Jennifer and Ralts left the house and were now down town in Petalburg City, exploring the sights.

Ralts was sitting on Jennifer’s shoulder, staring out in wonder of the town around them, taking in the sights.

“Ralts…” She said in awe of the tall buildings and human attractions.

Jennifer giggled at Ralts behavior.

“Enjoying finally being able to see the city up close Ralts?” Jennifer asked the Pokémon on her shoulder.

To which, Ralts just nodded blankly while staring off into the distance at the surrounding buildings.

This made Jennifer laugh quietly some more at her Pokémon’s enraptured behavior.

“Man! I can’t wait to take you to the place where the real fun for us can begin!” She told Ralts.

         

“The real fun?” Ralts questioned.

        

Jennifer nodded.

“Yeah, I’m taking you to a place where, I have only been to a few times, and was a little awkward to go to, because I wasn’t a trainer and didn’t have a Pokémon of my own.”

Ralts stared at her mistress in confusion at what she meant, but decided to just wait and see, rather than ask questions constantly.

        

After about another five minutes of walking, Jennifer and Ralts arrived at building, that had a lovely aroma coming from it.

Ralts was already sniffing the air, by the time they drew close to it.

       

“Already smell that do ya?~” Jennifer singsonged with a cheeky grin on her face. “This is a PokéCafé, where Trainers and Pokémon a like can sit down and enjoy a meal together!”

“R-Ralts alts?!”

Jennifer nodded.

“Yup! So, this is my surprise to you. That until May calls me back, and before my schooling starts back up again in the next couple of weeks, We’re going to spend everyday, exploring our options and seeing what it is, that we, want to end up doing together, in the future.”

“Ralts!” Ralts cheered and happily grabbed onto Jennifer’s head.

“Hahaha! I’m glad you like it. Now! Let’s eat!”

“Ralts alts!”        

        

After entering the restaurant, they were able to be seated immediately. Then, not long after, a young woman in her mid-teens comes up to their table.

“Hi there! Thank you for dining with us today, may I get you two anything to drink? Maybe some appetizers to start off with?”

Jennifer heart skipped a beat as she stared up at the woman waitress who was serving them.

“I umm…….. I-…”

Ralts watched fascinated as her trainer’s face became darker and more ruddy as she spoke with the person who worked in this restaurant.

Ralts felt her mistress’s heart beat faster as she stammered for words.

Ralts smiled at her mistress’s befuddled behavior, as she stared up at the blue haired young lady, who had chocolate colored eyes; her perfectly heart shaped face, just helped to accent her features and make her that much cuter.

Ralts wanted to giggle at how her mistress had apparently become tongue tied at the sight of this beautiful human.

So Ralts leaned down, and slapped the menu with her mitts.

“Ralts!” She said, drawing the attention of the waitress.

        

“Hmm? Oh my Arceus! Is that a shiny Ralts?!” The waitress exclaimed in surprise.

Ralts smiled up at the excited waitress, and started tapping on the menu that had the pictures of the listed items on it.

“Ralts alts! Ralts Ralts Ralt.”

“Ah! Okay, I see.” The woman was quick on the up take. “So, one of those for you, and this for your trainer, and to drink? Might I recommend some lemonade for the two of you?” She suggested after taking down the order from the Pokémon.

Ralts nodded her head at the suggestion.

“Ralts!”

        

The waitress giggled at the Pokémon, who was seemingly taking the lead in this situation.

“Okay then,” She said to the Ralts and her trainer. “I’ll get your orders to the kitchens right away, and be right back with your drinks.” She then reached down and pet Ralts under her chin. “Be right back cutie!” Before skating off towards another table.

Jennifer, still stared at the woman, as she skated away from their table. Sadden that she couldn’t even get a word out to the waitress.

Ralts had a mitt up to her lips as she smirked at her mistress.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you so flustered or attracted to another human before, mistress!~” Ralts teased.

Ralts watched as Jennifer’s face went dark once again, right before dropping her head down in embarrassment.

“I… I’m sorry Ralts… I’ve shown you an embarrassing side of myself… I tend to get tongue tied around… cute girls like that… they just!— *SIGH* —Make me feel all insecure, then I forget what I should say, or remember how to interact with people.” Jennifer said with self-consciousness.

      

Ralts felt pity for her mistress, because she felt that Jennifer was truly embarrassed about this.

Ralts got up on the table, then touched Jennifer’s hand with both of her mitts.

“It’s okay mistress, there is no need to be embarrassed. There is nothing wrong with you being infatuated with a potential mate.”

“Oh god! Ralts!” Jennifer hushed in an embarrassed tone. She slid as low as she could go into her booth. “We don’t call them mates Ralts, we call them… well a few different thing… But that’s not the point! I don’t!— and I wasn’t— I just— UGH!” She dropped her head into her arms as she rested them on the table.

             

Ralts smiled at her mistress, as she was very amused by her embarrassment, for she had never seen Jennifer so flustered before.

She patted Jennifer’s head comfortingly as she tried consoling her.

“There there, mistress. There is no need to be embarrassed about this, mother always said that it was natural to eventually find interest in another for mating.” Ralts reassured.

Jennifer turned her head to peek up at Ralts.

“Ralts… I’m not really interested in her, it was more like she was my type.”

“Your type?” Ralts questioned.

Jennifer nodded her head.

“You might not understand this, being a Pokémon, and I hate to say it like that; but it’s like this for humans: we tend to have a certain look, or a certain type of person find more attractive, than others.” Jennifer explained before sitting up straight. “Pokémon tend to find a mate as a result of their breeding needs, or their biological needs: humans tend to partner and stay with someone we have strong feelings for, rather than just for...— umm… mating purposes…… we do it, for love.” Jennifer informed her with ruddy cheeks.

Ralts’s eyes widened slightly as she heard this.

        

“Mating? For love?” Ralts breathed astonished.

                  

*BA-DUMB*

         *BA-THUMP*

              

Huh? Jennifer thought perplexed at the feeling of Ralts’s raising heart rate.

               

*SCRAAAAP*

        

“And here are your drinks!~”

        

Jennifer and Ralts pulled away from each other, with Ralts moving back to sit down in the high seat for her.

“Hmm?~” The waitress watched as the Pokémon and the trainer who were sharing a heartfelt moment, separated from each other out of embarrassment.

She looked at both of their faces, as the deeply tanned skinned trainer, and the fair skinned ralts, blushed in embarrassment; one a deep ruddy color, one a misty orange.

“I’m sorry!~” The waitress apologized. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” She placed the lemonades down and bowed her head with her tray across her front. “Your food will be right out!~” She then skated back towards another table. “Please excuse me!~ Enjoy your drinks!~”

“H-Hey!- Wait— you got!… AH! forget it!” Jennifer groused with a fold of her arms, as the skating waitress bladed away out of ear shot.

                        

Ralts felt that Jennifer was not embarrassed at being caught being so close with her: Ralts realized, that was something that her trainer, seemed to value: a sort of image of herself, that Jennifer thought of herself as something of a loner, who didn’t show or express her feelings out in the open.

But Ralts realized that Jennifer just didn’t like feeling vulnerable in front of strangers, that she preferred to be open to the people she trusted wholeheartedly.

Which she hasn’t had many she could say she’s trusted explicitly… and those she has, have……

She glanced up at her trainer, whose expression was still sullen and slightly red.

I hope I can be that person she trust wholeheartedly. Ralts thought with a wish.

                      

*BA-THUMP*

             *BA-DUMP*

                                  

Jennifer glanced over at Ralts, as she felt her heart do a little pitter-patter.

Ralts herself was just sitting there in her high chair, staring up at Jennifer cutely.

         

*BA-DUMP-THUMP*

        

GAH! She’s just so cute!~  Jennifer couldn’t help thinking that, while smiling at her Pokémon. She noticed a tinge of orange color Ralts’s cheeks as she thought this.

Fuck!

Jennifer quickly scanned the table to find a distraction.

“S-So! W-What did you order for us Ralts? I did get to see.”

Ralts smiled up at Jennifer, before Jumping back up onto the table.

She then slapped the two items she selected, that were embedded underneath the plexiglass that the table’s top was made out of.

“Hmm? You picked?-……………………….. T-These two things?!” She asked Ralts to confirm.

Ralts nodded her head.

“Ralts!” She cheered.

Jennifer gave her a crooked smile, before looking back down at the menu in the table.

           

S-Super S-Spicy C-C-Curry?!

*GULP*

She looked at her Pokémon’s own choice, which was a spicy berry blend of PokéBlocks.

Jennifer felt, like in some deep dark corner of her mind, that she had somehow been betrayed.

No Ralts! Not you too!~ Jennifer whimpered in the corner of her mind. Why does everyone like spicy food other than me?!~

       

Ralts looked up, and spotted a chagrin smile on Jennifer’s face.

“R-Ralts alts Ralt?!” She asked if Jennifer was okay.

Jennifer nodded her head mechanical and stiffly.

“J-Just fine Ralts!” Jennifer winced at the volume of her voice. “C-Can’t wait to eat that curry you ordered for me!” She told Ralts in, what she thought was,  more believable tone of excitement.

Which Jennifer didn’t have to wait for long for it to arrive, much to her dismay.

“Here you two are!~” The waitress in wheels said as presentation. “Hope you two enjoy!~” She said cutely with a short bow. She then turned and winked at Ralts while blowing her a kiss. “See you later Cutie!~” Right before she skated back towards the kitchen.

Jennifer laughed as she watched the cute rollerblading waitress skate away.

“See Ralts,” She pointed towards the waitress. “That is why I don’t just ask people I find interesting, because the waitress barely looked at me anyways.” She looked back at her Pokémon, who had already dove into her food. “She was much more interested in you, I think.”

Ralts had a stunned expression on her face as she tried to swallow.

          

*COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH*

          

“Ralts?!” Jennifer called out to her Pokémon. “Are you okay?!”

She then reached over and grabbed Ralts drink and handed it to her.

“Drink this.” She instructed Ralts.

        

Ralts did as her trainer said, and drank some of the lemonade, which helped coax the food down gently.

“Oh thank Arceus!” Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t know how to give the Heimlich maneuver to a Pokémon.

“G-Give me the what?! *COUGH* *COUGH*” Ralts questioned as she cleared the last of her throat of lodged food.

Jennifer shook her head.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it: it’s a medical technique that human’s developed to help someone who’s choking.” Jennifer explained it to her anyways.

        

As they settled back into their chairs, Jennifer worried she about what she said earlier that surprised Ralts.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” Jennifer told Ralts.

But Ralts was already shaking her head before Jennifer could even finish talking.

“It’s alright, it just surprised me a bit.” She told Jennifer. “I never thought I would have a human take an interest in me in such a way!” Ralts said astonished.

“Oh Arceus! No! I that wasn’t what I was implying!” Jennifer said a loud. Then realized she had better start talking more quietly. “And I don’t think… at least I’m reasonably sure the woman isn’t like that… but I can’t be sure without reading her mind.”

“Ralts?” Ralts tilted her head in question at Jennifer’s words.

Jennifer shook her head.

“Forget it, I’m not going to explain that one: I wasn’t implying that the woman was interested in you as a mate!” Jennifer could feel her ears heating as she said this, but shook of the feeling to continue her explanation. “I was saying she is interested in you, because you’re a shiny.”

         

Ralts tilted her head.

“A shiny?” She questioned.

“Yeah,” Jennifer said, like it was obvious. “Your colorations.” She pointed out. “Your blue hair, the orange colors of your horn.” She smiled at Ralts. “If you wanted Ralts,” Jennifer told her with a smile. “You could make it big as a film star, making all though cheesy Pokémon movies that kids and grown ups like to watch.”

“Pokémon movies?”

Jennifer smiled at her tiny, curious, Feeling Pokémon.

“Yeah,” She confirmed to Ralts. “There is a whole selection of the media, just dedicated to Pokémon working in films.” Jennifer then looked into the inquisitive eyes of her Pokémon. “They do cool stunts and show off in front of a camera, and then have human voice actors speak over what the Pokémon are saying, to fill in what was supposed to be on the script.” Jennifer smiled as she thought about the ones she had seen long ago. “They’re cheesy and corny, but all around good fun to watch,” Jennifer explained. “In fact!” Jennifer pulled out her phone and started pressing some buttons on it. “TA-DA!” Jennifer exclaimed.

“Look! I got us two tickets to a movie this afternoon, and this theater allows Pokémon to come in!”

Ralts had wide eyes as she was trying to process and keep up with everything that Jennifer was throwing at her.

Jennifer noticed the bewildered expression on the young Pokémon’s face and pulled her phone back.

“Would you like to go with me, Ralts? To the Movies?” Jennifer asked her Pokémon shyly.

          

*BA-THUMP*

             *BA-DUMP*

                  

Ralts felt the nervousness coming from her mistress, after she had asked Ralts her question. But she didn’t understand what it was that Jennifer was nervous about.

Maybe this is something she doesn’t like, and she is only taking me because she thinks I might want to go?!

Ralts head was spinning, and almost unbeknownst to her. She found herself nodding her head in affirmation.

“R-Ralts alts.” She said to Jennifer.

        

Jennifer’s eyes went wide.

“R-Really?! You— *GULP* —You want to go watch it with me?!”

Ralts nodded, even though her own eyes were wide in surprise at her previous affirmation.

“Ralts!” She told Jennifer with conviction.

Jennifer wanted to get up and dance at that moment.

She didn’t understand why, but she felt that this was a huge step forward in their relationship as Pokémon and trainer.

I know she’s my Pokémon, and she is legally obligated to go where I go… but still! I’m not forcing her! I asked. She said yes! And that has got me so freaking excited for some reason?!…… WHY?!

While Jennifer was having a euphoric existential crisis, Ralts was smiling happily to herself.

I’m so glad mistress is treating me so well! I’m so happy she’s my trainer and friend! I’m so happy that she wants to do everything together!

             

Ralts was the first to come back down from cloud nine, and she just then noticed something.

“Umm?… mistress?” She called out to Jennifer.

“H-Huh? What is it Ralts?” Jennifer wondered is something was wrong.

“Why haven’t you touched your food yet? Were you not hungry?”

         

Suddenly, and with only a few words. Ralts had unintentionally brought Jennifer crashing back down to reality.

          

*GULP*

             

Jennifer looked down and stared at the dark red paste that covered one half of the rice on the plate.

Steam still rose up and was indicating its still warm and hot contents.

Jennifer swore to herself, that she saw a skull and crossbones rising off of the curry, in a mist of the same color of the sauce.

“O-O-O-Ooohhh… Y-Yeah!” Jennifer said excitedly. “I’m s-s-starving!” She told Ralts.

Jennifer looked back over to Ralts, who was watching her with eyes of anticipation.

Jennifer gulped once more, before looking back down at her arch-nemesis: spicy food.        

           

Oh great god Arceus!…. Give me strength!

She then picked up her spoon, then piled some rice and sauce onto it, right before bringing it to her mouth.

She hesitated one more time, before looking at her Pokémon, who was watching her with hopeful eyes.

          

*GULP*

        

FOR RALTS!

         

*CHOMP*

           

               

                  

              

It was about thirty minutes later, after several more glasses of lemonade, that they final left the restaurant.

          

Ralts figured out pretty quickly, what Jennifer’s hesitation was, and her reluctance after taking the first few bite.

It felt like she was in physical pain! I did this! She thought worriedly to herself.

Jennifer smiled at Ralts with swollen red lips.

“It’s fine Ralts!” Jennifer wheezed. “A little spice. Never killed anyone.” She assured her Pokémon through pants of heavy breaths. “I just didn’t, not want to eat the very first meal, that my Pokémon ordered for me!” She explained. “And hey!” She added. “It wasn’t all that bad! The flavor was good!” She told Ralts. “You liked it!” Jennifer pointed out.

But Ralts shook her head.

“I just wish I knew sooner mistress. I would have ordered a milder one for you.” Ralts assured her. “I wouldn’t give you something you didn’t like on purpose.” She told her. “Charmeleon told me that—“

“Aah!” Jennifer said with an eureka point of an upwards finger. “That explains it… this was a prank.”

“A-A prank?!”

“Whatever Charmeleon told you at breakfast… I am going to bet it’s the opposite of everything I like…”

              

Ralts felt like she had just inadvertently ruined the whole day that her mistress had seemed to plan for the two of them.

Ralts snuggled in closer to Jennifer’s head.

“I’m sorry for feeding you something like that mistress… please tell me if it’s something you don’t like. You won’t hurt my feelings by not eating it.”

Jennifer chuckled at Ralts’s offer.

“Thanks, next time I will. And really. It’s not really spicy foods that bother me… *GULP* …It’s HOT, spicy foods, that bother me….. but for some odd reason, everyone in my family love it!” Jennifer groused.

Ralts felt pity for her mistress.

“That is okay mistress, we can just eat what you like from—“

Now it was Jennifer’s turn to preemptively shake her head.

“I don’t think so. Like I said: a little, hot spicy food, won’t kill me. I know you like it… but I’m not likely to eat it or share it with you.” She smiled at her Pokémon. “You just enjoy what you enjoy, and I’ll enjoy what I do, as well; then we’ll find something that we enjoy together.” She told Ralts positively.

Ralts smiled warmly at her mistress, comforted by her assuring words.

But as she looked at Jennifer’s face, and her swollen lips, she felt her guilt return.

“Look Ralts, don’t worry—“

“Mistress?”

Jennifer stopped talking to stare at Ralts’s gentle call.

Ralts moved an inch closer to her on her shoulder, then reached out with a hand.

“Ralts?! What are you?!—“

          

Then, Ralts’s hand turned blue, a feeling of water and a light caress touched Jennifer’s lips, and she felt, as if her whole body was feeling better.

            

Once Ralts had moved away, Jennifer’s stinging and swollen lips, were back to their dusky pink.

“There mistress,” Ralts decreed. “All better?” She asked.

Jennifer nodded her head robotically.

        

She!— she just he—

        

She looked at Ralts with wide eyes of surprise.

“How long have you been able to do that, Ralts?” Jennifer wondered.

Ralts shrugged.

“Just recently.” She confessed.

Jennifer stared in disbelief, as she had never seen a Pokémon using their healing powers on her before.

That was!…. Incredible….  Jennifer thought in awe.

      

Then Jennifer quickly shook her head, and decided to move on with there day.

There is just so much to do! Jennifer thought excited.

“Thanks Ralts.” She told her Pokémon, before sporting an excited grin. “You ready for the movies now?!”

“Ralts!” The Feeling Pokémon cheered.