A clap of thunder rattled Fiora to her core. Rain poured from the dark clouds covering the sky. Fortunately, she was in the safety of a rather large cave. Beside her, Arven peered out at the downpour, a disapproving frown on his face. They were lucky to have found shelter, but the bad weather had disrupted their trip. The Treasure Hunt was still going on, and even after Fiora and Arven had traversed Paldea in search of the Herba Mystica and ventured into Area Zero, they were still up for a new journey. This one, however, was far less dire. Arven wanted to travel, gather ingredients, and try new recipes for his future as a cook. As for Fiora, now that she was a Champion-ranked trainer, she was just up for more adventures with her best friend.

"Well, this puts a damper on things," the boy said with a sigh.

Fiora shrugged. "Let's just be glad we found shelter before the rain started. I didn't feel like being drenched today."

"Me neither." Arven suddenly smiled at her and began rolling up his sleeves. "Let's make the most of it. I'll fix us some lunch. Hang tight, little buddy."

Fiora placed her hands on her hips in feigned annoyance, watching him move to a level spot to set up his table. "When are you going to stop calling me that? You're only one year older than me."

The boy laughed. "Yeah, but you're little to me." He shut his mouth and froze rather suddenly. "It…doesn't bother you, does it? I'll stop if you don't like it."

Giggling, Fiora made her way over to him, noticing, once again, the height difference between them. She was naturally short, which played a part in it. "I'm joking, Arven. It doesn't bother me that much. I kinda got used to it during our Titan hunting."

She sat on a rock, sliding off her backpack. One of her poke balls popped open, and out came an adorable Dachsbun. Almost immediately after, one of Arven's pokemon came out as well. Mabosstiff barked and wagged his tail. In response, Dachsbun trotted over to him, tail wagging as she nuzzled him with her nose.

"These two are at it again," Arven joked. "I seriously never expected them to get along so well, you know, with their typings."

Fiora smiled fondly at the pair. "But it turns out they make a cute couple." She rummaged in her bag to find Dachsbun's favorite ball, which got both pokemon jumping in excitement. Tossing it a short ways, the two of them ran to fetch it with barks of glee. "It helps that they've got similar interests. Both love to play and battle."

It grew quiet between them. Arven worked diligently on preparing a meal, and Fiora played fetch with their pokemon. But after a short while, Fiora began to twirl strands of her long, soft pink hair around her finger. Her blue eyes focused on the boy, watching him cook. It amazed her that he didn't seem to realize how handsome he was, especially when he was preparing a delicious meal for her.

"Finished!" he suddenly spoke up. He proudly presented her with a tasty looking sandwich. "I think you'll like this one. I call it the Master Dessert Sandwich!" Fiora's mouth was watering as soon as he handed her the plate. "Made with fresh apple, kiwi and strawberry, slathered in yogurt and whipped cream, and with just a tiny hint of the Sweet Herba Mystica we have left."

Fiora wasted no time in taking a bite, scarfing it down like Miraidon usually would. "Sooo goood! Arven, this is the best sandwich you've made yet!"

"Thanks! I did alter it a little for the pokemon, though. I don't think they'd appreciate the same amount of sweetness as you."

Miraidon popped out of its ball at the mere talk of sandwiches. Arven was happy to give it one, and fed Mabosstiff and Dachsbun as well. To think, he used to hate Miraidon. Now, he was so accustomed to its company that he always made extra for it. Finally, he joined Fiora to eat, sitting next to her.

"Wow, I've outdone myself!" He took several greedy bites before writing a few scribbles on his notepad. "You're right, bud! This is great! Definitely writing this one down."

After the meal, things calmed down as the pair cleaned away the plates and table. Miraidon returned to its ball after its belly was full. Their canine pokemon settled down, their energy diminished after a tasty meal. Dachsbun curled up beside the larger dog, nestling into his thick fur. Mabosstiff affectionately licked her head. Fiora cooed at the sight of them. They were so adorable.

Arven was busying himself with mindlessly sifting through his backpack, thinking carefully over his words. "Hey, Fiora?"

The girl turned to look at him. "Yes?"

The boy's face reddened. "Um…I just want to say…thanks for inviting me on this trip."

"Of course. Did you think I'd invite Nemona or Penny instead of you?"

He gave a bashful laugh from where he sat. "Yeah. I mean, Nemona was your first friend when you started at the academy. I wouldn't have blamed you for asking her to come with you instead of me."

Fiora went over to sit next to him, causing his eyes to widen. "Arven, you're my bestest friend, you hear me? We fought Titans together, shared Herba Mystica sandwiches, and delved into the crater to find your dad and save Paldea." She placed a gentle hand on his arm, making his whole body stiffen. "Besides, Nemona's battle craze can get tiresome at times."

They both erupted with laughter. "I see your point," Arven replied. "I couldn't imagine you'd enjoy the adventure when you have to stop and battle every hour or so." He matched her smile with one of his own. "Thanks for being my friend. It's because of you that I'm able to move forward with my life."

"You're welcome. I'm glad to have been able to make a difference." A sudden nudge against her side pushed the girl right into Arven's arms. She looked to see Mabosstiff innocently looking up at her. "What was that for?"

Arven scooted away to give her space, his blush resurfacing. "Mabosstiff… He knows h-how I feel…about you…" Fiora set her gaze on him only for him to sheepishly look away. "I've sorta liked you for a while now."

To his surprise, she laughed. "I already knew that. You're way too obvious about it."

Arven's red face somehow darkened further. "What do you mean you knew?! If it was so obvious, why didn't you say anything sooner?!" The poor boy was a flustered mess.

Fiora averted her gaze and twirled a few strands of her hair again. "Well, for one, we kinda had a lot to focus on with getting Mabosstiff back on his feet, not to mention finding your dad and stopping that time machine. Secondly, I needed to be sure that I, you know, felt the same way."

"So…do you?"

Fiora nodded with a slight blush of her own. "Yes. I do. I like you a lot, Arven."

The boy jumped to his feet with a giddy grin. "Really? So does that mean we-"

"Should go out?" Fiora finished his question, standing as well. "I'd love to!" A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder made them glance at the mouth of the cave. "Uh, maybe that part can wait till this storm passes. For now, can we settle on being boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Arven nodded. "That would be perfect."

He suddenly engulfed her in a big hug. The warmth, the contact, the affection he felt when she returned his hug - it was a feeling he'd missed out on for most of his life. He just wanted to hold her there forever, keeping her close and knowing that he was loved. His strong arms were firm but gentle around the girl. She almost didn't want to pull away, but she had to. Slowly, she pushed against his chest to get him to loosen his hold. She reached up to take his face in her hands, brushing his bangs aside to get lost in those soft green eyes of his. Leaning in, her lips brushed against his own before closing the gap all together. Arven didn't respond at first, as if he were clueless and unsure, but he started to mimic her actions. It was a slow, meaningful first kiss that left the boy yearning for more, but he would be patient and not overstep his boundaries.

Fiora could tell by his trembling hands that he was holding back, and she appreciated his consideration. "Come on. Let's get more comfortable."

She urged him to sit with her on the cave floor where she nestled close to him, almost copying what Dachsbun had done earlier. Arven held her, and he glanced at the pokemon to see them lying together again, so he took Mabosstiff's lead and leaned down to plant kisses on Fiora's head. It made the girl giggle softly, causing him to raise a brow.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just…I think you've been picking up on Mabosstiff's behavior."

"Is there something wrong with that?" he asked purely out of curiosity.

"No. I just hope you're as good a boy as him." She smirked when she saw him blush.

"D-don't call me that."

"If you still get to call me 'little buddy', then I get to call you my 'good boy'."

"That's going to come back to bite me at some point," he said with a defeated chuckle.

"You know you like it," Fiora teased.

Dachsbun and Mabosstiff watched them with approval, glad to finally see their trainers as close as they were. Fiora had been on quite the adventure since coming to Paldea, and the best part, by far, was meeting this wonderful boy named Arven.