"It's just insane today! You know Dartix, I always thought that Lumiose was the ultimate tourist nesting ground. Guess I was wrong."

It was an average Alolan day, though Bob found that fact extremely hard to believe. He was exhausted, slumped on a bench in the middle of the bustling Heahea City. He originally came to the island of Akala in search for a new Pokémon to add to his team. His plans were quickly foiled, as for the instant he arrived at the city's port he found himself being swept into chaos.

The docks were crowded with tourists of all sorts, puzzled and lost. Some huddled into small groups, staring at maps for minutes on end. Others wandered aimlessly, searching for their designated tour guide. Their voices and shouts were deafening, and Bob desperately, desperately wanted to just ignore them all. Regardless, his decency took control, and he ended up helping one tourist after another. As time flew by, he eventually found himself drained and drenched in sweat.

His Dartix, sitting beside him on the bench, titled its head side to side repeatedly. It hooted with concern, the sun continuing to mercilessly beam down on them as the boy muttered complaint after complaint.

"Dart... my friend. I think I might just pass out," Bob said as he panted. "I feel dizzy. The heat is melting my brain. It's times like this where I miss Kalos a tiny bit, it was less like a giant easy-bake oven."

"But Alola is the place to be! Oh, and by the way, boo! Boo boo!"

"Wah!"

Bob jumped, a familiar voice screaming into his ear without warning. He turned his head to see a purple head of hair pop up from behind the bench.

"I got you, Bobbie! I totally scared you!" Acerola hopped onto her feet in a frog-like fashion. "Am I the ultimate ghost girl or what?"

"Acerola!" Bob's stiffened and his posture straightened. "Y-Yeah! Um... you totally did get me! I wasn't expecting to see you here!"

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, either! I couldn't help but give you a nice spook, your scream was the funniest thing!"

"Eh. It was kinda embarrassing, honestly."

"It was cute."

Acerola winked, causing Bob to hold his breath as his heart repeatedly banged against his chest. His entire face reddened as the girl giggled at the sight, enjoying his bashfulness.

"I'm so happy that I ran into you!" Acerola grinned as she twirled, her homemade dress dancing in the breeze.

"...Uh. Yeah!"

Bob grinned back at the girl, though in the back of his mind he felt his romantic woes resurface. He still had those feelings he had yet to confess to Lana, and he knew for a fact she was interested in him. So was Acerola. Whenever the anxiety of the impending love triangle managed to leave his mind, something would always occur that would trigger it all over again.

He suppressed his worries to the best of his abilities, and made an earnest attempt to sound and act natural. "It's... it's really nice to see you! What... what brings you to Akala today?"

"Simple, Bobbie!" Acerola's hands landed on her hips. "I'm on a mission that I cannot fail! I need to make a little girl smile!"

Bob was immediately confused. "You need to make some little girl smile? Um... why exactly? And how? Don't tell me you're going to try and give some kids free candy. That won't go over well at all."

Acerola laughed. "Goodness no! I'm not that big of a fool, silly boy. I need to make a specific little girl smile, a friend of mine. I was just on my way to meet her!"

For a moment, Bob struggled to speak as the words "silly boy" echoed in his mind. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he prayed that the redness would fade from his cheeks. "A friend of yours? Who is she?"

"Ayame! She's a tiny little berry farmer! She works so hard, too hard. She really, really needs to learn how to relax and enjoy the Alolan sun!"

"Ayame? Hmm..." Bob closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Something up, Bobbie?"

"She sounds familiar. Ayame, Ayame, Ayame." Bob suddenly snapped his fingers. "That's right! I know who you're talking about! She's a trial captain, right?"

"Yes! She's the captain of the grass trial, to be exact," Acerola said. "I'm guessing you already beat her trial! Is that how you know her?"

Bob shook his head. "No, not yet. I met her under... much stranger circumstances."

"Stranger circumstances?"

"It's a long story... involves superheros, evil smiling crows, and tidy-whities."

"..." Acerola was lost. "What?"

Bob shrugged. "Like I said, long story."

"Oh, well, what does it matter! Let's get straight to the point! Ayame is a cute little nugget? Isn't she?" Acerola smiled brightly as she finally sat herself besides Bob. She scooted closer to the boy, to the point where their sides were touching.

Bob rubbed the nape of his neck, feeling the heat rising in his persistently red cheeks. "Uh... uh! Right! I suppose she is kinda cute... but she seems quite moody."

"Oh yeah! She's a little grump ball! Probably because she doesn't get enough sleep." Acerola puffed out her cheeks, cleared her throat, and performed an impression. "How dare you not let sleep! What a jerk you are! You're a jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk, jerk! Hmph!"

Bob broke out into laughter. "You know something, you sounded a lot like her! You should take my compliment with pride, Acerola, for I am an impression extraordinaire."

"Oh I will. Any compliment from you is something I hold dear, Bobbie." Acerola leaned against him, nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder. Bob froze, his skin turning to ice. Chills ran up and down his spine.

The chills continued until Acerola abruptly stood right back up, her giggles floating throughout the air. "Time to go! Ayame's gonna be super grumpy if I'm late, grumpier than usual. I told her I'd meet her in the shopping center so I could help her pick out some new gardening tools! I want you to come with, so we can make her smile together!"

She grabbed Bob's hand and pulled him up onto his feet, before releasing him and folding her arms together. His face finally returned to its normal color, as he smiled a quivering smile.

"Sure, I don't mind helping you out," he said. "Just make sure she doesn't try and scowl at me with her little baby face."

Acerola giggled. "I'll try to protect you."

When Acerola and Bob walked into Heahea City's shopping center, they were surprised to find that spotting Ayame was not difficult in the least. She snoozed right in the middle of the shopping center, appearing to be oddly comfortable on the pavement while the other shoppers were forced to walk around her. A tall pink Pokémon, Ayame's Lurantis, stood over her with a watchful eye. One could easily see the look of annoyance and embarrassment that glimmered in its pink eyes.

"Well, that was a fast search. Does this mean we got to wake her up?" Bob asked.

Acerola shook her head. "Nah. Lurantis got it covered."

Lurantis made quick eye contact with Acerola, before looking back down to Ayame. It begun to nudge at her back with its tiny foot, causing the slumbering girl to stir.

"Lanti...? Five more minutes please..."

Ayame remained curled up on the ground. Lurantis grew more agitated, causing it to use a full force kick to wake her up. She shrieked as she tumbled across the floor and landed on her stomach.

"Who did that? Just wait till I find you! Come on out! Don't go hiding, coward!" Ayame stood up with her little legs and shouted at the empty space that surrounded her. "Lanti! Lanti! Tell me who did that!"

She looked to her Pokémon, who began to sweat as it looked off to the side. It shrugged its small shoulders and threw its arms into the air.

"...Guess they escaped," Ayame said while adjusting her extremely large sun hat. "Weeeeell... ah... I guess it's sleep time again."

"Oh no you don't! We're going shopping for swimwear!"

Acerola ran forward with her usual enthusiastic attitude. Bob was right behind her with a smile of his own, though he couldn't help but scratch his head in confusion.

"Acerola, didn't you say we were going to shop for gardening supplies?"

"Oh yeah. That's right. I was supposed to go shopping with Acerola... ah." Ayame yawned mid-sentence. "But what are you doing here... Trial Goer?"

"Oh! You remember me?" Bob asked.

Ayame rubbed her eyes. "Yeah. You're the cocky one. Super... mmmm... cocky."

Bob was rendered speechless. Acerola quickly offered an explanation.

"Bobbie here is a really great friend of mine! So, I asked him to come along on our shopping trip. I know I agreed to help you with gardening supplies and stuff, but let's be honest, that's so boring. You need to stop slaving away in the hot sun, and start lazing around in the hot sun! And the beach is perfect for lazing around!"

"But I have to go home and tend to the crops, and I need new supplies to—"

"Nope!" Acerola had no interest in Ayame's objections, as she swept the small girl off her feet and slung her over her shoulder. Ayame was not pleased.

"Hey! Hey! Acerola! Acerola! Put me down! Put me down! Put me down! I said put me down!" She flailed both her arms and legs, but Acerola's grip was tight.

"Oh Ayame, just calm down! Enjoy the day! For goodness sake, you live on a tropical island! A.K.A, one of the calmest places to be! You get way too worked up way too easily."

"I don't need to calm down! Not at all! Not at all, not at all, not at all! You need to put me down, put me down, put me down!"

Ayame continued to kick and squirm until she exhausted herself. Before even a minute had passed, she was unconscious, calmly sleeping on Acerola's shoulder.

"I had a hunch she would knock herself out. Well, come on Bobbie! We got to teach this little nugget how to have fun!"

Acerola charged forward with a peppy strut, leaving Bob standing beside Lurantis. The boy and the Pokémon glanced at each other with the same expression. Their faces were twisted with astonishment, confusion, and a bit of awkwardness.

"Those two have a... unique relationship, don't they?" Bob asked.

"Lan." Lurantis nodded its head.

Bob sighed. "You can say that again. Well, we can't let them get too ahead of us, can we? Let's go."

Bob followed Acerola, Lurantis quickly trotting after him. The girl led them into a department store, her sights set on the children's clothing section. Before Bob knew it, he was surrounded by swimsuits of all sorts of shapes and colors. He felt dizzy after simply gazing at the sheer abundance of choices.

Acerola lightly shook Ayame awake, before lowering her back onto her feet. Ayame was dazed, swaying side to side as she yawned. She nearly collapsed onto the ground, but she managed to remain conscious.

"What... what are we here for? We still need gardening tools..."

"Remember what I said? We're not shopping for that! We're shopping for some Alolan fun!" Acerola clapped her hands. "Bobbie! Could you help me search?"

"Um... sure thing. I'm not sure I'll be of much help, though. I'm not used to shopping for kids."

Bob and Acerola both began to shuffle through the racks, the options seemingly endless. After a few minutes, Acerola pulled out a one-piece swimsuit that appeared to be Ayame's exact size. It was a bright green with pink as an accent color, as well as a print of a bounsweet on the front. Bob was impressed, considering everything he has managed to find was either too big, too small, or too ugly.

"Woah. That's a pretty nice find," Bob said.

"Right? It's pretty cheap to boot!" Acerola beamed with pride. "Ayame! What do you think?"

The pair turned around to see an empty space where Ayame used to be. They paused, staring wordlessly at nothing.

"...So. Acerola. Any idea where Ayame went?"

"...Nope."

The pair felt panic as it shot through their bodies. They turned their heads side to side in a frantic attempt to catch sight of the child, but it appeared like she was nowhere to be found. Fortunately, Bob noticed a pink Pokémon standing near a shopping rack, its head poking up from behind. He grabbed Acerola's wrist and headed straight towards the Pokémon, dragging her along with him.

They arrived to find Lurantis standing over its trainer once again. Ayame was curled up on the ground, clutching onto a particularly squishy pair of extra-large swim trunks. She slept away carelessly, drool spilling from her mouth as she dreamt.

"We take our eyes off of her for one minute, and she goes off to sleep again?" Bob's face scrunched up in annoyance.

"That's Ayame for you," Acerola said as she bent down onto her knees. She patted Ayame's back, waking her up. Ayame looked up at the girl with her half-open eyes.

"...Squishy swim trunks are so squishy. Squish squish, squish squish." She squeezed the trunks in her arms. "I wanna keep them."

"They are nowhere near your size." Bob put his hands on his hips like a strict father. "No way we're paying for them."

"But... squish squish," Ayame muttered.

Acerola lightly laughed. "They do look squishy, but Bobbie is right. We have no real reason to buy them. Besides, the swimsuit we found you is way cuter! Don't you think?"

She held up the swimsuit for Ayame to see, though the small girl seemed rather uninterested. She closed her eyes as she nuzzled her cheek against the swim trunks. "Sure..."

"Oh geez, not again. Ayame!" Bob lifted the girl from under her arms, forcing her to stand back on her feet. Her face swelled up with childish anger.

"I wanna sleep! Let me sleep! Let me sleep! Lemme sleep!" Ayame waved her little arms as her face reddened.

"We're in the middle of a store!" Bob shouted.

Bob regretted raising his voice instantly. All the other shoppers surrounding the boy looked straight at him, their judging eyes difficult for him to read. He took several steps back and turned his head away from their glares.

"Uh..." Acerola tugged at her hair as the three became the center of attention. "You could nap on our way to the beach! For now we should make our way to the register..."

Bob bit his lip as he hesitated to object. "About that... I actually... kinda need to buy a swimsuit too. I left mine back in my room, I didn't think I would be going to the beach today."

"Oh. Good point. I left mine at home too..." Acerola giggled.

"Um, what?" Bob's jaw nearly dropped with a sense of amazement. "But you're the one who decided today was going to be a beach day!"

"I decided once we found Ayame. She's so exhausted from working, a beach day should fix her right up!" Acerola giggled again. "I mean, look at her!"

Bob looked back at Ayame to see the return of her drowsy demeanor, her anger disappearing at the snap of a finger. Lurantis kept nudging her with it's arms, keeping her both awake and standing upright.

"I guess I could see what you mean," Bob said.

"Yup! Aren't I a genius?" Acerola poked the boy's nose, causing him to flinch at the touch.

"I think... uh... uh! I think you are a genius!" Bob attempted to laugh off the butterflies fluttering in his stomach, yet still, it was quite clear how flustered he was. Acerola loved it, savoring every moment of the boy's nervous display.

"You're so adorable."

Acerola smiled sweetly as she turned away from Bob, who's heart was beating even faster than before. She handed the green swimsuit to Ayame and patted her head. "You don't mind carrying that for me, do you, sleepy head?"

"Mmmm..." Ayame held the swimsuit close to her chest as she went to nod. However, when she lowered her head, she didn't raise it back up. She stood like a statue with her hanging head, closing her sleepy eyes.

Acerola cringed with a crooked smile. "Lurantis? Could you make sure stays awake for me."

"Tis." Lurantis nodded its head, quickly beginning to poke and prod at Ayame until she popped her eyes back open.

"Alright! Bobbie, let's go get ourselves some swimsuits!" Acerola grinned and grabbed Bob's hand. "Everybody, follow me!"

Acerola tugged Bob along on a short shopping adventure, which ended with success. Both of them found swimwear for reasonable prices, and they also managed to find beach towels and even a beach ball on clearance. Ayame and Lurantis remained close to the pair throughout the trip, Lurantis keeping a sharp in on its trainer in case she passed out.

Once they arrived at the register, Acerola and Bob dropped all of their items at the check out. The bored, dull-eyed cashier scanned their towels as Bob turned to Ayame.

He extended his hand. "Could you hand me your swimsuit? We gotta pay for it."

"Swim... suit. So squishy..."

Ayame held out the swimsuit, or rather, swim trunks for the boy to take. Bob stood in complete silence, staring at the extra-large pair of swim trunks that the small girl had found herself attached to earlier. To think, she would go ahead and abandon the swimwear she was actually supposed to carry for the unnecessary trunks.

Bob's face turned cherry red. "You're kidding me! You brought the trunks?!"

"Hm?" Acerola was puzzled by Bob's shout, until she saw the situation for herself. "What?! Ayame! Where is the swimsuit you were supposed to hold on too?!"

"Dunno..." Ayame nuzzled her cheek against the trunks. "Squishy... squish, squish."

Bob slapped his hand against his forehead, leaving behind a large red mark. Acerola could only sigh as she scratched her temple, as this was something she would expect Ayame to do. For that reason, she realized how poor her foresight was.

"Um. I don't know what's going on, but will you please just pay and leave?" The cashier folded his arms, his expression somehow both threatening and flat simultaneously. Acerola, like a deer caught in headlights, looked to man with wide eyes. Without losing her eye contact with the cashier, she grabbed onto the trunks and ripped them out of Ayame's arms.

"Hey!" Ayame shouted. "I was squishing that! It was so squishy... ah... makes me sleepy."

She couldn't stay angry for long, as fatigue overwhelmed her. She fell back into Lurantis's arms, snoozing away safe and sound.

"I'm so sorry sir! I'll be right back! I just need to grab something!"

Acerola's attempt to sound smooth failed miserably, her voice lightly shaking as she escaped the cashier's stone cold glare. With Acerola gone and Ayame's asleep, Bob found himself facing the man alone.

"..."

The cashier was silent, but Bob could feel his judgement.

"...Well, at least the line isn't too bad today! That would be a pain for you, wouldn't it be?" Bob tried to lighten the mood with a laugh.

"You're holding up the line," the cashier said. "That's a pain."

He pointed to the customers behind him, all waiting with arms full of products and agitated expressions. Bob's mouth instantly shut, unable to come up with the words to counter the man's statement. He knew that he was right, and there was almost nothing he could do but wait. So, he waited quietly for Acerola to return, the passing seconds felt like hours of torturous silence.

Eventually, Acerola came back holding the small, bright green swimsuit that Ayame was supposed to have held onto. She quickly handed it to the cashier, and made her purchase. Acerola whipped out her wallet and paid for everything, ignoring Bob's loud protests.

The group fled the scene, Bob carrying the plastic bags as Ayame snoozed on Lurantisis's back. Acerola had a happy skip in her step, but despite the relief of leaving that awkward situation behind him, Bob kept studying the ground with a dampened mood.

"Bobbie?" Acerola caught his attention with her high-pitched, velvety voice. "Something wrong?"

"Oh. I'm fine." Bob shook his head. "It's just that... you didn't have to pay for everything. You could have at least let me buy my own swimsuit..."

"Nonsense! It was all my idea, it's only right that I pay for it!"

"But—"

"No buts!" Acerola wagged her finger in his face. "You know me enough at this point to know that I do what I want! And I wanted to pay for everything!"

"But—"

"I just said no buts! Besides, we have more important matters at hand, like getting to that beach! Come on, let's pick up the pace!"

Acerola giggled and dashed forward, leaving those behind her in the dust. Bob called out to her, but she didn't stop, forcing him to take off after her. Lurantis was left behind with the weight of a sleeping child on its back, unsure if it would be able to catch up with the others while carrying the burden.

"Luuuuuuuu..."

The beach was filled with people and their chatter, all as lively as the bright Alolan atmosphere. The waves were gentle and a divine color of blue, the sky was clear and breathtaking. The sand was hot, the breeze was cool, it was as if the day was designed specifically to be suited for beach-goers.

Shortly after arriving, the three went into the changing stalls to get ready. Bob and Acerola exited the changing rooms rather quickly, dressed in their brand new bathing suits. They waited for Ayame, though they found that she was taking an unusually long time.

"Do you think that...?" Bob began to ask.

Bob didn't even need to finish his question. Acerola was on the same page, nodding her head in response. "Oh yeah. She fell asleep."

Bob rolled his eyes. "Of course she did, I'm not even surprised anymore."

"Whaddya talking... ah... about?"

Both Bob and Acerola flinched at the sound of Ayame's voice. She walked right up to them, properly dressed in her swimsuit, though her eyes were still heavy.

"Y-you're awake?!" Bob shouted.

Acerola laughed, amused. "Plot twist! But wait, wait wait wait. What took you so long?"

"...What took me so long?" Ayame rubbed the crust out of her eyes. "What are you... trying to ask me?"

"Uh..." Bob raised a single eyebrow. "What took you so long to get changed, obviously? It's been at least fifteen minutes."

"Ohhhh..." Ayame pressed her lips together as her tired mind sorted through her previous actions. "Well... I went in to go change in those stalls... but then I fell asleep. But then I woke up. But then I fell asleep again, and then I woke up again. Then I fell asleep, and then—"

Acerola raised her hand, signaling for the small girl to stop talking. "Alright, alright, I think we get the point. I'm going to stop you there."

"Okay..." Ayame yawned. "Is this the part where we all go to bed?"

"Goodness no! This is the part where I get you to smile!"

Acerola hopped into the air with enthusiasm, her smile shining like the sun. Bob couldn't help but smile as well, the girl's bright spirit becoming rather contagious. Ayame, on the other hand, seemed immune as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

The group headed down onto the beach and found a spot to lay down their towel. Acerola and Bob spread it out, struggling against the light breeze. Once the towel was on the ground, Lurantis happily sat on it and enjoyed the warm atmosphere. It remained seated on the towel to keep watch over their spot as Acerola dragged Ayame towards the water. Bob was right behind them, ready to feel the waves push against his feet.

Acerola leaped onto the shoreline, dancing and spinning as she enjoyed stepping into the salty water. Once Ayame stepped into the water, the first thing she noticed was the slight chill of the ocean. Her dulled senses began to wake as she felt the chill climb up her spine, making her more aware and less fatigued.

"...Hmm. I sorta like this."

She stood still, relaxed, enjoying the feel of the water. She was knocked out of tranquility when Bob pushed past her thoughtlessly, charging through the shore and into deeper waters.

"Come on, let's go for a real swim!"

"Not if I splash you into oblivion first, Bobbie!"

Acerola ran after Bob, splashing water onto him relentlessly. They both laughed as Bob retaliated, splashing Acerola with all of his might. Ayame watched the pair enjoy themselves, starting to have an all out war with their splashing attacks.

Ayame approached the pair, walking straight into the deeper water. She dunked her head underneath the water, and stealthily closed in on the two.

Acerola suddenly stopped splashing. "Bobbie, do you see Ayame?"

Bob followed suit, lowering his hands and scanning his surroundings. "Weird, I don't see her anywhere. I swear, she was here just a moment ago."

"Ultra water attack! Initiate!"

Ayame suddenly popped up from underneath the water, raising her arms up just to make her reveal as cinematic as possible. She then bombarded Acerola and Bob with speedy and powerful splash attacks.

Acerola gasped. "The enemy!"

"And it's strong!" Bob shouted.

Acerola and Bob wordlessy agreed to team up, and splashed Ayame right back. Despite the odds being against her, she wouldn't back down. The splash war continued for minutes on end, until everyone's arms felt heavy with ache. They returned to shore and dried themselves off, though their beach day wasn't over quite yet.

"Ah! That was so much fun!" Acerola dried her hair with her towel. "Don't you think this is way more fun than working all day, Ayame?"

Ayame quietly studied the sand clinging to her own toes. "...It's fun, but I still have to take care of the berries—"

"You're really stubborn," Bob laughed. "Lighten up a bit. I still haven't seen you smile today. If you're having fun like you say you are, then smile."

"I dunno... I guess I'm just not much of a smiler." Ayame shrugged, before a redness suddenly flared up in her cheeks. "But... but I'm not stubborn! I don't need to lighten up! I don't, you dummy! I don't! I don't, I don't, I don't!"

"Keep up that angry spirit, Ayame! You're going to need it for our next activity! An anime classic!" Out of nowhere, Acerola took out a large, ripe watermelon. She held it close to her chest as she smiled innocently.

"Um... excuse me but... what the heck?!" Bob jolted upright at the sight of the fruit. "Where on earth did that come from?!"

"The watermelon? You didn't notice me buying it at the store?"

"No! And I was with you the whole time! There's no way you bought that thing at the store without me noticing!"

Bob put his fists on his hips, not buying into Acerola's nonsense. The girl simply chuckled in response as she gave a half shrug.

"Then I guess it remains a mystery, Bobbie. Too bad. Anyways, it's Suikawari time."

Acerola walked forward humming a tune, and placed the watermelon directly on top of the sand. Bob scratched his head, once again finding himself confused by the choices of lively Acerola.

"Um, Acerola. Aren't you supposed to put the watermelon on cardboard or something? So we could eat it after?"

Acerola paused, looking up to the boy with a bewildered face. "Wait, what? We're supposed to eat it after?"

"...Yes."

Acerola, at first, was stunned by the revelation. She stared into Bob's eyes, wearing the expression of someone flustered and clueless.

Then she smiled and dismissed the matter with a wave of her hand. "Whatever. I don't like watermelons anyway!"

Acerola giggled once again, the sound squeaky and rather cute. Her laid-back, yet energetic attitude never ceased to amaze Bob. Before he could begin to comprehend her shift in demeanor, she shoved a wooden stick in his hand.

"I want you to go first Bobbie! Let me blindfold you!"

Acerola followed the rules of Suikawari to the best of her ability, starting by blindfolding Bob. She spun him around three exact times, as if they were about to play a game of 'pin the tail on the donkey'. Within the three minute time limit, a disoriented Bob wandered aimlessly in an attempt to find the watermelon and smash it. He never found the fruit, and his time ran out.

Acerola took her turn next. She was blindfolded and spun around three times before embarking on her quest to smash that watermelon. She was just as hopeless as Bob, wandering in every single direction that lead her father away from the watermelon. Her time ran out before she managed to even get close to her goal.

Then it was Ayame's turn. She went through the same process, being blindfolded and spun around. Unlike Bob and Acerola, she walked forward in a straight line and quickly found herself standing right in front of the watermelon. She raised her wooden stick high into the air, and slammed it against the watermelon. The watermelon didn't even move an inch, and remained perfectly intact.

"Well, she's doing better than we did," Acerola said.

"Uh, you sure about that?" Bob asked.

The pair watched as Ayame continued to strike the watermelon with the stick, only for the watermelon to remain undamaged. Over and over again, she would slam the watermelon with her stick, only for her efforts to prove fruitless. She began to kick at it, punch at it, using all of her baby strength to attempt to break the fruit apart. When the three minutes finally passed, the child could stand no longer. She layed on her stomach with her face in the sand, resting comfortably.

"Well, I guess we all sucked," Bob said.

Acerola laughed. "Oh yeah."

She looked up to the sky, which was beginning to glow a vibrant orange. Dusk was quickly approaching, and Acerola felt her empty stomach growl and whine.

Acerola lowered her head. "It's getting late. It's about time we pack up."

Bob nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Before we all go home, we should go get something to eat. Perhaps we could get the little one some mac and cheese!"

"But..." Ayame mumbled, her voice muffled due to her face being stuffed in the sand. "I don't like mac and cheese..."

There was a long pause.

"What!?" Bob screamed at the top of his lungs. "What kid doesn't like mac and cheese?!"

"Ayame," Acerola answered.

"But...but!" Bob struggled to even comprehend the idea. "Kids are supposed to love it! The hot... cheesy goodness..."

Acerola shook her head as she patted Bob's shoulder. "Ayame is a unique soul, remember that. She has her own tastes, and I know just the place where we could all eat and enjoy ourselves!"

The three sat at a nearby restaurant as the sky dimmed, the approaching night quiet and peaceful. Bob and Acerola shared a bowl of dumplings, each reveling in the savory flavor. Ayame ate her second bowl of white rice, her face blushing as she enjoyed her rather simple meal. She dug into the bowl like a hungry carnivore, and by the time she was done, her little mouth was covered with rice grains.

"You really were hungry, Ayame! You ate like a tepig!" Acerola patted the child's head.

"Hey! I'm not a tepig!"

Ayame snapped at Acerola, but unlike the many times before, she did not shift into an angrier disposition. Instead, she lightly puffed out her cheeks, before looking down to the ground. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing was said. Her hands clenched onto the bottom of her chair.

Acerola narrowed her eyes. "Ayame, is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what is it?" Bob asked.

Ayame lifted her head, as her lips curled into a gentle, warm smile. "It's just that I wanted to thank you guys. Today was... really nice."

Then there was a bright flash.

Ayame nearly fell out of her chair as she covered her eyes, defending them from the sudden light. Acerola glanced around the restaurant in confusion, until her eyes laid on Bob, who held his phone.

He looked at the picture, Ayame's smile immortalized for anyone to see. He laughed a bit. "Wow Ayame, I could see now why Acerola wanted you to smile so bad. Your smile is so cute."

Ayame's jaw dropped as she simply gawked at the boy, who was leaning over and showing Acerola the photo. Her shock morphed into frustration.

Ayame let out a loud, piercing shout.

"TRIAL GOOOOOOOER!"