Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Deep within a forest, on a bridge above a stream of water, a Riolu stood face to face with a Zangoose.

“Shanna… Why did you bring me here?” the Riolu asked, a look of worry on his face.

She smiled at him, paws behind her back. “Ali…I have something important to tell you.”

“What is it, my friend?” he questioned.

“Ali… ever since we met, you’ve brought nothing but joy to my life, one that used to be filled with nothing but suffering. Thanks to you, I learned how to smile…and most importantly, you gave me the hope that even a grouchy, angry jerk like me could be a better person,” Shanna answered, her cheeks glowing a rosy red. “It might be selfish of me to ask but–”

Pat pat.

The Riolu leaned forward to pet the Zangoose on the head. “Shanna, if you're asking to be my friend, don’t worry. You’ve been my friend from the very start! Besides… it’s not selfish, whatever makes you happy makes me happy too, y’know…? Because I love you, as a friend.”

Shanna’s cheeks glew brighter. “...Silly dog, I feel the same way. I love you too… not just as a friend, but more than that… I see you as partner, one which I’m content with spending the rest of my life. So Ali…”

Schtuck.

The Zangoose slowly knelt down onto one knee, clutching a box with her paws. She opened it, revealing a gold ring with a gem that glowed a brilliant blue. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Suddenly, it all went to black before a couple of lines of appearedin the middle of the TV screen.

‘TO BE CONTINUED!’

“Will Ali say yes to Shanna’s proposal!? Find out next time on ‘Partnered Explorations!’”

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!

The overjoyed Archen sat on his couch, flapping his wings in excitement. Right by his side, a Raboot plush with buttons was posed to watch the screen on the wall.

Wounce Wounce!

“YESSSSSSSSS! I WIN, I WIN, I WINNNN!” Fletch cried as he celebrated, jumping up and down on the couch to the point that his glasses nearly fell off his head. “FACK YOUU, ALIWREN SHIPPERS, SHALI SHIPPERS ON TOP!  MWEHEHEHEHE!”

“Birdy bro is everything alright?” Robin the Raboot asked. He stood right next to Fletch and the couch, donning a pink apron and a pair of oven mitts.

The starry-eyed Archen flashed a smile towards him. “Of course I am! Robin-Robin! Today is a very wonderful day! For my ship has finally charted its course!!! I’m so exciteeeeeed. I even plan to celebrate the momentous occasion by writing a OTP oneshot about it later~!

“That’s good to hear! Do whatever makes you happy, okey?” Robin remarked as he smiled back at the bird. The Raboot theng ave him a pat on the head. I have no idea what any of that even means, but it’s probably something wholesome.

“Hehe, I will!” Fletch crooned. “By the way… why do you have your baking gear on? Are you baking something for… me?” He twiddled his claws together, staring at him with glistening,puppylike eyes.

“Of course! I’m making chocolate chip cookies with extra chips, just the way you like it~” Robin answered with a wink before giving him a thumbs up.

“YAY!” Fletch squawked joyously, flapping his wings around.

The Raboot  smiled at this sight. “Feel free to share them with Satou and Sawyer later. Speaking of Sawyer though…weren’t you planning to do something with him?”

“Yep! Sawyer and I are going on a hangout soon. I was actually just about to dress up for it,” Fletch  said cheerfully.

“Hehe, alright. Have a good time then, birdy bro! Your stuff should be on the table, already cleaned just for you~.”

“Thankies! You’re the best, bunny bro,” Fletch said, smiling back before hopping off the couch and waddling towards the table by the door. He grabbed his trusty pair of black leather gloves from a nearby coat rack and put them on, giving them a good stretch.

Stremtchhh.

“By the way, birdy bro, thank you for clarifying to me that a date is different from a hangout.”

Puft.

The Archen grabbed his cavalier hat and carefully placed it atop his head.

“Because it wouldst certainly beest very shameful if I hath asked him out on a date, no?” Fletch added, twiddling his claws before letting out a small chuckle.

Robin couldn’t help’ but chuckle at that too. “It does, but don’t worry about it.” Admittedly though, I’m glad…that my innocent birdy bro has no interest in romantic partners. No one in the world deserves somebody as sweet as him.

“Alright, but I also wanteth to asketh mine brother, doth thee think that I look quite charming in this fit~?” Fletch asked with a wink. “At the very least, sufficient enough to impresseth Sawyer!?”

“Of course, you’re as charming and adorable as always, birdy bro!” Robin agreed with an approving thumbs up.

Satisfied, he waved Robin goodbye before heading towards the door. “Wonderful~! Then farewell mine brother, I pray that thou has a prosperous day!”

“You too! By the way, I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your PC,” the Raboot replied  with a farewell wave of his own.

Fletch gave his brother a thumbs-up, signaling his full permission as he opened the door, ready for his hangout.

Creak…

Wait a minute, I feel like I forgot something , The Archen thought to himself as he pushed the door open with his claws.
…

…

…

…

“ROBIN WAITTTTTTT, I NEED TO CLEAR MY BROWSER HISTO-!”

In the central part of Post Town, was the Golden District, a shopping street so popular that all walks of life from all across the world would visit it for its ability to satisfy every need…

…like shopping to one’s heart's content. After all, Golden District was well known for its prized Glorious Gold Department store, a skyscraper made of yellow tinted glass shaped like a Gholdengo. It was so tall that it touched the heavens. Located the heart of the district, it was filled to the brim with shops selling imports from all across the globe. It was a place where one could buy almost anything they ever wanted even a six-foot-tall monster truck! And if that was not one’s fancy there were always  smaller local stores and vendors, selling what Glorious Gold didn't. Regardless, one would be bound to find something they’d like~.

Or…

One could lavish in Post Town’s culinary delights, as the Golden District was a cultural melting pot. Chefs from all over the world provided their own divine menus, each dish they served creating a powerful aroma that wafted through the streets. Every vendor had a story of their own to tell through their art…

And if one just wanted to have a good time by themselves or their pals, with just a dash of shopping and dining like the Archen standing idly by a fountain. He was ignoring the endless sea of passers by, waiting for a friend.

“...Forsooth! Where’s that gent? It’s already ten past four, he’s ten minutes late,” Fletch sighed as he waited, tapping his talons on the road to ease his growing boredom. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to brow-

Tap tap.

Before he was able to pull out his phone, the Archen felt a soft rapping on his wing. The bird quickly turned around, finding himself face to face with an all too familiar Spinda, whose blue tie swayed in the wind.

“Heya Fletch!” Sawyer greeted with a friendly wave and a smile.

Upon seeing the Spinda, Fletch’s face lit up too. “Valorous afternoon, Sawyer mine friend!” He tipped his hat to the bear.

“Heh… sorry that I’m late, something came up. Hope you don’t mind,” Sawyer bashfully apologized, scratching the back of his head.

Fletch shook his head, still smiling. “Tsk tsk! No need to apologize mine friend, as long as thou is here that’s all that matters, okay?”

“Alright, if you say so,” he chuckled. “ By the way, it’s great to spend time with you again after so long. We didn’t really talk much since we met, aside from that little party thing, so I-I kind of… missed you, if that makes sense, heh.”

The bird nodded in agreement. “Aye! Same here, it’s been ages since we lasteth did something together. I hast been too busy recently, apologies.”

“It’s all good, pal. You said it yourself, as long as you're here that’s all that matters. So why don’t we go on ahead?” Sawyer reassured, offering his paw for the Archen to take.

Well… admittedly, it’s also my fault that we didn’t spend much time together but that’s all behind me now, Faust, Uncle, Mom-dad and Dad, they were… right all along.

Of course, but before that, mine friend…!”

Bwfsh.

Fletch knelt down on one talon and pulled out a bouquet of roses from out of nowhere, offering them to Sawyer with a wide smile.

“Weh?!” Sawyer’s eyes widened in shock. HUY HUY, FLETCH??? ANAK NG TOKWA, ANO GINAGAWA MO???(HEY, HEY, FLETCH??? SON OF A TOFU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING???) “F-Fletch w-what is that for???” The Spinda broke out into a nervous sweat.

Fletch shot him a toothy smile, beaming. “My friend, ‘tis ist just a gift I want to give to mine most valuable companions like thou!” He concluded his proclamation with a wink.

“Oh… I see,” Sawyer said. He softly smiled, his cheeks a light rosy pink. “W-Why me though? We’ve only known each other for like a week, no? You don’t have to do anything like this, b-but  thanks…”

Fletch chuckled “Mayhaps. But even then, I still want to do this for thee. Afterall thou still art one of my precious friends. Thee can also consider this an act of gratitude for the celebration thou hast made for me a few days prior~!”

“...Fair enough. It was just a small shindig though, you didn’t have to go out of your way to give me flowers. But thank you…Fletch,” the Spinda said as the smile on his face grew bigger.

The Archen shook his head “The same could be said for thou, mine friend, mere flowers pale in comparison to that celebration thou hosted for me!”

“Right… Okay, I’ll take it,” he chuckled as he took the bouquet of flowers, keeping it close to his chest.

The Spinda’s nose was greeted by the scent of the roses. It was fresh, sweet, and simple but bold just like the Archen in front of him.

“...Thank you, Fletch,” Sawyer said, smiling warmly at the Archen.

The bird returned that very same look to the Spinda. “You’re most welcome, mine friend.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

The Vulpix standing right behind Sawyer gave the Archen an ice-cold gaze, baring her fangs at him. If looks could kill, Fletch would become the victim of first-degree murder.

“GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!” Faust growled, planting her feet in preparation to pounce and rip him to shreds.

Fletch reeled backwards, startled by Faust’s sudden appearance. “EH!? M-Miss Faust! What art thou doing here???”

“Oh her? Don’t worry, I just brought her along for moral support. She wanted to see me off, apologies in advance if that’s awkward,” Sawyer chuckled.

He shook his head in reply, “Worry not, the fine lady wast never a bother to begin with! Besides, being there to support thy friends is an act most noble, ist it not Miss Faust?” Fletch  winked towards the Vulpix, though his open eye watched her nervously, noticing her murderous glare and stance.

Hearing those words, Faust couldn’t help but let it ease her anger, making her smile instead. She relaxed from her pouncing position. That’s right, Faust is the noble Ultimate One, always confidently benevolent- 

Her gleeful look subsided, twisting back into one of malice. 

HOLD ON A MINUTE, THAT STUPID BIRD IS THE ONE PRAISING FAUST! NOT SAWYER! she thought before glaring once again at Fletch, rolling her eyes at his putrid offending presence.

The Archen gulped. “I-I will take that as a sign of thou’s-”

Before he could finish, Faust made her way towards Fletch, stopping just right in front of the bird. She gestured with a paw for the Archen to lend her an ear
. 

When he bent down to do so, the Vulpix leaned forward.

“Hmphh, you better take very good care of Faust’s servant…Sawyer deserves only the best, so you better be at least 10% as good of a friend as Faust is to him… or else!? You got that?” Faust whispered sharply

“ Chehaha! ” Fletch  squawked, unable to stop himself from laughing

“What are you laughing about!? Sawyer, my precious servant is a serious matter!”

“Worry not, Faust! Sawyer ist in the care of mine capable valorous claws. He shall hast a day most splendid indeed, I assure thou~!” he said with a wink.

She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, whatever, just keep your promise.”

“I will~!”  Fletch said with a thumbs up.

Satisfied by the passable answer, she coldly turned her back towards the Archen and began to walk away.

The nerve of that stupid bird to laugh at the Ultimate One… does he have any ide-?

“Prithee! Can thou wait a moment, Miss Faust!” Fletch whispered, stopping her in her tracks.

“ What?! ” she asked, glaring at him and baring her teeth.

Fletch however answered her glare with a gentle smile. “Miss Faust, pray, forgive me if mine laughter hast offended you. Thou may be validly thinking that I wast making a mockery out of thee, but that ist certainly most far from the truth! I laughed because what I heard about thou was indeed vile baseless whispers~!”

Faust raised an eyebrow “...What do you mean?”

“Truth be told… mine opinion of thou beforehand wast a negative one from hearing those awful tales about the bawbling white beast! Delusional, Maniacal, Egotistical, even Tyrannical! Fortunately, this is all…”

Faust gave him a contemptuous gaze, unable to believe what she was hearing. She was ready to tune out the next words out of his beak.. That numbskull bird…! This isn’t a apology, this is-

“Slander! Hogwash! Just recently, I have witnessed how wonderful thou is!”

“Eh?”

“Miss Faust~! Thou is such a charismatic, regal, benevolent, beautiful young lady. It is easy to see that those buffoons started those baseless rumors, because clearly they are just jealous of thee~!

“Ehh?!”

“And most importantly, I hast now just witnessed how… benevolent thou is, from a mile away, I can tell how much thee cares about Sawyer. Thee is such a good friend to that wonderful gent~! For that… thank’s, thou really is a wonderful queen, I hope Miss Faust keeps being one of Sawyer’s trusted friends…and who knows, one day, maybe one of mine too~”

“Ah… mayb–” 

Faust blushed a bright red for a moment, before stopping herself. Then, her expression quickly returned to her usual glare. “Never mind … Don’t worry however, Faust will take good care of her servant. Faust hopes that you have fun on your outing, goodbye.” She once again began to walk away.

“Farewell Miss Faust!” Fletch said as he waved a wing towards the Vulpix. I might be hearing things, but did she nearly say maybe?

“Leaving so soon?” Sawyer asked, stopping Faust in her tracks again.

Faust turned towards him with a grin on her face. “Yes, and what about it, my servant? Faust only agreed to give you moral support. And to be honest from the looks of it, you didn’t need the Ultimate One’s help. You were perfectly fine by yourself,”

“W-Well… I just wanted to ask if you also want to spend time with me and Fletch–I’m sure he won’t mind one more,” the Spinda requested, twiddling his paws. “...I mean, you said it yourself, you wanted to spend more time with me, no?”

“That is true… but no, Faust is not interested this time. This ‘hangout’ with Fletch is something she considers a waste of her time,” Faust said, rolling her eyes.

“O-Oh…okay,” Sawyer mumbled, dejected, his ears drooping.

She sighed. “No need to be sad, Faust can easily observe that this will greatly benefit you, so don’t mind the Ultimate One not being with you and just have fun in her stead, okay?”

“I w-will, but are you sure? Is there something wrong with me or Fletch? You can tell me.”

The only reason Faust doesn’t want to join is because the presence of that stupid bird, ughh but– “Nothing at all… it’s just Faust is very busy today, that’s why Faust’s considers this a waste of her time. No hard feelings okay? Just have fun and tell Faust later what the two of you did, okay? So that Faust can outdo him, when she eventually… joins! ” She reassured, grinning at the bear.

The Spinda’s expression lit up, a smile appearing on his face. “Oh okay! I understand, I will have fun, don’t worry.” He then gave her a confident nod.

“Ehe, since that’s settled, Faust bids you adieu. Take care my servant~!” Faust said. She waved  goodbye using her tails before beginning to turn and walk away.

Likewise, Sawyer waved her goodbye and returned her smile. Satisfied, he turned around and made his way towards Fletch. 

“Shall we get going?” he asked the Archen.

“Gladly, mine friend~!”

And with that, the two began to walk across the streets, side by side with happy smiles on their faces.

“Sawyer, how art thou doing? Has life been treating thee well, in Post Town?” Fletch asked.

“I'm doing well, even if it’s admittedly a bit chaotic and stressful recently. It’s been great because I have friends like you and Faust.”

“Hehe, fain to hear~! But Sawyer do remember, if thou ist ever in a problem, do not be afraid to ask me for thy shooting star shall grant thine’s wish~!” he exclaimed with a wink.

Sawyer gave him a quick nod. “I will! By the way, I’m curious, what are we doing today? How are we gonna hang out, pal?”

“Glad thou asked! The plan ist most simple, with mine reservation I shalt take thee to a restaurant called ‘Kepler Diner.’ It hast been given the noble title of ‘Best restaurant in Post Town’ according to Pokélp! There we shall hast a feast, where food shalt be stacked as high as Revelation Mountain!” Fletch proudly exclaimed, striking a pose and raising both wings to the heavens.

“Woah…that sounds great, thanks Fletch!” The Spinda said in awe, drooling so much that he had to wipe it away with his hand. I’m sooo excited! I wonder how much food there will be… he did say as high as a mountain, but he probably just means a lot.

The Archen chuckled. I'm glad he’s just as excited as I am~! And rightfully so, since we are having a 150 -course dinner, complete with dessert! Is it an irresponsible financial decision that will make Robin so angry, he will remove my privileges…YES! But is it worth it for Sawyer and me, OF COURSE! “Thou art most welcome, mine companion~! ...But, there ist just one teensy bawbling inconvenience on our quest to that fine establishment, hah.”

“Hmm? What is it, pal?” Sawyer questioned.

“The reservation ist at seven. It’s half past four at the moment, so we can’t go yet, apologies. But, we can hast a merry stroll in Post Town for the time being and do anything that thee desires as we wait! All expenses covered by yours truly~!” Fletch proposed with a sly wink.

“That’s fine, by me!” Sawyer assured with a nod Hehe, I’m not bothered by that at all, food can wait! Especially if I get to spend more time with him. “Just one problem though, I actually don’t know what to do… I mean, I’m new to Post Town and all.”

“Right…mine mistake,” Fletch said with a nervous chuckle. “Then how about this~! I can give thee a tour of Post Town instead! So thou knows what merry activities to do with me or thy other companions like Faust~! Interested?” Fletch offered.

Sawyer’s tail wagged at the sound of that. “Sure!”

“Hehe, if that’s thy answer… ALLEZ! ALLOWETH US TO SET OFF ON OUR ADVENTURE!” the Archen announced excitedly with stars in his eyes.

“Sawyer! Feast thy eyes on one of Golden District’s most prized treasures, the Golden District’s Kecleon Bazaar!”

In the bustling streets of Golden District, the pair were surrounded by colorful tents, each managed by every kind of Pokemon. They were proudly advertising and selling all kinds of wares from across the world, ranging from delicious food and silly souvenirs to useful gadgets and exotic treasures.

“Step right up! Step right up! For only 10,800 poke, you can get a special statue of one of the Air Continent’s greatest heroes!” A Sudowoodoo exclaimed, pointing his branches to a life-sized statue of Lucario made completely out of wood.

BLING!

An Azumarill was holding a giant white orb over their head, the sphere twinkling with a lustrous white sheen. “Bada bling! Bada bloom, lookie here, I’m selling an orb that will make ya happy, just like it did with the guildmaster of the Wigglytuff guild! For only 7,000 poke you can also scream proud WOOM-TAH’S!”

“Hey, baby… are you a lonely soul, looking for love? Then I got something, just for you darling~!” a Mincinno said with a wink, raising a small glass vial filled with a purple liquid with one of her tails. “For only 3,000 poke, this vial of Salazzle pheromones should get you a mate in an instant~! Rumors even say that a certain Dunsparce got together with Miss Virizion because of these~!”

“Want to be charming? Then say no more! With this cape made from Joltik silk, you can be as charming as the dashing wanderer himself!” a Diggersby exclaimed, turning around to showcase the black cape on his back. It Flowed with the wind.

“Woah…” Sawyer muttered, mouth agape. This reminds me of a palengke! Like the one at Quiapo… not as smelly though, fortunately.  He gave a quick glance toward the Azumarill. That Azumarill’s got it wrong though… I remember my Uncle saying that what always made the guildmaster happy was a blue globe that he got from an old friend.

“Hehe, wondrous isn’t it?” Fletch asked with a proud grin.

Sawyer agreed with a small nod, then placed a hand on his chin. “It is! And kind of new for me too… we don’t have these things back at Treasure Town.”

“Hehe, come to think of it, wasn’t thou’s dream to be a merchant? One that sets out on perilous voyages around the world to collect wondrous treasures to sell~!?”

“Pfft!” Sawyer uttered before giggling. “Nah, I’m not cut out for something grand like that… I just want to be a businessmon with an ordinary office job, one that makes me just enough money to keep me and my loved ones happy, heh.”

“Really??” the Archen asked. He raised a brow. “I vividly recall that on our first meeting, thou had a much grander dream! One to be so rich that thou shalt build your own kingdom, to live like a king, no?”

Right… I said something like that, Sawyer remembered. He turned red from embarrassment. “W-Well, t-that was just something I-I said in the s-spur of a moment, you and I know it’s impossible–”

“Nay! My friend doth not sayeth such terrible fallacious lies that will taint thy noble dream!” Fletch squawked, shaking his head in disapproval.

“C-Come on now, I’m just an ordinary Spinda,  meant for ordinary things. I’m not someone who can do extraordinary things like you,” he replied meekly with a chuckle.

“Fie! That’s where thou art wrong, mine friend!  I can assure that thou can be a most extraordinary businessmon, one with a company that makes millions of fortunes! After all, on that night, when I heard thy tell me of their aspirations, I felt a flame within thee. It was a mere ember, yet it’s still a most colorful, beautiful one filled with so much hope and determination., it wants to burn bright in the night sky so it can spread its warmth. Mine friend, thou just needs help igniting that spark! Fret not, I shall give that help… I shall be thy guiding star.I want to see thou shine bright, mine friend,” Fletch explained with a glint in his eyes.

Badump.

The Spinda felt something warm take hold in his chest, a warmth so wonderful it made his heart skip a beat. “...R-Right, thanks, Fletch. I’ll think about it.” Sawyer smiled, wider than usual.

The Archen gladly smiled back.

…

…

…

GROWLLLLLLLLLLLL!
The Spinda’s stomach rumbled.

“...Dost thou need a snack?” Fletch laughed.

Sawyer turned even redder. “Y-yeah.”

“Then take this, mine friend and buy whatever thou desire!” the Archen insisted before giving him  a slender black card, the face of a Ampharos carved into it. “This is a marvelously special company card from the most prestigious Expedition Society! Any purchase made with it is 50% off! Just make sure thou also purchases me a snack~!” He concluded with a smirk.

“I will!” Sawyer said.. Holy fucking shit, I better not lose this card, this seems way too valuable! He gave the card a fearful glance, a drop of sweat running down his back, before he making his way to the vendors.

“Get your strudel! Shaped like a Buizel, made by a Buizel!” a Buizel wearing a white toque hat exclaimed.

“Oi, Oi! Get your döner kebab, over here!”

“Guys! Guys! Try my dad’s shepherd’s pie, it’s the best!” a Cubone screamed, jumping up and down. A chortling Aggron stood behind him.

The Spinda’s mouth watered, a hand on his chin as he pondered. Woah… all of those look tasty, but I need to remind myself that I should only buy a light snack for the both of us, I also need to ask him later what’s with the prevalence of hum– 

Sawyer’s attention was caught by the smell of something in the distance, one that smelled just like home.

SUSMARYOSEP!(Jesus, Mary and Joseph!), IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS???

Fifteen minutes later...

The Archen patiently waited by a lamppost as the Spinda shopped. As soon as he saw him approach, he gave him a friendly wave with his wings.

“AH! Sawyer, how was the shopping!?” Fletch cheerfully greeted. “What did thou buy-?” 

He stopped, perplexed by the sight before him.
…

…

Sawyer stood before Fletch, clutching a box in his hands as half as tall as him. Inside the box was a cake originally from the human world dubbed ‘Sans Rival—’a seven layer cake from the Philippines, made with buttercream, meringue, and cashews.

“H-hi…..” 

Sawyer quietly sniffled, almost about to cry. OH MY GODDD, FLETCH IS GONNA KILL ME, WHY DID I LET THE INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS WIN!? I KNOW I HAVEN’T TASTED A SANS RIVAL CAKE FOR YEARS, BUT EVEN WITH THAT COMPANY CARD, IT STILL COST A WHOPPING 10,236 POKE, FLETCH IM SO SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

  “....I-It’s a cake, yes, w-we can share,” he murmured, his face turning pale.

“Woah… that dost look very scrumptious! But mine friend, thou should have bought another!” Fletch laughed.

“Ah?”

“Mine friend, I know thou hath already seen this, but once again, I present thee the most prestigious Expedition Society! A Place filled with noble heroes like yours truly~!”

Fletch pointed a wing towards the building in front of them, a large castle, its walls colored a light purple with blue and yellow accents. A lone observatory sits at its very top, its telescope peeking out from the dome, staring straight towards the sun itself.

“Woah…” Sawyer uttered as he stood before it, amazed. “I do wanna ask though, from what I heard from Mr. Roland in class today, weren’t there heroes from the Expedition Society that saved the world once? Just like how Team Pokepals saved the world from time-freezing back in the grass continent!” I still could never fully comprehend that my Uncle was once responsible for nearly dooming the world.

“That is most certainly true! A human turned Riolu and a Chespin from Serene Village vanquished the wicked villain known as Dark Matter! But that was not their only quest! They voyaged the sea of wonders, defeated countless outlaws, and were most importantly responsible for the development of the Water Continent to the prosperous kingdom it is today~!” Fletch exclaimed, putting one wing to his hip and throwing the other into the air.

“That’s pretty cool!” Sawyer gasped still staring in amazement. I remember dad and mom-dad saying humans summoned to this world always go on these crazy dangerous adventures and save the world… I genuinely hope I will never be a part of any of that.  “I’m curious though, I know that you’re not exactly a world-saving hero, but as Fletch the shooting star, with a diamond-ranked badge, don’t you have pretty cool tales of your own?”

“Hehe, of course! I have not been bestowed the honorable diamond badge for naught! I am a shooting star that has shown the light to vile criminals! The Ladies want me and the outlaws fear m-”

“FLETCH! IS THAT YOU!!!???”

The Archen and Sawyer turned towards the source of the voice, a Bunnelby sporting a navy blue bandana.

“Nemo??? What art thou doing here?” Fletch questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing, nothing! I was just shopping with Mei and then Chopper told me that you were on a date with a Spinda,” Nemo answered, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “I’M LIKE SOSOSOSOSO PROUD OF YOU BY THE WAY!! I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE TOO LONELY, I was about to try to find hot singles in our area just for you, but you already managed to attract quite the adorable mate! Aren’t you quite the fletching charmer~!” The Bunnelby hopped up and down in celebration.

Sawyer turned a fiery red, his ears drooping “D-Did h-he just call me–?”

“ I do concur that Sawyer is adorable! But that doesn’t mean we are dating! Sawyer is nothing more than mine cute, charming boyfriend !” Fletch “refuted,” tipping his hat with confidence.

…

…

…

“Wudwhdwuajhdwwuuwdw,” the Spinda mumbled. He went completely still, his face redder than a tomato as he failed to comprehend what he just heard.

The Bunnelby was completely flabbergasted, his smile widening and his right foot repeatedly tapping the ground. “...H-he confirmed it.”

“Friends? Boyfriend means male friend, no?” Fletch asked, tilting his head. It didn’t take long for the realization to hit Archen like a truck however, his face turning redder than the surface of the sun. Steam rose from him in his embarrassment. “WAIT! WAIT, I CAN EXPLAIN, I CAN EXPLAIN–”

After thirty minutes, twenty of which were dedicated to Fletch crying all alone in a bathroom in secret, the pair found themselves in a place called Café Connection. It was a cafe/computer shop run by a Kangashkan. It became renowned as a popular meeting spot, be it to eat, exchange information, discuss deals, and accept missions for Expedition Society members. But it was also a popular place for people to rent and buy PC’s and games since it also doubled as a computer shop. Students would often come to hang out after school.

Despite how busy and packed the café was, Fletch and Sawyer managed to get the last slot available for the day.

“Sawyer! I know thou hast a phone, but I present thee something completely new—the PC, also known as the Personal Computer! It can be used in a wide variety of ways, but it is most popularly used for education and work~!,” the Archen exclaimed, pointing a wing to the P.C setup in front of them. It had a AMysteryDungeon 1080 core, eight gigabytes of ram, a four core cpu, and a single monitor. And last but not least, a white monoblock chair from a garage sale, and specs that Fletch wasn’t too fond of considering. But he stared at that very specific public PC with a nostalgic gleam in his eye  It hast served Fletch very well in the dark ages . “If thou is interested, I can acquire a PC for thee as well~!” Oh my god, Oh my god…I still can’t get over that blunder just 30 minutes ago– I PROBABLY MADE MYSELF LOOK LIKE A FOOL IN FRONT OF HIM, AAAAAAAAAAA!

…You know, It kind of makes me feel good, being called cute. I never thought I was the cute type… I always thought that Fletch and Faust were the cute ones, but if he says that… hehehe, sure, Sawyer happily thought to himself, distracted from Fletch’s tech talk.

It was only then that he noticed that there was in fact a PC in front of him, something he had not seen since he arrived in the Pokemon World. The sight was more than enough to make Sawyer’s tail wag faster than the speed of light and for him to pant like a hyper-excited dog. “YESYESYES PLEASE BUY ME ONE, I NEEEED IT–!”

Sawyer cleared his throat, forcing himself to calm down. “I mean, please do… this sounds very useful for my ‘studies.’ Oh dear…that was close, I don’t want Fletch to find out that I used to be a sweat at League Of Legends, Valorant and other disappointment-to-humanity-tier games. But I do want to check out the games, they do have… wait is Fletch a gamer?

“Ah! Fret not, thy wish shall be my command, I shall purchase thee a P.C next week free of charge, do not worry~!” Fletch replied with a wink. “So have fun!” Hehe, I hope he does enjoy the wonders of the computer, I should show him gaming sometime… maybe not now though, he might cringe at me if I do. He let out a quiet sigh. I do miss that PC though, not as good as the one Robin and Satou got for me on my birthday a few years ago, but it served me very well. Hopefully…the hard drive is cleaned by then, I don’t want him to–

“TH-Thanks Fletch,” Sawyer stammered with a smile, trying his best to quiet down his excitement. “Actually Fletch… I do want to ask, do you play games? I heard that gaming is a popular pastime around these parts with friends, and I was wondering if we could try video games together.”

“W-Well, I do in fact enjoy the silly dillydally known as gaming from time to time, but I’m not exactly a professional at it, mine friend. But if thou wants, I can recommend a few games to try~!” he said, puffing out his chest proudly. He’s interested in games??? I SHOULD ENLIGHTEN SAWYER IN THE BEAUTY OF GAMING!!!! I should never let him know how much of a sweat I am in MOBA games though…. he might be disappointed in how toxic I can be.

Plop.

The Spinda sat down in the chair in front of the PC before slowly turning it on with the press of a button. “Hehe, I’m interested. Care to giveme some recommendations?”

Fletch gave a claws-up of approval before scooting over behind the Spinda. “Lucky for thou, computers here already come with a treasure trove of video games! Just open Volcan and pry into the computer’s game library~!”

Seeing him talk like this is admittedly kinda cute, Sawyer mused. He did as he was told, hovering the mouse over the icon of a Volcanion and clicking it. The Spinda was instantly greeted with a collection of game titles, some oddly familiar to him like ‘Risk of Acid Rain 2’ ‘Darkrai’s Souls,’ and ‘Flaming Seal: Three Wills.’  Huh, this reminds me of a pisonet cafe.  “Woah… fascinating, what should I try first, pal?”

“Hehehehe, I recommend thou to try– AH??”

Fletch was caught off guard by the sight in front of him—the mouse was hovering over a small folder called “homework.” Sawyer was fixated on the icon, curious to check what it was about. He was about to click the left mouse button when—

SWISH!

Without any hesitation, Fletch used his claws to instantly slice the CPU in half.

“Ehh!? Hey Fletch, why is the screen blue?” the Spinda asked. He tilted his head to the side, confused, not yet aware of the smoldering machine below him. The screen had gone a solid cobalt blue, with endless rows of white text plastered across it.

The bird feigned an innocent, shocked expression, his eyes widened at the murder he had just committed. “Alas! Poor Yorick… what a tragedy, considering that this is mine favorite public personal computer.” He tipped his hat to the fallen computer, lamenting it. “Oh well… how about we do something else, mine friend?” He quickly threw on a big smile.

“Oh…sure!” Sawyer accepted, still smiling. Oh well… I can always play games another day, spending time with Fletch is more important. That blue screen of death seems… suspicious, though.

Fifteen Minutes Later…

Eventually, with Fletch leading as Sawyer’s guide, the pair found themselves inside Meowth’s Theater to pass the time. They were sitting comfortably in padded seats. While not as big or successful as the main branch back at the Mist Continent in Lively Town, it was still a very popular spot amongst the locals, be it for hanging out with friends and family to watch some movies, or for doing something a little shady in the bathrooms, but it is advised to be discreet unless you want to end up like the Zekrom and Reshiram banned from the theater for holding each others hands in public. 

Sawyer and Fletch were comfortably sprawled out on their padded seats despite the chitter chatter from fellow moviegoers, the agitating ringing of phones, or the enticing smell of buttery popcorn wafting through the air.

Monch.

Sawyer chewed on some sour-cream-flavored popcorn his friend had bought for him, resulting in a satisfying crunch. He swallowedm then turned to the Archen. “Hey, Fletch, what movie are we watching again?”

“Glad thou asked~! We art watching ‘ Connected Through The Webs: Secret Service !’ It is a noble tale about a Joltik and a Vulpix venturing to the human world to vanquish a most vile villain, who threatens both humans and Pokemon~!” Fletch said with a dramatic wave of his wing. It’s a popular mainstream movie that caters to casuals like my brother Robin. Far from my taste, I prefer more heartfelt and passionate films, but it should be a safe pick for Sawyer~!

“Weird premise, but that sounds fun!” Sawyer remarked as he smiled and kept on snacking on the popcorn. Reminds me of Men in Black. I haven’t seen a movie either for years, so I hope it’s as good as it sounds! Though movies named like that tend to have extremely corny plots…

Suddenly,he theater went dark as the movie was about to begin. There was nothing but blackness on the screen… but then a logo appeared, a Zeraora wearing a blue tartan tie and a pair of glasses. They winked at the audience.

Wait, something’s not right…that’s HAPPI Studio– wasn’t Meowth Industries the producer of Connected Through The Webs??? The Archen thought to himself, beginning to panic, thinking he might have just made a tiny mistake.

The words, ‘HAPPI Studios present…  Sparklight Knight The Shockingly Kawaii Businessmon Who Fights For Peace And Love ! Starring Raymond Dela Cruz the Zeraora’  flashed on the screen in bright rainbow-colored text.

Sawyer raised an eyebrow. “Eh??” What’s this, weren’t we supposed to watch Connected Through The Webs??

Fletch’s eyes widened in horror. OH MY ARCEUS, I JUST BOUGHT THE WRONG MOVIE TICKETS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!

The image on the screen changed, to one of a dimly-lit room. A Hakomo-o appeared tied up to a chair, his wrists bound by handcuffs. A defeated expression overtook his face as a Thievul towered over him, laughing at his predicament.

“Mwahahahahahaha, it’s over! No one will save you now Santiago! For nobody loves you! But do not worry, I Doctor Evil Knievel The Thievul will give you a purpose, I shall brainwash you into being one of my strong, muscular henchmen,” he said with a devilish grin.

The Hakamo-o opened his mouth to refute it, but tears beginning to well in his eyes betrayed his reluctant acceptance. “Ughh, I-I knew it…you were right, nobody loved me at all Doctor Evil, not even Sparky–”

“THAT’S NOT TRUE, SANTIAGO, MY LOVE!” a voice yelled.

Both Santiago and Doctor Evil turned to the source of the voice—a Zeraora wearing a tuxedo, a look of determination in his eyes.

“SPARKYYY!” Santiago cried out, a look of joyous relief on his face.

“Hehe! Fret not my boyfriend, I THE SPARKLIGHT KNIGHT, PROTECTOR OF LOVE AND PEACE SHALL SAVE YOU! BY STRIKING THE DEMON DOWN” the Zeraora exclaimed, a hand on his waist and the other pointing directly at the Thievul.

Doctor Evil dashed forward before making a mad lunge towards the Zeraora. But then—

Mwa.

The Thievul was already too late. the Zeraora had already kissed his yellow heart-shaped bracelet.

“ LOVE-MAKING! ”

SHRUKKKKK!

The Zeraora was suddenly covered by a bright pink light, ripping his suit to shreds, allowing him to proudly show off his well defined muscles and abs, flexing them for the world to see. Gently, he ran his finger down his chest fur, the pink energy emanating from it,creating a soft white tunic to cover his chest. Lovingly, he kissed his biceps, and the energy to form yellow pads on his shoulder. His waist also glowed with the same energy, forming white baggy shorts adorned with a belt with a yellow heart-shaped buckle. Finally, the energy wrapped around his neck forming a bright yellow bowtie.

“You’ve been naughty Doctor Evil! Time to punish you with my LOVE WHIP!” Sparky proclaimed, forming a heart with his paws.

The crowd went wild. The entire theater cheered, including a certain Shiny Phantump who stood out the most, wearing an extremely oversized shirt with Sparky’s face printed on it.

“AAAAAH, HE’S SO KAWAII!”

“SPARKYYYYY! YAMETE KUDASTOP!”

“SPARKYY PLEASE TAKE ME AWAY, YOU HANDSOME RIZZLER!”

“...Woah, that’s so cool,” Sawyer mumbled, eyes completely glued to the screen and sparkling with awe and delight.

“ A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAH !!!” Fletch screamed in agony before muffling himself by hiding his flustered face and bleeding noise in his hat.

…

…

…

Thirty Minutes Later…

Once the movie ended, the pair quietly walked out of the theater and into the streets of Post Town. The sun was already setting, the sky a light blue transitioning into light orange. Both Fletch and Sawyer were oddly silent. The Archen was left wallowing in shame, his eyes on the ground.

Oh dear, I screwed up, I showed him the wrong movie, I think I might have just ruined our hangout even–I should… apologize, The flustered bird thought to himself, slowly turning around to face the bear. “Mine friend, about the movie–”

“It was great, I agree! I loved every second of it, I loved the cute outfits, the themes of hope and justice, and the moral of the story was that the real treasure was the friends we made along the way!” Sawyer interrupted. And unlike the bird in front of him, his tone was unusually more cheerful than usual, and a warm, jolly grin was on his face. “...Hehe, speaking of that quote, it’s actually been a long while since I had a fun outing like this with amazing valuable friends, like you and Faust so… thank you. I had a lot of fun.”

Hearing those words, seeing that smile… it was more than enough to wash all of Fletch’s worries away, his usual confident cheery expression returning. His eyes sparkled like the stars beginning to peek out from the evening sky.

“Hehe, fret not! Our adventure today is far from over, mine friend, we still hast a marvelous banquet to attend~! After this adventure, we shall hast countless more adventures in the future, each one more wondrous than the last~!” Fletch cheered, raising a wing into the air.

Sawyer giggled. “Hehehe, any chance one of our adventures in the future would have us  love making like Sparky and his boyfriend? Delivering justice and making love with everyone? Between the two of us, too?”

Those words horrified Fletch so much it caused his soul to leave his body for a second. He clutched his chest. “S-Sawyer, mine good friend! Pray, never utter such foul words, ever again.”

“Eh??? Okie, if you say so,” Sawyer replied with an innocent nod.

Fletch tipped his hat and grinned. “By the way, mine friend, I bring thee wonderful news, the reservation is in merely twenty minutes! Art thou ready for ready for a feast of a lifetime!?”

“I am!” Sawyer replied eagerly with a  smile and a clap of his paws..

“Then, allez! We shall set forth to the next destination of our noble adventure—Kepler diner!”