"Oh!" Michiko giggled as her husband stopped to tip his hat to the Roselia guarding the first checkpoint. She made little fists and pumped them enthusiastically. "We passed! Yes!"

"What beautiful blossoms on that Roselia! The gardener must be very talented," Mickey said after they'd left the blossoming Pokemon behind.

His comment seemed to startle Michi. "Eh?! Do you think so?" She remembered having to pull them out of her mother's garden as a child. She'd always hated dealing with the thorns.

Mickey gave her hand a squeeze as if he realized she was having childhood Hoenn Pokemon-related flashbacks. A Lilligant was waiting for them at the next fork in the path, prompting their next decision.

"It's a good idea to just pick a direction consistently in mazes, I've heard," Mickey offered. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "A bit of a logical approach, I'm afraid."

"Let's do it!" Michiko declared passionately.

The couple went RIGHT again, hoping the path would lead them deeper into the labyrinth.

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/934453581883523072/949695651506163732/the_new_sweet_groove.mp3[/player]

Lights danced overhead, alternating between shades of butterscotch yellow and cotton-candy pink. A series of small, round bulbs blinked in merry succession, outlining the bright, cheerful shapes of a group of arcade machines across the stage. 

As if filtering from behind a closed door, the beat began.

But this beat wasn't techno. It wasn't retro. This was no 8-bit: this was the music that played at the roller rink when you went there for your 10-year-old's birthday party and everyone got sick on cream soda. 


The spotlight shone down on the only 'actual' machine on stage, revealing a Crane Game absolutely packed with Michiko's personal collection of Hello Kitty goods. Matchan the Machamp stood on the far side behind the glass, his face pressed comically against the glass. It was obvious what he was drawn to: the game's top prize, a real live Charmmy Skitty!

The fighting-type seemed happy, actually stepping in syncopated time to the music (thanks to a lot of Zumba practice) as he punched in tokens to the beat like a merry tambourine. Clink! Clink! Clink! But Charmmy Skitty didn't make it easy-- she rolled! She jumped! She bounced off squeaky plush toys like a little girl jumping on her bed, effortlessly evading the mechanical claw that comically chased her.


But at last, the tokens ran out. Shaking his head, Matchan turned his back on the impossible Crane Game. The Skitty stopped dead, putting both paws up to the glass as she seemed to realize she'd gone too far.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and made a WISH.

The pulsing lights dimmed as a pair of shooting stars, one blue, one pink, glimmered from the side of the stage. As the song repeated its chorus, they twinkled merrily overhead, passing across the stage in a rainbow-shaped arc.

The key changed, and the final coin dropped into the Machamp's hand.

Turning, falling immediately back into the music, he FLUNG the coin into the slot. Charmmy Skitty didn't even wait for the crane arm to catch her-- she leapt into the chute and flew out the other end like a cat door, flying into Matchan's arms with an overjoyed mew! He swung her around and she climbed up his shoulders as the lights sparkled, celebrating their joyous reunion.

"Remember, love must go two ways!" Michiko's voice came as she joined her Pokemon on the stage, waving goodbye to the crowd. "It is fun like a game, but also, it is not possible without consent!" She bowed her head, smiling with actual gratitude at the applause, and gave a last tearful wave. "Everyone, thank you!"

A giggling Michiko clung to her husband's arm, tugging him towards the enormous maze which had grown up and around Fortree City. She'd seen it on the local news and insisted they take a weekend off together and come down from Petalburg to visit. A couple hours later by train, here they were, ready for some maze-crawling action.

"Oh! After the maze, we can go get cheese-tea," Michi said suddenly as they entered. "I hear there is a famous shop!"

"That sounds great, sweetie," said Mickey, giving his tiny wife a pat on the back. "I'd love to try it."

Grassy walls closed in on either side of the older couple as they ventured down the verdant passage, appreciating the smell of flowers in the air as they reached a crossroads. "Ah, it is exciting! Left, or right?" Michi asked, spinning around and clasping her hands together.

Mickey had no idea, of course, but he decided to take responsibility for what might easily be a shortcut to the cheese-tea shop. "Let's go right! And just remember, I love spending time with you."

Hands clasped, the pair headed towards the RIGHT.

Curtains opened on a brooding Machamp, trudging down the dark city street with his four hands shoved deep in the pockets of an expensive-looking suit. The sound of falling rain resonated from the speakers, which mysteriously didn't touch his perfectly-styled rich boy hair.

From the mezzanine at the top of the stage appeared Skitty, disheveled and still in her bathrobe. "SKEEEEEE!" she screamed into the night, then hurtled down the staircase in a streak of crackling electricity. The WILD CHARGE continued down the steps as the pink kitten inhaled and cried out again from the balcony. "SKREEEE!"

As she scraped and tumbled her way to the sidewalk, bruising herself in the process, the brooding Machamp stopped, head jerking up as if he'd finally heard something. A speck of hope. Could it be...? 

He began to turn. 

...and two bright stage lights burned from the front row, lighting up his back in the warning glow of headlights. There was a wild screech of brakes and a whump of metal meeting Machamp as Skitty stood frozen, crying out in slow-motion with her mouth agape in shock.

A white sheet fluttered down from the top of the stage, covering the fighting-type's body. The lighting grew washed-out and pale as the scene changed to a hospital room, Skitty curled up on the end of the sheet. Michiko's shadow appeared magnified over the stage as she, playing the part of the doctor, shrugged and shook her head. 

"It must be amnesia..."

The doctor faded away, leaving the pair alone. Skitty kneaded pleadingly at the sheets, meowing. Gingerly, she touched his head, where his sexy haircut had been shaved away due to the accident.

Matchan pushed her away roughly. He didn't remember her. "Ma, ma... champ..." he said, uncertain.

Skitty jumped down again, ears flat and head hanging low in defeat.

But Matchan still seemed restless. As he lay in his bed, he rolled over. He gritted his teeth. He punched his pillow. He punched it again. Focus. He slammed his fist into the ground, sending splinters flying up from the stage. Focus. He gripped his head in both hands, struggling to remember. Focus... PUNCH!

"Ma... Matchan?"

"...SKEE-SKEE!" Charmmy perked up and threw herself over the Machamp's torso, wailing like a cat who'd been left out in the cold all night. 

"Those who we hold in our hearts can never truly be forgotten!" Michiko said as the curtain closed on Matchan stroking the purring kitten Pokemon with all four hands. "This is all for the drama presentation! Thank you, everybody, it was my great pleasure to do!"

"Melody! Hello!" Michi cried, surprised to see the friendly pop idol here in person. Realizing she'd spoken out of turn, Michi quickly covered her mouth with both hands, chiding herself for her sudden outburst. She couldn't cover the crinkle of her eyes, though-- it was hard to stop smiling. "Long time, no see!"

The next round began shortly thereafter. The crowd was expecting some beautiful Ice-Punching action from Machamp, who was surely the best candidate to showcase the beauty move. They were surprised, however, when the curtains opened on a sea of grace and calm.

Matchan moved with slow, deliberate motions. His palms traced flat discs in the air, his limbs moving and wheeling with careful precision. He slowly twisted, stretching every muscle in a fluid swirl of practiced tai-chi. He had spent years practicing in the outdoor garden with Michiko's elderly mother as she went through her daily exercises, honing her mind and body. This was his time. This was MEDITATE. 



Charmmy Skitty was a small blob of pale pink fur between his legs, fragile as a fresh peach at the foot of a mountain. Still, she wove effortlessly between his moving feet, sinuous in counterpoint. Matchan would never step on her. If he did, she would screeeeeam!

Audience members would see a small blob of water growing around the weaving kitten Pokemon as she leapt onto her Machamp husband's back, disguising herself from sight. The next time Matchan finished a movement, that blob of WATER PULSE reappeared, moving and stretching alongside him. Matchan lifted one leg, and the water dipped down. He released a slow, deliberate kick, and the pulse shot out, recoiling like a striking snake. He seemed to gather it between his palms in a sphere of rippling blue liquid, then a ring.

In the finale, he stooped low, adopting a pose of strength and grace as the water formed a column and then pulsed towards the sky, bursting on impact with the ceiling. Charmmy Skitty scampered up his shoulder, perching on his head just in time to open an umbrella. 

The rain splattered back down around them, dry and safe, a bastion of calm sheltered from the wrath of the world.

"Do not forget to bring an umbrella on the rainy day! It is necessary to avoid catching a cold," Michiko said earnestly as the sudden shower ended and the two took a bow. "But if you have a partner, maybe they can remember for you. Covering each other's weakness... It is my opinion, but I think it is the most beautiful."

Matchan was not actually Michiko's Pokemon. He was her husband's Machamp, a Pokemon he'd left behind to keep her safe and help her with household chores while he was away doing research. Sadly, Matchan's many talents as an indomitable fighting-type Pokemon were usually reduced to doing one thing. 

The Machamp strode onto the stage with his muscles flexing, holding a shopping bag in each hand. One was packed with hard-won fashion accessories from a local boutique. Another was filled with volumes of children's manga. The last two were packed with ordinary groceries.

"A good husband needs to be able to carry his wife's bags!" Michiko piped up over the microphone, holding it in her hands. Matchan's eyelids drooped on stage as if he was falling asleep. "Sometimes all day! It is difficult to do shopping, so this is important to stay on your feet even if you feel tired!" 

A high-pitched, alluring cat chirp began off stage. Charmmy bounded forward, a DREAM EATER attack warbling from her throat as she pranced towards Matchan with her tail held high. Matchan's head lolled, but then he bit down on the Chesto Berry he'd been holding in his mouth. The dry taste made his eyes fly open again, but it was too late-- the groceries were already falling.



"Noooo!" Michi cried as all the sweet potatoes and packs of instant rice flew into the air. Matchan caught himself on one knee as if proposing to Skitty and lashed out with all four arms in a seemingly last-minute WAKE-UP SLAP, snatching the falling items and placing them back in the bags with supernatural agility. 

Charmmy Skitty, meanwhile, had curled up on stage and seemed to have put herself to sleep instead. It took a special kind of talent that only a cat could show to cause chaos and then fall asleep like nothing had happened.

It also took a special kind of cat person to forgive that kind of behavior and find it cute. Matchan gently scooped her up and put her on top of the clothes, already accepting the cat hair that would soon be all over Michi's outfit. 

"This is what falling in love is like!" Michi declared happily. "Perhaps it feels like being asleep, and then!" She slapped her own cheeks. "Ah! You are awake! Every day I wake up with my husband and think, ah! It is a dream. It is too good to be true." She beamed at the audience. "By sharing your dreams with your partner, everyone is happy!"

A Machamp holding a tiny Skitty followed an older woman with frizzy hair onto the stage. "Hello everyone," Michiko exclaimed, clasping her hands. She beamed at the audience. "I have prepared something which is very cool! It is... a slideshow!" As she spoke, she proudly threw off the cloth covering the slide projector on stage. Stagehands behind her hurriedly drew the backstage curtains to provide a proper backdrop as the lights darkened and the projector whirred to life.

"Look, it is the first day Matchan and Charmmy are meeting!" Michi exclaimed. A foreign cover of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" began to play in the background as a picture flashed onto the screen, showing a Machamp surrounded by pink hearts clearly under the effects of an Attract attack. "And next, this is a picture of Matchan and Charmmy eating ice cream!" Michi continued, flicking to the next slide. She burst out giggling, talking through the next several slides like she was showing off a family photo album. "And here is Matchan and Charmmy riding the bus together! And here is Charmmy taking a nap inside a hole that Matchan was punching-- it was so naughty, I have to hide behind picture frame. And here is-- oh no!" The next picture was too blurry to make out. Michiko seemed distraught. "Aah, Matchan!! Focus the picture!"

The Machamp reached out with his four arms, using FOCUS ENERGY to re-focus the projector. The new picture finally came into focus, revealing Matchan cheering Charmmy Skitty on in a gym battle vs Zac's Doduo. "Yay! Thank you, Matchan!" She gave the fighting-type's cheek a little squeeze and went on obliviously to the audience. "And these are the wedding photos, and this is the pre-wedding shower..."

Michiko had hoped to end her cool slideshow presentation with one last photo, but she realized something was wrong - in scanning the photos in from her personal scrapbook, this final picture still had a scalloped border along the top and left sides from where she'd cut out with stationary scissors. "Ah! How embarrassing!" the little woman cried out hurriedly, rushing to cover the slide with her hands. "Charmmy, please fix it!"

The Kitten Pokémon pounced forward, using DOUBLE EDGE to make two perfectly straight edges along the picture. Relieved, Michiko lifted her hands up to reveal the final picture of Matchan and Charmmy decorating cookies in her kitchen for Valentines Day.

"They are normal type and fighting type, but Matchan would never hurt Charmmy Skitty!" Michiko declared passionately. "They are like the cherry blossom tree-- the trunk is strong and powerful, but the blossoms are small and weak! It is the combination that appears so beautiful."

Michiko turned off the projector, beaming at the audience as the lights came back on. "This is the Love Story finished! Thank you for your time. Please enjoy the rest of the Contest!"