Alola's sun shining brightly on the islands below it, the weather was simply perfect for a casual stroll in the city. Hau'oli city, to be precise. Nearby the shopping district, and not too far from Melemele's park, there was an ice cream parlor famous for its soft serve cones carefully doused in flavorful toppings. On the weekends, the place was flooded with hungry folks and vocal children, overcrowded, to say the least. In opposition, on weekday afternoons the lines were tolerable and the area was peaceful. So, on a perfect day like the one Sophocles has come across, why not stop for a pleasant ice cream cone after school? Only after a short walk through the esteemed Hau'oli City, of course.

And so that's exactly what the boy did. After getting a vanilla cone, drowned in caramel, Sophocles slouched himself onto a bench with a satisfied exhale. He chose this specific bench because a tree was right beside it, its branches coated in leafs extending over his head. It produced the perfect amount of shade, keeping him from beginning to heavily sweat. Of course, Togedemaru was by his side, sitting on the ground looking up at its friend. It was happy to see him spending time outside, since he spent the past couple of days locked up in his room tinkering with computers and machinery. The fresh outdoors seemed to relieve Sophocles of any frustrations caused by previously trying to fix small faults in his tech, relief which brought Togedemaru joy.

"Togeto," the Pokémon cheered at his side. It's smile was large, and Sophocles found himself smiling back.

"Oh Togedemaru, isn't this all great! Today, like, I'm pretty sure Arceus himself blessed it!" Sophocles took another lick of his ice cream cone, getting caramel all over his face. "This sun! This shade! This ice cream! Everything is just going my way!"

What Sophocles failed to notice was the faint sound of chuckles in the air, a small detail that may have alerted him to the twist of events. As if to prove his previous statement wrong, a plastic bucket, previously hidden in the tree's leafs, fell from the branch above him. The plastic buckets content's were repulsing, grimy, foul smelling garbage courtesy of Hau'oli city's grossest dumpster. The filth splashed all over Sophocles, covering him head to toe in stench and trash. Even worse, it ruined that delicious, amazing, and not to mention the holy ice cream cone.

"What the-.... GROSS!" Sophocles jumped off the bench like his butt was just lit on fire, looking at his own two feet with a face twisted in disgust. "Bleh! Ew! ICK! This... this stink! I'm gonna throw up..."

Sophocles's face became a light tint of green. However, when he looked over to the tainted holy ice cream cone, all the color in his face drained. His eyes became shiny and large, glimmering with a hint of tears. "...Awe man...."

While Sophocles mourned his loss, Togedemaru watched a cat-like Pokémon jump from the branch above and onto the ground below. This kitten was the one who pushed the garbage filled bucket onto the unsuspecting boy, and it wore a satisfied smirk due to its success. Togedemaru continued to observe as the kitten dashed towards a green bush a short distance away, the sound of laughter coming from behind it.

"Togade! Togade!" Togedemaru flailed its arms and called to its trainer, catching the attention of Sophocles. His Pokémon pointed its stub for a hand in the direction of the bush, causing the miserable boy to notice the laughing. Although not one to easily feel an extreme emotion of anger, the color of the boy's face went from a pastel, pale white to a hot, fiery red.

"Alright! Who's there! You're gonna pay for turning me into a trash bag!" Sophocles raised a fist and waved it in the air. His shouts alerted the pair of small children hiding behind the shrubs, as they jumped up from their crouching positions. The one shorter by just a centimeter, also the one with the longer hair, gestured for her companion to "come on" and to follow her lead. When she began to run away, her male companion obeyed and ran after her. Their cat-like Pokémon did just the same, chasing after the two with a moderate speed.

"Hey! Don't run away you midgets!" Shouted Sophocles. "You're gonna pay for this!" Dropping the once delectable ice cream cone and abandoning the pile of garbage he was showered with, he took off to chase the pair. The two children were far from fast, short stubby legs being the only thing they had to work with. Regardless, Sophocles struggled to keep up with them, as he was sporting a pair of short stubby legs himself. His body was also less than athletically fit, as within seconds of the chase, his tongue hung out as he panted.

"Gosh.... I forgot..." Sophocles panted heavily in between his words. "How... hard running... was. I... would hate... to be Kid Flash..."

Knowing he was doomed to collapse, Sophocles slowed his pace and attempted to think of an alternate plan. Soon enough he heard that pattering small feet of Togedemaru, trying to catch up with the boy. An idea clicked in his head.

"Togedemaru!" Sophocles shouted to his round partner. "Could you use rollout to trip up one of those two? Make sure not to hurt them, though! Be gentle!... Or their parents will sue our butts!"

"De!" Togedemaru complied. Speeding up the fastest it could with it's physique, it ran, then jumped, and then began to roll with haste. Catching up with the children in a matter of seconds, Togedemaru delicately rolled straight into the boy of the duo, particularly his ankle, causing him to fall right onto his rear. The girl stopped in her tracks, turning around to see her comrade fallen due to the interference of the Roly-Poly Pokémon.

"Aki!" The girl shouted. She ran back to the boy's side, extending her hand to him to assist. The cat-like Pokémon also ran to his side, then sitting down on the spot and becoming an observer.  As he grabbed onto her hand and regained his footing, Sophocles stomped his way to their front with grinding teeth.

"Well, how do you do there?" Sophocles spoke with confined voice, containing himself from shouting, but not withholding an angry glare. "Did anything nice today, like drop garbage on an innocent man?"

The girl's head darted to look behind her, as if she were looking for an escape route, but was greeted with the sight of a Togedemaru with a strange attempt at a menacing look. Its eyes were sharp and heavy, yet its cheeks were still extremely squeezable and its body was still an adorable sphere.

The boy turned to the girl, watching her for some sort of signal, waiting to be lead. She gave him nothing of the sort. She herself was tongue tied, looking at Sophocles with the same look of a Deerling in headlights.

"Oh, what was that? Sounds like you did!" Sophocles answered from them, not having the patience to wait for their proper response. "My oh my, maybe you guys should explain yourselves!"

"Uh..." The boy continued to look at the girl, the edge of his lip twitching in a light nervous quiver. He avoided looking up at the angry Sophocles, unsure if he would begin to melt under the pressure.

"Er... it was just a prank, bro!" The girl took her familiar lead, taking a daring step closer to Sophocles. "It was funny too... sorry if you don't like it buddy, but there are worst pranks to be made. Like fake kidnapping your friend, and pretending to kill his friend in front of him."

"Um, yeah," the boy said with a brittle voice. He remained behind the girl, eyes shifted and locking onto the ground

"... Who on earth would do that? Gah, that's beside the point! Does it look like I'm laughing? Does this look funny?" Sophocles questioned, pointing a finger at himself.

"Sure," the girl promptly answered.

"Don't give me a 'sure', don't tell me this is funny! I'll tell you what this is! GROSS!" Sophocles stuck his tongue out in disgust, his body shuddering due to this feeling of filthy grim gripping to his skin. He raised his hands up in a girlish pose as a display of his abhorrence, uncomfortable with his current state. "You know how long of a shower I'm gonna need? A long flipping shower!"

"Knowing guys like you, I'm willing to guess you needed one anyway. Consider this a reminder," the girl remarked.

"..." Sophocles chubby hands tightened into a fist. "Alright, okay. Fine. Let me tell your parents all about this reminder you gave me."

"No! No no!" The boy finally joined the conversation, his introduction coming out with a wheeze. "We just got ungrounded! I don't want to get re-grounded after getting grounded! Then like, I get grounded when I'm supposed to be not grounded! I don't wanna be grounded, I wanna be not grounded!"

"Really now? Okay then, I'll just talk to a police officer. I'm sure they'd just love to hear all about this," Sophocles threatened.

"No!" The pair cried out.

"We can't get in trouble with any policemen again!" The girl cried out.

"Then we'd get grounded for a REALLY long time! Like grounded, grounded!" The boy cried out with another wheeze.

"You better not do that!" The girl declared.

"Well, why shouldn't I!" Sophocles responds. "I have every reason to!"

"Uh... Ami?" The boy spoke as he nervously tugged at the girls shirt, a strange sight since he was the taller of the two, not knowing what to do. However, his poor posture made him appear smaller than he truly was. "Fix this...please..."

"See we... we would be... well." The girl struggled to come up with words, starting sentences but not coming to finish them. That was until a solution came across her mind, an idea that she would come to regret seconds after sitting it out with little thought. "If you keep this our 'dirty' little secret, then we'll be your servants for a week!"

"...huh?" The boy's head cocked to the side confusion.

"..." Sophocles, on the other hand, had his face ease from its angry state, as he simply lifting his eyebrows in curiosity. "My servants, hm? That doesn't sound like such a bad gig..."

The two children looked to each other with an anxious concern. A grin came across Sophocles's face, just as slow and devious as the Grinch's smirk. "Okay, do either of you have paper?" Sophocles asked.

The girl looked to the boy, as if she were expecting him to have been prepared for such a request. He didn't disappoint as he reached into his jacket pocket, taking out a notepad and a pen to go along with it. Sophocles then told him his address, and asked the boy if he could write it down. The boy followed his instruction, copying the address with messy lettering.

"Alright now, be there tomorrow at three o'clock, sharp!" Sophocles directed. "Now excuse me, I'll have to go take a shower now due to a couple of little jerks!"

With a huff, Sophocles stomped away. The two children were left to ask themselves what have they accidentally gotten themselves into.

The boy, the girl, and their cat-like Pokémon sat on the front porch of Sophocles's house at three o'clock the next day. The chubby little genius himself arrived about two minutes after three, a backpack slung over his shoulder and his Togedemaru at his side. Once he saw the children awaiting his arrival, a grinch-like grin once again was etched across his face.

"Why hello. I was expecting you two! And your little partner in.....um." Sophocles's focus shifted to the kitten, who's pink tail waved vigorously back and forth. Sophocles put a finger to his chin, sinking into a puzzled thought, zeroing in on the peculiar Pokémon.

"...Hold on a sec. Is that a Skitty? A real life, legit Skitty?" Sophocles's asked the pair. He approached the Hoenn associated kitten, crouching onto his knees for a closer analysis. "I've never seen one of these with my own two eyes before! They're not native to Alola, you know."

"Well of course we know," the girl declared with a huff while crossing her arms. "It's our Pokémon, mister whatever the hay your name is. A gift from our dad's travels in Hoenn."

"Hey, it's big boy Sophocles for your information! And I'm a smart cookie, just so you know!" Sophocles defended himself with a snap. "Got it?"

The boy passively nodded his head, showing he has grasped the name. The girl, on the other hand, tilted her head at Sophocles with a both intrigued and taunting glance. "Why does your name make you sound like an old man?" She asked.

Sophocles's face turned into a cherry tomato red, as he planted his face into his palm. He spoke with an agitated sigh. "That's mean you know... you're beginning to remind me of this one sour patch kid in my class. Thank Arceus you're far smaller than her. That means I could fight back, so ha! Your name!... uh... your name!" His attempt to insult the little girl in return crashed and burned, as he came to realize he didn't know her name in the first place. "Crap... what are your names anyways?"

The girl threw her hands over male companion's ears, startling him as he let out a soft gasp. "I'm Ami! That's my name, don't wear it out!" The girl announced. "And this boy here is my twin, Aki! He's a cupcake, with strawberry icing to be precise, who's too innocent for this world! So watch your language!"

Aki gently removed his sister's hands from his ears, shaking his head. "You don't need to be so protective, Ami. I've heard worse. Like the D-word."

"The D-word isn't worse than the C-word, Aki. I said damn, and Mom just scolded me. Crap, now that got soap involved," Ami said with a hint of regret. That was before she gasped, and threw her hands back over her brother's ears. "You've got me tainting him now, Sophocles!"

Sophocles blinked slowly, with a light sweatdrop on his forehead. "Uh, sorry? Er, consider that a part of my revenge! Speaking of, see my dad's car over there?"

Sophocles pointed in the direction of an old-fashioned yellow car, which looked as if it belonged in a cliche movie about a family and their pet dog Pokémon. A few spots of dirt covered the vehicle's surface, a natural effect of it being used often for both long and short distance travel. "My dad wants me to wash it by the time he gets back from work," he proceeded to explain. "But I'm not going to wash it. You two are."

"B-But! Sophocles-" Aki attempted to interject, despite his shy nature.

"Don't 'but' me! You know how many wash cycles it took to get that vomit-inducing scent out of my clothes? Four! And for the record, you two call me big boy Sophocles! Actually, no, no no. You call me big man Sophocles!" With a proud puff of his chest, feeling empowered once in his existence, Sophocles made another one of his increasing demands.

"Sorry, big man Sophocles?" Aki sounded unsure about using the new title to refer to Sophocles, but he did so without complaint. "Um, but we never washed a car before! We won't know what to do!"

"Don't sweat it kid. I'm sure you'll figure it out," Sophocles said with an unconcerned shrug. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be back with your needed equipment."

Taking a temporary step away from the twins, Sophocles came back with towels hanging over his shoulder, and two buckets of soapy water with large sponges already placed inside each. Setting everything right beside the car, he once again began to walk away. "I still need to get some stuff," he called out. "But that doesn't mean you don't have to start working yet! Start washing! Chop chop!"

Sophocles took another temporary leave, and went into the house. Left to their own devices, Ami, per usual, took the lead and took out one of the sponges out of the bucket. Not taking a second to give her action thought, she threw the sponge at the car's door. The soaked sponge did as one would expect, hitting the car's side then plopping to the ground. Opposed to going about the task a different method, the girl went and picked up the sponge yet again, backing up and throwing it at the car's side a second time. The sponge plopped to the ground after hitting its target, just like before.

"Ami, I don't think you're supposed to do it that way." Aki watched his sister's unique technique with fascination, although he felt the need to tell her she was incorrect. "It doesn't seem right. Like, at all."

"Nah, this feels pretty right to me," Ami denied. She continued her system of operation on a loop, continuously picking the sponge back up and throwing it at the car. Her brother shook his head, but hadn't the remaining guts to counter her claim.

"Oh geez," Aki mumbled. He went to approach the second bucket, but before he could reach for a sponge of his own, Skitty playfully ran forward and hopped into the bucket. It dived into the soapy water, splashing soapy water all over the unexpecting boy. The Pokémon laughed at Aki's jump back, swishing its tail as it enjoyed the cold water.

"Skitty!" Aki whined. "Aren't Pokémon like you supposed to hate water? A-and look at this! You ended up wasting most of the water in that bucket! On me!" The boy complained, but those complaints flew over the Skitty's head. As the playful kitten continued to laugh, an idea popped into Aki's mind.

"Alright, you wanna be like this?" Aki asked the Skitty. "Well then, your going to be my sponge!" Picking up his Pokémon from the soapy bucket, he pressed Skitty's back against the car, and began to move it back and forth in a scrubbing motion.

Soon enough, Sophocles came back out with a lawn chair, a soda with a paper umbrella inside, and a dark pair of sunglasses. Plopping the lawnchair down and laying himself against it, he sipped his drink while watching the children clean through his sunglasses. He did indeed question their methods, but decided not to interfere as long as the task was done in the end. And it was done in the end, the children finishing in about a half hour's time and Sophocles clapping his hands together for their success.

"Well done kiddos," Sophocles marvaled. "Now that's a shiny car that will make my dad a happy clam! Here, spend this on some bubble gum or something." Feeling a bit generous, he handed both of the twins a dollar, a smile on his face.

"A dollar? Imagine what we could buy with a whole dollar Aki!" Ami beamed while holding the buck that made her feel rich.

"Yeah! Thank you big man Sophocles!" Aki cheered.
"Not a problem. Now run along now, your job is done for the day. I expect you here at the same time tomorrow, you hear?" Sophocles dictated.

The two twins nodded their heads, before following his instructions and running off. Sophocles felt fairly self satisfied, ready for the days ahead.

The next day, the twins, along with their Skitty, waited for Sophocles once again on the front porch of his house. Same time, as they were instructed to. Once again, Sophocles arrived two minutes after three, and this time invited the three into his living room.

Once they were inside, Sophocles handed them two sheets of dancing directions, which caused both of their faces to showcase curiosity and confusion.

"Are these...dancing instructions?" Ami asked. "What on earth are these for?"

"Whaddya think? You guys are going to perform a traditional salsa dance for me! I'm in the mood for some top tier entertainment," Sophocles explained. "And you two are going to provide it for me!"

Aki gave his sister an unsure look, before she voiced a protest of her own. "Sorry 'big man Sophocles', but we don't dance," Ami stated. "Not for you, not for anyone."

"Oh," Sophocles remarked. "So you would rather get grounded then to dance one time?"

Ami went silent.

"I'll take that as a no," Sophocles said with a successful smirk. "Alright, you guys have twenty minutes to read those over and practice. I'll go and pop myself some popcorn!"

Twenty minutes of practice later, Sophocles seated himself on the living room couch with a bowl full of buttery popcorn. Skitty, already making itself at home, hopped on the cushion right beside Sophocles and rolled up into a fluffy ball. Togedemaru gave the kitten a salty look from the ground below, usually considering the spot besides Sophocles reserved for only itself.

"The audience is seated and ready for some dancing," Sophocles called out to the twins that stood right before him. "Let the performance begin!"

Aki and Ami sweated bullets as they glanced at each other uncomfortably. With no way out, the two grabbed each others hands and began to attempt to follow the steps they barely understood.

"Aki! You're doing it wrong! You're making us look silly!"

"You're the one who keeps- Ouch!! You keep stepping on my toes, Ami!"

What followed was an absolute failure of dance, a display that would make any true professional cringe. The pair continued to flail about, step on their partner's toes and tumble into each other. Sophocles, who was previously loudly chomping on popcorn, began to let out a hefty laugh. That was until he began to cough due to the popcorn pieces caught in his throat.

"You're the worst dance ever Aki!" Ami hissed

"Excuse me but you dance like your paralyzed!" Aki fumed.

"You dance worse!"

"No, you do!"

"You suck!"

"You suck worse!"

"... I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry too!"

"I don't like fighting!"

"Let's never fight again!"

The siblings stopped both their arguing and their dancing, and gripped each other in a tight hug. Sophocles finally stopped choking on small popcorn pieces, and noticed the sudden pause.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sophocles questioned. "Why'd you stop?"

Ami let go of her brother, turning to Sophocles with a pair of puffed cheeks. "We don't wanna be your servants anymore! It's making us bicker! And we don't wanna bicker!"

"Y-yeah!" Aki called out from behind Ami's back.

"Well maybe you guys should have thought about that before you guys turned me into a trashcan!" Sophocles retorted. "But... I suppose I could make a little compromise here."

"A compromise?" Ami asked.

"A compromise," Sophocles repeated. "Instead of working for me the entire week, you guys only have to do one more thing tomorrow. Something super humiliating, something that's worth a whole week of chores! Something just as degrading as getting a pile of trash dropped on you." Sophocles put a thumb to his chin and thought both long and hard on the perfect task to give them. The twins exchanged worried looks with one another, but continued to wait patiently for the boy's command.

"Eureka! I got it," Sophocles exclaimed. "Ami! You're going to have to dress up as a boy! Me, to be exact!"

Ami gave Sophocles a twisted look of both surprise and disapproval. Regardless, she bit onto her lip and nodded her head. "I could do that."

"Perfect! Now Aki," Sophocles began. "You're going to dress up as a girl!"

Aki's face began to glow red, as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Me... me... me?!"

"You can't make him do that!-" Ami began to shout, trying to protect her sibling. Aki grabbed her elbow, stopping her in the middle of her statement.

"If it gets us both out of this, I'll do it," Aki agreed. He took in a deep breath of air, puffing his chest out in an attempt to feel big and confident. He still felt like the same little boy he was three seconds ago, but at least he could put on an act of bravery and stability.

Sophocles reached into his pockets and took out a small photograph. He hands the photograph to Aki, and explains to him its subject. "This here is Lillie, a girl from my class. I want you to dress up just like her, get me?"

Aki nodded his head with his cheeks still glowing pinkish in color, meanwhile, his sister raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have this girl's picture in your pocket?" Ami asked.

Sophocles immediately turned his head away in embarrassment, and scratched the back of his neck. "Research. You wouldn't understand."

"Right..." Ami said with an eye roll.

"Well! What are we standing around here for?" Sophocles asked attempting to change the subject. "Let's go shopping! We need to buy you these clothes if you are going to crossdress properly!"

Without waiting for a proper answer, Sophocles jumped up and charged out the door.

After a day of shopping, the twins were instructed to arrive at four o'clock the next day, opposed to three. When tomorrow came, five minutes to four, Sophocles already began to snicker while holding a disposable camera in his hand. "Oh Togedemaru," he chuckled. "This is going to be gold! Isn't revenge sweet?"

Togedemaru flashed him a twitching smile, a bit of sweat on its muzzle. It was happy to see Sophocles so happy, however, it was unsure on how well this ordeal would end.

Soon enough, they both heard the sound of a ringing doorbell. Sophocles put a hand against his mouth to help himself stop laughing. After he composed himself, he stepped to the front door and opened it wide, still wearing a large smile. Standing in the doorway was Ami, her face scrunched up in annoyance, dressed just like Sophocles himself. Cowering behind her, trying to stay out of sight, was Aki. As expected, he wore a dress just like Lillie's, and even wore a similarly styled hat. Sophocles had to force himself to hold in his laughter.

"Heh... come in you two," Sophocles said while making a welcoming gesture. Ami began to stride inside, back straight, while Aki trailed behind her with a hunched posture. Skitty innocently trotted behind them.

"So is this what is feels like to be a boy?" Ami inquired. "Baggy and sloppy clothing? No thank you, big man Sophocles."

"Heh heh... you may not like it, but your rocking it!" Sophocles pointed his camera in her direction. "Smile."

Before she had a chance to block her face like a movie star caught by the paparazzi, Sophocles snapped a picture of Ami with a click of his camera. Feeling exposed, she began to flail her arms and shout. "I didn't say you could take my picture! I look wrong today! Just wrong!"

"Sorry Charlie, but I want to remember this day," Sophocles chimed. "Now I need to complete the set! Now will the cute little girl step forward so I can snap a photo?"

Referring to Aki, who was still crouched behind his sister's back, Sophocles waited patiently for the boy to step forward. Knowing that he must do what he must, Aki slowly stepped from behind Ami's back, his face red and sweaty. His weight shifted side to side as he continuously wringed his hands.

"Perfect!" Sophocles cheered. "Say cheese!"

The moment Aki heard the clicking of the camera, he lost all of his self control. Tears began to spill from his eyes, as his emotions and embarrassment began to pour out of his body. He began to wail, loudly, for everyone in the room to hear.

Sophocles's smile dropped in his panic, as he approached Aki and put his hands on his shoulders. "Uh, please don't cry!" Sophocles stammered. "Uh, I'll delete the photo! Throw the camera down a ditch! Just don't cry!"

While Sophocles tried to calm the crying boy down, Ami's fists tightened with rage. Her teeth clenched, her legs shook, she was just about ready to pounce on Sophocles and claw his eyes out while screaming at the top of her lungs. She was about to dash forward to unleash signature 'little kid attack' when she felt Skitty rub against her legs. A different thought rushed through her mind, as she bent down and grabbed Skitty with her hands.

Aki was unable to sink too deep into thought, since his sister burst into the living room with a haste in her step. "Well this was fun," Ami blurted out. "Memories were made! Laughs were had! But Aki and I, we gotta go! Bye-bye big man Sophocles! See you again never!"

Ami ran forward and grabbed Aki's wrist. She continued to bolt, dragging her brother along, past Sophocles and the doorway. Skitty once again trotted behind, far more leisurely in comparison, and followed the two dashing children outside. Soon, Sophocles was left standing in the middle of the living room all by himself.

"Well, all well that ends well?" Sophocles scratched the back of his head, a little flustered at the sudden conclusion. He accepted it quickly however. After all, all well that ends well.

He accepted it until he walked into his bedroom. Waiting just for him was a giant cat turd on his pillow, courtesy of Skitty's buttocks and Ami's ill will. He let out a girlish scream, which both of his next door neighbors could hear.