"What do you mean there are no more Oran Berries?!" Pikachu shouted agonizingly.
"I'm sorry, Pikachu, but you ate them all," the Glaceon assigned to the berry management in the Camp said, deadpan.
"What?! That Pikachu ate all the Oran Berries in stock?" Leafeon, suddenly appearing, asked angrily.
"I was hungry, alright... also I heard it's good for your health!" he defended himself, glancing away.
"Exactly! I need those berries for damaged patients! They're essential!" the Leafeon shot back, even angrier.
Eevee tried to jump in Pikachu's defense. "Um, I apologize for Pikachu's gluttonous behavior, and would like to volunteer both of us to look for more Oran Berries," she said nervously, standing in front of Pikachu as if to protect him.
"Are you sure, Eevee? It's kind of a difficult task," Leafeon told her niece, "those berries only grow inside the Dark Forest."
"Oh, you mean the woods nearby? Pikachu and I一" She interrupted herself, after all the adults didn't know the adventures she and Pikachu had. "Err, I mean, I think we can manage it."
"Alright, then, do you agree, Pikachu?" she asked the electric mouse with a smile.
"I'm always up for an adventure! Especially if it's with Eevee! Oh, and you, too," he said, sparkling with determination.
"Eifie, are you okay with me taking your daughter... and her, um, friend?" the Leafeon questioned to the Espeon, who just nodded gleefully.
"Oh, of course! I know you'll protect them, you've been there countless times, after all," Eevee's mother approved. Looking at Pikachu with hesitation, Umbreon nodded.
"Thanks, mom! Thanks, dad!" Eevee chirped.
"We won't cause any trouble, sir!" Pikachu assured them, mostly Eevee's father.
"We'll leave at noon. When the sun's higher up," Leafeon declared, turning around to get back to her clinic as the Pikachu and Eevee cheered together behind her.
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.
.
"Alrighty! I finished packing what we'll need. Let's go, kids," Leafeon said, now having returned with an empty bag to carry the berries.
"Have fun, you two!" Espeon chirped at them. "Be careful," Umbreon added, before gently licking his mate's cheek, who sat next to him.
"We will!" the two shouted in unison as they followed the Grass-type.
As they got deeper and deeper into the forest, Pikachu and Eevee walked closer and closer together.
"It's getting chilly," he said, trembling.
"That's a good signal, it means the closer we're to our destination," Leafeon assured him.
"Now that I think about it... what should I call you, Leafeon?" Pikachu asked curiously.
"Well... my name's Leafia, you can call me Leaf," She smiled kindly at him.
"Kay, I'll call you Aunt Leaf!" He smiled cutely.
"I never mentioned the 'aunt' part, but sure, I am Eevee's 'aunt' after all." She chuckled.
Suddenly they heard rustling on the bushes near them. Eevee gasped. "Who's there?!"
There was more rustling until a wild Pokémon appeared. "Teddy? What are you doing here?" Eevee asked her friend.
"I'm looking for my mama," the baby Teddiursa said, hand on his mouth.
"What? You lost her?" Pikachu asked.
"Ya... I accidentally wandered around..." he answered, sweat-dropping and sulking.
"Oh, no. Your mother must be looking for you like crazy," Leafia said, worried.
"Aunt Leaf, can we stop by to help Teddiursa?" Pikachu asked her.
"Um... why not? We have plenty of time," she said, shrugging. And so, the started looking for the mother Ursaring.
But to no avail.
"I'm pretty sure we've been looking for hours... but still no sign of Teddy's mom," Eevee sighed out of frustration.
"We have to keep looking!" Pikachu encouraged the three Pokémon accompanying him. "We can't leave him all alone, can we?"
"Of course not, but it's getting darker, dear..." Leafia said, glancing at the sun slowly setting over their heads.
"Hey, maybe we can take him with us!" Eevee suggested.
"Good idea! Maybe your mom will find us along the way, Teddy!" the yellow mouse chirped, grinning at Eevee, who smiled back at him.
"...And get the wrong idea. Ursarings tend to have short tempers," the Leafeon told them.
"Well, Teddy's mom knows me, so it'll be okay," Eevee explained to her. Pikachu guided Teddy as they continued their small journey.
...
The sky was getting darker and darker and the sun was setting when, after lots of walking, Leafia finally said the awaited words.
"It's here."
Pikachu and Eevee admired in awe the field full of berries, almost like the one back home, but bigger. "This is beautiful!" Pikachu shouted, appetite filling his voice.
"You really love food, don't you, Pikachu?" Eevee sweat-dropped at the aspect. Pikachu nodded determinedly.
"Of course~!" he exclaimed, before running towards the trees and grabbing the first Oran Berry he saw.
Both Leafia and Eevee laughed. "Okay, but remember to leave some berries so we can take them." the brown Pokémon said, before feeling a dark presence just behind her. Eevee flinched when she realized what it was.
"What are you wretched beasts doing in my一 Wait a second, it's the Eevee and Pikachu!" the Houndoom yelled. His eyes flared with fury. "You dared to steal my territory, and now that I've found a new one, you invade it, too!"
"Um, sir, this is public space. The Pokémon in this forest need these berries..." Leafia told him.
He confronted her face to face, with challenging eyes. "These kids of yours, do you know what they did?! They broke my dignity!" He spat bitterly, pointing to one of his huge horns, broken. "THEY messed with me for 'fun', and caused this! A Houndoom's horns are its honor, and they literally broke it!"
"What...?" Leafeon was confused of him saying Eevee and Pikachu caused that.
"We had to do it!" Pikachu bellowed, lighting-shaped tail spiking up with confidence.
"You literally gave us no choice!" Eevee seconded.
"Oh, you little一! You, especially." He pointed at Eevee. "You're going to pay. Be prepared for it." He quickly charged at her, throwing her far away.
"Eevee!" Pikachu yelled, filled with pain all of the sudden.
"Agh!" She fell right at the end of a tall cliff, grabbing to it with all her strength.
"How dare you...!" Pikachu shouted furiously. And as if instinct, he found himself throwing his mightiest Thunderbolt at the Houndoom, who just kept his glare fixated on the mouse and his movements.
The attack hit the Dark Pokémon hard, but he still stood his ground, filled with bruises. "Ha. You think a little electric attack is eno一"
"Where's my Teddy?!" an almost as angered Ursaring shouted in the distance, sounding quite menacing.
"Mama!" the Teddiursa cried. "This bad dog is bothering us!"
"Oh, really? I'll take care of him," she said, before immediately punching the Pokémon to the air, making him disappear with a scream.
"Eevee! You okay?!" Pikachu inquired with strong concern, quickly running to her.
"I can't hold on for much longer!" She squirmed under her own loose grip.
"Here! Take my paw!" he ordered her. She immediately grabbed it and he pulled her up to him.
He embraced her with relief. "Oh, that was a close one! That Houndoom was asking for trouble!" Pikachu said, a calm and happy smile on his face.
"That Thunderbolt you threw at him was well-deserved! And p-pretty strong, too," She added with her characteristic stutter. "Y-you s-saved me, Pikachu. Thank you."
"Hey, stop stuttering! It's all fine," he pulled her closer, and so did she.
"You two have a lot to explain," Lefia interrupted their hug, brows formed in a glare.
"Huh... we'll tell you all later," Pikachu scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"Hmm. But that doesn't matter now," She smiled, relieved at everyone's safety. "Come on, take each a basket and fill it with as many berries as you can!"
"Yes, Aunt Leaf!" they both said in unison, laughing afterwards.
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"Bye, Teddy! Bye, Mrs. Ursa!" Pikachu and Eevee said their goodbyes, turning around.
"Thanks for taking care of my baby as always," the Ursaring said, nodding in greeting to Leafia, who nodded back.
At night, they finally arrived home. "I'm glad you got what you needed," Espeon told Leafia, nuzzling her daughter.
"We had fun, mom!" Eevee chirped, looking up at her mom.
"Yeah!" Pikachu agreed quickly, brushing past Eifie's side affectionately.
"They were little angels," Leafeon added.
"Great! Now it's time to sleep..." she said, content, and guided the way.
"Bye, Aunt Leaf!" Pikachu called, waving his paw in the air.
"Goodbye, dear," she answered kindly, leaving, too.
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Eevee's cheeks turned red with delight whenever she thought of the memory of her and her special friend Pikachu hugging...
What feeling was this?
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