Spice of Life: On the Prowl
 
It was an early start to the day. The spring flowers had begun to emerge through the grass, the sun was reflecting off the glistening Clearspring lake… and Spice was half asleep. The Ninetales hadn’t expected such an early start, it seemed that Auric’s departure had only been decided after he had gone to bed.
 
Still, it had been a good enough turnout to see the Lucario off. All the Winners were there, as well as a few members of the town and the Espeon teacher from the local school. Auric had insisted they needn’t make such a big deal out of it, as he would only be gone for a little while, and from the way Malus sprawled lazily across the floor he agreed with him entirely.
 
“We’re going to miss having you around,” Volt told him, having been the brains behind the farewell party. “Even if it’s just for a week, we figured it’d be the right thing to do to see you off. Please stay in touch while you’re gone.”
 
“Of course.” the Lucario agreed, wrapping his arms around the Manectric before turning his attention to the shiny Liepard, who had been quiet and distant throughout the entire affair. “Cyn… remember what we talked about. You have more strength than you realize, I know you’ll do the right thing.”
 
“Right…” Cyn sighed, not seeming as confident as the jackal. She could barely lift her head enough to look him in the eye, but she felt less weighed down once a familiar warmth brushed against her side. She looked up to see Kaiser standing by her, smiling fondly down at her as he nuzzled behind her ear. She turned her attention back to Auric, trying to smile too as she watched him. “Have a safe trip, and a good time, alright?”
 
“Of course, Cyn. Remember, you can message me with any questions you might have.” the Lucario replied as he turned to his mode of transport, the large Tropius who had been standing by with a grin.
 
“Ready to fly?” she asked, her voice husky enough that she could easily have been mistaken for male. As Cyn looked up at her she noticed something seemed… off. Her eyes were vibrant blue, almost glowing. She cowered against Kaiser, who wrapped his arm around her to comfort her. The Tropius noticed her fear and tilted her head, “Huh? What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”
 
“Nah, you’re good.” Malus spoke up before looking to the Lucario. “You’d better get going, Auric. Don’t want to keep the guildmasters waiting.”
 
“Quite so. Please be good, Malus.” Auric replied, glancing at Cyn and shrugging gently to her as he climbed up onto the Tropius’ back, along with two other pokemon who happened to be going towards Virtue. He rested his hands on her back and smiled up at her, “Be safe, everyone. I’ll be back in a week.” he called as the Tropius began to lift off the ground, its large leaves spreading out to catch the air as it took to the sky. The townsfolk jumped and waved, some even following the flying pokemon and its passengers all the way to the treeline before finally allowing them to disappear from sight.
 
Spice tucked his ears back, recalling how Cyn had looked. What was it about that Tropius that had upset her? She seemed perfectly polite to him, though perhaps a little too large for him to feel comfortable being alone with. Either way, the Ninetales was ready to make her feel better. He began to march towards her, his head high as he prepared to save her from whatever woes weighed her down.
 
“Are you alright?”
 
Spice blinked, that wasn’t his voice… or Leaf’s, or Typh’s. He hadn’t thought anyone else would have moved to speak to the Liepard before him, but sure enough Kaiser was at her side. The Ninetales moved closer to the two, waiting for his chance to speak.
 
“Yeah, it’s just… I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen one.” Cyn replied, shaking her head as she watched the gap in the clouds the Tropius had left through, “I wonder what she did to deserve it…”
 
Spice shrugged. “Well-”
 
“Whatever it was, it doesn’t matter. She seems much happier now. I’m sure she’s glad to be helping out. Getting pokemon and supplies across the region is a pretty important job, a lot of businesses need pokemon that can travel in the air… she’s doing good work.” Kaiser reassured her, nuzzling at her cheek affectionately and lapping at her whiskers to calm her down, “I think it’s best if we don’t say anything about it. It must be difficult, I think she probably just wants to be treated like any other pokemon.”
 
“Oh please, how difficult can it be to be a Tropius?” Spice huffed, finally managing to get a word in edgewise. It seemed he had picked the wrong thing to say, given how Cyn and Kaiser both stared at him with shocked disgust. The Ninetales glanced between the two of them and tilted his head, “...What? ...it’s no different from being a Snorlax. Yes, perhaps it’s harder to get through doors, but-”
 
“Spice.” Kaiser spoke up, his right foreleg wrapping around Cyn’s shoulders protectively as he sat back on his haunches. He tilted his head, using his working eye to look at him as he spoke, “I think it’s best you give Cyn some space today. This turn of events has been quite a shock for her, and she needs time to prepare a plan for the coming week.”
 
“Oh, and I suppose she chose -you- to be her new advisor.” Spice rolled his eyes at the thought, “I know you have plenty of experience strategizing and the like, but running a rescue team is a lot different from running a ragtag militia in the wilds.”
 
“What did you just say about my team?” Kaiser snarled, causing Spice to take a few rapid steps back as the fur on the cat’s neck began to stand on end.
 
“Spice, I -did- choose Kaiser to be my advisor.” the Liepard corrected him as she looked up at the taller feline and nuzzled his cheek to calm him down, “He’s got some great ideas for how we can improve our productivity, and… I just need his advice on what to do about something. Something that’s very sensitive, and I don’t want word to get around the team about it.”
 
The Ninetales stayed quiet for the longest time, his mind trying to work over the idea. Had Cyn just… rejected him? After all the progress they had been making lately she still chose a half-blind Persian over the embodiment of perfection that was himself? Something was amiss, something was -very- amiss… he rattled his brain for answers, for something so sensitive Cyn couldn’t talk to him about it. Finally he titled his head, his eyes drifting to her belly. “...Are you pregnant?”
 
“Goodbye, Spice.” Cyn breathed out a frustrated sigh as she turned and stormed back towards the Den, “I’ll be in my office. Tell everyone to take a day off, do whatever they want. I don’t care anymore.”
 
“Cyn, wait!” Spice called after her, his paw outstretched towards the Liepard. But she was already gone, he sighed and turned his attention to Kaiser, glaring into his eye with his own purple ones. For a moment they just stared at each other in silence, quietly fuming over the others wrongdoings.
 
“...She’s not pregnant.” Kaiser informed him dryly, before turning and following after the other feline. By now the crowd had all but dispersed. Everyone had gone back to their morning routines and, other than for a few stragglers, Spice was alone.
 
“Meh Meh Meh.” Spice mocked him behind his back before grinning to himself, feeling that he had won the argument. He found another voice tittering at his joke, and as he turned he saw a Mienshao giggling behind her paw. The Ninetales flicked his mane casually as he nodded his head back towards the Persian, “He’s very rude for someone who can’t wink, isn’t he? Or perhaps he can’t blink.”
 
“I’m sure he means well… I feel bad for him though, having to go after that crazy Liepard. They’re a ball of teeth and claws when they’re angry, and they’re impossible to please.” the Mienshao replied as she crossed her sleeves over each other, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Spice. I saw what happened on TV… I’m really glad you’re okay.”
 
“Oh, you are?” Spice blinked, his heart skipping a beat. A grin crossed his muzzle as a wicked idea entered his mind. This was perfect. He’d show Cyn what she was missing, and she’d drop that ragged cat in an instant and come bounding back to him. The Ninetales wrapped his tails lovingly around Mina, holding her in their gentle caress as he stared into her eyes, “It was cramped and dark and humid in there but… worth it, if only to finally be free from that awful place. Being a contest pokemon was terrible, that Arcanine’s stomach was the only way I would ever be free.” he looked forlorn into the woods and sighed dramatically, “The humiliation of having my tails slurped up by that ghastly dog outweighed the humiliation of performing in front of humans tenfold.”
 
“You poor thing… I can’t even imagine what it must have been like.” Mina pitied him, hugging him with both arms as she rested her head on his chest, “But you’re away from all that now. You’re free to do whatever you want.”
 
“That’s why I’m here, rescuing pokemon and getting back to my roots as a wild pokemon. Bold, dashing, fearless.” Spice told her, his voice soft and charming as he nuzzled at her cheek. This was going even easier than he had imagined, she was hanging on every word. “But I’ve been so lonely, coming here… I can’t imagine you know what it feels like, being in a strange place with no familiar faces.”
 
“B-but I do! I came all the way from Heart Isle. No one even believes the island exists, they all think I’m crazy for saying I talk to legendaries.” Mina tucked her tiny ears back, “I’ve been feeling really lonely since I got here. I know I’ve got some friends from Heart Isle around Clearspring, but I haven’t managed to find them yet.”
 
“Well, perhaps… if it’s all the same to you…” the Ninetales murred in her ear as he nuzzled at her neck romantically, “We could be… alone together?” he chimed in a sing-song voice, his eyes lidding with allure.
 
“Oh…” Mina replied, her voice suddenly shifting as she moved her hands to his chest and pushed back against him, “I don’t… I’m not really looking for anything like -that- Spice. I mean, we just met.”
 
“Love at first sight?” the Ninetales suggested with a little smile, “Come now, isn’t it every girl’s dream to find their prince charming and instantly fall in love?”
 
“When I said I was glad you were okay, I meant more as in, ‘I don’t like watching pokemon die on live television.’ glad-you’re-okay.” Mina explained to him, carefully uncurling herself from his tails, “You’re nice and everything, but I don’t want to get into a relationship. Part of why I left Heart Isle was because I kept falling into bad ones, and I want Clearspring to be a fresh start.”
 
“Oh, very well. It was worth a try.” the Ninetales grumbled, spreading out his tails to let her fall out of them before glaring off into the distance. As his stomach grumbled along with him he realized he hadn’t gotten around to breakfast yet, but with the Mienshao at his feet he’d hardly have to hunt. He grinned down at her, “You’re a member of the Winners now, aren’t you, Mina? I don’t suppose you’ve had your initiation yet, have you?”
 
“Initiation..?” the Mienshao tilted her head as she got to her feet and brushed the grass off her rear with one of her sleeve-like appendages. “Well, Auric gave me my badge and bag yesterday…”
 
“So you haven’t? I’ll be happy to help you with that then~” Spice grinned victoriously. At least he’d get to do her hazing. After taking a quick glance around to make sure they were alone he scooped the fighting-type up with his tails and moved into the nearby forest to give the two of them some privacy, “Being a member of the Winners requires a great deal of trust in your teammates, and so we want to make sure all our new recruits trust us.” the fox explained as he set her down.
 
“R-right, so, are you going to make me do a trust fall or..?” the Mienshao began curiously.
 
“Sort of… you’ll be falling and there will be trust involved~” Spice said, having to restrain himself from being too obvious. He did love it when his prey were this clueless. “Now, the most important question before we begin… when you encounter danger, are you one to use your head, or your feet?” he inquired, his tails curling in anticipation as his stomach rumbled just out of the pokemon’s range of hearing.
 
“Using my feet would mean running away, right?” Mina grinned, convinced she had cracked the Ninetales’ riddle, “So, I use my head. I run headfirst into danger and use it to formulate a plan on how to deal with my situation.”
 
“And I suppose you have no trouble braving the belly of the beast to help your fellow rescuers?” Spice grinned toothily in response, “Not afraid to have to go deep into the darkest of dungeons?”
 
“None at all. I know rescuers are meant to be there for their team just as much as the pokemon they’re sent to rescue.” Mina said, puffing out her chest and resting her hands on her hips, “I can go as deep as it takes.”
 
“Wonderful, wonderful… I think I have the perfect assignment for you.” the Ninetales murred as he wrapped his tails around her once again, his purple eyes locked onto hers as he leaned closer until his muzzle was inches from her face. “You’re going to explore a mystery dungeon called ‘Spice’s Stomach’. Just keep going down until you reach the center~” he teased her before opening his mouth wide enough to engulf her entire head, revealing his pink maw and the dark passage of his throat to the surprised Mienshao.
 
“W-wait, what?! No!” Mina yelped, but it was too late to stop him now. With a shove from his tails her face was crammed against his slimy tongue, which was quick to lather her in its saliva as the rest of her head entered his maw. He closed his muzzle around it, suckling on it for a moment and taking in her peculiar flavour… lavender? hickory? It was very herbal, almost like green tea. Auric would have probably enjoyed her were he the predding type.
 
Whap! Her sleeve came up against his face, leaving a red mark. The Ninetales growled and whip at her rear with one of his tails in retaliation. He needed to deal with those arms as quickly as possible, and with another gulp he brought her slender chest into his throat, pinning them to her sides. With those dealt with he could take the time to murr and tauntingly stroke the bulge her face made in his neck with his paw, though it quickly disappeared beyond his iconic red scarf.
 
He swallowed once more, bringing the Mienshao’s wide rear into his muzzle. He couldn’t help but grin at the way her legs continued to kick, perhaps she should have used her feet while she had the chance. A slick gulp was all it took to get the fighting-type inside of him, though he found himself struggling to keep her in his throat as she fought against it, using her strength to push herself back up.
 
“Mmph!” Spice protested against her struggles, running a paw over his bulging stomach to let her know the direction she -should- be going, though the Mienshao didn’t seem to want to take orders. Pretty soon one of her paws was sticking back out of his muzzle again, he quickly slurped it up with his tongue and crammed it back into his throat, slurping up her long tail. He closed his eyes tightly and took a few heavy gulps, each bringing the Mienshao further from her goal… until finally she landed in his stomach and immediately started going at it like a punching back. He groaned and held his stomach, whining and rubbing his paws against it, “Ah, ow! St-stop! You’re giving me a stomach cramp!”
 
“Let me out of here, you jerk! Maybe that Arcanine -should- have kept you in his stomach if this is how you treat pokemon who join your team!” Mina yelled, continuing to kick at the stomach walls. “I didn’t come all this way just to be fox fat!”
 
“But it suits you so well~ Just look at what a cute belly you’ve given me.” Spice taunted her as he posed with his new gut, admiring his reflection in a nearby pool of water, “Such style, such grace~ ...you’re quite a lovely addition to that too, my dear.”
 
“I’m going to get out of here, I know there’s a way out.” the Mienshao growled in determination, kicking and punching at the stomach walls as the organ moved around her, constantly splashing her with its juices and rolling her around, leaving her disoriented as the gut swayed from side to side below the Ninetales.
 
“Well, you’re not wrong, there’s certainly a way out.” Spice smirked back at his tails before letting out a yipe as a particularly heavy blow knocked him back down. He growled and swatted the stomach with his paw, “Settle down, you snack!”
 
“Not a chance, I’m just about to break out.” Mina snapped back at him, continuing to give it her all.
 
“Are you sure? Because all that struggling is making me…” he gagged before letting out a long belch, “Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrraap! Mmmph, aah… that’s better.” he drooled, patting down his gut to thank it for the release before stroking down the bulge, which was now far flatter than it had been before, though it was still distinctly Mina-shaped. “Mmm, well Mina, despite that little scene I’d say you’re now a fully fledged member of the team… dare I say, you’re ‘in’ the Winners?” the Ninetales grinned, swallowing down a Reviver seed for her.
 
“Y-you jerk… why are you doing this?” the Mienshao panted, finding the lack of air getting to her. The Ninetales quickly took a gulp of fresh air, though it didn’t stop the fighting-types struggles, in fact, it only seemed to make them worse. “Wh-what the heck is wrong with you?”
 
“You’re acting like a child.” Spice huffed, turning his nose up at his squirming gut as he kneaded it with his paws.
 
“You ATE me!” Mina snapped back at him, kicking the stomach wall hard enough to elicit a yelp from the fox. Spice growled in response, his body heating up before he realized there wasn’t much he could do to attack her in there with a huff he just rolled his eyes and went back to kneading his gut to calm his prey down, “What kind of a pokemon does that? This is the -other- reason I left Heart Isle. To avoid getting eaten by pokemon like you.”
 
“Well then, you must have taken a wrong turn, because Clearspring is -exactly- where you go to get eaten.” Spice told her plainly as he crossed one paw over the other, “You may not like it, but there’s a certain food chain around here and most pokemon are more than happy to remind you of it. Cyn’s even opened a business around it.”
 
“She would.” Mina muttered, the stomach gurgling around her warily. “Alright, alright, I’ll go easier on her. -If- you let me out of here.”
 
“I think you need to get used to the idea of being in there, Mina. You might find yourself in far less perfect paunches than mine.” Spice noted as he rested on his side, pressing his paws down against the bulge before rubbing her head, “Honestly, you need to learn to trust your teammates. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and neither would Cyn or Typh, or the others…” ...perhaps it was best to omit Malus for now. With a second belch the Ninetales licked his chops, “Besides, you have quite a unique flavour.”
 
“Th-thanks, I think? Erf, This is a lot to take in. Weirdest initiation ceremony ever.” Mina muttered, seemingly resigned to her fate as her struggles died down to weakly pawing at the walls. “It’s… really hot in here, Spice. How long do I have to stay?”
 
“Oh, I’ll let you out when it’s time. Just settle in and relax, so long as you’ve got that Reviver seed you’re safe from harm.” Spice grinned smugly to himself as he got up once more, adjusting to the new weight in his gut before beginning to walk back towards the town. “How about you take a nap? All that kicking must have worn you out.. As for me? I think I need something to wash you down with, no doubt you’ll be trying to escape again once you get your energy back.” he told her, finishing his conversation with his meal with a little ‘Urp’ before moving towards the cafe.
 
* * *
 
The cafe was still serving breakfast by the time Spice arrived, though it wasn’t as though he needed it with his belly full of Mienshao. He took a seat in his usual booth and began to look around, deciding to get back on track with his quest… he needed a mate. Someone who would make Cyn jealous enough to notice him again.
 
The Delcatty who moved from table to table seemed cute enough. There were two of them, presumably siblings, and they wore white frilly aprons with little strawberry pins. It was hard to get a moment to speak with them though, as the cafe was filled with hungry and thirsty pokemon waiting for breakfast.
 
He finally saw a pokemon he recognized in the crowd, a Glaceon sitting by herself in the corner booth. The Ninetales picked up his drink with his muzzle and carefully made his way over, so as not to spill his smoothie over himself. As he drew closer the Glaceon looked up at him with a smile, “Spice! It’s been a while.”
 
“It has! I missed our little lunch meet-ups.” Spice agreed, once he had put his drink down. He immediately shuffled into the booth next to her and smiled down at her, “I just noticed you here alone and thought I might say ‘hello’, Kalsea. How have you been?”
 
“I’ve been great. Work is starting to pick up again now that we’re moving into Spring. Pretty soon it’ll be summer and the whole town will be ordering ice.” the ice-type replied, sipping at her mint milkshake before looking up at him, “What about you, Spice? Work been treating you alright?”
 
“Not quite as much, I’m afraid. That Persian cyclops showed up, and now he’s living at the headquarters with us.” Spice sighed, his head resting on the table. Kalsea was different to the other women in Clearspring, he always felt like he could be himself around her. She wouldn’t judge him for not being perfect all the time. “...Cyn’s been fawning over him.” he added, covering his face with his paws.
 
“Kaiser’s in town? I didn’t realize. I’ll have to let the others know.” Kalsea replied, though she did show some concern as she reached her ice cold paw over to the red spot on Spice’s cheek, “I take it you said something and Cyn didn’t take it well?”
 
“She wanted some space.” Spice agreed, though as he felt the cooling paw against his cheek he looked over at her, “Oh, that wasn’t from her. That was from breakfast.” he informed her, one of his many tails curling over his bloated gut.
 
“Hunting this early?” Kalsea grinned up at him mischievously as she pressed her forepaws against his gut, watching as her paws sunk into his doughy midsection and plush golden fur, “Hehe, ‘squelch~’. Makes me think I should’ve gone into the woods instead of coming here for a sandwich.” she smiled up at him, “You should rock a gut more often, Spice. It suits you.”
 
“Oh, does it? You’ll have to stop by the Den sometime. I’m sure you’d make a wonderful belly.” he offered with a wink. Kalsea grinned in response at the idea, leaving the Ninetales wrapping his tails around her left side and pulling her against him, “You know, with Cyn occupied with Kaiser, I’m not seeing anyone at the moment… if you wanted to perhaps…” he trailed off.
 
“Sorry Spice, but… things are kind of serious with Solomon.” she said, brushing his tails off her shoulder with a paw and taking a sip of her milkshake. “I think he’d be okay with me visiting the Den if he was there too, but I know he wouldn’t want me ‘dating’ anyone. We’re mates.” Kalsea replied, looking up at the Ninetales.
 
“Goodness, you ended up with -him-? I couldn’t think of anyone more boring.” Spice turned his nose up, “You deserve better, Kalsea. You deserve someone who can offer you excitement and adventure, who’s not afraid to try new things. You’re a free spirit, unlike that bookish bundle of sarcasm and cynicism.”
 
“You’ve only met him a couple of times, give him a break, Spice.” Kalsea told him, moving her paws off of his gut and back to her milkshake. “I think you’d like him. You two have a lot in common.” ...for example, their opinions of each other.
 
“And in the few times I’ve met him I’ve learned that he’s completely insufferable.” Spice replied, turning his nose up at the idea of ever being friends with a Sylveon. His ears perked as a thought came into his mind, and he looked down at Kalsea, “But… suppose that he wasn’t around, that something were to happen to him..?”
 
“Spice.” she stopped him, “You know that we’re friends, right?”
 
“Of course.” the Ninetales grinned, his tails wagging.
 
“Well, Solomon and I are more than friends. He’s my lover, my soulmate, I would hold back the tide for him. I would fight legendaries to protect him if it came to that.” Kalsea continued before looking up at him with her same friendly smile. For a moment the Ninetales was certain he could see a flash of purple in her yellow eyes, but perhaps they were just reflecting his own. “If something were to happen to him, and -you- were involved… then something would happen to -you- and -I- would be involved.” her smile dropped. “...and I don’t want anything to happen to you. Alright, Spice?”
 
“Y-yes… of course.” the Ninetales replied, shuffling away from the Glaceon as she went back to her drink.
 
“I could set you up with Corona, if you’d like. She would probably like another Ninetales to keep her company, and I’ll even forego the whole ‘plotting to kill her grandson’, thing.” Kalsea offered, returning to her smile as though nothing had happened.
 
“A-ah, ha. No, no, that’s alright. I think I’ll just… keep looking around. Thank you though, Kalsea, enjoy your drink.” the Ninetales replied, quickly retreating from the Glaceon even as she tried to smooth things over. He thought it would be best to give it a few days before trying to talk to her again. He turned away, only to immediately bump into Malus.
 
“Watch where you’re going.” the Persian grumbled at him.
 
“Date me?” Spice blurted out.
 
Malus stared at him, his ears going lopsided as he tried to figure out if he had heard that correctly. “What?”
 
“What?” Spice repeated, staring wide-eyed at the other pokemon. The Persian just shook his head and moved to walk around him, but the Ninetales was quick to stop him from reaching the counter, “Come on, Malus. We both want to make Cyn jealous, this is the perfect plan. She’ll never see it coming.”
 
“Spice, if I wasn’t trying to lay low while Auric was gone, I would eat you with a side order of fries right now.” Malus told him, clearly struggling to hold back his frustration with the pokemon. “And you know what else? I actually don’t care if Cyn and Kaiser are going out. Cyn’s a psycho, Kaiser’s a freak, they’re perfect for eachother.” he moved to step past him, “Drop it and go chase another pokemon. Apparently your bi now, so it should be twice as easy to do.”
 
“You can’t possibly mean that.” Spice shook his head as he stepped closer to Malus, “Don’t you want to see Cyn’s reaction? The two pokemon she could have had, together?”
 
“I said, knock it off, Spice.” Malus told him, a growl emitting with each word as he began to look over the menu on a nearby table. “I’m trying to have breakfast. I don’t want to be your boyfriend. Go away.” he told him plainly.
 
“Perhaps we could go back to the headquarters and I could cook you something?” Spice offered as he swooned over the table, obstructing the Persian’s view of the menu, “Oh, or we could share an icecream and I could lick a stray speck off your nose. Wouldn’t that be romantic~?”
 
“Ketchup. And Mustard. On your tails.” Malus repeated himself, baring his fangs at the Ninetales, “I will eat you and make sure everyone in this cafe watches, and I’m going to CHEW.” he snarled, causing the fox to leap up as the cat began to advance on him, “I’ll use your scarf as a napkin and then wear it like a goddamn medal! And then I’ll revive you again for a Spice-kebab! And again to try out a Spice-roast! It’s like a shish-kebab and a spit roast, but with YOU! You fluffy pretentious-”
 
“Alright, alright, it was just a thought.” Spice gasped, quickly backing away from the Persian and retreating from the cafe. Malus breathed out a heavy sigh and held his head with his forepaw, digging his claws into the area around his gemstone as he noticed that the entire cafe was now watching him. He made his way to the counter and sat at it, his eyes locking onto the Flareon behind the counter, who trembled nervously as the Persian loomed over him.
 
“...salad, please.” the cat muttered begrudgingly, sliding the P coin over the counter before returning back to his table and resting his head against it. It was going to be a long week.
 
* * *
 
Spice had been hoping he could avoid it but, after spending the entire day trying to consider potential candidates, he was almost certain it was his only option. Hidden in an alley between two cottages the Ninetales closed his eyes and flicked his tails. He could feel something moving through him, and then out of him, he took a step back and opened his eyes.
 
“I DO!” the identical Ninetales cheered in his ear, so loudly that Spice fell back on his tails and let out a yelp of surprise. His substitute stood in front of him, dressed in a white wedding dress and a veil, holding a bouquet of flowers in his left forepaw.
 
“Arceus, you scared the life out of me.” Spice gasped as he sat up and glared over at the fake copy of himself, who had he come to call ‘Spyce’, “And where did you get that dress?”
 
“Do you like it? I was browsing through our memories and recalled we modelled this for that pokemon boutique in Kalos, isn’t it simply gorgeous?” the substitute posed proudly, tossing the bouquet away and revealing the golden bands hanging off of his nine tails, “I know I’m moving fast, but I just know we’re meant to be together. We have so much in common! We can move back to the city and drink fine wine-”
 
“Oh goodness, is that how I’ve been coming across? No wonder everyone keeps threatening me.” Spice cringed at the display of over-affection. He sighed and slumped down on his front against the pavement, his tails wilting to the point that he looked like a fur rug. “I just don’t want to be alone, is that so much to ask?”
 
“And you don’t have to be, I’m right here for you and I always will be, that’s what makes me the perfect mate.” Spyce replied as he lifted the Ninetales back up, though Spice immediately slumped down again.
 
“But you’re not real.” Spice tucked his ears back, “You’re just an illusion, and you’re very easy to break.”
 
“But I’m just as easy to rebuild! Just use the move again and I’m right back by your side.” Spyce insisted, wrapping his tails around his master as he nuzzled at his neck to comfort him, “You’d never have to worry about me being in trouble or getting hurt, because even if I vanish I just go back into your mind and wait for you to summon me again.”
 
“What will other the rest of the town think?” Spice asked, looking up at his double, “They’ll probably think I’m deluded or desperate… I don’t want to everyone to laugh at me, I want them to adore me.”
 
“And they will!” Spyce gasped, holding the Ninetales head to his fluffy chest as he pointed to the end of the alley, “Such bravery! Such courage! To be willing to accept oneself and display it in such a defiant way. To stand against the social norms and say ‘I love myself!’.” he nuzzled down at his partner, “You’ll be a hero to them, and if not it’s just because they’re jealous of the wonderful relationship we have.”
 
“Perhaps it could be worth a try…” Spice muttered as he slowly began to get up. He leaned in and kissed his substitute on the cheek, though that was followed by a longer kiss on the muzzle. The two stayed there for some time, holding each other and exploring each others maws with their tongues before they heard a timid mew at the end of the street.
 
They both looked up in unison to see an Espeon watching them, her red framed glasses barely covering her blush. Spice blushed back, but Spyce grinned smugly as he held the other Ninetales against his fluffy chest, “See something you like?”
 
“O-oh, no. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Rose replied with a blush as she began to step back, “I really should be going.”
 
“Yes, do run along.” Spyce flicked his ears back in frustration as he shook his head and tutted, “Some pokemon are so nosy. Hmhm, now where were me my cheri berry~?”
 
Of course, Rose! The Espeon had been watching Spice ever since he first moved to Clearspring. There was no way she would reject him, even after seeing him making out with a clone of himself that was wearing a wedding dress. Spice reached out towards her, “Ah, Rose. Hold on!”
 
“Huh?” the Espeon looked over her shoulder as she heard the Ninetales voice, “is something wrong? I won’t tell anyone what I saw, it’ll be our little secret.”
 
“No, go away.” Spyce said, covering the Ninetales’ muzzle with his paw, “We’re fine, leave us alone or I might just make you our first romantic meal. A traditional Nosy Espeon Flambe should be perfect for my love.” he snarled before smiling sweetly to Spice and kissing him tenderly on his forehead.
 
The Espeon blushed. She was actually blushing at the thought of the Ninetales eating her! But she was listening to Spyce and walking away again, Spice knew he had to act quickly if he wanted to court her. He struggled in Spyce’s grip, which was much tighter than he had thought it would be. His tails were all working together to bind him, and his paw was clamped tightly across his muzzle. “You can eat her another time, Spice. It’s bad enough you had Mienshao for breakfast. Don’t you know how hard fighting types are to work off? They’re so high in fibre.”
 
Nomph! The Ninetales got his jaws free just long enough to bite into the substitute’s paw. Spyce let out a wail of pain and betrayal before bursting into a cloud of smoke, his viel landing on the floor before disappearing too. Spice gasped and panted, trying to catch his breath before he raced to the end of the alley, “Rose, wait!” he called out.
 
‘She’ll only leave you, Spice. Think about this!’ Spyce’s voice echoed in his head, ‘It’s Cyn all over again, at least with Cyn you were expecting it. That Espeon tart will crush your dreams!’
 
“I’m finding another move if you don’t quieten down in there. I always did want to learn Fire Spin.” Spice growled up at his left ear, as it seemed to be where Spyce’s voice was the strongest. He finally managed to catch up to the Espeon, who looked perplexed and confused at the Ninetales. He lowered himself to the floor, pressing his head against it. “Come out to dinner with me.”
 
“...What?” Rose blinked, “S-so suddenly? What changed?”
 
“I’ve changed. Spyce may be a part of me, but I don’t want him to be all of me. I don’t want to be that Ninetales anymore, I-I want to be different.” he begged, looking up at her with his pleading purple eyes, “I want to be like you. I want people to like me for me, not for what I pretend to be. I don’t want to have to manipulate or hypnotise them or bribe them. I just want them to want me.”
 
“Sp-Spice, this is all… very…” the Espeon began, looking down at the Ninetales. ‘Awkward’ ‘Sweet’ ‘Terrifying’ ‘Romantic’ ‘Confusing’.... Confusing seemed to be the right word to describe how this was, but she couldn’t say that, not when the Ninetales was like this. She wasn’t sure what was going on with the Winners lately, but everyone on that team seemed to be acting crazy. Perhaps this was her chance to find out why. “...Yes.”
 
“Yes?” Spice repeated, lifting his head from the floor and looking up at her.
 
“I’ll go on a date with you, Spice. I’d love to, you know that I’ve wanted to for a long time.” the Espeon smiled down at him. “How’s tonight for you?”
 
“Tonight would be perfect.” the Ninetales replied, getting up and spreading out his tails with a smile, “I’ll come by your cottage and we can decide where to go. I’m sure we’ll find... “ a sultry smile spread across his muzzle as he returned to his old self, “...something to occupy ourselves with.” he winked.
 
“”I-I’m sure we will.” the Espeon blushed beneath her pink fur. Spice moved past her, his tails trailing along her back and sides… and with that, he was off on his way to prepare for their date. Rose watched him go, her smile fading as her ears tucked back. Out of her line of sight, Spice did the same.
 
They both felt guilty for tricking the other, but they were sure they would understand when all was said and done. Perhaps the relationship would be a fun distraction from their problems, and maybe, just maybe, they would fall in love.
 
* * *
 
Cyn sulked as she rested her head against her desk. Now that Auric was gone the paperwork fell entirely down to her, and she had forgotten just how much there was to do. She had read through her team’s reports, write back to those who had their missions completed, update the guild on any completed missions… and that was just when it came to the Winners. She hadn’t realized how much work the Lucario was doing for the Den, despite rarely stepping foot in it.
 
The paperwork had defeated her. She laid over the desk, a defeated pokemon, ready to be rescued. The rescue came with the sound of paper hitting the desk just before her nose, and as she looked up she found herself face-to-face with the shiny Manectric. She quickly sat up. “Volt.”
 
“Cyn.” Volt replied stoically, his face giving nothing away. “I have completed my report. I’m sorry it took so long, usually Auric helps me. I’m still learning how to read and write.” he paused, “I will try to get better in the future.”
 
“It’s fine! This is… great.” ...it was legible, at least. Words were crossed out and misspelled, but it was clear what the Manectric was trying to get across. She looked up at him once again, “I’m sorry, by the way, about how I’ve been recently. You’re right, we should have just returned the Rainbow Lense right away, and I shouldn’t have lied to Kaiser.”
 
“Are you going to stop?” he asked, his brow ever-so-slightly raising.
 
“...Eventually.” Cyn replied, fiddling with a pencil between her paws, “It’s going to take some time, but I think Kaiser can get us ready. We can go into the Dark Woods and put the Lense back… I’ll explain it there when we do. If he doesn’t want to come back to Clearspring with us, I’ll completely understand.”
 
“An ideal plan. I’m sure you’ve arranged a backup too.” the Manectric replied before sitting across from her, “Perhaps I overreacted when I first heard the news… I never did tell you what I found out on my mission to Crazy Canyon, did I?”
 
Cyn shook her head, no.
 
“The story goes that the Luxray king, his wife and their son, travelled in search of a new home.” Volt began gently, folding his paws on the desk as he spoke. “They grew tired and hungry, and almost lost all hope… someone heard their despair, because in a flash of light Jirachi appeared before them.”
 
“Jirachi? The wish pokemon?” Cyn blinked.
 
“Indeed. He told them that he had been sent to grant three wishes, one for each of them.” the Manectric explained as he leaned back, “The king, powerful and brave, wished for a kingdom to call his own, where his tribe could live safely.” he couldn’t help but chuckle as he swept his paw, “The legendary turned in the air with a giggle and raced off like a shooting star. The family chased after it, through twists and turns, rock and dirt and mud… until finally they found themselves at the center of the mystery dungeon, surrounded by other Luxray. When they arrive, Jirachi raised his hands and said ‘I’ve found you a brave and noble leader, as swift as a shooting star, just like you wished for!’. The Luxray cheered and accepted the king and his family as the new rulers of their tribe.”
 
Cyn remained silent, though she did push the reports aside and lean forward. The Manectric had a way with words.
 
“Jirachi then turned to the queen, elegant and beautiful, and asked for what she wished.” Volt continued, “They had encountered many dangerous pokemon on their chase through the dungeon, and she wanted to know her son would be protected. She wished for a loyal guardian, one who would fight the falling skies for her child, if it came to it.” he smiled bashfully, “I arrived three days later, lost and uncertain… they took me in, and I became their knight, and I guarded the prince and, upon his first evolution, I taught him to fight.”
 
The Liepard lowered her gaze. She still sometimes wondered if bringing the Manectric with them had been a good idea, since he had been so devoted to his liege. She looked up, her ears perked. “...what did the prince wish for?” she asked.
 
“He was wise for a child, and saw through the Luxray’s festivities. He knew they were hungry, and that they wished for a leader so he could provide for them.” Volt replied with a smile, having finally come to his favourite part of the story, “He wished for food for every pokemon, no matter where they came from. Jirachi flew into the sky and took a star, then searched the land for a rainbow to wash it in. He returned with a crystal that glistened with all the colours of the world, and set it in a crown for the king, so that wherever he looked, food would be there. The tribe never went hungry again.”
 
“That’s a very sweet story.” Cyn shook her head, “But… you don’t really believe that, do you? I mean, you weren’t summoned out of thin air by Jirachi. You must have come from somewhere.”
 
“Perhaps details have been added or removed to suit a shorter tale.” the Manectric agreed with a chuckle, “But I do believe they met Jirachi… and I do believe that is where their Rainbow Lense came from. Perhaps it is not a star wrapped in a rainbow as the story tells, but he did find it somewhere.”
 
“So, the legendaries might be connected to the Rainbow Lenses…” Cyn furrowed her brow as she considered the new information. Finally she gave a nod in agreement, “Thank you for the information, Volt. At least we have another lead we can follow.”
 
“I’m glad your mind is open to tribal tales, Cyn.” Volt said, bowing his head as he got up, “I’ll leave you to your work. I hope we can resolve this matter soon.”
 
“That makes two of us.” the Liepard replied, watching the electric canine leave. She tried to get back to her work, but her mind continued to replay the story over and over, creating images to go along with every word the Manectric had said. Finally she moved to the window and stared up into the night sky, watching the stars. She focused on one particular star and closed her eyes.
 
“Please, please let this all work out.” she wished.
 
The star twinkled in response.