gently woke Leafeon and left his plate near his bed so he could eat and rest again. She could tell the other two were still curious about his exhaustion, but they kept their voices down as they chatted so he could have some peace and quiet.

When it was time to go to work, Dorothy tentatively took the cake out of the fridge, eyeing it thoughtfully. It was a risk to leave out unguarded, but she didn't want Leafeon to sit by it for eight hours without any rest again. But leaving it in the fridge also wasn't ideal. She didn't want it to be cold when she gave it to Milo, and she planned to leave the house as soon as they got back so the sponge cake could be left out for the mystery Pokemon.

Chewing her lip. she glanced at Tsareena. It was a rarity that she ever went anywhere without her Pokemon, and Tsareena was especially stubborn about remaining by her side, but the cake...

The Pokemon in question was currently focused on preening her hair, her hands smoothing over the petal-like strands. When she felt her trainer's gaze on her, she looked up to see the uncertainty on her face.

"Reena, I know this isn't ideal, but I'd really appreciate it if you could stay to guard the cake," she said gently. "Leafeon was up all night protecting it, and I can't bring it with me to work."

She could see the confliction on the fruit Pokemon's face and she clasped her hands together. "I wouldn't ask this if we had other options, and I promise I'll be extra careful to avoid danger. I'll be in the back all day like usual, it'll be fine; and Leafeon and Lilligant will be right there with me."

She hated asking this of Tsareena, but there were very few options to consider. However, Dorothy would never force her Pokemon to do anything against their will that wasn't good for them. If Tsareena was too anxious to be away from her, then she'd take the cake with her to work. She could hide it in the back with the supplies and hope nothing got on it. Leaving it by her would only risk it falling or Angela mistaking it for a snack and eating it or putting it up for sale.

Tsareena furrowed her brows and lowered her gaze. She did not want to be away from Dorothy. Her trainer had been hurt so much in the past, when she was too weak and small to do anything useful, and now that she was fully evolved, she never wanted there to be a repeat of those events. But... Leafeon had sacrificed his sleep to guard the cake. And she knew how important it was to Dorothy. She'd worked so hard to make it just for Milo. And it was only a few hours. She needed to trust that Lilligant and Leafeon would protect their trainer.

Dorothy opened her mouth to retract her request, but at the same time as that, Tsareena strode up to the table and climbed up, sitting down with one arm rested over the cake covering.

"Tsareena..." she murmured, her heart warm as she gazed at her.

As Leafeon entered the kitchen in preparation to leave, Tsareena glowered at him and Lilligant.

"You two. Get over here."

The tone in her voice left no room for argument, and the two Pokemon gulped nervously as they climbed on the table.

"Since I'm not going to be there to protect Dorothy, I'll have to rely on you guys to watch over her. If anything happens to her, I will kick you into next week, do you understand me?"

Lilligant and Leafeon both nodded timidly, too intimidated to speak.

"I said do you understand me?!"

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" They shouted in unison, their backs immediately straightening up.

"Good," she crooned, leaning back on the cover.

Dorothy couldn't resist pulling Tsareena in for a hug, oblivious to the threat she gave her friends. She felt like the luckiest trainer in the world to have such understanding Pokemon.

Tsareena whined as her cheek smushed against Dorothy's shoulder, half-heartedly rolling her eyes before returning the hug.

Planting a kiss on the fruit Pokemon's cheek, Dorothy stepped away and gathered the other two in their pokeballs. "You're the best, Reena!"

Before leaving the house, Dorothy subtly checked her purse for the sleep powder and smiled when she saw it untouched. Taking out her house keys, she said goodbye to Tsareena one more time and left.

The shift itself was a blur, with Dorothy eager to get it done and start working on the sponge cake. Angela had her hands full up front with the influx of customers, so they didn't talk much. Once the day was over, she released her Pokemon and began to make the cake.

Sprinkling a generous amount in the mix, she stirred it thoroughly so the smell couldn't be easily detected and added some berries in mix to fill the scent with them instead.

Leafeon paced back and forth dutifully while Lilligant had her arms crossed over her chest, her back straight and her face set in a stern frown. They were both determined to take their bodyguarding role seriously, not just because of Tsareena's intimidation, but because they truly wanted her safe, and being down a member meant they needed to work harder. Dorothy couldn't help but giggle at their attempts to seem fierce.

"You guys know it's just us in here, right?"

They gave her firm nods and went back to guarding, and she laughed harder.

As soon as the cake was finished, the group headed home, Leafeon and Lilligant walking alongside her with serious expressions on their faces. When they would pass by someone during the walk, they'd corral Dorothy between them and glare at the offending person, causing her to shyly apologize.

As humorous as it was, she was glad this would be a one-time thing. The group felt incomplete without Tsareena.

Entering the house, Dorothy sighed and hung her purse up before making a beeline for the kitchen. What greeted her was the sight of Tsareena sitting elegantly on the cake cover with her legs crossed, checking her hand like a human would check their nails.

Dorothy's muscles relaxed and she affectionately pinched Tsareena's cheeks. "Good girl."

"So everything went well?" Leafeon asked as Tsareena got off the table and fixed her hair.

"Of course," she replied haughtily. "The ghost didn't even bother to try anything."

While they conversed, Dorothy lifted the cake cover just in case the ghost had somehow managed to pull a fast one on them, but the cake was in one piece.

"And I take it things went smoothly for you two?"

"Yes ma'am!" Lilligant saluted firmly, her voice stern like a soldier answering to a drill sergeant. "She was perfectly safe on our watch!"

"You don't have to do that anymore, Lilli," Leafeon told her.

"Yes sir- uh- right..."

Lilligant lowered her arm and her demeanor went back to its usual dainty ladylikeness.

Tsareena let out a deep sigh and slumped onto the floor, leaning against a leg of the table. "I can't wait to have some poffins tonight."

While Dorothy prepared a plate for the sponge cake, Lilligant volunteered to watch over Milo's cake, standing next to it with a leafy hand resting on the cover, humming softly as her friends rested.

A small cloth was laid on a porcelain plate with floral patterns, the treat innocently placed over it. It was a soft golden color with a white sugary powder and small berries decorating the top. Dorothy had asked Leafeon previously if he could smell any traces of the sleep powder, and he'd confirmed his inability to detect it. She only hoped the ghost didn't have a stronger nose.

"Okay," she sighed, "let's get the cake to Milo. If this one is still intact, we'll eat it, too." She gestured to the sponge cake.

Shooting a subtle wink to her companions, she went to the cupboards and grabbed a box, unfolding it as Lilligant stepped away. With careful hands, Dorothy placed the cake in the box and shut it tightly.

The group stood and went to her side, and Dorothy returned them to the confines of their pokeballs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of yellow and hid a smile. It seemed the mystery Pokemon couldn't resist the allure of a new treat.

Grabbing her things with her free arm, the woman closed the front door and locked it, making her way down the road.

With Milo's gym open again, it was easy to figure out where she needed to be. She walked briskly, not wasting any time to enjoy the scenery or nice weather. She was on a mission, and she wasn't going to get distracted. Deliver the cake and leave to capture the Pokemon. No more, no less. She would not get distracted by talking to Milo.

When she entered the newly refurbished gym, she glanced around. The lobby hadn't been hit like the battlefield had, but everything looked brand new, the couches replaced and the floors polished to perfection.

Approaching the front desk, she smiled politely at the woman working there. "Hello, is Milo available to talk?"

"Are you a new challenger? You'll have to come back tomorrow for a match. His Pokemon need time to recover for the day," she said in a professional, but still cordial tone.

"No, I'm here to deliver a gift to him." Lifting the lid, Dorothy showed the cake to her. The woman's eyes flashed with recognition.

"Oh! You must be Miss Dorothy! I'll send for one of the trainers to get you."

The woman lifted the phone to her ear and spoke into it, and a minute later, a young man in the gym's signature uniform came from the back and brightened when he saw her. "Miss Dorothy, come on back! Milo will be done soon."

Following him through the hallway leading to the field, Dorothy ducked her head as people began to exit. Even if her identity was kept secret after the Dynamax incident, she was still wary of people recognizing her.

"Milo's been expecting you," said the boy in front of her. He looked to be no older than eighteen. She quickened her pace to walk beside him and he grinned at her. "He said you make the best sweets in Turrfield."

She couldn't help the bashful smile that appeared. "I wouldn't say that. I just really like to bake."

"He said you're really modest, too."

Did he tell everyone about her? She was comfortable enough now to consider him an acquaintance, but she didn't think she made much of an impression on him to be considered worth mentioning to people.

"I haven't had a chance to go to your bakery, but I'm thinking of stopping by with the family tomorrow."

"We'd love to have you," she said quietly. "We're thinking of adding some new treats, so the menu will be getting more options."

They'd finally made it to the end of the hallway where the battlefield stood, and when she stepped onto the vibrant green grass, she tilted her head back to take in the sight. She'd only been in the stands when the accident happened, so she hadn't experienced what it was like to be on the field. It seemed so much bigger, stretching on for what felt like miles, making her feel like a tiny bug Pokemon.

Dorothy had never been one for battling. She knew her Pokemon needed exercise, and she made sure to train them so they could burn off energy and keep fit, and with Tsareena's battle hungry attitude, she knew the basics of the sport. But it had never been a passion of hers, to challenge other trainers and collect badges. But here on the field, she felt a strange exhilaration, an urge to release her Pokemon and show off their full potential in a dazzling match between a fun opponent. Was this what other trainers felt like? Was this what she'd been missing out on?

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard a familiar voice. "Dorothy! Good to see you."

Ignoring her racing heart, Dorothy tore her gaze away from the scenery around her and smiled when she saw Milo. He wore the same happy expression she had come to know him for, though it seemed a little tired; no doubt from battling all day.

She greeted him with the same enthusiasm and held out the box. "I brought your cake like I promised."

His smile widened as he took it from her and lifted the lid. "Flapple! And you even put real apples on it, that's amazing!" He took a small slice of the apple from the cake and popped it into his mouth before calling the boy who had escorted Dorothy over to him. "We'll eat this in the staff room."

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed in excitement. He left with the cake in tow, an obvious temptation glimmering in his eyes.

Milo turned back to Dorothy. "I'll have to pay you to make more cakes of my team."

"You don't have to do that," she murmured. "I enjoy making them, and this was me repaying you, remember?"

"I know," he chuckled. '"But still, you're so talented."

She ducked her head at his praise. She knew she should leave now before she got caught up in talking to him, so she opened her mouth to make up some excuse to go, but he'd already beat her to the punch.

"How have you been? The bakery doing better.?

"Uh-" the interruption made her brain falter and she cleared her throat to regain her bearings. "Yes, we're getting a lot more business now. I barely have enough time to think."

"That's great, it makes the time go by a lot faster, doesn't it?"

She nodded. Come on, doofus! You can't miss your opportunity! "How has the reopening of the gym gone?"

She mentally slapped herself for continuing the conversation, but she didn't want to seem rude by just leaving without asking him how he was. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to spend more time with him!

"It's going great, we're busier than ever!" he responded happily. "A lot of new challengers are coming out and I'm the first one to stop at." He lifted a hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "I may have gotten a little too excited and went a little harder than I usually do, though."

Dorothy giggled softly. That look on his face reminded her of when he accidentally compared her to a Wigglytuff. "I'm sure they don't mind the challenge."

"I hope not. I like taking it easy on newcomers, especially kids. Being back on the field just got me all hyped up!"

She really needed to go. She didn't have a well thought out excuse to leaving, but she knew she couldn't stall for long lest the sleep powder wear off quicker than expected.

But before she said anything, a thought occurred. What if it wasn't a Ghost type inside her house? She'd suspected it a few times, but it was mostly wishful thinking that it'd be a ghost. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath for courage and asked, "Milo, do you know if there are any Ghost types that leave cotton everywhere they go?"

When the words left her mouth, she realized how stupid she must sound. A cotton ghost? Really? But instead of laughing at her or finding his own excuse to leave, he pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Cotton? No, not as far as I know. But there are a couple of Grass types that fit that description; Cottonee and Whimsicott. They're from the same evolutionary line."

The names didn't sound familiar. She had never heard or seen anything like them in Sinnoh. But it was such a relief to hear; a cotton Pokemon really existed!

"Are you looking to catch one?" Milo asked, probably noticing her excitement.

She nodded. "Yes- well, something like that. I know it sounds crazy, but I think one is hiding in my house. It's been there ever since we moved in; I feed it poffins every day, but lately it's started stealing from us. My Pokemon are getting really stressed out, so I want to get to the bottom of this and see if we can do anything about it."

He nodded in understanding. "I see. Catching it definitely seems like the best choice. You can relocate it or train it to behave."

"I left some bait with sleep powder inside so it'll be easier. I've... never actually caught a Pokemon the traditional way," she confessed shyly.

"So you've been feeding it this entire time, even though it could've been a ghost?" He laughed. "You know, you're a lot braver than you think! Most people would've moved out by now or run away screaming."

A heat rose to her cheeks at his assessment. "Well, I really like Ghost types. I was hoping this would be my chance to befriend one."

"See? Brave. But unfortunately it's not a ghost. If it really is what I'm thinking of, you'll be face to face with a Grass and Fairy dual type."

It was disappointing, but she half expected it. "Any advice on how to deal with them?"

"The Whimsicott line pretty fast and surprisingly tanky due to all the cotton on its body. But if it had a bite of that sleep powder, then it'll slow it down a lot. They're a very mischievous bunch and like to freely move around, and they're very slippery. They can slip through the tiniest cracks in the wall. That's probably how it keeps getting in your house. " He nodded to the pokeballs at her hip. "Using fast moves would be the best option. Then you could catch it when it's weak."

Dorothy couldn't help a frown from marring her lips. "I hate having to do this. It left me no other options, though." How did people battle them until they fainted? It broke her heart just thinking about it.

"Don't worry, Pokemon are resilient. They enjoy the chase and the challenge. If they didn't, Pokemon battling wouldn't be such a common thing and would be considered abuse."

He had a point, and given how competitive Tsareena was, she was living proof of what he was saying.

"You're right," she said quietly. "I'll have Tsareena battle it. Or Leafeon, he has a huge bone to pick with it."

That garnered a laugh that made her heart flutter. "Well, let me know how it goes, I'd love to hear from you outside of cake delivering and catering."

"I will. I'll... text you an update," she promised.

"Yeah! And maybe I could give you more tips if you catch it." Was it just her, or did he sound almost hopeful?

"I'd like that," she replied. It was strange, her chest never felt tight around him like with most others.

After a short farewell, Dorothy made her way back home, speedwalking down the road. The sun was nearly set now, so she knew they only had one shot to make this work.

Releasing her Pokemon at the front door, she held up a hand to quiet them and whispered. "Okay, Tsareena, you go to the backyard and block the exit. Leafeon, you're with me. Lilligant I want you to activate Helping Hand to assist them."

The three nodded in agreement and Tsareena stealthily jumped over the wooden fence leading to the back. Once Dorothy was sure she was ready, she took a deep breath and took out her keys.

"One," she whispered. "Two... three!"

Unlocking the door as fast as she could, she swung open the door and Leafeon burst in using Quick Attack. Once she and Lilligant were inside, she slammed the door and ran to the kitchen. Her heart leapt in her chest when she saw the creature laying on the floor, its belly bulging from the meal it had.

Whimsicott. It was a short, brown Pokemon with little stubs for arms and legs. On its back was a giant ball of cotton, wrapped around the creature like a fluffy cape. When it heard all the commotion, it abruptly sat up and rubbed at its still closed eyes. When it opened them, Dorothy saw that they were a beautiful orange color, and they widened when they finally registered what happened.

"REEEEEEEEEE!"

Chapter Text

The Whimsicott clumsily stood from its place on the floor and jumped towards the glass door, its movements slow from the effects of the sleep powder.

"Leafeon, Quick Attack!" Dorothy commanded. "Lilligant, Helping Hand!"

They didn't need to be told twice. Lilligant raised her arms and clapped her hands together, empowering her teammate. Leafeon charged at Whimsicott, sending it flying towards the door. The Pokemon slammed into it with a squeak, and Leafeon hovered over it with a fierce glare, his teeth bared threateningly.

Stars danced around the cotton Pokemon's head, but it didn't seem to deter it from its mission. Before Dorothy could issue out another command, the cotton on Whimsicott's form flew out and landed on Leafeon, covering him from head to toe.

"Leafeon!" Dorothy exclaimed.

Jumping to its feet, the Whimsicott kicked up another harsh wind and blew the three attackers away before exiting the house. Dorothy remembered Milo's words about how easily they can slip through crevices, and when she saw it with her own eyes, she nearly couldn't believe it. Its body morphed into a liquid like state as it slipped out through the miniscule crack between the door, and it bounded away.

"No!"

Running to the door, she swung it open and saw Tsareena chasing after the escaping Pokemon, hot on its heels. Lilligant pulled on the cotton sticking to her teammate, but it was stuck like glue. To make matters worse, Leafeon's gait was sluggish and delayed as he walked, the cotton weighing him down considerably.

Another Quick Attack might have enabled Leafeon to catch up, but with the cotton limiting his movements, he might not get very far, so Dorothy opted for another option. "Use Razor Leaf!"

Gritting his teeth, Leafeon growled and released sharp leaves from his body, sending them flying toward Whimsicott. They all heard a high pitched yell and saw the Pokemon stumble in the distance, and Dorothy ran and hastily grabbed an empty pokeball from her pocket. "Tsareena, don't let it get away! Use Power Whip!"

A battle cry tore through the air as Tsareena readied her move, a bright green whip materializing in her hand. With a sharp flick of her wrist, the whip wrapped around the Whimsicott's waist and yanked the brown Pokemon to the ground, sending it crashing down. In a final act of dominance, Tsareena lifted her leg and stomped her foot down on its head, making sure it didn't move an inch.

"Great job, guys!" Dorothy praised.

Whimsicott flailed its stubby limbs as it tried in vain to escape, its mouth open as loud whines left its lips.

Dorothy crouched near the struggling creature while it continued to flounder about and tapped the pokeball gently on its head. Its cries faded as it disappeared in a red light into the ball. Tsareena's whip dissolved into nothingness now that she had no use for it anymore.

"You didn't have to use that last move," Dorothy chided. She hadn't ordered her to use Stomp. The Whimsicott was already down.

Tsareena had the decency to look a little guilty at her trainer's reprimand as Leafeon and Lilligant caught up. She hadn't meant to let her battle hungry side take over like that.

Dorothy saw the apologetic look on her face, though, and patted her head encouragingly. "It's okay. Just try to reign it in a little, alright?"

Tsareena nodded.

All eyes turned to the pokeball, and they watched with bated breath as it wiggled on the ground. It seemed to take forever, until finally, the ball stilled and clicked firmly, signaling the successful catch.

Dorothy's shoulders dropped in relief as her friends cheered. The biggest hurdle was over, now they could get their stuff back and hopefully make a new friend.

The group returned to the house and cleaned up the mess Whimsicott had made before meeting in the living room, and huddled near the pokeball when Dorothy pressed the button to release it.

A blinding flash filled the room and the brown Pokemon popped out. As soon as it was released, the Whimsicott plopped down on the floor, its short arms crossed over its chest. A pout was formed on its adorable face, making its cheeks puff out like a petulant child.

They all exchanged looks. They had anticipated for Whimsicott to try and make another daring escape, not... this.

Clearing her throat, Dorothy crouched down in front of the Pokemon. "Nice to officially meet you, Whimsicott. I'm sorry we had to resort to this, but you didn't give us much of a choice."

Whimsicott stuck its nose up in the air snootily as a response.

Leafeon and Tsareena growled at the audacity and Dorothy held up a hand to stop them from doing or saying anything irrational.

"The blankets that you stole were very important to my friends. They hold a lot of sentimental value and can't be replaced easily. If you want, I'd love to make you your very own if you choose to stay with us. All you need to do is show us where you hid our stuff."

She could see Whimsicott's grumpy expression falter ever so slightly at her words and fought back a smirk. All she had to do now was sweeten the deal. "Also, you do get a lifetime supply of all the food you want. No more sneaking around, you can have as much as your tummy can handle."

The Pokemon pursed its lips and swayed from side to side as if in contemplation. Dorothy heard it grumbling in its language before huffing and uncrossing its arms. When it stood, it held out its hand, and her eyebrows rose in surprise when she realized it wanted to shake on it.

Carefully taking its tiny hand, she gently shook it and smiled sweetly. "Deal."

I hope our troubles are over for the time being, thought Lilligant as the group followed their newest member to the place it had hidden their belongings.

The Whimsicott - who they learned was a male - skipped ahead of them with his cheeks stuffed with a muffin Dorothy used as a bribe.

The demeanor of the cotton Pokemon was much more jovial, but the rest of the 'mon's following him did not share the mood, especially Leafeon, who trudged close behind him with a glower trained on him.

They made their way through a group of trees that sat a few minutes away from the house, their leaves just beginning to change colors with the coming fall.

"You better not be leading us into a trap, you little twerp," said Leafeon in a threatening tone.

"What would I have to gain from that?" chuckled Whimsicott. He seemed completely unbothered by the eeveeloution's grumpiness.

"I don't know, what do you have to gain from stealing from people?"

The question was ignored as the Whimsicott began to hum. Soon, they came up to a large oak tree and he shook off the dirt from the earlier scuffle. Lilligant saw Leafeon back away from the tiny cotton spores that had come off.

"Alrighty my friends, I will be back with your stuff. Just sit tight!" Whimsicott ordered cheerfully before promptly bounding up the tree.

Dorothy, who did not understand what he said, pursed her lips in thought. She could see the reservation on her friends' expressions, and she knew they were thinking the same thing.

At his trainer's nod, Leafeon unsheathed his claws and began to climb. Tsareena didn't have any claws to climb with, but her powerful legs helped her jump high onto one of the branches. Together they ascended higher until they found a hole imbedded in the trunk. Inside, Whimsicott was rummaging around a pile of items, mumbling to himself.

"So we're not the only people you've stolen from?"

"GAH!" Whimsicott jumped at the sound of Tsareena's voice and whipped around to face the duo. "I thought I told you guys to wait outside!"

"And risk you escaping? Fat chance," replied Leafeon. His tail snapped to and fro in a show of frustration, his pale shoulders tense as he glared at the thief.

Whimsicott looked almost offended at the assumption. "The human caught me fair and square - well, almost fair, if you hadn't tried to gang up on me, which I don't think is very nice." His glare matched Leafeon's as he continued. "I said I'd give you your stuff back and I will! What, do you want to look around yourselves?"

"I'd prefer that."

Tsareena pushed past Whimsicott with Leafeon at her side, the two immediately getting to searching for their lost things. A myriad of items made up the pile; clothes, utensils, brushes, even a pair of keys.

Eventually they dug far enough to find their missing blankets and Dorothy's watering can. Leafeon smiled and buried his face in the worn wool of his blanket and breathed in the scent, his muscles sagging in relief.

Tsareena picked up hers and Lilligant's and bundled them up in her arms, holding the watering can with one hand. "Why do you do this?" she asked the cotton Pokemon, who sat with a disgruntled expression. "These things mean something to people."

His frown only deepened, and she thought he'd ignore the question again until he gave a dismissive shrug and said, "I want to collect souvenirs, that's all."

Leafeon scoffed and padded to the entrance, his blanket draped over his form. "You're going to return these 'souvenirs' to their rightful owners now that you're living with us."

"WHAT?! B-bu-"

"No buts. We aren't going to live with a thief in our home, so when Dorothy goes to sleep tonight, you'll give everything back."

Whimsicott stomped his foot with a childish huff. He wanted to protest more, but his body was still sluggish from the sleep powder, and he doubted he could put up much of a fight.

The trio made their way down the tree and landed at Dorothy's feet. She had a flower crown adorning her head, another one on Lilligant's head, and three more in her hands.

"You got everything?" Dorothy asked as Lilligant put a crown on Leafeon's head, then Tsareena and Whimsicott. He looked surprised at the gesture, and hesitantly reached up to touch the delicately weaved accessory. Dorothy could've sworn she saw a tiny grin tug at his lips.

The group showed their findings, making her smile brightly. "That's great, guys! Now Leafeon can get some proper sleep."

The newly crowned Pokemon purred in agreement and started to walk home, his head held high. The blanket draped over him, combined with the flower crown, made him look even more like royalty.

Tsareena made Whimsicott stand in front of her so she could keep an eye on him, but before they could go, Dorothy placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. "We'll catch up with you."

Tsareena tilted her head in confusion, but she only got a wink from the human. She pursed her lips as she silently debated and eventually shrugged, leaving the newcomer to her trainer as she and Lilligant followed after Leafeon.

When they were out of earshot, Dorothy crouched in front of Whimsicott and gently patted his fluffy head, careful not to mess up the crown. "I really appreciate you returning our stuff, Whimsicott. Truly, thank you."

He wanted to shove her hand away, but the gentle smile on her face made it difficult to follow through.

"I promise I'll make you your own blanket. You can even choose the colors and the fabric! And you can lay in your own bed and eat our food without having to sneak around and hide. Doesn't that sound nice, having a family to be with?"

His expression remained pouty, but she could see the cracks in his exterior. He would warm up to them soon.

"Let's go home now."

Leaning closer, she planted a soft kiss to the Pokemon's cheek, and a small squeak escaped his lips as redness spread throughout his round cheeks. Giggling at the adorable sight, Dorothy stood and stepped back to join the rest of her companions.

Whimsicott, still red from the affectionate action, pulled his hood lower so it covered the upper half of his face, and he walked side by side with his new trainer.

Fortunately for Whimsicott, Dorothy had spare Pokemon beds in the closet in case the current ones ever got ruined. She grabbed the largest one she had - which used to belong to Tsareena - and laid it in their room.

Immediately after returning home, Leafeon curled up on his bed, the patchwork blue, red, and green blanket snug around his form.

Whimsicott's bed was furthest away from Leafeon, as Dorothy didn't think it'd be a good idea to put the two males close together for the time being. He wandered the room as she fluffed the old bed and placed a spare blanket over it. He'd been in the room before, as well as all over the house, but only to scope out anything worth stealing. The most important rooms for him were the ones storing food.

"We'll see about getting you a new bed. I bought this one when Tsareena was still a Steenee," she told him. The mentioned Pokemon stood in the doorway, keeping a watchful eye on the newcomer.

Whimsicott only half listened to her as he scanned the poke toys scattered about. Rubber balls, feather wands, a cardboard box, and scratching posts were among them. He'd seen all of them before when spying around, but only from a distance, and he never saw them being played with, as the group was usually gone or asleep when he did.

"What's with the box?" Whimsicott asked.

"Leafeon has an obsession with them," Tsareena answered, shrugging dismissively.

He neared the box and did a circle around it. There was nothing special about it. Claw marks were carved on the sides, along with a few bits chewed off and littered inside. Whimsicott wondered why he bothered to tear apart the box when he had two perfectly good posts designed for just that.

What a weirdo.

"Since you're family now, you can use all of the toys in here. Just don't try to steal them, okay?"

There that word was again. Family. Why was she accepting him so easily? He knew she captured him so he'd return their stuff, but why keep him around? Was it to make sure he wouldn't steal again? He definitely wouldn't steal from them, at least. But calling him family made it seem like she actually cared about him, or at least wanted to. It was ridiculous.

"I'll let you get settled." Dorothy patted Whimsicott's fluffy head before leaving, and he felt his heart flutter at the affectionate touch. He'd seen her do that a lot with her other Pokemon, but to be on the receiving end made it hard to stay grumpy at his predicament.

Dorothy entered the living room and laid on the couch, stretching her arms over her head with a groan. What a hectic day. But she hoped they would get some peace for at least a little while.

Her thoughts drifted to Milo. She knew he wanted an update on the situation, but it felt strange to text him. She never had friends to message, and he was a gym leader, a prominent figure in the community. Was it appropriate to speak after dark?

She checked the clock on her phone and it read 7:30. Not that late. She searched his contact and clicked on his name, but her thumb hesitated over the keyboard.

D: Hi Milo, it's Dorothy. I just wanted to let you know that we caught the Pokemon, and you were right about it being a Whimsicott! He's living with us now and I've decided to keep him. Thank you for the advice!

She let out a long exhale as she hit send. Her hand shook as she waited for a response, and only a minute passed before her phone beeped with a notification.

M: That's great! I'm glad your hauntings are over. Sorry it's not a ghost type like you were hoping. Was it challenging to catch?

D: Sort of. I needed the whole team's help to catch him. Even with the sleep powder he was fast, but Tsareena managed to knock him down.

M: Somehow that doesn't surprise me XD

She smiled at the cute emoticon. Tsareena always managed to make quite an impression on people, for better or worse.

M: If he managed to move with the sleep powder in his system, he must be pretty strong. Why don't you bring him over and I'll have a look at him.

She stared at the screen, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.

D: Yeah, if it's not too much trouble! I have a feeling I'll need all the help I can get with him.

He sent a laughing emoji and she huffed in amusement. They texted back and forth for the next few minutes until she saw Whimsicott pad out of the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

D: Sorry, I have to go. Whimsicott needs me.

M: Okay, I'll see you tomorrow!

She placed her phone down and approached her new Pokemon. "Ready to go to sleep?"

Whimsicott nodded, and Dorothy cradled his cheeks between her hands. He was so cute, she had to resist the urge to smush his little face.

"Do you want a snack before bed?"

When he nodded, Dorothy stood and went to get him some spare poffins. She would need to buy more ingredients now that she had an extra mouth to feed.

Whimsicott devoured the crunchy treat like he was starving, crumbs flying around him and some getting stuck on his furry cheeks. Dorothy had to stop herself from laughing and brushed them away.

"Would you like me to tuck you in?" she asked after he was done.

The cotton Pokemon wiped at his face and shook himself of the mess he'd made. When she asked him that, he looked up at her and tilted his head, his eyes shining with confusion.

"Watch, I'll show you." She held out her hand and waited patiently for him to take it.

He scanned her face for hints of deception or anything sinister, and after finding none, he hesitantly took her hand and let her lead him to his new room. He kept his eyes on her as he laid down. The plush bed wasn't as soft as his cotton, but it was far more comfortable than the moss he would gather to sleep on.

The human pulled the blanket over him, only stopping her movements when she felt him tense, and only after he relaxed did she continue. Her hands gently tucked the fabric around his little body, wrapping him like a burrito. It wasn't tight, but it felt... cozy.

"Comfy? Not too tight?"

He shook his head, his mouth forming a small frown, but not one of anger, but of contemplation. It was getting harder to remain grumpy the longer he spent with her.

Dorothy was undeterred, and only smiled sweetly as she leaned in to plant another soft kiss to his cheek.

"Alright then, goodnight Whimsicott," she murmured.

He watched as she repeated the action to her other Pokemon, something they reciprocated warmly with hugs and loving nuzzles. It made a nasty pit form in his stomach; one made of jealousy and longing.

Huffing, Whimsicott pulled his cottony hood over his eyes and crossed his arms, falling into a deep sleep.

"Hey."

A brown paw nudged the sleeping Pokemon in the side.

"Hey."

It tried again, this time with more force.

"Hey!"

Whimsicott was shoved off the bed, his blanket tangling around his body and his hood puffing up as an intimidation technique. "Who- what-"

"Relax, it's just me." Leafeon stood over him, a serious expression on his face.

Once he finally caught his bearings, Whimsicott untangled himself and rose to his feet, taming his cotton back down.

"Is that supposed to intimidate people?" Leafeon asked with a skeptical look. "You look like a puff ball."

"A puff ball of pure rage," Whimsicott defended. "Why the heck did you wake me up?"

"Didn't I tell you you're going to return the items you stole?"

"You were serious about that?!"

In truth, Whimsicott was hoping the annoying eeveeloution had forgotten about it.

Leafeon gave him an unamused stare and turned to wake up the females.

"Tsareena will come with us to make sure he doesn't try any funny business, and you'll stay here to watch over Dorothy," he instructed Lilligant. The dainty Pokemon nodded while she rubbed her eyes. When she looked at Whimsicott, she shot him a tired but friendly smile.

When he saw that, the brown Pokemon's cheeks turned pink, and he turned away with a childish glare.

Lilligant giggled as her companions ushered Whimsicott to the window. "Be safe out there, you guys," she said in a hushed whisper.

"We will," Tsareena responded, lifting the pane so they could climb out.

Whimsicott grumbled and dragged his feet as they made their way back to his tree, missing his comfy new bed and warm blanket. They'd made quick progress in returning the stuff he'd looted. He never went far from his little hollow, only to the houses that directly surrounded the forest. Theirs was the closest to his tree, which made sense why he stole from them the most.

"Alright, all that's left is the keys and this poke plush," said Leafeon. He was much more energized considering he'd gotten an extra hour of rest when they had returned home earlier. Occasionally Whimsicott would stick some cotton to his tail to torment him, which made the other male snap at him with his jaws.

"Never thought there'd be a day where I'd be playing peacekeeper," muttered Tsareena with an amused grin.

"Why couldn't this wait 'till morning?" groaned Whimsicott

"It's better to get it out of the way so we can move on," replied Leafeon firmly. He had a feeling if they waited any longer, Whismicott would try to stall for as long as he could so his stuff would stay stolen. The brown Pokemon let out an irritated whine in response. Leafeon had to admit, he was enjoying inconveniencing the little brat after the trouble he'd put them through.

The group came upon a small house that showed a dim light shining from the inside.

"You sure this is the one?" asked Leafeon.

"You ask me that every time we got to a new house, yes, this is the one."

"Well excuse me for not trusting your unshakable honesty!"

Before Whimsicott could snap back, Tsareena stepped between them with both hands held up. "Ladies, please, leave the squabbling for later."

The males huffed and turned their attention back to the house.

"You know what to do," Tsareena told Whimsicott, nodding to the window. "Get it done."

She heard him grumble something under his breath as he slipped inside the house, the keys in tow. They only had to wait a minute before he came sliding back out, his body flattening and bouncing back to its usual buoyancy. "Let's get this over with so I can go to bed."

"Hold it." Tsareena grabbed a handful of his fluff, and he let out an indignant sound and glared at her.

"Whaaaat?"

"Give it."

Stomping his foot, the little kleptomaniac reached into his fluff and pulled out a pack of gum.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Leafeon kicked the gum towards him and watched as he went back in the house to return it.

"Great," Tsareena said when he came out. "One house left."

The trio traveled through the forest to a new neighborhood and found a house that was smaller than the last. All lights were off.

Whimsicott sighed. "Before you ask again, yes this is the one."

Leafeon didn't give a response. Tsareena hid a chuckle behind her hand and said, "Final house, then we can go home and go to sleep."

Leafeon's eyes flicked to their newest companion and noticed him staring at the plushie in his hands, a look of sadness in his eyes. Leafeon wanted to mock him for having a connection to an item that didn't even belong to him, but Whimsicott looked so pitiful it sent an unexpected pang of sympathy through his chest.

"Dorothy will make you a plushie of your own if you want," he said quietly, his eyes staring intently at the grass. In the corner of them, he could see both of them looking at him with surprise. "Just go inside."

Instead of giving his usual sass, Whimsicott slid into the house without protest. When he came back out, he held an unreadable expression, and they walked back home in silence.

The three Pokemon entered their home with quiet, collective groans, ready to sleep off their adventure.

"Did everything go well?" asked Lilligant, who had been waiting diligently.

"Yeah. Now we can relax," Tsareena murmured, plopping herself onto her bed. Leafeon followed suit and spun around three times before curling up.

When Whimsicott laid down, he stretched his arms above his head and sighed as exhaustion filled his body. Finally, time to sleep. He could hear the other two already snoring lightly as their breathing evened out, and before he could join them in rest, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

He wanted to tell the disturber to bug off, but he didn't have enough energy for that at the moment. Lifting his hood, he saw Lilligant standing beside his bed with a soft smile.

"Hi. I'm sorry about those two, they're very protective of Dorothy," she whispered. "But it's for good reason; she's had a very hard life, but she'll do everything to make you feel at home here. And so will I!"

He stared at her with a bleary confusion. Her kind presence mirrored that of her trainer, more so than the other two. She made him feel warm and safe, and she smelled wonderful. Smelling it from a distance was one thing, but up close and personal was another. It was making his muscles feel loose.

"Well, goodnight." She turned to go to her bed, but stopped to whisper another thing. "And welcome to the family, Whimsicott."

The drowsy Pokemon tugged his blanket tighter around himself and snuggled deeper into the bed, his chest feeling strangely light. For once, he didn't have to watch his back.