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Chapter 4 - A New Perspective with New Experiences

The signs of a clear morning shook a certain Pikachu from his sleep, with the rays of sunshine beaming through the clean glass directly onto Leon's face. His face contorted a bit, rolling to the side to try and get more sleep, but once roused his senses started feeling clearer and his drowsiness washed away, bringing him back to the realm of the awake.

He raised his body and stretched his arms atop his head, groaning under the leftover strain of his body recovering from the mental strain for so many hours. The first thing he looked at once his eyes could clearly see was the shape of his tail, and surely enough, it was still heart shaped. He sighed and hopped off his bed, realizing Dylan wasn't there, but he still knew where he was. Leon just stretched his back a bit more before walking towards the living room.

As soon as he stepped into the room, he was welcomed with a cheery voice. "Leon! Good morning! Glad you're awake. Sit down for a bit and I'll fix you something real quick." The Sylveon said in a very cheery voice as he stirred his favorite metal saucepan, humming to himself a cheery song as his rump bounced from one side to the other.

Even with everything going on with his voice and body, the sight of Dylan's usual, but much bigger, cheery self made him smile softly. "Good morning, Dylan. Okay." The feminine voice rang through the room, souring Leon's mood a bit by reminding him of his current struggle.

He did as ordered and sat on a comfortable wooden chair, resting his arms, as he felt the smooth sensation of the cloth on top of the wooden surface.

It was normal to him because it was a steady progression, but ever since they both started their jobs at the guild, they managed to decorate and upgrade certain parts of the house. Some of it was bought with their income, getting what they felt was needed to make the place more comfortable, but some others were gifted to them after a job well done. Dylan's saucepan, for example, was gifted to him at his second job, when they first worked at Gunther's smith. Although they had a few hiccups, he gifted it to them to incentivize the duo to keep up their good work. Dylan never stopped using it ever since then.

"Hahaha..."

"What's so funny?" Dylan turned his head towards Leon.

"Oh! Nothing, just something I remembered, haha..." Leon blushed a bit from the sudden outburst.

"Huh... I see you, Mister funny pants. Just because I got a big butt now doesn't mean you can laugh at it~." He teased his Pikachu friend by giving him a small shake with his rump, drawing another laugh from Leon.

It was funny. Even though so many bad things happened to him yesterday and he could barely breathe at that moment, just being with Dylan, it... it helped him feel at ease. He knew his feelings quite well at that point, but he didn't want to complicate things further.

He knew deep down that, even if he confessed to Dylan and he rejected those feelings, their friendship would hold strong. But as good as that sounded, Leon wanted to be so close to him. The closest one could ever be. He loved him, with all his heart.

"Alright, food's ready!" Dylan's voice woke Leon from his deep-thought state, bringing him back to a wonderful smell. "Hope you like it. It's a new recipe so I'm not sure how well all the ingredients go together." The Sylveon brought the huge pot before the metal hoster on the table, before opening the lid and letting all the scents out.

Immediately Leon's features melted into a calm state as he took in that delicious aroma, dancing right to his nostrils as Dylan went to grab something else, although he was too focused on the liquid before him to really notice anything.

He got a bit closer to the soup before him and sniffed at the scent. "Is this... ginger?"

Dylan beamed. "Yup! I know I haven't really used ginger that much before, but maybe I could apply it to some of our day to day dishes. That way it should be easier on your voice so you can go out in public more often. I just hope it tastes alright, hahaha..."

Leon couldn't help but blush towards Dylan. He just invented a new recipe just to cater to his needs. That was so awfully sweet that he couldn't even begin to describe how he felt inside. "Thank you, Dylan. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't compliment me yet. Save it for after the taste test!" He came back with a pair of bowls and spoons, alongside two loaves of bread accompanying each set. "Gotta have something solid first thing in the morning. Soup alone won't cut it."

"Now that's true. Last time we left for a request with just juice we could barely hold those trays without tripping over!"

"Ha! Don't even remind me. I swear there's still some sauce stains on my back from then. No bath's ever gonna clean that off."

A moment passed before the two broke out in laughter.

"Hahahaha... If you ever need help, I've gotten better acquainted with my hands, even after evolving. I should be able to scrub it off if you asked nicely~" Leon teased his friend, making scratching motions with his hand.

"I'll keep that in mind. Wouldn't mind some extra company there. Although now that we got bigger, we both might not fit at the same time." He measured his new height with one of his ribbons, alongside Leon's who was close as well.

"We should get some renovations done then. Enough of to compensate for our little growth spurt. And if that's the case, we need the money. After we're done, let's go to the guild first thing today. We need those fat coins!" The Pikachu's eyes shone with excitement.

"If you want it so much, why not? I admit it was a bit tight over at the kitchen side." He tapped his finger on top of the table. "But that's for later. For now we eat. Before it gets cold."

Leon stuck his tongue out before digging in, with Dylan following his lead.

They'd need a lot of energy for today.

____

They departed from home a bit later than usual. With Leon's new characteristics and appearance, he needed to take extra steps to make sure other Pokémon wouldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Alongside the scarf neatly wrapped around the end of his tail, hiding the shape of a heart beneath a manly tone of red, he also scrubbed his hair together to tidy up a very noticeable tuft of hair, now built almost like a rising wave.

But even with all that external preparation, the hardest part to conceal was his voice. It seemed to work yesterday when only a couple passersby greeted them, even Zack, but keeping it up for the whole day was another matter.

"How does it sound?" He forced the voice out of his throat, sounding very androgynous, but at least it didn't sound very feminine.

"It should do. It's far enough that people shouldn't assume it's a girl's voice. As long as you manage to keep it up, you should be good." Dylan answered while the two made their way towards the Guild, through their daily hike of the great hill.

"I hope so. I'll try and not talk too much either way." He rubbed his paw against his throat.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt?"

"Nope. It definitely tires me out, though. I just hope I get used to it." He stopped rubbing his throat to instead scratch the back of his head nervously.

"Hey, hey. I'm sure you will. I know this must be hard, but I'm here for you. If I feel like you're getting too tired, I'll butt in and take up talking duty. And I'll make as many ginger-related dishes as you could ever want." He bumped his shoulder against Leon's body playfully, garnering a chuckle from the Pikachu.

"Haha, you shouldn't say that. If you give me that much freedom I'll fatten up with how much I'll be eating your stuff~."

"That doesn't sound so bad. If I fattened you up I could cook the most delicious Pikachu stew in all the continent~." Dylan tried as best he could to make a scary looking face.

But all it did was give more reason for Leon to giggle. "Pffff. Maybe. But you better not waste any part. This is prime Pikachu meat." He grabbed onto some of his belly flab as his cheeks blushed.

Once again, Dylan was distracting him of any possible worries he could have. The Pikachu thought "Arceus, I love you so much..." to himself and concealed his intentions as best as he could by continuing to play alongside Dylan.

Aside from their fun conversations, nothing else of note happened on the way, and soon enough they had arrived at the guild's doors.

"You ready, buddy?" Dylan asked with a smile.

"As ready as I could ever be! Nobody will even notice a thing." Leon started shadow boxing before the door, punching and weaving to psyche himself up. "Alright. Let's go!" He said and they both opened the big door to the reception.

What they saw indoors was typical, with some Pokémon walking about while Margaret sat idly at the reception table, penning stuff using her vines while she surveyed documents. She seemed to retain her usual optimism, tackling so many things, while still keeping herself composed. That was, until she noticed the two entering the hall. "Oh, thank the maker! Leon!" She dropped the papers and rushed towards the Pikachu. "Oh, dearie, I'm so thankful you're well. Yesterday you gave me the fright of my life, being carried by Dylan like that." Her voice wasn't one of scolding, but one of genuine concern.

"I-I'm sorry, Margaret... Things were a bit hectic yesterday..." He lowered his eyes while disguising his voice as best he could.

"I'm sorry, too. We should have at least said goodbye to not leaving you hanging..." The Sylveon joined in and lowered his head in an act of apology.

"My evolution was a little too surprising. Not exactly a feeling I'm used to, so much so I guess I got a bit too scared, haha..." He forced out a laugh, trying to play the story he and Dylan had practiced in case someone asked why he was like that, avoiding the whole body change thing.

"Yeah, you got a point there. When I evolved from a tiny Bulbasaur to a much bigger Ivysaur, my poor heart almost stopped. If it wasn't for the sight of my blooming flower I probably would have been in the same boat as you, so don't worry, I get you." She leaned one of her vines against his shoulder, comforting him. "Speaking of, you got very cut- I mean, handsome, dearie. Your voice seems quite different as well."

Leon lightly nibbed his tongue, ignoring the comment. "Yup. Still getting used to the new voice and proportions. And I don't think there's anything better than some good ol' work, right?" He played it off as best he could, without drawing attention to what he didn't want to bring up.

"Oh, yeah. Sure. But first, the Guildmaster wants to talk with you two. You gave us quite a fright yesterday, and you left without telling us anything, not to mention Lanna refuses to give us any info on what happened. By request of you two."

Leon broke out into a cold sweat.

"Oh. It's a bit of a private thing, y'know? We didn't want to overshare anything, so she agreed in not telling others about the ins and outs of it." Dylan butted in, noticing that Leon had begun to panic.

"Oh. I see. Sorry, I didn't know that it was about that..." She deeply blushed, looking away from both of them.

"What do you mean by "that"?" Dylan asked.

"N-Nothing. It's only between you two after all." She dodged the question, with her face as flushed as a ripened tomato. "A-Anyways. She's upstairs right now. Just go ahead and I'll inform her of your visit."

They both nodded and moved past the counter, before Leon turned to talk to her. "Sorry, Margaret. I promise to not scare you like that again." He said, putting more weight into his altered voice.

"Nah, don't worry dear. It's not like we don't have injured Pokémon from time to time. Just be careful and we'll be even, okay?" She smiled towards him, comforting the pair before they made their way up the stairs.

Leon smiled back, nodding his head slowly with a sense of relief, before he followed his friend up the stairs.

They were here two days ago, but it felt like so much longer since everything that had happened. Especially for the Pikachu, with his new eye-catching hair style disguising all the changes he went through. But if it worked for the observant receptionist, he should be fine with Audrey.

They stood before the door and knocked softly on it. A quick "Come in!" came from the other side. Answering the command, Dylan turned the knob and opened the door.

What they failed to notice beforehand was how loud the voice was, so as soon as the doors swung open, they could see Audrey, standing right in front of them, as she seriously glared at them.

"A-Audrey!" Dylan reflexively said, looking up at the much taller Pokémon.

Neither of the two were prepared to see someone so sweet and caring look so angrily at them. Although Dylan had managed to say something, neither he or Leon could find any further words to try and break the silence.

The silence extended for a couple more moments before she stepped outside of her office, causing the two to step back.

She closed the door behind her and leaned her back against it, still keeping eye contact with the duo. "So? You got anything to say to me?"

"Huh?" They both said.

"Don't "huh" me. Have you any idea how worried I was? Imagine my situation when I got the news that Leon was at the infirmary, having been carried by Dylan no less, only for you two to be long gone before I had a chance to visit." She glared at them.

The eyes looking at her fell towards the ground, with their consciences weighing heavily on them, especially Leon's. "I-I'm sorry..."

"It's my fault, Audrey!" Dylan stepped forward. "I should have remembered to let you know he got better, but after everything that happened my head was a bit jumbled. I'm really sorry." He bowed his head in a sign of regret.

"N-No. It's my fault. I was the one that got hurt, but instead of letting our friends know I was okay, I ran back home. I-I'm so sorry!" Leon bowed his head in kind.

Waiting for the scolding to continue, they kept their heads down with eyes closed. But instead of lecturing, they both felt a soft hand planted on their heads, patting them very softly.

Before they had the chance to confusingly look up, they felt those arms wrap around them as Audrey pulled them both into a tight hug. "I'm so relieved you're okay." She smiled profusely as she felt them with her arms.

Although unexpected, both couldn't refuse such a heartfelt gesture, hugging the Guildmaster back. Leon in particular hugged her tighter, with a single tear escaping his eyes, feeling so thankful for someone being worried over him like that, even if he had to hide something from her.

"I promise I won't worry you like that again." The Pikachu said while snuggling his face against her soft pink fur.

"Same here. Whenever something happens, you'll be the first to know." Dylan completed, adding his ribbons to the hug.

A minute passed with them enjoying each other's sensation before she lifted her arms and stood back up. She forced a cough before looking back at them. "Okay, now that you've both been scolded, it's time for questioning. Lanna didn't offer much info, so you two gotta fill in for her."

"Oh, well... It's kinda silly when you think about it." Leon lied. "I think it's natural for Pokémon to suddenly have a growth spurt and bodily changes like that, right?"

Audrey chuckled. "Wouldn't know."

"O-Oh, right. Your species doesn't have that, haha..." He said a bit embarrassed. "Well, maybe it was because I was a human before, but once I saw my body and the changes it brought... I don't know, it all felt so wrong and I panicked so hard I passed out."

"Mhmmm. Thankfully I felt okay after evolving, so I was stable enough to bring him here when he fell to the floor." The Sylveon sighed with past relief. "Let me tell you though, making a stretcher out of household stuff wasn't something I ever expected to do."

"Goes to show even more menial requests can be useful. You get experiences from various places to combine into new knowledge." She boasted, trying to sound cool to her small guild members.

"True, hahaha..." Dylan laughed, and felt relieved deep inside that Audrey wasn't questioning them too deeply.

The same applied to Leon. He didn't feel good lying to her, but he wasn't comfortable with anyone else finding out. The Latias lady knowing was already too much.

"Well... If it was your evolution, then you're already past the worst. Rest a couple days and you should feel more used to your new body. Same applies to you, Dylan. You two might have gotten a good chance to use your ribbons yesterday, but there's lots of things you might wanna get used to. Your size, for instance."

"Oh, we don't need those! A couple requests should help us catch up to the changes." Leon said with enthusiasm, punching the palm of his hand in a masculine show of power.

"Hahaha... You're funny, Leon. Who said you two were going to do requests today?" She said in a calm tone.

"...Huh?" They asked.

"Hmmmm? Am I wrong? After all, it was just yesterday you were resting unconscious at the infirmary ward, right?" She kept her tenuous smile all the while, grinning with no sign of anger, but the boys could feel that wasn't the case.

"U-Uuuuhh... I-I mean... It wasn't that serious..." Leon stuttered as he attempted to keep eye contact with her.

"Not that serious? Oh deary. I'm pretty sure fainting is something very serious. Wouldn't you agree, Dylan?" She turned her head towards the fairy type.

"Uuuuuugh... M-Maybe..." He faltered, his eyes retreating from hers, instead focusing on the lifeless floor.

"So it's only natural you two decide to have an off-day. My oh my. You two wouldn't be so reckless as to overwork yourselves and wake up with Lanna at your side again, right?" It was subtle, but the pair could notice her eyelid twitching slightly. She was losing her patience.

"B-But Audrey. We need the money! O-O-Our bodies grew so much the bed can barely hold us!" The Pikachu attempted to bargain, doing his best not to trip on his own words too much.

"Oh? That's no problem, then. I'll give you two paid leave. That way, you can rest and not have to worry about money."

"B-But-"

"No more buts." She said while grabbing their paws and carrying them down the stairs.

On their way down, they passed by Margaret and some other guild members, all looking at them with surprised eyes until they reached the entrance, where she released them as soon as they were outside.

"Alright. So, are we clear? No work today. You either rest at home or hang out around town." Her tone was no longer calm, since it was more demanding. "If I catch wind of you two working today, tomorrow your ears will be so red, not even one of Lanna's Heal Pulses will heal them."

They gulped.

"Okay. Have fun you two. See you tomorrow!" She said smiling before shutting the doors right in front of them, leaving the two staring at the doors, while their bodies basked in the sun.

"...What just happened?" Leon asked.

"...No clue." The Sylveon shook his head and sighed. "Guess our plans for today are fumbled. What do we do now?"

"I mean... she did say we could go around town. Why not just walk a bit and see if we can find something fun?"

As Leon said that, Dylan's eyes glazed over, as he thought of something. "Hmmmm. Maybe it won't be so bad, since I even know where we could go. Let's go, it's a date!" He proclaimed smugly, bringing Leon closer to him with his ribbon.

"D-Date?!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Dylan turned around to look at his friend, who seemed to be a bit more restless all of a sudden.

"O-Oh. Nothing! Y-Yeah, sure. Let's go." He kept his cool, even while his face was a blushing mess, before he led the way and walked down the hill.

Dylan smiled and followed Leon with spring in his step. They both walked down the hill for some good "R&R".

____

It was now just past noon and although the skies were as clear as the surface of a crystalline lake, a thin veil of steam served to coat the area with a hot but very pleasing aesthetic. It was some ways out of town, since one had to descend the cliff and then head in another direction, but the benefits of being farther from other buildings was the utter calm and quietness that came with the solitude of nearby trees and vegetation. After all, quiet was the most important thing if you'd want to spend an afternoon at the hot springs.

There were natural hot springs dotted around some regions of different continents, but quite a number of them were situated in very dangerous locations, filled with foes or natural disasters waiting to happen. Due to that, there wasn't a way to experience them without risking one's life. That is, until a pair of Darmanitan twins came up with the idea of utilizing flames to pleasantly heat the water, creating the first artificial hot spring.

While the fire brother would maintain the mechanics underneath and utilize his flames for the heating process, the ice brother would manage the establishment and use his frost powers to make delicious shaved ice, to cool off clients after a warm, relaxing session with some nice treats.

It was hard to find a time where the springs weren't being used, but work days and hours were the obvious exception. And with some free time on their hands, Leon and Dylan had booked some time, their faces almost melting into a cozy trance of warmth and joy as they spent the time with no one but with each other.

Only Leon's face was above the water's surface, with the remainder of his body well below it. "Aaaaaaaaah. I never knew there were hot springs so close to us before..." He dropped his mouth underneath the water until it was up to his nose, causing ripples on the water's surface.

"Mhmmm. Sorry, I never saw an opportunity to bring you here before, with how busy we were with all the requests we were taking. But, with this sudden vacation, I couldn't help but bring my best bud here." Dylan gave him a soft poke with his elbow, prompting the Pikachu's mouth back up.

"Yeah, that's true. But I feel so dumb now." He relaxed his back against the cool stone at the spring's edge. "If I knew something this awesome was so close to us, I'd have taken a day or two off to come and hang out with you!"

"Hehehe, if I knew that was all it'd take I'd have told you sooner." Dylan also laid back against a rock nearby to relax, adjacent to Leon. "And gotta say, not often I get to see you so outgoing in public."

"Well, there's no one around, so that definitely helps." He pointed out, letting his tail sway freely, completely naked without its scarf. There were rules against wearing clothes while using the springs, but with no other Pokémon around, he didn't have anything to fear. "Besides, I never had a chance to go to one of these places back in the human world, so getting to come here is simply amazing~."

"Nah, this place isn't nearly as amazing as you~." Dylan said, with a clearly smug face.

"So flattering. If I didn't know you better, I'd guess you were trying to gain favor with me." Leon teasingly snapped back, giggling a bit from the sudden compliment, even if it was nothing uncommon between the two.

"Me? What do you mean? I'm a saint among saints, I would never try anything as devious as that~." He put his two paws together in a sort of praying motion, and Leon could almost see the fake glowing halo above his head.

Both laughed at each other, shoving their bodies and generally having fun, while the two enjoyed a rare moment of being alone in public. It was nice to have such a relaxing break after a lot of stress and anxiety. He almost felt like there was nothing to be afraid of, as long as Dylan was by his side.

Well, that would be proven wrong rather quickly.

As soon as Leon had let his guard down, his ears picked up on footsteps that approached the door to the spring, and they were getting closer and closer. His heart started beating quickly as he realized the danger he was in.

The moment the door started sliding open, he grabbed his tail with his paws and shoved it underwater and behind his rear, hiding its tip from view just in time from the unexpected client.

Strutting happily, as he swung his hips with each step, was a very sizable and chunky Grumpig, bearing a smile on his face as he approached the two. "Good afternoon, gentlemen." He greeted them before removing the towel covering his private parts and testing the waters with his foot at the other side of the spring. "Ah, nice and cozy, just the way I like it."

He sat down and relaxed, as he rested his arms on the cool rocks and closed his eyes, completely nonchalant and without a worry in the world, the complete opposite of Leon in that scenario.

The Pikachu could feel his chest hurting, as well as his breathing getting much heavier as he started to hyperventilate. His worries were getting the best of him once again, before he felt that familiar paw on his shoulder.

Dylan leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Don't worry. I got this. Just get ready to dip as soon as I give our signal, okay?"

Although his head wasn't working perfectly, it felt a bit better hearing Dylan speak so confidently. He nodded and watched as the Sylveon walked through the water to reach the relaxed Grumpig.

"Hey, excuse me. Sorry if I'm bothering you, but do I know you from somewhere, by any chance?" Dylan sat beside him, so that the Grumpig would look away from the door.

"Hmm?" The Grumpig lazily opened his eyes. He took a good look at the Sylveon, trying to stir his memory a bit. "I don't think so. I haven't met many Sylveon in my time."

"Are you sure? Aren't you that Grumpig that had an order once from the Guild? Something about...bowls, I think?"

"Ummmmmm... No? I got some help from the Guild a couple years ago but it wasn't bowls, I just needed some manpower to move a fallen stump." The confused Grumpig raised an eyebrow.

"Oooooh, now I remember. I can be so forgetful at times." He waved his ribbon in a circular motion to compliment his silly act.

But in truth, that wave was the signal for Leon to go. He nodded and while in the Grumpig's blindspot, slowly removed his body from the water, being careful to make as little noise as possible and just in case, he hid the tip of his tail behind his body.

"No wonder you look familiar. I've been to the guild a lot, but joined only a couple months ago. Must have confused you for someone else." He continued, while splashing his ribbons against the water's surface, with the splashing concealing any sounds that Leon made, as he got out of the water.

"Oh, you're a member? Pff, that does explain your silly behavior. Everyone there is certainly eccentric, don't you think?" He scoffed, inclining his back a bit and turning his head back to the door.

Before he could do so, Dylan extended his ribbon to stop him there, drawing the attention of the pig Pokémon once more. He faltered for a moment, trying to come up with something as an excuse. "C-Certainly! We might be very different from most people, but that's why we band together, and that way we can help all sorts of folks!"

With each splash of water, Leon walked on the edge of his toes, making as little noise as possible against the wooden pathway leading to the door. He eventually reached the exit, but before he could truly leave, he'd have to open the door, and in doing so would make enough noise to draw the Grumpig's attention. He looked back at Dylan, with an unsure look.

All the while the Grumpig was just staring at the Sylveon. "Are you okay, dude? Are you always this uppity or are you feeling unwell?"

"O-Oh, I'm great! You don't gotta worry about anything. I'm about as healthy as a-" Dylan paused. "As healthy as a-" He paused again, frowning heavily.

"As a-?"

"A- A- ACHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dylan turned his head to the side, outside of the range of the spring, and sneezed with all his might. The sound was so loud the pig had to plug his ears with his hands and shut his eyes.

Leon took the opportunity and quickly turned the knob, before he slipped through the door, swiftly exiting and closing the door just as the noise was dissipating.

"Jeez, dude! I really don't think you're good. Maybe you should go to the doctor or something." The Grumpig hopped a bit back to get back from the Sylveon. He didn't seem angry, but Dylan could tell his patience wasn't at its best anymore.

"Y-Yeah, maybe you're right." He complied with the idea, trying to disengage. "Sorry for the confusion, mister! Hope you have a nice afternoon!" Dylan bowed his head and got out of the water, making his way to the same door Leon just passed through.

Inside the locker room was the Pikachu, who had already tied the scarf to the tip of his tail, but was still heaving while sitting down. "T-That was close..." He rubbed his arms against his forehead to wipe off some of the sweat.

"Yeah, I agree. Thankfully, he didn't seem to care that much about you leaving. Definitely made things easier." He sat down across from the Pikachu, smiling and comforting him.

"Nope, it wasn't because of that. It was thanks to you. Your acting skills are coming along nicely, y'know?" Leon bumped his fist against Dylan's leg. "Besides, that sneeze? Phew, I could feel it from the door. Never knew you could pull off something like that."

"Hehe. What can I say? A true actor shines best when under pressure~." He couldn't help but boast, stuffing up his chest with a smug grin on his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, Mister Jack Black." He teased.

"Jack Black?" He said with a confused expression.

"Eh, it's nothing." Leon giggled, before he stood up. "Well, we shouldn't sulk too much, right? We gotta enjoy our little off day. Oh!" His face perked up a bit. "Why don't we go to the mall? Audrey said today's paid leave, right? That means we should have enough money to replace some of the smaller furniture. Wouldn't want your big ass to make the bed crack under its weight~."

"Har har. Is it just me or are you getting a little more fierce, you little rodent." He said while extending his ribbons towards Leon, grabbing him with it and quickly trapping the little mouse into a mix of a trap and a hug. "Let's see how you fare against me as your opponent." He didn't give Leon any time to prepare before he started tickling his belly with his big paws.

The first ministration was already enough to make Leon burst out into laughter. "pffHAHAHAHAHAHAH! DYLAN! DYLAN PLEASE. STOP HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He couldn't help himself as he felt those soft paws of his tracing along his sensitive tummy, caressing him in a way he had never felt before. His face was completely red, some could have taken a guess and said the laughs were making his face hot, and although that was partially the truth, it was also the fact that being so close to his favorite Pokémon in the entire world made him so happy it just warmed his face up.

"Only if you agree I can choose the final place we'll go tonight~." He insisted with the tickles, his touch like a feather on the Pikachu's skin, prodding more and more laughs from the small rodent.

"OKAY! OKAY! YOU CAN CHOOSE WHERE WE GO TO TONIGHT. PLEASE STOP HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Leon relented under the tickle torture, his face so red, it resembled a strawberry.

Dylan smiled. "Good boy." He soon stopped his assault on him, taking two steps back as he gave him space and time to recover from the onslaught he had suffered.

And it did take a good minute for Leon's breathing to finish slowing down. He took one more deep breath before getting up. "Thanks a lot, jackass. My cheeks are all sore now." He complained with a teasing grin on his face, fist bumping his friend once more.

"Hey, hey. No complaining. You lost this match, so you gotta agree with whatever I told you to." Dylan raised his head with a victorious air about him, as if he had won a gold Olympic medal or whatever the Pokémon world's equivalent was.

Leon giggled. "Yeah, yeah. But you better be careful. Next time, you'll be the one on the floor wheezing from my touch."

"Pffff. How lewd."

A blush formed on his face. "Wha- NO! I didn't mean it like-"

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you didn't. Let's go already, or would you prefer spending the rest of our vacation inside a changing room?" He patted his head with his much bigger paws before walking further to the exit of the room.

Leon's blushing hadn't subsided, and he was pouting as well. "Fine..." He replied while following the Sylveon. "Although I wouldn't mind if I were with you..." He uttered under his breath, the phrase too silent for Dylan to hear.

The two opened the door to the lobby where they would pay for their stay, and make their way to their next location.

____

Unlike the pair's earlier venture to a quiet and relaxing hot spring, this time Leon opted for a more open and engaging place to spend their time at, somewhere they could take in new possibilities and new goals for their efforts, and that place was the Treasure Seed Mall. The building was very similar to those shopping malls back in Leon's world, with several stores to empty your wallet and restaurants to fill your stomach to your heart's content. Several paper ads and hired speakers would promote their businesses, trying to convince any passerby to come and buy something for themselves.

But as tempting as all those offers could be, and with how many possibly interesting items were for sale, Leon wasn't interested in any of them. He had brought them here for one specific item, one he desired ever since the beginning of that morning.

"Let's go buy a bigger bed!!!" Leon yelled in glee, but still emulating his voice to sound more masculine than it naturally was.

"Wow, you really were serious earlier, huh?" Dylan chuckled as they walked through one of the large building's corridors, taking sneaky peeks at some of the storefronts and whatever they were selling.

"Heh, as serious as a Slaking in need of sleep! Don't get me wrong, Dylan, your fur is soft and great to snooze against, but now that we've outgrown the bed it's only a matter of time until one of us wakes up with their face against the floor." The Pikachu was marching eagerly, taking in the sights of several stores and Pokémon doing the same thing.

Dylan resisted making a lewd joke right then and there, seeing as they were in public. "If you say so. But I'll miss waking up to see your face so close to me~."

Leon resisted the forming blush on his face, trying to ignore the teasing from his partner. "Oh, there it is!" He pointed to one of the fronts, which had a sign that read "Bibarel's woodshop."

"Oh! I've heard about these guys. They're the town's most famous woodworkers. Their craftsmanship is so good they were even invited to intercontinental events." Dylan explained as they walked towards the entrance. As they got closer, it was easier to notice how well even the wooden sign was made. Each letter was immaculate and the board was perfectly rounded and inviting to customers.

"I can definitely see that. Well, if we gotta get a bed, then there's no better place than Bibarel's!" Leon entered the shop with an eager walk.

Inside was a very elegant shop. The walls and floor were made from pristine and clean marble, while all the decorations inside were made out of wood. Desks, tables, chairs, lampstands, hat hangers, fancy doors, but most important of all: Bed frames.

Leon stared with awestruck eyes at the beautiful pieces of furniture laid out neatly across the room, mouth agape from all of the many shapes and sizes. "These all look so cool! Dylan, look! They even make little wooden statues of Pokémon. Isn't that awesome?!?!" He was so excited that his voice squeaked into a feminine pitch towards the end, quickly covering his mouth in an attempt to hide it.

Dylan noticed, and quickly checked his surroundings to see if anyone was staring, which thankfully wasn't the case. Most Pokémon seemed either too engrossed in their own conversations or too focused on the products to really pay attention to Leon's voice. "Don't worry, Leon. You're in the clear."

He took a second to breath in before nodding in response to the Sylveon, sighing in relief as he removed his paws from his mouth. "Phew. I gotta pay more attention. Or else-"

"Attention? Well, our work does bring in lots of attention, I can see that happening." A sudden voice came from Leon's left, startling him for a second and making him take three steps back. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm Vincent, the head carpenter of this store. How can I help you?"

Leon took a second to settle down once more before looking the Bibarel who spoke, the sight reminding him of a lot of beavers back in the human world. He was wearing a cute utility belt around his waist, in which he carried tools, a handy bag and a notepad with a sharp pencil. "H-Hi. I'm... uumm... we're looking for a new bed. We just evolved and we outgrew ours."

"Mhmm. I see." The beaver took a look between the two of them. "I assume you'd want one for two Pokémon?"

"Yes. Do you think you have one in stock?"

"Oh, we have plenty of beds, but if you're looking for the perfect one we gotta take your measures. Just stay still for a moment." From inside the little belt he was carrying he grabbed a measuring tape.

The Pikachu nodded and let the Bibarel do his thing, touching both his heels with the cold leather and pulling it up, before noting down his measurements in a small sketchbook. He did the same for the distance of his arms and other small details. "Alright. Your turn, ribbon mister." He turned towards the Sylveon.

Dylan let him do as he wanted, staying still, allowing the same process to happen to him. Meanwhile, Leon had a moment to realize how much Dylan in particular had grown. They were about the same size in their prior forms, and he knew he had grown more, but taking a clear moment to observe him, it really hit him that even though he didn't tower over him, he definitely looked cooler with that extra height. Not to mention how handsome he was.

Soon, Vincent was done with his measurements, grabbing his notepad once again and writing more and more on it, seemingly calculating the info and cross referencing it with his memory. "Hmmm... I believe we have one bed remaining. It's at the back, and with how big it is we can't just bring it to you, so if you'd be so kind, please follow me." He stashed his notepad away before beckoning towards the pair.

Leon and Dylan complied, following the Bibarel towards a door at the end of the store. The beaver opened it with a key, waving them along so they'd follow him inside.

The shop's warehouse was way cleaner than they'd imagined, with all the walls being clean and well-lit, with all its items nearly organized for easy searching and identification. The Bibarel led them deeper into the warehouse, right towards a section where lots of beds were stored. And right where they stopped, he gestured towards one of them. "This is it. It's our last one in your size, and it's very durable.

The bed in question was very large and seemed very strong with its' smooth wood beams and workmanship. But there was one thing that instantly drew both Pokémon's attention. The heart-shaped hole at its back, right above where the pillows would be.

Both blushed profusely at the sight.

"It's not often we get couples asking for a bed as large as this, and we probably won't get another in a good while. With that in mind, I could arrange a couple's discount for it. What do you think?"

"C-Couple?!" They both said at the same time.

"Hmm? Was I wrong? You both sleep together and you seem like a nice pair. Thought you'd been going out or maybe even married." Vincent said without thinking much about it.

If there were any spots left in their faces that weren't red, that had just changed. "I-I think you got it wrong. Me and Dylan aren't a couple, we are really good friends and we enjoy each other's company and we don't mind sleeping in the same bed, but we aren't a couple!" Leon blurted out, his face a mess of blushing and embarrassment of such a commentary being made right in front of the one person he held those feelings for.

"Hey, Leon, don't worry. " Dylan laid a paw on his shoulder, looking at him with a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry sir, but I think you got the situation wrong. We are very good friends, that's true, but we aren't a romantic couple."

"Oh my. Okay, I see. I'm sorry, sometimes I jump to conclusions, hahah..." Vincent made a humble bow as a way to apologize to the pair.

"Haha, don't worry. It's not usual for Pokémon who aren't together to be sharing a bed like that, so the mistake is very much understandable." The Sylveon played it off, trying to make the Bibarel to not feel as bad.

"Well, let me make it up to you for my blunder, either way. We'll probably have a hard time selling it, so how about I give you guys the discount after all?"

A look of surprise took both of their faces, with Dylan approaching the seller. "Are you sure? Even if we aren't a couple?"

"Oh, certainly! We'll be happy to finally be able to sell it. I'll go prepare the details so we can ship it over to your home very soon. Do you guys live nearby?" He once again grabbed the notepad, writing on it diligently.

"Yup! We live west of town, just by the shore. I hope that isn't too far for your guys?"

"Oh, not at all! As a matter of fact, we'll have it delivered to you by tonight! You'll both be able to feel how sizable it is very soon. We'll even throw in a mattress for fifty percent off." Vincent insisted on the discount, his face still clearly embarrassed from the previous blunder. "Alright, here's the receipt. You can pay for it at the counter.."

"T-That'll be great. We'll go pay for it right away. Thanks a lot for the help." The Sylveon bowed his head, and Leon followed suit a moment later, with the two friends walking up towards the front-door.

As soon as they reached, Leon whispered into Dylan's ear. "Well that was something, alright." He sighed heavily.

"Tell me about it. I'm happy we got to clear up the misunderstanding tho. Would have been awkward."

"Y-Yeah, super awkward. Ahahaha..." He forced a short laugh to play it cool, relieved to have diffused the situation, but still a bit saddened with the turn of events. He knew they weren't dating, but being called a couple actually felt kinda nice to him. It bummed his mood a little, with his face not doing a great job of masking it.

"Hey dude, you feeling okay?" The Sylveon closed his face to the Pikachu's, grabbing his attention.

"O-Oh, yeah! I'm fine, man. Just thinking about what to do with the rest of our day. Maybe we could walk around a little more? See the shops and stuff? Would be nice before we head home." He smiled back at Dylan, covering up what he previously felt with a genuine want to hang out.

"Oh heck yeah! Any place in particular?"

"Nah, probably just walk around. Maybe we'll find something cool along the way." He raised up his arms in excitement, so contagious it rubbed off on his friend.

"Okay, let's go pay for the bed and we'll walk around." He patted Leon's head before the duo went to the front to pay up.

Due to the discount, they'd be able to pay for the bed normally, but it was even more affordable, thanks to their paid leave. All the arrangements were made and the pair thanked the employees, leaving the shop and heading to nowhere in particular.

They passed by many kinds of stores and establishments along the way, selling all sorts of goods from clothes and accessories to even special tools and objects to help with day to day life. Leon in particular stopped many times to look at said objects, still amazed at how so many concepts from his old world also existed here. It made him wonder if the two worlds were somehow connected, but his head started to get dizzy from thinking about it, so he gave up and bought a very cool spork instead.

Dylan didn't understand the use of two in one cutlery when you could just have both, but he wasn't about to interrupt Leon's fun, just laughing it off.

Hours had passed with both of them doing basically nothing, but that was just perfect. They had some time to just spend with each other without having to worry about requests or anything else. It was so much fun that the Pikachu even forgot for a moment about his body situation, just enjoying the fun and modulating his voice unconsciously.

It was just the two of them, until it wasn't.

"Hey, buddies! Didn't expect to see 'ya here." The two turned around to face the recognizable voice of a free-spirited soul.

"Oh! Hey Zack, what's up?" Leon approached and fist-bumped the Luxio, who responded in kind.

"Just the usual. But I see ya look way more uplifted than yesterday, man. Can definitely feel the good vibes coming from you." He raised his paw to ruffle Leon's head, shaking up his hair a bit, but he didn't mind it that much.

"Ha, nothing that a good day with a friend wouldn't solve. I was a bit down in the dumps yesterday, but it's history now. Today, I'm feeling as great as a newly-hatched Togepi!" He raised his arm to flex his muscles, boasting about the good mood he was in.

"Atta boy. Now that's what I like to see. A smile suits you better than a frown." He laughed out loud, drawing a few eyes from some passerby, but Leon didn't mind, it was nice seeing someone so upbeat. It certainly helped to improve his mood.

Dylan was just sitting back and letting the conversation flow, but he couldn't help but notice a little detail on Zack. "Hey man, that's a really cool cape you got there." He said and approached the Luxio, taking in the sights of the pretty and dark blue fabric.

"Oh, thanks bud!" He did a little spin, letting the light piece of clothing wave in the wind. "I'm really happy with how it turned out."

Leon bobbed his head. "...turned out? You didn't buy it from a store? Oh! I know! You commissioned it from a famous weaver, or maybe one of your requesters sewed it for you as the reward from a grand and dangerous mission?" The easily impressionable and adventurous Leon couldn't contain his excitement, his eyes shimmering as he thought about how he got the cape.

"Haha, those aren't bad guesses, and definitely not the last time I'll hear them..." He turned his head around to grab one of the edges of the cape covering his shoulder with his mouth, before carefully holding it with his left paw. "I made it myself!"

"Oh, awesome!" Dylan simply answered.

Meanwhile, Leon's face turned from awe-struck to confused. "Wait. You... made it? How?"

"Hmm? What do ya mean? Like anyone else would, I sewed it! With my own paws!" He closed his eyes and lifted his chin, showing off how proud he was of that.

And although the answer was simple and to the point, Leon still seemed to struggle a bit to get it. "Wait, wait. Sorry, I'm still really confused. You sewed it? But... I thought that sewing was a girl's thing." Leon said it bluntly. There wasn't any disdain or rudeness in his tone, only actual confusion and a lack of understanding.

The two other Pokémon just looked at him for a couple seconds, not exactly sure of what to say. The first to break the silence was Zack, who couldn't help but to break out into laughter. "Pfffffhahahahahahaha. Wow, I guess you could say that... hahahahaha..." Tears formed around his eyes with how much he was laughing.

"W-What? Did I say something funny?" He felt his face getting a bit warmer, feeling a bit embarrassed with the thought that maybe he said something wrong or silly.

Even Dylan couldn't help but giggle a bit alongside Zack's contagious laughter, struggling to keep it in. "O-Oh, it's nothing, Leon. It's just that we haven't heard something like that in... years, to be frank."

The Pikachu tilted his head to the side with clear confusion in his face.

Zack's laughs started to die down eventually. He took a moment to recompose himself and clear the tears from his eyes. "When ya said ya weren't from around here you really meant it, huh?" He reached out his arm and affectionately ruffled his hair a bit. "There was a time where we divided things like jobs and hobbies between males and females, but that's long gone now."

"It is?" Leon paid full attention to what they were saying, even if it baffled him a bit.

"Yup." Dylan nodded his head. "I mean, I think some parts of the world still think like that, but most of us have moved on. I mean, yeah, there are gonna be some people here and there who'll give you the stink eye for doing something they think doesn't "match you", but who cares about them?"

"Mhmmm. A bunch of stinky 'Mons shouldn't matter to 'ya. It's none of their business." The Luxio approached the Pikachu, standing by his side and pulling him close. "Even if it were something only girls did, what would that change? I like doing it and it's fun. I feel hella proud whenever I finish a piece, even if mine aren't the most professional right now, hahah..."

Leon was listening to every single word, and yet he couldn't reply to them. Something in them resonated with his inner feelings, with his previous, human life.

Back when he was human, he always felt that what he could do was constricted. If he did something that could upset his friends, they'd abandon him, not only them, but everyone around him as well. He couldn't do girly things. He couldn't be a girl. He couldn't wear a dress...

As his mind raced and his heart started beating faster, his hearing caught on something. A voice. Two voices in fact, saying his name. "Leon..."

He snapped back to reality to see his two friends looking at him worryingly.

"Ya ok, dude?" The Luxio asked while letting go of him, giving the Pikachu some space.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, just blanked out for some reason. I'm doing fine and dandy!" He puffed up his chest and gave them the biggest smile he could physically muster. "But yeah, I'm okay, for Zack. I was just... thinking. And I will need more time to process some things. But... thanks."

"Thanks? For what, buddy?"

"Nothing major. Just some food for thought, I guess. Either way, thanks." He fist-bumped his strong arm, drawing a chuckle from the large feline.

"No worries man. Oh! Darn, it's getting late. I have something early tomorrow and I gotta go to sleep. See y'all later! Have a fun day!" He said while rushing out of the mall, a spring in his step.

"Bye, Zack!" Leon and Dylan waved at him, letting the adventurer fade out of sight.

"Alright, Leon, we should go home and get back into our routine now, right? It's almost dark out." Dylan took the first few steps, leading Leon towards the exit.

Once outside, they could see the last remaining orange beams of sunshine peeking at the horizon, about to give way to the darkness of the night, only being illuminated by the shine of the moon and stars.

Leon fidgeted with his thumbs, inhaling heavily. "Actually, Dylan."

"Yes?" The Sylveon turned around to face his partner.

"Ummm... Actually, there was one last place I wanted us to go today." He coughed once, not from feeling off but just to remove some of the anxiety from within his chest.

"Are you sure?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's already pretty late. Worst case, we could just find some time tomorrow to go there after our requests."

"N-No." He stuttered, not looking at his face but instead looking down on the ground. "It's gotta be today. It's not something I can just... put off anymore."

He sounded very serious, and Dylan got that straight away. He knew him well enough to know wherever he needed to go, it was important to him. His face softened up and he smiled at him. "Alright, alright. We should still have some time left. Okay, where do you wanna go then, you goofus?"

"Well..." The Pikachu grabbed the bigger male's paw with his own. "It's a secret. Just come with me, okay?" He looked ahead, not looking directly at his friend while dragging him along.

The fairy Pokémon smiled and let him do as he pleased, as he was pulled away from the mall.

____

By most standards, it hadn't been that long since they had started walking down the dark streets. The veil of night had already engulfed the entirety of the skies but illumination from lamp posts and other night store lights helped keep the environment visible enough so it would be safe for anyone to walk around.

But even so, that only applied to the open streets, which, granted, Leon led Dylan down those for most of their walk, but that all changed when both of them faced a very dark alley.

Dylan gulped hard. "L-Leon? Why are we going this way?"

"Don't worry, this is just a shortcut. We'll get there faster this way." Leon was looking at his friend without bashfulness or timidness, but Dylan saw a new look on his face. He couldn't quite tell what that was, but it felt like... determination?

He sighed and relented. "Alright. But have your sparks ready just in case, you know I'm never prepared for a fight." He alluded to his condition of not being able to use moves, something that remained, even after he had evolved.

Leon nodded and took him further into the dark passage, holding one of his ribbons in his paw to make sure they weren't far apart.

The alley was located right in the middle of two very tall buildings and it wasn't very wide, with only enough room for two or three individuals. It lacked almost any sort of artificial lighting, the only sources of illumination being residual light from the bright street behind them and a couple lit windows far above, from stores that still operated this late at night. To help combat that, Leon produced some sparks from his cheeks, providing some very dim lighting for Dylan.

Having just evolved into a Fairy-type, the Sylveon didn't know if his type would be good or bad in the darkness, not like he could use any moves, though. He gulped as they got deeper into that scary place, but even if he wasn't at his most comfortable, holding Leon's paw made him feel safer.

About midway through the Pikachu halted in his tracks, with Dylan following suit. "L-Leon? Is something wrong?" Sweat ran down his face as some anxiety filled his midst.

Leon looked back and smiled towards him, the kind of smile that he knew everything was alright, with no trying to act tough. That alone made him relax a bunch, even when he heard footsteps coming directly in front of them, still covered in the veil of the unknown.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Mister thunder rodent! You've definitely grown a bit from your bratty old self~." A highly feminine and captivating voice echoed, paired with light footsteps normal for someone used to navigating these streets. "Didn't expect to see you here so soon after our last talk, hun~." From the shadows stepped out a short but clearly mature-looking Purrloin, wearing black lipstick and some piercings on her ears.

"Nice to see you again, Kaitlyn!" Leon greeted with no hesitancy or fear. "Yeah, I didn't expect to come back here so soon. Just thought now would be the best time for it." He scratched the back of his neck, giggling with an embarrassed laugh.

"My! Even your voice changed. I would call it cute but the last time I did I got a half-hour lecture on how it was masculine instead." Kaitlyn laughed from the silly remark. "And you must be Dylan, correct?"

"Y-Yes. Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn." Although surprised and a bit confused, the Sylveon didn't forgo pleasantries and shook her purple paws with one of his ribbons. Her touch was surprisingly gentle.

"Heheheh. I imagine you came here for that, right? Are you sure you wanna do it now? Don't you want to wait a little longer~?" Her tone was quite clearly a teasing one as she stared intently into the Pikachu's eyes.

"Yes. I feel like it's the right time. And this will be as ready as I'll ever be." Before Dylan could interject with a question, Leon passed her some kind of herb, one Dylan didn't see with his own eyes before but could figure out by the details.

"Catnip!!!" The Purrloin's cool and suave posture facade was thoroughly shattered at the sight of that little plant. She snatched it quickly from his hands.

"Hahah. I guess that'll suffice as payment?" He giggled at the sight of the excited kitten sniffing the herb in her hands, practically leaping with excitement as she took in the scent.

"Y-Yes. Absolutely! Please, go on ahead and have a blast. I'll go enjoy my treat and make sure you aren't disturbed~." She stuck out her tongue to them both before walking out the way they came, strutting her body as she sniffed the catnip more, squeaking in joy, while they could still hear her.

A few seconds passed to let her get some distance before Dylan broke the ice. "The heck was that?"

"Oh? Kaitlyn. Remember that time at Godfrey's where I had to go buy some supplies for the job? I got lost on the way back and bumped into her. Haven't seen her since then, but it was an encounter too memorable to forget." Leon said as he led Dylan along with him, beckoning them both further into the alley.

"Hmmm. I do remember you took longer than usual that day. But still, why did you give her catnip? That stuff is quite hard to find and we grew it ourselves for medicinal purposes. And more so, why give it to her at all?" Dylan asked as he diligently followed his friend, noticing some light peeking out from beyond the opening at the other side.

Leon planted one of his fingers over his own mouth in a shushing motion. "It's a secret. If I told you, it wouldn't be as fun, don't you think?" Leon confidently strutted forward with Dylan's ribbon in toe, taking large and charismatic steps towards the opening in front of them.

Dylan didn't respond, not exactly sure what else he could say. But he trusted Leon with his life above anyone else, so he just sighed and kept close to him, as they took the last few steps towards the opening.

Weirdly enough, the light coming from it was so bright, he had to squint his eyes while using his ribbons to cover them. He might have stopped if Leon wasn't still gently tugging at him, so he didn't stop, even though he couldn't properly see.

"Close your eyes." Leon asked in a gentle tone but with a drop of apprehension in it, albeit very faint.

He did just that, completely shutting his eyelids and letting the Pikachu guide him further. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the sudden shift from concrete steps to patches of grass, not to mention the sudden gust of wind blowing against his white and pink fur.

He kept on walking for a few more moments until he noticed his friend had stopped guiding them, stopping in front of the Sylveon and turning to him. "Okay. You can open your eyes now."

The curiosity was burning within the Fairy-type, so Leon's permission was almost a relief to him, feeling as if he could falter at any moment and take a peek at whatever it was Leon had led him here for. He slowly opened his eyes...

And through the shine of his own eyes reflected an even brighter light, brighter than anything he had ever seen before in his entire life.

Right before him, as if it was mere feet away from his grasp, stood the full luster of the full moon, glowing brightly in the star-filled sky, but still right in front of him.

Words tried and failed to escape his mouth, completely engrossed in the sight. He had observed the moon ever since he was little with his grandparents. It was a pretty sight, but nothing he ever thought much about, however, seeing such an ordinary sight so big and so close to him... it was... something else.

"W-What..." His words were almost a whisper as he reached his paw out towards the large glowing sphere. "H-How is this possible...?" Despite that, he couldn't grab it. It felt as if he extended his arm a bit more he could touch its rocky surface, but no matter how much he tried, his palms never felt it.

The Pikachu sat beside him. "It's amazing, right?" His voice brought Dylan out of his trance, bringing his attention towards his partner. "She had mentioned it was beautiful, but I never really thought such a pretty sight was possible."

"Her...? You mean Kaitlyn? B-But how...?" His voice faltered, as he couldn't begin to comprehend what was going on, his brain trying to differentiate between what he felt and saw now and the sights that he was used to and knew so much about.

"I can't quite explain because I don't understand much, either, but according to her, she can use some of her innate Dark-type powers to create or bolster illusions, or in this case, amplify our sight." Leon explained as he hopped a bit closer to the Sylveon. "She said the sight was so pretty, and so tough to maintain, she'd ask for payment to see it. And let me tell you... her prices were painful to listen to." The yellow mouse couldn't help but laugh from it.

"S-So you mean the catnip..."

"Yep. I tried to barter with her. She said if I couldn't provide money for it, I could instead give her some rare goods. And well, catnip seemed to be the most feasible for us to get, compared to some of the other stuff she wanted."

As he kept explaining, Dylan kept recalling some events from their past months as members of the guild. "So... that one time you insisted for us to take that request from Cactus Heaven, it was because of that?"

Leon nodded. "Once I saw the catnip seeds alongside the money reward, I knew I had to go for it. Ever since they first sprouted, I kept thinking about coming here already and on a whim, I took one of the herbs with me today before we headed to the guild. Not sure why I did, but I just felt like I should, y'know?" He took another hop towards the Sylveon, his body almost touching him with how close they were to each other.

Noticing how close he was, Dylan couldn't help but blush a bit. The Pikachu was staring intently into the moon, but even with such a jaw-dropping sight right in front of him, he couldn't look at it. There was... something else stealing his glance.

"I-I see... This is indeed very pretty. But... I hope I don't sound rude, b-but why now? You could have chosen any night to bring me here, but you suddenly decided on it right after we left the mall. Why?" His white fur could only do so much to hide the deepening red in his cheeks, not to mention how he started to stutter as well.

While still keeping his smile, Leon sighed. "I don't know. I just... wanted to bring you here. I don't have an exact reason, but... after everything that happened today, and yesterday... I just really wanted to come here... with you." He didn't look towards his friend, instead still gazing at the larger-than-life moon.

Dylan didn't answer back. Feelings were twirling and popping inside of his heart, some of these he was very aware of, but he never felt them as hard as he felt them that night. But even more so... the sight of Leon's yellow fur glowing from the moon's light, it was almost hypnotizing. He couldn't take his eyes off it. Of him. Of Leon.

Feelings bubbled inside his chest, almost threatening to spill over and fall to the blowing grass beneath them. His face was pink through the mist of white fur and heated red cheeks, his breathing got a little heavier, and he could fill his chest pound harder and harder. "This is a sight I wouldn't trade for the entire world..."

He got cold feet the moment those words left his mouth and he cringed as he realized the corny phrase he just let slip. His mouth opened to backpedal from that, but before he could, Leon was staring at him, his eyes finally relenting from the moon, instead focusing directly on the Sylveon's shiny pupils.

"Are you sure you really wouldn't? Wouldn't you rather be with someone else here?" He was looking at him with seriousness and apprehension in his eyes. Dylan had a thought about why that would be, but he didn't want to entertain anything he couldn't prove. But still... he couldn't help it.

"I'm sure. You're the only person I'd ever want here with me now." He said it, completely resolute, looking back at Leon's bright and sparkling eyes. He wanted to say more, how much he meant to him, how much just his presence changed his life, his whole reason for living, for the better. How much he had grown since they both met. But he couldn't. He was too afraid of those thoughts and feelings not being reciprocated. What if he didn't...

As he thought those things, his line of thinking was broken, with something soft and pleasant grabbing onto his paws. He looked down to see that Leon had grabbed onto his paws, holding them firmly but not too tightly with his own.

Dylan didn't blush. He didn't stutter. He didn't freak out. He just looked back into his friend's eyes.

The two sets of paws were brought together as Leon held them close within his own, bringing his face closer to Dylan's.

"Dylan."

Leon's eyes pierced right to his soul and his face was so close he could feel how warm he was on that cold night. But what he could feel the most was the Pikachu's pulse, his heartbeat, beating almost in sync with his own through their connected paws.

"Dylan, I..."

He took a deep breath, inhaling so much air his chest puffed up and exhaled soon after, his face looking more determined. His eyes were on him. And although a world of experiences once separated them. They were here now.

And Leon wasn't going to look back and falter anymore.

"...I love you."

The place fell into complete silence. The only sounds were of the wind blowing and of their own heartbeats.

It was only three words, but those were perhaps the scariest to be said. And while Leon would have blushed and pretended it wasn't for real a couple months ago, that was no longer the case.

While for Dylan, those words meant the world to him. Tears ran down his cheeks as his vision narrowed on his friend- no, not just a friend anymore.

"I love you too, Leon." He said before breaking down in a small mess of cries and whimpers, but not sad tears, no, definitely not sad or sorrowful.

Perhaps tears overflowing from him being the happiest he's ever been in his entire life.

Once he calmed down and could look at Leon once more, he couldn't take his eyes off him. And neither could Leon from Dylan.

They looked at each other and got closer and closer. They could feel their breaths against each other's faces. Against each other's lips. And then it wasn't only the warmth.

Their lips met. Their feelings met. And they shared each of their feelings with the other through their kiss.

There was nothing else besides one another. No Treasure Town, no silly Purrloin probably having the time of her life with catnip, and not even the wind. There was just their love, once too scared and soft-spoken to be left out, now completely out in the open.

They didn't know for how long their kiss had gone on for, but they knew that by the time they were apart once again, both were panting thoroughly and their faces were as red as freshly harvested tomatoes.

And then they started giggling.

"Hahahahah. Wow." Leon said, his bashfulness slowly returning to him for a moment, but only for a moment, before his eyes took in Dylan once more.

"Yeah, heheh." He laughed along, not sure what else to say after something like that.

"So... are we..." Leon started asking, with Dylan completing his phrase for him.

"...Boyfriends? I guess we are. That is, if you don't mind having me as yours." He said while reaching out his arm around the Pikachu, bringing him to a hug between his larger arms, completely covering his face and torso with his white floof.

"I couldn't ask for anything better in my whole life." Leon returned the hug, feeling closely how warm and cuddly he felt. They had been sleeping together for months now, but... it felt different now. After bringing his feelings to the surface, it felt as if he could feel Dylan on a new level. It was something he had never experienced in his old life, but something he never wanted to let go of.

The couple hugged through the night, that was, until a very sudden and strong gust of wind blew against them, making Dylan lose balance for a moment. "Whooooooooooah!" His body relented under the force of nature, and not wanting to let go of his boyfriend, fell to his side, bringing Leon down as well.

Their sides collapsed against the soft grass, softening their very short fall. It took a moment to realize what had happened before they broke into laughter once more. "Remember to stash a rock in your bag so you won't fly with a weak breeze~."

"Har Har. Very funny Mister Sylveon enchanter~." He teased him back, planting a soft peck on his forehead, causing another giggle from Leon.

Leon climbed on top of Dylan, resting his smaller body against his soft chest, still staring directly at Dylan's face. "I would have never thought a forced vacation could be so much fun. We need to ask Audrey for some more of these~."

Dylan's paw grasped at Leon's, taking it and interlocking their fingers to keep them completely locked together. "If having some time off-work means getting to spend more time away with you, then I guess we gotta plan those off-days accordingly."

Leon giggled. "I can't wait for our next one."

Dylan rubbed his cheek against Leon's, giggling from how adorkable he was. "Me neither."

Their lips met once more. With no one to disturb them and a long night ahead of the two, they didn't have to worry about hurrying back to their home. The moon softly illuminated them as they shared in each other's feelings, away from anyone's attention and in a very well secluded part of town. No one was going to interrupt them. And as people used to say in stories they read...

...The night was still young.