Episode 18: World of Training

“I forgot this place had a second floor,” Kayla yawned. It was little different to the first, only with large windows instead of doorways. There were less achievement cabinets too, and the walls had more direction posters in place of said cabinets. The academy felt much more formal here, with less colours and decorations overall. The hallways were thinner and windier, too.

“It’s mostly for the teachers and all that,” Pola explained as she led the way. Kari was behind them on all fours, snaking her way through the halls as if to intentionally brush her tail on everything they passed. “Y’know, all the important business stuff goes on up here. There’s actually quite a few places we’re not allowed to go. They make sure no one has a reason to go up here, but prom week calls for special treatment. Here we are.”

Kayla stopped at the doorway even though Pola stood aside to let her through. The room was wide open and the unmistakable stench of tobacco wafted out. Fabric scrolls, sheets of metals, framed art of patterns, and even a tower of paint buckets were littered around this huge room, haphazardly sorted. With shelf upon shelf of rolls of materials all over, it looked more like a storage warehouse with all the large metal shelves stacked with this stuff, alongside the cold feel of the distant walls. Kari slithered past her, prompting Shannon and Kayla to come in. At the far end of the room was a Cinccino and a Leavanny, both boredly staring at a blank canvas.

“Morning, Ms Grey! Mrs Corrin!” Pola waved out loud as everyone came in. The Leavanny jumped while the Cinccino turned slowly, resting a head in a paw.

“Pola! How many times must I tell you to knock before you come in, huh?” Leavanny complained, leaves on her hips.

“I diiiiid, you didn’t hear me,” Pola whined back.

You didn’t, but, Kayla rolled her eyes.

“Well, knock louder. I may not look it, but I am getting on in age, huh. These old ears are playing tricks on me, and one day, my poor heart will, too. I don’t want to croak because of you sneaking up on me, huh!” Leavanny rambled. “Oh, you brought friends. You shouldn’t have, but how can I help you?”

“Prom week,” Pola sung. “Guys, meet RSE’s top designers… no, not RSE, Isnomia’s top designers. These two’ve saved so many Pokémon from total embarrassment with top tier clothes personally made. If cupid exists, it’s these two! Mrs Corrin, and Ms Grey.”

“Oh you flatter us so. We’re merely RSE’s designers huh,” the Leavanny swished a leafy hand. “I am Mrs Corrin, for clarity’s sake.”

“Kayla. And this Kari, and Shannon,” Kayla introduced her team, who bowed politely.

“I must admit, Prom week has snuck up on us this year. We’re only just beginning to come up with a theme for it huh,” Corrin confessed worriedly. “I’m guessing Pola, you’ve brought them all here for custom designs?”

“Well just Kari, to be honest. I’m not going,” Kayla spoke up. Her voice carried louder than she anticipated, making herself jump. That wouldn’t distract her from the light gasp made by the Cinccino. They’d been silent up until now, where they shifted ever so slightly to eye Kayla and company. “Kari’s got herself an important date she really wants to do good on, so Pola recommended you both.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet! Kari, someone finally noticed you,” Corrin put her leaves together. Kari turned away, twiddling her paws and feet. “I always said you had it in you. If it’s for you, it’s only fair I put in my best, huh.”

They know each other already? The way Pola made it sound, it was as if… eh, not that it matters. If Kari’s been here as long as everyone says she has, I shouldn’t be surprised who does and doesn’t know her, Kayla smiled. Cinccino was still side-eying the group, making her nervous again. They took a long puff of their cigarette, not seeming to care whether there was eye contact or not. But what’s her problem?

“So… I’m assuming we’re going for a wonderful dress? You’re a Furret, so that makes clothing a little tricky,” Corrin admitted. She grabbed measuring tape and got to work taking Kari’s size, much to the Furret’s nervousness.

“Even harder. We’ve gotta make sure it can withstand her stretchiness. Would that work if you went like, two sizes up?” Pola added.

“P-Pola!” Kari squeaked.

“Right, yes. Your extraordinary power. I would say it’s best to simply avoid stretching, but I’ll see what I can do,” Corrin put a leaf to her chin as she admired Kari up and down. “Hmm… my usual stock fits won’t work here huh. Will you be keeping your head fur like that?”

“Eek! R-right, I’m gonna have to change my fur too, ain’t I?” Kari realised.

“Nah. You can keep that the same,” Pola said.

“Don’t I have to make that look real smart, too?”

“What’s classed as a ‘smart’ furcut?” Shannon asked. The others were silent. “Plus, I’ve seen my fair share of smart suitors do all kinds with their fur. I honestly think you’re fine.”

“Coming from a boy…” Kari went back to twiddling her paws. “Er, what’s my exact options here? I-I don’t think I want baggy clothes, if it can be helped…”

“We know what you’re like when you get happy, though. You get all stretchy and… doughy… like, without realising. If the clothes can’t handle that, they’ll rip,” Pola reasoned. “So we’ve gotta go bigger.”

Does she? All she does is wag her tail, Kayla rolled her eyes. “Isn’t there material that can stretch with her? Wouldn’t that be more ideal?”

“If that was possible,” Pola replied.

“Thinking about the colour scheme of your fur, the lighting of the prom… your wish to go smart,” Corrin began to pace and mumble. “Stretchy material… hmm… I think I can—”

“Stop. Right. There,” Cinccino interrupted. Despite the grittiness of her voice and how quiet she was, the words were chilling. The entire room silenced and turned to her, but she didn’t react to that. Just another long puff of her cigarette, which she promptly put out. She twisted the almost finished butt aggressively, and then looked at her partner just as coldly. “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re on the wrong track.”

Pola rose both paws. “Hey I normally leave it to you guys. I’m just relaying the facts here.”

“Grey, I know that look. What’s on your mind?” Corrin grinned expectantly.

Now Kayla was lost. The Cinccino didn’t look angry or anything, though they sighed like they were hitting a nerve. They slowly got up, stretched, and then walked over, revealing they were a lot older than she initially thought. No amount of fancy Cinccino oil or pampered scarves could hide a body shrivelled by wrinkles and skin where fur failed to grow. Grey didn’t look weak, but either that tobacco did a number on her, or she was getting on in her years.

It was probably the latter, and that was enough to intimidate Kayla. Grey was tall enough that she could look down on the Buneary, and those wrinkles added highlights to her face that showcased scars and marks. Combined with the unpleasant aftermath of cigarette smoke latched to her, and Kayla couldn’t resist having second thoughts. Eventually the Cinccino cocked a half-lidded smirk, and tightened her scarf.

“You’re not going?” she spoke slowly. Kayla gulped. “To the prom. You’re not going?”

“No… We’re here just for Kari. And I guess Pola, like she normally is,” Kayla turned away.

“Hmpf. That’s a shame,” Grey stood back. “You’re beautiful.”

Kayla’s heart started to race. “Come again?”

“You’re beautiful. So it’s a shame that you’re not going,” Grey repeated quicker this time. She swayed her head with her thoughts, then dismissed her for Kari, who seemed just as unnerved. “And as for you… never mind what the rest of them are saying. Pick… pick a type.”

“A type? Like, a Pokémon type?” Kari put a paw to her lip.

Grey shook her head, and it was back to slow words from her. “Of clothing. What kind of clothing do you like? Don’t think about the prom. Or what anyone else thinks. I want to know what you like.”

“I like…” Kari pondered it, but was immediately silenced by Grey shifting a foot toward her. They locked eyes in the moment, and right there and then, it was as if the duo had entered another world. Together, they made an exchange that could only be done through their gazes. Kari gulped again, and then suddenly went bright red, twiddling her paws and feet. “Ah, c-cute. I-I-I love cute stuff. I know that’s not really mature or anything, but-”

Grey shook her head again, then eyed the rest of the group, specifically Kayla. “Hmpf. I don’t need to ask you… or the rest of you. Just be back here tomorrow.”

“Shouldn’t it just be—” Kayla said, but Corrin hushed her.

“You heard the champ. Trust me, there’s no convincing her when she’s like this. It’s like, how her brainwaves work huh,” Corrin remarked with some funny hand movements.

“I don’t want a dress. Don’t give yourself more work than you need to,” Kayla sighed and shook her head.

“Kayla, was it?” Grey spoke up, already back at her desk. Kayla gulped again as silence fell for a moment. “I’m not giving myself more work. So get out.”

Pola brushed the group to wave them out. “Yep. That’s the call. C’mon, we’ve got more stuff to sort out, anyway.”

“Re-really? Is that it? But I didn’t choose a…” Kari calmed down. “Oooh, are they like, those kinda artsy super geniuses who like, their brain explodes with imagination when they see something that inspires them? Like a big ol’ BWOOOMPH, and they have a million ideas they wanna do?”

“Something like that,” Pola tucked her paws behind her head. “Sorry about the smoking, too. I’m used to it, so I didn’t think how you girls would get with it.”

“I’m used to it. For some reason,” Kayla cocked her head.

“Really? The way you wrinkled your nose, I thought you were gonna kick her,” Pola sighed with relief. “But yeah, that’s clothing sorted. She asked for all of us back too, so I guess you’re getting something cool too, Shannon.”

“Why me? I’m not going either,” the Pachirisu leaned away. He tugged at his cloth. “Nor am I taking this off.”

“… Wait, you’ve never taken that off?” Pola stopped in the hallway. Even Kayla and Kari flinched.

“Since I got it, anyway. It’s too important. And it works, as we’ve confirmed,” he shrugged. The girls exchanged glances.

“Do you at least like… bathe with it on?” Kayla asked quietly.

“You girls know my story. I’ve been on the road for months and never settled anywhere. I’ve never had the time or space to bath,” he said. He was stern about that too, yet the girls exchanged wide eyes.

“Ye-yeah. Okay. I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Pola groaned and slumped.

…

“Strawberries, sponge cake, whipped cream, oh it makes the dream,” Kari sung to herself.

“Stop right there!” Pola shouted, making her yelp. “Stop in the name of the law of good food!”

“What? What’d I do this time?”

Pola had the stiffest paw pointed at the Furret. “You have committed crimes against smart eating!”

“Smart eating?” squeaked the Furret.

“Zis cream cake of yours, it is not how we zay, proper food, non?” Pola pinched her paws. “If you got caught eating that in your precious dress, I don’t even wanna think about what’ll happen next. What’d Paris think?”

“Paris has already seen me eat this thing, though. In fact, that’s when he asked me out,” Kari’s cheeks flushed just mentioning it. “Plus, I can’t help it, you guys know how hungry I get. If I don’t fill my belly before anything, you’ll hear it over me!”

“Then fill up on something else, something less messy. And like, it’s a dance, ain’t it? Do you really wanna stuff yourself right before it?” Pola complained.

“If Paris literally saw her eat it, the mess is the only problem, right? Plus, we’re not at the prom ye—” Kayla answered.

“You shut it! The more she gets used to this, the better. Trust me Kari. You wanna do this right, you do it all the way! There are way healthier options that’d give you more strength than sweets and cakes ever would, so we’re gonna diet on those, even if it’s temporary,” Pola demanded. The Furret shrivelled like a deflated balloon and returned her plate. “C’mon, don’t look so miserable. Do grownups look like that when they have to eat something else?”

“I dunno! I don’t hang out with smart guys,” Kari prodded her paws.

“Exactly! So whose word are we going with here?” Pola challenged. Pondering her thoughts for another moment, Kari stood straight and stiff. “Hey it’s not all stiff shirts and stuff, I promise. C’mon, let’s take a proper look, what is there you can eat?”

Kayla watched them wander off to a different food counter as her own order was served. Yeesh, she can be a real handful even when she’s trying to be helpful. If I’ve got a spare moment, though…

She glanced between her plate and their table, where Shannon was currently sat. They were a little later than their usual breakfast time, so the hall was fairly busy. If they’re trying this hard, then there’s no reason for me to slack off, either. Yeah, that settles that!

Kayla bolted off toward the table, kicking Shannon lightly as she passed. “Hey, wrap up my order for me!” she called back. He stuck out a paw at her, but she didn’t hear what he said, if he said anything at all.

She circled the hall to make for the exit, and then curled around the fields until she was at the athletics track. Here, she could count the number of Pokémon around on her digits, including herself. Everyone was either at breakfast or asleep. It was her, the morning wind, and her own challenge. To start, she dug a foot into the soil and drew a line through it. Then she took a deep breath, curled one ear to her head, and shifted a foot back, losing her grin to a frown of concentration. She focused on the grass ahead and the school walls to her left. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t put herself into her world of battle like she wanted. Not ideal, but it would have to do.

A light tense made Kayla’s body glow white, and then she took off with Quick Attack. She didn’t aim for the apparatus, the walls, or any target in particular. She didn’t even use the athletics track, despite her sprint. She took a left, giving herself space as she turned the corner lest she run into someone by surprise. Here was a long straight to the other end of the Academy. She tried to loosen up, breathing like an athlete as she sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. It was an impossible to achieve balance – tensing her body to use Quick Attack, while loosening up enough that her arms could dangle behind her, while also not using all her strength on the attack. Before she knew it, she was puffing and panting, and her eyesight grew blurry with sweat, prompting her to slow. She was going fast enough that she had to skid to a stop, kicking up a surprising amount of dirt in her wake.

The way Kayla caught her breath, she couldn’t even make a coy comment to herself. Panting, slumped, and sweating more than she would like, she shook her head into focus, and glared to her left. She intended to Quick Attack to run around the outside of the academy, but barely made it halfway around before her energy let up on her.

That’s how far behind I am? Kayla shivered with frustration. If she tried to use Quick Attack again, she wouldn’t even make half the distance she just did. Okay. First things first. Stamina has GOTTA improve.

“Kayla?” a familiar voice made her chest jump. She was still panting, but she looked up to see who spoke. Thankfully it was only Moby, the redheaded Audino. “Is everything alright? What’re you doing out here?”

“The question’s… mutual,” she didn’t like how she sounded just there. I can’t even recover quickly… c’mon Kayla, this is embarrassing enough!

Moby caught on to her fatigue and hurried over, but Kayla turned away to imply she didn’t need whatever help the Audino was about to offer. They got the message, putting their hands on their hips. “So what is this? Pardon the comment, but I didn’t expect to see you take on morning exercise.”

Kayla turned her back at that. Her heart was racing.

“My apologies. That wasn’t supposed to be a…” Moby grew nervous. “You can see how many Pokémon are around right now. Not many take on morning routines, you know?”

“I know. That’s not what this is about,” Kayla sighed and turned back. She was finally able to breathe through her nose again, but she still had trouble looking up at the Audino. She whipped her fur out of her eye. “This is a little embarrassing for me to admit, but it’s just training.”

“Training?” Moby cocked her head.

“To get stronger and more efficient. And that’s not to best my teammates, either. Even I have more pride than that,” Kayla said sternly. “I’m not strong enough to do what I want to do, to do what I need to do. I want to take that seriously. So here I am, practicing my moves.”

“To get stronger… you and your team recently conquered a mission in Husk Tunnel, didn’t you? Sounds to me like your growth going is pretty well,” Moby had a finger on her lip.

“When it came to a critical moment, I almost got my friends killed. The same thing happened during the forest fire when we ran into that Netherworld general,” Kayla explained.

“You confronted a Netherworld general?” Moby gasped.

“… I wasn’t meant to let that one slip. Please don’t tell anyone,” Kayla smiled sheepishly. Moby gestured zipping her lips. “Point is, we barely survived both of those situations. I’m used to throwing myself headfirst into stuff because if I fail, it’s on me and I can deal with that. With a team following me now, putting them in danger isn’t cool. I want them to be able to count on me, but right now, they can’t. I couldn’t damage the Netherworld general at all, and I have very few options for hitting ghost Pokémon. I’m too weak.”

Moby was thinking hard the whole time, and nodded. “I get it. I won’t lie, I worried you might be full of yourself when you got upset for losing to Kari. But if this is how you really think, you deserve a lot of credit.”

“Moby, you’re a battle instructor. Will you help? And… well it’s up to you, but could you keep it secret from the others?” Kayla looked up at her at last.

“You don’t want them to train with you?” Moby cocked her head.

“Seeing Pola help Kari with prom stuff… if she found out I wanted to start doing morning training, the comments on my figure would probably double,” Kayla rolled her eyes.

“Fair enough. Funny that should come up, too. If your body bothers her that much, you’d think she’d be encouraging rather than mocking, but I can totally see her doubling down,” Moby went half-lidded. “Makes you wonder what Pokémon who make those comments really want.”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” Kayla grinned.

“But anyway, sure I’ll help and keep it a secret. You have no idea how much I’d appreciate having a partner in the mornings would be,” Moby raised a fist. Her excited tone brought a smile to Kayla’s face until she realised something and backed down.

“Oh, I’m not going to be intruding on your own prom preparations, am I?”

“Pah!” Moby spat. “I’ll date a guy when one brave enough to suplex me comes along. That sappy stuff is not my style.”

“… You and me are gonna get along just great,” Kayla went back to a half-lidded grin.

Moby’s hands went to her hips, this time in authority. “First things first… what were you doing that wore you out in the first place?”

“Seeing how good my stamina was,” Kayla stood tall and nodded. She turned to the academy walls. “I want to be able to loop the whole academy with Quick Attack. Grow faster, stronger, and last longer.”

“Ah right, I noted the way you used the move against Kari and Pola… you understand Move Theory, don’t you?” Moby asked. Kayla looked at her with intrigue. “Or maybe you were on the right track. Using Quick Attack not to strike an enemy, but to move quickly. If you could run a marathon using Quick Attack, you’d be faster than pacing yourself naturally.”

“Something like that. I never put it into words before,” Kayla turned back to the academy.

“To increase your speed and stamina, we’re going to focus on that Quick Attack of yours. But since you’re at a high level already, we’re going to do this scientifically,” Moby began. “Let’s start practical. Target me with your best Quick Attack.”

One glance told her the Audino was prepared. Moby held her palms forward and had an eager grin. Kayla bounced a few paces back, tensed herself as always, and then bolted right into those palms. There was a flash of light and dust with her impact, and Moby grunted as she was shoved back a bit, but she managed to resist. Kayla instantly caught why, however – Moby’s hands glowed with energy of their own, and they quickly raised to retaliate. Kayla sucked in a breath and kicked off Moby’s chest avoid it, leaving the Audino to strike the ground.

“Woo hoo, you’re serious business!” Moby cheered with her fist stuck in the earth. Kayla was a bit confused until she pulled it free, revealing it still had energy around it. “What you’re looking at right now is Secret Power. Draws in the energy of the surrounding area to do different effects.”

“Did you want to compete with it?” Kayla wondered.

“More so to draw attention to the fact that I’m still charged,” Moby bragged. Kayla’s eyes widened. The Audino was so casual about it that she curled her hand in and out of a fist and even waved, with no detriment to the energy. Secret Power never left her hand.

“You get control over energy? Sorta of like Pola’s magic?” Kayla cocked her head.

“Not exactly. When Pokémon use their moves, they call upon this energy in the atmosphere. That energy feeds off the user’s energy, and they power up into their move,” Moby explained. She dismissed her Secret Power with a flick. “When you use Quick Attack, that energy coats your entire body, right? It makes sense to do so, since that move is a full body tackle. The energy helps to protect you from recoil. It’s why you could crash into a steel type and not get hurt.”

Kayla stood straight. “I’m following.”

“That makes the move tiring however, since the energy feeds off your whole form. What we want to do is raise the efficiency, so that you can use it in place of your natural running speed,” Moby stated. “We’re going to focus all the energy directly into your feet and nowhere else, just like how my Secret Power only goes into my hands.”

“Hmm. So that’s what you meant by Move Theory,” Kayla grinned. “It really is exactly what I’m looking for. Let’s get busy!”

The next morning…

“You’re here! Good, good! Is it all of you, too?” Corrin greeted the group in the hallway.

“Everyone but Shannon… lazy rodent’s still asleep,” Pola grumbled.

There’s something funny about a rodent calling another a rodent, Kayla snickered at the thought. “Morning Mrs Corrin.”

“Yes, yes, good morning and all that. Shannon can come by later, huh. In fact, that is best, yes? You girls and your couples can surprise one another,” the Leavanny hurriedly unlocked the door behind her, sticking a leafy hand into the keyhole. “Come in, and make sure no one’s following!”

“The secrecy,” Kayla whispered, unnerved by the haste. No one was nearby except them though, so they shuffled in and had the door closed behind them.

If she thought the place yesterday was a mess, then today was a travesty. There was an attempt to tidy the shelves, but now the materials were mixed together, and somehow appeared dustier, too. The floor was littered with paint splatters and other dried messes, while the desk where Grey was had a pyramid of cardboard lunchboxes stacked to the side. At least the stench of smoking had been erased, likely thanks to a wide-open window Kayla didn’t notice yesterday.

“You’re here. Just as my prediction went,” Grey greeted them. She stood up excitedly and shuffled deep into couple of clothes racks where she disappeared briefly. “Corrin, don’t just stand there you blind old bug! Help me out here!”

“Y-yes boss!” Corrin gasped. “You girls should’ve seen her. I’ve never been this busy before huh, it was so much fun!”

“Huh?” Kayla muttered as the Leavanny vanished into the racks as well. A few moments later, the racks were shoved aside so that a new one could be pulled forward, one with only two dresses hung up on it. Despite, the two girls handled it like it was a royal artifact, ensuring the clothing didn’t so much as touch anything. “Oh no…”

“For you, Kari,” Corrin presented it with a bow.

“M-me?” Kari squeaked.

“Go ahead. Try it on, silly!” Pola shoved her forward.

Kari held it up in complete confusion at first, and then gasped. She was able to slip into it easily from underneath, as though it was some sort of one piece rather than a fancy set. Peachy was an understatement – the thing was Pecha Berry themed, with a sparkly pink skirt, a richer pink upper half adorned with a berry pattern and black laces, all topped off with a pale, cloudy muffler tied by a soft Pecha Berry plush. The dress could be adjusted with laces hidden at the back, letting Kari tighten it to her liking.

Kayla couldn’t help but be taken aback, however. Kari really was the embodiment of cute wearing this, and somehow, it didn’t exude the childish feelings that normally came with cute, berry-themed designs. The dress shimmered beautifully with whatever material it was made of, and seemed to draw her eyes to Kari’s figure, which fit flawlessly. You could never guess Kari could stretch wearing this, nor that she was a pudgy Furret in general, and all without a single awkward fit. The only thing she felt was off was how low the skirt went, as Kari had to curtsy to walk with it. Even that was a debatable necessity however, as Kari’s tail had room and held up the skirt from behind, stopping it from dragging on the floor.

“It’s… it’s so…” Kari whispered, admiring herself in a mirror Corrin had wheeled over. Her face went bright red, and she kept gasping. “P-Pola, Mrs Corrin, Ms Grey, I love it! I love it I love it I love it I love it I LOVE IT!”

“I told ya these two were the best. And is that adjustable seams I see?” Pola teased and snickered.

“The material is interwoven in a way that layers over itself. If you stretched yourself wider, the material would stretch with you,” Grey explained. Kari gasped so hard she choked as she spun around. “Beware, the limit is only twice your natural width. Any further and it won’t rip, but the thinness will show. It will need to be maintained too, so don’t get zealous with that.”

“Holy fuck, you actually made it so she can stretch in it,” Pola remarked.

“Hold on, how much is that gonna set us back?” Kayla gasped.

“Your payment is simply to use it,” the Cinccino assured, returning to the rack. “You there as well. Kayla. Come here.”

“Wha?” Kayla went quiet, and then realised. “I said I didn’t want any. I’m not going.”

“I know what you said. I made one for you anyway. Use it how you wish,” Grey replied, presenting it to her.

“I’m not going to use—” Kayla was about to raise her voice, only to be taken aback again. If she was ever to wear a dress, or fancy clothing at all, this would be the thing. Somehow, despite only knowing her for the miniscule time that she did, Grey had captured her taste to a T.

Simple, yet elegant and cool. A shimmering, shiny black dress split by a smooth, dark brown sash by the chest area. Short sleeved, thin, and so light that she could picture it flowing in the wind like a hurricane of feathers, somehow not obstructing her usually quick movements. The skirt had large white stars that seemed to have their own warm, pretty white glow.

“Is someone changing their mind?” Pola nudged her with a half-lidded grin.

“Ungh,” Kayla tried to scratch her chin on her chest. Something hurt. A lot. It wasn’t embarrassment, but a hard ball of sick forming in her throat, chest, and stomach, all at once. “You two are definitely something else. Unlike with Kari, you forgot one major fact, though.”

“Oh?” Grey was surprised.

“I can’t use my hands. It’s impossible for me to conveniently use this,” Kayla turned her back. She felt herself shivering to the point her breath became unsettled, so she bolted for the door before she could get a response. “Open the door! Let me out!”

“Kayla?” Pola was surprised.

“LET ME OUT!” Kayla screamed in what could only be described as panic. The way everyone’s eyes widened and they flinched, she frightened even herself. Yet still, Kari was the only one to react, dashing over on all fours to open the door. The door wasn’t fully open before Kayla bolted out, and she instinctively used Quick Attack to be as fast as possible.

Before she knew it, she was back in her dorm with her face smothered in her pillow. Her head was rushing, thoughts coming and going faster than vehicles down a motorway. She didn’t know what they were, just that they were bad thoughts. Awful feelings that made her sick and ache all over. Rolling her ears down to her head or clenching her eyes shut didn’t help. The most she could feel was her shuddering breath warming her face.

“Kayla?” Kari’s voice broke through the storm. She would have ignored it, but for some reason the Furret’s voice came through as soft rather than its usual girly squeak. She lifted her head slowly to reveal she’d be crying too, so she rolled over to try and hide it.

“Kari…” she shuddered just as softly. Kari was still wearing her new dress.

“I… no, you’re not okay. I-I wanna ask what’s wrong, but you’re gonna say no again, aren’t you?” she replied. Kayla gulped.

It was the same as when Moby found her. An instant welling of anger and embarrassment, followed by a shot of realization. How long had this been going on? Ever since she came to RSE? Or worse? If she tried to explain, would Kari even understand?

“If you’re worried, Pola and Shannon aren’t coming. It’s just long ol’ me right now,” Kari added.

Kayla sighed. “What I’ve said about it is actually what I know. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Oooh. I thought you hated the dress, or were scared of salesmon,” Kari cocked her head.

Kayla turned away and sighed again. “I don’t hate the dress. In fact, it’s gorgeous. It’s really impressive Grey was able to grasp my fashion sense from just our little meeting. Artists aren’t to be underestimated.”

There was silence for another moment.

“We really need to get to the Dream World,” Kari spoke up. Kayla looked at her blankly. “I dunno… I just think if May comes through and we do get to go into your dreams, we’ll get to see what’s happening to you. And then we can probably help.”

“No, I meant what I said. Literally, I don’t know why I feel this way. I dream about… scenes, and these scenes just make me like this. It’s like these are things that’s happened to me, even though I’m absolutely certain they haven’t,” Kayla explained, looking down at the bed.

“… What if they are?” Kari cocked her head. Kayla looked up at her, slightly annoyed. “N-no, for realsies! What if there’s like, some kinda weird Dreamer stuff goin’ on, and they’re somehow like, bad memories? That would make sense, wouldn’t it?”

“Besides the fact none of this makes sense, maybe?” Kayla rolled her eyes. If they WERE somehow memories, then it’d be easier to pass it all off as just bad memories. But even then, memories bad enough that I wanna scream and run off like a frightened feral? This never won’t be embarrassing… And it’s not like Jirachi’s saying anything about it.

“It does make sense! Sorta, I think… somehow,” Kari prodded her paws.

Kayla gave her a smile. “It’s okay, I’m over it already. We—”

“No!” Kari snapped almost aggressively. “You keep saying that, but it’s super worrying. You don’t have to put yourself aside for us!”

“I’m saying that because your thing’s more immediate. Your big date’s the end of this week, while our Dream World quest is something long-term, yeah?” Kayla reasoned. She used her feet to roll her blanket over the tear-soaked part of the bed, and then hopped off, only to stop her thought process. Kari had a look in her eyes she hadn’t seen before. “Look, I’m not being edgy about this. It’s like Pola’s thing, yeah? Can’t worry about everything.”

“This isn’t like that. This is a person Kayla, it’s you! And even if I didn’t care about ya as a friend, you’re our team leader and stuff. I’m serious, I’m super-duper-hyper-mega-ultra worried about you,” she whined.

Kayla shut her eyes for a moment, and then made sure she was looking the Furret in the eyes. “After Prom, I promise we’ll look into this.”

“Pinky promise?”

“… We don’t have pinky fingers,” Kayla grinned.

“You know what I mean!” Kari held a paw forward. “I mean it. Kayla, let us help take care of you.”

Kayla pondered it with nervous swaying. “I can’t shake or hi-five, though—”

“Give it a right ol’ kick, bunny style!” Kari demanded.

There was that infectious spirit Kayla liked. Whatever negatives she was feeling earlier were gone now, replaced by an odd confidence that Kari wouldn’t let her down. With an eager nod, Kayla did as she was told and hopped up high to kick Kari’s palm with the palm of her foot. She had no idea how Kari would help or even if they could, but it was somehow relieving to know they were willing to try.

“There’s a saying about that, you know. Surprised you know it,” Kayla said.

“There is? I just wanted to make sure you promised,” Kari shrugged. “What is it?”

“When you need a little luck or passion, just give it a good kick!” Kayla performed the motion again. “Something about rabbit feet. It’s weird to me, but it’s why some Pokémon carry around those charms that look like rabbit feet for good luck.”

“Some Pokémon do that?” Kari leaned away. “It sounds kinda icky, but does it actually work?”

“How should I know? Luck’s luck,” Kayla winked. “And speaking of, we can’t be relying on it for your date. If we’ve got a spare bit without Pola and Shannon, should we put in a little practice for your dance? I still dunno how I’m going to help, but you seemed to have an idea.”

“Oh right, that! Um, I… yeah, we can do that now!” Kari got all squirmy for a moment. “I dunno if the music’ll be the same, but they lent me the music from last year’s prom.”

She did a few taps on her PET and then set it down on the windowsill. The screen resembled a Loudred’s ear which pumped to the beat of the music, though said music was slow, quiet, and serene. Violin, some piano, the typical sappy tones Kayla associated with romance themes. The fact that the PET could play loud enough to fill the room was impressive, though.

“Aww, that’s it?” Kari shrivelled up.

“This is exactly the sort of stuff they’d play,” Kayla giggled.

“Yeah but… It’s…”

“Boring?” Kayla gave her a half-lidded smirk. Kari paused.

“N-no! It’s cute and romantic and stuff, right? Paris is gonna love it,” she quipped. Kayla remained half-lidded. “Er, h-hold out your hands. ‘Cos I’ll have to try and guide you.”

“Oh, right,” Kayla realised. She faced her partner, whose face grew bright red as they hesitated. “You alright?”

“I- um- ye-yeah, I just…”

“C’mon, out with it. I’m not being secretive with you, either,” Kayla smiled at her.

“I-I-I’ve never danced with anyone before… o-or like… ahem,” Kari was shyer than ever.

“Or?” Kayla leaned forward.

“W-we can put this off until you’re feeling better or somethin’, wouldn’t that be better?”

“Kari!” Kayla raised her voice. The Furret could only moan. “You know the dance and stuff, right? And it’s just us two. Whatever embarrassing stuff that happens, it stays between us. This is exactly what practice is for.”

Kari could look at her again, but doing so only made her blushier and squirmier. “You’re right. But also, it’s just like… um—”

“You got me to talk. What’s choking you up?” Kayla added. “If you couldn’t talk to me, what kinda leader would I be? But we’re friends, too.”

That got Kari to look up and face her. She gulped, took a deep breath, and interlocked her paws. “I’ve never held anyone’s paw before.”

“… That’s it? Really?”

“I-I-I mean like… y’know, holding hands, romantic dancing, it’s kinda, y’know,” Kari turned away.

Kayla rolled her eyes. “It’s only me. And it’s what you want, right? You’re gonna have to do this with Paris. We’re both bunnies. Just like, imagine I’m him… but shorter. For the time being.”

Kari didn’t reply, continuing to play with her digits.

“Kari!”

“Okay okay!”

There was an unbelievable amount of reluctance and nervousness in her movements still. If Kayla could move her arms now, she’d have grabbed Kari by the palms and pulled, but the best she could do was shift right up close to give her easy access. Kari took an audible deep breath, shivered hard, and then accepted that invite, and still had to shuffle their paws a bit until she had a comfortable grip.

“That’s it? There, just hold on like that,” Kayla spoke softly. Kari had frozen up again, her face redder than a tomato. “The music’s still going, so just, move. Whenever you’re ready. Talk me through it.”

“Th-this doesn’t hurt you?” Kari asked. The height difference meant that Kayla’s arms were being pulled upward.

“My arms are like, loose and flimsy,” Kayla answered with a giggle. “An advantage: if they did hurt, I wouldn’t feel it. So just kinda… treat me like doll or something. I can follow. Talk me through it.”

Kari raised her head to sigh, trying her hardest to stop blushing. She couldn’t, but she was able to look down at Kayla with determination in her eyes, similar to what she had when she snapped earlier. Even though Kari was clearly drop-dead nervous, Kayla couldn’t help but feel relaxed here. She herself knew she wasn’t into this sort of thing, locked in someone’s arms to dance to sappy romantic music, and yet she was so comfortable she felt like she could do anything.

“Ok,” Kari breathed out. She began to shift side to side, ever so slightly and in rhythm to the music. Just as she promised, Kayla had no trouble keeping up, and within a few moments, they were moving in seemingly perfect sync. “So there’s like, this one-two step thing when the song hits that part… you get it?”

“Left to right or forwards to backwards?” Kayla replied.

“This way,” Kari said. She moved in rhythm, and Kayla followed a little behind. A step toward Kayla resulted in Kari stepping on her dress however, and the duo tripped forwards. “C-careful!”

“I-I am,” Kayla huffed, awkwardly close to Kari’s chest. Kari kept a hold of her so they didn’t fall right over, but her cheeks were in the Furret’s chest right now.

They righted themselves and tried again, starting with the rhythmic swaying. Kari went on her toes this time, yet couldn’t help diverting her gaze to the floor to avoid stepping on her clothes again. Doing so took her out of rhythm, this time making Kayla step on her dress instead. The duo yelped and fell right over this time.

It should have been embarrassing, but Kayla couldn’t help but giggle. She was flat on her back with Kari leaned close to her. Whatever embarrassment the Furret had, it kept their paws interlocked and her eyes clenched shut, until Kayla’s giggling opened them. Kari blinked twice in disbelief of where she was, and then shot to her feet.

“I-I-I’m sorry, I give up!” she squealed and turned to leave.

“Whoa, whoa hey, don’t quit!” Kayla rushed to stop her. “Like I said, this is the place to make mistakes. We’re just getting started.”

Kari moaned as she pondered it, and then grabbed Kayla’s paws again. Back to the centre of the room, and back to steady shifting again. “Ma-maybe we should try the twirl?”

“You’re the boss,” Kayla grinned.

“We do that thing where we like… step away, then come close, then spin together?” Kari instructed.

When the end of the verse came, it was time. Kayla twirled halfway away from her partner, keeping one of her paws connected. But when they came back however, Kari failed to catch her free paw, and wound up having to reach for it instead. They still twirled together despite and wound up bumping into the beds and falling to the floor, or in Kayla’s case, falling on top of Kari. That set off another round of giggles.

“I can’t do it!” Kari wailed as she flailed herself free. She slammed the PET to stop the music and shrivelled up as if to hide herself from Kayla, who calmed down.

“Aww c’mon, don’t quit! We’re just getting started,” Kayla urged her on.

“N-no… I can’t…”

“You’re the one who asked for this. Seriously it’s fine to mess up, I’m fine. I’m good to keep trying,” Kayla assured. Kari moaned and squirmed in angst, and then suddenly screamed at the top of her voice, bolting past so fast Kayla was spun to the floor again. She sat there for a moment, staring blankly at the door. Why was that fun?