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Description
“Checkmate.” Penn knocked over a black Slowking piece onto the checkerboard. Calaver sighed and leaned back into his chair. “I’m no good at this,” he said. “That’s the fifth match.”

“You wanted to play.” Penn replied. Calaver shrugged and looked around the room again. The pale yellow walls and Butterfree murals started to look familiar. He had forgotten the smell of antiseptic and cleaning agents that permeated throughout the whole hospital. He looked back at the pure white bed Penn lay in.

“What do you want to do now?” he asked her.

“What do you want to do? You’ve been worrying about me since yesterday.”

“How could I just leave you up here? You took a lot of hits after we fought those bandits and-”

“I told you, the nurse said it wasn’t that bad. As long as I lay down, my ribs will heal in a few weeks.”

Calaver gripped his left hand, now wrapped in bandages. “Yeah, I guess.”

“...Sooo, any sign of Kara and Vani?” Penn asked.

“I saw them outside when I was coming in. They said they were gonna round up some kids or something.”

Penn cocked her head. “Why?”

“I don’t know, something about the guilds helping out around here? I wasn’t paying attention.”

Penn smiled. “You could go do that.”

Calaver shrugged. “Eeeh…”

“Calaver. I’ll be fine here. Go help out.”

“But you-”

Penn lifted his jaw with a finger. “Have some of your own fun. Go. Help out.”

Calaver stepped outside of the hospital. He sniffed the air. The blooming honeysuckle and soft earth made for something of a sweet perfume. He traipsed down the lane, his feet pointed up at every step, listening to the thump of his feet on the cobblestone. Many Pokemon strolled up and down beside him, chattering about the coming rain or what was for dinner or the guilds from Rift City were here. At this Calaver realized he didn’t see any blue or red uniforms donning these Pokemon he passed. How late was he? Did he really stay cooped up in Penn’s room that long?

“Excuse me, young man!” Calaver whipped around to see a portly Lickitung running towards him. He came to a stop in front of him, coming very close to stepping on Calaver’s feet. Calaver backed up a couple steps as he hunched over, took a few breaths, and pointed at him. “Are you a member of the Ardent Cinders?” he asked.

“Yes I am, sir.” Calaver replied. He helped the man stand up straight.

“Good, good! You MUST help us!” the Lickitung exclaimed. Calaver flinched from his sudden volume.

“What do you need? I’d love to help.”

“Our kitchen is understaffed. We didn’t expect so many of you to come out here, and we don’t have enough food for you all! Do you know how to cook?”

“I know how to bake.”

“That’s good enough! Follow me, young man!” The Lickitung grabbed Calaver’s arm and began walking. Calaver tried looking away as he lead him down the lane.

Eventually they arrived at a sizable treehouse. Lights were strung on the roof over to the support beams, all the way down and around the huge trunk of the oak to the roots. Calaver and the Lickitung climbed a ladder to the top of the treehouse. Calaver set foot on the creaky floor and sniffed the aroma of bubbling soup pots, toasted bread, and skewered fish.

“Anise!” the Lickitung shouted. A small Pidgey fluttered onto a table with a bag of flour. She looked in his direction. “What?” she asked.

The Lickitung pointed at Calaver. “This Riolu can help you with baking.” he said. He led Calaver over to the table and walked away.

Calaver smiled and held out his hand for a shake. “Hi there! You’re Anise?”

The Pidgey squinted at his hand, then walked off to a corner of the table. Calaver put his hand down and looked away. Anise came back, dragging a bowl over to her bag of flour. Calaver took it from her and set it down near the bag. “There you go!” he said.

“I had it!” Anise said.

“Sorry!” Calaver said, holding his hands up. “Just thought you needed help.”

“I don’t need help. ‘Specially from a Cinder.”

Calaver furrowed his brow. She fluttered up to the top of the flour bag, trying to open it. Calaver watched her pick at it with her beak until she looked up at him again. “Go make your own pie!” she said. Calaver shuffled away.

He found a cupboard and took out his own bag of flour and sugar. “Make my own pie,” he grumbled. “What’s her deal?” He came back to the table and set the bags down. He grabbed a bowl beside him and found some wooden spoons at Anise’s end of the table.

“Could you grab me one of those spoons?” Calaver asked. Anise scoffed.

“I see. Now you think you can use me to make a better pie than mine!”

“What? Th-that’s not the case at all!”

“It’s on now, Riolu boy! Let’s do a bake-off!”

“A bake off…?”

“Hey, Icebergs!” Anise shouted. Some idling Pokemon in blue uniforms turned around. “Help me make the best pie ever! Better than this Cinder guy ever could!”

“My name is Calaver!” he said as a Vulpix, Flaffy, and Charmander came to Anise’s side. As they delegated tasks, Calaver averted his gaze to the other side of the kitchen.

“Alright, Cinders...” He jumped onto the table. Anise fell on her back on impact. Some Pokemon in red attire whipped around at the sound. “There is no way we’re gonna let this half-pint win this!” Calaver said, pointing to Anise. A Nidoran, Mankey, and Magnemite came to the table.

Anise got to her feet. “A barking dog doesn’t bite,” Anise said as she walked to her team of Icebergs. She smirked. “I’d say good luck, but even that wouldn’t help.”

Calaver smiled wide. “Good luck to you, then.”

Description
“Checkmate.” Penn knocked over a black Slowking piece onto the checkerboard. Calaver sighed and leaned back into his chair. “I’m no good at this,” he said. “That’s the fifth match.”

“You wanted to play.” Penn replied. Calaver shrugged and looked around the room again. The pale yellow walls and Butterfree murals started to look familiar. He had forgotten the smell of antiseptic and cleaning agents that permeated throughout the whole hospital. He looked back at the pure white bed Penn lay in.

“What do you want to do now?” he asked her.

“What do you want to do? You’ve been worrying about me since yesterday.”

“How could I just leave you up here? You took a lot of hits after we fought those bandits and-”

“I told you, the nurse said it wasn’t that bad. As long as I lay down, my ribs will heal in a few weeks.”

Calaver gripped his left hand, now wrapped in bandages. “Yeah, I guess.”

“...Sooo, any sign of Kara and Vani?” Penn asked.

“I saw them outside when I was coming in. They said they were gonna round up some kids or something.”

Penn cocked her head. “Why?”

“I don’t know, something about the guilds helping out around here? I wasn’t paying attention.”

Penn smiled. “You could go do that.”

Calaver shrugged. “Eeeh…”

“Calaver. I’ll be fine here. Go help out.”

“But you-”

Penn lifted his jaw with a finger. “Have some of your own fun. Go. Help out.”

Calaver stepped outside of the hospital. He sniffed the air. The blooming honeysuckle and soft earth made for something of a sweet perfume. He traipsed down the lane, his feet pointed up at every step, listening to the thump of his feet on the cobblestone. Many Pokemon strolled up and down beside him, chattering about the coming rain or what was for dinner or the guilds from Rift City were here. At this Calaver realized he didn’t see any blue or red uniforms donning these Pokemon he passed. How late was he? Did he really stay cooped up in Penn’s room that long?

“Excuse me, young man!” Calaver whipped around to see a portly Lickitung running towards him. He came to a stop in front of him, coming very close to stepping on Calaver’s feet. Calaver backed up a couple steps as he hunched over, took a few breaths, and pointed at him. “Are you a member of the Ardent Cinders?” he asked.

“Yes I am, sir.” Calaver replied. He helped the man stand up straight.

“Good, good! You MUST help us!” the Lickitung exclaimed. Calaver flinched from his sudden volume.

“What do you need? I’d love to help.”

“Our kitchen is understaffed. We didn’t expect so many of you to come out here, and we don’t have enough food for you all! Do you know how to cook?”

“I know how to bake.”

“That’s good enough! Follow me, young man!” The Lickitung grabbed Calaver’s arm and began walking. Calaver tried looking away as he lead him down the lane.

Eventually they arrived at a sizable treehouse. Lights were strung on the roof over to the support beams, all the way down and around the huge trunk of the oak to the roots. Calaver and the Lickitung climbed a ladder to the top of the treehouse. Calaver set foot on the creaky floor and sniffed the aroma of bubbling soup pots, toasted bread, and skewered fish.

“Anise!” the Lickitung shouted. A small Pidgey fluttered onto a table with a bag of flour. She looked in his direction. “What?” she asked.

The Lickitung pointed at Calaver. “This Riolu can help you with baking.” he said. He led Calaver over to the table and walked away.

Calaver smiled and held out his hand for a shake. “Hi there! You’re Anise?”

The Pidgey squinted at his hand, then walked off to a corner of the table. Calaver put his hand down and looked away. Anise came back, dragging a bowl over to her bag of flour. Calaver took it from her and set it down near the bag. “There you go!” he said.

“I had it!” Anise said.

“Sorry!” Calaver said, holding his hands up. “Just thought you needed help.”

“I don’t need help. ‘Specially from a Cinder.”

Calaver furrowed his brow. She fluttered up to the top of the flour bag, trying to open it. Calaver watched her pick at it with her beak until she looked up at him again. “Go make your own pie!” she said. Calaver shuffled away.

He found a cupboard and took out his own bag of flour and sugar. “Make my own pie,” he grumbled. “What’s her deal?” He came back to the table and set the bags down. He grabbed a bowl beside him and found some wooden spoons at Anise’s end of the table.

“Could you grab me one of those spoons?” Calaver asked. Anise scoffed.

“I see. Now you think you can use me to make a better pie than mine!”

“What? Th-that’s not the case at all!”

“It’s on now, Riolu boy! Let’s do a bake-off!”

“A bake off…?”

“Hey, Icebergs!” Anise shouted. Some idling Pokemon in blue uniforms turned around. “Help me make the best pie ever! Better than this Cinder guy ever could!”

“My name is Calaver!” he said as a Vulpix, Flaffy, and Charmander came to Anise’s side. As they delegated tasks, Calaver averted his gaze to the other side of the kitchen.

“Alright, Cinders...” He jumped onto the table. Anise fell on her back on impact. Some Pokemon in red attire whipped around at the sound. “There is no way we’re gonna let this half-pint win this!” Calaver said, pointing to Anise. A Nidoran, Mankey, and Magnemite came to the table.

Anise got to her feet. “A barking dog doesn’t bite,” Anise said as she walked to her team of Icebergs. She smirked. “I’d say good luck, but even that wouldn’t help.”

Calaver smiled wide. “Good luck to you, then.”