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Chapter 5 - Sewing a New Passion

Most mornings were about the same for the Pokémon duo. They'd wake up next to each other ever since they started sleeping together, while still keeping some distance between them. Part of that was because they were still holding onto their feelings for each other and didn't dare to make the first move, and the other was out of respect, in case they weren't interested in such feelings.

But things had changed. This was the first morning that Leon woke up deep into Dylan's arms, snuggling next to him, enjoying his bigger size and frame and how he made for such a perfect and comfy fit. Even with their new bed, with more space for both of them, they couldn't stay too far apart from each other anymore. And above all else, looking up and seeing his beautiful eyes looking at him made him swoon like nothing else. He almost flinched back and retreated at first, but once he remembered all the events of the previous night and how they had mustered the courage to confess, he made sure to stay put and smile back at him.

"Good morning... honey." Leon said that last word with a big blush on his face, feeling almost embarrassed with how "lovey-dovey" it sounded. And it seemed neither could handle it for long before both broke into fits of giggles.

Dylan's laugh was contagious to the Pikachu, and hearing his voice filled him with energy. "Good morning, honey." He emphasized the last word as well. "Heh, can't believe I'm saying this out loud. Feels so surreal."

"Same here." Leon snuggled up to him, resting his forehead under his chin to feel his steady breathing against his yellow fur. It felt good. It felt right. Leon had always seen in movies or read in books how things would look and feel different once you were close to your loved one, how the world seemed to move slower as you stopped thinking about menial stuff and just focused on each other. He thought it was just phony stuff and it didn't happen. He couldn't be more wrong.

Yesterday was fun and that night would be a moment he would never forget. But at that moment, just laying right next to Dylan felt like it was all he ever needed. And although that moment seemed perfect, there was one thing that was going to cut it short.

Leon's tummy rumbling, hungry for feasting.

"Ah, there we go. That's what was missing from our usual routine." Dylan grinned from ear to ear with an annoyingly smug look on his face, patting his hungry tummy.

"Oh, shut it, you~." Leon pushed his paws against Dylan's soft and squishy cheeks, smiling just as much as his boyfriend was.

They both laughed and got out of bed together, heading to the kitchen, where Dylan prepared breakfast as usual.

Today was a simple day, so just a pair of fried eggs with a salad on the side would have to do. Well, besides Leon's ginger tea, which he drank as best he could, still not completely used to the taste. "Phew, that does help out. Throat was starting to go numb." He massaged his throat, getting ready for another day of having to mask his voice so it wouldn't sound so feminine.

Their breakfast went as usual, eating and chatting away, but with the added detail of them sitting much closer to each other now. But aside from that, they mowed their food down in record time, knowing they'd have a full day of work ahead of them. Audrey had given them a tiny break to recover, but with them completely recovered from their ordeal and with their confession giving them that extra bit of motivation, they felt completely ready for a new day with new adventures.

After the dishes were done, Leon went back to his room to take care of his hair and tie his scarf around his tail. Even with all the time they saved by eating rather quickly, Leon lost it soon after trying to properly tie the scarf around his tail without showing any of the heart's crevices through the fabric. "Tsk." He was still new to doing this, but it irritated the Pikachu how tricky it was to keep it from falling, not to mention having to warm up his voice at the same time to make sure it wouldn't pitch too high during his first conversation of the day.

Several minutes passed and he finally finished tying it. "Phew, jeez dude, this isn't fun to do every morning." He grunted with lazy eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, hun." Dylan stepped into the room and planted a kiss on his forehead. "These scarves aren't made to cover body parts, so I can see them being tricky to work with."

"Tricky is an understatement..." He forced out a snarky laugh. "I wish there was an easier way to hide this..."

"...Maybe there is?"

"Hmmm?"

"Remember yesterday? Zack was talking about how he had worked on that cloak himself and if that's the case, there should be a professional in town that taught him. Maybe after work, we could look for them and get something custom-made for you? Y'know, so you don't have to suffer like this every morning."

Leon looked at Dylan, processing the info and mulling it over with arms crossed and eyes closed. "Y'know. That's not a bad idea. As long as it's not too expensive, we should be able to get one. But, are you sure? We just spent money on our new bed and the hot springs yesterday."

"Heheh~." Dylan laughed and just patted his boyfriend on the head. "Silly, of course I'm sure. If it makes you feel better and less stressed, I want us to get it ASAP." He reassured the Pikachu under his paw, his words calm and soft. "Besides, you can just pay me back later with a favor."

"What?"

"What?"

With the tension broken, they both laughed.

With the final touches done, the couple locked the house's door and left for their work, while Leon held onto one of Dylan's soft ribbons.

Regardless of whatever struggle they'd have to face, their new bond helped the couple find the courage needed to walk forward. Leon felt like a new Pikachu. One that wouldn't be afraid of life any longer.

____

"Can't we do it? Pleeeeease~?" Leon whined, tugging at Dylan's ribbons, trying his best shot at puppy eyes, although he wasn't experienced enough with it.

"L-Leon, I don't think we need more pots." Dylan tried to coax his teammate out of accepting another job for the local smith. They usually accepted requests from him, but sometimes when he was out of Poké he would offer some of his work in exchange. However, with so many pots at home, the Sylveon knew it would probably just be abandoned somewhere.

"But! But, I could show him my new moves! I'm certain my sparks got stronger after I evolved! He would find it so cooooool. Imagine how big the fire would be!"

Dylan sighed with a grin. "Look, honey. We'll go do his requests sometime later, okay? We need that money if you want those things for your *tail*." Dylan practically whispered the last word, making sure the other members around them wouldn't hear it and get curious.

The Pikachu sighed in defeat, relenting to his boyfriend, knowing very well that he was right. "Alright, alright. But what should we do, then? I don't see any other requests here that offer Poké and don't need moves..."

"Did ya boys say requests?" A familiar voice rang from behind them. They turned to see their Luxio friend, carrying a piece of paper in his paws.

"Heya, Zack." Leon said, while projecting his voice a bit. "Yeah, I wanted to get some money to buy an outfit for my tail, but I guess we're out of luck today. None of these requests pay money..."

There was a moment of silence before Leon looked back at the Luxio, who seemed to have his eyes beaming with excitement. "An outfit? Oh, my boy, Leon. Ya've lucked out today." He approached the Pikachu and reached his arm around his shoulder. Leon didn't mind it, they were close enough he felt that it was natural. "Ya see... I was going to post this up on the board at my teacher's request, but maybe I'll accidentally drop this and ya'll be the first ones to see it. "

The teammate's eyebrows raised a bit in confusion as their friend very dramatically let out an "Oops." and let the sheet of paper he was holding slowly float down towards the floor. Dylan used his ribbons to grab it and read it out loud.

"Hello. I'm Clover from Leavanny's Tailoring, and I need two volunteers with no experience with sewing to come and serve as a subject in class. You'll be paid in full for time spent there and receive a custom-order item made by our students. The lesson will last around 2 to 3 hours. If interested please come to the store.

Reward: 10,000 Poké and two custom-made items.

-Clover"

Both Leon and Dylan's eyes widened at their stroke of luck. They didn't even need to discuss it, they just looked at each other and nodded before saying "We'll take it." to Zack in an instant.

"Wow, that was fast." Zack snickered before taking the paper out of their paws. "I don't mind that, and I bet my teacher also wouldn't. But are ya sure ya're up to the task? Don't get me wrong, I know ya two are capable of lots of non-combat stuff, but what about you, Leon?" He stared at the Pikachu. "Yesterday ya seemed less than thrilled about the idea of a guy sewing. Did anything change?"

Leon was about to open his mouth, but he hesitated before he spoke. He knew the reason was partially wanting to finally get a better device to hide his tail without too much of a hassle, but at the same time... "I'm not sure. I'm... still a bit on the fence about it, actually. Where I came from, we learned that some things were girly and others were manly, and in my head, sewing was girly for nearly my whole life. But..." He scratched his head. "I've been learning so much since I came here. I decided I wanna learn anything I can about everything. It feels only right so I could... find myself more easily..." He gripped his arm with his paw, clutching it hard for a second before shaking his head and forcing out a laugh. "Hahaha, either way... no better way to know if I'm wrong than to see it firsthand, right?"

Zack snickered and got closer, lightly punching the Pikachu's arm with a grin. "Ya don't gotta worry. Sorry, I was just curious, is all. And hey, I'm sure my teacher would love to know ya two. She can be... quite a character..." He looked to the side when saying those hushed words.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing. Well, if ya really wanna accept, I can take ya both there right away. I'll fill out the forms with Margaret to make things official and we'll be on our way." He played it off coolly, as he always did, and brought the boys along for the last finishing touches.

While he discussed the details with Margaret, Dylan whispered to Leon. "Well, I'll say that couldn't have gone better."

"Haha, that's true. I know I have some dexterity left even after becoming a Pokémon, but I hope I got enough for sewing and stuff."

"Pfff, you think that's tough? Look at my paws! They're so big I won't be able to use them. Gotta rely on my ribbons, as always."

"Well, at least you'll look handsome doing it. Those ribbons are like magic, and I'm sure if they're half as skilled in making clothes as you are in cooking, then I'm sure you'll do fine~."

"Awwww, thanks, baby. Who knows, by the end of today maybe you'll have two tail warmers instead of one. Won't have to worry about getting cold ever again."

"Then I'll just have to get as good as you and make some warmers for your ribbons. Leave them warm whenever I'm not heating them up myself."

They both giggled to each other. Whatever happened today, at least they would be doing it together and that was great in itself.

____

Their trip to the town was essentially just the same as any other day. They walked together, looked at some of the open shops and dining venues and just generally enjoyed the usual soothing aura the town had, even with a couple of other Pokémon walking around. But this time it was way more fun than their usual trips, not to mention they were feeling very daring that day.

Different from before, this time they were holding paws. That is, Leon was holding tightly on Dylan's biggest ribbon, considering he wouldn't be able to walk missing one of his hind legs. But their intention was there and the stupid grin the two of them were wearing would confirm any suspicions from the passerby.

Zack himself had noticed the moment they stepped out of the guild, but he didn't say a thing. He did give them a knowing grin, but aside from that he left the pair to their own devices, completely focused on getting the two members to his master.

"Say, Zack? When did you start your tailoring lessons? I know you had a lot of free time back when we both joined, so you must have begun sometime after that, right?" Dylan asked the Luxio ahead, leading them on while he hummed a tune.

"Oh, that? Yeah, I must have joined around two months ago, I think. After my adventures and so much action, I was feeling too giddy to stay idle while I waited for the next one. It's hard being a high-tiered adventurer, y'know?" He couldn't help but brag a bit, but the pair knew those claims had a lot of base behind them. "Just getting more action would hinder my missions, so I tried to find something a bit more laid-back, and wouldn't ya know?" He stopped right in his tracks. "This was the place I found!" He pointed upwards, leading their vision upwards until they saw the sign. "Leavanny's Tailoring. This is our stop."

The atelier was a very prim and proper salon, with several pieces of clothing and accessories in a glass display at the entrance. The walls were from the same material as those from the adjacent buildings, but they seemed to have a special amount of care and polish into them and the sign's materials almost looked like real leaves.

"Wow, this place is really pretty!" Leon couldn't help but observe out loud as he took in the appearance of that elegant place. "It's hard imagining you doing something so delicate here, dude."

Zack eyed him back. "Har har. Okay, Mister fuzzy fur, I get it. A tried and true adventurer like me taking a break from his heroic acts in such a delicate place doesn't seem to suit him, right? Well, you're wrong, baby. My paws can do many more things than just punch bad guys. You'll see!" He puffed his chest out with a smile, and as if on queue the wind blew against his fur, letting his mane ruffle and shift while he posed.

"Does he have to pose every time?" Leon whispered to his boyfriend.

"Pffff. Oh, let him. I find it charming."

"You do? Hmmm, I should take notes then."

The pair giggled, getting a confused expression from the adventurer before they brushed it off.

"Ya guys can laugh all you want, but time is valuable! Come on! Ya won't be laughing so much once ya get to see my great skills in action!" He boasted and opened the glass door with his paws, making a bowing gesture so they would enter.

As the trio made their way inside, the two newcomers mouths' were agape as they took everything in. It wasn't just fancy on the outside, but on the inside, too.

The walls had a cozy, yet rustic feeling to it, with the bricks clearly showing through the surface with only a thin layer of white paint covering their still highly visible shape.

The room itself was filled with rows of long and clean wooden tables with supplies on them, each one with a pair of steel contraptions with needles pointed downwards at the end of them. Many Pokémon were using it, with cloth and silk underneath the needle, working the tool somehow.

For Dylan, it was foreign and new, something he didn't really have a grasp for but was excited for just the same. Meanwhile for Leon, the tools seemed very similar to the old stitching machines that appeared in older movies and TV series back in his old life and even though he never paid too much attention to them for being "girl stuff", he still recognized them. What truly impressed him was seeing one particular Braixen masterfully stitching a glaring hole in a coat in a matter of seconds.

"Wow." They said together.

"I know, right? Said the same thing when I first got here." He beckoned and led them in deeper. The hall wasn't exactly filled, but the amount of Pokémon present far exceeded both Leon and Dylan's expectations. "Hey, Miss Clover! Brought ya our volunteers! I told ya it would be quick!"

From one of the corners of the room, assisting a pair of focused students, a tall and slender lady turned to look at the boasting adventurer. "Oh, Zack! You got here much earlier than expected! You weren't kidding when you told me you had tons of fans." The lady, a Leavanny, clothed in her own leaves and silk, stood up. Alongside the leaves that naturally covered her, she was also wearing a very fancy and stylish light green silk hat, with sharp edges just like her leaves and patterns similar to her own anatomy.

A bit under it, resting neatly against her barely visible nose, were her glasses. Its rims and temple tips were a deep green hue, resembling an oak tree's leaves, while the rest of it was a bright and sunny green, just like her.

She also wore a beautiful pink scarf around her small neck, with green glitter and leaf patterns adorning it and complementing her look perfectly. Now that they got a look at her, they could see that Zack wasn't kidding around that she was a true professional in her field.

"Fans? Nah, I'm pretty sure we're close enough friends that we aren't just fans anymore, right?" Leon tried to play it cool, adjusting his voice to have a certain deepness, even if it still sounded androgynous at best.

"I dunno, bud. I don't see a problem with ya being friends and fans at the same time~." Zack's grin was at full display. He looked smugly towards the Pikachu, who tried to keep his composure in turn.

In response, Leon sent a very small spark towards the feline as stealthily as he could. It didn't have much effect, with them both being electric types, so his smug grin didn't fade at all.

"My, oh my. Aren't you two the cutest little things? I could just gobble you up if I weren't cautious!" The Leavanny approached the two newcomers with open arms, hugging them both in a surprising demonstration of affection.

"Heheheheh." Dylan received the hug in strides, blushing dearly from being called cute by the lady.

Leon, on the other hand, wasn't the biggest fan of the word. "Cute? I'm not cute! I'm cool! Cool and manly!" He dashed backward, out of her hug, and started flexing his not-defined arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. You're very much right. You're the coolest of cools." The bipedal lady giggled dearly at him. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get to introduce myself properly. How thoughtless of me." She stood up. "My name is Clover. Local tailor and teacher for all pursuing fashion~." Her voice was almost motherly with how sweet it was. Her smell was also quite sweet, calming any worry the pair might have had with just a whiff.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Clover. My name is Dylan, and this is my partner Leon. We bumped into Zack when he was gonna hang up your request, and we thought we could help out. If you don't mind, that is?" The Sylveon extended his ribbon to greet her, with the older lady carefully gripping it with her leaf hands.

"My, so kind. You can drop the miss if you want, dear. Might not be the youngest but I still have lots of years on me." She smiled. Her face seemed so kind and genuine the pair couldn't help but smile back from the sight.

"So... you wanted two Pokémon to be... living dolls, pretty much? That's what I got from the description at least." The Pikachu handed over the piece of paper to the bug lady.

"Pfff. What a way to put it." Zack couldn't help but laugh.

"Not quite, dear. You see, it's one thing to tailor while having a wooden doll as your subject. Any kind of accessory would fit and compliment that. But that's not the case with living Pokémon. Each individual has different visual quirks and details, not to mention personalities, all of which affect how well a piece fits you, no matter how big or small."

Leon nodded along with the explanation. "I see. But still, wouldn't you prefer someone with... some tact for it? Don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to be here, but I don't know the first thing about clothes or accessories. Truth be told, I'm a disaster with it."

"That he is. I love my boyfriend, but he can't match a satchel with a basket to save his life~." Dylan said bluntly.

"You didn't need to agree that easily, y'know that, hun?" The way Leon said that made the Sylveon shudder and laugh nervously.

"Hehehehe. You two really match each other, huh? Well, it might seem like a better idea to get someone experienced in the field at first thought, but what I want to show this class is that sometimes their clients don't know what they're looking for. And how it's important to have the knowledge to help them complete their style." She beckoned them further into the atelier while she gave her explanation.

"Ooooh, I see. So, that way they'll be more prepared in the future. I like that idea! Never really been a model for a class before, but I'm sure it will be fun!" Dylan said while smiling.

"I guarantee you I'll try my best for that to be the case. Now, should we get started?" She stopped at the end of the hall. Right past her was a single wooden step leading to what Leon would call a "stage", although much smaller than any he had seen in the previous world. There were two sets of spotlights turned off that were aimed towards that space, as well as a couple of props resting around it, like mobile curtains and makeup kits.

Both Leon and Dylan stared at it for a few moments before looking back at the greenish teacher. "So... What do we do there?" Leon asked.

"For the first part of class, not much. You'll stand there while my students examine your overall features and start picking up ideas from them. I'll also stand by your side and help anytime one of them has a doubt or needs assistance. Is it okay with you?"

"None for me, what about you, Dylan-" He turned to ask the Pikachu only to see him sweating profusely. Oh. Maybe they forgot to think some details through.

"Ummmm... So... Do we have to be bare? Like, do I have to remove everything I'm wearing?" His palms got steamy and he could feel his heart beating a bit faster while looking at the staring teacher.

None of this went past unnoticed by the Leavanny. She gave a reassuring smile towards the shorter Pokémon. "Of course not, dear. Only if you want to. If there's anything you feel like you need to wear then you're more than welcome to!"

"Yeah, no need to worry, lil' fella. Every student here is taught to respect a client's boundaries. So, no need to sweat." Zack comforted his friend. He was a bit farther back, taking some tools for the class.

Leon sighed in relief, with his bodily reactions steadying alongside it. "Okay, thanks a lot Miss-I mean, Clover!"

She giggled. "Okay then. Shall we start?"

____

Leon was never much of an attention-drawing guy back when he was human. He did have his fair share of embarrassing moments. Lots of them were made alongside his colleagues and friends. But even so, he usually tried to not draw too much attention with people he didn't know.

That is to say, standing right in front of a dozen students analyzing him and eyeing up his features made him feel very weird.

"Excuse me, sir. Could you turn to your left? I wanna take a better look at your proportions." The Nickit student asked. His eyes were on The Pikachu while his dextrous tail held the pencil he was drawing with.

"S-Sure." He turned around a bit and raised his arm. The tiny fox immediately began scribbling on his sheet of paper.

It felt weird being observed this much, even if one of them was a close friend. But at the very least he wasn't alone in this unique situation.

"Mister! Could you raise some of your ribbons? I wanna take a better look at their patterns. It's not everyday you get to see a Sylveon." The small Popplio asked excitedly towards the Sylveon, with excitement in her eyes.

"Sure thing! Here we go!" He raised all of his ribbons as far as he could take them, each one stopping at different points due to their varying length. "Do they look cool?"

"Yes! Stay still, please. I'll capture it all as best I can." Her face was beaming with wonder as she returned her focus to the paper below.

"How are you two feeling? We could stop if you're getting tired." Clover asked from their side.

Leon looked towards his boyfriend. He knew him well enough to tell how good of a condition he was. He didn't seem any worse for wear, with a bright smile on his face and posing for any incoming requests as they came.

Now, the Pikachu on the other hand...

Maybe it was the mental strain from such a new and weird experience, but he could feel his arms aching and sweat running down his face. It wasn't anything major, so he tried to play it cool. "No need, Clover! We're almost done anyway, right? I can handle it a little longer to let them get the details right!" He forced a little smile.

"...Okay. Just tell me if you wanna stop. Wouldn't want you to push yourself." She seemed to buy it and left their side to resume aiding her students.

Leon sighed heavily. He didn't mind straining himself a bit. In fact, he did it often while doing some labor-intensive requests. The problem was these many eyes staring him down. He knew the chance was small, but he dreaded the thought of one of the students realizing the truth concealed beneath the cloth on his tail.

So he just toughed it out.

It felt longer than it really was, but eventually time was up. "Alright, class. That's enough for this bit. Discuss your thoughts with each other and we'll reconvene in twenty minutes." The Leavanny announced, clapping her leaves to accentuate the order.

"Yes, Miss Clover!" The students answered and turned to their sides, chatting with each other.

As soon as their eyes were off him, Leon's muscles immediately relaxed and he stumbled backward, almost falling down. He would have, if not for a helpful ribbon coming his way to stabilize him. "Woah, woah. You good, love?"

"Y-Yeah, I am. Don't worry, Dylan." He nuzzled against his cheek. "Just not used to having so many eyes on me at once. Definitely a new experience, haha..."

"Still, when you refused the break I got a bit worried. Even Clover could tell, you know?" Dylan reached out with his paw to give Leon a stealthy massage around his arms and legs.

"I'm sorry. I promise if that happens again I'll tell her, okay?"

"Pinky-ribbon promise?"

"Pinky-ribbon promise."

Dylan smiled a bit. His closest ribbon came around the Pikachu's paw, tying around the rodent's pinky. Sealing their little promise.

They both laughed. They rested and chatted for a couple minutes, before they stood up and walked up to Clover.

"Hey, Clover. This was the first bit right? Are the next ones gonna involve so much... standing?"

"Hmmm? Not at all, dear. I hope this wasn't too rough on you, but I promise that the rest will be a bit easier on our legs." She answered with a smile, putting some of Leon's worries at ease.

"Alright. Thanks." Leon sat on a nearby stool, looking at the other students exchanging information and opinions. Among them was Zack, pretty much the center of attention among the students. He showed them his sketch with enthusiasm, his charisma on full display.

"Speaking of ,what is the next step? I imagine they can't tailor pieces this quickly to try it out on us." The Sylveon asked.

"That's very observant. Well done, Dylan, you're absolutely correct. They had time to analyze your physiques and have different interpretations about your best features. But that is just one aspect of you. If we want to truly make something worthwhile and memorable, we also need to learn more about who you are. Your personality. What makes you tick." She answered, while she prepared the small stage for the next session, removing some reflecting lights.

"So... They're just going to ask us stuff? Like what our favorite kind of food is or where we like to hang out?" Dylan asked.

"Pretty much. It'll help them get a better grip on what might best match with you." She walked away briefly to motion to Zack, who nodded and went off towards the back.

The first one might have been okay even if a bit scary, but the Pikachu wasn't still fully convinced. "Are we going to stay only on personality? Because if it involves experiences and stuff..." Leon scratched his head nervously.

"I promise we won't press you. It wouldn't be kind to pry into other people's more touchy topics or make them uncomfortable. Not only is that very mean to do, but it also wouldn't help at all with creating something unique and fun for them."

He lightly nodded his head in self-reassurance. "Okay, that sounds fine enough."

"Should we step up? I'm ready whenever." Dylan said while already climbing the only step leading to the small wooden stage in the room. He beckoned to his partner with his paw.

Leon just smiled and followed his boyfriend up the stage, ready for the second round.

During their little discussion, Zack returned and brought back a pair of wood chairs for them. They thanked him and promptly sat down.

Clover cleared her throat. "Alright, everyone! It's time to resume our practice. I know you had fun imagining dozens of accessories and compliments towards our lovely invitees, but appearances aren't all that matter." She walked towards their side. "You might examine a Lilippup and assume a cute ribbon would fit them best, but maybe their job is very demanding with physical labor, and said ribbon would only hinder their efforts. Or maybe they don't feel quite comfortable with ribbons and bows. Goodness, I once met a Gardevoir who would only wear training sashes and nothing more!"

"Wh-" Leon tried to ask before Clover kept going.

"And that's why we have this exercise. It's true that general clothing and accessories shops don't have to consider that. Their customers will be the ones to choose whatever fits them best." She pointed towards the section of the room where several coats and small trinkets hung in plain view. "But, for commissioned tailors such as ourselves, we must fully take our client into account. So, go ahead and ask Mister Leon and Dylan what might help you out in figuring out what'll work best. BUT!" She exclaimed, grabbing the students' attention. "You are not to ask questions that are too personal. Try to limit yourselves on their day to day activities and what they like. Understood?"

"Yes, Miss Clover!" They said together before opening their notepads.

Leon gulped. It was time.

"Okay, me first, then!" A Zangoose student raised her hand. "Mister Dylan, Mister Leon. What kind of jobs do you have? Do you two have different jobs or do you work together?" She said while writing down her question in the paper without properly looking at it.

"Oh. That's easy! We both work at Audino's Guild up the hill outside town. We formed a team a couple months ago. I've always wanted to join since I was a little cub." Dylan answered with glee in his eyes, smiling from ear to ear just by remembering these last few months.

"And why did you decide to join only recently?" The Popplio student asked.

"Hahaha... This might sound goofy but it's because of Leon, here. Ever since I've met him he gave me courage to try out lots of new things. If not for him, I'd probably still be chasing after something that I didn't want and ignoring my dream. I... owe him a lot..." His eyes subconsciously drifted towards his partner, smiling softly from all they've been through so far.

Dylan eventually noticed his mind drifted off and shook it lightly. "Hahaha. But yeah. That's why. Now we're part of the guild and help out the town in need. Just like now, for example."

The noise of pencils scribbling on paper was heard throughout the room. Every single student was taking notes, while taking quick glances towards them, from time to time.

The next to raise their hand was a Tyrogue. "Do you two do anything in your time off? Or do you spend all your time working?"

"Oh, that one I can answer. There is something we enjoy doing. We have a little garden at the back of our house. It's not very big but we do spend quite a while tending to it. We've been growing lots of stuff: From lettuce and tomatoes, all the way to basil and ginger. It's a good way to unwind after a long day." Leon answered while already imagining that night's dinner. They had just harvested a nice batch of corn that had ripened. Maybe they could even make popcorn. Can't forget the lid, though, or else their time spent cleaning the kitchen would overshadow them eating it.

More scribbling sounds followed.

"How did you two meet? Is Mr. Leon from another region and came to visit?" A Roselia asked while grasping her pencil with her flower hands.

If they were asked this when they first joined the guild, they would stutter and fumble around the facts that shouldn't be shared about Leon. But they weren't that wet behind the ears anymore. They had long since trained for these kinds of questions. They both nodded to each other in silent acknowledgement.

"Leon comes from a small town down south. It was newly set up and it's very traditional." Dylan started, with Leon soon following in the planned speech.

"I wanted to find out more about the world. Learn what wasn't available to me. Meet new people." He smiled. "Then I tripped into a lake and almost drowned, if not for Mister "I'll jump into a lake" here."

"Hehehe. I just followed my instincts. Ever since then, we've hung out a lot and got much closer." Dylan bumped his shoulder into Leon's.

While the story continued, the youngest of the students, a Snivy, quickly raised her arm and asked. "Are you two dating?"

"Miss Lavender!" Clover interjected. "I thought I made myself clear about no deeply personal questions."

The Snivy looked surprised by being called out, and slowly lowered her arm in embarrassment.

"Oh no, Clover. That one won't hurt, actually." Dylan said while taking the Pikachu's paw into his own. "Yup, we've just started dating recently. We're still very new to this, but it's been very fun so far."

Leon blushed into his boyfriend and bumped him with his undefined arm. "It sure has. It's not everyone that can say they have a fluffy and handy pillow as their boyfriend. Guess I'm a lucky guy!" He grinned from ear to ear.

Some of the students couldn't help but giggle from their overt joking and not-so-subtle flirting. None of the laughs seemed degrading or mean in spirit. It kinda helped ease the Pikachu a bit. They weren't hiding their relationship, but it felt very freeing to have confirmation that people seemed to accept it, even if he didn't truly need it.

Clover laughed along, while turning to her students in her usual tone. "Okay, everyone. Any more questions?"

The Popplio student raised her flipper. "Yes. Mr. Leon. If you had one special goal to achieve, what would that be?"

"Oh, that's easy." Leon started to talk before he caught himself with nothing to say. He frowned as he found himself without a proper answer. That was a good question. What was his goal?

Sure, he had joined the guild with his best friend. He had begun climbing up the ranks steadily while having fun with Dylan. He got to make many friends during the last couple months. He even declared his love for the sweetest person or Pokémon he had ever met. And yet, he didn't have a concrete goal in sight.

It wasn't a total blank, per say. He knew he wanted to spend more time with his boyfriend, and he also wanted to get more and more comfy with him. Maybe get to spend more time with his friends. But as he started thinking about it he felt a knot in his stomach. Some kind of anxiety clouding his complete vision.

The cloud was thick and yet nostalgic, with faint feelings and memories from his previous life as a human. Bad moments and remembrances still chaining some of him down. But that wasn't all. It wasn't just the past. He felt some uneasiness from the present as well.

And that's when it hit him. The shape of that cloud was very peculiar. It wasn't amorphous like a cloud in the sky, It was distinct. A sharp end on the bottom while soft curves expanded outwards and then inwards toward the top, finally meeting right above their starting point. A heart. Something shaped like a heart.

His tail.

Eventually his concentration was broken by a paw on his shoulder. "Leon, are you okay?" Dylan looked at him worryingly, and as Leon looked up, he noticed some slight concern from the class and the teacher.

"O-Oh! My bad! There was actually so much I didn't know what to focus on. I'd say to get stronger. Shape up my body and make sure I can protect my love from any kind of danger." He flexed his arm to the onlookers, posing as if he was a bodybuilder in his previous world.

Most of the students laughed along with his response, although he caught a couple eyes that didn't seem to entirely buy it, but ultimately looked back down to make notes.

While everyone was writing things down and Clover looked over them, Dylan took the chance to sneak a kiss to his forehead. Not in a teasing or flirty way, but in reassurance. Of understanding.

It might have been a very brief moment, but it helped ease some of the bad feelings that built up inside of him. It gave him that strength to breathe in and out. To regain some composure.

He tapped his own cheeks in reassurance and looked back at Dylan. "Thanks."

"Alright, everyone. That's it for this step. We'll have a short break and then rejoin for our last step." She clapped her leaves to dismiss her students.

The quiet crowd soon erupted into chatter among themselves, trading opinions and ideas on what had happened. Leon couldn't quite follow them with so many voices and different topics, but he could see the passion behind their voices and faces. It comforted him somehow, seeing someone do what they thought was their passion. Their vocation. Maybe he needed something like that...

"Are you both well? I hope they didn't push you too much with their questions. Miss Lavender in particular is very young, I hope you forgive her. She didn't mean no harm." The Leavanny approached the pair.

"O-Oh, no sweat! It caught me off guard a bit, but it wasn't bad at all."

"Agreed. It's nice getting to share it with people. It might just be how much I've bottled these things up before yesterday, but it feels really good to let it all out. Not to mention how wonderful it feels, now that it is actually real." Dylan said while looking at his partner lovingly.

"Aaaw, you goober. No fair, y'know? You can't be this cute all the time." Leon took the opportunity while they were both sitting down to quickly climb up on his chair to gain some height on Dylan. Before the Sylveon could react, the Pikachu was over him, with his tiny paws right over his head furiously patting his head. "How do you like that, huh?"

"Hahahahaha." Dylan laughed in surprise. "S-Stop it, Leon. N-Not in front of so many people." He couldn't help but burst out laughing whenever he messed with his head like that. It was like a weak point to the smaller Pokémon. Or in Leon's eyes, a ticket to even the playing field a bit.

"Okay, okay. Because I'm such a nice BF I'll let you go. But next time you're this cute you'll *really* see what I'll do~." Leon released him from the patting torture, giving him some space to breath. His tail was wagging involuntarily and a soft expression rested on his face.

Unbeknownst to them, the students were actually taking some notes in silence on their behavior, studying that little moment with them out of the spotlight. It helped having some insight from someone that was already their friend, with Zack making sure everything was correct.

Meanwhile Clover just observed it all. Content and glad that Zack had found such good helpers for this lesson.

____

"...And time's up." Clover said while clapping her leaves. "Good job everyone, but we should let them rest for now."

The students agreed and walked to different parts of the atelier to collect materials. They dispersed in seemingly random directions, leaving the two models to slump and fall against their chairs, gasping for air.

"Phew. I'm not used to being surrounded by this many people." Leon said while resting his head against the body of the chair. "Never knew it took this long to design a custom piece."

"Tell me about it." Dylan reached out to a nearby bottle of water and eagerly gulped it down. "So many people were touching my ribbons. Definitely not used to it." He laughed a bit before drinking more of the water.

"I'm sorry if they got a bit handsy. They're still learning how to take in details while not invading too much on personal space. I probably should have included that in the flier, shouldn't I...?"

"Hey, it's cool." Leon said. "They didn't remove my tail cover, so that's more than enough for me." He gave Clover a little thumbs up.

"Hehe, if you say so." The Leavanny brought in another chair and sat in front of them. "I wanna thank you again. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get volunteers sometimes. Especially around this time of day, where most Pokémon are busy and don't have spare time. I really owe you one."

"Haha, don't mention it. It's our job after all." Dylan hopped off the chair for a second to stretch his legs. "We do lots of different things. It'll just be something new to add to our repertoire.." He said it with a loftier tone, making Leon giggle.

"That's good then." She took a quick look back at her students. "Okay, that's all for your work, you two."

"Oh, really? That's it?" Leon asked, surprised.

"Yup. You were great as models and did everything well. No complaints whatsoever."

No looks were needed. Both partners raised their paws and high fived while still looking at Clover.

"I'll be preparing your payment soon. And as informed in the description, we'll be preparing a custom item for both of you."

"Oh heck yeah!" Leon said enthusiastically. "How long do you think it will take to make one? A couple days? Maybe a week?"

Clover smiled from the eagerness the Pikachu showed. "Hehehe. No, silly. What do you think we've been preparing all this time?"

"Huh?"

"This could have just been a practice class to train the basics and "how to"s, but that wouldn't be fun now, would it?"

Leon shifted his head to the side, confused as to what she was saying.

"Wait. You mean-" Dylan began with a surprised look on his face.

"You catch on quick, sweetie. That's exactly it. They've been studying and getting to learn more about both of you. So what better way to put all that they've learned than into good accessories designed with you two in mind?" The usual soft and meek look on her face left for a more determined and confident one.

"A-Are you serious?" Leon said, while eyeing the students working with their materials.

"Yup. And don't worry. You'll be paid, as well. But for now I ask that you two wait a little bit. I've taught them well, and soon enough you'll have something you'll be rather proud of. Trust me." She stood up. "Anyways. Do you want some refreshments?"

With that, Leon and Dylan spent an hour waiting, eating some sweets and drinks while chatting away. All the while they looked over the students, but from their position they couldn't tell what was being made. They could only take glimpses at the fabric being brought in and could occasionally hear enthusiastic chatter among them.

As Clover approached them after the wait, Dylan whispered to Leon. "Hehe. I'm getting a bit nervous."

"Hmm? What for, hun?" Leon answered in kind.

"It's just... What if it doesn't fit? What if I got too big and nothing fits me?"

"Don't be silly. You might have gotten bigger, but you're still very soft, so I'm pretty sure they can make something to accommodate you~."

"Aaaaaaw. Thanks, sweetie."

"Also, don't get ahead of yourself. You didn't grow up that much! Mark my words. If I get to evolve again I'll be sure to get taller than you. Then you'll be the one looking up at me~." The pair giggled together.

"Alright, you two. Are you ready to have your fur stand on end? You were great assistants and helped me and my class tons today. So, you get a good reward for it." Clover said with her students in tow, alongside Zack at the back. Her face and her composure were proud, compared to a few hours ago.

"Wow, you're a bit..."

"Different. Hehehe, I know, I know. I can't be too overbearing with new helpers or clients when I first meet them, so I need to tone myself down a bit. But you've been here a couple hours now. I'm sure you can handle the magnificence of my genius for a little while~." She boasted, as stars seemed to sparkle around her from the sheer confidence she sported.

She beckoned towards her students for them to approach, and two of them did, the Zangoose and the Snivy. Each one was holding small objects concealed by a simple white cloth covering it.

"Everyone did their best, I hope you enjoy it." The bigger lady said, reaching out her arm towards Dylan.

"Yup! You won't ever get to see something as pretty as this anywhere in town." The Snivy boasted, her teacher having rubbed off on her. Her vines extended and held the reward right in front of Leon's face.

Both slowly reached out their paws and felt the items, noticing how light and squishy they were. They looked ahead of them, with dozens of eyes looking anxious, excited and curious for their reactions, and a single pair closed, for she knew her students wouldn't disappoint.

The first to open his gift was Dylan, slowly removing the fabric to reveal a fluffy red wristband. "Oh wow. This looks adorable!"

"It's for your ribbons. I noticed during your physical study that you rely on your front ribbon's left feeler the most. With that in mind, and considering how you seemed more open to comfy stuff, we got the idea for something to warm it up. And with your partner in mind, using the color of his cheeks, we crafted this for you." She said while looking back towards her classmates, who seemed very proud of their work.

"Thank you very much." Dylan bowed his head in appreciation before putting it on. The brace felt comfy and fuzzy on the inside, with it being nice and warm. "It feels so good. Thanks, I love it!"

The classmates high-fived among themselves with cheers and celebration, with smiles on their faces.

Leon watched it all, happy that Dylan got something so nice for himself. He stared back towards the item in his paws. Not being able to wait any longer, he unwrapped it as well.

And inside was something very similar to Dylan's, but blue. It was the same type of material, all fluffy and soft, but it only had one entrance. Not to mention it was considerably larger than his arm. And his legs for that matter. The only thing he had that was large enough...

"It's for your tail!" The small Snivy said all excited. "We've noticed the scarf you use to wrap around it and how it didn't... quite fit. So we came up with a more fitting design that should be easy to wear and also show off your... "masculinity" as you put it." She explained while inspecting the Pikachu's reaction.

At first he didn't quite react, still taking in what the tail warmer actually was. Then, his eyes glowed, as he realized he wouldn't need to spend several minutes tying his gifted-bandana to his tail and neither would he need to look for one with this request's money.

And then a smile started forming on his mouth, as he took in the cool and vivid blue color, and how freaking stylish it would look at the end of his features. "Holy Cr- Moly!" He held off instinctive swearing. "This looks so cool! Wow, wow, wow!" He jumped up in excitement, briefly going above Dylan's height from how happy he was. "Thank you, thank you! Aaaaaaah, sorry, I gotta try it right now!" He pulled his tail with his paws and got to work on fitting it inside the warmer.

"Guess I should, as well." The Sylveon brought his ribbon to eye level and used his front paws to put it on. "It's super soft! Even if you took our measurements, how did you manage to sew it so perfectly so quickly?"

The entire class grinned alongside Clover. "Oh, it's just a trade secret, honey. I'm an incredible teacher, after all. I've got a lifetime of ingenious experiences to pass down, so it's only natural they've learned to knit something this perfectly so soon."

Zack approached the pair and whispered to them with an embarrassed smile. "I told you she was something, haha."

It took a moment for his first time, but eventually Leon managed to fit his new warmer around his tail, putting it over his bandana, since he couldn't remove it here. It fit him like a glove, perfectly resting atop the surface. And even with the fabric underneath, he could tell it wouldn't mold around the heart. It would remain in the shape of the zap the males of his species had.

It definitely helped keep this tail warm, but... it was weird. He felt really warm now. He felt something within his chest. He couldn't put it into words, but it felt very different. And it wasn't only his chest, soon his face started getting warm as well, under his eyes to be precise. And it wasn't just warm, it was wet as well.

Without realizing, tears ran out of Leon's eyes like a hose. It took some moments for him to touch his face to feel them, and even more so for himself to understand what was happening. But he definitely wasn't sad. No, it was the opposite.

"L-Leon? Are you okay?" He rushed to his side in worry.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good. Sorry. Don't worry, I'm actually okay, Dylan." He looked into his partner's eyes with sincerity. "I don't quite know what to say, is all." He smiled through the tears.

Although some inklings still remained, looking at that smile helped ease most of the Sylveon's worries. "Alright, if you say so." He replied with a smile in kind.

Some of the students tried to step up and check on him, but Clover and Zack remained in their path. "Don't y'all worry. He's good." Zack looked over his shoulder to see the Sylveon using his ribbons to help the Pikachu dry his tears.

"Exactly. Just let things be for now, okay?" With Clover's orders, the students stopped and let the scene play out.

Inside his mind, Leon cursed at himself for breaking down like this. He remembered advice from his old life. From his parents. How they'd chastise him whenever he cried. How it wasn't manly to show such weakness and that he should never allow that to happen. How much of a failure he looked like while like that.

And yet, here he was, not trying to stop the tears or follow his parents' advice. Instead he leaned into Dylan, feeling his warmth surrounding him as he kept the crying going. He didn't feel afraid by doing so. No, he didn't need to anymore. He had someone to lean against. Maybe... he could allow himself to be a bit more... "free."

____

The sun began to set on the horizon. The sky was orange and would turn dark soon enough. The street lamps weren't lit yet, letting the remaining sunshine do its work. But even so, for the two it felt like their day had just begun.

Leon hummed and practically danced, as they walked home. His hips subconsciously swayed a little, while he flaunted his tail in the air, inviting people to see how happy the Pikachu was. Soon behind him came the Sylveon, carrying a full bag of coins with his sturdy ribbons. "You sure like that warmer, huh?"

"Like it? I love it! This thing was literally made for me!" He spun around like Dylan had never seen before. "I can finally wear my bandana normally and cover up my tail! And no more long tying tail sessions. Ah. This is the second best day since I became a Pichu."

"Second, huh?" Dylan stepped up his pace to walk side by side with Leon. "I wonder which one was your first."

"Hehe. You might never know." Leon turned to him and stuck out his tongue.

Both giggled as they made their way back home, contemplating on all that had happened today. Especially for Leon.

It was a tough time trying to shake off some of the old habits from his old life. He had spent almost two decades being taught what to do, what not do, what to like and what not to like. And now here he was, having to learn everything from square one.

It should have been scary delving deep into this world. A completely alien world. And yet, thanks to Dylan and everyone else he had met on this journey, it felt like home for him.

No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't like home. It was home.

For the past few months, even though he got to spend so much time with Dylan and learning more and more about himself, some remnants of doubt had remained. That he should go back to his old life. That he didn't belong there. That he didn't deserve it.

But no more.

If anything, these last two days proved to him that, more than anything else in his life, that people cared about him. And if people felt that way about a silly old rodent, then maybe he did deserve some happiness.

The rest of the walk home was quiet and serene. No interruptions. Only each other to lean against.

"Y'know..." Leon said.

"Hmm?"

"I think... sewing sounds kinda fun."

Dylan smiled. "Then we'll go back there sometime."

Leon just hummed and held his ribbon in his paw.

Maybe his dad was wrong. Maybe he could enjoy sewing after all.