They had never worked out which Pokémon had caused the pressed-down ground used to find Shay, so it was nice to get that answered as Shay left. Cardia was still a bit sleepy after sating her hunger, but with some coaxing from Nicola and Shay, she'd taken a few steps, and a wheel of red and blue light crackled into life around her. It looked a little ridiculous for them all to be walking in a giant wheel, but every small step from Cardia amplified the wheel's movement, and soon it was purring as it built up speed and churned up the ground. 

Shay and Nicola held onto Cardia as her cheeks crackled. She broke into a run, the Aura Wheel bouncing a few times before it bit into the dirt and then really picked up speed. With a poke of their tongues over the shoulder, Shay and Nicola grew distant from the group, rapidly speeding up a hill and bouncing right over the top, away out of sight.

"You think they'll actually apologize?" Calcine said, emptying some water from her canteen into her hand and trying to clean up Sparky's face. Savaging Shay had her cheeks shining with spit and juices, and Sparky let her scrub her clean without any real complaint. 

"I think a Dark Trainer does what they say they will," Sparky said, "I don't think Cardia and Nicola would put up with her if she wasn't at least very forward."

Brandy had grabbed her Poké-dex number, so she could always yell at them later if she didn't. 

"Shame we didn't see her other partners," Brandy said as she took a drink from her own canteen. She'd actually come out of the battle without getting into too much of a mess this time. It was more to wash the taste of Calcine down. It wasn't that she disliked it, but she had a spicy edge that didn't sit well in the mouth. 

"We might next time," Calcine said. "I don't think she's the type to take a loss and leave it at that."

"Well, let's get back to things," Sparky said, "Walking. With our legs. Like some suckers."

Calcine tugged at Sparky's cheeks. "Neither of us has Travel moves. Deal with it."

"I can ball you," Brandy said, patting the binding balls on her hip. "I don't mind walking."

"You got long legs. You're built for walking," Sparky huffed. "And I don't want to miss seeing them in action."

As expected really, new Partners didn't like being in the ball much. Once things had settled down, it'd get more common for Calcine and Sparky to rest up, especially in big groups. Better to enjoy a nap than fight everyone for attention. 

"Shamelessly praising my legs is nice," Brandy said, giving her skirt a flick for Sparky's amusement. "But finding Mercury is our next task, and we still don't know where she is. Nearby maybe? Shay was on her trail too." 

Calcine was looking thoughtfully at Brandy's legs. "We should bait her out." 

"Oh no, I know what you're thinking."

"Sometimes a plan is just so good you can't avoid it."

---

It'd taken a bit to climb the tallest hill, and Sparky was regretting not going in the ball for it. She tried using Agility to make it less awkward, but even hopping after them was clearly tiring her out. In the end, Calcine had let her ride on her shoulders, bearing the climb with the added weight without a single complaint. 

"You two get along really well now," Brandy said, "It's nice."

"She's stuffy, but she's loyal and fun sometimes," Sparky said, "And she pulls her weight."

Calcine smiled, patting Sparky's legs. "Thank you, Sparky." 

Brandy and Sparky waited expectantly for Calcine's side of it, but she didn't say anything. Sparky twitched on her shoulders, hands pawing at Calcine's horns. The sly smile on Calcine's face got Brandy giggling. 

"Come on!" Sparky groaned, "I said nice things. Reciprocate!"

"You're good at sucking my-" Calcine said before getting cut short as Sparky flicked one of her stubby horns, a little shock of electricity running down it and making Calcine's spine twitch. Brandy got an arm around her to hold her up before she ended up Rolycoly'ing her way back down the hill.

"I never heard about that, by the way." Brandy said, "Am I going to get details finally?"

"When we both Evolve," Sparky said, covering Calcine's mouth as she tried to speak. Calcine clawed at her hands to pry them off, but she's got her webs, and they're stuck fast.

"If I'm going to wait that long, I want to see it, not hear about it," Brandy said, reaching up to give Sparky's butt a swat. "If Calcine can even handle your Evolution."

"Pff, as if. She'd choke and die." Sparky grinned. "You both enjoy being the tall ones. My day will come."

With a puff of smoke, Calcine rolls a flame along her lips, Sparky pulling away blistered fingers to suck on them. "Maybe you'll be a short Galvantula. You're already pretty big for a Joltik."

"... I'm the regular height?" Sparky said, tilting her head. 

"Not big tall, big big."

Sparky chewed her bottom lip, thinking that over until it clicked what Calcine was talking about. "Ohhhhh. Okay, I forgive you for not complimenting me."

If it were anyone but Calcine, Brandy would have found it shameless to praise Sparky's dick. Calcine was so bluntly honest that she didn't doubt it was genuine praise. It really was strange how they got along so well despite being so different. 

Her boots dug into the hillside as she pressed up. The burn in her legs from climbing was an excellent way to shake off the tremble of Nicola's attention. She didn't mind the occasional stares from Calcine or Sparky either. She was still getting used to noticing she was being admired, and Brandy felt a brief pang of loss at all that time in school she'd missed out on from being so oblivious. It was probably for the best. She'd have gotten a big head.

"You did good too, Brandy," Calcine said. "You're getting much better at handling us. Shay wasn't an easy battle."

Brandy was quite happy she'd won her first real trainer battle. Especially against someone who had a good bit of experience to her name. "We'd have lost if she controlled her own just a little better." 

"But she didn't," Sparky said, bouncing on Calcine's shoulders until Calcine clamped down on her thighs. "She got cocky. Dark need to be firm."

"You think we should take her tip? I don't know how a Dark Type would fit the team."

"From a Weakness perspective, she'd be great. We'd have someone to take the lead in any fight, and it's down to if you can control her."

If she was like Nicola, she didn't think she'd struggle. Praising the Nickit had been fun, and she'd quickly bent to Brandy's commands. On the other hand, Cardia didn't seem like someone you could control. You just tried to point them the right way and hoped the result worked out. Or they could be a whole bundle of their own problems. Calcine and Sparky were pretty well-behaved, though she'd never tell Sparky that it'd just encourage her. Was she up for a challenge? 

"We could see what she's like, then decide if you're happy with it. Though I still want a Fighting type someday."

"Just want abs!" Sparky said, "We see through you."

Brandy wanted to argue, but it wasn't entirely wrong. Lenna had been a treat, and while Partners weren't all about raw attraction, it certainly didn't hurt. 

"Mercury has plenty of abs," Calcine said, letting out a satisfied grunt as she crested the hill and stretched, shaking Sparky off her shoulders. "We could just capture her."

Sparky hopped down nimbly, giving a twirl before falling back on the hilltop grass. "Let's not break out streak by doing something that stupid. This is already a crazy plan!"

"It'll work," Brandy said. "Trust me"

They both did. That was the nice thing. They didn't even need to say it; Brandy just knew they had her back on this. 

"So we're going to lure her in with my legs? I'm still not sure how she'd notice."

"Mercury's got a sixth sense for pretty women. She'll notice." Calcine said, "Psychic isn't for show. You get in the right mood. She'll find you."

"And up here, see me too, right? So how do I get in the mood?"

Sparky and Calcine grinned. 

Oh, right. Brandy probably should have seen this one coming.

Premier

20+ chapters ahead on Patreon!

Brandy you should know what all their plans involve by this point, honestly.