The Teams Team Up: Part 1

It's a beautiful day today, and Wooper and I are spending it relaxing in the guild's garden. Wooper swims around in the pond while I bask in the warmth of the sun. Even after months of being in this body, the sunlight never stops feeling incredible. Just walking around in it always feels nice, but there's something different about how it feels when I just lie back and soak in the rays. Watching the clouds roll by, my thoughts drift back to something I haven't thought about for a long time.
Why am I here, anyways? It's been months and so far the closest thing to some kind of world disaster were the rifts. Nothing about them seems like they need former humans, so is it something else? Would we all have to go back if they all got sealed? Or did all of us simply get dumped here as sort of a “second chance” at life? What if I really did get hit by a car the day before waking up as a Chespin? What if I'm in a coma?!
I shake my head at that last thought. Nah, couldn't be, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of! Even if it was...this coma could be pretty comfy at times. Whatever's going on, most of my time in this world's been pretty enjoyable. Even though I don't know if this is a permanent or temporary thing, I'm determined to keep enjoying it!

“Uh, Chespin?”
I pick my head up, looking at the source of the voice. One of the newer guild recruits, a Smeargle, looks at me. Looking back up at the sky, I say, “What's up, Ross?”
“There are these strange blue...things at the front door looking for Team Cozy. One looks like some salamander thing and another's a...giant slug?”
Team Marsh! I get up, heading over to the pond. “Wooper, your parents are here looking for us for...some reason.”
Wooper leaps out of the pond with a small splash, landing next to me. “For real? C'mon, let's go!”
As we pass by Ross, I can hear him gasp, saying, “Th-they're his PARENTS?! But how does that even...I don't...Why doesn't anything make sense?”

Ross staying behind in the garden, Wooper and I head into the main room of the guild hall. Waiting for us are a familiar-looking couple, a Quagsire and Gastrodon. Or, Berry and Squishy, respectively.
Taking a closer look, I notice scarves I've never seen before on them. Berry wears a green and yellow scarf around her neck, while Squishy wears a red scarf with what looks like tiny explosion symbols on it. Berry wears a large blue bag around her shoulder, decorated with wave patterns. Both of them have a badge pinned to their scarves, a gold-colored oval with red and blue wings on either side of it.

Squishy is the first to notice us. “Woopy, my boy! How have you been these past few days?”
We walk up to the duo, Wooper being the first to speak. “Pretty good, Dad!” Wooper gets near Squishy, lowering his voice. “But um...can you call me Wooper around these guys? It's what everybody calls me.”
“'Course! So, an entire guild run by former humans...my word...It's as though I've finally succeeded in my long quest...” Squishy spots a Munchlax walking nearby, and shouts, “You there, that Munchlax! C'mere!”

The Munchlax walks over, looking a little confused. “Yeah?”
Squishy speaks with a tone of amazement in his voice. “Ahh...it is so good to see former humans at long last! Tell me sonny, what were you like as a human? What is your name?”
Munchlax gives Squishy an annoyed look. “Hey buddy, I ain't a former human. And I'm probably older than you, 'gramps.' Also, name's Beast. Used to run a restaurant in town until a little...incident happened. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some cooking to attend to. Have fun with the rest of the nutcases in this guild, most of which ARE former humans.”

As Beast walks away, Berry lets out a small hum. “Hmm...Perhaps we caught him at a bad time?”
The door to the storeroom creaks open. Squishy's head whips towards the noise, spotting a Togetic. “You there, c'mere!”
The Togetic looks around awkwardly. “M-me?”
I speak up, waving to him. “It's okay Toge, they're good guys!”
Toge walks over, staring at the floor. “U-umm...h-hello...w-who are y-you two?”
“Why, we're Team Marsh! But more importantly, Berry and I are Wooper's parents!”
Toge lets out a small gasp, and says, “O-oh...W-wooper and Ch-chespin s-saved my l-life once...T-Team C-Cozy is really nice...”
Squishy lets out a laugh. “I knew my son was doing good work as part of a guild! What else do you think of Team Cozy? Don't be shy now, this is my son's team you're talking about!”

I can see Toge's eyes shift upwards, a surge of enthusiasm seeming to come upon him. Oh boy. I know that look in his eyes.
With a deep breath, Toge lets loose. “They're always so nice to everybody, they're the reason we have beds, blankets, pillows, Frisms, a garden full of flowers and berries and even a pond, and they're the best team in the entire guild, not like the team with that AWFUL PERV Cyndaquil, and Team Cozy's so supportive of me and I'm indebted to them for that time they found me in a rainstorm and saved my life and brought me here to join the Clover Guild and they're the friendliest kindest team in the entire guild, their teamwork is nothing short of amazing, just the way Chespin uses his vines to hold Wooper so he can attack is super cool, and Wooper's so shockingly strong and beats up all the enemies better than anybody else at the guild and Team Cozy's goal of bringing more comfiness to the guild is a fantastic goal that I'd love to help them out with even more than I already do and it's a way better goal than all those greedy ASSHOLES that don't understand what TRUE adventuring is all about and just go adventuring for money, and only a complete MORON would disagree with me and choose any other team as their favorite, and Team Cozy are my best friends and I've even covered for them when they've nearly gotten into trouble before, and as Team Cozy's biggest fan I WILL secure the existence of Team Cozy and a future of ABSOLUTE comfiness and on top of everything else can I say that they're just absolutely insanely adorable together especially that one time when I returned their dropped badges and saw them in their blankets cuddling each other in their sleep and it was just the single cutest thi-”

I feel my blood run cold at that last part, he said what?! ...He saw WHAT?! Frantically covering Toge's mouth, I say “ANYWAYS, AS YOU CAN SEE, Toge here likes us a lot.” I look around in a panic as my face heats up, praying nobody else heard that. I'd never hear the end of it if all the other guild members found out! I let out a nervous sigh as I notice the rest of the room devoid of any other guildmates. Lowering my voice, I whisper to Toge, “...you weren't supposed to see that...”
Berry lets out a small gasp. “Mhmm, Team Cozy has a true-blue fan, talk about true passion!”
I spot Toge begin to shake, looking down at the floor. “I-I u-u-umm...I d-didn't m-mean to s-say th-that all!!” Before any of us can respond, Toge frantically runs back into the storeroom.

Composing myself once again, I say, “He...tends to go on little rants like that from time to time. So, why're you two here, anyways? Just come to visit?”
Squishy shakes his head. “Seeing the guild is fantastic, but there's somethin' else. Berry, show them.”
Berry reaches into her bag, pulling out a well-worn map. The map shows a continent to the north, with a big red circle over one mountain.
Squishy takes a loot at the map. “Ah, the Air Continent...So many memories come rushing back when I look at this map...” Shaking his head, he says, “As you know, Chespin, Berry and I did all of our missions here. Long ago, we had found proof of a mysterious treasure, buried deep within Mt. Thunder. But, alas, the news came to us just when we were calling it quits for our adventuring days.”
Scratching the back of my head, I say, “So you're giving the map to us to take on one of your old missions? What if the treasure ain't even there anymore?”
Squishy lets out a loud laugh. “Ohoho, the treasure is almost certainly still there! Nobody has any desire to climb Mt. Thunder. And as for givin' you the map to take on our old adventure? I've got a better idea!” Looking at us with focus in his eyes, Squishy says, “Team Marsh and Team Cozy, the perfect combination. Any foe we face won't have a chance against an entire family of explorers!” I go to say something, but Squishy cuts me off. “Oh, no need to be modest, Chespin. I already told you I consider you part o' the family! So, what do you say?”

Wooper looks at me, stars in his eyes. “It'll be so much fun! We're gonna be crossing the sea, fighting through dungeons, finding treasure, sitting around campfires, it'll be so so awesome!”
I can't help but smile. No matter how many times I see it, Wooper's enthusiasm is like a drug. “Wherever Wooper goes, I go. After all, stuff wouldn't feel the same around here without him around for awhile.”
Berry tucks the map away. “Mhmm! Now then, since we'll be one big team during this trip, what should we call ourselves?”
I rub my chin, thinking. “Hmm...Team Cozymarsh, no...Team Marshcozy, no...Team Marshmellow...That's it! Team Marshmellow! See, Mellow's like being cozy, and a marshmallow is some sweet back in the human world and uh...” I cough, realizing I got carried away. “So, what do you think?”
“Ohoho, perfect! If you two weren't already part of a team, I'd give you two a few badges to join ours.” Looking back at me, Squishy says, “Now then, gather supplies. Food, drink, seeds, Orbs, whatever you think you will need. Berry has everythin' the two of us need with room to spare.”

I hurry to my room with Wooper. Opening one of my drawers, I grab out an assortment of supplies, stuffing them all into my bag. Moving onto the little cupboard, I make sure to grab more Gummi drinks. Looking inside, I make a mental note to go buy some more once we come back into town. Finally, I grab my old blanket, which has gone unused since I obtained the new one, and a pillow. Berry's bag should be able to hold them, and I am NOT sleeping on the bare ground without a blanket!
Running back to Team Marsh, I hand the bedding up to Berry. “Hope you don't mind carrying this, I can't sleep without a blanket.”
“Hmm, roughing it isn't so bad, but if you insist.” Berry tucks the pillow and blanket into the bag. With a determined nod, she says, “Team Marshmellow's adventure starts...now, mhmm!”

The four of us catch a Lapras to take us to the Air Continent. I half-expect Team Marsh to pester me about dumb human stuff, but instead, they ask me questions about the guild, and about the adventures Wooper and I have gone on. I gladly answer every question they throw at me, grateful to chat with them about stuff that isn't human-related.
Finally, we reach a town. Grateful to be back on dry land, I take a look around. Something about this place feels...familiar, somehow?

Squishy takes a deep breath as he looks towards the town. “Ah, Pokemon Square! Once home to TWO humans, one of which helped save the world! So many memories of this place...Berry and I had a small house not far from here during our glory days.”
Pokemon Square? Huh, never thought I'd get to see this place for real. “So, what's the plan? Find some inn to stay at?”
Berry shakes her head. “We can, mmm, sneak in the first dungeon before nightfall.”
“Are you sure? I mean, I'm still stiff from the ride over he-”
Wooper interrupts me with his usual excitement. “It'll be fine, Chespin! Nobody adventures like Mom and Dad!”
Squishy lets out a small laugh, saying “Ohoho, that's my boy!”
Berry gets out her map, motioning for us to come look at it with her. “Mmm, to get to Mt. Thunder, we'll have to travel through the Mystical Forest just northeast of here.”
They're so eager to get going. Maybe that also runs in the family? “Shouldn't we at least grab a bite to eat before leaving town?”
“Mmm, we have apples and berries in the bag, Chespin.”
Figures, this is reminding me a lot of being a little kid on a long car ride. If Squishy wanted this to feel like a family trip, that right there sealed the deal. Well, ain't like there's anywhere to get a burger from to begin with. “Alright, I get it, let's get out there then.”

The four of us slowly make our way across the plains and riverbanks outside of Pokemon Square. Even here, the landscape looks pristine. Calm breezes, clear rivers, and verdant green hills as far as the eye can see. As we walk, Wooper looks as excited as ever. Squishy has a look of deep thought on his face, and Berry looks the most relaxed out of everyone.
As for me, I'm...not really sure how to feel. Everybody I'm with is so friendly and welcoming, but I can't help but feel out of place. I'm the only one here that isn't truly family, the only one that isn't blue or aquatic in some way, and on top of all that, I'm the only one out of this group that used to be human. I thought I'd stop having these kind of thoughts by now, but Squishy's near-religious obsession with humans only serves to remind me that no matter what happens or how much time passes...I still had a life before this one. I can't help but think back on it as we trek across the plains. Would I ever see my old world again? ...Would I want to?

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as Berry speaks. “Mmm, we're here.”
Forcing myself to focus on the task at hand, I look forward. A dense forest spreads out in front of us. Next to the path inside I spot a sign that reads 'Mystical Forest. BEWARE! Mystery Dungeon inside!' They seriously call the dungeons that for real?
Squishy looks at the sign as well, the expression in his face changing to a lighter one. “At long last...adventuring alongside a human.” A tone of old wonder fills his voice.
I walk up next to him, saying, “Uh, you okay?”
Squishy nods. “More than okay...I have dreamed about this day my entire life.”
“But I'm really not THAT speci-”
Squishy cuts me off, determination filling his voice. “Onward, everyone. Let us show our foes what a family of adventurers is capable of!”

We venture into the forest. Once we're far enough in, the canopy seems to thicken considerably. Looking behind me, I see the path we came in from has vanished completely, replaced with a thick tangle of bushes and trees. Now that I think about it, I haven't actually been in many of these sorts of places.
“It's been many years, Berry, but we're back on an adventure. Oh, the good old days...”
“Hmm, makes you feel a little nostalgic, mmm?”
I look around nervously, worried an enemy could jump out at any time. “You two seem pretty relaxed considering where we are.”
“Chespin, it's my parents! Ace Rank explorers, remember?” Wooper turns to Squishy, saying, “What're we gonna do, Dad?”
“Ah, glad you asked! You two, get behind us and look out for anybody coming from behind. If my memories are correct, this dungeon won't be a problem at all!”

Squishy and Berry lead the way as we travel through the twisting paths and strange small clearings of Mystical Forest. It isn't long before we spot an Oddish coming from behind us.
“Dad! Bad guy behind us!” Wooper yells.
Squishy turns around, spotting the foe. “Child's play! Show me how you can fight, Chespin!”
I look at the Oddish, an empty look in its eyes. This must be the sort of thing the rest of the guild usually finds themselves fighting. Are they just creations of the dungeon? Are they sentient?
After pausing for a moment, I realize I really don't care. This thing clearly wants a fight, so I'm gonna give it one. With a shout, I wrap my vines around the Oddish. Raising it above my head, I tense up as I retract my vines, slamming my enemy directly into my pointed quills as hard as I can! The force of the impact knocks them out of my grasp, sending the Oddish tumbling to the ground, down for the count. Wow, that was a lot...easier than I expected. Have I really gotten that much stronger?

Wooper lets out a cheer. “That was awesome, Chespin! You totally crushed that Oddish!”
“Ohoho, excellent, excellent!” Squishy looks at me as though he's a young child on Christmas morning. “Wonderful job, Chespin! Is that a combination you normally use?”
I rub the back of my head, feeling a little awkward at all the praise he's heaping onto me. “I uh...Normally I use my vines to slingshot myself into a Headbutt. This is actually one of the only enemies I've fought that ISN'T considerably bigger than me, so I kinda improvised.”
“Aha! Improvisation is the very core of adventuring. With thinking like that, Team Cozy will have a brilliant future!” Squishy turns back down the pathway. “We have more ground to cover before we're out of here.”

We continue through the dungeon. There aren't a whole lot of enemies, but what few we can find seem to come from behind us. Wooper and I make short work of whatever comes, all the while being praised by Team Marsh. Something about it all feels a little off. It feels almost too easy to fight off our foes, and this is with Team Marsh simply observing us half the time.
Rounding a corner, I spot a clearing with a bunch of berries, apples, seeds, and even a Gummi! I rub my hands together, ready to collect the loot. “Nice! Let's go grab 'em!”
Wooper shakes his head. “No, Chespin. That's obviously a Monster House!”
“A what? ...Oh, I think I've heard of those.” That's seriously the term they come up with? Why not 'an ambush' or 'a trap'?
“Chespin's got the right idea. It'll take more than a Monster House to stop us!” Squishy turns his head back to us. “Berry, give me some water. Chespin and Woopy, stand back.”
“Mhmm!” Berry fires a massive blast of water directly at Squishy!”

Her sudden attack on her own husband takes me by surprise. “B-Berry? What are you doing?!”
Berry ceases firing, responding to me. “Mmm, water cannot harm us, Chespin. On the contrary, getting hit by it heals Woopy and I, and even powers Squishy up. It's, mmm, a tactic we enjoy using, much like how you grab Woopy in your vines.”
I look back at Squishy. Not only is he completely unharmed, he now has a look of fierce determination in his eyes. “Chespin! I'll show you just the kind of teamwork that got us the Ace Rank!”

Squishy slithers into the clearing. In an instant, a ton of Pineco descend from the canopy, Joltik leap out of the bushes, and a few Oddish even emerge from the ground itself!
“Be careful, Squishy!” I call out.
Squishy looks back at me once more, his face showing equal parts determination and bliss. “This may be loud, Chespin.”
Turning back towards the pack of enemies, Squishy looks to the sky, letting out a loud shout! I feel the earth begin to shake, causing a jolt of fear to run through me as I recall the first time I met Squishy. From underneath his body, I spot tons of red streaks of light shooting across the earth, each one racing towards one of Squishy's enemies. Simultaneously, the earth erupts with incredible force underneath them all! The Pokemon are sent flying into the air, slamming back into the dirt with a satisfying THUD!
“That's so cool, Dad!” Wooper lets out a cheer.
“Y-you destroyed them all just like THAT?!” Squishy's display of power blows me away yet again, what IS this guy?
“But of course, ohoho! There are few things in this world that compare to the sublime feeling you get from taking down a Monster House with a single attack. I'll share my secret with you once we are out of the forest.”
“Mmm, good work as always, Squishy.” Berry looks at me, saying, “We'll let you grab the items. That Gummi looks like a perfect fit for you, mhmm!”

I nod, scooping up the Oran Berries, Apples, and some assorted seeds. I pick up the Gummi, bright green like the kind Berry had served for dinner that one time. Is it really okay to just eat these off the ground like this? It doesn't LOOK dirty, so it can't be that bad, right? After all, I'd eat apples that fell off trees back when I was a little kid, how is this any different? I give the Gummi a quick rub with my scarf, tossing it in my mouth. Just like the Gummis Berry had served me, this one tastes just like limes and kiwis! I was never the biggest fan of either as a human, but something about their taste just FEELS right. Oh yeah, that stuff hits the spot!
Wooper runs up to me. “Dad says we're almost out of here. Just another minute or so of walking and we'll be on the other side. So c'mon, let's hurry!”
“Right.” I make sure my bag is securely around my shoulder before I follow the others.

After roughly a minute longer of walking, we come out into a clearing, larger than the rest. At the far end, I can spot a large mantis-like creature with scythes for arms. The mere sight of him puts me on edge.
“Mmm, a Scyther. Let me handle this one, dears.” Berry walks forward as the Scyther flies forward.
The Scyther brandishes its scythes as it shouts. “Intruders in my forest will be shown no quarter!”
Before Berry can do anything, Scyther slashes at Berry, scoring a direct hit. To my surprise, Berry doesn't even flinch, as though she didn't feel it at all! Without a word, she slams her tail on the ground, causing the ground to shake.
The Scyther looks around, fear in his eyes as he realizes his mistake. “Oh n-” He is cut off by a series of large, pointed rocks emerging from the ground, jabbing into him from all sides! As the rocks retract, he crumples to the ground, knocked out just like that.
“Done like dinner, mhmm!” Waving for us to follow, Berry says, “Exit is this way.”

Exiting the forest, I notice that the sun is beginning to set. Were we really in there that long? ...Nevermind, there's something more important on my mind.
Turning to Team Marsh, I yell “H-How are you two doing this?! Everything in that dungeon went down like a sack of bricks! Squishy blew up an entire room! Berry straight up got slashed at and completely no-sold it!”
Squishy lets out a lively laugh, louder than any I've heard from him before. “Ohohohoho! Our secret? Mystical Forest? Why, that's one of the easiest dungeons on the entire continent! In fact, this was home to one of the first missions we ever did! It's so easy in fact, that I'm confident nothing in that dungeon could have harmed even a single one of us!”
“...Wait, for real?” I think on it a bit more. I guess it makes sense. After all, that first Oddish I knocked out went down quicker than anything I had ever fought before. Did we just beat up the Pokemon equivalent of a preschool?
Berry nods. “Mhmm! Now, let us fine a good spot to camp for the night.”
We continue on down the path for a little while longer. The sky turns a purplish-pink as the sun begins to set. Once we come across a small pond, Berry says, “This will do nicely.”

Berry sets down her bag near a rock, heading off to grab some firewood. Squishy uses his Earth Power to dig a firepit. I rummage through Berry's bag, taking out my pillow and blanket. I can at least fold the blanket under myself to create a makeshift bed for tonight. Once Berry returns, she tosses a few logs into the pit. Reaching into her bag, she throws a Blast Seed at the wood, igniting the whole thing!

All of us sit around the campfire, relaxing from our adventure through the unusually-easy forest. I stick a few berries on a nearby stick, roasting them over the flames. An odd feeling of nostalgia washes over me, memories of being a small child on a camping trip rushing forth. As I eat the berries, I find myself wishing I had marshmallows, or chocolate...even graham crackers...man, camping isn't the same without these. I don't even have one of those sandwich makers you stick over the fire!
Berry notices my silence. “Something wrong, Chespin?”
I let out a sigh. “This reminds me of when I would go camping as a young boy, back in the human world.”
Even though it's dark, I can see Wooper's excitement. “Really? What's human camping like?!”

Staring at the flickering flames in front of me, I begin. “It's...a little like this. Toasting things over a campfire, getting out in the wilderness, that kind of thing. It's not much different, really. Anyways, I didn't camp much past that early age, but sitting around the fire like this...reminds me of my old life.” I look up at the clear night sky, sighing as I think more about my old life than I have since my first weeks as a Chespin. I blame Squishy's human obsession. “...Even the sky is different in this world. At night you see so many stars in the sky, it's incredible!”

I can see Squishy thinking for a moment. “Do you miss your old world, Chespin? Would you...go back if you could?”
I gasp at his question. This got real serious all of a sudden! “U-umm...There were a lot of nice things about my world, but there was also a lot of bad things. If someone walked up to me right now and told me I could go back, I...I don't know.”
I look around, trying to find the words. As my eyes wander, I notice Wooper, who wears a look unlike any I have ever seen on him. It's a face full of purest worry, maybe even total fear. My heart sinks at the sight. There's no doubt in my mind that he'd be beyond devastated if I went back. I have to cheer him up!
Continuing, I say, “But I'm not going anywhere. I've probably lived more these past few months than I have my entire life as a human, and I ain't givin' that up!” I'm a little taken aback by my sudden refusal. I still miss my old home from time to time, yet I said that with almost no hesitation! Did I say that just to make Wooper happy or were those my true feelings?
I can see the fear fade from Wooper's face as he lets out a breath he was visibly holding in. “See, Dad? Team Cozy ain't gonna go anywhere.”

“Aah, a truly loyal friend. It warms my heart to see Woopy on a team alongside you, Chespin.” Slithering towards the pond, Squishy says, “Berry and I are headed to sleep. Coming, Woopy?”
Oh, right, it's this part of the trip. Never gets any less embarrassing for me, but it's not like they don't already know. “Uh...I'd be all alone out here if something happened so...” Even though I'm not afraid of the dark, being left by myself like this? In the middle of a pitch-black night in a strange location? Not a chance.
“But of course! How silly of me. Just as you protect Woopy, he too must help you out a great deal as well. Good night, you two.” Squishy slips underneath the surface, accompanied shortly after by Berry.

It's dark out, but I'm still wide awake thanks to Squishy's question earlier. Unable to sleep, I grab a couple of Gummi drinks from my bag, sitting next to the fire again. I pop the cork off both bottles, holding one in each of my vines as I snake one of them over to Wooper. I take a long sip, closing my eyes as I savor it, the taste of berries and citrus filling my mouth. I try to think of something positive to talk about, but my mind is still hung up on that question. Glancing over at Wooper, I can tell he's still thinking about it, too.

Before I can say anything, Wooper speaks up. “Um...Arthur?” His usual cheer is gone. “I never thought about if you'd want to go back to the human world or not before tonight.”
“It's...something most former humans struggle with at least a little, Wooper.” Taking another sip, I say, “The ones in the guild that don't feel like that, they have nothing to go back to.”
“But you like it here, don't you? You like being part of Team Cozy as well as my best friend, right?”
His words take me by surprise. This is the first time I've ever detected a hint of doubt in me from him! “Of course I do, Wooper! When I tell the others that I wouldn't choose anybody else to be my best friend, that INCLUDED humans!”
Wooper's cheer returns, his face lighting up like never before. “Really?! That's so so great!”
I think back to my old friends as I continue. “Even in the human world, not a single friend of mine was anywhere close to as great a friend as you are, Wooper! You put 'em all to shame!”
“That's amazing!”
I take a longer sip, more memories of my old life coming to back. “Honestly, despite me considering them friends, most of them sure didn't feel like it sometimes. They would tell me they're coming over only to never show up, give me a hard time over so many things, that sort of thing...Now that I think about it, I guess I always wanted better friends.”

Wooper's cheerfulness quiets down as he says, “It sounds like being a human wasn't always easy. Why were you friends with them, Arthur? They didn't sound nice at all!”
I take another sip, feeling a little dizzy as the drink does its work. “It's not like they were bad people, it's just what being human was like. It's in our nature to get on someone's case for doing things others might see as 'weird.'”
“That's not very friendly of them.”
I take some time to finish off my drink, feeling real tipsy now. “But you're nothin' like 'em, Wooper! Hell, I protec' ya all the time durin' fights, don't I? Ya practic'ly never leave my side! Don' that show what I think a ya?”
Wooper eagerly nods. “It does! But uh...I think you've had a bit much to drink.”
“Ah, nonsense, it was jus' one!” I take a close look at the bottle. Focusing on the label, I make out the writing.
'Spinda's Great Green Gummi Gulp. Made with a mix of Berries, limes, and Green Gummis. Not for children. WARNING: More potent than other Gummi drinks.'
“...'kay, I gues' it's stronger or somethin'.”

Wooper laughs at my expense, saying “You talk kinda funny when you get drunk!”
“Yeah yeah, laugh it up...Woopy.”
Wooper gasps, a hit of annoyance on his face. “I-Hey! I told you not to call me that!”
I throw my arms up, chuckling. “Aw, wha's the big deal? Ya call me by my ol' name, issonly fair!”
“Ugh...fine. But only if it's just us, and only some of the time! Promise?”
“Ah, sure thin' Woopy boy! C'mere!” I shoot my vines over to Wooper, reeling him in for a hug! “Don' worry yer big blue head abou' me, Woopy. I ain't goin' anywher'!”
“Woohoo! Team Cozy's here to stay!”

I watch the campfire's flames flicker as I feel myself sobering up, the tipsiness giving way to tiredness. Stuffing the empty bottles in my bag, I stand up, rubbing my forehead as the last of the dizziness begins to fade. “That talking got kinda serious for a bit, huh? Sorry about that, Wooper.”
“It's okay, honest. I like hearing you ramble on about stuff, and you talk funny after you've had a drink or two!”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah uh, just don't go telling the others that I got drunk and started going off about dumb human stuff, alright?”
“You don't gotta worry about that!” Wooper lets out a long yawn. “Aah...we should get to sleep, huh?”
I nod, shuffling over to my blanket. As I toss it over myself, Wooper jumps underneath the covers without warning! Part of me is surprised, but not really. I knew this was coming, after all. I open my mouth to say something, but decide against it. At least we aren't at the guild.
“G'night, Arthur!” Wooper stares up at the stars as he slowly drifts off to sleep.
I roll over on my side, watching the campfire's flames die down. “G'night, Wooper.”