The Passimian was an outcast amongst its own kind.

It spent its long, lonely days lazing about Lush Jungle in solitude, watching groups of other Passimians pass it by without sparing a glance. The Passimian had learned not to disrupt them; well-established packs don't take kindly to hopeful outsiders invading their space. Approaching them wasn't a mistake it would dare make twice. So the Passimian kept its distance, wondering when and if it would find a sense of purpose.

Passimians are supposed to have roles. In a pack, each member has a role to call their own: the leader, the right-hand, the protector, the muscle, the scavenger, the nurturer, so on and so forth. It allowed the pack to survive and thrive, and it granted each individual the sense of purpose the Passimian so badly craved. If it doesn't have a pack, how is it supposed to find purpose?

For a short moment, the Passimian thought it found its answer. An odd scent and the jumbled sounds of battle brought it to the very center of Lush Jungle, where it saw glimpses of fire glowing bright beyond the trees. The Passimian cautiously approached to see a Torracat locked in battle with the Jungle's totem, Lurantis. A trainer stood on the sidelines, a young girl who stood tall and proud, shouting clear commands that the Torracat followed diligently. The pair were so in sync, so in tune with each other that the way they battled seemed almost magical.

That synchronization earned them victory against the totem.

When the battle was over, and the girl hugged and praised her Pokémon with a smile stretched from ear to ear, Passimian knew it wanted to be a part of her pack. It could already imagine it— fighting for its trainer, achieving victory alongside its trainer, being hugged and praised by its trainer. The Passimian wholeheartedly believed that if it stood by that girl's side, it'd have its purpose.

Its mind was set, but there was a problem.

When the Passimian tried to approach the girl, she screamed and ran away.

* * *

"In rare cases, Vikavolts have been observed picking up and using Charjabugs as batteries to power up their high-powered beams of electricity. There was an incident in Galar's Pokémon league where a trainer tried to use a Charjabug to strengthen their Vikavolt's attacks. The strategy was instantly deemed illegal and the trainer was disqualified."

Kukui drew a Vikiavolt on the chalkboard as he delivered his lecture. The drawing resembled a clothespin more than it resembled any living creature, but he was a professor, not an artist. Yet, despite their crudeness, there was always something endearing about the sketches Kukui scribbled during class. His students never once complained about them, at least.

The students sat in their seats and listened— well, mostly listened. Ash doodled in his notebook, Lillie doted over Snowy, Lana brainstormed her strategy for her first Akala trial, Saki struggled to stay awake, Bob's eyes kept flitting towards the ground, Kiawe's drummed his fingers against his desk, Mallow twirled her pigtails with her finger, and Sophocles was the only one diligently taking notes.

"It's believed that the reason Vikavolts refrain from using Charjabugs regularly is their propensity for utilizing their agility. Vikavolts are well known for using their acrobatics during battle to—"

The classroom door swung open with a loud thud as it slammed against the wall. Kukui jumped as his chalk slipped from his fingers.

"Trial goer!" A young voice demanded. "We've got unfinished business!"

A young child stood in the doorway, her green hair cut in a bob and shadowed beneath a large, round brimmed hat. Her cheeks were puffed in a pout, her hands were on her hips, and her eyes, usually clouded in fatigue, were alert and energized.

A Lurantis stood behind her, an almost apologetic look transparent in its eyes.

"Ayame?" Bob lifted his head.

"What are you doing here?" Mallow asked.

"Unfinished business?" Ash stood up. "Was there something you needed from me?"

"Not you, trail goer!" Ayame snapped. "Her!"

She pointed a finger at Saki. The class all turned their heads back to look at her like a hivemind.

Heat flooded Saki's face. "M-me?! What are you talking about?!"

"Don't play stupid!" Ayame shouted.

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"Okay, okay!" Kukui gestured for the pair to lower their voices. "Please settle down—"

"You should know exactly what I'm here for!" Ayame huffed.

"I don't!" Saki leaped out from her seat. "I haven't even seen you since I took my trial!"

"Exactly!"

"What the hell do you mean 'exactly?!' That doesn't explain crap!"

"Stop playing stupid!"

"I told you, I'm not!"

"I said..." Kukui drew in a deep breath. "Settle down!"

The sudden booming shout of Kukui's usually relaxed, eased voice made everyone freeze in place. Instead of Saki or Ayame, all eyes were on the professor.

Briefly, there was silence.

Kukui folded his arms and nodded his head. His usual friendly grin returned to his face. "Thank you, I really don't like to raise my voice. Now, Ayame, it's nice to see you, but you're interrupting my lesson. Would you please explain what this is all about?"

"And what are you accusing me for—?!"

Kukui stopped Saki's shout with the raise of his hand. "Saki, please, let Ayame explain herself first. Sit down, take a breath."

Saki mumbled something under her breath as she fell back into her seat with a scowl. She pouted and held her breath as if to deliberately go against Kukui's advice out of sheer pettiness.

"You really don't remember what you've done, do you, trial goer?" Ayame shook her head as she clicked her tongue. "Fine, I'll explain. I'm only here on behalf of the Pokémon of Lush Jungle. As Trial Captain, if something's wrong, it's my job to fix it!"

She said nothing more. She only glared at Saki with an intensity that didn't suit a girl that was just over four feet. Saki— someone who's taken on opponents twice Ayame's size— felt sweat build up on the back of her neck.

Bob leaning over and whispering eerie sentiments in her ear didn't help.

"Shit, I don't think I've ever seen her this mad. And that's saying something, she'll kill you for waking her up. You're screwed."

Saki swallowed a lump in her throat.

"Um... that still doesn't explain much," Kukui said. "Could you elaborate?"

Ayame, in response, turned away from the man. She looked past her own Pokémon and into the hallway.

She patted her knees. "Come here, come here. Don't be shy."

A shadow slowly emerged from the hallway. It had a strong build, broad shoulders, and a small, round face all coated in puffy white fur. It tucked its tail, which was as equally fluffy as the rest of its body, beneath its stomach.

Saki was on her feet in an instant.

Passimian, watching her with its large, shiny eyes, whimpered. It stayed at Ayame's side, clinging to her overalls.

"W-why is that here?!" Saki cried out.

"...Hmph. You don't recognize it? Even now, you're continuing to hurt Passimian's feelings. Look how sad you're making it, trial goer!"

Ayame rubbed Passimian's cheek. The Pokémon lowered its head, staring down at the hard berry it held tightly against its chest.

"W-wait! That Passimian... is it the same Passimian that approached Saki after her trial? The one she ran from?" Mallow asked.

"Yes, and Passimian hasn't been acting right since. Now it just mopes around all sad at the jungle's entrance, like it's waiting for something. I couldn't watch it anymore." Ayame pointed her finger back at Saki. "So I brought it here, and you're going to make friends with it whether you like it or not!"

"What?!" Saki shook her head vigorously. "No way!"

"Yes way!"

"No way! Find some other way to cheer it up!"

"Yes way! I would if I could! But Passimian offered its hard berry to you! That's no small gesture! And you refused it!"

Kukui's eyes widened. "Hold on, that Passimian offered its berry? That's incredible!"

"I've never heard of such a thing..." Sophocles said. "That is incredible!"

"...It is?" Ash asked.

"What's so incredible about a Pokémon offering someone some berry?" Bob raised a brow.

"Not just any berry, its hard berry," Lana explained. "They are a Passimian's most prized possession. For it to offer it to someone..."

"Why would you refuse such a thing, Saki? It clearly meant a lot to Passimian," Kiawe said.

"Well..." Saki's cheeks turned a bright, cherry red. She looked off to the side. "I..."

Mallow stood up from her seat and patted Saki's shoulder.

"Ayame... I know for a fact Saki never meant to hurt Passimian's feelings. But... well... Saki has a fear of—"

"None of you have any idea how terrifying those things could be when you piss 'em off!" Saki's face somehow became even redder. She folded her arms and turned away from her classmates. "They'll tear you apart!"

"First of all, they're not 'things,' they're Pokémon! Stop disrespecting the Pokémon of Lush Jungle! And second of all..." Ayame shifted her focus to Mallow. "I don't care if she meant to hurt Passimian's feelings or not! She still hurt Passimian's feelings! So she's going to make it up to it by making friends with it!"

Saki's head snapped back to glare at Ayame. "I already said no way!"

Ayame stomped her foot. "Yes way!"

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"No way!"

"...Lurantis, hold my hat."

Ayame removed her hat from her head and threw it over her shoulder, causing Lurantis to frantically reach for and catch the hat with its claws. She stomped forward, more than ready to throw her merciless baby fists.

Kukui caught her mid-march, wrapping his hands underneath her shoulders and hoisting her up into his arms.

"Ack— What are you doing?!" The young child kicked and kicked. "Put me down, you jerk! Put me down, put me down, put me down, put me down!"

"Um..." Kukui shook his head with the most awkward of smiles on his face. "You need to relax first..."

"I will not relax! Put me down! Put me down! Put me down!" Amidst her shouting, Ayame let out a short yawn. "I said put me down! Put me... ah... put me..."

Ayame's head fell as her eyes shut closed. Within seconds, her breathing became slow and rhythmic as her body went limp.

"Oh..." The smile fell from Kukui's face. "...Did she just... fall asleep on me?"

"That's Ayame for you..." Ash said with a slight nod.

"At least she can't make me hang around that Passimian now," Saki muttered.

"Wait a moment, Saki..."

Lillie stepped away from her desk and approached Saki. She held a curled-up, content Snowy in her arms. Her fingers toyed with the fur that lined its cheeks.

"I think you should give Passimian a chance. Do you really think it'll want to tear you apart if it gets upset? Look at it, I don't think it has a malicious bone in its body."

Lillie gestured towards Passimian, which led to Saki peering at the Pokémon in the corner of her vision. The child-like doughiness of Passimian's eyes made the scowl Saki wore waver.

"Believe me, I know getting over a fear is hard. But if I could do it, I know someone as strong as you could do it!"

Lillie held out Snowy like a prize, the Pokémon's snout nearly touching Saki's nose.

"If I didn't overcome my fear, I wouldn't have Snowy or Lucky in my life. I couldn't imagine that! I don't know how I lived this long without them! I'll never regret facing my fears, and I'm sure you won't, either. I'm certain Passimian will make a good friend."

Lillie smiled as she looked back at the Passimian, who remained sitting in front of the doorway. The pleading look on its face was too much— Saki turned away with a grimace.

"Sweet Arceus..." Saki bit her lip. "That face is making it hard to say no."

"Kyu!"

Suddenly, Akemi shot out from beneath Saki's desk and rushed over to Passimian's side. Passimian knelt down and sniffed its cloth. Akemi responded by nudging its body against Passimian's arm.

"Pas..."

"Mi..."

"Passi!"

"Kyumimi!"

Passimian tucked its hard berry under its arm and clapped its hands. Akemi turned to Saki, bobbing its Pikachu head up and down with a cheerful cry.

"Akemi... you too? Guess I really have no choice now..."

Saki let out a heavy, conflicted sigh as she walked towards Ayame, who was still sound asleep in Kukui's arms. She snapped her fingers repeatedly in front of the young girl's face, then right beside her ear.

Ayame's eyes fluttered open— or rather, half-open. "Ah... is it time to water the crops? Ten more minutes, first..."

"No, it's time to make a deal. Wake up! I said wake up!"

Saki clapped her hands right in front of Ayame's face. The sound startled Ayame enough to make her aware, her green eyes becoming wide and alert.

"Hey! What's the big—! Wait a second... that's right! I was yelling at you for what you did to Passimian! You!" Ayame's twisted her head back to shout at Kukui. "Put me down! I need to yell some more!"

"I don't think more yelling will be necessary..."

Kukui shook his head but obliged, setting Ayame back onto her feet. Saki stood over her, arms crossed and glare sharpened, holding her ground.

"Look, Kukui's right. No need for more yelling... my old man and I were planning on going for a fishing trip after school today. I'll... bring Passimian along and try to make friends with it. B-but on one condition! You come back here tomorrow, and if I'm still not comfortable around it, you take it back to Lush Jungle. Do we have a deal?"

Ayame mirrored Saki's stance, crossing her arms and standing straight. Even the frown on Ayame's face matched that of Saki's. But, instead of raising her voice and flailing her thin arms, Ayame offered a short nod.

"I suppose we do have a deal."

* * *

Saki couldn't believe she was willingly walking down the street with a Passimian.

Every time she looked down, and Passimian looked up to her and smiled, a shot of panic would run up her spine. She held Akemi closer to her chest— she kept reminding herself that she had Akemi to protect her.

That didn't stop all the tension from taking over her body.

Still, she pressed on. She made it to her front porch and pushed the door open. She stepped inside, Passimian following her shortly behind.

"Oak, I'm home— Eek!"

Saki tripped over the Komala peacefully snoozing in the entryway. She fell face-first onto the floor, but quickly picked herself up and snapped at the napping Pokémon.

"Every time, I swear! How many times do I have to tell you not to sleep by the door?!"

Komala didn't make a sound. Instead, it simply rolled away from the scene of the crime as if nothing had even happened.

Passimian reached for Saki's arm, a concerned look on its face. The girl flinched away, causing Passimian to hang its head and whimper.

A wave of guilt hit Saki instantly. "Ah— I'm alright! Please... don't make that face."

"Saki?" A voice called from the top of the stairs. "Is everything alright? Did you fall over Komala again?"

Samson walked down the stairs with haste. Passimian perked up, eyes wide with curiosity. It ran on all fours, meeting the man at the end of the steps. It stood up on its hind legs and sniffed the man's arm.

"Oh! You're a new face." Samson looked over to Saki, and upon seeing that she was alright, smiled. "Is this a 'mew friend of yours?"

"Well..." Saki looked off to the side. "...Sorta?"

Samson tilted his head at her, but was soon distracted by Passimian running circles around his feet. Passimian let out a chipper laugh as it climbed up onto Samson's back and rested its chin on top of the man's head. It waved back at Saki with a grin.

She couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"This might just be the most cheerful Passimian I ever Saws-buck!" Samson said with a chuckle. "Tell me, what brings this little 'fella here?"

"... Bit of a long story. I'll explain on the way to the docks."

* * *

As the boat sped away from the docks, Saki was filled with a sense of nostalgia.

It was exactly like that day she spent with Samson all that time ago, before the confrontation with her father. The bitter, closed-off girl she was back then felt like a stranger now, even if in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that long ago. She was more than happy to leave that stranger she was behind— she was much happier now.

Even though she shuddered each time she looked to her left to see a Passimian beside her.

Passimian seemed content as the air slapped its face and tossed its fur. It held onto the edge of the small fishing boat as it let its tongue dangle down from its mouth and flap in the wind. Saki couldn't help but find its excitement charming, though she was still sweating bullets and clinging tightly to Akemi.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the salty, brisk ocean air. A sense of calm eclipsed her anxieties.

The boat eventually came to a halt. Samson retrieved two fishing poles and went to hand one to Saki, but Passimian snatched it from his hand before Saki had a chance to grab it.

"Hey—!"

"Looks like Passimian's the curious type," Samson chuckled.

Passimian investigated the pole in its hands, holding it several different ways to get a view of it at several different angles. Eventually, it even held it up to its jaw as one would hold a cob of corn and tried to bite it. Samson and Saki both burst into laughter, causing Passimian to look back and forth between them with a puzzled expression.

"Oh sweet Arceus, that was so cute!" Saki said as she reached for the fishing rod. "That's not food, Passimian. Here, let me show you how it works."

Saki took the rod from Passimian's grasp, but she lost her grip and nearly dropped it. Her hands fumbled as she tried to regain her hold.

"Shit—!"

"Saki, language."

"Crap, sorry—! Wait I meant—! Ack, pretend I never said crap!"

Saki stumbled over her words as Samson shook his head with a smile spread across his face.

Once she recovered her grip, Saki pulled the road back and threw it forward to cast her line. The bobber flew through the air and landed into the water a great distance away. Passimian watched in complete awe.

"Wow, that went quite the length!" Samson gave her a thumbs up. "Still have the arms of a Machoke, I see!"

"Ah, well..."

Saki rubbed the back of her head with a bashful grin, only to be disrupted by a sudden weight leaning on her side. She flinched, looking down to see Passimian laying its head on her shoulder, its eyes focused on the bobber peacefully floating atop the soft waves. Before panic can fully set in, a realization took hold.

"Huh..." Saki's shaky hand grazed Passimian's cheek. It cooed as her fingers rustled through its fur. "...I never knew Passimians had such soft fur."

"From what you've told me, there's no way you could have known," Samson said. "You can't feel their fur if you're avoiding them."

"Yeah... I always thought they were vicious. But I guess I should've known better. Pokémon aren't vicious unless you really tick em' off. And usually, that's easy to avoid, since they're so much easier to read than people are."

"... I can agree with that, my-azelf. It's easy to read that Passimian here is absolutely taken by you."

"...Yeah." Saki nodded. "It is."

Nearly an hour passed them by. Nothing bit their bait— but that was to be expected. Fishing is very much a hit-or-miss endeavor. So instead of reeling anything in, Samson and Saki spent their time chatting and enjoying the fresh, salty air that could only be found by the seaside. Passimian continued to lean on Saki, its eyes dropping as if they could shut and drift off into dreams at any moment.

But then it noticed rippling in the water nearby the boat's edge. Its head shot up as it rushed to the edge of the boat, leaning over to try and get a closer look.

"Passimian?" Saki called. "Did you see something?"

Passimian leaned further over the edge, focused on the gentle ripples that captured its curiosity.

"Don't lean over so far!" Samson reached out for the Pokémon. "You're going to—!"

Passimian fell from the boat and into the water, momentarily disappearing beneath the blue waves. It reemerged a foot away, kicking and clawing at the air as it howled and screeched. It splashed the water around it, trying desperately to keep itself afloat.

Saki didn't hesitate. She stood up and threw off her jacket.

"Saki, wait—!"

Samson's shouts fell on deaf ears as Saki leaped into the water. She swam after the Passimain, quickly wrapping one arm around it while using the other to keep them both afloat. She could feel the Pokémon shake within her grasp— despite how well-built it was, it felt so small and vulnerable in her arm. She couldn't help but hold it tighter.

"Don't worry, I've got you."

She swam back towards the boat with Pokémon clinging to her with a death grip. The process of getting back into the boat was simple— Saki first handed Passimian to Samson, who pulled it into the boat and set it aside. He then helped Saki climb back in and tossed her jacket over her shoulders.

"Goodness, that was a scare. Are you alright, Saki?"

"Kyumimi!" Akemi, who sat on the floor of the boat, echoed Samson's concerns.

"Yeah, just wet."

Saki shrugged off the concerns with a short laugh.

She suddenly felt a pair of fluffy arms wrap around her from behind, causing her to squeak.

"P-Passimian?!" She jumped, but soon regained her calm and laid her hand on top of Passimian's head. "Hey, hey, it's okay, it all worked out."

Passimian pulled away from the hug and stared at Saki with large, baby-doll eyes. It reached for the precious hard berry that sat beside it and held it out towards Saki.

Saki's expression went blank. "You're... offering me your hard berry? Again?"

Passimian nodded its head.

"...I couldn't take that from you, not after how I treated you. I'm sorry, Passimian."

"Mipass!" Passimian shook its head, keeping its hard berry extended out towards the girl.

"...No, I want you to hang onto that." Saki smiled and gently pushed the hard berry back towards Passimian. "How about I give you a gift instead?"

Saki reached into her pocket and held out a brand new, empty Pokéball. Passimian's eyes lit up.

"Pass!"

It butted its head against the Pokéball, causing it to be sucked inside. The Pokéball shook and clicked in Saki's hands.