"Hey, you two, we're back!"

I clambered down the staircase into the bluff, Rose following closely behind as we let the trapdoor slam shut. The jaws of Sharpedo Bluff caught the setting sun, casting a soft orange glow around the room as the western sea sparkled on the horizon. I stretched my arms and yawned loudly as my partner trotted past me, feeling the fox brush her nine tails against my leg. Looking past her, I saw Cyan and Erin sitting atop a patch of grass near the fountain, the former giving me a short wave as I dumped the treasure bag near the entrance, keeping hold of a scroll in my palm.

"'Ey, Bill," The Samurott said, slumping forward as he let his head rest in his front paws, his helmet tracing a thin line along the floorstones. "How'd th'job go, eh?"

"Rose, Rose, what'd we get, what'd we get?" Erin asked, jumping in place excitedly, wringing her fists as she tugged at Rose's blue scarf. "Did we get money? Or treasure! Was it treasure?"

"It's not what you'd expect." Rose warded the Mienshao away, arranging bits and pieces of tinder in a circle of stones before spitting a few embers at them. The bits of dead twigs and thin logs quickly set alight, and within a few moments a pleasant fire was roaring in the middle of the bluff. I sighed as the warm sank into me, my aches and pains draining away, and I reached over to put an arm around Rose, pulling her close. She nuzzled my neck before looking over at our teammates. "The client didn't have anything to pay us with."

I snickered during the brief silence, stifling myself by bringing my pawspike to my mouth. Cyan blinked in surprise, the horn on his helmet whooshing as he raised his head and pushed himself upward into a sitting position, his tail pressed up against one of the bluff's teeth. "Wh-wait, what? You've gotta be jokin', right?"

"Relax, Cyan, you didn't let her finish," I cut the sea lion off before he could go into a rant, and I winked at my partner, her red eyes standing out amongst the brown rocks.

"You're the one who's going to like it the most, heheh," Rose laughed a little as she continued. "Since they didn't have anything like money to reward us with, they decided to give us something else, instead, a secret they hadn't let out of their family for a very long time."

"Oooooooh…" Erin's eyes grew to the size of platters, and she leaned forward as she continued to coo, just barely keeping her balance on her tiptoes. "What is it?"

I reached across the small fire, passing the curled-up parchment towards Cyan, who yanked it out of my grasp, unfurling it in both paws. Both Rose and I smiled spritely as the water type's face went from confusion to excitement to concentration in the span of a second or two. "It's some kind of recipe, so we figured you'd get a kick out of it. We didn't take a look at it yet, so you're getting the first look."

"The Carracosta said it was a very old recipe, too," Rose added. "I think she said it dates all the way back from when humans were still around! ...though she might have been exaggerating."

"Woaaah… if she wasn't, I bet Star and Vale'll be really jealous if they ever visit again!" Erin giggled to herself, rocking back and forth on her heels as she thought of our traveling friends. Cyan exhaled heavily, and I turned my head to look at him; he hadn't taken his gaze off of the recipe list for a moment, his eyes flicking back and forth as he moved down the paper. I couldn't help but fidget from his uncharacteristic silence, and I reached back to scratch at my neck, warmed by the last slivers of the sun.

"Well, Cyan?" I asked, crossing my legs, and Rose scooted over to rest on my lap. "What do you think?"

"Hrmm…" He let out a grunt in response, taking a deep breath before quickly reading off the recipe to us. "Bluk berries, both fresh ones an' mushy juicy ones, flour, lots o'cream, sugar an' butter, vanilla juice, chocolate bits an' chocolate powder, couple other berries t'taste…"

As Cyan rattled off the various ingredients, I couldn't help but picture each piece of food in my mind's eye, and I absently licked my lips to keep my mouth from watering. Rose let out a short laugh, looking at Erin, and I smirked as I glanced at the younger girl, who lacked the same willpower I did, judging from the thin trail of drool that was hanging from her slackened jaw. The Ninetales let out a short whistle to catch Erin's attention, and as the mink's eyes refocused, she buried her face in her sleeves, embarrassed.

"What th'… a double boiler? Dammit, seriously?" The sea lion finished, furrowing his brow as he slammed a fist into the dirt, uprooting a small clump of soil from the shock of the blow. "You've gotta b'kiddin' me. We don't have one o'those, y'know! Heck, w'don't even have an oven!"

Cyan slid to his feet and tossed the scroll back to Rose and I, and I raised my paws defensively as the paper bounced into my lap. Erin took a few steps back as her friend irritably drew a seamitar and poked at the campfire, and Rose put on a slight frown, gently scolding the teen. "Cyan, please don't yell. We weren't expecting you to make… um, whatever it is for us."

"Yeah, we just thought you'd be interested in it." I shrugged as Erin tiptoed over and scooped up the recipe, taking a look at it herself. "Like I said, we let you have the first peek."

"Gah, it's not that, alright?" Cyan sighed, avoiding eye contact as he continued to poke and prod at the burning logs, ash sticking to the tip of his blade. "I… hmph, I actually wanna try an' make it. Nothin' t'do with you guys."

"Heeey, how do you even say this?" Erin interrupted, twisting her head left and right as she stared blankly at the scroll. "Gatt eww? Gate 'ey you? Heeheehee… gate, 'ey you!"

"It's a cake, Erin!" Cyan rolled his eyes, dropping his blade as he stomped over and traced a paw along the top edge of the page, and Erin followed his finger. "Bluk Geh-tea-you. Look at th'stuff I need, okay? Judgin' from what I have t'do t'make this thing, it's some kind'a cake."

"A cake?" Rose repeated, her tails wagging up and down. "Oh… if it's something that complicated, maybe we shouldn't have accepted it. You're right, Cyan, we don't have any baking equipment here."

I got to my feet, walking around the fire and brushing past the vines that hung over the east wall, poking my head into the small storage room dug into the cliff. A few pots, a couple pans, Cyan's hiking bag, Erin's belt pouch, and a box of dried fruit were all that lay within. "Hmm… unless anyone wants to play inventor, we're not making a cake with what we've got in here."

"That's what's getting' me angry!" Cyan said, sitting back down and grumbling under his breath. "Th'only Pokemon I know 'round here who has th'stuff I'd need t'whip up a cake like that'd be… heck, Spinda and his café, I'm guessin'."

Erin beamed cheerfully and let herself flop onto her friend, hugging his neck tightly as she rubbed her cheek against his mustache. Cyan scratched at his face, trying to hide the blush forming under his fur. "That's not so bad, silly! Just go ask mister Spinda if he'd let you use his kitchen!"

"Wh-what?" The Samurott stuttered, looking at the fighting type out of the corner of his eye. "Y-you're kiddin', right?"

"She's got a good point, Cyan," Rose agreed with a nod and a smile, and I tousled her headfur to keep it from falling over her eyes as she continued to speak. "I'm sure Spinda wouldn't mind a bit, as long as you made sure to ask him nicely."

"Besides, if you really want to make this cake so bad, he'd be the best person to ask. He runs his café, after all." I chimed in, gesturing lamely at Cyan. Faced with overwhelming opposition, the sea lion looked at each of us before grunting in frustration, shaking his head.

"Alright, fine, fine…" He said, throwing his paws in the air as he got to his feet, dusting himself off and retrieving his seamitar from the pile of ashes that remained of the campfire. He stabbed the blade into the dirt, pulling it out cleanly before returning it to its sheath on his arm. "I'll go ask him, then… haww…"

Cyan punctuated the end of his statement with a loud yawn, and I glanced outside, watching the stars wink into view above the calm, open sea. Like clockwork, Erin yawned as well, then Rose, her cold nose bumping into my chin as she breathed. I grinned mildly as the Samurott slumped back down, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"Why don't you go ask him tomorrow, huh?" I suggested, picking up my sleepy partner and walking over to one of the beds of dry grass, cuddling up as I settled down onto the cushy floor. "Get some sleep, Cyan, Erin. If you're really going to try and make this thing, you'll need it."

"Haah, I guess you're right…" Cyan replied, crumpling onto the other bed, and Erin pounced on top of him, splaying herself wildly on top of her friend's back. She reached up and popped the warrior's helmet off, shoving it over to the fountain as she rested her head between Cyan's ears. "G'night, Bill. Rose."

"Sleep tight, Cyan," I muttered, dozing off to dreamland.

The sound of metal clanging against metal made the patrons of the café jump in surprise, and an uproarious crash rang from the doorway behind the counter, rattling the odd machines and stocks of food that sat atop the bar. As the sound of a spinning metal tray faded out, the Pokemon grunted or sighed, shaking their heads as they returned to their meals, breathing in the scents that wafted from their cups and their dishes. Cyan gripped the scroll tightly in his paw as he trampled towards the back room, peeking his nose out from the doorframe as he looked at the bartender, who winced as he rubbed at his sore ears. Spinda's swirly eyes seemed to shine pleasantly as he noticed the young explorer's presence.

"Oh, hello there, Cyan!" The red panda hopped up onto his tiny feet, patting himself down from his spotted head to his little toes as the Samurott carefully eased himself into the messy kitchen. Platters, utensils and various other bits and bobs lay scattered on the stone tiles, and a trio of mugs steamed atop a sideboard, precariously close to a tub of water. "What brings you here today? It's rather late in the morning for a meal, isn't it?"

"Eh, I've had m'breakfast already anyway." Cyan waved his paw dismissively at Spinda, reaching down to help gather up the fallen cookware. The two made short work of the task, piling up the dirtied dishes in the water, and Cyan leaned his arm against the rock-hewn furniture, shooting the normal type a toothy smile and a cocky thumbs-up. "Busy day today?"

"Busy busy!" Spinda jumped up to the edge of the sideboard, grabbing two of the drinks, and Cyan took the third, following the barkeeper out as he slid the piping-hot mugs to the end of the counter. "Hey, ma'am and sirs? Your drinks are ready!"

A Charmander and two others hopped up from their seats to collect their beverages, and Cyan nodded as he passed the one he held to a quiet Treecko, receiving a grateful nod from the Pokemon. Their Totodile friend let out a hearty chortle as the patrons began to make small talk on the way back to their table, and the Samurott turned back to Spinda, who was dusting his paws off in satisfaction. "So, what did you pop by for, Cyan? Have a hankering for a drink, hehe?"

"Not 'xactly, Spinda…" Cyan pushed a space in between barstools and sat down, rolling the recipe scroll across the wooden surface. It quickly stopped as it collided with Spinda's outstretched palms, and as he opened the paper up, Cyan continued. "Bill an' Rose picked this up as a reward for doin' a recent job, 'n case I was interested in it."

"Bluk Gateau…?" Spinda rolled the name off of his tongue deliberately, scanning down the instructions. Cyan briefly let his face fall into his paws as he heard the name pronounced correctly. "This sounds like a pretty fancy pastry, Cyan! Bill and Rose lucked out with this one!"

"Yeh, 'pparently it's some family secret of th'client's," The Samurott said, drumming his fingers on the countertop. "I was gonna ask if you'd let me use your kitchen t'try an' whip this thing up."

"What!?" Spinda dropped the scroll and stared at Cyan in surprise. He quickly got his bearings, shaking his head in mild embarrassment at his outburst. "Er, hehe, sorry if I sound rude, but why can't you make this back at Sharpedo Bluff?"

"B'cause we don't have th'kinda equipment we need, y'dummy." Cyan pointed at a small clump of writing on the page. "See here?"

The red panda studied the words, belting out a long, low whistle as he read. "Shoot, you mix this stuff in a double boiler and then you bake it?"

"Hey, Spinda, could I get an apple smoothie, please?" Someone on the other side of the café spoke up.

"Coming right up!" Spinda called back. Cyan retrieved the recipe from across the counter, and he watched as Spinda run into the kitchen and return with a few apples, juggling them before beginning to peel the skins off with a small knife. The vivid red curls came off in an unbroken string, and the normal type sliced the fruits in half, cutting out the cores from each piece. As he worked, he looked over at Cyan. "Anyway, uh… no wonder you came to me, the nearest place you'd be able to find a double boiler otherwise is over in Tiny Town!"

"That's m'point." The Samurott gestured lamely with his paw as Spinda scooped the apples and a splash of apple juice into a glass, shaking it furiously. "You're th'only one 'round here who has th'right stuff I need t'try an' make this… Gateau stuff, so I was wonderin' if I could use your kitchen."

Spinda didn't answer, too busy spinning in place as he put the final touches on the drink, and as he spun himself out, Cyan helped him ease the finished smoothie onto the bar. The juicy mixture settled in the clear glass, and Cyan reached up towards the ceiling, waving his arm high. "Oi, whoever wanted th' apple smoothie! It's 'bout ready for you!"

"Coming!" The voice called back, and Cyan turned back to Spinda, who teetered and tottered around, thoroughly dizzy. The sea lion clasped a paw on the normal type's shoulder, steadying him as he got his bearings back.

"Ooohaaaooooh…" Spinda's eyes swirled around, and he scrunched them shut, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Cyan. And I'd be glad to let you use the kitchen, as long as I was around to help you use the equipment in there."

"I know how t'do most of what it's askin' for, Spinda," Cyan retorted grumpily, and Spinda waved his paws.

"I didn't mean it like that, Cyan. Did you really read this recipe?" Spinda pointed at the scroll, and Cyan looked down, frowning at the scrap of parchment. "That right there is at least a two-Pokemon job, and there's no way I'm going to let you try and make it without someone helping you. And that someone is me!"

Spinda put a paw to his chest in a confident pose, and Cyan rolled his eyes, sighing in resignation as he stood up and began walking towards the back room. "Alright, fine, you can help out. Let's get th'ingredients we need an' get cookin', eh?"

"W-wait!" The bartender cried, and Cyan stopped in his tracks, halfway through the doorway. "Cyan, at least let me finish serving during the busy hours, alright?"

"I'll be waitin' in th'back…" Cyan said from behind the wall, his tail vanishing behind the wooden frame.

"That's fine, then." Spinda blinked a little before quickly adding, "And don't eat anything back there, either!"

Inwardly, Cyan swore in temporary defeat.

The feeling of water was cool against my fur as I sat down, dipping my legs into the river and leaning against one of the posts outside of Chansey's Day Care. Erin was out playing with some of the kids further up the river, a medley of voices laughing cheerfully, while Rose was content to stay nearby and let the sun warm her fur, her head resting on my shoulder as she wrapped her tails around a couple of eggs, keeping them comfortable.

"You were right, Rose," I started to say, peering up at the cloudless sky contentedly, and my partner shifted her gaze to look at me. I held her a little closer, shooting her a goofy grin. "This is a nice change of pace from the typical outlaw hunting mission."

"I told you you'd enjoy it," The Ninetales replied, a note of pride in her voice as she snuggled into me again. "It's a nice way to relax after traveling, isn't it?"

A loud splash came from upstream, and I looked across the small bridge, watching the water fly upwards and around as Chansey herself cannon-balled into the river. The delighted screams of the children she cared for rose over the sound of the shops and the other villagers, and I couldn't help but laugh a little at the sight. "Heh, I guess. I bet Cyan wouldn't enjoy it, he hasn't figured out how patience outside of cooking works yet."

Rose lifted her head up, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked around Treasure Town, peering from one end of the town to the other. She let out a soft 'hmm' as she wondered to herself. "Where is Cyan, anyway? Did he really go ask Spinda about making that cake?"

"I think so." A couple leaves got caught against my knees, and I gingerly pushed them out of the way, watching as they drifted away. "He seemed really set on pulling that recipe off."

"Last I saw him, we were eating breakfast, and then before we decided what to do today, he had already left…" Rose thought aloud, taking a moment to check on the eggs she warmed. "He's been gone the whole morning!"

"Well, I'm not surprised!" I said, and my partner snapped her gaze back at me. "I took a look at the thing over breakfast, aside from the ingredients I couldn't really make four heads or nine tails of it."

The fox gave me a blank stare before smiling and cringing in the same breath. "That was… terrible. Terrible."

I smiled. "I try."

"Oh, shut up," Rose laughed, poking at my side with her paw, and we both let out a round of giggles, cuddling up in the early afternoon sun. Even the eggs seemed to be happy, a couple of them seemingly shining with mirth. A trick of the light, maybe. "But really, Bill… do you think we should check up on him later today? Maybe after the Pokemon at the day care get put down for a nap?"

"Why don't we go to the café tonight for dinner or something?" I offered, landing a peck on her cheek. "No way I'm giving up a chance to taste that cake."

"I bet Erin wouldn't want to miss it either." Rose looked across the water at the girl, who was now gently tossing one of the toddling Pokemon into the air. "Then I suppose it's settled. I hope Cyan isn't too surprised…"

"I hope he is," I snickered, and I let out a merry laugh as my partner shoved me into the river.

"W-woah, Cyan, help me move this!" Spinda stuttered, trying his hardest to lift the double boiler over his head. The Samurott grabbed the piece of cooking equipment with both of his paws, easily hoisting it into the air and setting it down on the rickety old stove, inadvertently rattling the small dishes of ingredients that sat nearby. He rolled his eyes as the little red panda wiped his brow, taking a quick breath of air and staring up at the large sea lion. "Thanks, hehe! So what's next, huh? You're the one with the Gateau recipe here."

"A'ight, first thing w'do is t'… heat up a li'l water and mix these in," Cyan recited, dumping a few glassfuls of water into the pot, which quickly began to burble. Tossing in a few of the ingredients, he passed Spinda a mixing tool and lifted him a few paces away from the stove. The red panda stuck his tongue out slightly as he began to deftly stir the batter up. "It's gotta be 'thick an' ribbony', so you do that an' I'll start workin' on th'bluk berries, an' then th'cream!"

"Please don't interrupt, Cyan!" Spinda said, not taking his eyes off of the boiler. "If this needs to be at a specific point, I'll need to focus as much as I can, hehe."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever y'say," Cyan muttered as he carefully dribbled some of the berry juice into a pan next to the double boiler. Stomping around the kitchen as the syrup steamed, the Samurott poured some grainy yellow flour into the can of dark, syrupy berries. He nearly reached his paw into the mixture before thinking better of it, popping a small slab of bark on top of the can and shaking it up, rolling his eyes with a mild smirk. "What's he say now…? Shake it this way, shake it that way?"

He grunted as something pinged off of his helmet, and as a bluk berry rolled across the floor, Cyan looked over his shoulder at Spinda, who innocently kept to his work. The gooey substance quickly turned pasty, and within a few seconds Cyan had poured the can's contents into the pan. As the fruit mixture began to sizzle pleasantly, he walked over to the sideboard, pulling the recipe off of the top and reading it over. "'Kay, Gateau, batter, berries… cream… cream an' th'vanilla."

Sliding over the two bottles of liquid, he dumped them both into another bowl, watching as they swirled into an unappetizing puddle of pale brown. Peering around the room, Cyan frowned as he grasped at thin air. "Spinda, I need 'nother spoon."

The bartender didn't reply, his swirly eyes having somehow narrowed to slits as he fervently stirred the batter, oblivious to the explorer's presence, much less his request. Trudging grumpily over to one of the shelves at the edge of the room, Cyan roughly yanked a drawer open, leering at the cookware contained within. No more spoons could be seen, at least ones that were meant for mixing.

He shoved the drawer back into its spot on the wall, curling his paws into fists in frustration. As the sea lion gripped the edge of the counter, he glanced at a small, pointy handle that poked out from the armor on his arm. He blinked.

"Maybe…" Carefully, Cyan drew the seamitar out from its sheath, the blade glinting in the soft lighting, and he scratched at his mustache as a thin trail of wisps drifted across the weapon's surface. The acrid scent ticked his nose, making him grimace in disgust, and he turned around, sucking in a breath and coughing as he inhaled the smoke. "Argh! More n' maybe!"

The bluk syrup fizzled and popped as it burned from the heat, and a panicked Cyan shoved his seamitar underneath the pan, sliding it haphazardly onto a cooler part of the rock. As he nervously stirred the goop with the tip of the sword, he waved the smoke away from the pan before wafting some of the berry's scent towards him. The faintest trace of burnt berry was quickly washed out by the sweetly-simmering sauce, and Cyan sighed in relief, glaring out of the corner of his eye at Spinda. "Spinda, y'coulda told me it was burnin'!"

"Aha, hehe, perfect!" Spinda cried in triumph, lifting the mixing tool out of the boiler, and Cyan watched as the thickened batter piled back into the pan in ribboned layers. "The Gateau batter's at ribbon stage! Cyan, pass me the chocolate powder, will you?"

The explorer grumbled grumpily, still dabbing at the bluk berries with his sword, and he reached over with his free paw and passed the dish of chocolate powder to the red panda. Spinda daintily shook the sweet stuff into the batter, jumping over to the sideboard and picking up a few other ingredients. "Thank you! Now, hehe, what were you asking me for?"

"Oh, for Arceus' sake, never mind." Cyan rubbed at his forehead wearily, dipping his seamitar into the tub of water and letting it sit. "Jus' keep mixin', I'll get started on makin' th'creamstuff…"

"Pokemon detected! Pokemon detected!"

"Whose footprint? Whose footprint?"

"It's just us, Diglett!" I knelt onto the grate and put my paws to my mouth as I yelled down the pit, and a loud sneeze rumbled up from the entrance to the Wigglytuff Guild. I could see Diglett wiggle at us in confirmation, and Rose hopped onto my back as I slowly climbed down the ladder, firmly planting my feet into the second floor's dirt floor. I stepped back when Erin slid down the center pole, squatting low to let my partner dismount. Rose nodded a hello to a purple Pokemon that lumbered up the neighboring ladder, his huge, round ears bouncing as he stepped into a patch of late afternoon sunlight that streamed in from the open window.

"Good afternoon, TEAM RETURNERS!" Loudred yelled halfway through his greeting, and a few visiting teams stared in dampened shock as his voice blared around the room. I looked over my shoulder at one Pokemon near the job postings, her teammates struggling to keep her from coming over and yelling back, and I turned away to hide a cheeky grin. Loudred didn't seem to notice, cheerfully continuing. "What BRINGS YOU here today, HUH?"

"Can't an exploration team pop by for a friendly visit nowadays?" I snidely remarked, putting on an air of mock offense. Rose snorted. "Besides, today's a break day, we completed some work yesterday."

"So you DID, huh?" Loudred asked, hopping from left foot to right. "I didn't see you COME BY THE guild and pass ON A SHARE OF the reward. WHAT DID YOU get?"

"Heeheehee, it's a bit of a long story, mister LOUDRED!" Erin piped up at the top of her lungs, laughing to herself as the three of us flinched from the noise, and she enthusiastically jumped around, her fuzzy sleeves flailing up and down in the air. Loudred shut his mouth and smiled at us, chuckling deeply at the back of his throat. "Cyan's making a gatt-oh-oo!"

"GATT-OH-OO, HUH? WELL, the GUILD'S NOT that busy RIGHT NOW," He gestured at the relatively empty bulletin room. Part of me wanted to point out that it had emptied because he'd been so loud. "WHAT'S THE story?"

"Mmm…" Rose hummed to herself, smiling up at our fellow guild member as she trotted over to a cozy corner at the opposite wall. "I guess it all technically started…"

Waves of heat emanated from the small opening, hitting Cyan with full force as he lay low to the ground, his ears curled forward and his muscles tense in anticipation. Panting from the high temperature, the sea lion wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow, looking down at the pale circle of glistening batter before returning his gaze to the fiery machine.

"Cyan, don't just sit there! Put it in and you'll be done with that part already!" Spinda chided from across the kitchen, and the Samurott leaned forward, quickly sliding the cake pan into the oven and shutting the door. Cyan shook his head and breathed hard, putting his helmet back on with a 'plonk', and he sniffed around the room, dipping his fingers into the leftover batter in the double boiler. Spinda quickly skittered over, futilely smacking at the explorer's hard belly with the mixing tool. "Okay, so the Gateau's baking! You made the cream filling and you made the bluk berry filling-"

"Even'f it is a li'l burnt," The water type tugged at the ends of his mustache in mild disappointment. The hairs felt dry and stiff, and thoroughly toasty from the oven's excess heat.

"So what else do we have to do?" Spinda asked, clambering up onto the sideboard and standing near the tub of water. Most of the dishes from before had already been sunk to the bottom, the previously-clear liquid becoming murky with batter and berry juices. "Though I think that was everything we had to prepare, hehe!"

"Lemme see…" Cyan started, walking over to the sideboard and reading the recipe over. His eyes widened as he reached the end of the page, and he threw his paws in the air with a barking laugh. "Shoot, you're right! 'Til w'gotta 'ssemble this thing, all we've gotta do is let th'Gateau sit in th'oven for 'bout half n'hour!"

"That's great!" Spinda pumped his fist in the air before giving a short yip, nearly losing his balance as he wiggled his arms around. Cyan grunted, reaching over and tugging on the red panda's ear to get him back to his feet. "Eh, hehe."

"Hey, Spinda!" Wynaut yelled, and both Cyan and Spinda turned around, looking at the small Pokemon that peeked his head around the corner. He stepped into the room, glancing at the intruding explorer. "Oh, hello there, Cyan! What are you doing in here?"

"We're bakin' a Bluk Gateau!" The Samurott answered proudly, tapping his paws against his chest. Wynaut seemed unfazed, cocking his head in confusion, his ear trailing on the stone tile. Spinda stifled a laugh as Cyan rolled his eyes in mild irritation, and the normal type eased himself off of the sideboard, his eyes spinning around as he looked at his fellow café-runner.

"What did you need, Wynaut?" Spinda asked, and the silent reply caused a nervous expression to be plastered onto his features. "Wait… oh no, Cyan, what time is it? How long have we been working?"

"Eh?" Cyan furrowed his brow, looking around the kitchen before letting out a grunt and moving halfway out into the main room of the café, glancing at the primitive clock that hung over the doorway. "Th'clock says… uh… six o'clock! And it's been a while, so it's six in th'evenin'!"

"Oh no!" The bartender cried out, jumping a good few feet in the air in surprise, and he dashed underneath Cyan's legs, hastily snatching a few glasses and apples from around the counter, preparing a quick and easy set of smoothies. Cyan stomped out into the empty bar as Wynaut returned to his stall opposite the bar, and the explorer reached up and lifted the side of his helmet, scratching an itch on his ear. "I don't have anything ready for the Pokemon that are going to come by at dinnertime!"

"Wh-what!?" Cyan felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he guessed it probably wasn't because he was hungry. "You're jokin'!"

"No, I'm not joking, Cyan!" Spinda snapped unhappily, not taking his eyes off of his work as he began to shake up the chopped apples. He stopped a few seconds later and half-heartedly spun around before slamming the drink onto the counter. Cyan peered into the glass and narrowed his eyes at the chunky, unappetizing beverage. "Because I helped you make the Gateau all day, I didn't get to make anything for the dinner patrons! Ohh, I should have tried to make a few things in the meantime…"

Cyan frowned deeply and sank to his backside, twiddling his paws as he looked at the wooden floorboards in embarrassment. As the panicked and worried red panda continued to whip up apple smoothies one-by-one, the sea lion glanced at the back room out of the corner of his vision, mulling a thought around in his head as he stroked at his mustache. The dishes that soaked in the tub of water seemed to beckon to him, and he nodded sharply, pounding a fist into his open palm. Getting to his feet, he trampled into the kitchen, rolling his helmet into the corner as he yanked open drawers and cabinets, pulling out bowls and pots and pans and more.

"Cyan?" Spinda's voice drifted in from outside, and the Samurott shot a look at the doorframe, reaching into one of the shelves and pulling out a few berries. "What are you doing in there?"

"I'm helpin' you make some drinks, got it?" Cyan yelled in response, squeezing the plump oran berry into a glass bowl, and the Spinda yelped loudly, running into the kitchen entrance and staring, wide-eyed, at the heavily focused explorer. "Now go on an' get mixin'! An' don't half-ass it like you were doin', nobody'll want t'drink those! Got it?"

Spinda stared in disbelief for what felt like an age before he beamed enthusiastically, going back to his work at the bar with renewed vigor. The sound of an opening trapdoor echoed clearly around the café's walls, and Cyan dumped the fresh oran juice into a mug, slapping the bark top over it and shaking strongly. Placing the finished oran drink onto the sideboard, his ears twitched as the first few Pokemon began to make cheerful small talk. He shook his head, returning his attention to a second clean mug, pulling another berry out of the cabinet and squeezing it with a grin, watching as the pulpy slush fell into the glass.

Three drinks later, a timid voice's order came from around the corner. "Um, barkeeper? Do you have… any hot chocolate?"

"Really? Most grass types prefer tea…" Spinda replied, and he lifted a paw to his mouth, looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Cyan? I need a cup of hot chocolate!"

"What kind'ya need?" Cyan yelled out, grabbing a cup and saucer from among the medley of dish cabinets. "Powdered or shaved?"

"Just go with whatever!"

"Fine by me, then!" The Samurott rooted through the kitchen and pulled out the chocolate powder, only slightly below full from what they'd used for the Gateau, and along with a small kettle and a fancy bottle of Miltank milk, busied himself with his work. Gritting his teeth excitedly, Cyan unconsciously wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow as he felt a wave of heat wash over him, loud steps fading into white noise as he slipped into a trance.

"Hoo boy…" I exhaled deeply, opening the hatch that lead into Spinda's café, holding the wooden planks up with a pawspike as I looked at Rose and Erin, gesturing towards the hole in the ground with a shake of my head. "Well? Go ahead, go on in first."

"Thanks, Bill!" Erin skipped in first, smiling happily as she descended into the cozy hovel, and I locked eyes with my partner, the Ninetales' tails wagging up and down as the setting sun cast a few desperate rays over the horizon. Grinning cheekily, I tapped a paw against the trapdoor, its hinges giving an ear-piercing squeak. I tried not to pull a face from the noise.

"How noble of you," Rose joked, her headfur bobbing up and down as she trotted down the stairs, and I deftly spun on my heels and followed her, letting the hatch slam shut.

Stepping into the empty café, I waved at Wynaut and Wobbuffet, who greeted us amicably as they looked over their recycle shop, and with a smile I wandered over to the table closest to the bar. Rose and Erin had already hopped up onto their own seats, fidgeting a bit as they got comfortable. I leaned against the furniture, sighing contentedly as the three of us basked in the atmosphere of the empty coffeehouse, the dim lighting lending the room a calming air. The silence was peaceful… in fact, it was too silent and too peaceful. I peered past Rose at the unattended counter, and a second later the fox did the same. She let out a hum.

"That's odd…" She thought aloud, licking her lips before continuing. I swung my legs over the stool, ready to hop up at a moment's notice. "Hey, Wynaut? Where are Spinda and Cyan? We thought they were here today."

"We're… haaaah! We're right here, Rose…" Out came Cyan from behind the doorway, his helmet askew and his paws profusely stained by berry juice. He was followed by Spinda, who teetered and tottered over to us, yawning all the while. I scooted over a bit to let Spinda have the stool; Cyan seemed quite happy to simply sit down on the floor, his eyes weary. "Boy, Spinda… I never figured th'café ever got that busy…"

"Now you know what it's like to cook for a living, Cyan!" The red panda said, stretching his arms out as he propped himself up against the table. "Hehe, do you think you could handle it day in and day out?"

"Nope!" The Samurott replied firmly, clearing his throat afterwards. "Not before, an' not now!"

"Wow… mister Spinda, what happened to you guys?" Erin asked, scampering over to the two and rubbing vigorously at Cyan's shoulders, and the water type let out a soft moan at the contact, his muscles noticeably slumping as he let himself relax under the Mienshao's touch. "You're all nervous and tired and stuff!"

"We wanted to surprise you, but, uh…" I let one chuckle escape my throat. "Cyan, you look like you had a one-on-one fight with an outlaw and just got back from bringing him in. What in the world were you doing today?"

"Evenin' rush!" He answered simply, aiming an open palm at the ceiling. My eyes flicked upward before looking back at him, nothing of note at the top of the room. He sighed heavily, crumpling into a sea-lion-ball as Erin jumped up onto his back, tightly embracing him as her sleeves dangled onto his arm armor. "Not even th'guildmates back home ate that much, an' they ate a lot!"

"You cooked? For every Pokemon that came in here for a dinner stop?" Rose said incredulously, her voice brimming with annoyed concern, her tails sitting still on the floor as she fixed Cyan with a hard stare. "You shouldn't overwork yourself like that! You look like you could fall asleep at any moment!"

The boy didn't respond, simply nodded tiredly as he let Erin hang off of him, and I snuck a quick peek at the clock, noting the late hour. "Well, at least there's nobody else coming now, right?"

"Yep!" Erin let out a flood of giggles and affectionately nuzzled Cyan's cheek, her own whiskers brushing up against his mustache. "We get to have that gat-te-ah-oo aaaaaall to ourselves, right?"

The pink mink yipped in surprise as she found herself sprawled on the floor, and I skidded my stool back a short distance as Cyan and Spinda both shot to their feet, completely taken aback as they stared at each other. The two Pokemon waited for a few tense seconds before stampeding towards the kitchen, yelling in unison, our teammate's helmet making a clatter as it fell off of his head. "The Gateau!"

"Gatt-toe!?" Erin repeated, her arms hanging limply as she tried to process the proper pronunciation of the word, and both Rose and I followed the pair of cooks, halting just at the edge of the entrance. The Samurott and the Spinda had both shoved their noses far inside of the oven, and I pressed my arm against the doorframe, swallowing a disappointed frown as the clock continued to tick-tock behind us.

"…Oh, Cyan…" Rose murmured sympathetically, pawing lightly at the stones as she looked at the Samurott. "Is it…?"

He pulled his face out from the machine, his pink nose covered with a bit of grime, and his vermillion eyes were wide as he looked over his shoulder at us. "Th'Gateau's jus'… gone!"

Rose took a step back, her jaw dropping, and I narrowed my eyes, running a paw through my aura tassels as I felt my tail snap upwards. "Gone?"

"Oh hey, Team Returners! Spinda!" Something wriggled around between my ankles, and I looked down at Wynaut, who poked his head into the kitchen. "Are you talking about that weird cake you made?"

"That's right!" Wobbuffet added, slapping her arm to her forehead as she screamed at us. Both Spinda and Cyan stood up, brushing themselves free of dust as they looked expectantly at the recycle shop owner, and Wynaut nodded at Wobbuffet. She wobbled across the café to their own counter, bending over as she shuffled the contents of their shelves. With an almost-robotic expression, she pulled out a beautifully decorated pastry, a deep purple cake covered with syrupy goop and bluk berries large and small, speckled with countless chocolate shavings and topped with towers of whipped cream. The sheer majesty of the Gateau bowled the lot of us over, and I felt my mouth begin to water.

"You two!" Cyan grunted irritably, stomping out of the kitchen as he eyed Wynaut and Wobbuffet warily. Spinda followed in his tracks, his jaw dropping at the sight of the cake. "Why didn't y'tell us that you'd gotten th'cake outta th'oven!? Heck, when'd y'even get it outta there!?"

"It was pretty early into the evening rush, Cyan!" Wynaut answered, hopping in place a few times as the six of us made our way back to the table, and Wobbuffet gently lowered the Gateau onto the center of the table. Spinda set a course for the bar counter, grabbing a stack of plates and a knife before coming over, prodding Cyan with the edges of the dishes to get the Samurott's attention. "I asked you if it was ready, but you were too wrapped up in working on fixing drinks, so I just got Wobbuffet to take it out and store it somewhere where it wouldn't get eaten by accident."

"Well, that's a relief, isn't it?" Rose said, smiling happily as she sat down across from me, and as Erin jumped around in celebration, I doled the plates out to everyone. Cyan looked down at Spinda, who held the cutting knife out to him, but he waved the red panda away, shooting everyone a simpering smirk as he reached for his seamitar, drawing it out with a flourish.

"Well then, is everybody ready?" The sea lion asked, putting his palm on the flat of the blade as he readied himself. A series of nods answered him, and Rose and I helped keep Erin from flying out of her seat. With a short cut, the deed was done, the sword buried deep inside of the bluk berry cake. Another cut, and a slice of Gateau quickly found itself balanced on the seamitar, quickly being passed onto Erin's plate. Soon enough, everyone had been served, and as he seated himself, Cyan plucked his piece off of his place and devoured half of it in a single chomp. His words were muffled as he spoke. "'Ell? 'Utt aroo ehhtin for? Ga-aah, ee!"

And eat we did.

And as I bet Cyan would tell you if you asked him, it was delicious.

A/N: A short thing I worked on the past few days. Been a while since I last enjoyed writing a oneshot so much; sometimes I wonder whether I prefer writing adventure or slice-of-life more.