Another morning

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North of town, in a small, cozy room at the bottom floor of the Grassveil Guild, a Skitty was curled up in her bed...  Though she wasn't asleep at the moment.  The Skitty had woken up a little early, so she had decided to spend a while studying...  She knew better than anyone that she had a lot to learn if she was going to continue working at the guild.  The day outside was overcast, perhaps promising rain later on, but the coming of morning cast the gardens behind the guild in a soft blue light and just enough leaked through her window to read by.  At the moment she was browsing through a book about first-aid.  Among the books her father had picked out for her, this seemed like one that she should prioritize...

But now the sounds of other Pokémon outside her door had grown louder, and it seemed that the rest of the guild was starting to wake up and go about their morning routines.  Now seemed like a good time to see if her new teammate was ready for the day.  With a smile, the Skitty closed her book and climbed out from the shallow basket full of blankets and pillows that served as her bed, taking a long moment to stretch her body before she trotted towards her bag and scarf hanging on the wall next to the door.  She put them both on, ensuring that her badge was visible on the blue scarf around her neck, then pushed her way out the door and into the hallway.

She came to a stop at the room right next to hers...  The door was still shut.  She briefly wished that her teammate hadn't asked to have her own room.  She didn't want to accidentally awaken her if she was still sleeping, but it didn't seem like there were many options.  "Um...  Excuse me, Yooka, are you there?" she called while softly scratching at the door with her claws.  She wished she could just knock, but her body didn't lend itself well to that...  Hopefully this would be enough to get her friend's attention.

((Thanks a ton, Bird! I really appreciate it! :) ))


"T-Thanks... ah... um," She said, trying her hardest to remember where it had been. Yooka's room? She... it was to up ahead, right? Or maybe on another floor entirely? Behind her was the guild-master's room, and there were a couple of rooms up ahead... but those weren't Yooka's. Were they? No, they weren't... so where was it? "Ah... I... think? But it'd probably be best if y-you l-lead me there..." Alki mumbled, embarrassed, as she hopped onto Darcy's back. But she did feel like Darcy was right, it really had been a long day. Her sister, and now she was a part of something, and she finally felt as if someone cared for her.


And suddenly, Alki felt as though she had to thank Darcy. Everything that had gone right since she'd come to the guild was because of Darcy. She belonged to a team because of Darcy, she had a home in the guild because of Darcy. She had to thank her, she just had to! And, um... t-thank you, D-Darcy... I... uh... w-well, s-see... I-Iloveyou! She said in her usual, quiet voice, her words running into themselves. No! That was stupid! You didn’t say that. You just didn’t! Even if it was kind of true, she did love Darcy. She’d been more of a sister in that one day than Melanie had ever been to Alki for her whole life. “I know it sounds s-stupid, and I’m sorry if I’m being dumb, b-but I do love you… y-you’re the nicest Pokemon I’ve met in my whole life… She couldn't take back something like that, especially if it was true. She trusted Darcy now, Alki would follow her anywhere. There wasn't anyone like her, was there? Darcy was one of a kind, that was for sure. No one had ever been so nice to Alki.


“A-And thank you for everything you’ve done for me today… I feel nice. And it’s a-all thanks to you! So thank you… err… t-that’s all I... uh, wanted to say. She said. She felt nice for telling Darcy how she felt, even if it was only a few short words. She didn’t know how to explain to the Skitty how happy she was, even if all that appeared on her face was a small, shy smile. “I-I… I’ll make you proud Darcy! Y-You won’t regret adding me to your team, b-but, uh… r-right now, I kinda just wanna sleep.” She said nervously. But it was true. Hopefully they’d get to their room soon. It wasn’t anywhere close to night time yet, but the Igglybuff was more tired than she’d ever been since she’d left home, and that was saying something. But she felt happy, and hopeful for once, and that was a combination of feelings she wasn’t used to.

With Alki securely on her back, Darcy stood up and walked back into the hallway, carefully pulling the door shut behind them with a paw.  But before she could turn around and head for their room, Alki seemed like she had something to say...  The Skitty looked over her shoulder to watch as the Igglybuff spoke up.

And instantly, Darcy's ears perked up and she felt blood rush to her face.  "H-huh?" she stuttered.  Alki...  Loved her?  But why?  She wasn't doing anything special!  She'd just been doing what came naturally...  Alki needed help, and...  Well, anyone would have done the same thing, right..?

...But...  Between Alki's sincere, quiet voice, and the tiny smile on her face...  It couldn't have been clearer that she was telling the truth.  That before today, Alki had never felt that anyone had cared about her this much...  The revalation made Darcy's heart feel warmer than she could ever remember, knowing that she had made someone so happy...  But it also filled her with a deep sense of sympathy for the little Igglybuff...  Everyone deserved to feel that they were loved, and that someone was watching out for them...

Tears had crept into Darcy's eyes without her realizing it, but she quickly blinked them away and mustered a smile.  If...  If Melanie couldn't be Alki's big sister...  Then Darcy would just have to fill in for now.  Alki was a good Pokémon, and no matter what, Darcy never wanted her to feel alone like that again...

"...Yeah.  Alki, we're going to be the best team ever," Darcy said softly as she began the short walk back to their room.  "I, um...  I'm really happy that I could help so much.  You can always count on me, okay?  We're teammates now."

She arrived in front of a door, much smaller than the one to the Guildmaster's office, and shouldered it open.  At the bottom of a few steps was a small, cozy room, with simple beds against the left and right walls and a window on the far side that gave a beautiful view of the guild's gardens.  It was sparsely furnished, but for a room its size, it didn't feel empty...  Books lined half of the windowsill, and a thick, fluffy rug covered the center of the wooden floor, and there was a closed wooden box against the wall beneath the window.  The rest of the team's belongings were resting near the beds or hung up on hooks set into the same wall as the door.

"So welcome to our room!  I guess this will be your new home," Darcy said as she looked over her shoulder, smiling at Alki expectantly...  Her team didn't have enough money for many decorations or furniture, but to Darcy, it still felt like home!  Somewhere she could go to rest when she needed it, and somewhere that she could be surrounded by friends...  She hoped that Alki would like it too.

Alki nodded, as they walked through the hallway. It was true. She could count on Darcy! The events of that day had proved it. Nobody had ever taken care of her like that, or been so friendly, not even her supposed 'friends' she'd made before. And now Darcy was her friend, the first friend she'd ever had. She had made a real friend! "I-I'll d-do my best Darcy... t-thanks again!" She said quietly as they stopped in front of a door. It was Darcy's room, and now it was Alki's. Their room! She'd be a close to her friend all the time. Always! This was great! 

Darcy opened the door, and revealed Alki's new room. It was quite a bit bigger than the room she'd had at her old home. And there were beds! With blankets! She'd been kind of cold at night after she'd left home... it would be nice to sleep indoors. Alki hopped off of Darcy's back and gave her a quick hug of thanks, before bouncing onto a nearby bed. It was soft and bouncy! She bounced a few times on top of it. She went so high! Quite honestly, it was a bit scary, bouncing so high... she stopped, and simply lay down on the bed."I l-like this bed!" She said, continuing to look around the room. She noticed another bed on the other side of the room, and realized that one of them was hers, but she didn't know which... what if she was in Darcy's?

She scrambled to get out of the bed, leaving it ruffled and messy. She mumbled a word of apology, and continued to look around. There was a box on the other side of the room, but she didn't want to ask what it was. It probably wasn't her business, but she was curious as to what was inside of it. She looked underneath her feet and noticed that there was a large, thick rug. It was nice, but Alki didn't see if it had any pattern, and she hardly noticed it's bright, red color. It was so thick! She picked up the edge of the rug and inspected it. She didn't know that they could make rugs so thick... After a few seconds, she set it down, shaking her head. Why did it have to be that thick? What if someone tripped on it? That wouldn't be any good... she looked up at the window. It was around mid-day, if Alki had to guess. Perhaps a bit earlier? The angle of the sunlight seemed to suggest that. Alki noticed a few books on the window sill... oh no. Would she have to read them? She couldn't read a book that size! She could barely read at all, and it would have hard words and weird letters... She couldn't do it!

"Ah... t-thank you very much Darcy! It's a very nice room... b-but t-those books? D-Do I have to read them?" She didn't want Darcy to know that she couldn't read... she'd look like a fool! But... only a minute or two ago, she'd been told she could always count on Darcy. So... hopefully she wouldn't mind. "I-I... h-honestly, I-I'm not good at reading... I can barely read." She mumbled quietly, and quickly added: "I-It's a nice room though, I just... s-sorry..." She looked up at her friend, waiting for an answer. She wouldn't be mad... Darcy was nice. She'd be nice about it! But still... it was embarrassing to have to tell someone that she couldn't read. She hadn't told anyone that before.

Darcy couldn't help but smile as Alki gave her a hug and began gazing at every corner of the room with wide eyes.  She followed Alki inside and lay down on the fluffy red carpet as the Igglybuff climbed onto the bed at the right side of the room.  It was Darcy's own bed, but Alki looked like she was having so much fun that the Skitty couldn't bear to stop her.  "Well...  Congratulations!  It's yours now!" she said with a giggle as soon as Alki was done bouncing.  She didn't mind sleeping in the other bed from now on.  They were basically the same, being the kind of beds that the guild furnished for small Pokemon...  Just little baskets full of things like blankets and pillows.  She had probably shed some pink and cream colored hairs in her old one, though.  Hopefully Alki wouldn't mind that...

The Igglybuff took notice of the books on the windowsill and she started to look a little nervous again.  Darcy tilted her head as Alki explained that she couldn't read.  That possibility hadn't crossed the Skitty's mind at all...  She could barely even remember being unable to read, herself.  But her father was a teacher, and their house had always been littered with books, so learning really couldn't have been easier for her.  Books were expensive and not everyone had someone to teach them, so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise, now that she thought about it...

"It's nothing you have to do, no.  One of my dad's friends is just letting our team borrow them.  They're about stuff that's useful for explorers, like dungeons and what kind of Pokémon live there!" she said with a nod.  But she paused and glanced away for a moment as she thought about how to continue, feeling a little embarrassed herself now.  "You can look through them as much as you want, or I can read them to you.  Just be careful not to damage them, because, uh...  I can't afford to pay for any of them."

Money had been scarce ever since she had joined the guild...  She had hoped to send most of her earnings back home to help her family, but being such a novice guildmember hadn't proven very lucrative.  But at least she was supporting herself now.  She rolled over onto her side and tried not to think about it as she continued.  "I do think you should learn to read sooner or later, though.  I can teach you.  All of the jobs that the guild accepts are written down and posted on the bulletin boards upstairs...  I can read them to you, but I think you might want to be able to do it by yourself, too."

Alki nodded, still nervous at the sight of such huge books. AND she'd have to read the Boards? In hindsight, how else would it work? But still... she could barely read! It'd be embarrassing having to be read to. Pokemon would make fun of her... it would be horrible... "W-Well, ah... err... I-I... n-nobody ever taught me, s-so... s-sorry... you're much smarter than me." She mumbled. She was already being a bother to Darcy. Why couldn't she read? It was all her fault. She began to blush, and looked away from the books and avoided eye contact with Darcy, feeling inadequate again.

Although... Darcy reading to her in their room sounded nice. So long as they were alone... maybe they had stories? Although when Darcy mentioned she couldn't afford them, Alki couldn't help but feel a bit confused. It was just a book, wasn't it? Big books... but were they really worth that much? Alki couldn't see how, and asking about it would help deflect some of her embarrassment. "H-How... ah, I d-don't... erm... that is... w-why are they, uh, w-worth so m-m-much?" She asked, pointing at the books. She stifled a yawn. She kinda felt tired, actually. She lied down in the bed she'd been bouncing on only a few minutes ago.

She thought back to what had happened that day. She played back the events of the day in her head. She'd met Darcy, and then Yooka had arranged a fight with her sister, and they'd fought, and Alki had gotten hit on the head and it still hurt and then Darcy got slapped by her sister, and then they won a fight and went back in and she'd signed up to join her team and now she belonged somewhere! Kind of. Even if she couldn't read, she was still Darcy's friend, right? A small frown appeared on her face, as she pondered this. Then she shook her head. Of course she was! She may have only met the Skitty today, but she could consider her a friend. Despite the small, nagging voice in her head saying she shouldn't trust the Skitty, she nodded, as though to reaffirm her belief in her new friend.

She felt another yawn coming, but failed to stop it this time. She yawned loudly, and half-closed her eyes as she lay down on her new bed, covering herself in a blanket. Darcy was right, she'd have to learn some-time, right? And Darcy reading to her didn't sound so bad. "Erm... a-ah... c-can y-you read to me? A bit? B-before I go to sleep, I don't w-wanna be too much of a... uh... s-sorry, it's just... n-no ones offered to read to me before." She mumbled quietly, partly because of her drowsiness, and partially because of her embarrassment. But still! She could learn if Darcy read to her a bit. She closed her eyes and yawned again. Even if it was just about mid-day, she was still sleepy. "T-Thank you, r-really..."

Darcy sat up again and glanced at Alki sheepishly.  Not having a teacher was probably why Alki couldn't read, not because she wasn't smart...  Helping the Igglybuff learn felt even more important now.  It was hard to bear the thought of Alki berating herself for something that wasn't her fault...

Alki asking about the books snapped Darcy out of her thoughts.  "O-oh, they aren't worth more than any other books, it's just..." she said, looking away.  "I don't have very much money.  I, um...  It's taken me a long time to get used to working here."

Being asked to read to Alki was a welcome distraction.  "Okay!  I'd love to," she said, perking up again.  That sounded like fun.  The Skitty looked up at the windowsill, scanning it for something good to read...  Something light, that would help Alki fall asleep.  All of the books her team was borrowing were nonfiction, though...

Her ears perked up as she thought of just the thing.  She trotted over to the wooden box beneath the window and nosed it open, then poked her head inside and returned with a big, colorful picture book held carefully in her mouth...  She set it on the ground, then pulled the room's other bed closer to Alki's, and then propped the book upright against it so that the Igglybuff would be able to see.

"This was one of my favorite stories when I was little," Darcy said as she settled onto her haunches right beside Alki.  "I brought it with me from home because I still like to look at the drawings sometimes...  It's about a Shinx prince who falls in love with...  Well, I'll just read it to you.  I think you'll like it."

With a smile, the Skitty turned the first page and began to read, retelling her favorite story like she had done for her younger siblings so many times before.  She had every page memorized by heart, and could only hope that Alki would find it as comforting and peaceful as she always had...

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Alki smiled a bit as Darcy grabbed a book from the Box nearby. So she had even more books in that box? She glanced at the window sill. There were already plenty of books there... Darcy must've really liked books. She was awfully smart... what would the story be about? Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember reading a book before. It might be fun! Or interesting. At the very least, it was something new.


As Darcy began to explain the story, Alki found herself becoming more and more interested in what the book had to say. A Prince? Who fell in love? That sounded interesting! She sat up in her bed, leaning against a Pillow as Darcy began to read. Immediately, as Darcy propped up the book against her bed and opened it, Alki noticed just how bright the colors were. They were so vibrant! And pretty! She let out a small giggle, and then pulled up the blanket and got ready for the story. And it didn't disappoint! It was cute, and it made Alki feel nice. The Shinx Prince fell in love with an Eevee and they
got married and had little children and lived happily ever after! And the pictures were so cute! Alki found herself laughing and smiling as Darcy read the story. Her parents had never been like that. She wished they could've been her parents. But then she wouldn't be an Igglybuff, would she? It was just a story though, after all. At the end of the day though, it was still nice, and really cute! She shouldn't over think things.

"T-Thanks Darcy." Alki mumbled, and then letting out a large yawn as she closed her eyes. "I-It was really nice..." It had been! And Darcy had such a nice, sweet voice, it calmed Alki down. She didn't feel that bad about not reading anymore. If it meant Darcy could read to her more... then it wasn't absolutely terrible. She closed her eyes and pulled up the blanket to cover most of her body. She was a bit cold. "G-Good-Night, Darcy..." She mumbled.

It had been a pretty alright day, in the end. Darcy was her friend now! And Yooka too, and she was on a team and safe from home for the time being, and Darcy was being really nice to her, and she'd even learn to read! Eventually... she didn't think she'd be too good at it. It seemed hard, and she didn't think she was too smart... Sure, she'd had to fight her sister. But in the end, everything had worked out. She began to snore softly as she drifted to sleep. It had been a good day.

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