Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

3-20-20XX 10:47 am

Blueberry Academy Dorm Wing - Flore's Dorm

Song: Con limón y sal - Julieta Venegas

The nearly perfect pressure of the hot water on their skin—combined with the soapy caresses they gave themselves to ensure they were as clean as possible—brought their body to a state of enviable calm.

It had been a long time since they had opportunities like this to relax and not worry about anything. Flore’s life had been quite hectic since they became the Paldean champion (and temporarily the Blueberry Academy champion), and their body had made it clear. Occasionally, they found themselves stiff, even feeling back pain at times.

That’s why they enjoyed these little oases so much. For the entire day, they wouldn’t have to think about anything but enjoying themselves—it was their birthday, and from what they had heard, their friends had planned something special.

At that moment, they didn't even feel that they had only had a matcha tea—something Carmine had taught them how to brew well—since they got up quite a while ago.

The gentle pounding of the shower on their back helped relax the remaining stiff muscles, giving their chest the warm push it needed to finally clear out and recover from the cold that winter had left as a souvenir before it departed. The steam reaching their face felt like a caress.

Blueberry Academy had a motto: “No expense spared” (or at least that’s the joke students made), and that even included the bathrooms in the dorms, which Flore was now noticing. Since their stay was less than five days, they hadn’t been able to bring many things, but that made them appreciate the standard design of these rooms even more.

The immaculate white of the private space and the modern selection of furniture and décor was only interrupted by a couple of brushes for curly hair and hair ribbons—featuring very varied and even strange decorations—on the vanity.

The Paldean champion couldn't even complain about the water pressure; it was one of the things they loved about their previous stay at the academy. They had never found a place where every detail was so well taken care of and focused on giving one the warmest experience possible.

Amidst the dull murmur of water against the ceramic—which they loved—they began to hear the player change songs.

The soft chorus and the calm, acoustic rhythm only deepened the tranquility they were sinking into. This was one of Arven’s favorites; their friend used to play it when they brought their speaker to picnics. And without realizing it, the song had slipped into their playlists with its hypnotically calm rhythm and affectionate lyrics.

Singing in the shower was one of the things Flore loved most, using the sea salt soap they liked so much as a microphone, they didn’t resist the urge to do so.

Especially because the song reminded them of him.

Tengo que confesar que a veces, no me gusta tu forma de ser / I have to confess that sometimes, I don’t like the way you are

Many things had changed since they last went to Area Zero and discovered their hidden treasure alongside Carmine, Kieran, and Miss Briar.

Their friends had taken different paths; some of them were even dating now, including Flore themselves, who was now Kieran’s partner.

Time seemed to have passed quickly—three years felt like two blinks—and it was hard to believe that they and several of their friends would graduate next year, not counting Carmine, who graduated last year, and Drayton, who would also finish his studies at the academy this year.

On days like this, that fact hit harder than usual.

These are the dates that most invite reflection and disbelief. Seventeen were the years, for example, that Drayton was when they met, and it was hard to grasp that today he would have that age.

Luego te me desapareces, y no entiendo muy bien por que / Then you disappear, and I don’t understand why

The Underpaths had brought out the best and worst in them. It was impossible to deny that their most determined, decisive, and strong side was born when they were on the brink of death.

They met an almost unreal version of themselves and became capable of doing things that seemed impossible, like stopping a creature considered legendary.

But even more difficult was not confessing that something unspeakable had been growing in Flore since then. Like the thorns on a rose, something had darkened slightly, and there were many times they had to remind themselves that they were on the surface, alive, and not in a hole underground where they could leave this world at any moment.

It had taken almost a year to be able to talk about what happened without their voice breaking or their demeanor becoming somber. Luckily, Kieran helped them through that tough process; it was a wound they both shared, although the purple-haired boy to a lesser extent.

They had also witnessed how the experience changed the people around them.

Carmine had become slightly more protective and easily alarmed, perhaps even a bit withdrawn and more introspective, even though she tried to maintain that mask of strength she always insisted on showing.

Nemona, though it didn’t seem like it on the outside, if you observed closely, you could notice how she had abandoned that excessive carefreeness she now called recklessness. And although she remained the same irrepressible battle-loving and energetic person, she had become more cautious.

Or Arven, who was the most affected by the events, taking almost two years to come to terms with and overcome the damage caused by what had happened. Learning that his father had actually left an AI to go investigate in another time and had died in the process kept him in his room for four months.

Te pones de un humor extraño con cada luna llena al mes / And your humor turns strange with every full moon

Even their relationships—Flore could trace a line to how they were before exploring the depths and how they were afterward.

In a twisted way, it seemed that having shared such a traumatic experience had brought them closer together. Under the earth, they had come to know the people they trusted the most and who understood them best. And Flore was sure their friends felt the same.

For some reason, they had become more open with each other afterward, as if the fear that everything could end there had made them rethink everything. They began to show who they really were, and the acceptance only made the bonds they had already formed even stronger.

Flore couldn’t imagine a reality where they hadn’t met their friends, even if what had brought them all together was something so sinister. They had become the support circle where they found stability.

Pero todo lo demas, le gana lo bueno que me das./ But everything else loses against the good things you give me

That line filled their heart. The things they had seen down there couldn’t be erased, that's true.

But maybe, just maybe, one of the few good things they could take from such misadventures was meeting the purple-haired boy. Many times, Flore found themselves thanking life for such coincidences, like how their journey underground had made them see and embrace the true colors of the person now walking by their side, and, why not say it, embrace even more their own colors.

Many of their friends had pointed out how lovey-dovey they seemed, and they weren’t wrong. As they thought, it was only a matter of time before it happened.

Kieran was the first to fall in love with the enchanting simplicity of the Paldea champion—their love for adventure, their character brimming with life, and the love—and unique touch—with which they infused everything they did.

But it was Flore, with their pure way of loving, who definitely fell the hardest, beginning to see the apple boy with eyes full of tenderness, also marveling at the beautiful person who had had to hide behind a shell.

It took them a long time to confess and take that first step. Their friendship was something they both treasured and neither wanted to ruin with their feelings, especially since it had already gone through so many ups and downs.

But as things developed, Flore, with their slightly more daring heart, decided to take the risk—to the surprise of the amber-eyed boy—and open a deeper bond.

They had become a pair like Shelmet and Karrablast, an inseparable duo that had learned to empower each other. Not to the point of dependence, as they knew how to be alone, but they had become each other’s safe place, the home to return to.

In Flore's words:

Con solo tenerte cerca, siento que vuelvo a empezar / Just having you close is enough to make me feel like I start again

Maybe one was what the other needed.

Neither of them was perfect; it had taken both a lot to understand that, but after so much time, they managed to let that make them even more united and stronger. Who would have thought that, in the end, what started with jokes had become such a beautiful reality?

Yo te quiero con limon y sal, yo te quiero tal y como estas, no hace falta cambiar en nad / I love you with lemon and salt, I love you just the way you are, there's no need for changing anything

The chorus made Flore drift off into nostalgia, and the black-haired boy they had met at the beginning, stammering and hiding behind his sister, invaded their mind. So many times, they had said similar things to him, and it wasn’t until recently that it finally got into his head.

He had always had a low opinion of himself, and after a while, Flore could understand why.

Since they met him in Kitakami, hidden behind his locks of hair and his tracksuit three sizes too big, it was evident that the boy wasn’t very confident.

Environments where you’re looked down upon, like a school where you’re bullied or isolated, can terribly lower one’s self-esteem, stripping them of their colors. People who reflect their insecurities onto others can be very cruel, and Flore had witnessed how horrible that could be and how it makes you feel.

They had gone through something similar before moving to Paldea, and it’s one of the things that makes them happy to have left Wyndon.

But the damage that seemed to have been done to him was incredible. He had once formed one of the strongest teams at the academy, had become an almost unassailable champion, and yet he still believed he was weak. Flore hadn’t heard him say anything positive about himself since they met, until they had to ask him, please, not to be so hard on himself, to speak more kindly to himself, and to stop believing he was so insignificant.

It was very difficult for him to confess how much he admired them or how much it cost him to stop feeling inferior next to someone as crowned with glory as they were. And it hurt Flore to no end to learn about the damage they had unknowingly caused him.

But when he set his mind to it, their "Bonbon" could be incredible—how could he not realize that?

He was the one who planned the birthday party for today. They had told him it wasn’t necessary, but there he was, back at Blueberry Academy for the second time, temporarily, with the excuse of giving a seminar on mental health.

It was all his idea; he even managed to bring most of their friends to the academy with silly excuses that Director Cyrano let pass just to have Flore at his academy once again. He even used his status as (once again) the league champion to bring his graduated sister back to the facilities for the occasion.

At moments like this, Flore wanted to put the boy he once was in a glass box and protect him from the world.

They couldn’t believe what went through the purple-haired boy's mind when they caught him insulting himself or having a panic attack from feeling inadequate, but all they could do was try to accompany him in his healing process and remind him that, at least to them, he was no nobody or weakling.

And they swore they would do everything in their power to help him.

Because he was worth the—

The song slowly faded, pulling them out of their strange reflection, cruelly snatching away the images of the formerly black-haired boy and bringing them back to reality.

They shook the drowsiness from their mind, splashing water everywhere, but it was a necessary sacrifice to stop daydreaming.

They hated when that happened.

As much as Flore liked to relax—if it were up to them, they’d stay another hour—they were taking too long. Even though they didn’t have to work on the seminar today, they still had things to do, the real reason they had come to Blueberry Academy for the second time: their birthday party.

Luckily, the next song was one of Nemona’s favorites, and unlike Arven, her musical taste leaned towards much more energetic music, the rhythm they needed to prepare for their day.

Finally, they understood those jokes about how sometimes people take too long in the bathroom.

They didn’t usually take long. After all, they just made sure to get clean and get rid of sensations like sweat, which they disliked. They weren’t someone who focused much on appearances; looking decent was enough for them, though once or twice, they had been told their sense of fashion was a bit strange.

But every now and then, just every now and then, they liked to prepare a little more, usually when they were going on a date or for occasions they considered special.

And for Flore, having all their friends together was a special occasion.

One of the things they had ready to spruce up a bit for the occasion was the conditioner they began to use to detangle their hair, helping with a brush. It was specially made for curly hair; Carmine couldn’t wait until their birthday to give it to them. Though she claimed that she and Lacey had bought many more things for the special day.

And the floral trainer couldn’t doubt it. Since graduating last year and getting a job in Briar’s lab (after discussing it a lot with their friends and the professor, as they feared a similar incident to Area Zero might happen again), they could afford such things with the generous intern salary they had.

It wasn’t the first nor would it be the last time Carmine did things like pay for everyone’s meal when they went out to eat (and if they invited the Uva students, it was quite a few), buy plane tickets so Flore or their friends could visit her and her brother, or give huge gifts on special days, like the Rotom Phone she finally bought her brother now that they would maintain a long-distance relationship.

The soft scent of coconut reminded them of the huge smile the crimson-haired girl and her Elite Four companion had when they gave it to them the day they returned to Blueberry Academy for “Operation Party.”

"So your hair will be even prettier! This will make it easier to style; the little braid you always make will now be a piece of cake," the trainers had told them almost in unison.

Carmine was the first and wouldn’t be the last to remark on how beautiful they were and to suggest they should take care of and make the most of their lovely appearance. They had never taken those comments seriously until Kieran began complimenting them.

But they believed that the true beauty of people was in their inner self—Once again lost in thought, their hair had been ready for five minutes, and they had gotten lost in their mind once more.

Maybe being sleep-deprived was affecting them more than expected. They used to be able to go longer without much sleep while staying fully lucid. Was age catching up with them? They quickly dismissed the thought as ridiculous—they were in the prime of their youth, though the lavender-haired youth had always felt oddly like an old soul.

They turned off the water and gently dried their hair, scrunching it in the process as Amarys had taught them to define it a bit more.

It didn’t matter; getting something refreshing to drink and stepping into the cooler air of the room—They had forgotten to turn on the thermostat, arguing that with spring coming, it would be less cold, forgetting that they were underwater—would bring them back to their senses 100%.

With their hair dry, all that was left was to get dressed. Fortunately, that day’s choice was seen as more “normal.” They chose a purple Hawaiian shirt with Gengar designs and black Bermuda shorts for the occasion—pretty standard. Lacey had offered to host in her biome, and that called for beach-appropriate attire.

Not that they cared what others thought; they always wore what they felt looked best on them or what they liked most (inspired by Gym Leader Tulip, who always talked about how that was another way to express oneself and how dressing based on “what others think” imprisoned the soul). But when they didn’t wear the uniform, their clothing choices could be quite peculiar.

With that, they put on their essential Electross conductor hat that Nemona had given them when they first met, slipped on some sandals, styled their signature side braid, and prepared to turn off the music and leave the bathroom.

They were right; the slightly cooler air in the room had an effect, and with gentle taps on their forehead and cheeks—freckled as they were—it finally woke them up from their drowsiness.

It wasn't really their fault; the day before had ended very late with them giving talks in various classes, and they had woken up early because the Team Star wanted to greet them on their birthday. They didn’t want to be late for them, considering the 5-hour time difference between Unova and Paldea.

(Luckily, it wasn't as bad as the nearly 9-hour gap between Paldea and Kitakami. There was no way the purple pair could call each other without one being up at ungodly hours.)

The call had gone on longer than expected. Over the past few years, the bond between Flore, their friends in Paldea, and Team Star had grown closer, so it was no wonder that now, knowing each other better, they spent hours talking, all of them sounding incredibly excited.

Besides, you don't turn 17 every day, and they seemed more thrilled than the birthday person themselves, planning things for when they would return in a few days.

Flore was dying of curiosity about the outfit Atticus had mentioned as a gift and was very grateful for the music Giacomo had sent for the party, considering they didn’t like loud party music.

For them, it was worth being an early bird; it was truly a shame that Kieran hadn't managed to bring them along.

A small sigh escaped the trainer as they left the bathroom. They would figure out how to make it up to them later, despite Penny assuring them five times that it wasn’t a problem for them.

And as if reading their slightly sad thoughts, a small yellow ball with little antennae, a big smile, a beige scarf, and tiny wings appeared before their eyes. It began fluttering around them until it managed to make them giggle, doing its job.

"Bee!" Their little fairy had woken up a while ago and, now seeing their trainer, demanded the attention it deserved, rubbing energetically against their cheek.

It was impossible to stay sad with their new Ribombee. Their thoughts became lighter; they would be back in Paldea soon and could see everyone. Besides, there were already too many passengers on the boat; they wouldn’t have allowed five more people.

"Good morning, Pheve! Do you want breakfast, 'Chiquilla'?" they greeted their Pokémon while starting to serve food on a couple of plates with one hand and petting the tiny Pokémon with a finger on the other.

The Ribombee let out a small squeak, further easing their trainer's mind.

They couldn’t bring everyone along since there were too many now and the stay was too short, but their Pokémon team had also undergone some changes.

"There you go, bon appétit!" they sang out, placing the plates on the floor. The pixie sparkled with joy and set about eating a piece of fruit cake suitable for the little bee.

Knowing the tight spots Flore had, they opted for the essentials and brought only the newer ones that still needed their care to adapt.

Except for Pheve, the Ribombee Kieran had gifted them a few months ago when both had been recommended to get a therapy Pokémon. She had to come along. Neither of them could shake off the slightly odd feeling that the whole thing entailed, which is why they had chosen each other's Pokémon—a Ribombee for them and a Skwovet for him.

Though they had now learned to be more grateful to the pixie. Despite sometimes struggling a bit to accept they might need help—being used to bearing the weight of the adventure and danger on their shoulders—time had taught them to ask for and accept that support.

Besides, just look at how beautiful her face is! They were very happy to bring her and the rest of their team, who had never been there.

"Today, you all finally get to meet my friends from the academy!" they sang to the crew gathering for breakfast. "It's going to be a big party!" Or so they had been told. Even if it were small, being with friends was enough—but speaking of which... they wondered, scratching their chin comically as they searched their mind, "My phone?"

The party was in 10 minutes, and without Miraidon, they would need to call a flying taxi urgently if they wanted to arrive on time, but where had they left their phone?

They finished greeting their team with pets and began to search for it.

Their friends wouldn’t have a problem starting without them; they were confident in that, but they didn’t like to keep people waiting. They didn't like being late.

"Where could it be?" they wondered aloud, trying to remember where they might have left it.

Their Pokémon paused their eating for a second to look at them, returning the confusion. It wasn't as if they had the answer.

Although some pink feline eyes looked more innocent than they really were. And though they tried to push it to the back of their mind, they noticed.

They hadn’t brought much luggage to the room, just the plushie their timid Loki liked, barely a few sweets, and some bundles of clothes. The standard room decor wasn't incredibly furnished either; there weren't many places it could be.

And yet, they quickly checked the entire room and didn't find it.

The only thing they found was that their sheets had been stained by some paws that had somehow managed to get dirty. Now, when they returned, they'd have to give them a wash, and to make things worse, the sheets were white, doubling the work.

They let out a small sigh to release that frustration and breathed calmly to avoid getting upset, just as Kieran had taught them.

"In and out."

There was a reason why the Pokémon they had brought needed care; they still weren't used to things like being in a house. It had been a long time since their Pokémon behaved like this, and they weren’t accustomed to it.

Flore hated making comparisons, but this would definitely be different with their championship team, whose heart and obedience they had already won over with picnics.

All the badges meant that their Pokémon would obey them in battle, but it didn’t guarantee good behavior outside of it.

But they couldn't worry about that now; they still had a flying taxi to catch.

Once breathing calmed them down, they resumed the search, this time more determined.

The bed? They checked again, and there was no more news than the stained sheets.

The kitchen counter? They had left it there after the call, and if they weren't crazy yet, they also did after leaving the bathroom. But it wasn't there; they only found the vase full of sunflowers that had been knocked over by the dirty paws.

Maybe the bathroom itself? They searched the vanity where they had left it to play music while showering, and even there, the device didn’t appear. But how could that be? That was the last place they remembered putting it.

Even Pheve and their Applin started searching after seeing their trainer become somewhat worried, but luckily, the apple was small, and the Ribombee flew around quickly, making it easier for them to search where they couldn't reach.

It wasn't long before the little worm started squealing to get Flore’s attention.

"Squee! Squee!"

It started banging on the nightstand beside the bed until Flore stopped checking a kitchen shelf to look.

"Did you find it, Applin?" From the worm's happy eyes, it seemed so.

And there it was, the blessed device, sticking out of their Gimmighoul's chest, Loki, who had claimed the small space under the nightstand as the place to keep his precious treasure when they arrived.

"There it is! Thanks, 'Gusanito'!" Flore almost shouted, relieved, receiving gentle squeals and taps on the leg from the worm, who was happy to help.

The Applin Kieran had traded with them was adorable, and Flore was grateful that he had agreed to exchange apples without questioning if it meant anything.

Now they both had an adorable little worm they took everywhere and treated specially because it reminded them of the other. With its charm, they couldn’t deny it brightened their day. Especially when some time passed without seeing each other in person, and the little creature became a reminder that he, despite the distance between Kitakami—or Unova—and Paldea being so vast, also thought of them in the same way that the lavender kid thought of him.

Or when, like now, it came to claim its well-deserved cuddles for having helped, and it couldn’t be more endearing, Flore couldn’t resist giving it what it asked for.

That was the plan until they saw that, among the sobs, another Pokémon needed them more, and they approached a little gray fellow with teary eyes, receiving a small jealous cry and a tap from the apple, which wanted to continue receiving affection.

"Come here, little one, there, there," they said, picking up the Gimmighoul by the coin on its back and cradling it in their hand, stroking it with a finger.

Loki had abruptly abandoned his sweet tart upon hearing that the phone was in his chest and rushed over to see if it was true. Seeing something had infiltrated his beloved treasure, he couldn’t stop crying.

"There, there..." Flore cooed to calm him, but they weren’t succeeding; if anything, he seemed to cry harder.

That caught the attention of the rest of the ghost's comrades, who came over to see what was happening, certain green, muddy paws moving a bit more slowly than the rest to avoid suspicion.

Pheve tried to make the Gimmighoul play, fluttering around him and throwing some sparkles toward him to see if it could cheer

“Thank you,” sighed the trainer, expressing their gratitude to the little fairy, gently stroking her with a finger to show their appreciation for her kind intentions, while their other hand continued to tend to Loki.

Everyone—except for one furry green cat—was doing their best to help Loki feel better. But it was no use trying to comfort him; in his anger, he reverted to his chest form and shut himself inside. What a shame! It had taken so much effort to coax the timid and skittish Pokémon out of his chest. Now they would have to wait at least two weeks before he felt brave enough to come out again.

But well, that’s just part of the job. They had gone through this once before and could do it again. If Kieran could tame a completely new team at one point, there was no reason Flore couldn’t do the same.

Since they caught him one afternoon after stumbling over his chest while exploring a cliff, it had been quite a challenge to get Loki to come out of his shell—or rather, his chest. Even the smallest things would startle the poor thing, causing him to hide away again. It had been quite an event to get him to start integrating with the others and joining in on picnics instead of retreating to his treasure at the slightest sign of stress or whenever one of Flore’s other Pokémon approached him.

Only Kieran’s Furret could compare in timidity. Rebuilding the bond between his trainer and Pokémon after a long separation had been quite a challenge for the purple-haired boy.

But just like with Kieran, they had made progress with Loki. Once everyone understood that they shouldn’t touch the treasure the little one guarded so jealously and fiercely, things had smoothed out. Loki had even started eating with the others occasionally. Giving him time and respecting his boundaries was starting to pay off.

But now, one of their Pokémon had hidden Flore’s phone in Loki’s chest.

They knew it had been placed there on purpose because there was no way it could have fallen in there by accident. Knowing their Pokémon and their limits, Flore would never do something like that.

And that worried them. They had said it before: “A seemingly difficult or bad Pokémon is a sign something more is going on.” And they thought they knew who it was, which worried them even more.

The last one left to be introduced from this quartet of little, beautiful troublemakers.

Flore retrieved their device from the chest, and with eyes like daggers, they fixed their gaze on the prime suspect, sitting on the window frame as if nothing had happened, eating her piece of pie.

“Flora, why did you do it?” they inquired, unable to understand the actions of their Floragato. Why would she bother her comrade like that?

Their voice hadn’t sounded that serious in a long time. That dryness and strength were unnatural for them. It shocked the rest of their Pokémon, who, despite witnessing these scenes often, were used to Flore being rather sweet.

The "puss in boots" gave no response other than—somehow—shrugging her shoulders and rolling her magenta eyes, while she continued to play with the sunflowers she had stolen from the vase, smearing her paws even more.

She had not only taken something from her trainer and hidden it where she knew it would bother Loki, but she had also purposefully stained the sheets.

“Buddy, are you okay?” Flore approached to try to figure out if something was wrong with her. Their voice, though still sweet, carried a somewhat serious cadence. As much as they were concerned about what had led her to do this, it still wasn’t okay.

More silence and indifference from the other side.

This was starting to get out of hand. This was definitely not what they had in mind when they thought of “Flora and Flore.”

This wasn’t the first time the little cat had acted like this. When Nemona had gifted her the kitten that her Meowscarada and Kieran’s Incineroar had, she was definitely much kinder. She was the sweetest Sprigatito you could find, making floral arrangements with Ribombee or growing small patches of berries for her friends to eat while they rested. She was definitely the true “Good Girl.”

But for some reason, evolution had turned her into someone slightly mischievous and cold. Sure, she obeyed in battle, but outside of fights, she continued doing things like this, deliberately bothering Flore or her teammates. She had started pulling pranks of this kind and had a rough attitude toward anyone who approached her kindly.

Ever since she evolved, they had been trying to understand her with little success. After all, someone close to them had taught them that this kind of sudden change usually carried pain behind it, and they didn’t want their kitty to go through it alone.

But not even Mieda, with her maternal nature, could figure out what lay behind Flora’s actions.

Could it be jealousy? That was the only thing they could think of. It reminded them of Siela in that sense; Kieran had had a hard time earning her trust. But Siela was more territorial, threatening those who competed with her for Flore’s affection. Flora, on the other hand, was more mischievous, and instead of being possessive, she was a bit cruel. Could this be her way of marking what’s hers and establishing territory?

They didn’t know if that was the case. And they couldn’t figure it out because Flora hadn’t been around the rest of her Pokémon or Flore’s friends enough to show jealousy. But they didn’t have many reasons to do so; they always made sure to treat their Pokémon well and make them all feel loved.

Even so, just in case, they lovingly picked up the feline and sat on the bed to place her on their lap and pet her for a while, to which the little cat responded by purring.

Their friends could wait three more minutes.

“'Meu Arceus Flora' I love you and I’ll keep taking care of you no matter what, but what you did wasn’t right,” they murmured, without abandoning the calm yet serious tone in their voice, as if the cat could understand them, though she seemed to, as she let out a meow. “We all know how Loki is with his chest, and we respect his space so he feels comfortable.”

They continued petting her, though a missed call came through the Rotom-phone, and Applin’s gentle taps—also demanding some affection—brought them back to reality.

Her weight, though still pleasant, was barely manageable now that she had evolved. But her green fur still felt as good as when she was a newborn Sprigatito, soft to the touch and comforting.

They wanted to make sure that love wasn’t what she was missing. But they also needed to be firm; Kieran had taught them that it was sometimes necessary.

“I’m sorry, okay? But you’re not going to the beach with us. I can’t let things like this keep happening.” They paused the belly rubs to take a breath and make things clear to their Pokémon. “I’m not mad, but you’re teammates. You have to trust each other, and most of all, respect each other. Imagine if you couldn’t trust each other in a battle—it would be a disaster!”

A sadder meow, accompanied by some tender eyes, nearly broke down the thin wall of firmness they had managed to build, but they remained strong.

“We’ll go for a walk tomorrow if you behave better, but for today, you’re staying here,” they said, giving the cat a few more strokes on the back before getting up. That little punishment seemed sufficient; they didn’t want to be too strict either.

A second missed call reminded them that they were already being waited on.

“Well, we’re already late. Ready, everyone?!”

They returned all their Pokémon to their Pokéballs, placed Flora’s Ultra Ball in the bedside table case, and attached the rest to their belt.

They quickly typed “On my way” and turned off the light.

“All aboard the beach party train!” they said before closing the door and heading to the terrarium.

Let’s continue the translation:

---

They were already quite well-known. Those who didn’t remember the only one capable of dethroning the Blueberry champion years ago during an exchange would recognize the sweet special coach who had come to give some talks at the BB League. No wonder they were stopped several times along the way, receiving greetings and plenty of looks from other students for wearing summer clothes even though winter had just passed.

After an air taxi ride, they were already in the coastal biome, and they couldn't deny that the wind had taken their hair to the next level.

It wasn’t hard to figure out where the party was, given that the music could be heard from 20 meters away, despite Drayton already having been reprimanded three times for it.

From above, they could see Crispin vigorously manning the grill with burgers and the drink bar he had volunteered to set up, insisting he had a surprise.

He seemed a bit busy, but with the help of his Magmortar and Arven, lunch was going smoothly, so he could take care of the drinks.

Crispin had suggested the burgers, knowing Flore didn’t like strong flavors or anything spicy.

They also spotted some of their friends' Pokémon playing in the water, along with someone they couldn’t quite make out, but who was riding Lacey’s Primarina with vigor and easily racing against Kieran’s Politoed.

As they began to land, it was clear they hadn’t lied when they said it was going to be amazing—the party looked phenomenal.

Besides the table with snacks and the drink bar, they had improvised a small playground for the Pokémon who didn’t enjoy the sun and water so they could still be part of the fun. A tarp had been turned into a dance floor, and in addition to the big table with the usual folding chairs, they had managed to get some loungers for sunbathing.

The chosen spot along the coast, decorated with a combination of purple and beach-themed ornaments, was so beautiful that just seeing the cute water-type Pokémon decorations was enough for them to know that Lacey was behind it.

Lacey was sunbathing with Amarys and Drayton.

Flore landed near the umbrellas and loungers and, after leaving their Pokémon in the playground, went to look for their boyfriend, happy to find him chatting with Penny in some chairs in the shade.

Their guy was making incredible progress; he was speaking much more openly than when he first started getting to know their friends.

Now that he didn’t see them as rivals for their lover's affection, he had learned to get along much better with them once he worked through the initial barriers of jealousy and low self-esteem. He found that, for example, a battle with Nemona was always refreshing—even if he lost—and Penny was one of the few who could really understand him.

But right now, Penny seemed to be walking away with a playful smile, under the pretext of going to play with her Vivillon in the playground, leaving the pair a bit confused.

Still, Flore couldn’t have been prouder of him, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the loud music as they greeted him with a quick kiss.

“Hi, amor” they said, a little breathless from the rush of getting there and the fact that they had missed seeing him in person so much.

It’s not that they hadn’t seen each other; ever since they arrived a week ago with the rest of their friends from Uva Academy to give classes, they had been sneaking into the League Club whenever they could to see their guy.

But he was always busy with club matters, making sure this time he would be worthy of the position and ensuring it was a welcoming place, no matter how many times Flore told him he had already achieved that.

So seeing him like this, out of uniform, with a low ponytail, relaxed and wearing one of his sleeveless shirts from his collection—just like when they used to find ways to beat the distance and go on dates—was such a relief and something they missed.

Their gaze must have intensified without them realizing it because his face quickly turned red, and he hurried to speak.

“A-Anata!” His response was so spontaneous that he slipped into something that, if his sister had heard, would have earned him a two-hour lecture.

The nickname Flore gave him always caught him off guard. He knew it was a Paldean way of saying "Honey," "Darling," or "Babe," but the fact that it literally meant "Love" still shocked him, even if Flore always called him that.

A “Finally,” slipped from his thoughts before he responded with another quick greeting kiss. He had been waiting for them. “Is everything okay?” he asked, worried since one of Flore’s defining traits was their punctuality. “I called you a couple of times because I thought something had happened,” he explained.

For some reason, whenever they were headed somewhere, no matter how many setbacks came their way and how anxious Kieran got about being late, Flore somehow always managed to arrive just in time. He had no idea how they did it, whether it was luck or one of their many gifts. That’s why the raven-haired boy was worried, but Flore was there to reassure him.

“Babe, I already told you that if something happened, I would call you. I was just having some trouble with Flora,” they responded calmly while adjusting a strand of Kieran’s hair that had escaped from his ponytail.

“Again? Really? Did you do what I said about being firmer?” The reigning Blueberry champion frowned slightly, puzzled. He had been told several times about his "granddaughter's" behavior.

“Yes, that’s why I didn’t bring her to the party,” their gaze shifted to the playground, where the purple-haired boy realized Flore wasn’t lying—Flora wasn’t there. “It was hard, but I’m learning,” they continued. For him, it was a bit easier to be tough on his Pokémon, even if now he was becoming "softer" with his words. But they weren’t. They used to know how to be firm, and that’s why their battle team was so disciplined and well-behaved, but they had forgotten over time.

They both sat down in the folding chairs, Flore a bit more dramatically to be funny, comically exaggerating the exhaustion they had felt. It worked, earning a small laugh from Kieran.

But neither of them noticed something—or rather, someone.

“What did she do this time?” Their boyfriend was eager to know what problem the cat had caused their trainer.

“She hid my phone in Loki’s chest and messed up my sheets,” they replied, letting out a small sigh. This one was real; coming home and having to do laundry wasn’t fun.

“REALLY?! OHH MAN! SHE KNOWS HOW HE LOVES IT! IF I KNEW HOW MY MEOWSCARADA'S DAUGHTER WOULD TURN OUT...”

The couple was unintentionally startled from behind by a loud Nemona. The naturally strong tone of the brunette, combined with her marked Paldean accent, only made the situation worse. The poor girl fell silent once she realized what she was doing.

The young couple was quite embarrassed to have been overheard and interrupted.

So much so that neither of them heard a phone ring. It was set to a low volume so as not to startle its sensitive owner, but that would end up working against them.

Kieran was the first to snap out of that little shock, standing up and shaking off the water that the former Paldean champion had splashed on them after playing in the waves with Lacey’s Primarina.

“Oh! Hi, Nemo!” Flore responded, also shaking off the water once they had recovered from the scare, as if nothing had happened.

Kieran envied the natural way they handled situations like this. It wasn’t that he minded Nemona’s impulsive nature, but it made him realize how open-hearted and tolerant their lover was.

An “OH I FORGOT SORRY, HI!” came from the girl in a series of quick and embarrassed shouts. Sometimes she forgot to greet and would just start a conversation. When she realized it, her face would turn red, like it was now, contrasting with the green in her hair. “¡Feliz cumple!” she added, before grabbing her bag from one of the folding chairs and pulling out a small gift bag. “This is my present.”

Flore’s purple eyes sparkled.

“Really? Thank you!” The birthday person’s curiosity and excitement were evident in their voice.

Nemona had always been good at giving gifts. Today, Flore had received various things, from drawings gifted by some of the younger students at the seminar to their friends who had brought all sorts of things: a new Pokéball holder, a backpack, sports shoes, the shirt they were wearing, even the bouquet of flowers Flora had knocked over. But they couldn’t deny that one of the gifts that piqued their curiosity the most was what their black-haired friend could give them.

She had always been very thoughtful about that. Even though she came from a well-known, wealthy family, it wasn’t grandeur or luxury that stood out in her gifts; it was the care she put into them. She always sought to give something very personal or something they always needed.

“What could that be?” added Kieran, not wanting to be left out of the conversation, a bit curious himself.

“Let’s find out!” an excited Flore said, pulling out of the bag a long, padded purple glove just like the red glove their black-haired rival always wore.

“It’s beautiful! Thanks, Mencia!” The once double-champion could already imagine wearing it with their Uva uniform back home. It would match perfectly with the purple of the uniform and, besides, “We will match!”

That word caught Kieran’s attention. It wasn’t that Flore didn’t like to wear things that matched their friends; they loved doing that, so it wasn’t surprising. What caught his attention was that "Mencia" wasn’t one of the Paldean words that Flore usually let slip when speaking.

Could it be that they spoke like that with their friend because she didn’t know much Galarian? No, even though her accent was a bit odd, just like Kieran’s, she seemed to manage well in the language. In fact, definitely better than some of Flore’s friends (Nemona communicated quite well, Penny spoke perfectly, gracefully sliding in slang and all, but Team Star could definitely use some classes—Kieran would never say that aloud).

That’s when he remembered something Flore had mentioned quite a while ago: "Nemona has around 5 names." Maybe "Mencia" is one of them.

"Use it on your right hand; that’s your dominant hand, right?" The strange question from Nemona left the birthday person perplexed for a second, but they quickly nodded. "This type of glove also helps prevent injuries." Now it made sense. "A few weeks ago, you could barely draw or battle because your wrist was hurting," her voice sounded a little worried.

Flore remembered that it was true; a few weeks ago, it had started to hurt.

And that’s how the brunette reaffirmed what they believed about her incredible gift-giving talent. She had noticed what they needed. "You’re amazing," they said gratefully, giving her a tight Bewear hug, leaving a speechless Nemona, who wasn’t used to receiving compliments that didn’t involve battling.

But it was also how Kieran found out about his partner's wrist condition—not exactly the way he would have liked. They always told each other everything; that was one of the first rules they had set when they started dating.

Were they hiding it? It was very unlikely, but maybe they didn’t want to worry him; sometimes they were that reckless. Some alarm bells began to ring in his head.

He could ask Flore later why they hadn’t told him. They probably had a good reason, but the thoughts were hard to dispel.

Once again, words escaped his mouth before he could think. "I didn’t know that—" the sentence came out slightly dry, but as he realized it, he quickly thought of how to recover. "—that gloves could help with that. When you enter Blueberry, they give you one, but I didn’t know it was for that." Not only was it a good save, but honestly, moments like this really made him realize how much care went into every detail at his academy.

"Yeah, they give us some at Uva too. I used to skip using them; I liked those skeleton gloves I always wear better. But those don’t help prevent injuries like the Blueberry or Uva ones do." They let out a sigh. "It seems like I’m paying the price now," they scratched their neck in embarrassment.

Here's the translation with Flore's pronouns correctly adjusted:

---

“I didn’t know either,” said the aforementioned, taking a seat, “until I started having problems with my wrist, and they told me I’d have to use one.” The couple thought almost the same thing simultaneously, "So that's why she was wearing the glove." Both knew that the brunette always wore it, but they thought it was a stylistic choice to differ from the uniform, much like Flore.

They listened attentively as she finished the story, "When I took the gym’s challenge, I Terastalized in almost every battle, so no wonder it got injured." It’s amazing how even years later, you can still discover things about your friends.

Kieran let out what had been weighing on him, “Flore didn't tell me that they've been having problems with that.”

“You didn’t tell him?” Even she was surprised. In Paldea, their friend was so open about their relationship and how they loved Kieran. They even helped some of their friends with their crushes, like Arven with Giacomo or Nemona herself with Penny. Flore's wisdom was what helped her to reach the introverted girl's heart.

And one of the pieces of advice they always gave was to make communication the main pillar of the relationship.

The semi-accusatory questions brought a reddish tone to her brown skin. “Sorry! Hehe. I've been more focused on packing to come here and the seminar; I just forgot.” Not a lie at all, for the past week, she had been busy preparing to travel to Blueberry Academy. So much so that she hadn't even given much importance to the fact that her wrist had started to hurt.

Kieran felt relieved that she had forgotten and hadn’t hidden it from him to avoid worrying him.

Nemona said goodbye and went to spend some time with her girlfriend Penny, playing with the Pokémon. The last thing she mentioned was something about organizing a tournament to liven up the party or something like that.

“You should take more care of yourself,” the purple-haired boy reproached. Sometimes his Flore forgot to take care of things like that.

“You should too, ‘love,’” their partner caught them red-handed. He knew exactly what he was going to say and was cornered. “How are your arms?” Their voice mixed sweet kindness with a playful tone, having caught him in the act.

As he showed his partner what they asked, the boy's face turned red, almost as red as the bumps on his arm. His skin looked dry, and that’s how it was, and it would stay that way as long as the boy kept forgetting to treat it.

For almost a year now, they had started appearing, stress dermatitis not giving the poor boy a break since it first appeared. One of the consequences of the spiral he had fallen into that he would carry for a long time.

With just a glance, the message between them was understood. He hadn’t given the area the proper care.

A “Sorry, hehe” full of pity wasn’t enough to treat it, Kieran.

“You can't get in the water like this, honey.” Some pity escaped from Flore’s words. One of the reasons they had chosen the coastal biome was to have a good time in the artificial sea. But the mere thought of putting his injured arms in the salty water was enough to make both of them wince in pain.

Now he definitely regretted not taking care of them. He remained silent, even more sad and embarrassed than before. He had really wanted to play and have fun in the sea.

The closest thing he had known was the Crystal Pool, but it was forbidden to get in there, so he had been looking forward to this day to have fun. But it would sting terribly if he did.

“No problem, I won't get in either to keep you company.” Flore’s understanding look pierced his soul; he felt bad for holding back his partner.

“Oh no, really, there's no need, really, it’s your birth—” He was in the middle of the sentence when his Rotom Phone began to make a soft sound.

His heart skipped a beat as he answered the call, knowing who it could be. “Hi?” A few shouts were heard from the other side of the line. Yes, it was who the boy suspected. “I just forgot, sis, cut it out!” He raised his voice, just as Carmine did on the phone. Flore’s open-mouthed expression was priceless.

No matter that he was now 17 and measured 1.80 meters, he would always be the little “Kiki” to her. “UGH! I'm on my way! くそー! You are so hard sometimes!” He sighed and left his screaming sister even more pissed off when he cursed and hung up.

Flore was an only child; they didn’t understand much about what it was like to have a sibling, but from what they could see, this situation was pretty messed up. Kuso wasn’t a curse word their love usually used. And not only that, but he cursed in Kantonian; his sister must have really gotten under his skin.

“I forgot to pick sis up from the entrance, gotta go before she starts freaking out.” That explanation was enough for a confused Flore, who sat in their chair, watching in perplexity as the younger brother quickly got up from his and ran towards the nearest aerotaxi stop.

They decided to head towards the lounge chairs.

As they approached the center of the party, they could already see Crispin and Arven putting the finishing touches on their work in the improvised kitchen, while the Pokémon played in the playground with Penny and Nemona, who were cheerfully petting one of their "Veeves."

Walking barefoot in the sand was definitely something relaxing that they would try to experience more often at the beach back home. It made them reflective. Although, perhaps it was seeing their friends like this that they really enjoyed.

They sat on one of the lounge chairs, puzzled by the absence of anyone around.

When they flew over in the aerotaxi a little while ago, they thought they had seen Drayton and Lacey there, but now they were nowhere to be seen. Not even Amarys, who usually informed everyone of her whereabouts and when she'd return, was there. Perhaps she had gone with Kieran to pick up his friend.

The view from there was simply beautiful. The small secret beach that Lacey had talked about so much during their call a few weeks ago was definitely postcard-worthy. Now they understood why she insisted on this place for the party.

The navy-blue umbrellas provided the necessary shade to keep their skin from tanning more than needed, and from there, they could see the entire biome in its glory. They had made a wise choice in picking a spot far from the Coastal Plaza. Most students sought to have fun in that biome due to its tropical vibe. Any other area of the biome would be crowded, which would overwhelm them and some of their friends.

The white sand slipping between their toes felt pleasant as they took in the views. Some Sandigast poked out of it. They inhaled deeply, letting the smell of the sea—mixed slightly with the scent of grilled meat—fill their nostrils, while the distant sound of waves reached their ears. Near the shore, there was a small rocky cave. They were quite surprised to see a Slowpoke emerge from it, basking in the sun on a rock with its characteristic yellowish forehead. It had been years since they last saw one, and they couldn’t even clearly remember what it evolved into.

In the distance, they could see the other side of the coast where some Exeggutors with extremely long necks blended in with the palm trees. There were also several bird Pokémon flying over the lake.

Some Pokémon, including those belonging to their friends, were playing in the water. Penny's Vaporeon and the "Poli brothers" (as they had decided to call Kieran's Poliwrath and Politoed, once Poliwrath rejoined the team) were having a great time in the almost transparent water. Not even in Paldea was the water so crystal-clear, even with a League committed to keeping it free of trash and pollution.

The beauty of it all made them realize something—they had chosen the location under the pretext of a beach party, but no one was in the water. They were quite surprised by this.

They would have expected that some of their friends would be playing in the artificial sea. They knew Arven wouldn't take off his shirt for a million League Points and that Penny wasn’t the most daring for such activities. But they thought Drayton, Lacey, or Crispin might have joined in. Even though they weren’t as adventurous as Nemona—who did go in—they still enjoyed having fun for a while, at least after finishing their tasks in Lacey's case.

But they weren’t there either.

Perhaps it was because the day was still quite cool. Spring had just arrived, and the breeze was still a bit chilly despite the biome they were in. Although the academy was underwater, they needed to emulate the climate variation for Pokémon to live in an optimal environment.

They decided to let their mind wander for a while. They didn’t want to interrupt Crispin and Arven in their chef duties or the couple in their romantic moment with the redhead’s Veeves. This took them back to the last time they saw Carmine and Kieran a few months ago, when Carmine gave them a tour of the lab where she now worked. They had seen them much closer then, but now they were back to shouting at each other like when Kieran had fallen into a spiral.

"These siblings still have some problems to solve," they thought. Not being an expert on sibling relationships since they were an only child, they tried not to pry into what might be bothering them. But to them, fights like that didn’t seem very common. Carmine had probably brought some heavy bags or something like that, and her brother's tardiness was stressing her out.

Now that they thought about it, they had heard a phone ring at some point, and it wasn’t theirs. That was probably Carmine trying to contact her brother.

"But they will solve them at their pace," they fully believed. Although it didn’t seem so at first glance, since they met them, the siblings' relationship had definitely improved. A few years ago, neither of them listened to the other or had any intention of doing so. It was time and reflection that led them to realize that their sibling was the person they needed to rely on most.

Carmine had become less harsh and much more understanding and patient with her little "Kiki," and he had started to understand that what she wanted was what she believed was best for him.

Flore felt relieved. They had heard both sides of the story, both so valid. And they were happy that the siblings were finally giving themselves the chance to listen and understand that they loved each other deep down. Though the lack of communication and hiding of feelings had buried that fact under a layer of bitterness.

They felt that was the best thing for both of them.

Suddenly, Flore felt a strong music approaching, beginning to drill a little into their ears. They turned their head in the direction it was coming from, only to find Lacey holding a large bag with accessories and their favorite toothpaste, with a speaker in one hand and sunglasses on.

"HEEYOO FLOWEY!" Drayton waited for a signal from Flore for approval before touching them, and when they gave a thumbs-up, he wrapped his free arm around their shoulders.

He didn't realize that this left the speaker very close to Flore.

"Flore! Happy birthday!" greeted the pink-haired girl behind him, handing them two Hawaiian-style flower necklaces. "I saved these just for you two," she said with a beaming smile, proud of her thoughtful gesture. "They were the only purple ones in the pack."

It took Flore two seconds to realize this and accept them, absorbed as they were by the noise right next to them.

With their mind occupied by that, they couldn't give the fairy-type trainer's gesture the importance it deserved. If they had, she would have earned one of their big Bewear hugs, just like Nemona.

"Hi, you two!" A hint of embarrassment slipped into their words, and Lacey couldn't help but notice how spacey they were. "Thank you!" They put on one of the necklaces, making a face that tried to be a smile.

A glance escaped Lacey at that moment. She wasn't usually very observant, but when it came to her friends, it was easy for her to notice these details. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh! Yes, yes," they responded sheepishly. "It's just that the music is a little too loud," they said with a small pained expression to dramatize their discomfort.

They knew they shouldn't feel embarrassed to communicate their problems or things that bothered them, but they couldn't help being shy sometimes.

A spark ignited in the daughter of Clay's eyes. Lacey knew exactly who to scold for this. She tried to avoid shouting because she already knew about Flore's sensitivity to loud noises.

"Drayton, we put you in charge of the music," the pink-haired girl said through gritted teeth. "You know Flore doesn't like loud music!" Although she held back, she couldn't avoid raising her voice, much like her father when he had to reprimand a shady investor.

Flore tried to smooth things over with a "It's not that bad," but it was too late. Lacey's protective and justice-driven instinct had already kicked in, and she was mimicking an X-Scissor, trying to stir something inside Drayton (though she obviously failed; the guy is incredibly nonchalant).

The toothpaste-like Drayton saved himself quickly with an apology: "My bad, my bad," he sang, lowering the volume to a level the brunette could tolerate. They sighed in relief.

But Lacey hadn't finished her scolding. "And didn't Flore's friend make music for this? Didn't you know that?" The girl scratched her chin, searching her mind and copying Flore's gesture. "I understand that... Arven? was supposed to send it to you."

She took a seat on one of the lounge chairs, still crossing her arms in response to her friend's attitude. She placed a large bag beside her seat and pulled out some pink sunglasses, thinking that maybe looking pretty would help her shake off the anger.

Drayton did the same, sitting next to Flore. "Yup, now that Butterfly reminded me, he sent it to me this morning," he said, leaving the speaker (now at a peaceful volume) and searching for the playlist on his Rotom Phone.

"Arven told us that your friend is very talented," he continued, now holding a small sweet with some kind of caramel on top. "And your red-haired friend couldn't stop talking about him."

They were right. When "Cassiopeia" told them about the sick music in the bases, they expected something good. But they found something even beyond that; the team's speakers always had masterful music.

"Yes, Giacomo is very skilled at that," they replied.

When they finally met—and defeated—the composer behind it, it suddenly made sense. He was that talented because he used what he learned in classical music classes as escapism, embracing the punk and electro-rock genres. That's even how he unexpectedly won over their blond friend.

Drayton joined the conversation.

"And isn't he part of that anti-bullying team at your academy?" He showed an unusual interest in his voice, as the topic of bullying was of genuine importance to him after what happened a few years ago when Kieran became a tyrannical champion. He believed it could have been the basis for his behavior at the time.

"Penny also told us about it; it's amazing!" Lacey chimed in. Flore was happy that Lacey's sweetness had encouraged her friend to open up a bit more. "Now she's running the school's anti-bullying campaign, right?" She spoke about her new role at the school, which was definitely a milestone.

They were afraid she might not feel so comfortable there, uneasy among so many people. Nemona would support her and keep her company, of course, but they didn't want her introversion to get the best of the redhead.

"Here's Drayster's take: we need something like that here." The truth overflowed from his words.

Even though Kieran practically eradicated bullying cases, it was still somewhat common there. And the BB League champion himself was living proof of how it could affect someone. Something like Team Star would be beneficial for Blueberry, but both he and Penny were doing their best.

"Yeah, it's a shame Kieran couldn't bring them," Flore said, recalling their thoughts from a few hours earlier, their expressions saddened.

The group wanted to come and would have definitely livened up the party, and a few more friends wouldn't have hurt the recently reformed group.

They were the first to ask what they wanted for their special day, and Flore felt bad about that. Ortega was even going to debut his new machine for baking cakes at maximum speed.

They would definitely look for a way to make it up to them.

Drayton, being the big brother—at heart—that he is, noticed this and quickly changed the subject.

"Lacey, what do you have there?" He not only wanted to change the subject; he genuinely didn't know. He had gone shopping for some party accessories with her, lost sight of her for a second, and suddenly she had that sweet in her hand.

"Oh, Crispin is serving some sweets. He said it was something new he wanted to try, with this beach theme." She took another bite and offered it to Flore to try, forgetting that they didn't like sharing food or that sort of thing. "I think it's called Malasada; he said it's from Alola." Seeing the refusal, she pulled the sweet away. "You should try it."

The birthday celebrant felt like trying something new, so they didn't hesitate for long. They felt a bit adventurous and daring. And while trying a new food wasn't as exciting as exploring a new place, after the last time, they had had enough adventure for three lifetimes.

"What if we go? The food must be ready by now," Flore suggested, not giving the rest much time to agree or decline because they got up and left.

"Sure," the toothpaste-like Drayton followed closely behind. The great speed of Paldea's champion was no problem for him, though he was surprised that not even the sand could slow them down.

"FLORE, WAIT!" The one who wasn't so lucky was Lacey, who could barely keep up with the powerful trainers due to her smaller size.

The food table was a complete explosion. With a duo like Arven and Crispin, full of cooking prowess, there was no doubt it would be.

They arrived and were definitely surprised. The tropical food theme had been taken to the next level. Not only were there fruit smoothies served in coconuts (obviously with an umbrella) at the drink bar, but there were also fruit and berry skewers, as well as the malasadas that Lacey showed them, and some fish sticks for those who preferred something saltier. It was all crowned with a large platter of sandwiches in the center of the table, which was definitely Arven's contribution.

And all this was just to wait for the burgers and tropical salad, which was the main course.

Although Arven might get a bit jealous, Flore decided to try a malasada first. They had already tried his famous sandwiches many times and wanted to try something new.

They opted for a sweet malasada—although the spicy malasada also sounded tempting—and took a seat next to Nemona, Kieran—who had already bitten into a malasada, as the good sweet tooth that he is—and the duo they had arrived with.

When Crispin saw them arrive, he dashed out of the tent and went to greet the birthday celebrant.

"Have you tried it yet?" The redhead sounded very expectant as he served the brunette one. "This recipe was given to me by a girl I was competing against in a cooking contest," he said with a big smile, indicating that he had apparently won.

It had been a long time since Flore had talked much with the kids from Blueberry. "Really? That's awesome!"

"Yes, it's a sweet from Alola," the boy wiped the sweat from being near the grill. "That Mallow girl was definitely a good opponent. SHE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO COOK!"

The trainer looked at the sweet in their hands, not knowing that such camaraderie among chefs was behind the recipe. How wonderful to know that their friend was making the most of his talent and finding his people.

"Well, I'm going to try it!" they cheered. "I'm sure it's delicious!" They knew their friend's talent, so it definitely would be.

"THANK YOU!! I'D PICK THE SPICY O—" Both were interrupted by a blond young man who had also emerged from the kitchen tent and was now wrapping an arm around Flore's shoulders.

"Though not more delicious than mine, right?" Arven had let out that slightly jealous side of his. He had worked on it a lot, but sometimes he just couldn't control it.

But that's why Penny was there, even though she was absorbed in her phone to give herself a little social break, she was still paying attention. She knew how to bring her friend back down to earth.

"Are you still upset about losing the who's gonna cook battle?" The jab from Arven's friend went straight to his little heart.

It was clear that a team like Arven's would lose against the redhead's, who came from a school focused on battles (even more so against his weather strategies and type specialization), but he didn't see it that way.

"It just doesn't make sense!" Yes, some bits of the Arven they had met at the lighthouse returned when he was around new people. He was putting on that little mask of arrogance again.

But his friend had no mercy when it came to that; that's why she often clashed with Arven. His attitude reminded her of some of the bullies she had dealt with, and even though she knew Arven would never treat her like them, that attitude drove her nuts.

"Apparently, Professor Lavender's lessons haven't had an effect yet," she sang.

Lacey was curious about the conversation. "Why are you taking classes?"

The redhead girl felt mischievous and stole the turn from the blonde; her social break had recharged her energy to tease her friend. "To be a professor too."

"Awesome!" Lacey's compliment only made poor Arven blush even more.

Crispin unintentionally came to the blue-eyed prince's rescue. "The food's ready!" The attention shifted from the blonde cook to the tray full of hamburgers.

And so went the lunch. Everyone agreed that Crispin's new recipe was incredibly delicious—luckily, he hadn't made it too spicy, preventing anyone from disliking the flavor. And the Blueberry Academy students who tried Arven's sandwiches agreed that they should definitely serve something like that in the cafeteria.

An afternoon of volleyball and a chocolate cake later, the group was happily enjoying a round of fruit punch, courtesy of the cooking duo.

"And how's it going now as champion?" Drayton hadn't had much chance to see Flore since their first stay at Blueberry.

Encouraged by the question, they started to get sincere. "And… It's not as easy anymore," they began to fidget with their hair, searching for words. "As the regional champion, I'm the first one they call to represent Paldea in world competitions."

A sigh escaped their body, fatigued just by recalling it. "Now with the interregional tournament, it's a lot of traveling back and forth."

"Really?" Most Blueberry students couldn't imagine what it was like to be a regional champion.

They had heard of Unova's champion, Iris (whom Drayton boasted was his friend), but the only thing that came to mind when they thought of a champion was a president of a club, like in their league.

Luckily, the trainer helped them imagine it. "I swear! I'm lucky that my quarterfinals opponent, someone named Serena, is a sort of superstar and asked to postpone the match," they exaggerated their eyes for a dramatically terrifying look, eliciting a few laughs. "If it weren't for her performance I'd have to battle on my birthday!"

"Oh my god, I'm so glad you defeated me so quickly; otherwise, it would be me! Can you imagine me on a plane for that long?" Flore couldn't imagine it; their friend and rival Nemona had never been particularly calm. They could understand how staying seated for so long could be stressful for her.

She had had trouble even coming to Unova for the party. If she hadn't kept herself entertained talking to Penny and Arven, she would have started running down the aisles.

"Hahaha, yes, it would be quite amusing to see. The trip from Paldea to Kalos for this battle is about eight hours!" More surprised looks from the Elite Four, who were still learning.

"Really? What a drag!" Crispin also wasn't someone who could sit still for so long; just thinking about it gave him a headache.

"Wait, you're going to Kalos?" Lacey's curiosity continued to attack. She had heard about the region, and some of her classmates were from there, and everything she heard made her want to go even more.

Clay had promised her a trip there for her sweet sixteen, but he still hadn't found the most beautiful hotel to stay with his princess.

"Yes, I tried to get a ticket for Kieran, but Geeta is already immune to my puppy-dog eyes," they admitted, frustrated. For their famous Fidough eyes to be useless, they must have insisted a lot.

And that's how it was; Flore had tried until they were exhausted, not ready to give up so easily to have their boyfriend by their side in Lumiose City. They had dreamed several times of being able to go with him to explore "The City of Love," eat in its famous cafés, and see the city from the famous tower.

Kieran, knowing the effort their flower had put into convincing the league, couldn't help but complain. "I'm sure her bodyguard convinced her." He knew the Paldean league wasn't the best; they were the ones who had allowed his beloved to go to Area Zero twice. But couldn't they at least let them have that moment to make up for it?

The trainer, understanding where those feelings were coming from (a place of protection), tried to calm the waters of his angry onion. "Oh, come on, Rika's not as bad as you think."

"When you're wandering around Kalos, could you do me a favor?" The dragon tamer interrupted the conversation, sounding too friendly for Kieran's liking.

The purple-haired boy sensed something, but decided to let it continue and simply be alert. His relationship with Drayton had calmed down over the years, and he had learned not to jump to conclusions too quickly. It's not that he didn't trigger his defensive instincts, but he preferred to think twice.

He listened attentively as Flore agreed, expecting to hear the request. "Sure, bro."

"I'll tell you more later, but it's a little gift I want to give my Sceptile." In a fraction of a second, his breathing became a bit heavier.

Kieran hadn’t spent six whole months locked up reading books for nothing; he knew exactly what Drayton wanted. "Oh, you won't, you big hack!" Unfair advantages weren’t his style.

The laughter from the toothpaste man only stirred up an old anger Kieran hadn’t felt in a long time. "What's the prob?" The old urge to punch the smirk off his face tempted him to return to his old habits.

Twenty years didn’t guarantee maturity, apparently. The guy was still taking advantage of his partner, right in front of him.

But Kieran decided to take a deep breath, in and out. He wasn’t going to do something that stupid, not in front of his friends, not on their day. He was better than that now.

Luckily, that helped him relax and think more clearly.

Lacey noticed the situation escalating. And while she knew that her onion friend had changed and wasn’t as explosive as before, she decided to change the subject, just in case. "So... do you know this Serena?"

Flore's voice sounded a bit embarrassed as they spoke. "Not really. She barely speaks Galarian," they admitted while sipping on an orange smoothie. "And her accent is a bit strange because she speaks Kalish, so I couldn’t understand much when we talked."

Nemona, hearing of their struggle, couldn’t help but jump in to offer assistance. "Oh, that’s too bad! I could teach you a little if you want."

"You speak Kalish?" All eyes focused on Nemona, incredulous.

The attention made Nemona a bit self-conscious. "Y-Yes, my parents sent me to language classes when I was little." She played with her collar, uncomfortable with so many eyes on her. It made her feel like some kind of weirdo. "It was a drag, but they insisted I learn the 'Language of Love.'"

Flore was quick to decline. "Oh, thank you so much for the offer, but I'll pass." The sweetness in their voice showed the sincerity of their words—they really appreciated the help. "Learning Kantonian is already filling my head."

"I already told you that you didn’t have to do it if you didn’t want to," Kieran protested. He knew Flore was studying the language for him. He knew it wasn’t a burden or anything, but sometimes he needed a little extra reassurance.

"And I already told you I wanted to learn it." There it was, the affirmation he needed. The young trainer wanted to learn their partner’s native language.

"Oh, no problem, guys." Nemona wanted to smooth over the little ruckus she'd caused. "I just wanted to teach you so you’d know what moves she might use—that would give you an advantage in battle."

Both rivals insisted vigorously. Flore didn’t want Nemona to go out of her way, and Nemona insisted on wanting to help Flore.

"Even so, I don’t want to take up your time. You have to prepare for the challenges you have to face," Flore reasoned. "If you don’t, you won’t become a Gym Leader."

"You're right," the brunette sighed, defeated.

Nemona was a little sad, it's not that she didn’t want to be a Gym Leader, but the day just wasn’t long enough for everything she wanted to do! The assignments she’d been given to qualify hadn’t been in her plans when Geeta offered her the Gym Leader position.

Now she had to learn absolutely everything about the Fighting type if she wanted to become one. And it was exhausting! She was made for battle, not studying.

"But, back to the topic, that Serena girl is really sweet. When the league started, she approached me to give me a tour of the stadium and show me some shops in the city." For the third time, Flore scratched their chin, comically. "I think you’d really like her, Lacey! From what I saw of her outfit and what she liked, she’s a huge fan of adorable things, just like you!"

"I’m going to hide in your suitcase to meet her," Lacey’s hazel eyes lit up at the idea.

"Haha! That would be fun."

The conversation continued animatedly, though Kieran didn’t pay much attention after that. From what he heard, Flore started telling them about the harassment they’d started receiving for representing Paldea after growing up in Galar.

He’d been there when they confessed over the phone how bad it made them feel, and he thought it was horrible. He was grateful that now they’d developed a thicker skin.

Especially because the arguments those bullies had were stupid. They claimed the Galarian league was harder than Paldea’s and that’s why Flore went to become champion there. It made no sense; they left because they felt lonely there.

But after that, he lost the thread of the conversation. For some reason, he felt uneasy.

His attention was drawn to the dance floor that no one had used, despite the music being perfect for losing yourself in the rhythm.

He’d gone to a couple of school dances once Flore encouraged him to try it and meet more people. And besides discovering he didn’t like them at all, he saw how much his Elite Four friends really enjoyed dancing. It surprised him how much he hadn’t seen in his blind pursuit of strength, and now it was all shining in front of his eyes.

He even saw how much his partner loved dancing when they had to clean the League clubroom a few years ago. And he, still in his spiral of darkness, could only watch from afar as the music animated the rhythm and passion in their body while they made the room sparkle.

Not enough to disturb him, but it definitely struck him as odd that the place was empty. It made him feel sad.

Moreover, conversations like that reminded him of how much Flore had gone through and still had to endure. Their scars weren’t for nothing, and even though they had faded to small white marks on their dark skin, they were still there. What those Underpaths did to them would never go away.

And even outside that macabre place called "Area Zero," they still had to endure things like sports harassment and the expectations adults placed on their shoulders.

They were simply someone who loved battling and nature. They weren’t some sort of savior who could resolve a millennial paradox, nor were they responsible for stopping the bullying of an entire academy or leading a nation to sporting glory.

But there they were, silencing envious voices and proving they were ready for anything, even when they weren’t. They hadn’t been able to talk about what happened in the Underpaths until recently.

Sometimes Kieran wished he could take that burden off their shoulders.

"Yes, I lost last year, and the crowd screamed at me like you have no idea."

Seeing the sadness and sincerity on Flore’s face as they talked about it triggered something in Kieran’s mind.

A lightbulb went off in his head, and a sly smile spread across his face.

He had an idea.

Taking advantage of the fact that Flore was talking to the others, he slowly slipped out of their sight—at least, he thought he wasn’t noticed—and headed straight for the speaker controlled by Drayton’s Rotom.

He began to run through the songs his partner often hummed, and a favorite came to mind quickly.

He wanted it to be a surprise, so interrupting the current song wasn’t an option. Kieran typed in the Rotom’s search bar and, after checking that no one had seen him, hit the "Add to Queue" button with a satisfied look.

He was quite proud of himself for not taking half an hour to use that device.

He remembered hearing them sing that song when they were walking down some street in Paldea, Unova, or some trail in Kitakami. So he knew they would like it.

Just as discreetly as he’d left, he returned to the center of the party where the birthday person was now, sitting in a nearby chair to wait for their reaction, dreaming of seeing their face light up.

He didn’t have to wait long, as the bass of the previous song faded within 30 seconds to give way to an energetically upbeat drumbeat.

Song: "El primer día del resto de mi vida" - La Oreja de Van Gogh

It only took two seconds for Flore’s sharp ear to recognize the song and turn their look of bewilderment into one of pure joy, with that radiant smile and fervent sparkle in their eyes that made Kieran melt.

The real confusion that hadn’t left yet was the genuine disorientation that invaded the Blueberry Academy students, who didn’t recognize the song at all (except for Kieran, who watched in delight at Flore’s happiness). They didn’t even understand the lyrics.

They could only watch in astonishment as the exchange students, far from feeling that way, cheered with arms around each other, cups of punch in hand, and sang like crazy to the unmistakable chorus:

Wo-o-oh
Wo-o-oh
Wo-o-oh
Wo-o-oh-oh-oh

Come on! It’s a classic from their homeland! You can’t blame them. Their excitement even made them seem drunk, and maybe, just maybe, they were—drunk on happiness. They sounded almost as enthusiastic and loud as when they cheered for Flore during the championship.

The combination of seeing their friends so happy and the obvious energy boost from hearing their favorite song made Flore’s heart beat to the rhythm, filling them with the courage to do something they’d always wanted but never dared to do.

Entre tus nubes y mis contraluces, fuiste cubriendo el cielo con las cruces / Between your clouds and my backlighting, you started covering the sky with crosses.

Their body surrendered to the gentle rhythm, shoulders swaying in time, their braid swinging, and their gaze full of confidence slid towards poor Kieran, who knew there was no escape. Running from his seat wasn't an option, and he knew how determined his partner could be when they set their mind to something.

Flore knew it was him; they had seen him sneaking around. They couldn't believe he still remembered such small details after all this time. It had been no less than a year ago, during a late-night call, with honesty amplified by sleep, that Flore had told him how much they loved that song and how their father used to play it while tidying up the house.

They had hit the jackpot with this guy.

The same guy who was now in front of them, who had read the intent in their gaze and gestures.

His face turned redder with every step Flore took towards him, small drops of sweat appeared, and he started playing with the collar of his old shirt, something he hadn't done in a long time.

They loved when he did that.

"I-I don't dance," he stammered, his voice was thin, almost a whisper, even his eyes seemed to plead, "Don't make me do this."

Flore had to be a good partner, right? That included helping their "Querido" overcome his fears.

"How will you know if you don't try?" The curiosity in their voice made it even harder to refuse. That, along with that brilliant, mischievous smile, showing teeth—irresistible—melted into a nearly lethal combination! The poor boy had a weak heart!

They knew he couldn't say no when they smiled like that; the only thing more effective were their puppy eyes.

He sighed in defeat and was almost dragged to the center.

Neither of them knew exactly how to dance; they had never given themselves the chance to relax so much after everything that had happened. Perhaps that's why Flore had approached him with such eagerness; maybe they needed it.

Que terminaron por tapar el sol / And they ended up blocking the sun.

The center of the famous dance floor was a small mat with colorful squares in the middle of the sandy coastal biome, making it a bit tricky not to slip, but none of that scared a determined Flore.

Their steps were a bit clumsy, even tripping slightly.

But did that stop the lovebirds?

Flore was the first to let go of themselves to the rhythm. They started moving their shoulders to the beat until their body was filled with melody, and their strange choreography gained charisma. They didn't care if it looked wild or restless; their movements were full of energy, and something in their explosiveness seemed beautiful to Kieran.

They had one of those smiles that made your cheeks hurt. The purple-haired boy had always held the belief that his partner's smile was their best feature, and this was what he meant—they could smile with their heart. And when they did, there was no way that smile wouldn't infiltrate your soul and lift you up.

They took their partner's hands to guide them, trying to encourage them to do the same and surrender to the melody in their heart.

"Dancing, my dear, comes from the chest, from the heart," the Paldean Champion let go of one of his hands to raise a fist in the air, "Literally, the movements come from the chest."

Even Flore didn't know where that advice came from; they just said it. They didn't even know if it was right, and probably dancing starts more in the legs than the chest. But anything to encourage their partner to have more fun—they remembered hearing something similar once, and that was enough.

"And how will I know if I'm doing it right?" The onion boy's doubts attacked again. Who cared about that? Dancing was about moving your body to feel good.

"Just do what feels right!" How could he resist that ear-to-ear smile and those dreamy eyes? Kieran let himself be embraced by the acoustic guitar and the lively percussion of the song.

Tu voz sonaba tan arrepentida, arrodillado como niño en la orilla / Your voice sounded so regretful, on your knees like a child at the water's edge.

Desenterrando un poco de tu amor / Unburying a little of your love.

The music sounded sad and happy at the same time; Kieran could never have imagined those feelings could mix into something so beautiful. Captivated by its strange magic, he started to gain energy in his dancing as well. He wasn't dancing as passionately as his flower, but he managed to express his feelings too.

And that was without even knowing the lyrics, which spoke of infinite freedom.

The same lyrics that had Flore absorbed, giving them even more feelings to express with their body. That verse took them back to the early days of their relationship, to that Kieran who, after traveling through the underpaths, felt incredibly guilty, as if he had a burn from a Houndoom that wouldn't stop hurting.

A hint of nostalgia welled up in their eyes. How much he had grown! They looked at their partner and could no longer recognize that boy who couldn't return their gaze out of guilt.

Yes, things had started bitterly, that's for sure, but in the end, Flore couldn't feel anything but gratitude. It had taken both of them a lot of work to learn to heal, accept their emotions, communicate, and become each other's pillar of strength, but the journey had led them to something that was completely worth it.

Now both of them were better, they were better because they were together. They had found in each other a confidant, a companion, and unconditional support.

Flore's body was filled with gratitude. To fate? To Arceus? To life itself? It didn't matter who was responsible for all this; what mattered was that they were there with the ones they loved, with him.

Not that Kieran was far behind, he couldn't look at pictures of the black-haired boy he used to be without thinking about how Flore had made him, well, bloom.

Flore was happy to have found such a wonderful person. And Kieran was happy to have decided to be their pillar of strength, if that meant being by their side and empowering each other.

Y ahora que te digo adios, y se abren mis alas / And now, that I say goodbye, and my wings are opening...

At the drinks bar, others had followed their example; seeing the beautiful couple, the fire inside Crispin ignited with an idea, he decided it was finally time to leave his fears behind.

The worst she could say was no.

He approached where Lacey was talking with Amarys and Carmine.

As he got closer, his confidence waned, being replaced by shyness and a bit of nervousness. But even so, he took a deep breath and managed to approach his beloved, who today seemed more beautiful than ever, dressed especially for the occasion in a light "rouge pink" dress and her indispensable matching jacket. Even her hairpins were coordinated, decorated with lavender themes in honor of the birthdy celebrant.

"Oh! Hi Crispin!" Her sweet and calm voice, along with the bursts of happiness that overflowed from every word and the soft, closed-eye smile she gave him, were too much for him.

That completely disarmed him, but he couldn't back down now, he just had to try. With one hand hidden behind his back and the other playing with the collar of his jacket, he swallowed hard and managed to utter,

Do-do you understand anything of what the lyrics are saying?" He tried to start the conversation casually, but couldn't avoid stuttering, even his voice seemed to struggle to come out, sounding almost like a sigh.

"Honestly, I don't either! But it sounds very nice! And the Uva Academy folks seem to be having a blast!" She replied, pointing to the trio of lunatics living their best life, making an effort not to laugh. She was truly delighted to see how they were finally able to have fun together. That was right!

She loved parties, or rather, any place where she could have fun with her friends.

"For sure!" Trying, like the pink-haired girl, not to laugh. It was wonderful how she erased all his nerves with that personality that was secretly so fun. Although his tone became timid and uncertain again, "Do you want to dance? EEHH I-IT'S JUST THAT I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE BORED AND A-AND I ALSO WANT TO DANCE FOR A WHILE..." The last part came out as fast as a bullet, and the line between his red hair and his blushing face was almost unrecognizable.

Lacey let out a little giggle.

"Sure! It would be fun!" Excitement crept into her words as she thought of the other pair of lovebirds dancing. How nice it was not to have to think about responsibilities for a day and just enjoy doing these kinds of things.

"Oh, really?" Crispin felt like he was on cloud nine.

And the pink-haired girl almost ran to the dance floor, followed by the chef, who hadn't expected to get this far.

A "Don't steal her from us like that!" could be heard in the distance, Carmine protesting about the interruption.

But that mattered little to them; they just wanted to dance.

¿Me pides perdon? / You apologize?

Carmine and Amarys were left alone; the former intended to keep talking.

"Do you think it's okay that he left me hanging for half an hour?" She was completely hysterical over the time she had to wait for her brother to bother to find her.

The flight had been delayed, and she had to rush to the academy, arriving quite late. And if that wasn't enough, Kiki delayed her even more—this was the last straw.

But Amarys was thinking, and not exactly about that.

She wasn't the best when it came to feelings. She had always set aside anything unnecessary, forgoing them to fulfill her duties as best she could. The image she projected was very important to her—perfection and punctuality were her personal trademark.

It was no surprise that she was now an instructor at the academy.

But—

Everyone around her showed their affection in different ways.

But she was scared. What if she didn't want to? What if she ruined everything? What if she made a fool of herself? It was just a silly dance, nothing more, but she couldn't help taking it so seriously.

She gathered her courage and tried to express her desires as best she could.

"Ahem, Carmine." She swallowed hard; this action, along with calling her name, caught the attention of her… friend? "I would appreciate it if you could join me for a dance." The eyes that usually focused directly on the target now looked away to avoid Carmine's gaze.

Of course, she hadn't accounted for the kind of person Carmine was. Carmine overflowed with excitement, letting out a small squeal, unafraid to show that she, too, was blushing.

"Oh my Arceus, Amy! Of course!" Her voice had a high pitch, nothing like her usual strong tone when she spoke to everyone.

Amarys had always appreciated her gestures and displays of affection; she was the only person allowed to give her physical affection. That had always made her happy.

But for her to initiate something? That was something you didn't see every day.

Carmine was thrilled about it, and Amarys was relieved by her response.

They, too, headed to the dance floor.

Te quise como a nada mas, como al respirar, te quise como el fuego al viento en una noche de San Juán / I loved you more than I loved anything else, like breathing. I loved you like fire loves wind on a warm night

Y ahora que me voy me das la luna sobre el mar, ahora que no hay mas destino que camino en soledad /And now that I leave, you give me the moon over the sea. Now that there's no more fate than walking a path in loneliness

Flore's eyes had shone with infinite anticipation, waiting for this moment.

They had finally found a rhythm that worked for both of them, a bit more relaxed. It hadn’t been too difficult to find a way to synchronize; the rhythm guided them. They even began to dare to try some moves they had never attempted before, spinning each other as if they were in those romantic movies they loved.

The chorus and its explosion made something bloom in their hearts. The guitar that gained strength and the lively percussion easily crept into anyone's heart, even theirs, when they were a child, singing along to the "Woh o-oh."

They were completely sincere in their request. They had come this far; why not steal another golden moment with their boyfriend?

"Can I ask you to try something?" Flore's voice was unrecognizable.

The moment had left Kieran completely stunned; he had no words, but he managed to nod his head.

Flore held Kieran's hands tightly and stood on tiptoes, gesturing to their "love" with their head to do the same. He did.

The shorter one gathered strength in their legs and began to spin. With the power of their build, Kieran's body offered no resistance. The Paldea Champion's laughter blended with the music, so melodious.

They looked like a tornado, and the strength they gained from being together made it almost impossible to tell them apart. It wasn't even a proper dance move; it was one of Flore's silly ideas, but, by Arceus, it felt beautiful.

The world blurred as they spun at such speed, but neither of them needed the world at that moment. Small tears of joy escaped the brunette. It was just them. Sometimes, nothing more was needed.

There was something simply magical about it.

Kieran's heart exploded with those new colors he always discovered hand in hand with his flower.

Who would have imagined that something as simple as dancing could be so wonderful?

Their hearts were in complete harmony (according to Flore, this was the feeling when they and their loved ones connected with the same goal or emotion). Or "synergy," as Kieran called it, which is when in a Pokémon team, the comrades are perfectly matched for one another.

"The most beautiful purple eyes you’ll ever see in your damn life" and "those clear eyes that seem to speak for themselves" met, both saying "Thank you."

Thank you for so many things; they had saved each other from drowning.

Ya queda poco por decir, y poco para recordar / There's little left to say, and little to remember.

Que llora el río cuando pasa porque nunca volvera / The river cries when it passes by, 'cause it's never coming back.

The song began to fade. The two of them stopped and started breathing deeply to recover the air they had lost.

Their bodies were heating up, the warmth starting to make its presence felt. They didn’t know if it was from the little physical effort they had made or from being so close to each other.

Their gazes met again, sure that this would be a moment they would treasure. Their lips met in a kiss to seal it.

Without pulling away much, the boy let out a— "Wowzers."

He had no better words to describe it.

It was incredible.

It was until a shout pulled them out of their little fairy tale.

"Kieran! Flore! Come on! A Champion's Tournament can't be one without the champions battling!" Nemona approached the couple, almost shouting. Right, they had forgotten that she had organized a small tournament to liven up the party.

Flore looked into the eyes of the purple-haired boy, their gaze almost whispering, "We don't have to do this if you don't want to." They knew the tumultuous history they and their boyfriend had when it came to battles.

Kieran seemed to read it and responded with determination in his eyes.

"It's okay, it's not like before." A mischievous smile and confident eyes began to form on his face as he adjusted his hairstyle, preparing himself.

Their partner understood his gestures and, without holding back in the challenge of his words, let out a—

"Well, in that case, I won't hold back!" The excitement from the moment they had just experienced only fueled their inner fire even more.

"So be it!"

And Flore took off running.

"The last one there washes all the dishes from the party!" They challenged, unable to avoid a laugh at how their words left the young man dumbfounded, not expecting it at all.

"W-Wait! That's not fair!" And Kieran started running clumsily in an attempt to catch up with his athletic rival.

And so, both of them ran to the improvised battlefield that Flore's friend had set up.

How much they had grown.