Sitting at the kitchen table with a deck of cards in her hand, Mallow patiently waited for the sound for the inevitable ding of the oven. She was currently at Lana's house, due to having practically invited herself over to the place. Lana didn't mind at all, company was company, and in a way she found herself to be Mallow's partner in crime. She saw Mallow as someone who could bring a group together and act as a rock of sorts, it was a role that suited her so perfectly and naturally. So, she thought, if she were to support Mallow, then she thought she would be simultaneously supporting the creation of a close group of classmates. And her hope was given less and less reason to waver, since it felt like everyday progress with the student's bonds were being made.
Lana's full hand of blue Uno cards were definitely putting her at a disadvantage, though you couldn't see her concern about her gaming status in her expression. Mallow was not in much better of a situation, since her deck was entirely green. In contrast to Lana's ease, Mallow's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Both girls have been picking up cards for the past five turns, since a red card was in play and neither of the girls had a card matching in number. They both thought that this had to be some kind of sick joke.

"So... uh," Mallow placed her hand of green cards face down, bringing a pause to the game. "Has Bob... told you yet?"
Lana's head cocked to the side. "Told me what?"
"Uh... about the... thing." Mallow winked repeatedly trying to make Lana catch her drift.
Lana blinked with those clear, unreadable, aquamarine eyes. She was unaware that Bob has told Mallow his secret out of his guilt, or that she even knew about Bob having such a secret to share with her in the first place. She was left to ask, "Pourquoi?"
"... Never mind." Mallow grabbed her cup of water to attempt to play it cool and drink it nonchalantly, but it backfired when she threw the water in her face with an exaggerated motion. Lana blinked again, her head still tilted to the side with that same look in her eyes.
"Never happened..." Mallow took a napkin from the center of the table, and wiped her face dry. "Anyway, there was something else I wanted to ask you about."
"Is it about Bibbie Bob?" Lana questioned.
"No... but you still have plenty to fill me in about that!" Mallow flashed Lana a mischievous, cheeky, and nosy grin before proceeding with what she actually inquired. "I wanted to ask you about teaming up with me tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? What-" Lana began to ask, but was interrupted by Mallow's zealous words.
"I want to take Saki out for a girls day! I overheard her saying tomorrow is her only day off of work! Now I know what you may be thinking, 'she will never say yes to that Mallow!' But my baby doll eyes, listen! They could break through steel! So we could take her out for the day and get her to really, really know we care about her! And we'll be a little closer to her, and better friends! What do you say?" Mallow was still overloaded with energy and thrill, as if she was about to activate a flawless plan with zero chance of failure. However, that energy began to de-escalate when Lana shook her head in response.
"I would love to Mallow but..." Lana clapped her hands together and folded them. Her eyes began to glimmer with a new anticipation of her own. "My B.G.P.F is returning from Kalos in just a couple days! I'm preparing a welcome back party for him! It might just be me and my two little sisters since.....I don't really know his other friends and I couldn't contact them... but I'll try to make the party as not lame as possible!"
"Your... B.G.P.F?" Mallow asked perplexed.
"Best Guy Pal Forever!" Lana declared.
"Oh..." Mallow said nodding her head slowly. "Oh... I get it! I get it now! The cake we are making is for your B.G.P.F!"
"Surprised you didn't ask about that earlier," Lana stated. "People don't just decide to make cake randomly."
"They don't?" Mallow asked.
"No," Lana said.
"Huh." Mallow pondered over the subject of cake for an instant, before returning to the more important topic of her rejected request. "It's okay Lana. I get it, I'll just take her out on my own."
Lana's eyes, usually clear, began to project a bright shimmer of regret. "Listen, I'm really sorry, why don't you ask Lillie?"

Mallow shook her head. "I actually did, hoping it could be all four of us. But Lillie... she's too worried about the egg right now. So she's out of the picture too."
Before Lana could be enveloped with any more guilt, Mallow smiled with bright optimism. "So it'll be one on one, me and Saki against the world! It'd probably be less overwhelming for her, maybe it's meant to be this way! Yes, everything happens for a reason!" That spark and dauntless energy rushing back into her, Mallow jumped up from her chair with her fist raising towards the ceiling. As if this motion were some sort of cue, the timer on the oven sounded, demanding the two girl's attention.
Lana smiled back at Mallow, before turning to face the oven. "Come on Mallow, it's almost time to ice the cake right?"
"Mhmm! And then there's the fun part! Decorating!" Mallow cheered, before the two abandoned the card game to continue with their baking ventures .

It was the next day in class, and the main lesson of the day was on the Pokémon starters of the different regions. After a jam packed day of education and knowledge, most of the students headed out and went their separate ways for the night. Even the teacher himself took his exist, taking the opportunity to get a nice warm cup of coffee for himself in the break room. There were two main exceptions to everyone leaving, however. Mallow was still at her desk, picking up her neatly stacked pile of papers and stuffing them back into her bag. In the corner of her eye, she took a note of Saki, who was standing in front of the bookcase in the corner of the room.
"Come down, kitty kitty. Come here." Saki called out to her Litten, who was curled on top of the tall piece of furniture. Her voice was high pitched and sweet, and she patted her knees with her palms, all in the effort to convince the cat to climb down. Litten looked down at her with it's yellow eyes, before resting them shut, purring with the full intention of napping there for as long as it desired. Saki continued to look upwards towards the little fluffy creature, and began to laugh while shaking her head. "My Arceus Litten, you are so adorable when you're being so stubborn."

"You're right, Saki."
Mallow words made Saki jump, the unanticipated statement shaking her. It wasn't long until her guard was lowered, as she turned with slight agitation.
"Don't scare me like that!" Saki snapped.
With a few nervous sweat beads rolling down the side of her cheeks, Mallow raised her hands and shook her head in reaction. "Sorry! Sorry! Didn't mean to do that!"
That strained disposition Mallow carried lasted not even ten seconds, since it quickly was washed out by her fortitude and luminosity. Her grin returned, as she placed her hand with a firm grip on Saki's shoulder. Saki's face scrunched up at the touch, however, she did not swat the hand away with a jolt of a movement. That mere fact alone made Mallow's optimism grow even more vigorous and strong than it was just an instant before.
"Anyways, I've come to invite you to a special event!" Mallow's ambition. "We are going to have a wonderful day today, Saki! One of dazzlement, you wanna know why?"
Saki didn't respond with immediate words, just a straightforward glare that showcased only modest tolerance. "Well don't leave me hanging," Saki groaned. "Just get to the point."
"Saki! Will you please accompany me today?" In her heightened elation, Mallow removed her hand from Saki's shoulder and snatched Saki's hand. Saki's entire body suddenly shuddered as her eyes widened, the bright highlights belonging to her brown eyes showcasing their prominence while they store directly at the welcoming girl. The touch was not expected nor was it wanted, but produced such warmth despite being so foreign.

Mallow didn't quite consider pulling back due to Saki's discomfort, which she picked up on quite quickly. Who wouldn't? The discomfort was more obvious than a neon green attempting to blend within a world of nothing but dull greys, and Mallow was already fairly talented at perceiving the emotions of people with fair accuracy. However, Mallow's main plan for her head first attack was to continue to show openness and friendliness. Also, although it may be vain, being her cute self while she tried to charm Saki into friendship would not hurt at all!
Before Saki could make a premature response, Mallow swiftly continued to extend her invitation. "Accompany me to a girls night out! Or a girls day because it's technically not night yet, but what does that matter! I just want to take you out to have some fun!"
With the color in her face flushed to a pale white, and her hand still caught in an inviting grip, Saki's breath took a short pause as her brain attempted to process what was happening. Her instinct, however crude, was to rip her hand away and scream at Mallow a stern, final 'no'. However, for one reason or another, she couldn't. The lively look that brightly looked back at her, though she tried to turn her head to avoid it, melted away at her cold exterior. She didn't want to say yes, she didn't want to risk developing closeness, but there was something about Mallow. Aside from her general sweetness, Mallow was one of the few who stood up for her in a time of weakness, despite the terrible things she has said. Although she, as well as the others, have explained their reasoning behind their acceptance, Saki was still caught in disbelief. Who would accept her? Who would want to?

Against her better judgement, Saki made an unfamiliar choice. "Sure Mallow... I guess."
A bright glitter began to shine within Mallow, the girl nearly hopping in place with her enthusiasm. "Wow! That took less convincing than I thought it would! Oh Saki, you'll have so much fun, I promise!"
Without hesitation, Mallow pulled Saki's hand with a yank. She dragged her along to the exit, forgetting about the three Pokémon that still resided with the classroom.
"Mallow, wait!-"
The two left the Pokémon's sight, as Bounsweet and Akemi turned to face each other. Their eyes then shifted upwards to look at the napping Litten still curled up on top of the bookcase.

After realizing the mistake that was made, and going back to retrieve the Pokémon she mistakenly left behind, Mallow took Saki to their first destination on their day out. The two stood in front of an ice cream stand, the perfect place to enjoy the Alolan sun while cooling down with a sweet treat. Mallow leaned against the side of the stand's wall, cheerfully licking away at a strawberry ice cream cone. Her cheeks were rosey as ever as she found the beginning of the day to be going smoothly. Saki herself couldn't complain. Mallow paid for the ice cream, so it's not like she lost anything due to her participation. However, Saki couldn't join Mallow in her blissful attitude. A dark cloud swirled around her, and the sweet chocolate ice cream was not enough to make it simply poof away.
And Mallow took note of that cloud, glancing to the side to only see Saki glancing at her own feet. It was at that point where Mallow knew she had to bring some levity into the air, one way or another.
"So, I really like to cook." Mallow decided to start some small talk, something that she found herself to be somewhat skilled with. "Baking, cooking, it's what my family is best at. My brother, my father, they are all quite the chefs. No wonder our family restaurant gets such good reviews."

Saki's stopped staring at her feet and looked to Mallow, respecting the attempt of conversation. However, her eyebrows were lowered, reflecting the growing envy within her. Saki held back that jealousy, against her own nature, and tried with every ounce of might in her body to give an eased response.
"They sound really nice." Saki's statement sounded cold and barren, as if there was no density in her throat. Mallow frowned at the response, but didn't want to push Saki into recoiling. So, she continued her attempt at small talk.
"They are, my brother is a bit of a romantic. And my father is like a big cup of warm cocoa to me! Is that a weird thing to say?" Mallow innocently smiled, placing a single hand on her own cheek girlishly as she did so.

"Comparing people to food items? Yeah, maybe a little weird to say." Saki's voice was flat as ever, but at the same time, there was a noticeable absence of hostility. It was almost like she was attempting to be playful. Her statement was not an insult, and Mallow reacted accordingly.
"So it's a little weird. I'm a little weird! It all works out!" Mallow removed her hand on her cheek and used it to give Saki a thumbs up. While doing so, Mallow loosened her grip on the ice cream cone in her other hand. With a single slip, the cone fell from her hand and collided to the ground. Bounsweet quickly bounced over to the dropped remains, licking away at the sweetness it was previously just admiring from a distance.
"Bounsweet no! No no! No no no! That's dirty! It touched the dirt! I-if you really want one, we could buy you one!"
Mallow shook her hands in panic as she cried for the Bounsweet to stop, until resorting to force and simply picking it up. "Bounsweet, you should know better-"
Mallow was scolding her Pokémon firmly, until an unexpected interruption arose. The light sound of laughing filled the air like a divine scent. It was something Mallow has never heard, at least, not from the voice that was caught in laughter.
Turning to see Saki laughing made Mallow's heart leap with pure glee. Mallow gleefully began to laugh besides her friend.

The sky was beginning to dim due to the passing of the hour, and the two girls moved on from the ice cream stand. To Mallow, a girls day was never a girls day if there was no shopping involved! With Saki's light objections, they entered the Melemele mall, which was well known for their trendy shops and excellent service. No Pokémon were allowed outside of their Pokéballs in this specific mall, to create less strain on the workers and to keep the mall pristine. It did have a reputation to keep, afterall. It was the most highly rated mall on the island!
"Let's see, with that skin tone of yours, the color best suited for you is..." Mallow pushed her hands through the clothes rack and skimmed through the variety of fashion. "Oh! A violet red! Look at this violet red skirt! Oh, Saki! You would look adorable in it! Trust me!"
Mallow held up a frilly, poofy skirt to Saki. The girl responded with a cringe, and extended her hand to push the skirt away. "I... don't think so."
"Come on! Try it out! I promise you'll look great, don't be so shy!" Not backing down, Mallow continued to push the skirt towards Saki. As she continued to try to push it away, shaking her head, a girl's attention was caught. She was about the same age as the two, not too far off. Her head peered from behind the display of designer jeans, a curious and solid glare.

"No Mallow! Please!" Saki's voice began to rise as she gave the skirt a final push. The pressure that was being slowly piled atop of her was beginning to make her crumble. "I can't spend money on that! The clothes are just too expensive here... do you want me to just throw my paycheck away? I still need that money to feed myself! Do you want me to starve? It's not like he's going to help me out!"
Mallow began to pull back, taking a backward step. "Feed yourself? Starve? Saki... what are you talking about?"
Saki placed a hand over her own mouth, speechless, realizing that her outburst has exposed her own underbelly. She could do nothing but stare at the frozen Mallow, who was caught in heavy concern. At this point, it was more than obvious something was wrong in the girl's life, and Mallow was not able to put a pin on what exactly that was.
"Saki... we're friends remember." Mallow tried to offer a feeling of comfort, as well as trust. "If something is wrong, you could tell me. Really."
Saki's hand remained over her mouth, unable to let out a word.
The moment continued to float still, until the girl from the jean display approached them with her light brown curls bouncing up and down. She jammed herself right in the middle of their unmoving interaction, and reached to grip the skirt in Mallow's hand. She yanked it away with a harsh but simultaneously delicate tug, and spoke with a voice irritatingly high pitched. "I was looking for something of this color. So I think I will take this off your hands. I doubt the hag could make use out of something cute like this."

"Well I-" Mallow stopped, and replayed the words the girl said in her head. "Wait, what did you just say?"
"You heard what I said. Well, farewell." The girls tone was snotty and distasteful, as she flipped her locks with the gentle skin of her hand. She turned her body, taking a step to leave the scene, just before a rough hand snatched her arm with a hefty grip.
"You think you could just insult me like that and walk away? Well, I have news for you." Saki's anger was placed on display for the girl, as well as Mallow, to witness. "You ain't leaving without a damn regret."
Mallow held in a gasp of air, a sensation of shock grasping her as the situation played out before her. In a way she didn't feel like she was there. It felt like a movie, something she could only watch and couldn't interact with or change. This feeling left her in a concrete stance, silent. The brunette haired girl, however, was not shocked by Saki's aggression. She pulled her arm away from the grip, her strength surprisingly profuse for someone who looked so small, pretty and delicate. Once again, she flipped her locks, and smirked.
"Oh silly goose, you." The brunette laughed, the pitch just as ear piercingly obnoxious. "Like I would regret calling a hag a hag. Look at you! Sweetheart, your filthy. You look like you climbed from a gutter."

The brunette continued to laugh that same laugh, ringing in the air like a constant irksome bell. As every second that laugh continued to sound passed, Saki's face grew redder and redder and redder. Anger caused her face to twist as if she were eating something sour, her breaking point approaching at rapid speed. And, like a thin twig under pressure...
The brunette ceased her laughter, and decided to make one final jab. One final roast. "Honey, your behind should really stay out of places like this. You clearly don't fit in, not a prob slob like yo-"
She did not get to finish that sentence before Saki punched her right in the cheek.

Roughly an hour later, the two exited through the mall's entrance. Mallow stayed with Saki through the mall's security writing her up and taking her picture. It was no surprise when they told her not to come back, that is, if she didn't want to face more consequences.
Saki's gaze was down and her hands were in her pockets, avoiding the girl walking right beside her. Mallow's eyes didn't leave Saki, a guilt pressing against her chest.
"Listen Saki I'm... sorry I didn't stop that fight from happening. I really should have done something about that... unkind girl." Mallow made her apology, relieving the stress piling upon her shoulders.
"... 'fight' is a generous term," Saki said holding back all emotion from her tone of voice, forcing a false apathetic sound. "'Pummeling' would be more accurate."
"Oh..." Mallow was at a loss for words, but Saki gave her no time to think of anything to say. Words were building and building within Saki's heart, and they weren't waiting patiently to see the daylight any longer.

"You're... really sweet Mallow. A real sweet girl. You shouldn't be wasting your time on hopeless folks like me. Seriously... give your time to people who deserve it, okay? Someone like you has too much worth to waste your time." Saki's words were softer than normal, but not in the gentle and sweet sense. Her words were somber and reflective, almost like the girl herself was on the verge of tears. But her eyes were not wet.
Mallow couldn't move. Couldn't speak. When Saki let go of her shoulders, and began to walk away, Mallow finally felt herself jolt back to life as if a spark of electricity ran through her.
"Saki! Wait!" Mallow called out to the girl as the distance between the two grew, but Saki didn't stop. As if a gun was shot to signify the start of a race, Saki began to run. She ran as fast as she could, leaving Mallow in the suffocating dust as tears began to spill from her bright green eyes.