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It was a beautiful and brisk autumn afternoon in Petalburg City, and Xiura was with one of her favorite people in Hoenn: Aurelie Lefevre. It would have been the perfect idyllic outing in such a lovely city, if it were not for the fact that they were scouting the area on Rocket business. Xiura admired a wild Vivillon landing in the middle of a flower bed adorning the sidewalk, before turning to offer a piece of fried potato pastry on a toothpick to her companion.
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Xiura had made the most of the occasion by creating a series of to-go, easily edible foods while walking. In one hand she had a paper cone full of fried samosa-inspired potato puffs, fried to golden. Spices like curry, cumin, and turmeric infused each delectable piece with mouth-watering flavor, and a light drizzle of cilantro chutney finished the meal.
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“This would have been a perfect day for a picnic. Maybe we could have staked out the park,” Xiura said, tone leaning more towards pouty complaint than she would have liked. She cleared her throat, consciously trying to frame it in a more positive light. “But, er, this is a very nice walk, too!” She breathed deeply, admiring the clouds passing overhead and pretended that she didn't wish that she and Aurelie were lounging peacefully on a picnic blanket surrounded by arrays of lovely fruit platters and chocolates. Perhaps jack wainwright could have joined them as well, if they weren't in the middle of a mission.
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Her Cherubi chirped happily in agreement, hopping along the sidewalk at an energetic pace.

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Trotting up Route 101 for a glimpse of the Sprigatito and Meowscarada pokemon, Xiura quickly came upon a clowder of the feline creatures. Hiding behind a group of trees, Xiura shushed her Incineroar, who muttered in dissatisfaction as she waited for her chance to approach them without their noticing.
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As if by magic or some cosmic design, one of the Sprigatito sneezed from all the pollen drifting through the air, the force of it sending the pokemon tumbling backwards into the underbrush just by Xiura’s feet.
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Xiura glanced at Incineroar, who rolled his eyes. She shrugged and dropped a Pokeball onto the recovering Pokemon.
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Momentarily distracted from the campfire and Aurelie's expert fire starting skills, Xiura observed her new Cherubi tagging along after her Poliwrath Bufo, who was collecting a decent supply of firewood from naturally fallen branches around the campsite. Cherubi needed the fresh air, and the tree cover here made it harder for aerial predators to see the pokemon, but she was still more comfortable knowing that Bufo was there to protect her. She leaned back against the log that provided a makeshift bench near the fire, thankfully upwind of the sparking embers and smoke.
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"It's everything I dreamed of," she responded to Aurelie with friendly banter, though she was only half-joking in her response. She was certain her contentment was conveyed in how relaxed her expression and posture were. The fresh air, the cool breeze, and the sounds of nature were rejuvenating and soothing for both the mind and body.
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She turned her attention to the campfire and started setting out some graham crackers on paper plates and breaking apart the chocolate bars, making sure there would be ample chocolate for each s’more sandwich.
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“After s’mores, what’s the next entree? Or appetizer? Or should we have a second round of s’mores?” Xiura laughed, already planning. They had quite the generous selection in the cooler they brought, including sandwiches, cheese cubes, crackers, and fruit.
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She turned to check on her Pokemon again. “Don’t go too far!” she called out to the merry pair. “It’s too dark!” Bufo waved in response, Cherubi chirruping happily behind him. She frowned uncertainly at the low lighting in the near distance.

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Xiura poured a steaming cup of green matcha for Aurelie, setting the cup close to her so that she could partake of the refreshment. She sat down next to Aurelie at one of the low tables on one of the dark blue cushions providing ample comfortable seating.
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"You and your Pokemon remind me of an old Kalosian fairy tale about a kind and clever girl who helped animals in need, and they helped her in return to find a great fortune and become a rich noblewoman."
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Xiura looked up to the sky, affected by the wistful tone to her dear friend Aurelie’s words. It was true that she loved and cared for her Pokemon very much, and wanted to provide everything she could for them so that they could be happy. She owed them that and more, for agreeing to stay by her side all these years, through the good and the bad.
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“Ah, Aurelie. Don’t envy me,” she said, leaning briefly into Aurelie’s side in a kind half-hug, before digging into one of the dango appetizers herself. “We see each other so often, they think of you as their friend, too.” As if on cue, Froslass sparkled by, placing a fresh plate of taiyaki on their table, greeting Aurelie with a fresh, cooling mist of ice crystals.
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As Aurelie recounted the tale of the girl and her Pokemon, Xiura followed the line of Aurelie’s arm, trying to spot the constellation she was pointing out. She recognized it, though her story was a little different from Aurelie’s. “Oh, that one! That’s a beautiful story. I’m touched that it reminds you of me,” she said humbly but sincerely. She couldn’t help but giggle before saying, “In our version, the animal friends introduce her to an empress; they become friends and that’s how the girl comes to own so many worldly possessions.”
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Xiura was in the middle of tearing in half a piece of taiyaki in half when she noticed that Aurelie sounded a little worried.
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"Looks like the star showers are starting already.”
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Xiura turned around with Aurelie, just as a mighty crashing sound reached her ears. She was surprised to see a meteor-like contraption plummet with astonishing speed into the sleek boards of the patio, accompanied by the sound of crunching and splintering wood.
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The small meteor groaned with a high-pitched groan not unlike the creak of the boards, and then it rolled out of its self-made pit. “Minior,” it squeaked.
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Battered and bruised, the meteor Pokemon started levitating, pieces of its cracked outer layer falling from its body. Many of the event attendees gasped, getting up from their tables as if unsure to leave or stay. At the sight of its apparent audience, the Minior squeaked in alarm, flying off into the cafe.
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"Oh no!" Xiura gasped, alarmed at the thought of a wild, possibly panicking Pokemon in the middle of her cafe with all its comparatively fragile accouterments, built more for aesthetic than sturdiness. She got up from the table, intending to follow it inside, but then another crash in front of them stopped her in her tracks.
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"Another?" she said in disbelief as the newly-arrived Minior rose, its cracked exterior spinning rapidly in agitation. To her dismay, this one seemed more inclined to fight than flee.

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Xiura trotted to keep up with Jack, her arm linked warmly in his. She cast a glance back at Aurelie, her expression tinged with concern at how close she was getting to Jack, but the brief glimpse she caught of her red-haired friend was that of a proverbial “cat with the cream” as she held her giant toy bear.
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“Jack, I—” she started, wanting to apologize for getting in between them, but the recollection of Aurelie’s tacit permission made her pause. Her gaze met Jack’s warm brown eyes with warmth and affection.
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Xiura said, “I agree, you are the prettiest girl at the carnival.” She pulled her elbow in closer to her body, and by extension, closer to Jack, tucking herself into his side. And she let herself, for a few moments, pretend that this was okay.
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She hardly noticed they arrived at the Ferris wheel until the barker expressed his doubt about the three of them fitting into the car. But before Xiura could let her uncertainty show and automatically offer the car to her friends, Aurelie quickly solved the problem by stepping into another car, leaving Jack and Xiura alone to get into theirs. She blushed at Jack calling her beautiful, and almost stuttered in her response. “Thank you, Jack, but I pale in comparison to you,” she managed to joke.
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“Aurelie, I’ll miss you!” Xiura called out, quietly happy but still feeling apologetic about it. Riding alone surely couldn’t be as fun as riding with a friend. Conscious of the high step, Xiura stepped up into the Ferris wheel car, then took Jack’s hand and used her weight to pull her friend in as well. “Umph,” she grunted, falling back onto the hard plastic seat, sliding gracelessly to one side, but still holding Jack’s hand. The door shut behind them and she let Jack settle down beside her for a cozy fit.
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The Ferris wheel immediately started to turn, and their car rose high into the air. The warm line of Jack’s body pressed along her side was unfamiliar but thrilling in the best way, awakening a riot of fluttering butterflies in Xiura’s stomach. She could hardly enjoy the beautiful view of the pale moon against the midnight-blue sky with such feelings inside her.
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Was it time? Perhaps she should wait. How many rotations was the Ferris wheel going to go through? She looked out the window at the ground below, biting her lip. No, no, even if Jack didn’t return her feelings, they would still be friends; she was sure of it. She just needed to tell the truth.
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Their car continued to rise to the top of the wheel. “Jack, I’ve been thinking about our friendship for some time now,” she ventured bravely. She was just talking, not planning the next words she was going to say at all. “I know you’re with Aurelie, and… I’m really happy for you two. I have been! And…” She trailed off, wringing her hands together and looking up at Jack helplessly.
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“Jack, the truth is, I—”
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Behind her, an ember-like shot of light sped into the air, bursting into a panoply of primary colors: red, blue, and yellow, followed by several others in sharp crackles of sound that threatened to drown out her voice.
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“—like you.”

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