Draining Revelations

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

Wind pushed against Andrew’s face as branches flew by. The Marshtomp kicked up dirt and created a whirlwind of dust behind him. He crushed leaves and twigs as he dashed through the forest, eliciting a satisfying crunch. As he ventured further, his speed only increased.

Adrenaline surged through him as he approached an opening in the trees. The Marshtomp leaped off the path and onto the hard, cobblestone streets of Grandeport. He paused and panted to fill his lungs with air. After a moment, the adrenaline flushed from his body. 

His head fell. Thomas… Did he? Was I hallucinating? Maybe I’m asleep. This is probably a dream, a trick my mind is playing on me to get me to admit I love Thomas. 

So what if I love Thomas? Is there anything wrong with that?

Yes. No?

Is there? But, I was a human! 

But… But…

Andrew clutched his head, feeling his three fingers slip down his sleek skin. A headache was setting in, squeezing his mind.

Needing to distract himself, the Marshtomp panned his head around the environment.

Nothing.

Well, not nothing, but little of importance. The city looked no different than usual. Houses, streets, trees, market stalls- this was Grandeport alright. However, not a single Pokemon could be found. Andrew looked left and right to make sure. 

Nope, nobody is magically appearing . 

A frigid wind blew over Andrew, sending a shiver down his spine. With a sigh, the Marshtomp began trekking down the road. 

What was I thinking? I’m a Pokemon, but I’m not really a Pokemon. And besides, Thomas is just a friend. It’s a complete violation of ethics. We’re roommates, nothing more.

Andrew gritted his teeth. What am I thinking? What was I thinking? I liked it! For a moment… Gah!

The Marshtomp turned his gaze to the night sky. The moon glared without shame or hindrance, the center of its own starlight show. Its white glow worked in tandem with the streetlamps to provide just enough illumination for the narrow roads. 

Curtains were drawn in many windows, the occasional light streaming past the covering and into the street. Storefronts remained lifeless and gray. Every color of the city was washed away from inky darkness under the moon’s and star’s watchful eyes.

A small ache persisted and pulsed in Andrew’s head. His fingers twitched in rhythm with the chill creeping through his core. Unable to stand there and dwell on the discomfort any longer, the Marshtomp wandered through the city.

Not unlike the winding halls of Grandeport castle, the streets just kept going on and on. Corners turned to roads and houses turned to brick, to stone, to wood, and to material Andrew did not recognize.

But it did not end.

Where am I even going? Where am I? He pondered.

Now his legs began to ache, and all that shivering had brought a dull pain to his torso. 

I mean, not like anyone would really care if I sat down here.

Andrew soon found himself in a narrow, brick-lined alleyway. He darted his eyes around one last time before sliding slowly down to the floor and resting his back against a wall. His eyelids grew heavy. The world grew fuzzy. 

With a yawn, Andrew shut his eyes.

---

“Oh my god? What is this?”

A new pain had formed where Andrew’s neck connected to his collarbone. Do I have a collarbone? Or two collarbones, people have two, right? Hell, do I even still have a neck? Real important questions of life.

“Andrew is that…?”

The Marshtomp’s eyes flew open.

Standing before him was none other than his former friend. Even with his short, quadrupedal stature, Jason still loomed over Andrew. The Espeon’s purple eyes glistened and pierced the overcoat of darkness which shielded Grandeport.

Jason stuck out a paw and softly poked Andrew’s stomach.

“What do you want?” The Marshtomp spat before slapping the Espeon’s paw away.

 Jason tilted his head. “What are you doing here? After your whole inauguration thing, an alley is the last place I’d expect to find you.”

“Inauguration?” Andrew uttered as he stood up. He brushed himself off. “You call that an inauguration? An inauguration is a ceremony before you take office! That was like the… Whatever you call it.”

“When do you take office ?” Jason asked, rolling his eyes.

Andrew blinked. 

“Tomorrow. Probably.”

“Okay, so it’s basically an inauguration.” 

“It was basically an inauguration,” Andrew repeated in concession. 

The Marshtomp tapped his foot against the ground. “So… What brings you here tonight?”

Jason shook his head. “I could ask you the same thing.” 

“You could, but I asked first.”

The Espeon’s ears drooped slightly. “I was just heading home. Did a bit of paperwork while half the guild was out patrolling the streets.”

“Patrolling the streets?” Andrew questioned. “Why?”

Jason began to walk away. “Because of your inauguration. Anyways, I should be getting home. I have a bed to sleep in.”

“Hey! I do too!” Andrew called out, running up to follow Jason.

The Espeon groaned. “Then why are you following me?” 

“Well, I feel like it,” the Marshtomp replied.

“You do?”

“I do.”

“Tell me why you are actually following me.”

The Marshtomp paused for a moment, only for him to again run up beside Jason. He waved his flippers as a signal for the Espeon to halt. “You see, Jason.”

He narrowed his eyes. “No, not really.”

“I have a teensy little predicament,” Andrew said with a chuckle. “Something we should discuss privately.”

Jason looked around and over his shoulder. “Okay, nobody is here. What do you want to tell me?”

“No! Like, actually in private,”  the Marshtomp whispered.

The Espeon stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned to glare at Andrew, piercing into the beady eyes welded into his head. 

“You want me… You want me to let you into my house? After how you’ve treated Ryder? Hell, after how you’ve treated me!?” He yelled. “Are you fucking insane?”

Andrew raised his finger. “Probably not. But, that’s beside the point. Think of it this way. It’d be just like old times! Me, you, house all to ourselves.”

“Not sure you noticed, but it’s not exactly old times. Two years, Andrew. I’m not the guy you knew. Whatever your problem is, I hope you figure it out. I really do, Andrew. I don’t like seeing you sleep in some alley. But you are going to have to prove to me that you can enter my house without burning it down before I even consider it,” he stated firmly before stomping a paw on the ground.

Andrew grunted and shook his head. “Haven’t we done this before? The almighty human-in-denial proclaiming his strong sense of integrity! Won’t even smuggle a friend in need back into the city.”

“And with each day I see more and more how correct a decision that was. Imagine what would have happened if I actually did try to get you back into Grandeport!” Jason shot back, aggression building to build in his voice.

“How correct a decision that was!?” Andrew mocked. “You got me there! How wise art thou, the great Espeon, the almighty Jason! Back then, if I had to be stuck one more day with you and your high horse, I probably  would have killed you in your sleep. And frankly, you’d deserve it.”

Jason scoffed as he began to move forward again. “You are not helping your case for staying the night with me. At this rate, I should probably throw you right back in the dungeon. Perhaps a bit of silent reflection would do some good for that increasingly un-Andrew mind!”

“Un-Andrew?” the Marshtomp uttered in shock. His heart jumped up a mile. His legs began to melt into a puddle and his fingers began to tremble. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched as the horrid realization set in. 

Un-Andrew? Un-Andrew! Is he insinuating…

“You don’t think I’m the same person?”

The Espeon slowed his pace, looking up to gaze at the stars overhead. “Yeah, I am.”

A primal fear struck through Andrew. His legs felt ready to run a marathon, and his arms were ready to swim one too. 

A rumbling erupted from his stomach.

Goddamnit! Not again!

He bolted away from Jason, quickly navigating to another alleyway nearby. His flippers tightly covered his mouth as his cheeks ballooned outward. Andrew tried to swallow, to keep his mouth zipped shut, desperately trying to prevent the water rushing up his throat from escaping.

It was no use.

Despite his persistence, the Marshtomp’s mouth shot open and spewed out an unstoppably strong jet of water. The liquid flew straight down onto the ground, hitting it and flying in all directions.

A fair amount splashed back onto him, though he didn’t care. He panted and heaved for a moment, then shrugged once his energy and wits returned to him. 

Wiping a bit of fluid from his mouth, Andrew awkwardly trotted back over to Jason. The Espeon had not moved an inch, staring on at the Marshtomp with a look of confusion and alarm.

“What just happened!?” The Espeon uttered.

Andrew waved his flipper dismissively. “Oh, you know. Marshtomp stuff. Been a while since I had to do that.”

“Uh-huh,” Jason said, nodding uncomfortably before clearing his throat. “Okay, where were we?”

“You were just about to invite me to stay the night.”

“After that?” The Espeon spat. He could only chuckle in his disbelief. “No way in hell.”

Andrew crossed his flippers as the Espeon again tried to leave.

It would be such a waste of time to give up now, the Marshtomp knew. C’mon, Andrew. Think!

He continued to follow Jason despite the Espeon’s efforts to escape. “Look, Jason. There’s nowhere I think I can stay tonight after what just happened. I know things aren’t what they once were between us, but if you could spare a couch for one night, I’ll explain everything to you.”

The Espeon paused. He studied Andrew, tilting his head. His ears drooped and his tail whipped around as he thought. After a moment, he let out a long sigh. “Fine, Andrew. For one night, and believe me when I say only one. But, you better behave yourself. And you better have a damn good explanation as to what this is all about.”

“T-Thanks!” The Marshtomp uttered, surprised that it worked. “I will.”

Jason nodded before continuing down the desolate street with Andrew in tow. They walked silently, only pattering their footsteps against the road creating noise as they ascended up a short hill and turned a corner. 

The Espeon stopped outside of an unassuming house. It was a narrow building with a dull brick exterior, a wooden roof, and a stone chimney. The small home was nestled in between two identical others in a perfect, neat row.

“Welp. Here’s the place,” Jason placed his paw on top of the doorknob. He twisted the handle with a satisfying click and pushed the front door open.

The pair stepped inside. Light streamed in from what seemed to Andrew like a hallway, but the house was otherwise too dark for him to make out much.

“It’s not much, but I can pay the rent. I’ll go light some candles,” Jason said, stepping inside.

Andrew followed, keeping his eyes on Jason’s tail so as to not get lost in the darkness. 

A purple glow caught  Andrew’s eyes. He turned his head to see several sticks and a box floating through the air, illuminated by purple light.

“Uh, J-J-Jason?” the Marshtomp whispered with a quiver in his voice. “Does a witch live in your house?”

“What? No, I’ve yet to run into any witches in this world. Just my telekinesis,” He explained with pride. His eyes shimmered, and a couple of candles and a matchbox in the corner glowed and floated over to present themselves to the Marshtomp.

“Oh. Cool,” he deadpanned. This dumbass gets telekinesis, and I get chronic dehydration?

The match crept out of the matchbox and slowly levitated out before sweeping against its side with a soft click. An orange flame burst from the top of the match and broke through the purple haze. Jason quickly brought it over to the candles, which had floated to two metal candle holders on a table in the center of the room. 

The match brushed against the wicks of each candle, forcing the small white strands to rise and burst into flames. 

“There we go,” Jason said quietly before collapsing into a nearby chair.

The candlelight was just enough to faintly brighten his surroundings. Jason was still mostly cast in darkness, with only a few patches of his purple fur illuminated by the fire.

 Andrew looked over to Jason, and his eyes landed on a conveniently short wooden chair next to the Espeon’s. He crept over and lowered himself onto it, grunting in exhaustion.   

“It’s been a while since I’ve been up this late. Used to a lot with Ryder, but he hasn’t been up to it as much lately.” Jason remarked. His words subtly dripped with spite, which surprised Andrew. 

The Marshtomp tilted his head. “Well, okay, uh… You got anything to eat?”

“I did not agree to feed you.”

Andrew groaned. “Fine, fine.”

“Now then. Why exactly did you want to stay here for the night? I know the current housing market is a bit wild, but I assumed you had somewhere to stay. Especially as police chief, or president, or whatever you’re calling yourself this week,” he interrogated, resting a paw on the table.

The Marshtomp looked to the side, before looking back at Jason to meet Jason’s glare. “You said you’ve been a Pokemon here for a few years, right?”

The Espeon shrugged. “Yep. Couldn’t imagine living any other way.”

“By any chance, and really it’s fine if the answer is no. But, have you… Been in some sort of relationship… With a Pokemon? Y’know, like, a romantic one,” Andrew croaked, fingers clutching the edge of the table.

Jason’s eyes widened in surprise. He seemed to ponder the question for a moment, then smiled. “Oh… I see what this is about! It so happens I was in a brief relationship. Probably shouldn’t get into it, you know how it is. We’re still friends and it was cool and all, and you know.” He stuttered. “You know how it is.” 

Andrew crossed his flippers and rolled his eyes. “No, I don’t ‘how it is’ and that’s why I came to you. I thought you’d have some solution for me. I suppose that was a misjudgment on my part.”

“Not sure what you were expecting me to say,” Jason replied. He furrowed his brow. “My relationship experience in general is pretty limited, much less with Pokemon. Frankly, you are the last person I expected to get into this situation. No offense…”

The Espeon paused.

“Are you going to tell me who she is?”

The Marshtomp’s eyes widened. The fire from the candles seemed to burn brighter as a roll of sweat trickled down his forehead.

I mean, it’s just Jason. Did I ever tell him about this? No, I didn’t, I couldn’t have. Who’d have thought this is how I would do this? Not a human sitting in a living room, or the park, or wherever the hell I’d go. No, a strange foreign creature talking to another strange foreign creature about wanting to be with other strange foreign creatures. Godddamnit.

“Funny thing. Remember when I ran into you and Ryder at that restaurant? How long ago was it?” Andrew spoke nervously, tapping his fingers together.

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “How could I forget? To be honest, that was the moment when I really could no longer see you as you . The Andrew that I knew would have never done something as abhorrent and violent as you did. So yes, I remember it like it was yesterday. And I will never forget.”

Andrew narrowed his eyes too as he pointed a finger at Jason. “The Andrew you knew would do anything to protect himself. Maybe some things could have been done differently, looking back. I’m even almost remorseful for clunking that piece of shit over the head, but what did you expect? You were threatening to throw me back out of the city. It’s a miracle I even survived the first time.”

“He didn’t deserve that!” the Espeon yelled, fury in his eyes. “Back when you were human, you would have taken a punch to the face if it meant that the guy who did it would get in trouble. Why didn’t you just let Ryder get in trouble, he would have! Instead, you had to hurt him.”

“You would have preferred Ryder got in trouble?” 

Silence.

Jason broke eye contact. He grimaced, his expression conflicted. “No, I guess not. But that doesn’t excuse your actions. Ryder’s like a brother to me. We’ve been through so much together, so many dungeons, missions, and nights out. I’ve saved his life more times than I can count, and he’s saved mine a lot too. It’s a type of relationship I can only hope you’re capable of experiencing.”

Andrew looked down at the floor. Unlike most seen throughout Grandeport, this one was made of white and black ceramic tiles. They gave off a cool sensation when Andrew lowered his foot down.

If I squint, it almost looks like my kitchen.

They sat without talking for another few minutes before Jason broke the ever-deafening silence.

“Maybe I got a bit carried away there. But you see my point, don’t you? I can’t let anyone hurt Ryder, not even you, Andrew. And you’ve hurt him so much more than you realize.”

The Marshtomp looked back up at Jason. There was a glimmer of guilt in his eye. “I’m not exactly proud of what I did. I didn’t mean for this whole thing to spiral as far as it has. Look at me, I’m the ruler of Grandeport. I still can’t believe it. I don’t know what’s going on, and now this whole thing with Thomas…”

“Thomas? Who’s that?” Jason interrupted, glaring quizzically at Andrew.

The Marshtomp gulped. “He’s… He’s the Servine I was at the restaurant with. He’s a journalist for some newspaper. And he may have incited a small riot? Kindest person I’ve ever met, though.”

“Oh, yes. I recognize that name. He wrote that article which nearly got half the square burnt down,” the Espeon grumbled. Suspicion crept into his voice. “How is this relevant?”

The Marshtomp laughed nervously. “Well, funny story. After my inauguration victory ceremony thing, he took me to the top of this hill. It was beautiful, you could see the entire city from up there. Then he talked about how he loved me, we kissed, and I ran away. Then you found me in that alleyway, and the rest is history.”

“Oh,” Jason stuttered plainly, having not fully processed the funny story.

He then gave Andrew a bug-eyed stare. His mouth fell partly open

“I take it that this is the guy you were talking about being in a relationship with?”

“Mhm,” Andrew answered with a nod.

Jason laughed nervously. “I-I never realized that you were… But! No, no. That actually makes a lot of sense. Certainly puts into perspective those weird things Thomas said in that article about you becoming chief of police.”

“You read that?” Andrew exclaimed, throwing out his flippers.

“Of course I read it!” The Espeon yelled back. “Pretty hard to escape the Grandeport Gazette in our current media landscape. Now I get why he said all those nice things about you. Probably should have realized how he was being a little too nice.”

Andrew sighed. “And look how I repaid him. Ran away after he kissed me! Imagine what he thinks of me right now.”

Jason contemplated his response for a moment, opening his mouth several times only for no words to come out. Andrew twiddled his fingers as his heart pounded in anticipation and regret. The flames of the candles danced like marionettes waved around by some unseen master. 

“You say you ran from Thomas right after he kissed you?” Jason asked.

Andrew hung his head in shame and meekly nodded.

“Why? What made you feel like you had to get away from him?”

“I-I,” Andrew stuttered. “It’s complicated. You gotta understand, I might be a Marshtomp on the outside, I blend in with other Pokemon- I live with them, I eat what they eat, I shop in their shops, and I help run their country. But I’m not a Pokemon. Not really. Just a human masquerading as one with the mask glued to his face.”

The Espeon smirked. “I sort of believed that too. When I first became a weird, psychic fox, I thought it was all going to be temporary. A vacation sort of. There was a voice in the back of my head reassuring me that everything was going to be alright and that I’d be a human tomorrow.”

“A human next week.”

“A human next month.”

“A human next year.”

He sighed. “Now it’s been two. I’m still an Espeon. After being here for so long, what really makes me any different than some random Pokemon on the street?”

The Marshtompgawked before throwing up his arms. “That you were human! This isn’t the real you! You have the body of a Pokemon, but do you have the mind of one? Do you think like them? Act like them? No, you aren’t one of them! This is all bullshit and you know it!”

Andrew’s chest heaved up and down. He stood up from his chair to look down at the Espeon. 

That’ll show him. Maybe now he’ll get it!

“You don’t really believe that,” Jason said flatly.

“What?” Andrew uttered. He stomped his foot. “Of course I do!”

The Espeon shook his head. “I take back what I said earlier, what I’ve been saying for a while now. You are still you. You’re more aggressive, violent, and crazy than the human that I used to know. But you’re still Andrew.”

Andrew rested his head on a flipper. “Great observation, Jason. It turns out that despite being a Pokemon, I’m still plain old me. Did you know that the sky is actually blue? It’s crazy, I know. But, if you look up, you’ll see that I’m not lying.”

“You’re missing the point,” Jason groaned.

The Marshtomp threw his head back. “Then enlighten me! What’s the point?”

“The point is that I know you, and I know you don’t believe that. I think that you are trying to understand the world around you, and your mind is defaulting to what’s easiest for you to comprehend,” Jason explained. “Andrew, I’ve been through all of this!” 

Andrew opened his mouth to rebut but found himself unable to do so. “Then how do I… Do whatever I am supposed to do?”

The Espeon shrugged. “I went through the I’m not a real Pokemon phase a while ago. I didn’t just snap out of it one day, I slowly built connections with the people around me and eventually, I was a Pokemon! And it’ll be like that for you too, assuming you build those connections. To become a true Pokemon, you just gotta be human. It’s as simple as that.” 

As simple as that? Haven’t I done it all? I have Thomas, Charlie, Thomas, and Charlie! 

“I don’t want to be a Pokemon,” Andrew sighed.

Jason slammed both his paws down on the table, causing Andrew to reel back in surprise. The vibrations shook the candle holders, dislodging one of the candles. It began to fall, but right before it hit the table, a purple glow surrounded it and brought it back into its place.

“What do you want from me, Andrew? You’re a Pokemon now!: Jason spat, vitriol oozing from his words. “There’s no going back. You can pretend there is still something that puts you apart from the rest of us, but there’s not! You aren’t special. Deal with it!” 

Andrew raised his flipper in anger. The appendages were illuminated by the firelight, showing him three rectangular fingers with no distinct joints or imperfections. This flipper was built for swimming through some strange evolutionary process unbeknownst to him, a phenomenon that created the strange blue creature whose fingers he was viewing.

Stopping himself, Andrew looked back up at Jason. He studied the Espeon’s paws, each covered in fine lavender fur. He didn’t even have anything resembling hands, they were feet. 

  I have trouble picking up a pen to do a word search, what it’s like for him? Does he have to hold it with his mouth? Can he even use one?

“I guess that’s… Food for thought.” Andrew sighed before meeting Jason’s eyes.

“Andrew, this is hard, I get it,” Jason murmured. His ears drooped. “We are what we are. I know how you are, I know you don’t like to be wrong.”

The Marshtomp frowned. “Who does?”

“But, your outlook should be this. This is a new opportunity. Don’t waste it chasing a bygone era. I’ve looked down that path, and it’s not pretty.”

Andrew threw up his flippers in defeat. “Alright, fine. Maybe you’re right? Perhaps I’ll be a water thing for the rest of my life? And you know what? If that’s going to be the case, I have somebody I need to talk to. Probably should head home.”

Jason smiled, seemingly pleased to hear those words come out of his former friend’s mouth. “Sounds good to me. You know how to get home from here?”

---

“Goddamnit? How did I get here again?” Andrew murmured to himself.

It was as if the ceremony had never happened. The entire city still seemed to be fast asleep. Not a single shop was open, not a Pokemon was in sight. The only source light was a few street lamps were lit in the square’s center, but did not provide enough light to illuminate it entirely. 

What is this, the fifth time? 

Andrew turned his gaze to the moon. He bared his teeth at it. Damn you, making me traverse this goddamn city in circles.

The Marshtomp looked back at the street in front of him. Maybe if I take a left this time I’ll end up by that bakery, then if I- wait. WAIT A SECOND! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? 

On the opposite side of the square stood a shadowy figure. Some sort of triangular object seemed to rise from its head. A long tail and snout protruded from its otherwise slim body.

Is that? Andrew’s heart pounded in his chest. A strong energy pulsed through his legs, begging him to dash into the moonlight. No, it can’t be.

“ANDREW!” The figure yelled in an uncannily familiar voice.

No, not like this. Not here. Not now.

Without thinking further, Andrew bolted in the opposite direction.

His flippers swung from side to side as he ran. Soon the route back to Jason’s house became clear. The sound of scampering footsteps other than his own began to grow louder and louder in the distance behind him, pushing him to run as fast as his legs could barely manage.

The Marshtomp swerved into an ally as a sharp pain grew in his throat.

“Andrew, is that you?” Thomas shouted from down the road. “I’m really sorry if you’re not Andrew! If you’re really not him, feel free to keep avoiding me!”

Oh yeah, Thomas! Real fucking helpful when you’re chasing me!

The sounds of the Servine’s footsteps grew nearer, and a green blur caught Andrw’s eye in the reflection from a window he then flew past. 

Crap, how is he so fast? He doesn’t even have legs!

Nine feet away.

Six feet.

Three.

Andrew could feel the Servine’s breath brushing up against the moisture on his back.

Suddenly, he felt his head-fin move. Something clicked within Andrew, a new piece of information shot down from the top of his head and straight into his brain. He gazed to his left to see a light glowing in Jason’s front window.

Yes, I can make it! 

A final burst of energy fueled his body. The mounting pain of his throat, legs, and now stomach persisted, but was an afterthought in that moment. 

Three feet became four.

Four became six.

Six became ten.

Andrew skidded to a halt before throwing the door open. Andrew took a quick glance back at the oncoming Servine, who was still masked in darkness.

I’m sorry, he thought as he slammed the door behind him.

“Andrew?” Jason called from down the now-lit hallway. “Is that you?”

Andrew crept into the kitchen. The Espeon was sitting at the table, reading a book. Jason turned up to face him, his brow raising. “What are you doing here?”

“Sorry! I ran into Thomas and panicked. He chased me all the way here!” Andrew grabbed the ends of his gills, pulling them downward so as to block out every noise around him.

Knock knock. 

Jason leaped off the chair before running to the front door. “People are trying to sleep! Please come back later.”

The Marshtomp tiptoed back to the door to see the outline of Thomas’ tail in the crack between the curtain and window.

Knock knock.

“Hey! I said later! Go away,” Jason shouted with anger creeping into his tone.

“Is my friend there?” Thomas called out from behind the door. “Andrew? He’s pretty hard to miss.”

“I’m not entertaining this. Good night,” Jason said as he stomped his paw.

Thomas pleaded, “I saw him run in there just a second ago. Could I please at least talk to you?”

The Espeon trotted back to the kitchen with Andrew following close behind. He sat back down in his chair and opened his book, not bothering to look at his guest.

Andrew awkwardly cleared his throat. “Look, sorry for coming back here, I just-”

“No, it’s fine,” Jason interrupted, rolling his eyes. “You’re going through a moment right now and I get that. You can stay the rest of the night if you have to, just don’t expect any food.”

 The Marshtomp smiled sheepishly. “Can I at least have some water? Wouldn’t want a repeat of the jail incident, would we?”

---

“I ended up leaving an hour or two later and going back to the house. When you weren’t there, I figured you’d come here,” Andrew explained. He put a flipper on Thomas’ shoulder. “And hey! I was right!”

Thomas frowned. “I’m sorry for chasing you, I didn’t mean to cause any panic.”

“I was the one who started running, it’s not your fault.”

They turned their heads out at the sunrise. The pinks and oranges of dawn were quickly disappearing behind the enveloping brilliance of the ever-rising sun. 

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Thomas remarked.

Andrew nodded weakly. “Sure is.”

“Now what?” The Servine asked. “Do you… Love me?”

Andrew looked into his deep, expressive eyes, which glowed with anticipation. “I think so, but I also don’t quite know yet.” He blushed. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

The Servine leaned closer toward him, a vine slowly coming up and lightly pressing on wrapping around the Marshtomp’s shoulder. 

“May I?” he asked, his tone pleasant and victorious

Andrew smiled.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”