Melon let out a massive yawn as she slowly woke up from her blissful dream. Her eyes gently fluttered open as her mind began to reboot, reminding her of yesterday's events. A gentle smile formed on her face as she remembered her date last night with Streak. The conversations they had, the kiss she stole from him, the hand feeding of new fauna…
Melon's smile quickly dissolved into a frown as she remembered the town's current predicament. I just hope nopony is hiding inside their homes like yesterday because I don't know how much longer I can go without making a profit, she mentally moaned at the severity of the situation.
Fortunately, Melon's thoughts were interrupted as she felt something shuffle in her bed. She turned her head, she saw her younger sister who had crawled into bed with her last night. Melon's smile returned as she leaned over and kissed her little sister on the forehead before getting up and making her way downstairs towards the kitchen.
Knowing that her sister would be waking up soon, Melon began to gather all the ingredients and essentials that she need in order to make Leaf's favorite breakfast. As she poured some batter into the frying pan, Melon couldn't help but chuckle as she heard the scrambling of hoofs from upstairs. The sound only grew louder until Leaf came into view as she rapidly trotted down the stairs. The ballistic filly came to an abrupt halt as she entered the kitchen area.
Leaf help her nose high as she sniffed the air, drool evident on her lips. "We're having pancakes? Alright!" She exclaimed, pumping her hoof in the air. Melon smirked at her sister's antics.
"Yep, we're going to need it for day we are going to have." She smiled warmly.
Today was the first day of the Platinum melon harvest for the Melon family, an annual season that marked some of the Melon families most prestigious products to finally reach maturity.
"By the way Leaf, I need you to go and get me my hoe and wagon from the barn. I'm going to need them when I am hauling those heavy platinum melons." Melon said with her eyes still on the solidifying pancake batter.
"But breakfast is about ready!" Leaf whined at the thought of missing her favorite meal of the day.
Luckily, Melon already seemed have a solution to the problem. "Don't worry, I'll save the batter till you get back so that I can still give you a fresh batch. And if you do all that, then I will let you tend to the pixie lilies this year." Melon concluded as she turned over a pancake.
Leaf's scowl was immediately replaced with a bright smile at the mention of the pixie lilies. "Really?! I can handle the lilies this year?!" She exclaimed as her smile grew even wider.
Melon returned the smile. "Only if you promise to take extra special care of them, they after all are one of the Princess Celestia's favorite flowers, after all."
Leaf vigorously nodded her head. "Don't worry! I will!" She called out as she trotted out the door, only for Melon to stop her a mere second later.
Melon placed her hoof on Leaf's shoulder, a worried expression etched on her face. "Just promise me you'll be careful as well. I know you are a strong little filly, but I want you to avoid these strange, new creatures. Although they seem harmless so far, I don't want you to take any unnecessary risks." Melon said as she pulled her sister into a hug, which Leaf quickly returned before pulling away.
"Don't worry sis, I will be careful." Leaf promised as she trotted out the door and up the hill towards the barn. Melon didn't take her eyes off her sister till she went over the peak of the hill and out of sight.
I hope that none of those creatures give her any trouble, Melon mentally sighed as she walked back inside to tend to breakfast.
*~*
Saul was still snoring gently on the hay pile when Clara walked back into the barn. The normally perky Sylveon had a deep frown on her face as she silently walked over to her mate, before laying down next to him.
The sudden shift of weight on the hay woke the sleeping Umbreon, and his eyes gently fluttered open as he took in the sight of Clara laying down right next to him. He felt a sudden warmth in his chest as he remembered the antics he and Clara shared last night.
Saul slowly edged towards Clara with a gentle smile on his face. Once he was right next to her, he stretched out one of his forelegs and guided it slowly over her shoulder before pulling her into an embrace.
Saul immediately sensed something was wrong when Clara remained motionless returning his affection. Fearing the worst, Saul quickly sprang up and jumped in front of Clara to see if she was hurt in any way. To his relief, Clara's body showed no signs of any injuries, but her eyes were swollen and red.
She must have been crying, Saul concluded as he sat down in front of Clara with a worried expression etched on his face.
"Clara, are you alright?" He asked with a worried tone. Clara's body jumped as Saul's voice broke her line of thought. She turned her head to look at him with a pair of eyes that were on the verge of flooding again.
"No, everything is not alright, Saul." She answered honestly as tears began to form at the edges of her eyes. "I'm scared, not just for us, but for the team. Not only did we end up in a new location, but we also have no idea where Maiden and Echo are. What if they are hurt or something worse?!" Clara sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
Saul looked down at Clara with a stoic expression, his emotions unreadable. He sat there in silence for a few seconds before speaking up.
" Clara, we both know that isn't the only reason." he said as he laid down and looked directly into Clara's eyes. Clara froze before giving a faint smile. "Nothing gets past you does it?" she murmured as s frown took hold of her face again. Seeing that Saul was determined to ease her pain, Clara let out a sigh as she lifted her head and placed it over his shoulder.
"The truth is, I don't even know if I even want to become a human again. I hated hiding our feelings from everybody, but I did it anyway in fear that they would take you away from me, and now that I am a Pokémon as well… I don't know if I can go back to that type of life style." Clara confessed as tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks.
Saul sat there silently with the crying Sylveon on his shoulder. He waited several minutes to let Clara get all her tears out, before making his move.
Saul gently broke the embrace before leaning back in and licking the tears off Clara's face. Clara let out a soft purr as Saul's soft tongue rubbed against her fur.
Once he was done lapping up the tears, Saul gently lifted Clara's head with one of his forelegs as he looked directly into her eyes.
"To answer your first question, I wouldn't worry too much about Maiden and Echo. After all, they are very strong Pokémon, and I am sure we will find them eventually." He smiled gently before continuing. "And as for your second predicament, all I can tell you is to follow your heart and let it guide you. Either way, I am still happy to be your mate." Saul concluded as he leaned in and gently kissed Clara's lips.
Clara hesitated before returning the gesture, a soft smile now etched on her face.
"Thank you Saul, you always know what to say." Clara sniffed as she hugged her beloved Umbreon. However, their moment was rudely interrupted as a growl emendated from both of their stomachs, Causing both of them to blush.
"I think we continue this over breakfast." Clara giggled as he ribbons began to rub her tummy in emphasis.
Saul chuckled from her response. "Agreed."
*~*
Saul and Clara both walked out of the barn to greet the still rising sun. Both of them were smiling as Clara leaned against Saul's side with her warm ribbons wrapped around his torso.
"There must be some food around here, after all, this is a farm." Clara quipped as they continued their search.
Saul frowned. "Should we really take food from the farm? After all, it is their livelihood." He pointed out as he turned his head to see Clara lifting her new and improved nose into the air to assist her endeavor.
"Don't worry, we will pay them back once this is over with. I do, after all, have all that prize money from when we won the ribbon cup." She shrugged her ribbons as she continued to sniff the air.
Saul nodded. "Okay, let's just not take any more than we need. We don't want to cause any problems for the family that owns this place."
Clara was about to reply before a certain smell hit her nose, causing her mouth to water and her stomach to growl quite loudly. I know that smell anywhere! Clara mentally squealed as she quickly found the direction of the source.
"Pancakes!" Clara exclaimed happily as she ran towards the source of the heavenly smell with Saul close behind.
*~*
Melon hummed to herself as she pulled the final pancake off the pan and added it to her ever growing stack. With a happy sigh, She sat down and began to enjoy the large tower of pancakes, only to be interrupted by the sound of a small ruckus outside.
Leaf's back already? Wow, never knew pancakes were such a motivation for her. Maybe I should make them more often, She thought with a giggle as she left her seat to open the door.
*~*
The two Eeveelutions sprinted down the hill as the house came in sight, excitement etched on both of their faces not just for finding food, but for finally finding civilization. Now they could get help and finally figure out what happened to them!
Saul slowed down as they neared the house, intending to approach casually so as to not frighten the residents. However, Clara had other ideas as she continued her sprint right up to the door. Saul quickly reacted by plucking Clara off the porch with his psychic, eliciting a surprised squeak from his mate.
Saul gently placed the disgruntled Sylveon next to his side as she continued to glare at him. She opened her mouth, preparing to chew him out, but was interrupted as the door swung open.
Standing before them was what Clara could only describe as a grass-type Ponyta. Its green coat stood out from brown exterior of the house. Its yellow eyes seemed to scan the yard until resting upon her and Saul.
The Ponyta's eyes widened as she backed up slowly towards the house, intending to flee into the safety of the house should one of the two Pokémon make the wrong move. Clara had seen this from plenty of wild Pokémon, so she did the only thing she could in a situation like this. She slowly padded forward with a smile on her face
"Hello!"
*~*
Melon was shocked to find two of these creatures right in front of her porch, both of them staring at her with big curious eyes. She was about to flee back into her house until the pink one walked forward with a friendly expression on its face.
"Sylveoooon," It chirped in a melodic voice before sitting a few feet away from Melon.
Melon had to admit, it was insanely adorable, but she had to be careful because she knew looks could be deceiving. She mentally shivered at the parasprite rumor she heard from Ponyville. Her thoughts were interrupted as the little creature began to chatter again.
"Sylveon? Veon, Sylve?" It chirped with a confused expression on its face. It opened its mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a low growling.
Melon couldn't help but chuckle as the little creature clutched its belly with a blush adorning its face.
Come on Melon, give them a chance. Mom would have done the same. Melon mentally scolded herself as she walked back into the house and beckoned them both inside.
"C'mon in, you and your friend must be hungry."
*~*
Saul observed Clara as she worked her magic on the Ponyta, ready to jump in and protect her if things went south. Fortunately, it didn't have to come to that as it seemed Clara was able to persuade the Ponyta to let them inside. Still, he couldn't help but mull over the language that the Ponyta used.
It didn't understand Pokéspeak, but we understood it… is… is it even a Pokémon? Saul mulled as he approached his mate who was still sitting down in shock for probably the same reason as Saul was.
"I don't think she's a Pokémon." Clara stated with a worried expression as Saul approached her.
"She?" Saul questioned with a tilt of his head.
Clara nodded. "The tone of her voice is evident that she is a female." Clara firmly declared before she was once again interrupted by her stomach.
"You know what? how about we talk about this over some pancakes?" Clara blushed once again as Saul chuckled. The two turned their attention to the mare still waiting in the doorway before they both nodded to each other and walked into the house.
Once inside, the overpowering smell of pancakes immediately assaulted Clara and Saul's noses. Drool began to drip from their lips as they reveled in the alluring scent. The mare giggled at their obvious display.
"Don't worry, I have enough for both of you." The mare said as she placed down a small plate of pancakes in front of the two Pokémon, which they both ravenously attacked.
Clara began to chew loudly as she stuffed pieces of pancake in her mouth while using her prehensile ribbons to grab the pancakes directly off the plate. Syrup coated her white fur and ribbons as she assaulted the breakfast item.
Saul wasn't fairing any better. The fur on his face was matted with syrup as he continued to dunk his face into the stack of fluffy delight. The rings on his body began to glow a bright blue as he continued to stuff his face.
The mare at the table watched with fascinated horror as the couple annihilated the stack of pancakes that she had each given them. She suddenly began to wonder if they really were parasprites. Thankfully, she was proven wrong when they both finished their food and laid down on the kitchen tile before simultaneously releasing a content sigh.
*~*
"Wow, I don't think I have ever had pancakes that good before." Clara purred as she started to lick her sticky fur clean. Saul nodded with a smile as he walked over to Clara and began to help her groom.
Clara cooed as Saul began to lick her ribbons. his soft tongue easily grabbing the sticky syrup. She began to assist him by licking the ribbons as well, their tongues occasionally brushing against one another as they fought for certain patches of syrup.
Once Clara was clean, all attention was then shifted towards Saul. The Umbreon would lick his paws before brushing them over his ears in the spots he could not reach. He would do this several times before Clara finished up the spots he missed. Realizing that most of the mess was matted onto Saul's face, Clara leaned forward and began to lick the syrup and pancake crumbs off Saul's cheeks and lips.
Both of them became oblivious of the mare in the room as they continued to groom each other quite thoroughly.
*~*
Melon watched with wide eyes as the two creatures in front of her began to groom each other in very affectionate manners. She blushed heavily and turned around once she realized that she probably shouldn't be staring at the couple.
Melon silently prayed to Celestia as to not have her little sister walk in at this moment. It would not only be awkward for the two beings on the floor, but for Melon when she would have to explain everything to her little sis.
Unfortunately, Melon's lucky streak came to an end as the sound of hoofs trotting against the wood of the porch alerted her of her sister's arrival. Any plan to stall Leaf and hide the two creatures was shattered as she came bursting through the door with a massive smile on her face.
"Hey sis! You'll never believe who I mee-." Leaf sentence was abruptly cut off as she gazed upon the two Eeveelutions that had just completed their grooming.
"OHH! You made new friends too!" Leaf gushed as she trotted over to the two pancake stuffed Pokémon and proceeded to pull them into a hug to prove her point. Melon let out a sigh of relief that the two of them were able to finish their grooming before Leaf entered, but paused when she mulled over Leaf's words.
"Are you saying that you met one of these creatures as well Leaf?" Melon asked with a hint of worry in her voice. Leaf nodded vigorously as this.
"Yup! I met my new friend on the way to the barn. says that she was looking for two of her friends and that they are around here somewhere."
"Oh dear, well I hope she finds them." Melon paused as she just realized something. "Wait, you understood what she said?" She asked a curious look on her face.
"Yes, and no. I couldn’t understand what she said with her mouth, but I did understand her when she did something that she calls 'Telepathy'." Leaf babbled as she had trouble pronouncing the last word. Melon was about to ask what she meant by that, but was interrupted as a new voice entered the conversation.
"It'll probably be easier if I explained it." The voice echoed inside Melon's head as she looked around for the speaker.
The new figure walked in through the door and stood behind Leaf, who was still nuzzling the struggling Umbreon and Sylveon into submission. The new arrival was a tall, black figure with a tear drop shaped head. On each side of its head where four large disks that reminded Melon of a certain mane style… Now that Melon thought about it, the new arrivals appearance did resemble that of a maid.
The new arrival spoke up as Melon mulled over her appearance. "Hello, my name is Maiden, and I am here for my friends." Maiden pronounced to the whole house as she gave a dramatic bow.
*~*
Clara's ears stood up to their full height as they tried to catch the sound that didn't exist. She snapped her head around and past the cuddling filly's head as she took in the sight of her beloved Gothitelle, Maiden.
Clara's ribbons immediately flared out and propped themselves on the ground for support as she used them to pry herself from the child's death hug. Once she was free with an audible pop, Clara leaped across the room and tackled the Gothitelle to the ground with a beaming smile on her face.
"Maiden! You're alright!" Clara beamed as she wrapped her ribbons around Maiden's head and proceeded to nuzzle her.
"Well, I was alright… Until you tackled me to the floor." Maiden commented sourly with her real voice. However, she quickly dropped the tone as she returned Clara's affection by giving her a tight hug.
Maiden lifted her head when she heard Saul pad over to her, his eyes glowing blue from his psychic. Maiden wondered what Saul was using psychic for until she saw the filly levitating in the air before being placed down on the mare's lap.
"It's good to see you again, Maiden." Saul said with a smile as walked up to her and joined Clara in the face nuzzling, only his was brief, opposed to Clara who was still going at it.
After a few more minute of snuggling and purring, Clara finally got off the downed Gothitelle who then wasted no time by getting right back up once she was free.
Maiden smiled warmly at her two friends before readdressing the ponies in the room. "Thank you for taking care of my friends, I am grateful that they were able to find someone who was willing to help them regardless of their appearance." Maiden smiled warmly at the two wide eyed ponies.
The young filly was the first to snap out of her gaze as she returned Maiden's smile. "You're welcome! I don't know why everypony is so scared of you and the other creatures, but I do know one thing." the filly paused for dramatic effect. "You guys are awesome!" she exclaimed finally.
Maiden and Clara both giggled at the filly's enthusiasm before Maiden spoke up again. "Oh! Where are my manners? This is my trainer, Clara. And her mate, Saul." Maiden said as she gestured towards the two Pokémon at her feet.
"Umbreon!, Sylveon!" The two of them greeted out loud.
Maiden turned her gaze onto the ponies. "And you said that your name was Green Leaf, correct?" She asked with a curious tone.
Leaf nodded at this. "Yup! And this here is my big sister Melon Stripe." Leaf said with a smile as she gestured to her older sister.
"H-Hi" Melon stuttered as she raised her hoof and feebly waved at the three strange beings in her kitchen.
Maiden frowned at this. "You don't need to fear us. Pokémon are generally only dangerous when provoked. And I can assure you, you two have done nothing that has made me mad." Maiden soothed the pony as her smile returned.
Melon's muscles began to visibly relax as Maiden reassured her that they had no intention of harming her or her sister. She gave the Pokémon in front of her a soft smile as got off her chair before walking to the fridge and pulling out a big bowl of pancake mix.
"So, you guys hungry for some breakfast?"
*~*
Clara looked up at Maiden as she finished eating the pancakes Melon had offered her. "I'm curious Maiden. How exactly did you find us?" Clara asked the Gothitelle as she finished swallowing her last pancake.
"It wasn't easy." Maiden began. "When I first woke up, I was disoriented and started my search by just simply walking around and calling out for you. After a few hours of this, I eventually came across another Gothitelle who understood my plight." She paused as she took a sip of water before continuing. "This Gothitelle immediately saw my inexperience in using my telepathic powers and offered to teach me some of the basics of my new abilities. As you know, we Gothitelle have to power to see the distant stars, So once he taught me how to do that, it was easy to shorten the gaze to just find you guys." She concluded.
"Wow, so you have the power to show us the distant stars now?" Clara asked in wonder, her ribbons swaying about as if caught in a light breeze.
A smirk came across Maiden's face. "Not only that, but he taught me something that I am sure you will enjoy." The smirk didn't leave her face as she closed her eyes and let her voice project through the minds of everyone in the room.
"Now Clara, say something inside your head." Maiden commanded as Clara felt her presence inside her head.
"I don't know what you intend to do Maiden, it's not like anyone else ca-." Clara's mental conversation was interrupted as Melon bounced up from her chair
"I heard you! I heard you're actual voice!" The mare exclaimed with wide eyes as she looked at Clara.
Clara's mouth just open and shut a few times before she snapped her head around and smile brightly at the Gothitelle.
"You figured out how to link minds!? FINALLY, I was tired of being left out of the conversations." Clara grumbled using the new way of communication that Maiden had provided her.
Maiden smiled at Clara's remark before releasing a surprised yelp as pair of warm ribbons wrapped around her and pull her down to the ground where Clara could lick her cheek.
Saul chuckled at Clara's antics as Maiden fought to free herself from the surprisingly strong Sylveon's grip. However, his attention was averted as Melon walked back into the room with a saddle bag on her back.
"Okay, If you guys need me, I will be at the town square informing the mayor of what you guys told me. Hopefully they haven't done anything drastic yet that could cause the Pokémon to-." The sound of a distant explosion interrupted her as everyone paused before sharing worried looks. Leaf was the first to speak up.
"Too late."