Was also just. Hanging out with friends today, hehe. Always fun.

off to prepare the guest bedroom, leaving Lachie to burn bright as a Lumineon hunting at night.

“Y- you're sure? I can sleep on the floor, or something, really... I've, uh... I've never... shared a bed with anyone that isn't family, before...”

Ah. Now it was her turn for the unfamiliar.

🎸 : “There's really not a lot of room for two, I'm sorry, but- I could take the living area!”

Lachie is immediately against the idea.

“Nope! I'll take the living area, I insist, it'll uh... help with my posture, after all that hauling around, you know?”

Sweet Zekrom, please help her-

🎸 : “Azalea Town is good for a checkpoint, but not for a full on resupply. If you two really want to go back... then I'll help you. WE'LL help you Right, Teddiursa?”

‘Teddi, teddi! Ursa!’

Lachie looks... surprised, to say the least. She might be waiting for Yuki's thoughts on the matter...

“finding out... well, anything.”

Axolotl seems to be picking up on the conversation, looking absentmindedly between the two before nodding at Maizie.

🎸 : “Uuu...”

The girl seems defeated for a moment, before placing both hands on the table to lean forward.

🎸 : “Then I'll guide you both!”

》

🎸 : “The forest can be really dangerous, you know... I'd almost feel responsible for you two if anything happened. And I'm sure grandpa would think the same...”

Lachie looks to Yuki, before giving a thoughtful sigh.

“We don't really have anywhere else to go. Ilex Forest is our best chance at”

》

(FC : Nina Iseri, Girls Band Cry)

Lachie squeezes Yuki's hand again, maintaining eye contact as Maizie and Teddiursa set the table.

“We start looking for answers there. And along the way... we can see what's new. For both of us.”

After a moment, Lachie breaks eye contact, cheeks red as a Cherubi.

“I- if you want to, I mean...”

kitchen, cutting off Lachie's thought.

🎸 : “Oh! Water's ready...”

As Maizie grabs the tea set from the kitchen, Lachie meets Yuki's gaze, thinking about the phrasing the younger girl had used.

“Well... the forest is this town's backyard. Let's get some rest, maybe some supplies, then...”

》

there's a flash of recognition.

🎸 : “Now that I think about it, though... you two walked right out of Ilex Forest, didn't you? Like you walked out of a fairytale. I wonder if the Forest Guardian might have something to do with this...”

Maizie listens to both individuals stories, brow furrowed in thought as Teddiursa plops a bag of tea leaves on the counter behind her.

🎸 : “I'm not really sure what... most of that meant, Lachie. I'm sorry. I'm not much of a scientific. That's more my dad's thing...”

Though, looking to Yuki,

》

with a sigh.

“I THINK we were successful. At least, we were in recovering what we were looking for. But then...”

She ran a hand through her hair, clearly digging for memories in a haze.

“Then there was this sparkling mist around me, like I was dreaming. Next thing I knew, I was in the forest.”

》

🎸 : “You two... aren't from around here, are you? I don't mean to be rude, but, I don't think I've seen anyone like... either of you before.”

Maizie asks, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

🎸 : “Can we start from the beginning? As much as you both know, anyway?”

clearing her throat as she calls to the girl in the kitchen.

“I'm Lachie, by the way. This here is Yuki. You've already met our Pokémon, I think...”

🎸 : “Maizie. Maizie Carver. Kurt's Granddaughter, if you know grandpa!”

The young girl giggles, setting a kettle on an old stovetop.

》

🎸 : “Oh, feel free to leave your belongings anywhere. We don't have a lot of furniture, so there's no worry about getting in the way.”

Lachie nods, finally able to lean the weight of her strange TEC Unit against the wall with a sigh. Her shoulders were stiff...

“Oh, Yuki-”

Lachie mutters,

》

Her hand found its way over to Yuki's again. Lachie herself doesn't know exactly why.

“We... we really need help, I think.”

The girl nods, making her way by the two to the sliding back door, taking her shoes off before entering. Teddiursa lingers behind for a moment, waving the group inside!

After looking down at Teddiursa, who was tugging at the hem of her skirt, as if asking its Trainer to do something.

🎸 : “...would you mind explaining inside? I can put some tea on, if you'd like. I'm nowhere near as good as my grandpa, but-”

“Please-”

Lachie interjects without thinking.

》