ready? go!

The girl blinked. “...But I’m very far away from home, and I don’t know how to get back!”

Minior ceased spinning, and nodded in understanding. “I see. But there’s no need to worry, because I am far from home too! We can look for our homes together.”

With a friend by your side, things were never quite so scary. The girl agreed, and began looking for a way home with Minior. It glowed brightly and stuck close to her side, lighting their way. While the mountain was still quite big and the girl quite small, Minior was just the right size to keep her company.

Eventually, they found their way to a clearing. The space was filled with a multihued display; dozens of Minior floating every which way. So the pair joined them, spinning and playing together in the starlight, all the proper things for a little girl and little Pokémon to do.

When they’d had enough, the girl lay in the grass again, much happier than before.“Is this home, then?” She asked Minior.

“No.” Minior replied. “My home is up there.” It bobbed up towards the sky. “I will return there soon, so now I must say goodbye.”

The girl felt very sad to hear this. She had made it through the forest with her friend, but now it would leave her.

“Don’t go!” She said, “I’ll be all alone!”

But Minior just floated forward and tapped her nose with one of its arms.

“Do not cry.” It said, “I am going where I am meant to be. I will return home with my family. Do not forget your mother, who loves you very much. Stay here, and she will find you soon.”

She nodded. She understood, though it made her sad.“I’ll stay. But I’m gonna miss you.”

Minior smiled. “I will miss you too. But one day, many years from now, you will become a star too, and join me in the sky. Then, we will reunite.”

A silent moment of understanding passed between them, and before the girl knew it, the Minior had floated up and out of sight.

The girl’s mother finds her curled up asleep in the grass. The mother cradles her daughter close and carries her home. Though she is still sleepy, the girl feels a sense of comfort wash over her. This is where she’s meant to be, and that makes her very happy indeed. She hopes Minior feels the same.

They will meet again someday, but that is a story far from now. Until then, there is always one star- bright blue and twinkling, shining especially bright on that girl, as long as she lives.

Across the field, grass tinged brown with the lack of moisture, Nemona points to Rockruff. It yips, bouncing a bit in response to its name.

“Try using Water Gun against it! Rockruff’s a Rock type, so it’ll be super-effective! Right— huh?” Nemona looks to Goomy, or where Goomy was. Its place at her feet is empty... “Where did— oh!”

Nemona spins around, startling slightly when she sees Goomy simply sitting behind her.

“Silly thing! You’re supposed to go towards Rockruff! Over there!” She points to it again, twirling around after its own tail. “Don’t worry, Rockruff won’t hurt you! It’ll be gentle, promise!”

But Goomy doesn’t move, only seeming to sink deeper into the ground.

Bending over, Nemona gently picks Goomy up and nudges it closer towards Rockruff. “See~, friendly! Just a friendly training battle.”

Goomy seems fine with Rockruff when Nemona puts it down, but when she straightens up to direct it, it’s already zipping through the grass to hide behind her again.

“Ah- Goomy…” Nemona frowns, raising a hand to her chin. Even if she knows Goomy has nothing to fear, if it doesn’t, they’ll never get anywhere with battle training.

Sighing, Nemona fishes Rockruff’s ball out of her pocket. “You did good, Rockruff, but we’re gonna have to play you and me later, okay? Return for now.”

In a flash of crimson, Rockruff is recalled to its ball. Nemona turns her head around, hoping that Goomy will creep on out now that it’s gone. She looks down at the tiny Pokémon behind her, sitting in her shadow.

“What’s the matter, Goomy…?” She muses. Nemona just doesn’t get it! What could be wrong?

Thinking, Nemona crosses her arms together.

“Ow!“ Nemona startles, uncrossing her arms as fast as she’s crossed them. It was so hot she couldn’t touch the metal parts of her arm brace without burning herself on it! “Oh! Oohhh….”

Suddenly all the pieces click into place, and Nemona whirls around to pick up Goomy. She cradles the tiny Pokemon in her palms, careful that the metal parts of her brace don’t bump into Goomy. Goomy lays in her hands like it’s melted, having significantly dried out.

“Lo siento, Goomy! I didn’t realize!” She fiddles with her bag, pulling out a bottle of fresh water. “Here!”

Unceremoniously, Nemona dumps the entire bottle of water on Goomy, thoroughly soaking it and her shoes. “Better?”

Goomy noticeably perks up, nodding.

“That’s a relief. I’m so sorry! We’ll train some other time when it’s not this hot.”

To her surprise, Goomy shakes its head— well, body?— hard.

“You want to train?”

Goomy nods, bouncing up and down.

“...Alright! Then I know the perfect place to practice battling, and keep you hydrated!”

The swamp north of Cabo Poco makes a messier battleground, but it’s the perfect environment for a Pokémon like Goomy. And if they both end up covered in mud at the end of the day? Well, when Nemona sees Goomy smiling so wide, she finds she doesn’t mind getting a bit messy.