Was there something more precious and heart-warming as a day off after a long week full of work, work, and again, work? Of course not~ Ah, Jackie waited so long for a moment to stretch her legs and walk around leisurely, soaking in the good vibes and lovely weather. It was a great day... For a picnic! Together with Cinnamon, they decided to squeeze the best they could from her free day, preparing lots of snacks for their escapade. Funny thing that Jackie's idea of relaxing from working in the kitchen was working in the kitchen! Not the weirdest quirk there is... She could make a bunch of sandwiches, packed to the brim with yummy ingredients, add colorful salads, tasty snacks and throw in a bunch of cookies. And of course, she did just that!

The plan was simple - to go for an adventure~! Well, not exactly. Mostly Jacqueline wanted to get a bit more familiar with a new region. She wasn't long in Hoenn after all! With her Minccino it would be best to go for a sightseeing trip - so they grabbed a chequered bag, put in a blanket, boxes full of snacks, a big thermos with tea, and a pouch with fruits... And they left the house happily, humming together a familiar song~ Route 116 welcomed them with green grass, mighty trees, and a clear path. It was amazing to walk there, hearing all those sounds and noises a foreign Pokemon could make. Maybe they could catch a glimpse of one? Oh, that be so exciting~

... Instead, not even an hour after the beginning of their trip, a weird gurgle caught Jackie's attention. Cinnamon perked her ears, cautiously looking around from her friend's arm... And the girl was standing in one spot, flabbergasted, looking at the eerie picture that was painted in front of her eyes. Three... Four Pokemon? They all were laying down on the grass in misery. At first, Jacqueline thought that the sound she heard was uncanny snoring, but it was obviously a pained cry of rumbling tummies! Oh, oh, what are the odds~? Minccino decided to jump off her shoulder, sniffing around unknown creatures. Jackie herself walked up to the Pokemon that turned out to be a person in a dragon-like costume and leaned above them, with a cheerful smile on full lips. She waved.

"Oh, mon Dieu... Are you hungry, by any chance?" she tilted her head, blinking at them all curiously, not hiding her concern. Her thick Kalosian accent was too easy to hear in that simple sentence. "I wanted to have a picnic with Ma Cannelle, do you want to join~?"

Andrea Vaneau

☉

That wasn't a reaction she expected! Jackie blinked, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers, a little surprised by the way things played out... The person in a pink hoodie sprung back to life like a jack-in-a-box, rolled in the ground, and almost drown her in gratitude. That was adorable, but a little flustering... Nonetheless, Jackie felt a bit of a happy blush glowing on her cheeks. Non, it wasn't time for thinking about that! She knew better than to let a hungry person wait for their meal more than necessary! Jacqueline cleared her throat, but the sight of the Pokemon mimicking the moves of their companion was just too precious. She couldn't help but chuckle softly. A flow of genuine sympathy and amusement was shaking her shoulders as she tried to stop herself from giggling.

"It's fine, it's fine~" she finally smiled, calming down a little. "Please, stand up!" with a gesture she asked them to get up, handing the person in front of her a blue blanket pulled out of her bag. They put the covers on the soft grass and smoothing her skirt Jackie sat on one corner - it was a picnic, so a blanket was a must~! Cinnamon gleefully started helping her out, diving head in into the bag, pulling out boxes bigger and smaller, a pack of paper tissues, and portable cups. Jackie opened the weaved, bamboo box, showing the world neatly cut triangles of sandwiches, filled with colorful vegetables, poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, and pork cutlets. She handed the full container to the cute stranger and smiled.

"Here~ Eat, there's plenty more!" Jacqueline tilted her head, watching the Pokemon with a friendly gaze. "Oh, you all are so nice~!" she chirped cordially, not even for a moment stopping unpacking her bag. Cinnamon stole one of the veggie sandwiches and proceeded to nom on the toasted bread, her tiny, sharp teeth making quick work of the snack. The pile of food was only growing... There was a lot, even for one human and one Pokemon aiming to go for a whole-day trip! Well, Jackie liked cooking as much as eating~ "You look so strong and sturdy~!" she complimented them. "But how you ended up so famished and exhausted in the middle of the route here? Were you attacked by any chance?" a worried tone appeared in Jackie's voice. After all, not every place in Hoenn was safe...

There was no sight filling chef's heart with more pride than seeing their food being diligently reduced to a few crumbs and a splatter of sauce on the paper tissues. Even a bit of a mess was easily forgiven when their appetite was flattering Jacqueline's cooking skills. The girl was merely sitting there, hands joined in delight and an honest smile on her face. She watched them all with genuine gladness. It was so good to know that the things she prepared were to their liking!

"Oh, you must have been so starved... Here, wait a moment Sweetie, let me just-" Jackie grabbed a clean tissue and reached towards the Deino, slowly touching their side to make sure not to startle the Pokemon, before gently wiping the blue snout from the sauce. "There, you look more handsome now~" she smiled, moving closer towards them the box with salad. It was hard blindly aiming for a container to get the mouthful of food! She was glad that the others were eating earnestly as well. True, her compliment flustered a bit the other Pokemon, but she giggled at their blushed faces, not with malice, rather with great sympathy. They all were native in Kalos too, so she had no troubles with recognizing the species that were keeping the red-haired girl company. All types of Pokemon got their own charm after all~! "Aww, you mignon petit bébé~" she chirped, so captivated with the sight of adorable baby Pokemon being fed tiny bits of food that Jackie never realized she started speaking in Kalosian. "You're such a good mama, taking care of your baby~" the girl gave her praise, looking at the little one, munching on the pieces of sandwich. After satisfying the first hunger, the owner of the cutest, pink onesie explained to them why they were laying on the grass in the first place.

"Mon Dieu, I know! That's awful when that happens..." the girl nodded with understanding. How many times has she had the displeasure of getting hungry on her way, without anything to eat or a place to eat around? And being snack-less on a long trip was a tough ordeal. "Thank you, I'm glad you all like it! We made them together, right~?" Jackie turned to Cinnamon. Minccino perked her ears and proudly puffed her fluffy chest and tail, nodding in confirmation that, she too, helped in the preparation of all those delicious snacks! The girl joined her hands again. "Well-matching names~ It's nice to meet you all!" she gave them a bright, sweet smile. "I'm Jackie, and this is my best friend, Cinnamon~" with a tenderness in her voice, she gently ruffled the fluff on top of Chinchilla Pokemon's head. "We're from Kalos and, to be honest, we don't know much about Hoenn. So we decided to have a field trip today~" she explained.

"Aww, thank you~" Those Pokemon sure were so charming~ To the hungry, just a little bit clumsy Deino, to a diligent Aggron and patient mama Kangashkan. Jackie was all smiles when the last one patted her gently on the head, letting out an adorable little squeal. Praise from the Pokemon was as important to her as from any other human! Besides, she was happy to help, even if the food was disappearing at an appalling speed. But she was prepared for that too! "Don't worry, there's more!" her arm disappeared in the bag, almost full length in when Jackie fished out a thermos with tea and another, smaller box. The content of the package turned out to be full of blueberry muffins and less sweet herbal scones. Let them have a nice dessert and regain their strength after their little starvation. After all, hunger was one of the worst feelings!

"Oh, is that so? We don't have any relatives here in Hoenn unfortunately. But Academy dorm is fun to live in!" she replied with a smile, which grew even brighter when Andrea's focus shifted to her fluffy companion. "Cinnamon is the best assistant and taste-tester I could ever wish for~! She washes the dishes, peels the berries, and is great at flipping pancakes~" Jackie chirped, happily bragging about her friend, while Minccino was filling her little tummy with their second breakfast. The girl was enjoying a portion of salad herself, topping it with a vegetable sandwich, or two - how could she not take part in the meal? Everything tastes better if eaten with great company~! As she reached for the thermos, struggling with the lid, she picked up a word that seemed a little bit out of place. Huh?

"Excuse me, Dearie, would you mind~?" she smiled gently and passed the metallic tea thermos to Barron, who clearly would be able to twist off the cap. While preparing the cups, she glanced at the red-haired girl. "If you'd like, I can give you some easy recipes from my notes! And what do you mean by ascension? Are you a scholar..?" Did it even make sense..? Jackie looked a little puzzled, with her pointing finger pressing against her cheek and half-open mouth having this triangular lost-in-thoughts shape. She kinda looked like a confused Dedenne.