A Midwinter Feud

A Clover Guild Christmas Special
By Ribombee-anon

Chapter 1: Holiday Trouble

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fh133ZO1AE (BGM: O Tannenbaum)

Midwinter was coming. A traditional Pokemon festival not unlike Christmas back in the human world, it was a time of gift exchanges, almsgiving, good cheer, and partying. As soon as I learned the holiday was coming up, I knew I had to get something for my partner, but it wasn’t so straightforward.

The first challenge was picking a gift. Sneasel and I had been living and working together in the Clover Guild for the better part of a year, so I knew her interests well. Even so, I couldn’t quite decide what to get for her. I wanted it to be perfect, but I didn’t want to ask her what she wanted outright, as that would spoil the surprise. After deciding on something, the next issue would be actually obtaining the gift. As a tiny, flightless Ribombee, it was almost impossible (and also highly dangerous) for me to travel around town on my own. I’d require someone’s help to visit the shops and buy something, but I couldn’t ask Sneasel for obvious reasons, and I was hesitant to call on a guildmate instead. Sneasel was impatient to a fault, and she had already begun nagging our fellow guild members to reveal what presents she would receive for Midwinter. If I got help from someone in the guild, there was a risk they’d crack under the pressure of her pestering, or otherwise reveal the secret by accident. It would be safest to recruit someone from outside the guild, a Pokemon that Sneasel would never interact with in the first place—but I wasn’t comfortable asking anyone a favor, especially if they weren’t one of my coworkers.

These issues caused me plenty of worry, but as Midwinter slowly approached, I was frequently distracted by a combination of our usual work and all the festivities. For instance, there was one morning when Sneasel and I joined everyone to help set up decorations around the guildhall. While some guild members worked outside and in the upper two floors, Sneasel, Chespin, Wooper, Toge, and I were gathered around some tables that had been set up in the lobby for making and organizing decorations. The room was dominated by a large pine tree, the biggest of several we had imported from the southern reaches of the continent and placed around our base of operations. This main tree was slowly getting covered in decorations. The first one had been the tree topper, created and placed by the guildmaster himself to commemorate the start of the festivities; it was a wooden carving in the shape of a four-leaf clover, painted green, with a glowing gold crystal set in its center. The rest of the decorations included homemade ornaments, wooden and glass-blown baubles, strings of popcorn, shiny tinsel, and various glowing orbs and gems in place of electric lights.

I found myself repeatedly looking back at the beautiful tree as I helped with the decorations. Sneasel and I were at one of the crafting tables, and I was showing her how to fold up paper, cut it, and unfold it to easily make symmetrical snowflakes. She fell in love with the trick right away, and busied herself designing a wide variety of snowflakes with her sharp claws. Meanwhile, I poked holes in them with a nail and attached them together with string, making garlands. We stacked them up at one end of the table for our guildmates to take and set up. Chespin used his long vines to reach up and glue them to the walls, while Toge flew to the ceiling and affixed them up there so they would hang down like so much snowfall.

As we worked, we chatted about the current festive season. Christmas and Midwinter were so similar, it was possible for us humans to incorporate our culture into the local tradition, merging the holidays together into one big celebration. Some humans even brought in elements of Hanukkah; in the building’s front window, we’d placed a custom menorah engraved with a clover emblem commissioned from the local blacksmith. Altogether, the fusion seemed to amplify everyone’s excitement and cheer, as humans and Pokemon looked forward to learning what each other’s holidays were like. And none were more excited than Wooper, who had totally forgotten about doing his part to adorn the guildhall in favor of asking me, Chespin, and Toge all about our human holidays. As he bounced up and down with excitement like a kid on Christmas morning, we happily answered his questions, along with any Sneasel asked us. Meanwhile, we could faintly hear our other guildmates chatting and singing Christmas carols as they worked upstairs. Altogether, it was a perfectly festive air.

But it was almost too perfect. And sure enough, something eventually reared up to threaten to ruin the holiday: a feud.

* * *

Partway through a conversation about the horrors of fruitcake, I sensed Sneasel tense up. I looked at her to see her ear flicking and her eyes lose focus as she listened to something I couldn’t hear. She slowly snarled and curled her claws in anger, crushing the paper snowflake she had been working on.

“It’s her,” she growled.

“Who?” I asked.

“You don’t hear that singing?” asked Sneasel.

“Singing? Oh... I think I know who—”

There was a knock at the front door.

Sneasel shook her head, saying, “Don’t open it. Let’s, uh... pretend we’re not here.”

The knocking continued.

“It’s freezing outside,” Chespin said with a wince. “We can’t leave someone out in the cold.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be nice!” said Wooper. “Let’s let them in!”

As Sneasel angrily stammered, Toge floated over and opened the door. As soon as he did, in shot an airborne Taillow, loudly tweeting the melody of a traditional carol. She held an envelope in her talons and wore a festive red-and-green ribbon around her neck, along with a pouch on a string dangling at her chest like a pendant. She dove low to the floor and swooped up to the ceiling, then came to a stop in midair, hovering in front of our tree.

“Heya, Clover Guild!” she sang as she looked the tree up and down. “Wow, your decorations look amazing so far, especially the tree! Great work, everyone! Gosh, I love Midwinter! It’s the best time of the year! So many great decorations, and everyone acts so nice, and they give each other presents, and there’s all kinds of cool parties, and there’s singing! Oh, the singing! Everyone getting together and having fun singing so many carols—I love it! Nothing better than singing some good songs with all your friends! I’m gonna do that later today, y’know. But first I had to swing by here—and I’m so glad to see you’re getting into the Midwinter spirit, everyone!”

Having finished her avalanche of words, the bird perched near the top of the tree, using one foot to hold a branch and the other to hold her mail. Then she turned to look at us. For the first time, she noticed Sneasel was present. For a short moment, Taillow’s eye twitched and her face twisted into a scowl, similar to my partner’s facial expression. But then she shook it off and returned to her usual cheery self. In contrast, Sneasel kept snarling at the bird.

“Thank you,” Chespin said. “That was a lotta words, heh. Glad you like our decorations so much.”

Toge shut the front door before too much cold air came in. “Th-this is a n-nice time of... of year, huh?” he said.

“It is,” I said. “Right, Sneasel?”

I was trying to make her cheer up, but I knew it wouldn’t work. Sure enough, she continued to glare at the bird. I knew exactly why: the two were enemies.

Nicknamed the Chatterbox by many locals, this Taillow was a particularly noisy yet amiable resident of the town. While she and I were on good terms, she and Sneasel had rubbed each other entirely the wrong way ever since my partner came to Capim Town. Sneasel had regaled me with the story of their feud countless times, often while drunk. Before joining the Clover Guild, my partner lived in a cheap apartment in the bad part of town. Taillow would fly over there at sunrise almost every morning and perform some impromptu songs in the hopes that being woken by birdsong would help the residents start the day right. Sneasel disagreed. She despised being forced to wake up early, and the birdsong made her suffer. She eventually sought out Taillow and violently attacked her. The bird barely escaped.

From then on, the vengeful Taillow made a point of following Sneasel and annoying her by singing as much as possible. She eventually toned down the music, but continued to bother Sneasel by trying to strike up conversations with her and talking at length about myriad subjects. Sneasel gradually grew traumatized by the mere voice of the bird, and especially her singing.

By the time I met Sneasel, Taillow had relented even further, and no longer spent so much time bothering her. On the other hand, Sneasel still held a grudge, as her kind was prone to vendettas. Even so, she slowly lost interest in the feud as time passed, especially once she joined the guild and gained more things with which to occupy her mind. She even got to the point where she agreed to help Taillow complete a quest at Waterfall Cave’s Echo Chamber one time, which served as the first mission Sneasel and I ever completed together. Still, they refused to be friends, and they continued to argue and clash at times. I’d witnessed several of these spats before, the most severe of which came as a result of an accident that nearly killed me. It happened when Taillow was trying to teach me about flying, and the crisis was entirely the fault of her inattentive tendencies. Sneasel very nearly murdered the poor bird in response. Even though the better part of a year had passed since that incident, Sneasel had not forgiven Taillow, and their relationship had deteriorated even more since then.

Considering all that, I wasn’t surprised to see Sneasel refuse to change her opinion of Taillow so easily, even if it was a season of good cheer and kindness. I decided to change the subject by addressing the envelope Taillow had.

“Um... Did you come here to d-drop that off?” I asked.

“Yeah!” Taillow replied. “It’s for my friend Furret. Is she in today?”

“She’s out shopping with Smith now,” said Chespin, “like usual. But if you give it to me, I can put it in the mail room upstairs.”

“Cool! Thank you!” said Taillow. She flew over to Chespin and dropped the letter into his waiting paws. As he went upstairs to put it away, Taillow landed on the table near me and puffed out her feathers while tucking her feet under her body. Sneasel eyed her angrily.

“What are you doing?” my partner asked. “You dropped off that mail, now get out.”

“I just wanna hang out here for a minute or two,” Taillow said. “It’s cold outside. I gotta warm up. Plus, I like you Clover guys—you’re always so wacky and fun! And I thought you’d be fine with a visitor.”

“Not if that visitor is you.”

“Aww, c’mon, Sneasel!” said Wooper. “She can stay for a bit if she wants, right?”

“Thanks, Wooper,” said Taillow. “Glad you’ve got the holiday spirit in you, unlike some people. Hey, while I’m here, how about we sing a carol together? I’m sure Sneasel will love that.”

Taillow looked smugly at my partner, knowing full well Sneasel hated her singing. In fact, I could only remember a single time my partner actually liked listening to the bird’s music, and that was a unique case where Taillow performed a special song: the one that was key to bringing the guild together in the first place. Sneasel tolerated that one because it had such a deep meaning (and because I convinced her to give it a shot). Every other time, Sneasel acted like she was hearing nails on a chalkboard.

“You start singing,” said Sneasel flatly, “and I’m gonna throw you outta the guild myself.”

Taillow ruffled her feathers. “Just for that, I’m gonna sing extra loud!”

“In that case, I’m gonna throw you extra hard. Your voice is the most annoying sound on the continent.”

“Why you gotta be such a sourpuss? Hey, maybe that’s why nobody likes you aside from your coworkers.”

Sneasel narrowed her eyes, and her ear twisted in anger. “What did you say, bird?”

Taillow’s eyes narrowed as well, and her voice suddenly filled with venom. “It must suck to be such a lonely loser. So many people in town with so many friends, all hanging out together and having fun, especially now at Midwinter... but not you. Nobody can tolerate your rudeness except a couple people in the guild—and only cuz you’ve got no choice but to put up with each other so you can work together. That’s not real friendship, is it? You must feel so pathetic, huh?”

Sneasel hissed and raised her claws. They were wreathed in frigid mist, with ice crystals floating and glimmering around them. Taillow yelped, and I scrambled to get in front of her to deter my partner from attacking. Sneasel stopped in her tracks, not wanting to hit me by accident, but she kept her claws at the ready.

“Sneasel, calm down!” I yelled.

“P-please don’t a-a-agitate her, Taillow,” Toge said.

Wooper watched the confrontation from the side with wide eyes. He gulped and said in a shaky voice, “P-please don’t fight, guys. It’s s-supposed to be a happy time of year, right...?”

Toge took on a horrified expression and instantly scurried to Wooper’s side. He patted him on the head, saying, “It’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” Then he glared at Sneasel and growled, “Don’t you dare make Wooper sad.”

The fiery look in his eyes, and the unusual lack of stuttering in his voice, was enough to snap Sneasel out of her aggressive fit. She lowered her claws and looked away from us all, not wanting to face the angry Togetic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCuFNpaUGnU (BGM: Winter Festival)

Fortunately, Chespin came down the stairs at this point, which helped distract us and defuse the situation. “Oh, you’re still here, Taillow?” he asked.

“Yep,” said the bird. Her voice was more dull than usual, but I could tell she was trying to get over the sour mood she fell into after that altercation with Sneasel. “It’s cold out. Just wanted to warm up in here.”

“I totally understand. There’s literally nothing worse than being cold.” He muttered something under his breath. I could have sworn I caught the word “chillers”.

“I don’t like the cold either,” said Wooper. “It’s hard for me to stay warm. Good thing it’s kinda toasty indoors!”

“My feathers help me keep warm,” said Taillow, “and flying does too, cuz it’s so energy-intensive. But it’s still pretty cold outside. I still love Midwinter, though! You guys got your presents all ready?”

“Yeah! I’ve got my present for Chespin!” Wooper said.

“Sweet,” said Chespin. “I’m still coming up with ideas for you.”

Toge smiled at the two of them. “I’m l-looking for-forward to s-s-seeing what you g-got each other. I’m sure y-your presents-s will b-be perfect. H-how about you, B-Booker? Have you b-bought any presents f-for anyone yet?”

“I’m, uh... working on it,” I said quietly.

Now that the topic of gifts had come up, I remembered the problems I faced with Sneasel’s present, and an idea struck me: perhaps I could get Taillow’s help? She’d probably be willing to take me into town so I could obtain a present. And since she and Sneasel never talked, there was little risk Sneasel would pester her to reveal what I bought.

As I thought about this, Taillow briefly chatted with Chespin, Wooper, and Toge. Sneasel ignored everyone and absentmindedly cut up some more paper snowflakes. After a minute, Taillow spread her wings and announced she would be going now.

“Good riddance,” Sneasel muttered.

Taillow snorted at her and prepared to take off. I had to act fast if I wanted to get her help, but I’d have to lie to keep Sneasel from knowing about my plans. I came up with an idea on the spot, and blurted out, “W-wait, Taillow! I had a question.”

She stopped and looked over at me. “Yeah? What’s up?”

“This is a bit random, but s-since you’re here, I wanted to ask you... I’ve been wondering if we could chat a bit ab-about flying. If you don’t mind, that is.”

Taillow gasped, and her eyes lit up. “Yeah! That sounds great! Wanna talk about it now?”

“I was actually h-hoping we could go outside and talk about it in the open air.”

Sneasel sat bolt upright and glared at us. “Oh no you don’t,” she said. “You’re not going out alone together. Not after what happened last time. I don’t trust her.”

“Sneasel, it’s okay,” I said. “I don’t want to do anything risky this time. I just want to talk with her, tell her about the progress I’ve made, maybe ask some questions. That’s all. It’ll be safe. Right, Taillow?”

“Definitely,” she said, her voice more calm and sincere than usual. She even placed a wing earnestly over her heart. “Believe me. I learned my lesson after last time. I still feel really bad about how I let Booker fall that one time. I promise I’ll never let anything like that happen again.”

Sneasel looked at me, as if trying to read my mind and figure out if I really believed this was a good idea. Our guildmates watched anxiously. In the end, she sighed and hung her head, saying, “I don’t trust you at all, Taillow, but I trust Booker. If he thinks it’s a good idea, and he really wants to do this, I... I’ll let him. Besides, I know it’s wrong to keep him chained to me all the time.”

She paused, then leaned in closer to us. Her pupils narrowed into frightening thin slits as she shot Taillow a withering glare, and her voice dropped to a low growl as she said, “But if he gets hurt when he’s with you, I’m gonna yank out every one of your feathers and use them to decorate our tree. Understand?”

A staring contest ensued. Taillow showed no fear, to my surprise, and slowly nodded after some long seconds. “I understand,” she said. “I’d never hurt Booker on purpose. And after last time, I know I oughta be more careful so I don’t hurt him on accident either. I’ll keep him safe.”

“You’d better,” said Sneasel. She looked at me, and her eyes reverted to their normal look. “See ya later, Booker. Be careful.”

Sneasel resumed working on the decorations with everyone else, though there was a subdued silence now. Everyone was worrying about whether I’d really be safe with Taillow, and whether Sneasel would end up having cause for revenge against her. But I believed it would be okay.

“Ready?” Taillow asked me.

I nodded. She sat down, letting me climb onto her back. I took hold of the ribbon around her neck and prepared myself for takeoff. Toge went to the door and opened it again, and I looked outside to see what conditions were like. It was a bright yet overcast winter day. The sky was a mix of gray and white, and the air drifting in from outside was chilly. Luckily, I’d recently completed a mission that earned me a special item to protect me from the cold: a shard of a giant Fire Stone. It was a glowing orange chunk of crystal that contained enough Fire-type energy to exude a warm aura. If I attached it to my belt, I didn’t have to worry about low temperatures. I had it on me now, beside the modified Clover Guild badge I used as a belt buckle. Meanwhile, Taillow had her feathers, so we’d both be able to tolerate the cold air.

I just hoped we wouldn’t run into any trouble. Sneasel’s threat still echoed in my mind as Taillow spread her wings, hopped to the edge of the desk, and took flight.

* * *

Chapter 2: A Shopping Trip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwmwEE4xJEA (BGM: A Little Light Snowfall)

Taillow and I soared out of the guildhall and into the cold morning air. My heart skipped a couple beats as I once again experienced the incredible feeling of flight. My scarf and waist cape rippled behind me, and my antennae and wings rustled in the wind. Taillow flapped her wings vigorously, and I leaned forward against her back as we climbed up into the air. Once we got a couple stories above the guildhall’s rooftop, she gently leaned to the side and leisurely flapped her wings, making slow circles over the building. I pushed myself up off her back and sat up, leaning forward slightly as I looked around. Briefly, I forgot why I came out here with her, and I just stared at the world below us: the grassy fields, the dense forests, the nearby town, the great mountains and bay in the distance... It reminded me of the first time we flew together. We were nowhere near as high up as that time, and the winter landscape seemed somewhat drained of color now, but the same feeling of wonder and freedom was still just as strong.

After a minute, Taillow looked back at me and chuckled. “Guess this ride counts as my Midwinter present for you,” she said. “Having fun?”

“Y-yeah,” I said quietly. “Thanks.”

Taillow looked ahead, tilting her wings to catch an updraft. “Okay, look... I’m sorry for getting mad at your partner back there. She’s just so frustrating sometimes. I know this whole feud is partially my fault, but I can’t bring myself to apologize to her after she’s been so mean to me. She’s said all kinds of rude stuff, even straight-up attacked me sometimes... I’m just glad you’re still willing to hang out with me even though I don’t like Sneasel. We don’t hang out too much, but really do I like you. You’re just such a nice guy.”

“Oh, I, uh... th-thank you,” I said sheepishly. “That’s nice... G-glad to hear that. Also, I’ll try to... talk with Sneasel about b-being nicer in the future.”

“Thanks. And by the way, anytime you wanna go for a ride, just lemme know—assuming Sneasel lets you come with me, of course. I don’t mind having a little passenger. Anyway... it’s nice to chat, but we’re getting distracted. You said you wanted to talk about flying, right? Did you wanna go somewhere specific to discuss it, or should I just keep orbiting here?”

I was a bit startled. Lost in the feeling of flight, combined with this little chat, I’d forgotten about my white lie from earlier. “Oh, r-right,” I stuttered. “Yeah, I did want to talk with you about something in private. But I have to, um... confess something: I lied back at the guildhall. I didn’t want to come out with you to talk about flying. I wanted to t-talk about Midwinter instead.”

“Oh! That’s fine! I mean, if you ever wanna talk about flying, I’m always happy to chat about it and give you advice! And I’m always excited to hear about your progress with learning to fly. But if you wanna talk about Midwinter instead, go ahead. Why didn’t you say that to begin with, though?”

“Because this has to do with Sneasel, and I want to keep it a secret from her. I couldn’t bring it up when she was in the same room.”

“Ooh, I love intrigue. Whatever it is, though, I won’t tell anyone. I don’t gossip... Okay, that’s a lie. I totally do gossip. It’s just so fun! But not if I know it’s meant to be a secret. What’s up?”

“If it’s okay with you, I’d really appreciate your help getting a... a gift for Sneasel.”

Taillow looked back at me, a decidedly displeased expression on her face. “Oh,” she said flatly. “A gift... for her? Eh... I dunno. I’m not in the mood to go looking for presents for someone I hate. Can’t you ask one of your buddies at the guild?“

“I could, but I’m worried Sneasel will ask around and get them t-to tell her what I bought her. It’s better if I get help from someone outside the guild—someone she won’t talk to. That way, th-there’s no risk she’ll find out the secret. At least, that’s my idea.”

“I guess that makes sense. Still, I don’t really wanna go run an errand for her sake.”

“I get what you mean, but... I was hoping this gesture could help you two repair your relationship. I really d-don’t like seeing people hate each other like you two do. Maybe if Sneasel hears you helped with her present, she’ll start to warm up to you. And maybe it’ll make you feel good t-to give her something she enjoys? Besides, at this time of year, isn’t it a-appropriate to be nicer and put aside our differences...? I’m sorry. M-maybe it’s not a good plan. If you don’t want to do it, that’s okay...”

Taillow turned her attention to the ground and pondered my request, idly flapping her wings as she continued to fly in broad circles above the guildhall. At long last, she groaned and glanced back at me again. “Alright, fine,” she said. “Guess it’s not too big a bother for me. And it would be nice to get over this feud with Sneasel. I love making friends, and I wouldn’t mind being her friend. But there are some Pokemon it feels like you can never be friends with, y’know? I dunno if this is gonna help me and her magically get closer.”

“Well, it is Chris—I mean, Midwinter,” I said. “It’s a time of magic, right?”

Taillow laughed at that. “Yeah, you’re right, actually. Anything can happen when it’s Midwinter. So, do you have an idea already?”

“I have a couple,” I replied. “I’ll start with the one I’ve been leaning towards. How about a... scarf, maybe?”

Taillow gasped. “A scarf! Oh, that’s an awesome idea! Scarves are so cool! Anyone can look like a real adventurer with a good scarf billowing in the wind.”

“Even me?” I asked, glancing at my own scarf trailing behind me.

“Hmm... nah. You’re just too cute to pull off the ‘dashing adventurer’ look. Sorry.”

I sighed. “I thought so. Th-that’s fine. It’s my lot in life. Sneasel, though... I think she’d look good in a scarf. And it would help her s-stay warm if we find a dungeon that’s too cold for even her to handle. We’ve run into a few like that before. And s-speaking of dungeons... I was hoping to find a scarf that can improve her stats. That would help us out with our missions.”

“Good idea. I’m no adventurer, but I know you can buy stuff like that in town. Well, this sounds like a nice plan. And I think your partner would love having the same accessory as you. Best friends wearing matching accessories is so cute! Even without hearing your other ideas, I think the scarf idea is a winner. Wanna visit Ariados and go shopping?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4Y3sHyfsg (BGM: Skating)

I gave her the okay, and Taillow banked to the side and glided, slowly losing altitude as she soared through the cold air towards Capim Town. I took in the view below us as we flew. We were at sea level in the subtropics, so it didn’t get snowy in winter, but the plentiful foliage did die off regardless. The normally lush and vibrant town ended up looking rather dull and barren as a result, and the Pokemon milling around town—when they weren’t sheltering indoors—tended to act more subdued and quiet.

However, this changed during the buildup to Midwinter. The town took on a more vibrant and festive air. Pokemon were filled with energy and holiday cheer, and the town was quickly dressed up with plenty of pretty decorations: holly, mistletoe, strings of multicolored glowing crystals, evergreen trees (just like the ones at the guildhall), and more. From the air, it was a beautiful sight.

We flew between the massive tree stumps of Capim and made our way to the tailor’s shop, carved into one of the trees’ remains like most other businesses and homes in town. The first room was simple, with a variety of shelves, tables, and mannequins in different shapes and sizes displaying samples of fabric and articles of clothing. Festive clothes and accessories (including some ugly sweaters) were most prominently displayed, and modest Midwinter decorations were placed around the whole shop.

I largely ignored all that in favor of the shop’s owner: Ariados, a relatively huge arachnid Pokemon currently behind the shop’s counter. She nodded at me and Taillow as we entered. The bird landed on the counter, and I slightly leaned to the side to peek nervously around her head. I’d visited this shop a few times before, but the sight of this gigantic spider never failed to frighten me.

“Heya, Ariados!” Taillow said, sharing none of my fear, and apparently not feeling me shivering on her back.

“Welcome back, dear,” the spider said in a smooth voice. “I see you still have that nice festive ribbon. It still looks wonderful on you.”

“I know, right?” said Taillow, puffing out her chest to show off the red-and-green ribbon around her neck. “I love busting it out every Midwinter. Thanks for making it! Speaking of cool accessories—Booker, you wanna take over?”

With a gulp, I meekly waved at Ariados. “H-hello. I w-was wanting to buy my partner a s-scarf for Midwinter.”

“What a lovely idea,” Ariados said. “I remember you. Booker, I believe. You’re with the guild, partnered with that Sneasel, yes? I think a good scarf would look perfect on a Pokemon like her. Did you have a color in mind?”

“I wasn’t sure what color to get her, but she n-normally wears a blue bandanna—the same color as m-my waist cape.”

Taillow hopped and turned around, letting Ariados take a look at my sole accessory: a large piece of blue fabric attached to the back of my belt so it resembled a cape (hence the name).

“Ah yes, I remember,” said the spider. “Blue can work for a Sneasel. Combined with their red feathers and eyes, and yellow gems, it completes the primary colors. Although that shade of blue may not pop as much as it could, considering the gray fur a Sneasel has. Perhaps a brighter shade would look better, or we can try a different color entirely.”

“I trust y-your judgement,” I said. “If you can suggest a color that would look good on a Sneasel, I’d be glad to hear it. But also, I should mention... I was hoping to find a scarf that boosts h-her stats, not just one that looks good. Do you have anything like that?”

“Absolutely. Wait right here, and I’ll get some options for you.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBCIsD3QFXY (BGM: Fluffy Snow, Here We Go)

The spider scuttled through a doorway that led to her storage room and workshop. She returned shortly with a pile of scarves on her back, and she bucked to throw them onto the counter beside me and Taillow. I dismounted and began sorting though the accessories, looking at the various colors and patterns. I asked Ariados what their special properties were, and she explained them all. One boosted the wearer’s physical strength, another made the user more sturdy, and so on. As I looked at the options, Taillow flew around and perused the selection of clothing, saying that she also wanted to buy some gifts for her friends while she was here.

After a couple minutes, I settled on one scarf. It was simple, but it looked quite nice. It was white, and the ends featured some silver embroidery with abstract swirls and symbols that resembled snowflakes. The wintry colors and details would be fitting for my partner, an Ice-type who hailed from a frozen island. Adding to its appeal, the scarf slightly shimmered. Ariados explained it was woven with magic fibers to protect the wearer, effectively boosting their Defense and Special Defense alike. As Sneasel had a tendency to be reckless, and her species was rather fragile in general, it seemed like a perfect buff for her. All things considered, I decided this was the gift I was looking for.

It was rather expensive, but I carried some high-value coins in the tiny pouches at my hips, so I could pay for it. I allowed Taillow to take the change as thanks for giving me a lift here. The bird combined those coins with money from her pouch to pay for the accessories she had chosen for her friends. Ariados packed those all into one box, put my scarf in a separate smaller box, and wrapped them together with string. Taillow grabbed the string in her talons and flapped her wings, testing the weight. She had a little trouble lifting it, but she could still fly.

“Thank you for your business, dears,” said Ariados. “Come again soon.”

“Sure thing!” said Taillow. “Ready to go, Booker? Hop on!”

I got on her back again, and we flew out of the store and into the open air. Laden with gifts, Taillow flapped her wings vigorously and flew lower than before, but we still maintained an altitude of at least a dozen feet.

“I hope you like what you picked out,” Taillow said. “But I can’t bring myself to say I hope Sneasel likes it, cuz... y’know. We’re on bad terms.”

“I know,” I said, “but I’m still really thankful you helped me get it for her. W-when I give the scarf to Sneasel, I’ll tell her you helped me with it. Hopefully she’ll be grateful for your help too, and th-that can be the first step to repairing your relationship.”

“Maybe. It’s a long shot, and it’ll take a while until I’m ready to forgive her for being so rude all the time. Part of me kinda feels like becoming friends with her might be more trouble than it’s worth. I mean, I don’t need to be her friend, right? I can just ignore her. But it does suck to know there’s someone who hates me. I love making friends, and it’d be so cool to be friends with everyone—even her. Deep down, I do kinda wish we could all just get along.”

“Well, nobody can be friends with everyone. So it’s not the end of the world if there are some people you just can’t get along with. Still, it is a g-good idea to try to be friends with as many people as you can. Friends a-are important. I’ve learned that in the guild. I have more friends here than I ever did as a huma—I mean, b-before joining the guild.”

“As a what?” asked Taillow.

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “A-anyway, I’ll let you know what Sneasel says after I give her the scarf.”

“Thanks. Oh, I had a question: how are we gonna get the present into your guildhall? If Sneasel’s still in the lobby, we can’t just fly in. She’ll know we got her something, and that’ll ruin the surprise.”

“I had a plan for that. If it sounds okay to you, I think we should drop off the boxes outside, then go in and see if Toge is still there. If he is, we’ll ask him to come out... a-and we can pretend I want to ask him some stuff about flying. He can fly, so i-it’s a lie that makes sense. But then when he comes out, I’ll ask him to take the box and use the door on the landing upstairs t-to carry it inside. Then I’ll get it later, after everyone is done decorating the upstairs, a-and go hide it somewhere. That way, nobody will know where it is except me, so I don’t have to worry about anyone revealing its hiding spot.”

“Are you sure you can carry the box yourself?”

“I’m, uh... stronger than I look,” I said. “Bugs are naturally strong. A-and I do work out.”

“Oh, neat! Good for you! I exercise too—gotta be strong to fly. Speaking of which, I really hope you can figure out how to fly on your own someday.”

“I’m... getting there,” I said. “Progress is slow, but I’ve been working with this one Floette named Jennifer to learn how to master m-my Fairy Wind. That’s essential for a Ribombee to fly. I’m good at using it to launch myself up, and I’ve been trying to master hovering now, but flying freely is still... impossible.”

“Maybe it’s impossible right now, but I know you’ll be able to do it someday! When you finally can fly, promise me we’ll go for a flight around town together!”

“I’d be happy to do that with you. Sneasel would probably want to come with us t-to keep an eye on me, though.”

“As long as she’s just watching, and not being a jerk to me, I can tolerate it. I think it’d be fun to—wait. Look ahead. There’s a problem.”

Keeping a tight grip on Taillow’s ribbon, I leaned to the side to peer around her head at the ground ahead of us. We were almost at the guildhall, but I saw a sight that made me frown as I realized my plan was ruined: Sneasel was outside, and she was looking right at us.

* * *

Chapter 3: Confrontation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHU99s793q8 (BGM: Greensleeves)

Sneasel was accompanied by Toge, who wore a warm scarf around his neck and a large beanie on his head. They were in the process of hanging up wreaths outside the guildhall, but they stopped and watched me and Taillow as we approached. Taillow slowed down and glanced over her shoulder at me, and asked if I had a new plan.

“Um... maybe we can... I have an idea,” I said. “Maybe after you drop me off, you can s-sneak over and hide my present on the landing. Then when I get a chance to talk with Toge alone, I’ll tell him where it is, a-and ask for his help moving it into the building so I can hide it inside somewhere.”

“And for now,” said Taillow, “I’ll tell Sneasel these boxes are both mine. Can’t let her know you bought anything for her. Alright, let’s do it.”

The bird descended in a glide and hovered beside a wooden fence outside the guildhall, letting me hop off and sit on the fence. She set her boxes on the ground nearby and perched atop them, looking up at Sneasel and Toge as they came over.

“There you are,” Sneasel said, crossing her arms. “You were gone longer than I thought you’d be. Done with your chat?”

“Y-yeah, we are,” I said.

Sneasel looked down at the boxes under Taillow. “Yeah, sure. Looks more like you just went shopping instead. Weren’t you supposed to be talking with my partner and giving him advice and stuff, not dragging him along while you buy stupid crap?”

“We, uh... we talked on the way,” Taillow said. “He told me about his progress on learning to fly, and I gave him some tips, but then he wanted me to fly around so he could just, y’know, observe my flying. So I went around town for a bit, and then I remembered I had errands to run, so I wanted to swing by the store before coming back here. I asked Booker if he was okay with coming along, and he said he was.”

“Is that true?” Sneasel asked me.

I gulped and nodded. “Yes. That’s right.”

Sneasel looked me up and down, apparently trying to tell if I was lying, but more importantly, to see if I looked harmed in any way. She still didn’t trust Taillow, but it was obvious that nothing bad happened during this little excursion. Of course, Sneasel being Sneasel, she wasn’t willing to leave well enough alone. She hated Taillow, and she wanted to attack the bird somehow, even if she’d done no wrong. I could tell the gears were turning in her head as she tried to decide how to jab at her enemy.

Toge could tell something bad was coming too. “O-okay, glad y-your chat w-went well, Booker,” he said nervously. “H-how about we h-head in... inside now. L-let’s go, Sneasel. C’mon...”

Sneasel ignored him. “Shopping...” she said at last, turning her red gaze on Taillow. “Furret’s told me all about how you love wasting money on useless junk like accessories and whatnot. The two of you are kinda alike, huh? A couple of wasteful airheads. Except Furret’s a guild member. She does good work. She’s actually useful.”

Taillow flicked her tail and narrowed her eyes. “Hey, I have a job too. I’m useful. And I make people happy by singing around town in my off time!”

“Happy? With your voice? Nah, I know everyone who hears you wants to jump off a high place. Good thing there’s so many tall stumps and bridges around here.”

“No, I make people way happier than you do. You always make everyone’s days worse, causing all kinds of problems with your horrible attitude, while I’m going around cheering up the entire town and making lots of friends! You’re just jealous I’m more popular than you!”

“P-please break it u-up,” Toge interjected.

Sneasel growled at him. “The only thing I wanna break is Taillow’s fa—”

“Sneasel, th-that’s enough!” I said to my partner, doing my best to make my unfortunately girly voice sound stern. “Stop arguing. Let it go. Y-you’re being... well, childish.”

Sneasel shot a look at me, and for a moment, she seemed willing to do as I asked. But she was in no mood to stop. She relished combat, and that included verbal warfare like this.

“I’ll stop when she stops irritating me,” Sneasel said, pointing at Taillow.

“Hey, things were going fine before you started insulting me for no reason,” Taillow snapped.

“Oh, I got plenty of reasons to insult you. You waste all your time with stupid stuff like singing, and shopping, and randomly flying around like an idiot. Not making any effort to get stronger and tougher. You make me sick.”

“P-please stop...” I murmured. They both ignored me. Toge gave me a sympathetic look and shrank back, equally unsure how to resolve the conflict.

“I know I’m not too strong,” Taillow said to Sneasel, “but I’m okay with that. At least I make an effort to make myself look good. You could learn a lot from me, cuz you’re hideous.”

Sneasel scoffed. “So? I just care about being strong—who cares how I look?”

“Everyone. You think people hate my music, but I know they hate looking at an ugly hag like you. That’s what everyone around town tells me. Just looking at you ruins their day. Your fur’s all scruffy, your feathers look like they haven’t been preened in ages, your claws are dirty... and don’t get me started on those filthy gems of yours. Ugh. So dull and gross. Don’t tell me you actually spit-shine those things.”

In an instant, everything went dead quiet. Not even the wind blew. I sensed something awful, a looming threat, like a huge metal cable just snapped and was about to whip out with devastating force. Sneasel’s Aura flared in anger and seemed to consume her like a raging fire. I knew exactly why. A while back, I’d learned that denigrating the gems of a Sneasel or Weavile was the absolute worst form of insult for their kind. Understandably, this was the last straw for my partner. Her pupils dilated like a cat about to pounce, and her snout slowly twisted into a snarl, revealing her sharp fangs. Taillow simply smirked in response, satisfied that an insult had finally gotten to Sneasel—and oblivious to what was about to happen.

“Taillow,” I squeaked, “t-take that back! Hurry!”

“No way!” Taillow yelled. “It’s the truth! She’s so freaking ugly on the outside—oh, and on the inside too! Just so rude, abrasive, way too quick to—”

Sneasel roared and lunged at Taillow with outstretched claws. The bird squawked and flapped frantically, barely evading her strike. Sneasel instead stabbed into the top of the two boxes Taillow had perched on, her claws plunging right through it. Sneasel glared up at Taillow, who was hovering above and breathing heavily.

“Nobody insults my gems,” Sneasel hissed. “You crossed a line, you feathered freak!”

“Alright, sheesh, I take it back!” Taillow screamed. “No need to go crazy!”

“S-Sneasel, c-calm down!” Toge yelled. I wanted to say the same thing, but I was too startled to do anything.

Sneasel yanked her claws out of the box. But then she looked down at the damaged packages, and an idea seemed to strike her, as she grinned cruelly. Her claws glowed with energy, and her arms blurred as she furiously swiped at the pair of boxes, ripping them and their contents to shreds. Within moments, a cloud of fabric scraps in a rainbow of hues formed around her. The pieces gradually fluttered away in the cold breeze. Among them, I could see the remains of the beautiful shimmering scarf I’d bought for her, now utterly destroyed. Time seemed to slow as she finished her attack, and my heart sank like a stone.

Sneasel laughed. Everyone else stared in stunned silence.

At long last, I managed to squeak out, “Sneasel, why... why did you do that?”

“Ain’t it obvious?” Sneasel said, still grinning. “Revenge. You oughta be happy I just tore up her stuff instead of tearing up her face.”

“B-but... you...”

“What? I had to do something. I had to teach that scumbag a less—”

“Why did you do that!?” I yelled. My high voice cracked, making Sneasel flinch. “I b-bought that! For you! It was a present! And y-you ruined it!”

Sneasel stared in shock. Then she gasped, looking at the scattered bits of clothing around her. I saw her eyes dart around at the torn remains, and her smug face quickly shifted into a look of horror and concern. “Whoa, whoa, hold on. Wait, this wasn’t Taillow’s stuff? B-but she said she went out shopping, so I thought all this belonged to her... You mean this stuff was yours, and... you bought it? For me?”

“Yes! W-well, not all of it, but... one of those things w-was going to be your Midwinter present. And the rest were gifts for T-Taillow’s friends. We went to the tailor and bought them. None of it really belonged to Taillow. They were all gifts for other people, and even for you too, and you just... d-destroyed it all...”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvI_FNrczzQ (BGM: Christmastime is Here)

I slumped forward on the fence and held my head in my hands. That scarf was expensive. It looked so lovely. It was the perfect gift for my best friend. And now it was reduced to mere scraps of fabric, a victim of this terrible feud.

I heard Sneasel stammer, “I didn’t... That’s not what I... C’mon Booker, it was an accident.”

She leaned towards me and tried to softly pat my head, but I shoved her claws away.

“Sneasel, y-you went too far,” I said. “This stupid feud of yours... It needs to stop. You hate Taillow too much, and you’re just causing s-so much... senseless damage...”

Sneasel frowned. “Hey, I... I can’t help it, okay? Taillow’s just so annoying. You know what I mean. You know how that feels. Don’t tell me you never get annoyed by anyone.”

“I do, but I don’t get mad and insult them. And I don’t keep acting like a jerk every chance I get. What you need to do is stay calm, don’t let it get to you—and ideally, t-talk to them. Tell Taillow what the problem is, ask her to stop, try t-to reach an agreement. Don’t lash out like you’re doing. It just causes more pain... And it hurts me too. I hate seeing you act so mad like this. It’s... s-scary. And it’s even worse this time, because you made me waste my money, and you ruined the gift I got for you. So, please... stop doing this.”

Sneasel stood there and listened to me, her ear and her tail feathers slowly drooping in sadness. Once I was done, she crossed her arms and bowed her head, wondering what to do. She was stubborn, but she respected me and usually was willing to hear me out. I could only hope this incident, and my admonition, would knock some sense into her and help her end this conflict. Meanwhile, Taillow kept hovering above us, unwilling to descend and get any closer to Sneasel’s claws, and Toge stood off to the side and watched the scene nervously, idly clutching at his scarf. For a while, the only sound was the chilly wind and the flapping of Taillow’s wings.

At long last, Sneasel looked up at the bird and stammered for a few moments, struggling to spit out what she wanted to say. Finally, she steeled herself and said, “I’m sorry.”

That seemed to surprise Taillow. Her eyes went wide, and she slowly lowered herself down to the fence. “You are?” she asked as she landed beside me. “Really?”

“I am. I mean it. You really get on my nerves with that chipper attitude and that obnoxious singing, and the way you talk too much, and plenty of other things...”

“Okay, now it sounds like you’re just complaining again instead of apologizing.”

“Lemme finish,” Sneasel snapped. An instant later, she relented and continued more calmly, “What I want to say is: the way I’ve handled all this is really dumb. I love fighting and coming out on top. So if someone annoys me, I can’t just ignore it—I wanna beat them down and make them pay. But Booker’s always told me that fighting just leads to more problems. And he’s right. That’s pretty obvious right now.”

Sneasel crouched and picked up a piece of blue clothing lying in the pile at her feet. It was impossible to tell what this scrap had once been. She turned it over in her claws and let it go. It caught the wind and drifted into the grass some distance away.

“Insulting you and getting mad just ain’t the way to deal with all this,” Sneasel finished. “So... I’m sorry, Taillow.”

After a tense pause, Taillow smiled and nodded. “Huh. I never thought I’d hear you apologize, but I... I accept. And while we’re at it, I’ve probably gotta apologize for the way I’ve treated you, too. I’ve annoyed you a lot, and said some mean things to you. Sorry for causing you a lot of stress. I just let my anger get the best of me. Honestly, I don’t wanna be annoying. I’d love to be friends with everyone, if that’s possible.”

“It probably isn’t,” said Sneasel. “But that probably ain’t gonna stop you from trying, huh?”

“Nope. And I know just the Pokemon to add to my friend list next.”

Taillow held out a wing to Sneasel. “Maybe we can start over. When Midwinter’s done, and we’re not busy with holiday stuff, how about we chat and figure out how to repair our relationship. How’s that sound?”

Sneasel smiled. “Yeah, sure. I’d be down for that. I think we can figure something out.”

Sneasel grabbed Taillow’s wing in her claws, careful not to cut the bird, and they shook on it. I let out a sigh of relief, and I noticed Toge do the same thing.

“O-okay, th-that’s nice,” said Toge. “Really glad this d-didn’t get o-out of... hand. Glad you could-d talk th-things over.”

“Me too,” I said, smiling at Sneasel. “I’m still sad all the presents got ruined, but a-at least you two are willing to make up now. I’m proud of you, Sneasel.”

“Y-yeah, about the presents...” Sneasel said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head. “Look, I hate to say it, but I guess I gotta pay for my mistakes, huh? Especially if I made Booker waste his cash. So, how about I pay you two back for the stuff I tore up? Sound good?”

“Oh, th-that’s very mature of you, Sneasel,” I said. “Thanks for the offer.”

“Yeah, that’s real nice!” said Taillow. “Well, I mean, it would’ve been a heck of a lot nicer if you never destroyed our stuff in the first place... but hey, making up for your mistakes is good. Good to know you’re serious about changing and not just saying it, y’know? It’s easy to say you’re sorry, but actually fixing your mistake... that means a lot more.”

“Exactly,” I said. “In that case, we can head back to Ariados’ shop and see if we can buy r-replacements for the stuff we got. And if not, then m-maybe she can make new copies from scratch. Sneasel, it’s best if you don’t come along, so we can keep your present a secret.”

Sneasel groaned. “It’ll be tough to wait till the big day to see what my present is... but I guess you got a point. I’m gonna head inside and grab my coin purse for you. I’ve got a good amount of cash in there. Use it to pay for your replacement presents. But don’t lose it.”

“I’ll make sure we keep hold of it,” I said.

Sneasel waved goodbye for now and went back into the guildhall. Toge hovered over to me and Taillow and smiled at us both.

“That’s a b-big w-weight off my... off my shoulders,” he said. “H-how about you two?”

“Totally,” said Taillow. “Can’t believe we’re actually making some progress towards ending the feud.”

“Me neither,” I said. “But I guess what you said before is true, Taillow: anything can happen when it’s Midwinter.”

* * *

Chapter 4: Midwinter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOXR2q-NmMY (BGM: Toy Day (Southern Hemisphere))

The next few weeks leading up to Midwinter were thankfully without incident. Sneasel and I went about our business of completing missions, helping with holiday preparations around the guildhall, and spending time together in the town. Once or twice, we bumped into Taillow, but she and Sneasel didn’t fight again. To my relief, it seemed like they were both sticking to their promise to end the feud.

Furthermore, after giving Sneasel a stern talking-to, I convinced her to be patient and not pester anyone to reveal what I was getting her for Midwinter, or where the present was hidden. No guild members actually knew what I had gotten her, but one of them did see me bring in the box and hide it, so I was glad to get this promise out of her. And she kept it all the way to the big day, as evidenced by her gradually escalating fidgeting and restlessness. She couldn’t wait to see what I got her. I was eager to see what my special present would be as well.

I hadn’t felt this excited for a holiday since I was a little kid.

* * *

I was nudged awake by something sharp. I groaned and rolled in the bowl of cotton balls serving as my bed, but the nudging continued, accompanied by a voice quivering with excitement.

“Booker, get up. Booker! It’s Midwinter! C’mon, get up!”

I groaned again and opened my eyes. Sneasel was looming over me, a huge grin on her face. She chuckled and kept prodding at my exoskeleton with her claws.

“Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s the big day! C’mon!”

The grogginess left my head, and Sneasel’s words finally hit me. Sure enough, it was Midwinter morning at last. I smiled in spite of myself and I clambered out of bed, using Sneasel’s claw to support myself. Just like every Christmas morning back home, I felt a surge of childlike glee. Everyone in the guild would exchange gifts and have fun, and we’d have a big breakfast together—but first, Sneasel and I had our own special presents to give each other.

“Good morning,” I said. “H-happy Midwinter.”

“Yeah, yeah, Happy Midwinter and all that. Let’s get down to business. Where’s my present? Can’t wait to see what it is!”

“Check the map room. I hid it in the bottom right drawer of the cabinet of archived maps. Be careful not to cut any maps by accident.”

I didn’t think Sneasel heard the last part. She hopped up and ran out of the room, then came back in less than a minute, holding a ribbon-tied box in her claws. She shut the door behind her and sat down at the desk, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“Can I open it now?” she asked. “Can I?”

“Did you damage anything in the map room?” I asked.

“Nope,” she said. “I was careful. I know you and Macom would get on my case again if I broke anything.”

“Then you can open it now.”

She swiftly cut the ribbons with her claws and threw open the box, revealing a faintly glimmering white scarf with abstract silver details at the ends—an exact replica of the one she had unwittingly destroyed a few weeks ago. When Taillow and I revisited Ariados that fateful day, she said she didn’t have a second copy of that scarf available, but she was able to get the materials and make a new one in time for Midwinter. And it was a good thing too, since Sneasel clearly loved the scarf. She gasped, and her eyes went wide and sparkled with joy as she took out the accessory and looked it over.

“Dude, this is awesome!” she cried, complete with a voice crack. “I’ve always wanted a scarf!”

I smiled widely. “Great! Glad you like it.”

“I love it! Y’know, I was always jealous of KFC, and Amelia, and Ciel, and everyone else with scarves, cuz they all look so cool. And now I’ve got my own!

“And it’s woven with special fibers that boost your defenses, just like KFC’s scarf.”

“No kidding?! That’s perfect! That’ll be so good for when we’re running through dungeons and fighting! That’s... This is literally the perfect present, Booker. It looks so cool, and it’ll help me fight too? That’s so perfect, I... I don’t...”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P62EpDw43A (BGM: The First Noel)

Sneasel’s voice gave out, and she suddenly sniffed and looked away. I got up, looking at her with concern. “W-what’s wrong?” I asked.

She wiped her eyes and looked back at me. Some of her face fur was slightly stained with tears, and she had a sheepish smile on her face. “S-sorry, I didn’t wanna get choked up... I don’t think I ever told you this, cuz it’s kinda embarrassing, but... I’ve actually never gotten a Midwinter present before.”

“W-what?” I said with a gasp. “Really? This is your first one?”

“Yeah... We didn’t celebrate it back in the tribe. And even though I’ve lived in Capim for a while, and people do celebrate it here, I never made any friends before you, so I never had anyone to get presents from. So this is... this is the first Midwinter present I’ve ever gotten. And that’s... that’s why I’m...”

Sneasel sniffled again and hugged the scarf. She bowed her head and mumbled, “Thank you... Thank you so much, Booker... I love... I love it so much...”

I resisted the urge to cry along with her as I watched her shed a few tears of joy. “You’re very welcome,” I said. “Seeing your happy face when you opened that box... That was like the perfect gift for me, to be honest.”

Sneasel snorted and looked at me. She was still sniffling a bit, but managed to put on a smirk regardless. “Heh... You’re such a... such a sappy dork.”

“Yeah, I know, but... I don’t care. I’m telling the truth. Happy Midwinter, Sneasel. Oh—one more thing. You should know Taillow helped me get that scarf. Do you remember that day when I went out with her? I didn’t actually talk with her about flying like I said I did. I actually asked her to help me get you a gift, and she flew me to the tailor so I could choose that scarf.”

Sneasel raised a brow. “No kidding? Huh. So she helped me even though we were feuding? That’s... real nice of her. Maybe I was wrong about her...” She paused for a while as she pondered, then continued, “Well, guess I oughta go thank her for her help. I mean, we did talk about putting aside our differences and all that, so thanking her for this would be a good place to start. Next time we talk, I’ll do that.”

“Nice! I was hoping this could help you two get over your feud. Glad to hear you’re still willing to try being friends with her.”

“Yeah, yeah, just don’t lecture me about the power of friendship. Anyway, I’m gonna try this on.”

She stood up and wrapped her new scarf around her neck, letting both ends hang down her back. The enchanted silvery fabric shimmered in the morning light from the window, and her golden gems glimmered along with it. The scarf and gems contrasted with her dull gray fur, making them seem even brighter.

She struck a pose and winked at me. “So, how do I look?” she asked playfully.

To my surprise, I was at a loss for words. I was transfixed. Looking at her made my heart flutter. As odd as it felt to admit, I’d started feeling that kind of sensation more and more over the last few months with her. And right now, it was even stronger than usual. Something about the sight of her in the special scarf was mesmerizing. She really did look great with it. And even without it...

Barely audible, I finally replied to her question: “Stunning...”

I struggled to hold back a squeak of embarrassment as I let slip what was my mind. Sneasel’s ear twitched, and her eyes went wide while a faint blush slowly formed on her cheeks, revealing she had heard my tiny whisper. I tried in vain to sheepishly shrink away atop the desk, while Sneasel froze and stared at me.

“Whoa. Really?” she murmured at last.

I took a deep breath, gulped, and looked up at her. I knew what I had to say. “Y-yes. Really. It’s a really good look for you.”

Sneasel’s eye twitched. She looked away, blushing even more. “Y-yeah, right. You’re j-just messing with me.”

“No, I’m serious. Y-you look... you look... b-beautiful.”

“Q-quit it!” Sneasel snapped, glaring down at me. She was snarling and baring her fangs at me, but by the way her mouth twitched, I could tell she was holding back a smile. Even more incriminating was her Aura: she couldn’t hide it as it increasingly glowed warmly and softly, a clear signal of her excitement and happiness.

I gave her a gentle, knowing smile. That broke her. She quickly turned away with a grunt, and for a few moments, she once again sniffed and rubbed her eyes. At the same time, she chuckled and mumbled something under her breath. My hearing wasn’t as good as hers, so I had no idea what she said, but I could assume it was something positive. When she turned back around, she had a broad grin, and her Aura shined even brighter.

“I... a-appreciate it,” she said at last. “This awesome scarf, plus all that nice mushy stuff you’re saying... Gotta admit, it’s pretty nice. No contest, this is the best Midwinter ever. Thank you, Booker.”

“You’re welcome,” I said. “I‘m happy when you’re happy.”

“Yeah... but I know what’d make you even happier: how about I give you your present now?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES9MhTnnlag (BGM: All I Want For Christmas Is You)

I nodded eagerly and waited. She went to the simple dresser we used to store odds and ends and a handful of accessories, then opened one drawer. She had hidden my present inside, and I watched as she withdrew a glass jar full of some white substance. She brought it over and unscrewed the metal top. A strong flowery scent hit me, and my antennae instantly began to twitch uncontrollably. I had to force them to settle down.

“What’s this?” I asked. “I’ve n-never smelled anything like it...”

“Royal jelly,” Sneasel said proudly, tilting the jar towards me. “Really special, really rare... a-and really expensive. I’d rather not think about that right now. Anyway, it was made by some Combee and Vespiquen on the other end of the continent. I had to fly all the way over there to get it.”

“Wow, really? When?”

“Remember a couple weeks ago, when I said Lliam wanted me to go out on a special solo mission, so I got Percival to fly me far away? Yeah, I lied. I was really getting the jelly then. I overheard some people mention it around town, and I looked into it some more, and thought it’d be great for you. It’s apparently super useful for bug Pokemon.”

That sounded interesting. I wondered if the royal jelly here was anything like the royal jelly that existed back in the human world. There, it was a special substance made by bees, and when fed to normal bee larvae, it made them become queen bees. It was also sold to humans, and some people claimed it had countless health benefits, but I was never sure if any of that was true. Maybe now that I was a bug Pokemon, and this was a different type of royal jelly, it actually would be beneficial for me.

Sneasel held the jar closer to me, letting me reach in and scoop up a bit of the thick jelly. I licked it and reeled back. I was instantly struck with a wave of bitterness that tasted simultaneously strange and incredible. It sent tingles all through my body, along with a surge of energy. I suddenly felt like I was brimming with power, as if I could run a dozen marathons in a row, or lift the entire guildhall with just one hand.

“Th-that’s... potent,” I said with a laugh.

“How was it?” asked Sneasel. “I heard it’s super energy-dense and nutritious, but it only works if you’re a bug.”

“It was great!” I said, finishing off the rest of the jelly on my hand. “It tastes a bit weird, but... I like it—a lot! And I feel stronger now, even after taking just a little bit. I guess this really is nutrient-rich.”

“Yeah, that’s what Vespiquen told me. I thought it’d be a great present for you, cuz I know you’ve been working so hard to get stronger. And I really like that about you. I wanna support you any way I can. So hopefully this will give you a boost and help you out.”

“A boost... Hold on. Does this count as steroids for a bug?”

“What’s steroids?”

“A human thing... Some humans use them to get stronger, but using too much can really hurt you.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Vespiquen said this is totally safe for bugs to eat, as long as you just take a bit each day. If you do that, and combine it with your regular diet and workouts, it’ll give you the nutrients you need to get stronger. And who knows? Maybe it’ll be the key to flying.”

I looked back at my wings, which were still mostly useless after almost a whole year. I’d made progress towards learning how to use them, but free flight was still out of reach. My ongoing flightlessness was a source of so much pain and shame, but with Sneasel’s undying support and encouragement, I’d kept myself motivated all this time. And I was looking forward to seeing how this new gift could help me. Even if it wasn’t as useful as I hoped, at least it tasted great. And I felt happy to know Sneasel was willing to go across the continent for my sake. The whole thing put a big smile on my face.

“Oh, I forgot!” Sneasel said, knocking me out of my thoughts. “One more thing. Hold on. I think you’re gonna like it.”

She hurried back to the dresser and took something out. Keeping it hidden in her claws, she came back over, sat at the desk, and held it up over us both. I looked up. My heart skipped a beat. It was a sprig of mistletoe.

“W-w-what?” I stuttered. “Sneasel, c-come on... y-you’re joking, right?”

“What do you think?” Sneasel asked with a sly smile, blushing once again. “C’mon, Booker. Don’t keep a girl waiting~”

I could only stammer in reply, overcome with mind-numbing awkwardness. Admitting that she looked beautiful was one thing, but a kiss... We’d been through a lot, and we cared about each other deeply by this point, but this teasing request was so unexpected, so forward, I had no idea how to react aside from freezing up and mentally screaming.

Sneasel snorted and laughed. She began to say something else, but mercifully, a knock on the door distracted us both. We heard the muffled yet familiar voices of our guildmates, Cooper the Torchic and Testa the Squirtle, coming through the door.

“Good morning, Team Brave,” said Cooper. “Are you awake? We’re going to start the big party in a few minutes.”

“Happy Midwinter!” Testa added. “C’mon! Whenever you’re ready, join us! We got that gift exchange and that big ol’ breakfast feast coming up! Let’s have some fun!”

“Uh... W-we’ll be there in a minute!” Sneasel said. Avoiding eye contact with me, she tossed the mistletoe over to a pile of books on the corner of the desk and bit her lip nervously.

“I, uh... Sorry,” she said. “Was that mistletoe thing too much? I don’t wanna force you into anything, but I heard Cyndaquil talk about what mistletoe means, and... I was just thinking... maybe w-we could, uh...”

“It’s fine,” I said. “M-maybe... Maybe s-some other time... Just not right now.“

Sneasel looked at me and gasped, but then smiled and nodded eagerly. “Y-yeah, sure! That’s okay. I’ll, uh... I’ll hold you to it, heh. But for now, we got a party to get to, right? C’mon, partner.”

She scooped me up in her claws, set me on her head, and made for the door. She grabbed the doorknob, but then paused and reached up, gently patting me on the head.

“Happy Midwinter, Booker,” she said.

I reached up and patted her claws. “Merry Christmas, Sneasel.”