A Stroll Together

Grassveil Town. It seems to be a relaxing place, from what Tempo has heard. He was leaving the Festivity Forest after his berry hunt, after coming up with no berries. He was going to head home after the expedition, but he decided to stay because of a friend he met on his expedition: Yigo the Sandshrew. He decided to stick around with him, mainly because he needed to make up the time he spent in the water, instead, but... it feels like it's more than that.

He takes a look around the town when he exited the forest. "Never been around here, before, actually. I skipped this place, mainly just to get to berry collecting, but I guess I should look around a bit." He says to Yigo.

The Sandshrew found himself back. The last time he got inside was after clearing out a mission with team Friendship Alliance. Even the gate from which Yigo and his new friend, an Oshawott named Tempo, entered the town was the one they had used back then. Aside from the scar on his right eye and a makeshift bag made of a pink trap scarf containing several berries, not much had changed.

Yigo advanced towards the main one of the main roads of Grassveil with small steps, his mouth opened as he looked over what might have changed in the little town of which he wasn´t too familiar with. Right after the mighty gates, a long road extended from the entrance to almost the end of the town. The street was usually busy and that day was not an exception. Pokemon ranging from having their size to massive and intimidating wandered through the road, visiting many trading tents located at the side of the path or entering and leaving the more resilient looking buildings of stone and trees "This is it, Tempo. What do you think?" Yigo finally answered Tempo. He had only explored Grassveil Town when Alki was around, basically following her instructions. That didn´t mean that Yigo wasn´t able to orientate himself. If they followed the road in front of them they´d eventually reach the Police Station. If they had to go to the guild, they´d just have to leave the city from the northern exit and follow the signs until the building could be seen.

The shops nearby were cooking and baking, the scent of their wares reaching the Sandshrew´s little nose. Other stores showed to the passing Pokemon trinkets, scarfs and various vanity items. One specific tent right before a crossroad exhibited leather and hide belts and bags and backpacks of many sizes, some of them even Pokemon themed. No Kecleon themed backpack this time, apparently. Some strange inscriptions were carved in some wooden planks, probably words. Yigo was not able to understand its content since he had missed many of Darcy´s reading classes. When that name got to his mind, he snapped out of it and continued his way towards the guild. It was early in the morning. Most of the explorers were probably in the guild so he´d have not much trouble finding team Friendship Alliance but... did he want that? Wouldn´t it be better if he left those berries as an anonymous gift? He didn´t know if after what happened with Yooka his problems were solved. At least at that time, not too many Pokemon were around the streets to make the Sandshrew he looked at Tempo again and found in him a solution.

"We arrived quite early, Tempo. If we go to the guild my friends will catch us and it won´t be a surprise anymore!" He said to the Oshawott "We will deliver the gift later... when the sun is higher..." Yigo left the makeshift bag on the floor and returned to the Oshawott´s side "We can do something else in the meantime, friend. Would you like to look around?"

The hardest part about evolution is re-learning what one’s body is capable of. Some Pokemon had the fortune, or misfortune of gaining extra limbs or new natural abilities, or sometimes both. Alki did not have quite so much to worry about, but it was still rather disorienting to have ears where before there were none, a tuft of fur over her forehead where before there was only a black mark. She’d changed a lot, that was for sure. Alki pushed up her curl considering what was next, for her. She was the same species as Melanie, now, she’d evolved too! And soon, maybe she’d learn those moves that only Jigglypuff could learn, and she could show them off to Darcy and to Yigo and maybe even to Goro!

The Jigglypuff opened her eyes, as she slowly lifted herself up, squinting as the sunlight poured into her’s and Darcy’s room. As she began to wake up, she suddenly realized that she was rather tired, both from the walk to and from Darcy’s childhood home, as well as the evolution. Who knew Evolution sucked away so much energy? Although Alki supposed it was only natural. She stumbled out of bed, and bounced towards the window blinds, just like she’d done countless times as an Igglybuff. Except she was no longer an Igglybuff, and Jigglypuff were nowhere near as bouncy as their pre-evolved selves. The child only realized this when it was too late. She landed, but no momentum was carried into her next jump, and as she stumbled forward, struggling to right herself, she found herself colliding against a nearby bookshelf. This wouldn’t have been quite so bad, if not for the fact that a couple of loose books on the shelves began to fall from the impact. Darcy’s first aid book landed right between her two feet, making a heavy, loud thud noise, while Alki’s (much) smaller novel landed squarely on top of her head.  

“I guess that really is heavy reading...” The Jigglypuff mumbled as she winced in pain, rubbing the top of her head as she slowly placed the books back in their spots, shooting a backwards glance at her sister, making sure that she’d not awaken. Alki rubbed her head, smiling, the soft, red spots on her cheeks betraying the embarrassment behind her small smile. That wasn’t the best way to start her day as a newly evolved Pokemon. She wouldn’t let it get to her, though. She made sure to walk towards Darcy, careful deliberate steps, so as to not mess anything more up. Getting used to a practically new body seemed more difficult than it originally seemed. Alki shook Darcy, unsure if the Skitty was awake or not yet, but if she wasn’t before, she certainly would be now. “Hey… Hey, Darcy! Wake up, um… I’m… I know we just took a break yesterday, but I’m not entirely used to being a… well, being a Jigglypuff. So… could… I know it might be a tad selfish, but… could… could we take another break? Just one day, so… um. I get used to this.” Alki mumbled, her ears flattening on her head, unconsciously, just like she’d seen her sister do so many times when she was embarrassed.

Darcy remained fast asleep, quietly dreaming of her childhood home, a tiny smile on her face as she lay curled up in her bed.  Visiting home with Alki had been wonderful in a lot of ways, but...  It had also been tiring.  The Skitty had slept deeply and soundly all night, thoroughly tuckered out from the long walk there and back.  An ear twitched as as some distant scuffling sounds echoed through the room, but they were far from enough to awaken the sleeping guild member...

...However, being spoken to and gently shaken was something she just couldn't ignore.  She stirred softly, and yawned, wondering who was here.  This voice didn't quite sound familiar, somehow...  Had they overslept?  Or perhaps was there a guild meeting today, and someone had come to fetch them..?

She blinked her eyes open, curiously regarding the big, round Pokemon beside her bed.  For a moment she was confused, until she heard the Jigglypuff speak some more.  Memories of their trip together flooded back into Darcy's mind and she broke into a broad grin.  "Good morning, Alki," she said, sitting upright on her haunches and using a paw to straighten out the fur on her face and head.

She gave her teammate a cheery, resolute nod once she finished speaking.  "Yeah!  Of course we can," she said with a tiny giggle as she hopped out of bed.  It was easy to tell that the Jigglybuff was a little embarrassed...  Her new ears were so expressive!  Kind of like a Skitty's.  "You know...  I was thinking the same thing, actually.  This is a really important change for you, right?  I want to make sure you have all of the time and help you need to get used to being a different Pokemon!"

She stood on the fluffy red carpet in the center of the room and began pacing in circles, absently chasing her tail while her mind raced with all of her thoughts and plans regarding her little sister's new form, things that they hadn't had time for earlier...  "Faye will understand if we take one more day off.  And I'm sure she'll be really proud once she sees you now.  And, umm...  I'll go talk with Melanie about what it's like to be a Jigglypuff when we see her in the mess hall tonight.  ...I-I think it would be nice if you came with me, so that you could show her that you've evolved, but...  U-umm, I won't make you come if you don't want to."

Finally she sat down and gave Alki a cheerful smile, though the Skitty's tail didn't stop swishing back and forth.  "As for today...  Well, I thought, maybe we could celebrate a little?" she said.  "...I don't know if I can afford anything from town, but...  Maybe we could take our breakfast with us today, and go find Yigo, and all have a picnic together?  I-I know that isn't much, but...  I'm really, really proud of you, Alki.  You deserve a nice day off while you get used to having such a different body..."

"It's a beautiful place, Yigo... I'm glad you took me here!" Tempo replied to Yigo's comment. He browsed around the shopf a bit to see if there was anything interesting, but the crowded streets made it difficult to do so. Nothing he found managed to interest him, though, plus he didn't really bring any cash with thim, since he didn't expect to be going into town.

Yigo mentioned it was too early to deliver the berries, since his friends weren't at the guild hall. "Alright, then, I guess you're right. Maybe we can look around the other places the town has to offer? I've already browsed the shops, but I didn't find anything interesting."

Yigo observed how fascinated Tempo was. The Sandshrew thought that he would be afraid of getting near the city, just like he had in the past, but it was obvious that Tempo wasn´t afraid of anything. The water type rushed from shop to shop, looking at their wares in an instant before proceeding to the next one. It looked happily entertained in the market so Yigo decided to take a look at some shops as well. In front of him stood a tent filled with berry crates slightly tilted so that any passerby could observe the type and quality of the goods while a Smeargle stood behind them holding its tail and swinging the tip without much interest.

Yigo got closer to the tent and looked at the goods of the berry trader. They all looked radiant, clean and juicy inside the crates, not a single one of them with any visible spot inflicted by a hit or a bruise. The Smeargle gazed upon the Sandshrew with curiosity, springing into life when it saw Yigo inspecting the food "They are the finest fruits you´ll ever taste and as cheap as it could be, sir" The Smeargle extended his hands while his tail sprinkled the wares with a bright powder that crystallised in seconds, forming a light barrier between the customer and the goods "The price is so low that other Pokemon call me mad! I´m practically losing Poké!" The Sandshrew, shy and clearly oblivious towards the merchant´s self-advertisement just blushed before curling in and rolling backwards, away from the berry shop while the Smeargle stared at him shocked.

Once outside, he looked back at his poor scarf holding the few berries that he could find in that forest. How could he compete with a product of that quality? Was it a good idea at all to give what he had to his friends? Surely the guild had much better food and great amounts of supplies. Would a few berries make a difference?

Fortunately, Tempo came back to his side having satisfied his curiosity telling him that he didn´t find anything interesting. However, that didn´t seem enough to him wanting to explore another area of the city. Yigo looked back at his friend, eyes dull and a blue expression. The ground type couldn´t think straight, he was worried. Maybe he should just keep those berries to himself and find something to trade the Smeargle in exchange for some good looking berries instead but, for that, he had to sacrifice some of his goods. Yigo looked at the intersection ahead of them for a moment. One of the roads led to the western gate of the city where he could find one of his burrows. He had some items stashed there. Could he perhaps find something valuable there?

"A-Alki showed me a house where Pokemon could eat and talk... you don´t even have to bring food, they serve it to you there..." Yigo responded to Tempo "She also showed me... the Dojo and the Police Station..." He said without much enthusiasm, trying to make them look boring with just his speech "I... I also live nearby! I´ve found something good but... I need something to give in exchange... would you like to come with me?" He said a bit nervous. What would Tempo think of his burrow? He was a water type so he imagined that he wouldn´t like his tunnels that much "I-I... don´t know if you... you´ll like it. You can stay here if you want!" he said with a bit of shame, regretting his proposition while closing his eyes in front of the water type. It was stupid to think that he might be interested in visiting his dwelling when Tempo had a whole town full of possibilities "Where... do you want to go?"

Alki smiled as the Skitty began to wake, stirring, staring at her with confusion in her face. She must've been sleeping soundly. The Jigglypuff's smile only grew as the seconds ticked by. The tired, sleepy Pokemon suddenly smiled as she recognized her teammate. Alki giggled in response to the broad grin on her team leader’s face.


“Good morning to you too, Darcy.” Alki said, looking on at the Skitty as she began to get out of bed. She felt a mixture of pride and embarrassment as she gauged her relative height to Darcy. She wasn't as diminutive as an Igglybuff, anymore. She wasn't tall either, as the Skitty still towered over her, by half a foot, at least. If not more. She'd need to find a ruler sometime, see how tall she actually was. Alki looked up at the Skitty, a shy smile curving up on her mouth.

“I guess I'm still your little sister, huh?” Alki asked, laughing despite her pride being a tad wounded. It wasn't anybody's fault, neither Darcy's or Alki's, but she felt a tad unlucky her line of evolution was so short. Darcy hadn't even evolved and she was still a full half foot taller.

“Sure, I… I wouldn't mind a picnic. I… it's just really weird. Evolved, and all. Didn't… I didn't expect it to happen so soon. Anyways, I'll… let's get our food and go! I… I wonder what Yigo would say…” She said, laughing at the thought. She'd grown so much since they'd met, and she'd shown her around. Alki began to half-walk, half stumble, already looking forward to the meeting despite not knowing where she could find the Sandshrew.

Alki seemed to like the idea of a picnic too...  But it wasn't hard to see that there was something else bothering her, with the way she looked Darcy up and down and perhaps stood on her toes a little bit before commenting that she still felt like...  Well...  Darcy's little sister.  The Skitty put on her bag and scarf, giving Alki a sheepish glance while she followed the clumsy Jigglypuff outside, towards the mess hall.  It was true.  As excited as Darcy was for her little sister, Alki's height hadn't changed so much that the Skitty couldn't recognize her...

"Yigo will be really happy for you.  Definitely," Darcy said, brushing her tail against Alki's back and flashing a smile, hoping to cheer her up a little.  "Umm...  After our mission together, I offered to give him reading lessons.  He told me where he lives!  He wasn't there when I showed up for our first lesson the other day, but I bet we'll be able to find him this time."

She slowly began climbing the stairs up to the guild's upper floor, watching Alki and sticking close in case she lost her balance.  "It will be a really nice surprise for him.  I think he'll feel the same way I did when you told me you were going to evolve soon...  I bet he'll want to give you a hug too," she said, her voice trailing off as a warm smile grew on her face.  It was still difficult to believe that it had happened so soon, that Alki had been an Igglybuff for what felt like no time at all...  And for Yigo, it would be even more of a surprise.  He seemed like one of Alki's best friends...  She was already looking forward to seeing what he thought.

He saw Yigo roll around, possibly looking for something to buy, but it seems like he didn't find anything of interest, since he started to... cutely roll back to Tempo. "Awww..."

A dojo to practice battling... Something he could use, considering he's not really that strong. But a cafe, as well. Maybe he could get something to eat when he gets hungry later on in the day, but right now, he's fine with just heading to Yigo's home. "I'll explore later. Let's just focus on finding your friends, alright?" He didn't know where Yigo or his friends lived, so he let Yigo take the lead, as he follows behind.

"M-My... friends?" Yigo looked even more nervous. Tempo seemed unimpressed by Grassveil´s buildings. The Oshawott seemed to just want to get over with it. "You really don´t want to wait, do you?" Yigo giggled at his friend´s enthusiasm, hoping that somehow that could conceal his nervousness "I suppose that I can´t keep you here any longer... Let´s go to the guild!"

Yigo started moving, following the road that leads to the northern exit of Grassveil town, oftentimes checking if Tempo was following him. The Oshawott didn´t look that much troubled and he didn´t seem like he minded travelling. He walked by Yigo´s side with his usual confidence and happy mood. It almost made Yigo wish that he didn´t have anything else to do, that they could just play together for as much time as they wanted. The water type would probably go back to Rainfront when they are finished while Yigo... he didn´t know what would happen to him. Would Tempo even remember him?

They eventually reached the junction between two of the main roads, one that leads to the northern side of the city and the other that went from the eastern side to the western side. The town was starting to get crowded as many Pokemon were starting to be seen on the vicinities, including some of the renowned explorers that tended to roam the settlement. Their shiny badges, bags full of useful gear and clean colourful scarfs were enough to tell them apart from the locals. Perhaps the timing was not that bad after all. It was a matter of time for team Friendship Alliance to leave the guild and for them to make the delivery unnoticed. However, there was something else, or someone else, that needed some attention.

"A-Actually... Tempo... I think that I forgot about something. Something important" Yigo turned to his friend, his face blushing "To get inside the guild... I need something and... I have it in my stash" Yigo turned away and stood on his fours, pointing with his head at the western road. He was lying, of course. He didn´t actually need anything else to get inside the guild but he wanted to take something from his stash... and give it to Tempo. It felt a bit bad that, after that much time together, he had not paid for his services with a good meal or a present, proof of their friendship.

Yigo decided to leave Grassveil town for now and head towards his secret stash, a small buried treasure near one of his past dwellings. He could remember the place even though many days had passed since he had to visit it. It was tunnel excavated on the side of a nearby hill, an advantageous position where he could just sit down and observe the town and the guild without being bothered. From time to time, he checked on Tempo to make sure that he was following. Maybe the water type was just really anxious about meeting Yigo´s friends but the Sandshrew was sure that he had something that could impress his friend with. It was only a matter of time now. It was not like he was going to find anyone on his doorstep and ruin the surprise.

Alki stopped, scuffing the floor lightly with her foot. She hadn't changed all that much. She'd grown a bit, sure, her limbs were longer and stronger and she was stronger too, but that was about it. She'd gotten a curl, she'd gotten ears, and her eye color had changed. But she was still a balloon, a rather weak one at that. She was still small. She didn't even need Melanie around to know she was still the shorter of the two, even after she'd evolved. Her eyes looked up towards the staircase, wondering what Yigo would think when they saw each other. He was a good friend to her. She wanted to surprise him! Evolution was a big deal for anyone, but Alki couldn't help but feel underwhelmed at her own new form when she thought of what Darcy, Yigo, or Synd'r would look like once they evolved.

   “I really hope that's true, it's just that… I don't know. Don't you think I'm still too small?” Alki asked, turning to look at Darcy as she stood on her toes, just a bit, hoping to get closer to Darcy's height. It wasn't fair, that she'd always have to be a dwarf. But those were the circumstances she was stuck with. At least in her other job, being small wasn’t so bad.

“What if he's not impressed? I'm still probably smaller than him and I'm still a balloon and don't evolve into anything cool like he will, or you will, or Sy… some of my other friends will. What if I'm not impressive?” Alki asked. She shouldn't get so worked up yet, she knew that, but she just couldn't help it. She closed her eyes, taking a couple deep breaths before reopening them to look at Darcy. The Skitty was doused in a warm, orange light from the candles that lined the rooms and halls on the lower floor of the guild. “I just really want to impress him…”  

   Alki paused, considering this statement. That was true, she did want to impress him rather badly. Their mission together had been equal parts scary and fun. He was a very good friend, and she'd enjoyed his company. But that still didn't explain why Alki wanted to impress him so badly. But she did. That was what mattered, right?

   “I mean… even if it is a bit scary, I'd still like to see him. Y'know, see what he thinks of me…” She smiled, even if she was apprehensive, seeing Yigo was always a treat. “So, you offered him reading lessons, huh. He's really smart, I bet he'll learn fast!” She said, exiting the room and heading for the staircase, her mood already lightened as she thought of seeing Yigo again for the first time since their mission. If he was surprised or excited, then all the better! “Let's go see him, then! I… we haven't seen him in forever! I shouldn't spend time on stressful things today. Let's just see what he says!” Alki waved at the Skitty from the end of the hallway, before turning around and heading up the staircase. She'd do her best to make it a good day. She wasn't too familiar with those sorts of days yet, but the more acquainted she got with them, the happier she'd be.

"He liked you when you were even smaller, right?" Darcy said with a smile, still sticking right beside Alki. "Not all Pokemon become big and cool looking when they evolve. I won't really, either... I'm sure Yigo understands. And he liked you a lot to begin with. He'll be proud. I promise."

...And she smiled wider as she saw that Alki really was excited. She nodded and hummed to herself softly as she pranced after the little Igglybuff, up the stairs and towards the mess hall... They took their breakfast, fresh nanab and bluk berries today. She packed them into the little, cloth-lined basket she used to carry food for long trips, like her last visit to Rainfront Town, and then led the way outside, the weather sunny and warm, almost hot. "He lives outside of town. ...I think everything that goes on inside of town still seems a little too busy for him, so he dug a cozy little burrow for himself! It has a pretty view, and you can see all of town, even the guild..."

The cheerful Skitty kept talking as she walked, leaving the road and trotting off into the grassy fields to their right. It wasn't hard to see why Yigo liked the solitude. Town was fun, and there was always something going on there... But it was also nice to have more privacy, accompanied by just the warm wind blowing through the grass and the occasional chirps of bird Pokemon soaring overhead...

Finally, once the two of them stood on a vast, gently sloped hill to the west of town, Darcy slowed down and came to a stop. "...It should be... Somewhere around here..." the Skitty said as she trotted through the grass, poking her head into any bush or small cliff that looked like it might be hiding a tunnel. "...I think he covers up the entrance when he's sleeping or away from home. We might have to hunt a little bit, Alki. Do you think you can help me look?"

The sea otter looks excited to finally be able to see a guild for himself. He heard rumors about the place before, but now he'll get to see it for himself in person! But... something else was happening as they went down the path... He felt like he had... a closer bond with Yigo as they went on... It was strange. What's also strange was that Yigo suddenly stopped when he realized he forgot something...

"Hm? You forgot something in your stash?" The Oshawott asked, not able to see through Yigo's lie. "Alright, then. Lead the way!" He follows Yigo up the hill, wondering what exactly he needed to get inside... He remembers hearing about team badges to show what team you are at, but to his knowledge, he didn't think he had one.

The hill was not exactly like he remembered it to be. The grass looked greener when he had first arrived at Grassveil and the flowers appeared to have stopped blooming on that place. There was the cloudy sky to blame since Yigo hadn´t seen the great desert deity, the sun, shine upon that hill. While it might have been bright enough for the sun rays to get past the darkened clouds they might not be enough to feed the poor plant life growing on that hill. For how much time was Yigo gone? The sight of his first dwelling was not the most welcoming at their arrival.

There was not much time to waste. On his fourths and with the makeshift bag made of his pink trap scarf carrying the berries on his back, Yigo rushed to the top of the hill. That was a nice place to enjoy the landscape and to keep an eye on the town and the guild. The hill was rarely visited as well, something that seemed odd to the Sandshrew yet it made the hill an even more attractive hideout for his items.

However, that place was not only his hideout; it was the place where Yigo was supposed to live in. He had given that position to his friends so they could find him if they didn´t know where he was.  He had told Alki that she could find him there if she wanted to visit him. How many times could Alki have been there, waiting for Yigo to be there just to find the place empty?

Yigo tried to shake those thoughts away, trying to focus on the task at hand "Look, Tempo. Here we are!" he said with enthusiasm. Leaving the makeshift bag at his feet, he looked around trying to spot the camouflaged entrance to the burrow. It was on the side of the hill and it was near the stump of a tree. "Y-You can... you can wait for me over here or you could follow me inside! I don´t know if you´d like to go underground. It´s not like living inside water... I hope you don´t mind" Yigo shrugged at the thought of Tempo actually following him inside. His burrow was nothing but a straight tunnel just wide enough to fit Pokemon the size of Yigo and the main chamber in which he could host up to 4 other Pokemon. It didn´t have a lighting source of its own so the place was dark at all times unless someone decided to use Flash or a move of a similar effect. One of the main attractions was that it felt warm and that it was always dry. His mother had taught him well "H-How... how does your house look like?"

The comments were soon interrupted by a sound that Yigo´s ears caught in the vicinity. It was a voice, a female voice. It sounded oddly familiar. eyes darted at the source of the sound. What he saw left him paralysed, unable to move for a few seconds. His mouth was open, shouts wanting to come out while the little control Yigo had over himself was barely able to avoid giving away his position. Darcy, the leader of Team Friendship Alliance, was down the hill with an unknown Jigglypuff by her side. What were they doing there? Were they looking for him? Were they trying to capture him for what he had done?

Yigo´s instincts told them to flee yet he had come to Grassveil to face the explorers and set things right. If he flees now, everything would have been in vain. His whole body was in shock, actions and reactions classing to take control over Yigo. In the end, nothing ended up winning out, leaving the Sandshrew blankly staring at the pair of explorers.

Alki nodded at Darcy's words. It was true that not all Pokemon turned cool and large and intimidating when they evolved. That wasn't true for Darcy, though. Delcatty were huge! Darcy would probably be at least three times Alki's height when that happened. Sandslash were all of those things, they were large and cool and scary, and Synd'r would turn into a ninetales ! She was so simple by comparison… Alki wondered for a second what Synd'r would think, but it would not be wise to bring that up. The less Darcy knew about that job, the better.

“I guess you're right, I just can't help but be a bit jealous, though.” She mumbled, walking besides the Skitty. Darcy promised that he'd be proud, and Alki’s heart fluttered at that thought. Of her? The Jigglypuff began to blush as she took a sudden interest in the sky. The weather was pleasant, the sun was bright, and a mild breeze passed through Alki's fur. A few flying types were enjoying the sky, and white, fluffy clouds dotted the blue backdrop. Him being proud? That would be the best surprise she could get, but even with that knowledge, she couldn't quite pinpoint why it was so important. Alki began to hum to herself as they walked, lost in her own thoughts until Darcy spoke up again.

“Yeah, I guess. The town's really busy, and peaceful out here.” The grass was almost ticklish under her feet. The Jigglypuff walked with more confidence, and as her pace began to steady itself, her eyes and smile lit up with a silent pride. Alki let herself lie down on top of it, as she observed the sky. It really was a nice day, and Alki began to daydream of what talking with Yigo would be like. Should she talk to him first? Or wait for him to realize who she was? There wasn't much to show off as a Jigglypuff, aside from her voice. It was supposed to be nicer once she evolved. Should she sing for him? No! That was too awkward and forced. What was she supposed to do? Alki lost herself in her thoughts, nodding blankly as the Skitty requested her help. It took a few seconds, but when the message finally sunk in, Alki shot upright. The Jigglypuff struggled to maintain her balance as she sat up, but once achieved, she stood up and looked around the hill. Yigo hid the entrance? She supposed that made sense, since he lived so far out of the way.

Alki's ears perked up as they caught a sound, carried by the wind. A voice, familiar to her. Alki stopped her searching and looked around, hoping that the voice was not just her imagination, that it had a Sandshrew attached to it. It did. Alki's eyes settled upon him, paying little attention to the unfamiliar Oshawott next to him. She froze up, wondering what she should say. Did he recognize her? Igglybuff and Jigglypuff looked a lot alike, after all. If he didn't, should she tell him, or play along for a bit? He looked cute, just standing there. Alki waved at him, unaware of just how much she was blushing, and just how small and jerky her movements were. But she did realize she was trembling, from her toes to her hands.

The Jigglypuff cleared her throat, hoping to catch the Skitty's attention. “Y-Yigo? It's… um, it's Alki!” She said, a scared half-smile appearing on her face. She could feel and hear her heartbeat, and it was much faster than normal. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to slow it down, nor could she stop her tremors. “I… well, um. I'm not an Igglybuff anymore, and I wanted to… uh, wanted to see you.” She stammered. Her voice was less squeaky than it had been as an Igglybuff. It remained high pitched, but it seemed more melodious, and much more mature.

She waved again, unsure of what to do or say beyond this. Alki found herself searching for the Skitty in her peripheral vision. Darcy was a people person. She'd know what to say. Alki didn't want to mess this up. She simply closed her mouth and smiled at the Sandshrew, was unable to stop smiling, as she waited for a response from either Darcy or Yigo. Hopefully it'd be a good one.