Whimsicott. The Windveiled Pokemon. The final stage of Cottonee. They can fit into any kind of space in order to travel, though this is usually to cause mischief. Their habitat is that of wherever the wind carries them.

“I need you to talk with Cherrim and get him over this loss and focus on what’s important,” the mysterious man told June.

“What’s important to who?” June questioned him coldly.

“To him, of course!” the man insisted.

Gary put away his Pokedex.

“Pardon me, but I don’t trust your motives, sir. I think you have something else going on with your Whimsicott, and I want to speak with these two privately.”

“I promise y-”

“If you have nothing to hide, then there should be no problem with my request,” June interrupted him. She crossed her arms, turning her back on him.

The guy stared at June and let out his breath impatiently. “This is so fucking stupid, you know that?!” He stood up, making June look to him cautiously. “You’re here in my house! Trying to make up your own rules!” He walked to the door of the cabin. “And when I’m proven, again, to be right, will I get one apology?!” He left the cabin, slamming the door and still speaking loudly.

June remained on the bench she sat with the man on.

Gary was standing with his ice pack at his eye.

Whimsicott and Cherrim were each at opposite ends of the room, Cherrim in his Overcast Form again.

June turned to each Pokemon in turn. “Hey, you two. Seems like I finally bought us a little honest time together,” she smiled.

Whimsicott turned her back on June with a huff and crossed her arms.

Cherrim kept his eyes on June.

“Hey, let’s all be friends, here. No need for attitude,” June continued softly. “I just want to get to the bottom of this. That guy wants me to convince you both to get along together, but I’m here to see if that’s what you both actually want. Come. Let’s chat!”

Cherrim moved slowly but definitely up to June.

Whimsicott faced June but sat on the ground, keeping her arms crossed and pouting.

June got off of the bench and sat on the floor, waiting patiently for Cherrim.

Cherrim stopped for a moment but then moved to June just a bit faster than before. He stopped close to her.

June nodded. “Yeah, see? We’re cool, right? You can understand me, and I get you. Can you feel that there’s no threat from me?” She beamed big at Cherrim.

Cherrim didn’t smile back, lowering his head as a sad look came over his face.

June’s smile faded and she turned to Whimsicott.

Whimsicott maintained the same harsh expression, still as a statue.

“Whimsicott, would you prefer if I came over to you, with Cherrim?” June tried.

“Whimsicott,” Whimsicott said sharply, turning her head away.

“Great,” June smiled. “Cherim, let’s go talk with Whimsicott.”

Cherrim remained still and watched as June stood tall over him. As June walked away, Cherrim looked down to Whimsicott and back to June to return to Whimsicott again. “Cherrrim!” He moved to keep up with June.

The redhead kneeled down beside Whimsicott, who remained as snotty as ever. “Whimsicott, you fancy Cherrim, here?” June asked gently.

“Whimsicott!” Whimsicott’s arms crossed even harder and she looked even further away.

“Now, are we being completely honest with ourselves, here?” June smirked.

Whimsicott shot June a mean look and started jabbering at her angrily. When she was done, her eyes remained on June.

“Oh?” June turned to Cherrim with intrigued, wide eyes. “Do you have a side of the story you’d like to tell? I’m sure you’re not an unappreciative, whiny brat who can’t take a prank and thinks the world is a rainbow everyone needs to come together and do their part to help paint.”

“Huh?” Gary needed to hear that one again.

“Cherrim!” He looked up at June sadly. “Cherrim!”

“Oh, the last part is wonderful! I agree about the rainbow! I just mean the first part I’m sure you have your own take on and don’t agree with.” She turned to Gary. “I just said everything so we all understand what’s going on.”

Gary just nodded.

Cherrim then took his turn to speak to June. When he was done, he lowered his head, shaking it side to side.

“Whimsi, Cott!” Whimsicott said sharply, rolling her eyes.

“Now that adds up a little bit better,” June said with a sly smile to Whimsicott.

“Now what?” While Gary just wanted to get out of this whole thing, he was also intrigued by what was going on.

“Whimsicott plays too much and causes far too much trouble. Cherrim just wants to enjoy the outdoors. Soak in the sun. Inhale the carbon, not expel it.”

“The carbon...?” Gary repeated.

Whimsicott jumped up and started stomping on the ground, jabbering and complaining.

“In a relationship, you have to give and take,” June said kindly to her. “You can’t think only of your wants. You’re both sharing your life together.”

Whimsicott yelled things at June.

“You see how you’re talking to me? What did I do to you, Whimsicott?” June kept a pleasant tone of voice and a gentle face.

“Whimsicott, Whimsi,” Whimsicott said with what even Gary could tell was a load of sass, swaying her hips and shoulders as she crossed her arms.

Cherrim covered his eyes with his hands and shook his head some more.

Gary sighed out loud. “So, they were in a relationship?” He was over this day, this nameless guy with the random attitude, and these two Pokemon.

“They... were,” June answered.

“Great, so, what? Cherrim is looking for something better but winding up with jerk females? Him and Whimsicott are meant to be, though? They have to learn to support one another? Can I get my Badge, now??”

June sighed, looking over to Whimsicott, and then Cherrim. “I mean... I guess that’s it... Cherrim...”

Cherrim looked back at June.

They all jumped as the door burst open.

The man stormed inside, looking around the room in a fury. He puffed out his chest and slapped the sides of his face with his hands a couple of times, blinking repeatedly. “Come on, then! Who was right? Who told you so?”

June stood up, staring into the man’s face with sorrow. “I’m sorry, sir. You were right this whole time.”

“So I’m no longer under investigation?” he snapped.

June closed her eyes and lowered her head, shaking it side to side.

“Then get outta my cabin!”

“Finally!” Gary got up and went right past everyone, nearing the front door.

June followed, moving after Gary had reached the door.

Gary looked behind him and, seeing June approaching, waited for her, though he considered in his anger just walking right out and leaving June to fend for herself.

She stopped at the door and held it, looking back inside.

Gary walked out.

“You know, there’s just this one last thing I don’t understand.”

Gary sucked his teeth and huffed as he kept walking. “Goodnight!”

“Oh, heeeeere we go,” the man could be heard. “Coulda sworn I was free to go!”

“Why?” June brought up, turning her body completely. “Why do you care so much about Whimsicott and Cherrim being together, specifically?”

“Why are you so concerned? You’re some random person I asked for help from! As their Trainer, of course I would want what’s best for them! What’s so confusing about that?”

“Nothing at all. You’re right.” June turned her back on the man and walked out.

BANG!!

June and Gary jumped at the loud slam of the door and both turned back. They then looked at each other.

“I, am going, to Viridian City, and getting out of this bug place before dark.” Gary waved his free hand out in front of him. “Do what you want, June.”

June lowered her eyes to the ground as Gary turned away. “I’m sorry, Gary. I just thought-” Her gaze was stuck on something.

Gary also stopped, hearing the noise so close to him, and he looked down to see a piece of paper was stuck to the bottom of his sneaker. “Hey, where did this come from?” He tried to kick it off, rub it into the dirt, and finally step on it with his other sneaker before it came loose.

June approached him, her eyes looking around the forest. “That wasn’t there a second ago.”

Gary bent over and lifted the paper. “What is all this? Drawings and writings? Whimsicott and Cherrim?”

“Hey, wait. Can I see that, please?” June took the paper from him.

“So, what is it?”

June’s eyes widened, her finger running across and down the dirty, stained page, but not touching it. She plucked off a piece of tan colored lint with a bit of orange on it and wiggled her fingers together to get it off of her, but it remained stuck until she just wiped it off on her jeans.

“If you’re not gonna tell me-” Gary tried to take it from her.

June swiped her hand down and gazed at Gary with shock and confusion. She stared back at the cabin and began shaking her head. “I... I don’t get it. It’s a list. And it does have Whimsicott and Cherrim drawn on it. But...” She gazed around. “Where did this come from?” Her voice had become a fearful whisper. She took a deep breath. “Whimsicott?!” she shouted.

“But a list of what?” Gary asked.

“Pokemon moves.” She handed Gary the paper.

Gary eyed it, seeing a bunch of words, many of them crossed out, lines drawn from some leading to other ones, or to the Pokemon drawn. He noticed that one pair of words were repeatedly written and crossed out sometimes. He looked at June. “June, what’s Worry Seed mean?”

June nodded at him. She walked back to the cabin. “Let’s find out.”

“Oh, come on, June! What’s so important about this guy? He’s not doing anything wrong! Leave the poor guy alone!”

“We didn’t get that note for no reason! Whimsicott gave it to us!”

“Whimsicott?” Gary looked around but didn’t see anything.

“You remember what your Pokedex said, don’t you? She could have left that cabin and gone back in in an instant. Plus, I heard her.”

“You did?”

June stopped at the door and raised a fist to knock.

The door opened first and the man was there, leering with squinty eyes. In this angle of the sunlight, his eyes were... “I was watching you brats. The fuck is wrong, now? Wanna dust for fingerprints next?”

“You’re breeding for Worry Seed and I wanna know why,” June said patiently.

“W-w-what?” The man smirked a little, confusion on his face.

Intrigued now, Gary made his way over to June’s side and held up the paper.

The man’s eyes could have popped at any second with how wide they became. “HEY!” He snatched it from Gary.

Gary put his hand on his hip and frowned at the man. “So what’s going on here then, huh?”

The man lowered his hand and let the paper fall.

The paper drifted away inside of the cabin.

He shook his head. “Heh...” he let out, smiling just a little. “So you kids aren’t gonna just let it go, huh?” He puckered out his lower lip and nodded. “Okay, then. You kids, I’m trying to breed me a Cottonee.”

“A Cottonee?” Gary asked.

“It’s the first form of Whimsicott. And I need it to have Worry Seed.”

“What’s Worry Seed?”

The man simply nodded. He then disappeared inside of his house and the door closed behind him without him touching it.

June and Gary faced each other.

“June...” Gary started.

“It’s not like we’re alone. We have our Pokemon with us. Charizard? Send that out and there’s nothing that weirdo will try and do to us.”

Gary grabbed one Poke Ball from his waist and, keeping it small, clenched his fist around it. He lowered the ice pack from his eye. “Think we need backup?” he asked her.

June unzipped her bag and then gave Gary a wink. Her face hardened as she faced the door. She opened it and walked inside.

Why wouldn’t she let me go in first? Gary wondered. Am I the backup? He moved in after her and ended up stopping not long after.

The man was on his knees on top of his papers, his hands on several of them. His eyes went from the papers, to the children.

Cherrim sat in a corner sadly.

Whimsicott was nowhere in sight.

“It’s hard, breeding,” the man spoke lightly. “Breeding the right moves on the right Pokemon. Teaching moves to a Pokemon that it can only learn by breeding from a Pokemon who knows it already. Sometimes only very older species can pass the move on, while younger generations of the same Pokemon can’t even learn the very same move. It’s all complicated. You kids don’t understand.”

Gary’s only open eye went to the papers around the man, but it was too dark to see them clearly.

“Have you kids ever heard of the great Nickeless Testler?”

Gary stared to June, shrugging.

June, however, kept her eyes on the man and nodded quickly. “He’s, the world’s greatest inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist. Of Serbian-American decent, he’s highly uncredited for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system.”

The man’s eyes expanded. A smile crossed his face and he stared back down. “So, the youth is not lost on the true geniuses?”

“I know well of his work!” June insisted. “I pride myself on that, as an Electric type Pokemon Trainer! His work was stolen-!”

“Then you know of the insufficiency of monophasic sleep.”

When June didn’t say anything, Gary did: “Mono-what?”

“Which would mean you know of biphasic sleep, dymaxion, everyman, and, most importantly, the greatest sleep of them all, the uberman method of sleep.”

“Wwhhaaaat...?” Gary couldn’t make sense of anything being said.

“I don’t remember what they all mean, but, I’m familiar, somewhat,” June responded.

The man gave a cold stare to June. “Biphasic consists of two sessions of sleep, normally a five to six hour main sleep and a nap of one and a half hours. Dymaxion sleep is four thirty minute naps, each done every six hours. The everyman sleep is also four separate sleep sessions, but one is a three to four hour main sleep, followed by three naps throughout the day.”

“But polyphasic sleep is said to be too dangerous!” June brought up. “While some geniuses were said to use those sleep patterns, their genius is theorized to be a result of insomnia or mania!”

“By the same folks too afraid to even try it!” the man beamed brightly.

“For a reason, no?!” June cried.

“Nothing more than a reason of fear! Nickeless Testler and others swore by the uberman sleep cycle. Six to eight twenty minute naps in one day. Two hours of total sleep. And look what they created. Imagine our world without their advancements for less men like the famed Tomus Editsin to steal and get rich off of for themselves. Poke Balls themselves, a joke without such daring men! Believe that!”

“So what’s any of this have to do with the Pokemon, though?” June tried.

“It’s about the indisputable fact that true geniuses sleep erratically. The human potential is restricted due to monophasic sleep which is why we all must use the uberman sleep schedule to unlock our brain’s hidden power and destroy and then rebuild this planet, grain by grain, particle by particle, neuron by neuron, and brick by brick.”

Cherrim was staring towards the seemingly crazed man.

“O-kaaaayyyy...” Gary started to back up, taking a step. “I think we’ve overstayed our welcome here. June, let’s go. Now.”

“Wait, so... Worry Seed...” June was trying hard to put together what the man was trying to say.

“Pokemon moves, Abilities, varying powers, have been shown to be able to aid Pokemon as well as mankind,” the guy went on. “I’ve been working on a means to mass produce the effects of this Seed into a drink with similar results. It will not give actual insomnia, but will greatly diminish the need for sleep, allowing the uberman method, or perhaps even just the others to start off, to be more accepted and adaptable for the world’s lazy, sleep obsessed majority.”

“You’re trying to sell Insomnia??” June questioned in horror.

“Were you even listening?!” The guy slapped his forehead and shook his head at her. “This is not Insomnia! I am selling better health, and creating a world of geniuses! I’ll be hailed as a god! I am practically creating life on Earth!”

“You’re crazy! No one’s gonna drink that!” June protested. She let out a single, sickened laugh. “What does any of that have to do with who Cherrim ends up with, anyway?”

“How is that not obvious?? What have we been dealing with all day??” the man shouted, throwing up his hands. “This love bullshit is never ending with him! And Whimsicott and her fucking games all day! I can’t deal with their shit! They won’t breed and I can’t get the Cottonee with Worry Seed that I need so I can get rid of these two once and for all!”

June shook her head, her face full of confusion. “Why do you need a baby Cottonee with it if your Pokemon have it already?”

“I just explained this! I can’t work with these two! One’s off trying to find love, the other is fucking around all the time! I need something with Worry Seed, without the shit these two are giving me to continue my experiments!”

“This is unbelievable! I-I-I don’t even know what to say!” June stammered.

Gary was staring at the man with disgust. He then raised one hand in the air, grabbing everyone’s eyes. “You know what? If people wanna drink your gunk, whatever! Not against the law to buy or eat stupid crap! Have fun! Goodnight!” I’ve had it already! Gary decided. I am not stopping again after this! Gary stomped towards the door yet again.

“You can’t just leave, though! How can I market this without test subjects like you?!”

It was this sentence that made Gary stop against his will and his eye widened. It was the scream from June that made him turn around.

The man was standing at the end of the white table, holding June by one arm and raising it as high up as he could, painful for June as she struggled not to squirm and make it worse.

The little white object on the floor was a minibar, revealed clearly now as it was open. Several cups of dark orange gunk sat inside, some of the drink on the outside of the cups or even sitting on the floor of the minibar.

The man had a cup of the same liquid in his other hand, holding it near June’s mouth, and she tried to keep her face from it.

Her face implied the gunk had a foul odor.

“Now, let’s all calm down and play nice. Just because you have the time doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it!” the man insisted, shaking June.

She cried out.

What did he just say? Gary wondered, confused how to respond to him.

“Now just hear it!” A pleading look was on the man’s face now. He wiped at his face loosely with his arm, raising the hand holding the cup. “Wouldn’t it do without??”

Am I failing to understand something or is this guy cracking up right in front of me? Gary thought, watching warily. He looks on the verge of tears!

The man then shoved the cup into June’s face!

June closed her lips as tight as she could as the guy smeared her face with the substance.

A sudden, powerful gust of wind tore through the cabin!

Gary screamed and covered his face with his arms. He turned behind him to see that the cabin door was closed. Then what...? He looked back to June as the sound of glass breaking was heard.

She was shrieking, freed from the man, and ran to Gary’s side, her hair in her face.

The man had dropped his glass cup and it shattered, but there was more.

The glasses in the minibar had also come out and smashed on the floor, seemingly due to the overpowering winds!

The papers and dusty mess were blowing through the air, tearing and ripping up in the wind into shreds.

“MY WORK!!! WHAT IS THIS??” the man bellowed, horrified at what was going on.

“Whimsicott!” June held her hair out of her face, smiling as she looked around.

Gary looked too, but it was hard to make out anything clearly in the mix of the flying trash. He grabbed his Pokedex.

Tailwind. The user creates a powerful Speed boost from wind for itself and fellow teammates for a short while.

“Wow! It’s a move!” Gary noted.

“WHIMSICOOOOOOOOOOTT!!!!” the man exploded. “WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS??!!”

“June, let’s get out of this!!” He shoved her in front of him and they both ran for the door.

They were out of the cabin in the next instant and ran further before stopping and turning around.

The sun was starting to set at this time.

“I am literally not going back in that cabin again!” Gary insisted, trying to catch his breath.

“Agreed!” June huffed with him after wiping some gunk off of her face.

That was when the cabin door widened with a big, loud SLAM!

The man stood in the doorway. In his right hand he held Whimsicott from behind, while his left hand had Cherrim by the sprout.

Behind him, inside the cabin, the storm was still afflicting his stuff.

He looked agitated and stressed out. His breath came out in a sigh. In the sinking sunlight, the beams landing on his face perfectly, it was a lot easier to see the dark bags under his red eyes, and the exhaust on his face. The filth in his hair was visible and his suit looked just a bit worn, unpressed. All of this wasn’t as clear earlier as it had become now. “YOU KIDS AREN’T JUST GOING TO COME INTO MY HOUSE, GET MY POKEMON RILED UP,” he hurled his Pokemon away from him, “AND DESTROY MY WORK WITHIN THE SPAN OF A SINGLE DAY!!”

The two Pokemon screamed out as they were tossed.

The man took a deep breath and let it out before inhaling again. “YOU KIDS THINK YOU’RE SO SMART, BUT YOU’RE IN MY HOUSE, NOW!”

We could just run, Gary thought. Run and never, never return to this cabin, to this forest ever again. He tightened his hands, gripping his Poke Ball in one, the ice pack in the other.

“YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN NOW, HUH??” he smiled at Gary, nodding.

Gary’s mouth fell open. How’d he know that? He blinked as something caught the attention of his ears.

“WELL TELL ME SOMETHING! WHERE DO YOU INTEND TO RUN?!!”

Why is he being so loud?? He could attract- Gary’s eye widened sharply and he gasped, looking around him, recognizing the heartstopping buzz. “THE BEEDRILL!!!”

Several Beedrill burst through the woods, heading for them all with pointed stingers, mere seconds away.

There was no time.

There was no running.

There was no battling.

There was no escape.

There was only screaming.

Sparkling orange powder appeared from out of nowhere in the air, falling around the area. It was a single second after this that Whimsicott appeared above it all, a big smile on her face. She landed and then vanished again, and more orange powder sprinkled throughout, covering the Beedrill.

One by one, the Beedrill would just drop, flinching and twitching about on the ground.

Cherrim ran past the deranged man and stopped by Gary and June.

Whimsicott landed from the air next to them, too.

There was an agonizing scream that made Gary, June, Cherrim, and Whimsicott turn.

It was the man! He was falling to his knees, his body tightened and twisted, crooked and jerking about. Falling around him was the same sparkling orange powder! He dropped down into a fetal position, crying now. “Help meee! Somebody! What’s going on??!”

“It’s Stun Spore! Whimsicott used Stun Spore!” Gary turned to her and smiled gratefully.

“But how did she do it so fast? She got through the air like lightning!” June said, greatly impressed.

“I mean, it’s just throwing powder through the air. How long could that take?” Gary shrugged. “I’m just glad we’re alive!”

“There’s gotta be more to it.” She looked Gary down.

“Hey!” Gary reacted as June snatched his Pokedex from his pocket.

She aimed it at Whimsicott.

Prankster Ability allows the user to move first as long as they’re using a Status move.

“Whoa!” Gary snatched his Pokedex back with aggression, mostly to show he didn’t appreciate his device being taken from him like that, and slipped it back into his pocket. “So that’s what happened.” He nodded at Whimsicott. “Cool, man! Uh, girl.” He smiled weakly and looked around him at the buzzing, enraged Beedrill and the furious man, all Paralyzed. “So, what do we do here?”

“Whimsicott, Whimsi,” Whimsicott shrugged. She then inhaled big, puffing out her cheeks, and suddenly blew! A huge gust of wind swept through and with a pair of big yells and huge smiles, Whimsicott and Cherrim were holding hands as they were both carried away by the Tailwind!

Gary and June were both dumbfounded, looking with dropped jaws into the last spot where the two were seen flying through the sky before disappearing.

Gary’s gaze returned to the noisy pack around him.

“That’s not a bad idea if you ask me.” June looked to Gary.

He looked back. “What?! You mean-” He looked back at where the pair had been blown away and then went back to June. “Just take off? What about the guy? The Beedrill will...”

“We’ll get help in Viridian for him. If you want me to be completely honest with you, I’m not that concerned about him.”

Gary agreed, but he just couldn’t believe someone like June was talking so uncaringly in this situation. Leaving a man with a pack of Beedrill until their Paralysis wore off seemed a bit rough, but again, he agreed with it, considering the circumstance. “I just... I can’t believe you of all people are saying this,” Gary said with a little laugh.

“This guy just tried to sic a pack of freaking giant bees on us, Gary!” She put her hands on her hips and leaned in towards him, getting close to his face and making him back up three steps. “Pardon me for not giving a damn about this asshole and his well-being after that.”

Gary raised his hands in defense and took a couple more steps back. “Hey, hey, I agree with you! I just didn’t expect it! I’m sorry!” He had a huge smile and laughed a bit.

“Hmph!” June sneered at Gary. “For the final time, let’s get out of here!”

“Let’s!”

And together.

Gary and June.

Both turned away from the unknown man and the Beedrill.

Walked around the remaining Beedrill before them, carefully.

And ran like Hell!