From Trainer to Beast Tamer Pokémon Trainer! Reader x Twisted Wonderland

Special Event: Fireworks Festival

(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/138556126027498301/)
Obviously she looked good, she was an attractive woman, but maybe a bit too good. (Y/N) blushed as her friends stared at her. She liked the outfit, but she could guess her friends like it more. Eventually Trey snapped out of it, likely seeing Swampert, Arcanine, and Garchomp preparing to kill them all, and began shoving them.
"Guys! She's our underclassman, stop gawking at her!"
"You're guilty too, Trey-kun!" Cater yelled as Kalim ran up to (Y/N) with stars in his eyes.
"(Y/N)! You look so pretty! You're like a desert."
Her blush turned dark. "O-oh, t-thanks Kalim."
Jamil yanked the white haired male back. "Stop it, you're making her uncomfortable!" He then quickly turned away blushing as he caught her eye. "Um, you do look beautiful, Stone."
She chuckled. "Thanks Jamil."
"Nya, why are they all acting so weird?" Grim asked Flygon, who shook his head.
"So are these costumes for the fireworks event?" Trey asked, trying to change the subject.
Jamil nodded. "Yes, the Asim family makes new ones every year."
"All the servants have the same costumes." Kalim threw in. "We want everyone to enjoy the event together!"
"I gotta say, it's not as hot as I expected." Trey admitted.
"It's light fabric." (Y/N) explained. "So you can wear long-sleeves and avoid sun exposure. The bandana also protects us from the sun."
"Speaking of." Trey turned to Cater and Malleus. "Both of you must have taken a lot of time to put those on."
"Not at all." Cater assured. "There were people that helped me tie the bandana."
"Unlike a hoodie, I don't need to make holes in this, so it saves time." Malleus said.
Cater then twirled. "The bells that hang around our waists are so stylish! They ring every time we walk!"
"The sound is meant to ward off evil spirits." Jamil said. "It's always been a part of the festival."
"By the way, why are your clothes different from all of ours? It looks so fancy!"
"The Asim family are the organizers this year. Servants are required to wear colorful clothes. I was surprised at first since I have never worn this many accessories before. To be honest, I prefer wearing my casual clothes."
"Oh come on, don't say that! It's one of the rules!" Kalim teased.
"Yeah, I know."
"The fire pattern suits you." Trey said.
"And the cape looks great too!" Cater added. "What's the lantern for?"
"It can be lit up with magic. The festival will be held tonight, so in case something happens, I can lead customers with this."
Trey then began fiddling with his bandana. "I love the fabric on this. I could wear this everyday. How much is it?"
"It'll cost you one hundred thousand madol a piece."
"That much!?"
"The name of the fabric is Yasmina Silk. It represents Silk City. The clothes you're wearing right now were made by a professional tailor. Kalim's parents said they wanted to provide the best experience for our guests, which is why they requested a tailor to make you new clothes."
"Feel free to take as much as you want!" Kalim insisted. "Is 50 pieces enough for you?"
""No, I'm good." Trey backtracked. "I would feel more comfortable wearing my hats."
"You can buy some bandanas at a reasonable price on the street." Jamil assured him.
"Okay, I'll look for something I can afford."
(Timeskip)
After an impromptu photo session and having to drag Garchomp away before he could break into one of the many treasure rooms, the gang bid Kalim goodbye and headed for the Camel Bazaar. They stopped by a large arena, decorated with lanterns.
"What is this place?" Malleus asked.
Jamil answered. "This is the main venue of the fireworks festival. The Camel Bazaar is just ahead. Let's go take a look."
As they headed towards the bazaar, they spotted several people already starting to get seated in the venue ((Y/N) decided to have Arcanine and Archeops out only to conserve space and since Cufant stayed behind with Kalim). Cater whistled.
"It's still sunny out, but there are quite a lot of people here."
"Of course." Jamil responded. "This festival represents the Land of Hot Sands. The Yasmina Fireworks is a festival that comes from an old story. It tells the love story of a thoughtful, beautiful princess and a poor but kind young man. Despite their different statuses, they marry each other. To celebrate their love, a genie launches countless fireworks into the night sky. It's a story that has been passed down through the generations. Eventually, we started to celebrate the day of the marriage with fireworks, and that's how the festival came about."
"Aw, that's really sweet." (Y/N) said.
"The flowers on our clothes are also a symbol of the festival. The flower is called jasmine, and according to the story, it's the flower the young man gave to the princess."
"No wonder it's a pattern on the costumes." Malleus noted, studying the flower print. "It's a real flower with a pleasant scent."
"The fireworks festival and the jasmine make me think the people of the Land of Hot Sands are very romantic." Cater stated.
Jamil nodded. "You're right. We value the customs and traditions of our country. For example, only excellent craftsmen get to launch the fireworks at this festival. It's an honorable job."
Cater was almost swooning "Wow. That's so romantic! It's so wonderful!"
"Personally, the real attraction of this country is the updated technology."
"What do you mean?"
"The Sorcerer of the Desert is the most respected person in this country's history. He was an innovator. One of his machines was one that produces artificial lightning. Many engineers and magicians admire the creations of the sorcerer. He was the first to start conducting advanced research in our country. I believe that is the reason why we can live good lives now."
"Indeed." Malleus agreed. "This country never ceases to amaze me. There is a balance of tradition and modernity. Perhaps this festival is one of the symbols of this country's wealth."
"I can agree with that." (Y/N) said. "We have a similar tradition back home with meteor showers and it relies on a mix of technology and nature. Man, it really does feel like home."
"I'm glad." Jamil said, smiling. "When I was a kid, I was overjoyed to see the fireworks in the sky. I'm not as excited anymore, but I still can't wait to see them."
By now, more people had started to gather, to the point where Cater and Grim climbed onto Arcanine.
"Hey, it's getting a little crowded here." Cater said, clinging to the Legendary Pokemon's fur.
"These are the residents of Silk City." Jamil explained. "Since this is an important festival, they're here to claim their seats."
"They even brought their own food and drinks." Trey noticed. "It really feels like a festival."
Malleus nodded. "It proves how wonderful this city is."
Grim jumped onto Arcanine's head. "What are we waiting for!? We should find our seats too!"
"You don't have to worry about that, we already have reserved seats for all of you." Jamil assured him as Arcanine tossed the cat into Cater's arms. "The canopy over there is reserved for guests, so you can watch the fireworks in a comfortable environment."
Trey rubbed his head. "The difference in quality is staggering. It's like the room of a high class hotel."
"It's also the special seating of celebrities and influencers from other countries."
Malleus tilted his head. "I've seen many decorations with the same color as the canopy."
"From what I know, peacock green was the color the princess from the story always wore. Her outfit is actually very similar to the one (Y/N)'s wearing. During the period of the festival, the streets will be decorated with peacock green silk fabric."
Trey then glanced over at the canopy at the end which stuck out from the rest. "Then how come that canopy is red?"
"That's the color of the Sorcerer of the Desert."
Cater immediately pulled out his phone. "Let me see. Which is the best angle for a photo? Jamil-kun, where will they launch the fireworks?"
He pointed towards the river. "On the other side of the river. We can see the fireworks from anywhere on the city, but many of us prefer to see them up close, so this is the ideal spot."
"No wonder they're saving seats now." Trey said, looking at the ever growing crowd.
Grim's stomach then began growling. "Hey, enough talk! I'm gonna die of hunger!"
Archeops then hopped onto Jamil's shoulder, squawking his complaints of hunger as well.
Jamil scratched the bird's head. "Okay, let's head over to the Camel Bazaar."
(Timeskip)
The bazaar was unsurprisingly bustling and full of life and colors. Stalls were jam packed with a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, and meats which filled the air with a mouth watering scent.
"Welcome to the Camel Bazaar." Jamil introduced.
"It's like a morning market!" Trey said.
"It's usually like this, but it's obviously more crowded today."
"This is it!" Cater said, dismounting Arcanine to get a better look at everything. "This is the scenery I expected to see in the Land of Hot Sands! It feels like a vacation! Let me take a picture!"
As he began a photo session, Malleus was glancing around.
"Do the residents usually come to this bazaar to buy groceries?"
Jamil nodded. "Yes, the local people will come to buy vegetables, fish, and any other ingredients."
"Hey, if I had this in my backyard, I'd do the same!" (Y/N), trying to keep Grim and Archeops from swiping anything.
"There are also plenty of street food stalls here, especially when there are many tourists around."
"How strange." The fae remarked.
(Y/N) turned to him. "What's wrong, Tsunotaru?"
"I have been searching for a while, but I have yet to see a camel. It is called the Camel Bazaar, I believed we would see a long row of camels here."
"Ah, are you curious about that?" Jamil asked. "Actually, there are no camels here. Before we had canals and land routes, camels were the main way to transport items. This place used to be an oasis where they would take rests after long walks. As time passed, they decided to start a business here, and it slowly developed into a market. Nowadays, nobody uses camels anymore, but we kept the name to honor their role."
"I see. I didn't know the name of the bazaar had such a long history."
"It's best to keep the original name of the market." Trey said as his dormmate nodded.
"Yeah! Camel Bazaar sounds cute! It's the best name for a tourist spot. You should pick a cute name for the Valley of Thorns, Malleus-kun!"
"How about GaoGao Dragon-kun Market?"
Cater sweatdropped. "...maybe not that."
(Y/N) snorted. "Hey, I think it sounds pretty cute."
"Yeah, well maybe if more dragons looked like Flygon, then maybe."
Malleus chuckled. "I'm only joking."
"Fnya!" Grim yelled, being held by his scruff by (Y/N). "I don't care about history! Just take us to a food stall! I'm dying of hunger!"
"One more rude comment out of you, and Swampert will be carrying you for the rest of this trip." (Y/N) threatened.
"I have to agree though." Cater admitted, "I'm starting to feel hungry too. We should eat something."
Trey chuckled. "We couldn't walk around in peace if we kept Grim starving for long anyways."
Grim's nose suddenly perked up. "...I smell something good."
Malleus, Arcanine, and Archeops all seemed to have caught it. "The scent is coming from that skewer stall."
Jamil saw it. "That's Shawarma. If you order it in a restaurant, it will be served on a plate with vegetables, but here, it's served with a paper wrapping. It's a type of fast food that you can usually buy on the street. The excess oil is removed from the meat, so it's healthier than it looks."
"Ah! Lamb meat!" Cater noticed. "I love it!"
"We can also order any topping we want. There's tomatoes, olives, sliced onions, and many others."
"And a variety of sauces." Trey added.
"I love to eat mine with hummus and garlic sauce."
"Okay, I'm starting to get hungry now." (Y/N) said, putting Grim down. "Let's get some."
Jamil ordered them 8 Shawarmas, being sure to include Arcanine and Archeops (he promise to feed the other Pokémon later). As everyone began to chow down, Jamil spoke up.
"Hey, where did my Shawarma go?"
(Y/N) immediately looked at her dormmate. "Grim..."
"It wasn't me!" He insisted. "I'd rather rob the whole food stall than steal someone's food!"
Jamil deadpanned at him. "Don't do that."
"Don't worry, I won't let him." (Y/N) assured him.
Cater then glanced around. "So who took it?"
Archeops chirped after inhaling his meal and waddled towards a figure in the shade. He began jumping and squawking as she was munching on the stolen dish.
"It doesn't taste bad." She said nonchalantly. "I should eat shawarma with the same topping next time."
"You know, it's wrong to steal someone else's food." Trey said.
The girl smiled. "Hehehe, what if I know who that person is?"
"Eh?
(Y/N) then noticed how stiff Jamil was. "Jamil, you good?"
"Na...NAJMA!?"
The girl beamed. "Welcome back, Jamil!"
"Um, Jamil-kun, you know her?" Cater asked.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Najma Viper." The girl introduce.
"Viper?" Malleus repeated.
Jamil sighed. "We don't look alike, but...this is my sister."
"EHHHHH!?"
Jamil ignored them. "How could you steal my food!? No, wait, why are you even here?"
Najma sighed. "I didn't want to come here, either."
"Uwah!" Cater cried. "Her expression looks exactly like Jamil-kun's! Haha, they both have the same face! So cute!l
"Truly siblings." Trey said.
"Dad asked me to give you a message." Najma explained. "Our reserved seats for the fireworks have been changed. I told him just to text you, but he insists I tell you in person."
Her brother sighed. "You know his relationship with technology."
"Your kind sister came all this way to see you! Don't you have anything to say?"
"I see...sorry about that. Anything else you want to tell me? If not, you should go back. I'm very busy right now."
(Y/N) suddenly felt a mischievous streak spike in her. "Hey Najma, care to join us?"
"EHHHH!?" Jamil squealed, swinging his head at the trainer.
Cater played along. "Jamil-kun will probably get home late since he has to show us around. You can talk with your brother when we're walking around, isn't it great?"
Trey also joined in. "Yeah, you haven't seen your brother for a long time, right?"
"NO!" Jamil yelled.
His sister ignored him. "I'm fine with it! It seems like fun!"
"I don't have time to take care of you!"
"Huh? Did I ask you to do so?"
"You can't come with us!"
"You're so mean! Even though I came all this way to deliver a message? I didn't even get to hang out with my friends at the festival because of you! It's still evening, but it seems like I have to walk alone till the fireworks event starts. How boring! It only comes once a year!"
(Y/N) smirked. "You're gonna let your poor little sister go alone, Jamil?"
"I will end you for this, (Y/N)!"
"Well, excuse me for wanting to hang out with a girl for once!"
"Grrr...fine."
"All right!" Najma cheered. "Once again, nice to meet all of you."
(Timeskip)
After a slew of introductions, Najma joined the group. To be frank, she mostly hung out with (Y/N), fawning over Arcanine and Archeops. As Jamil began to explain to the boys how the fruits and vegetables were grown in the desert, and Malleus was pondering the existence of dragon fruit, the younger Viper was practically burying herself in the fire type's fur.
"Oh you're so cute! Such a good boy!" The canine was panting happily at the attention, his tail wagging as her fingers ran through his fur. "(Y/N), his fur is so soft. Do you shampoo it or something?"
"Nah." (Y/N) said. "Bathing a fire type is a bad idea. But I do have a special oil from my grass types to keep his clean and not stink."
"He does smell like flowers, don't you boy?"
Arcanine gave her a big, sloppy kiss making both girls laugh. Archeops chirped for attention, and Najma squished his cheeks.
"Don't worry, you're a special boy too, Archeops."
The First Bird Pokémon swooned as Trey began explaining to Malleus why dragon fruit was called dragon fruit, and the fae unsurprisingly not getting it.
"You know that it tastes really good with honey." (Y/N) remarked, causing Najma to perk up.
"Oh, do you have dragon fruit where you're from, (Y/N)?"
The trainer sweatdropped. "Yeah, but we call it dragon fruit for a different reason..."
Trey tilted his head. "How come?"
"Dragon Pokémon love the stuff...to the point that you're likely gonna have to fight one if you're craving it."
"Oh."
Malleus motioned to his human friend. "Now that is a good reason to call it dragon fruit."
Najma laughed and turned to the vendor. "I'll take three please!"
The vendor nodded and traded the fruits for coins. "Thank you for buying."
Placing one on the table, Najma began drizzling the white, black speckled flesh of the fruit with honey...from somewhere, and handing it off to Malleus. "Here you go!"
"Let's see."
All the boys took bites, lighting up.
"Yup! Delicious!" Grim declared.
"It's really refreshing!" Cater said. "The sweetness and sourness taste so good together!"
Malleus smiled. "I see. I will forgive them for naming this dragon fruit."
Trey sighed. "Well I'm glad you liked it."
The younger Viper then passed the remaining two pieces to (Y/N). "Here, (Y/N), I'm sure those dragons you told me about would appreciate these."
"Thanks, Najma."
"Jamil, do you have any other recommendations?" The mom of their group asked.
Immediately, Jamil pulled out an assortment of colorful fruit all stuffed into a melon skin. "Wanna try some silky melon? It's the most famous fruit in Silk City. It has a silk-like texture and the perfect level of sweetness. It's a rare fruit that you can't find in the markets of other countries. It might be the best food for us now."
Grim tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"Do you remember the story I told you? The poor young man of the story shares a melon with his friend-,"
"Hey, how can he afford to buy a melon when he's poor? Fruits are expensive!"
"-anyways, it said that sharing this melon will make your friendship and love last forever. It eventually became the lucky fruit of this festival."
"I see." The cat said. "But why did you say it's the best food for us just now?"
"I hope you guys can become obedient after eating it. It would save me a lot of time."
"Get that smirk off your face, Viper, or I will tell your sister the details of what happened over the break." (Y/N) threatened.
Cater ignored (Y/N)'s murderous intent. "Delicious food with an interesting backstory? Of course I want to eat it! It will go viral!"
"Yeah." Trey agreed. "We might never have the chance to eat it again."
"Me too!" Grim yelled. "I want a bite!"
Jamil quickly ordered several helping of it, and the group continued to wander the market as they ate, sampling the many treats, including a huge loaf of bread with jam and baba ganoush. Many stops were made as local children wanted to pet Arcanine and Archeops, much to their delight. Grim, at one point, got stuck in a vase and Malleus had to pull him out, much to the cat's surprise. Eventually, it started getting hot again, so (Y/N) and Jamil went to get coconut juice for everyone. An elderly woman was minding the stall.
"Excuse me, may we please have some coconut juice?"
The woman beamed at him. "Jamil-kun! It's been so long! Are preparations for the fireworks event going well?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"Well keep it up. I'm looking forward to the show this year!" She then turned to (Y/N). "Oh how nice, is this your girlfriend?"
Both blushed as Jamil waved his hands. "N-no! She's just a schoolmate of mine!"
"My, what a beautiful girl! Keep your eye on this one Jamil, she's a keep!"
(Y/N) laughed nervously as the elder Viper sank his face into his hands. They quickly gathered the juice and made their way back to the group.
"Err, sorry about that." Jamil apologized.
(Y/N)'s rolled her eyes. "It's fine, not the first time it's happened."
Everyone, Pokémon included, were given their drink and slurped merrily.
"After you finish drinking the juice, you can also eat the coconut flesh too." Jamil explained.
"Okay!" Grim said. "I'll eat it all in one bite!"
"Grim, no! You can't-," (Y/N)'s words were cut off as Grim's teeth made a painful noise against the shell of the coconut. "-bite into a coconut shell..."
"It's so hard! I nearly broke my teeth!"
"You can't bite into the shell!" Jamil scolded. "We need a knife to cut it open and scoop out the flesh."
"I'll ask for the knife from the shop owner." Trey volunteered.
"No need." Malleus then took Trey's coconut and broke it open with his bare hands. "There you go."
Trey shook a bit at the display of strength. "T-thank you."
"He cracked it open like an egg." Cater said, using (Y/N) like a shield. "As expected from Malleus-kun."
Trey took a bite of the flesh and smiled. "It has the same texture as frozen yogurt. I have only used a processed coconut product in desserts before, but I've never eaten coconut flesh."
"Amazing!" Najma said. "Can you please help me crack open my coconut too? Also, (Y/N), I think Archeops is eating coconut, shell and all."
Indeed, the avian was munching on the coconut without a care in the world.
(Y/N) waved her off. "He's part rock type, he'll be fine. It'll help his fiber count."
After Malleus cracked open everyone's coconuts, much to Jamil's horror, they all went back to exploring.
"This place is huge!" Cater said, admiring the many stalls they had yet to see.
Trey nodded. "Every stall is selling different things like fruits, flowers, daily use items, and many more."
Something then caught Malleus's eye. "What are they selling here?"
"This area is full of shops that sell nuts and dry fruits." Najma explained.
The bakery of their group scanned the assortments. "Chickpeas, pistachios, sunflower seeds, all of them are nutritious and healthy snacks. Which do you like best, Najma-chan?"
"Kurma!"
(Y/N) tilted her head. "Ku what?"
Trey unsurprisingly understood. "Ah, you mean dates?"
"Yup! It's the most classic dried fruit. They swell date jams and jellies here too. Oh, and date syrup is very tasty! They're the black dry fruits hanging in front."
"Oh, let me see!" Cater said eagerly.
Jamil was less than enthused. "Um...I think we better leave right now."
Another elderly shop owner appeared, this time a gentleman. "Hey, Jamil! I haven't seen you in a long time!"
Jamil froze up before forcing a smile. "H-hi...long time, no see..."
"Are you buying something? Don't cause any trouble again!"
"Again?" (Y/N) repeated.
Their classmate sighed. "Are you still talking about that? It was a long time ago."
The shop owner smiled mischievously. "Well, what happened was-,"
"Ah! Stop! I'll tell them myself! Well, actually...I have caused trouble in the past..."
"You did?" Cater asked. "It's hard to believe since you're always so cautious."
Trey was also curious. "Yeah, what happened?"
"...I loved to eat dates when I was a kid. I would always visit this shop with Najma to buy some. But one day, I discovered something else in the packet..."
"Oh!" (Y/N) said, remembering Kalim mentioning this incident. "Is this the story about why bugs freak you out?"
"Yes! The bastards looked at me so innocently before one crawled onto my hand. I was so surprised I accidentally casted magic."
"What kind?" Cater asked.
"...fire."
The owner laughed. "He burnt the canopy of my stall trying to get rid of it."
"I was a kid! I didn't know how to control my magic!"
"True, but it did take us a while to calm you down. He wouldn't stop crying."
Everyone else got mischievous smiles on their faces, save for Malleus.
"Really?" Trey asked, not looking so benevolent.
"I was a kid!"
"You're still a child." Malleus shot back.
"Ugh...please stop!"
Najma ran past her brother as he was mercilessly teased. "Just ignore him. Can I please have some dates?"
The owner nodded, handing off the fruits for everyone to enjoy as Jamil screamed into Arcanine's fur, lamenting his inability to eat dates after that accident, all while Archeops patted his back. Eventually, he got back up after hearing Grim yelp.
"What happened!?"
The cat was in front of a pile of small wooden animals, clearly meant for stacking. "It keeps falling!"
"Oh, you're playing with toys? You scared me for a bit."
"What is this game, Jamil?" (Y/N) asked curiously.
"It's a classic here. You need a lot of concentration to balance the animals on top of one another."
"Hey (Y/N), buy this for me!" Grim demanded.
The trainer gave him a look. "We're on a tight budget as is!"
"Then you try to stack them!"
Jamil sighed. "We used to play this when we were kids."
"Jamil was the master of this game in our neighborhood." Najma said. "He was so good, we thought he was cheating."
"It's easy to stack them if you calculate the angle of the toy." He then gave her a look. "The problem was you would always get angry at me and run out of the room after you lost. Mom and dad always scolded me for it."
She smiled innocently. "Eh? Is that so? But you would always look after me no matter how troublesome I was."
"Was?"
"That's why I always rely on you. Thank you."
"Hmph, don't get so full of yourself. So how's school going?"
"Great! I can handle academics and sports! Who do you think I am? I'm your sister!"
He nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. Keep doing your best."
"I'm more worried about you. How are you doing? You act super nice and you're intelligent, but sometimes you get super serious about some strange things and you're pretty stubborn. Don't push yourself too hard, okay big brother?"
He took a deep breath. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm doing well." He smiled. "I'm your brother."
She beamed. "Yeah, yeah. Good to hear." Najma then noticed the sun. "Ah! It's getting late! I need to go now."
"Eh?" Cater whined. "But it's a rare opportunity. Stay with us, I want you to take us to more beautiful places!"
"Down, Cater." (Y/N) warned.
Najma laughed. "I appreciate the thought, but I need to meet up with my friends since I haven't hung out with them all day."
"Don't get carried away." Her brother lectured.
"I know. You sound just like dad!"
"...well he's not wrong."
"Will you come home tonight?"
"I will, after I send them back to Kalim's house. But I have to go back to school tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll make curry for you! Try not to eat too much street food! Enjoy the fireworks everyone! Come visit if you can! Goodbye!"
"Bye-bye!" Everyone said as she ran off.
Jamil then turned back to them. "All right, where do you want to go next?"
Trey was about to say something before glancing around. "Hmm? Where's Malleus?"
Everyone began to look around, noting a distinct lack of fae.
Jamil screamed. "HE'S GONE!"
"Eh!?" Cater squeaked. "Is he lost?!"
"How did we lose a 6 ft tall fae!?" (Y/N) asked.
Trey looked ready to have a heart attack. "This will turn into a diplomatic issue if he gets in trouble! (Y/N), send Archeops to search for him!"
"I can't! He needs a running start to get into the air and Flygon and Garchomp might knock something over!"
"(Y/N), don't worry." Jamil reassured her. "Leave it to me."
He led the group down the street and into what appeared to be a different market lined with carpets and fabrics.
"Are you sure Malleus is here?" Trey asked.
"Yes I am. He's near."
(Y/N) jumped on Arcanine for a vantage point and finally spotted their tall friend. "Tsunotaru!"
He turned to them and approached. "Where have you been? I was looking for you."
"He really was here!" Cater said in shock as Trey sighed.
"You suddenly disappeared. We were really worried about you."
"Even though we knew you wouldn't get injured." Cater added.
"In other words, we're glad Silk City is safe."
Malleus tilted his head, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"
Jamil didn't answer. "I'm glad to see you're fine."
The familiar thumping of feet filled the air as Kalim and Cufant appeared.
"I'm glad you found them, Malleus!"
"Kalim!?" Jamil shouted. "Why are you here!? You're supposed to be greeting guests for the festival!"
Kalim smiled. "It ended earlier than I expected. Since it's a rare opportunity, my dad told me to go hang out with you guys! I was gonna meet up with you, but Cufant found Malleus walking alone."
"Lucky coincidence." Trey said.
Cater then turned to Jamil. "By the way, how did you know Malleus would be here?"
"Ah, about that..." He rubbed his neck. "I may have placed a GPS in the bell decoration on his clothes."
"EH!?" They yelled.
(Y/N) glared at him. "You chipped us!?"
"Of course."
Cater attempted to discreetly throw his bell away, but it was sewn into the clothing.
(Y/N) rubbed her temples. "Jamil, there's worry and then there's this."
"Silk City is very crowded, I had to put a GPS on all of you in case we were separated."
She sighed, but let it go.
"What does GPS mean?" Malleus asked.
Cater gave him a look. "Wait, why were you surprised then?"
"So, where are we now?" Trey asked.
"This is also one of the most important markets in our country." Jamil answered. "The Zahab Market."
"This one also have a historically significant name?" (Y/N) jumped in.
"Zahab means gold. From what I know, the market is named the Gold Market because you can only buy items here with gold. The stalls here are filled with expensive items."
Cater had a look in his eye. "So many photogenic items."
"Please remember to secure your valuables while looking around. Thieves make their rounds here to steal wallets off of customers."
(Y/N) snorted. "I'd like to see someone rob us with Arcanine here."
"Hey, it's so crowded over there!" Cater noticed. "What's that?"
"Street performers." Jamil said.
Trey whistled. "Balloon acts, juggling, pantomime...they're all doing different acts! Very impressive."
"Hey, that monkey is juggling while riding on a ball!" Grim pointed out.
"Clever little guy." Trey said, smiling.
"Hm, that's easy! Arcanine! Do that!"
The canine growled, making the cat scurry behind Trey.
"(Y/N) is the trainer, Grim, not you."
Malleus smirked. "The monkey is more polite than you."
"What! You've got some nerve, Tsunotaru!"
"Only (Y/N) gets to call me that."
The monkey began cackling at Grim's frustrations.
"Hey, hey." Kalim butted in. "Calm down, do get so angry. Anyways, isn't the Land of Hot Sands amazing?"
(Y/N) nodded. "It really is. Thanks for inviting us, Kalim."
"It has been a wonderful experience." Malleus agreed.
"I'm glad to hear it! Though I am sad Lilia couldn't join us..."
Cater nodded. "He must have felt so bad getting a stomachache right before the trip."
"It is very unfortunate." The fae said. "Lilia loves traveling. He would always go on trips by himself. It was always fun to hear his stories when he returned. He always came back with different souvenirs for us. I was always happy to receive them. That's why I want to buy him something."
"That's a wonderful idea, Tsunotaru." (Y/N) said. "I'm sure that would make him happy."
"I'm happy you agree. I would like to hear your opinion on the matter."
"I want to buy a souvenir for Lilia too!" Kalim exclaimed.
Cater nodded. "Me too! I'm sure that will cheer him up!"
"You're right. Plus I want to learn more about the culture of this country." Trey admitted.
Jamil sighed, but it was more jovial. "We should find the perfect souvenir for him here. Let's go looking."
"What should we buy Lilia?" Kalim asked.
Cater smirked. "Come on, Kalim, when it comes to the light music club, it's all about?"
"INSTRUMENTS! All right, let's head to the instrument shop!"
The two took off.
Jamil sweatdropped. "Oh dear. (Y/N)?"
She was already on Arcanine. "I got 'em."
She tailed the boys for a while. By the time she caught up to them, they had clearly abandoned the instrument idea in favor of buying sweets. Kalim smiled as she approached.
"Hey (Y/N)! Look at what we got Lilia!"
She smiled and held out her hand for them. "That's sweet guys, but let's get back to the group before Jamil blows a gasket."
As soon as (Y/N) pulled Kalim up, children began squealing in delight and surrounding them.
"Look look! It's the princess and her true love from the story!"
"She's so pretty!"
"Eh?" (Y/N) said, blushing. "What's going on, Kalim?"
He chuckled. "Oh, they must think we're performers too! We do kinda look like the couple from the story of the fireworks festival. The princess even had a tiger in the story."
"But Arcanine's a dog." Cater said from the other side of the crowd.
"But he has tiger stripes!"
The kids turned and began cooing at Cater.
"It's the genie!"
"Make the fireworks start!"
"Like in the story!"
Cater was a bit overwhelmed. "Woah, easy kids!"
(Y/N) sighed. "This is gonna take some maneuvering.
It took a bit, but they were eventually able to ditch the crowd and get back to the group.
Jamil crossed his arms. "That took longer than I expected from you, (Y/N)."
She smiled nervously. "We got caught up in the crowd. Kalim and Cater managed to get some snacks for Lilia though."
Kalim waved the treats proudly. "We'll bring him all the flavors of our trip!"
"Yup!" Cater agreed. "I'm sure Lilia-chan will be happy!"
Malleus then emerged from a store, looking downtrodden. (Y/N) walked up to her fae friend.
"You okay, Tsunotaru?"
"Lilia loves to collect pennants from different countries, but I have yet to find one here."
"Pennant?" Trey repeated. "Never heard of that."
"It's a triangle flag that symbolizes the main attraction of its country. It's a classic souvenir. Lilia used to give them to me all the time. I decorated my room with them. Since this country is famous for fabric, I thought it would be the best souvenir."
Jamil tilted his head. "I think they were sold a long time ago, but nowadays they're very rare."
"I see..."
"Fabric...well, what do you think of this?"
He suddenly pulled out a bright yellow shirt with fireworks on it.
Malleus studied it. "Interesting slogan. 'This is a shirt that will free you from everything'."
"This is called a Journey Shirt." Jamil explained. "The genie wore one every time he traveled. The color represents the exciting feeling of traveling. It's become popular among tourists."
Malleus chuckled. "I see. The pattern of the shirt suits Lilia's personality very much. I will have this one."
The shop owner appeared, smiling. "Lucky you! Since we're holding an anniversary campaign for the Yasmina Fireworks, you get a complimentary shirt on the house!"
Malleus's eyes widened as he was handed another shirt. "For me...?"
Jamil gulped. "Malleus with a colorful shirt..."
"Perhaps I shall wear it next time. Enjoy the best part of traveling."
"I really can't imagine Malleus wearing a flashy shirt like that!" Trey said, almost sounding distressed. "I really can't!"
"Is he okay?" Cater asked. "Does he think it's a punishment game!?"
Kalim was oblivious as Cufant trumpeted her approval. "I'm glad you feel like that! You should wear this shirt to class!"
"Seriously, guys, it's just a shirt." (Y/N) said under her breath.
Trey wanted to buy Lilia some fresh tomato juice since it was his favorite and he always spoke of cooking for Diasomnia, but Malleus immediately shut that down, having what appeared to be war flashbacks of Lilia's abysmal cooking, so they settled on some spiced coffee instead. Malleus got extra for Silver since Arceus knows that boy couldn't stay away to save his life. By then, things dissolved into picking gifts for the rest of their friends. Trey and Cater bought some hourglass charms for Ace and Deuce since something had to keep the one braincell duo on time, and a red teacup and saucer for Riddle. Eventually, Malleus was lured away from the group by ice cream. The owner handed a cup off to the fae prince.
"You'll be surprised by our ice cream here!" The machine whirled to life, the frozen treat stretching more like taffy than ice cream. "Done! Here you go, mister. Hold out your cup!"
"Okay."
The treat was launched and bounced out of the bowl like a ball. It would've gone splat, had (Y/N) not had the reflexes to catch it with the cup for Riddle.
"Woah! Gotta be on your toes, Tsunotaru."
He smiled fondly at her as she poured the treat into his cup. "Thank you, child of man."
The owner laughed. "Nice catch, girly. Never seen a tourist catch stretchy ice cream on the first try! Here, another scoop on the house."
He passed her a fresh bowl, which she took graciously.
"Thanks!" She then turned to Malleus. "Cheers!"
They touched bowls and took bites.
"It tasted pretty good." Malleus said. "And it has an interesting texture. I love it."
Jamil sighed in relief. "Glad to hear it." Archeops then began pecking his head. "Ow! Archeops!"
(Y/N) just kept eating. "He says you need to relax."
Eventually, dusk began to settle.
"We should head over to the venue." Jamil announced.
Grim moaned. "Ugh...I ate too much...belly full...want to sleep..."
"Hey, the main event is gonna start soon!" Kalim said passionately. "You guys get to see the best fireworks show ever!"
"Oh, Kalim-sama!" A man called from the crowd.
"Ah, mister! Long time no see! Guys, he's the expert who makes the fireworks for this festival! He has the most amazing skills out of all the experts! We can't have the festival without him!"
Jamil nodded. "He's the highlight of the festival. I am interested to know what you have planned this year."
"It's a surprise." The artisan said. "I have prepared even bigger fireworks than last year's! Kalim-sama's family ordered only the best from me."
"I'm so excited to see it!" Kalim cheered.
"Yes, yes, please look forward...Hm?" He suddenly began to rummage panically around his bag.
"What's wrong?"
"I-it's gone! I CAN'T LAUNCH THE FIREWORKS WITHOUT THAT!"
"EHHH!?"
"Can't launch the fireworks!?" Jamil repeated. "What did you lose!?"
"Is it perhaps an ancient spell to launch the fireworks?" Malleus asked.
"Or an antique flint?" Cater offered.
"Or perhaps a lucky charm passed down through the generations?" Trey guessed.
"No! It's a USB flash drive!"
Cater blinked. "...a USB flash drive?"
"That flash drive has the program data for the fireworks!"
"Eh!?" Jamil yelled. "Does that mean the fireworks show is being launched by a computer?!"
"Well that's shockingly modern." (Y/N) quirked.
"While the skills of craftsmen are still necessary, since the festival becomes bigger and more complex every year, we can't have mistakes when launching the fireworks. Technology fulfills that task. I can't start the show without that USB!"
"THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM!" Kalim yelled.
It was then that (Y/N) heard a rumbling in the crowd and the sound of several concerned people looking for their belongings.
She frowned. "Seems we have a nasty pickpocket."
"(Y/N)! Watch out!" Jamil yelled suddenly.
Acheops snarled and launched as a small furry body was forced to jump away.
Grim hissed. "Ah! It's that monkey that laughed at me!"
"So that's it." The girl said. "The owner must have trained it to steal!"
The primate hissed and darted off.
"Hey, get back here!" Kalim yelled.
"Let's go, Arcanine!" (Y/N) ordered as she called Cufant back to her ball and got Archeops on her shoulder.
They tailed the little thief back to its master.
"You did a good job. How much did you steal?"
"Oi!" (Y/N) growled, emerging from the shadows. "Unless you wanna be barbecued, I suggest you hand over those items you stole!"
The thief yelped at the sight of her Pokemon's bared teeth. He backed away, only to back into a very pissy Jamil. The thief tried to bolt, but he ended up on the receiving end of a Rollout from Cufant, who then picked him up with her trunk.
"What a shame your path was blocked by great wizards and a powerful, tiny, elephant." Jamil mocked.
Cufant shook the guy until he passed out, making it easy for Jamil to hand him off to the authorities. Archeops also hunted down his monkey accomplice who would be rehabilitated elsewhere.
The officers shook Jamil's hand and gave Cufant some good scritches. "We've been looking for this thief for some time now. Thank you for the help. Please leave the rest to us."
The thief was dragged away, still unconscious. Jamil handed the flash drive to the expert.
"I believe this is yours."
"Ah! Thank you! You save me!"
"I'm so happy!" Kalim said. "Now you can launch the fireworks!"
"Yes, thanks to all of you, everyone will get to enjoy the show this year."
"Well done, gentlemen." (Y/N) side eyed Jamil. "Though you could have told me you knew where he'd be."
He waved her off. "I knew you'd be able to cut off his best point of escape and give Cufant an opening. I would think you would appreciate strategy."
"Yeah yeah, let's just head to the venue."
(Timeskip)
After a long day of exploring, it was nice to sit back under the canopy. All of the Pokémon were out now, waiting patiently for the show as everyone enjoyed the cooler weather and some mint lemonade.
"Cheers everyone!" Cater said.
"What are we celebrating?" Malleus asked.
"We get to watch the fireworks show together, isn't that worth celebrating?"
"I see." He smiled. "You have a point."
"Raise your mint lemonade!"
"CHEERS!" Everyone said happily before gulping their drinks down.
"Whew!" Grim said satisfied. "It's so good!"
"Yeah, I thought it would taste like grass, but it's much tastier than I expected." Trey said. "I should try making this back on campus."
"By the way, did you guys enjoy the Zahab Market?" Kalim asked.
"Yeah, it was fun. And we bought lots of souvenirs."
"Yup!" Cater agreed. "I hope Lilia-chan likes it!"
"I also received a shirt I wouldn't normally wear." Malleus added. "I should wear it with Lilia next time."
"Me too!" Grim said. "We bought a lamp and many snacks!"
(Y/N) scratched her head. "It was the most durable thing I could find."
Kalim smiled. "I'm happy to hear that!"
"Hey! Jamil! Young lady!" The expert called, appearing again.
Kalim waved. "Oh! Mister, what happened?"
Jamil went pale. "Is there trouble again?"
"No, I'm really grateful for both of your help just now. I wanted to give you both something in return, and this was all I could think of. I've decided to let you two launch the fireworks."
"Us?" (Y/N) repeated.
Jamil was sweating. "B-but that's the most important task of the event!"
"Yup! Which is why you two are in charge of launching the last firework of the festival! It's the most honorable job of the festival! I really hope you accept."
"Oh that's amazing! You two did it!" Kalim congratulated.
"W-wait!" Jamil protested. "This is way too important! A servant like me is not suited for this task. Kalim should launch it, not me. I can't accept your request."
"Okay, that's enough out of you." (Y/N) said, leading him away by the collar.
"H-hey! (Y/N)!"
She smiled. "I think we've both more than earned this. Status be damned! You deserve this Jamil!"
"Well said (Y/N)!" Kalim joined in. "No one deserves it more."
"This is your moment, Jamil, nothing can take that away."
He smiled down at the girl. "I suppose I can't reject the request now."
"All right! Let's blow something up!"
(Timeskip)
As the time grew near, the group hung out in the spot, leaning up against the Pokémon.
"Did you guys enjoy your trip?" Kalim asked.
"Yup!" Cater said. "It was just for a day, but I was touched by the culture of this country!"
Malleus nodded. "I never knew traveling would be this fun and wonderful. I must thank Lilia."
"My stomach's full of delicious food!" Grim declared. "I want to travel everyday!"
Trey joined in. "I'm glad we got to wear traditional clothing. It's a good memory for us."
(Y/N) raised her glass from her spot against Swampert. "It felt like a blast of nostalgia for me!"
Suddenly, flashes of colors filled the sky as the show started. Everyone gazed on in wonder before Kalim pulled everyone in for a dance. Somehow, in the chaos, (Y/N) ended up dancing with Jamil. A crowd surrounded them.
"Ah! They are reenacting the story!"
"Oh what a lovely couple!"
"Perfect for the festival!"
(Y/N) blushed at the attention, only to be pulled in by Jamil as she tried to leave.
"Wait! Jamil! I'm not that great a dancer!"
He smirked. "Where's your usual confidence? Just follow my lead."
He led her through the dance expertly, wowing the crowd. They got so into it that they almost missed their timing for the last firework. Fortunately, Archeops squawked loud enough to remind them and they launched it perfectly as the crowd cheered.
"The audience looks happy." Jamil said. "It seems like I've fulfilled my duty."
"They're not the only ones." (Y/N) teased. "You're smiling almost as brightly as Kalim."
"Heh, as if." The two looked up into the starry sky and Jamil felt his cheeks heat up. "(Y/N)?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm...happy Kalim invited you. Today was fun."
She smiled back. "I'm glad."

For those not in the loop, the next book takes no prisoners. Idia is the one most in need of therapy.
So just an off hand idea: if Twisted Wonderland and the Pokémon world ever became permanently connected, Pokémon would likely start migrating to Twisted Wonderland, and likely they'd have to start integrating tech from the Pokémon world to adjust and become trainers (because super powered companions with no blot drawbacks is too tempting). (Y/N) would likely introduce grandpa Devon to Kalim's dad to help the trades go smoothly and he excitedly proposes that she becomes Kalim's first wife to merge the companies. As grandpa Devon is shocked at such a proposal and Kalim is Kalim, (Y/N) is in the background with Steven, trying to make her guardian/older brother put down his mega bracelet slowly or wrestle it off him