Rika stared between the tiny Applin in her hands and her best friend of a few years now in confusion. “Um… thanks?” she said awkwardly, cradling the cooing apple pokemon to her chest as she watched a myriad of emotions rush across Dani’s features. Apparently, something in her reaction wasn’t what Dani was looking for and the woman’s features crumpled for a moment before Dani stuttered out an awkward excuse to leave before fleeing.
Once Dani was out of sight, Rika stared down at the little dragon in her hands. What the hell was she supposed to do with the little guy? She didn’t know the first thing about dragons, and dragon and grass types weren’t her forte at all… So why did Dani give her one? “Well… looks like it’s just you and me for now, little guy,” she said as she lightly rubbed Applin on the top of its apple. “Might as well find Hassel and see if he or Brassius can help me figure out how to care for you.”
Rika turned on her heel and headed back towards the league headquarters to see if her coworker and possibly the man’s husband were at their league provided apartment, all the while absentmindedly petting the cooing dragon in her hand.
____
“So why did you need both myself and my husband, Rika…?” Hassel asked as he eyed Rika, taking note of the distressed crinkle in her brow.
“I have this,” Rika said as she shifted what she had cradled in her arm, showing off the snoozing Applin.
“An Applin? You’re a ground type master and enthusiast, Rika, why do you have one?” Hassel asked as he watched Rika’s brow crinkle further.
“Dani gave him to me.”
Brassius, who had just walked in from the kitchen, choked on his drink.
“Your friend Dani gave you an Applin…?” Hassel asked, trying to make sure he’d heard right.
“Uh huh.”
“And what was your response?”
Rika frowned, idly rubbing the Applin’s top. “I said thanks? I dunno why she’d give me an Applin though. She knows I love ground types more than anything…”
Brassius let out a strangled noise, though he was quick to shut up when Hassel’s gaze flicked over to him in warning.
“Rika… do you know much about her previous home?”
“Galar, you mean?”
Hassel nodded. “Yes. Galar.”
“Not a whole lot. It never really came up in conversations?” Rika said, starting to look quite agitated. “Why?”
“If I were you, I’d look up Galarian lore and customs, Rika,” Hassel said with a gentle smile.
“What do you mean? Hass, c’mon, just tell me, please?”
“No. This is something you need to look into on your own. Here, I’ll write down how to care for the little guy in the meantime, okay?”
Rika nodded, cradling the little apple closer to her chest as she took the instructions from her surrogate fathers before heading out the door.
When she’d left, Brassius let out a loud groan. “She’s clueless. Merciful mew, she’s clueless. Didn’t she listen to the story of how we got together?”
“I think she equated Applin with being your grass and my dragon typings combined, not the significance of it being an Applin specifically,” Hassel replied with a chuckle. “She’ll figure it out, she’s smart like that.”
“Yes, but…!”
“No, Brassie. Let her figure it out on her own. It won’t be as sweet if she’s handed the answer.”
“Bah! Fine,” Brassius said, throwing his hands up.
“Come here, Brassie,” Hassel said, looking quite amused. “She’ll be back soon enough freaking out about it. We have precious little time to have fun before she does.”
“Hmmph… Fine, fine. Only because you’re so cute.”
____
Rika sat down heavily at her desk, blowing her bangs out of her face as she set her still nameless Applin down on a pillow she’d taken from the couch. “Here you go, little guy,” she murmured as she set down a small bowl of leafy greens as well. “Eat up while I take a dive into Galarian culture.”
Once her little buddy was set she opened her laptop and set to work. First thing she looked for were legends and myths of Galar. She dove into those with gusto, her old love of legends rearing its head as she continued to read for nearly an hour. She’d almost forgotten why she sat down to look up information on Galar until her little Applin let out a coo and settled down to sleep, snoring lightly.
Mentally smacking herself on the forehead for her sidetracked mind, Rika finally typed in the question that had been bugging her since Dani had handed her the little Applin.
Why did my friend give me an Applin?
The answers that popped up had her jaw dropping and her mind shutting down. It… it was a Galarian custom to express someone’s feelings. Romantic feelings. Oh. Oh shit. Dani had basically handed her a neon sign - for Galarians at least - that said ‘I like you’ and she’d awkwardly said thanks in a way that didn’t sound all that excited. Fuck. No wonder Dani had looked crushed when she hadn’t said anything!
“Oh Arceus… She declared her intent and I basically friend zoned her without realizing it. I’ve gotta fix this. I’ve gotta fix this. Fuck!”
Soothing her startled Applin, she carefully moved him over to where Peanut, her Clodsire, was lazing about. “Hey, Peanut,” she murmured, rubbing his head lightly. “We’ve got a new friend. Can you look after him till I get back?”
“Siiiire.”
“Right. Little guy? This is my best bud, Peanut. He’ll show you the ropes and keep you safe, okay? I’ve got to go out for a bit.”
Once he was settled with Peanut, Rika took off like a bat out of hell, her barely held in panic coming out in full force as she nearly took the door to Hassel’s apartment off the hinges with how forcefully she barged into the place. “HASS! SHE LIKES ME!” she cried out.
A snort answered her panicked outburst and she finally registered what she’d barged in on. Brassius was sitting on Hassel’s lap, and both men looked rather ruffled. Her mind shut down.
“See? I told you she’d find it eventually, Brassie,” Hassel said.
“Mmm… I wish she’d taken a bit longer. Things were just getting good,” Brassius said with a grin before extricating himself from Hassel’s lap. “Go take care of our daughter before her mind breaks any further. I’ll put some tea on.”
Hassel stood and went to Rika, guiding the shell shocked woman to the couch to sit down. “So, you found the bit about what an Applin means, yes?”
Rika nodded dumbly, her wide, cinnamon gaze meeting her father’s golden one.
“And you found out she all but asked you out.”
“Y-yeah,” Rika said, finally managing to find her voice.
“What do you want to do with this information, Rika? Do you like her as well?
“I do,” she murmured, cheeks starting to heat up.
“Then what will you do?”
“I… I have to tell her, but how?! I made a right mess of things, Hass. I all but friendzoned her with my response…!”
“Calm down and think, Rika. I know you have the brain for it. What would really get the point across that you like her, and just didn’t know about the significance of the Applin giving.”
Rika sank into thought as she pondered her surrogate father’s words. Just how could she tell Dani she was precious and irreplaceable in her mind? How could she tell her best friend she returned those romantic feelings and wanted more than friendship? She’d all but ruined it with her lack of knowledge of Galarian dating customs… Rika’s head shot up, eyes wide. That was it! Galarian dating customs!
“I’vegottagobye!” she blurted out, dashing back out the door, leaving an amused fatherly duo in her wake.
She dashed back to her apartment at full speed, barely stopping long enough to grab a coat, recall Peanut, and scoop up her still unnamed Applin before dashing right back out the door again for a nearby taxi point. As she waited for the taxi she brought out her phone, scrolling through apps for the pokedex to scan Applin and bring up its habitat.
“Where to, miss?”
Rika jolted from her study daze and looked up, flushing a bit when she realized there was a taxi now waiting for her. “Er, Medali, please.”
“Right away, miss.”
____
After a quick trip to a small grocers from some treats, Rika set off into the mountains to look for her solution, an unowned Applin. About forty minutes in, Rika began to curse her impulsivity. She should have rented a Cyclizar. She should have stopped long enough to say “Hey, Rika, maybe you should get a Cyclizar so you’re not hiking for hours.” but noooo, she’d been so hyperfocused on getting an Applin for Dani that she’d lost all common sense and went to look for one on foot.
With a groan, Rika stumbled into a small clearing and sank down against one of the cliff walls, letting her Applin out of the pocket of her jacket to roll about. It was then that she noticed the many tiny apples frozen on the ground, their big green eyes watching her.
“Er… Hi?” she said softly, not wanting to startle them. “Don’t mind me, I’m not here to force anyone to come with me, okay?” she said as she pulled out the bag of leafy greens, feeding a few to her own Applin before tossing some out to the wild Applins. “Go mingle for a while, okay, buddy? I need to take a rest after all that hiking.”
“Plin!”
Rika chuckled softly as she watched her Applin roll off towards the others to chitter away happily, soon letting her head loll back as her eyes slipped shut.
____
“So you’re a caught Applin? What’s it like? And why is your human here?” one asked while munching on the leafy greens Rika had thrown.
“Interesting. My day with my human was mostly filled with her confusion and panic, but I did get to spend some time with one of her other Captured, a Clodsire. This ‘Peanut’ was a very kind fellow, if a bit odd,” Applin said to the crowding group of wild ones.
“I was a gift, actually. The human that caught me explained that in her home territory it was a sign of your intention to court a mate to give their hopeful intended an Applin. She gave me to that human over there. My human was clueless since this isn't the same territory, so she didn’t understand the courting gift. She spent a good while with her sires fretting before trying to find out what was so important about the gift. As for why she’s here… When she figured it out she raced here hoping to find one of you willing to go with her so she could reciprocate the intent to court. The human that caught me was very sweet, so I know if one of you decides to go, you’ll be well taken care of.”
“Huh… We’re a sign of the intent to court in other territories? That’s interesting.”
“We can worry about that later. I’ve been told to ‘mingle’ while she rests. She hiked here from the human settlement at the base of the mountain.”
“She walked all the way here on foot to find a courting gift? She must truly like the one she intends to court. We shall take it into consideration for later. You said you’re allowed to roam and play?”
“Yep! I haven’t raced in a while either.”
“We’ve gotta fix that then, come on!”
____
Rika was nudged awake a small while later by something bumping against her hand repeatedly. When she cracked an eye open she saw her little guy rolling in a circle around a beautifully green Applin between runs at her hand to wake her. “Hey little guy,” she murmured as she reached down, lightly rubbing the top of his apple in greeting. “Is this your friend?”
She watched in confusion as her little buddy began to roll into the side of her bag, chirping and cooing, before circling the little green Applin again. The lightbulb finally went off and Rika inhaled sharply. “You… You want to come with me? Did my little guy explain what’s going on?” she asked, smiling when the little green Applin chirped and rocked their apple a bit. She carefully reached into her bag then and took out the cherish ball she’d bought, holding it out to the green Applin. A bright smile crossed her features when the Applin rolled forward and bonked into the cherish ball, catching themself.
“You’re the best, little guy,” she said as she scooped up her Applin, cuddling him close for a moment before scanning the cherish ball. She had a feisty little girl on her hands, apparently. Perfect for Dani. “Right, let’s get back to town before it's dark,” she said as she shakily stood, waving to the group of watching Applins. “I’ll come back to visit with my little guy, and bug Dani into bringing this little lady with us, I promise.”
Rika glanced at the sky, grimacing when she noticed it darkening. She had to hurry if she wanted to make it back before nightfall. She recalled her little guy and tucked his ball away with the cherish ball before taking off at a jog, cursing a few times as she dodged some over enthusiastic Girafarigs. She made it back to Medali just in time for the last bit of sun to dip below the sea, her thoroughly disheveled form drawing some odd looks as she slinked towards the Treasure Eatery for her lunch/dinner.
“What on earth happened to you?” a familiar voice drawled.
Spinning on her heel, she was met with the deadpan stare of her coworker, Larry. “Uh…” she said eloquently. “I uh… had an errand to run?”
“Riiiight. None of my business. Just don’t stain the seats with your grass stained jeans.”
Rika blinked and looked down, wincing as she noticed the stains. “Ehe… whoops? I’ll be careful and just get some take-out.”
“Good. I’m going to head home now.”
Rika nodded, waiting until Larry was out of sight to slump and groan. “These pants are never getting clean…” she muttered as she headed to the waiter’s station to order take-out. One excruciatingly long wait later and Rika was stuffing her face full of grilled rice balls as the flying taxi took her back to Mesagoza.
____
The next day found Rika silently freaking out as she paced the length of her living room, two Applins and a Clodsire watching her curiously.
“Come on, it’s not that difficult. I just need to figure out where she is, and how to get there before she leaves. No big deal,” Rika said as she paced, running a hand through her loose hair. “How though?! How the fuck do I find out where she is without sounding like an utter creep? Fuck!”
She was startled out of her panic by a knock at the door and, after nearly tripping over herself to get the door, she was met with her amused father figures. “Er…”
“We can hear you panicking from down the hall,” Hassel said with a chuckle. “We’ve brought you a solution. Here’s Champion Nemona’s number, she’ll help you if you explain. I’m curious what you chose to do to show Daniela you return her feelings.”
Rika flushed slightly as she took the number, turning and racing deeper into her apartment to scoop up the little green Applin to show Hassel and Brassius. “My little guy helped me find her!” she said, beaming up at the shocked duo. “Isn’t she pretty?”
“You… found a shiny Applin. You found one of the rarest Applins out there. Just to ask a girl out…” Brassius said, staring down at the Applin with an incredulous look. “What the fuck is your luck, Rika?”
Rika blinked and looked down at the preening Applin in her hands. “Wait, she’s shiny? I thought it was just a color change like Deerling!”
Brassius smacked his face, drawing the hand down it as he groaned. “You didn’t even know. Arceus above… A color change form…”
“We’ll leave you to plan with Champion Nemona, then. Come on, Brassie. No need to feel one-upped by our daughter,” he teased as he dragged the muttering man away.
Rika closed the door and stared down at the Applin in her hands. “I knew you were special, but damn,” she muttered as she headed back to the living room, setting the little girl down next to her own Applin. “Let’s get you all dressed up for the occasion and then we can text Nemona about finding Dani,” Rika said as she took out the cute little stick on bow she’d bought from the pokemon dress up store earlier that day. Without any fuss from the shiny Applin, the bow was carefully stuck to her back, the loops of the bow sticking up behind her eyes and the tails floating out to either side. “Well, it’s a bit big, but it suits you,” she said as she straightened out the sparkly golden bow.
“Liiin~”
Rika smiled and tickled the little Applin’s front before picking up her phone to make a nerve wracking text.
[Yo, this is Nemona, right?]
[Who’s askin?]
[Rika. I need your help.]
[Rika as in Elite Four Rika?! As in the Rika that made Dani cry?!]
Rika winced, her heart twisting at the news that Dani had cried over her.
[Yes, and that’s why I need your help. Before you go running to Dani, please hear me out?]
[.... Fine.]
Rika breathed a sigh of relief and sank back onto the couch as her fingers flew over the screen of her phone.
[She gave me an Applin yesterday morning. Let me start this off by saying until yesterday’s hours of google research, I had no idea what an Applin’s significance was to Galarian natives. I kinda just awkwardly thanked her for it because I was so confused as to why she’d give me one when my specialty and love is for ground types.]
[Oh shit. She actually confessed? That explains a lot. She’s been holed up in her apartment since yesterday eating ice cream and crying on and off… Only managed to get a few words out of her before she went back to bawling and stuffing her face. Your name was the chief among them, along with ‘friend’, ‘she didn’t like him’, and ‘whyyyyyyyyyyy???’.]
Rika felt her heart drop at the picture Nemona painted of her friend, barely keeping from tearing up herself.
[That’s why I need your help.]
[Why? What do you plan on doing? If you’re doing this to properly friend zone her I’m gonna beat you black and blue, Elite Four be damned.]
Rika winced at the threat and turned her camera towards where her little guy was cuddled up with the dressed up green Applin, snapping a picture of the two before sending it off.
[img.254
]
[...]
[Please help me? If I’d known I would have done the exact opposite of turn her down. I’ve been a dumbass who was too afraid to lose my friendship with her so I never said anything before but… but this… She likes me too and I have to make this right.]
[You got her a shiny Applin?]
[Er… I didn’t know she was shiny, but yes? Wait, how do you know which is which?]
[I may have brought her to the spot where I knew Applins liked to live on her quest to ask you out.]
[Then you have to help me! Please?]
[Fine, fine. How are we doing this?]
____
Rika let out a nervous little huff as she lurked near the ice cream parlor Nemona said she’d drag Dani to under the guise of snapping her out of her funk, hand fiddling with the cherish ball she had in her pocket. A soft coo next to her ear caught her attention and she turned her head enough to glance at the little pokemon perched on her shoulder. “I still can’t believe you got into the tart apples, Braeburn,” she said as she eyed the smug Flapple on her shoulder.
She was startled from her staredown by her phone going off and her anxiety cranked up a notch.
[We’re here. I left her at the table with the striped umbrella while I went for the ice cream. Hurry.]
Rika swallowed hard, shoving her shaking hands into the pockets of her jeans as she made her way out from the archway towards the ice cream parlor, easily spotting her best friend at the aforementioned table. That deep violet hair was unmistakable. With one last calming breath she made her way over and into Dani’s view.
“Dani?”
Her friend nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of her voice, head whipping around as wide lavender eyes locked onto Rika’s form.
“R-rika…!” Dani stuttered out, a heartbreaking look flashing over her features before it disappeared behind a painfully fake mask of happiness.
Rika couldn’t help but lean down, tucking a stray lock of Dani’s curls behind her ear for her. “Mind if I join you for a moment?” she asked, taking note of all the obvious tells she’d missed before that would have let her know Dani was pining after her. Gods above she’d been a blind idiot. A lovesick one too.
“I-I… um… N-nemona’s…”
“I’ll only be a few minutes if you’re busy.”
“I-I guess so?”
Rika smiled brightly, Braeburn finally making himself known by fluttering down off of her shoulder onto the table to chirp at Dani.
“What… is… is this the Applin…?”
“Yeah, little shit got into the tart apples before I could stop him. He’s been smug about it all day.”
“You… kept him?”
“Of course I did, Dani! You gave him to me, I’m not about to pawn him off or release him just because he isn’t a ground type. Besides, he’s kinda grown on me,” she said as she watched Dani gently rub the top of Braeburn’s head. “I need to apologize,” she finally said, hands trembling slightly as she began the much rehearsed speech she’d planned.
“Apologize? Why…? You didn’t do anything?”
“I hurt you yesterday. Granted, I didn’t mean to, but I hurt you.”
“It’s fine! It’s fine. It was a stupid idea, and it flopped. Let’s just pretend it didn’t happen, okay?” Dani snapped out, looking away as her cheeks went red.
“Dani…” Rika murmured, palming the cherish ball. “It wasn’t stupid, and the only reason it flopped is because I didn’t know Galarian customs until I googled it at Hassel’s urging.”
Dani’s head snapped back around and Rika found herself mesmerized by the teary, hopeful look in those beautiful lavender eyes.
Carefully, Rika withdrew the cherish ball and smiled. “Can I have your hand for a moment?”
Dani shakily raised a hand, confusion clouding her features.
With all the gentle care in the world, Rika placed the cherish ball in the palm of Dani’s hands and curled the woman’s fingers closed around it. “Hopefully this makes up for my ignorance, yeah? Release them on the table, they’re small enough, I promise,” she said, watching with bated breath as Dani slowly released the pokemon inside.
With a shower of sparkles, the little shiny Applin appeared on the table, doing a little twirl before settling down in front of Dani with a little trill of happiness, the bow on her back glistening in the midday sun.
The cherish ball fell from Dani’s hand - thankfully caught by Rika in a quick lunge - as her hands flew up to cover her mouth as she gasped.
“Rika… I… is this… are you…”
“Am I what? Making use of a new custom I found on google to ask you out? The answer to that is yes. Will you go out with me, Dani? On an actual date, as my girlfriend?”
Dani, much to Rika’s horror, was now openly crying. Just as she was about to blurt out an apology, Dani lunged up and wrapped her arms around Rika, catching her in a fierce kiss that left Rika feeling light headed. Rika happily sank into it, wrapping her arms around Dani’s waist as she relished the feel of her best friend - and if she was interpreting the kiss correctly - girlfriend pressed up against her. When the kiss broke, Rika reached up to gently wipe away a few of the tears she’d caused, heart fluttering when Dani leaned into the tender touch.
“Well. If I hadn’t just seen Dani try and suck your soul out I’d be about ready to beat your ass for making her cry again,” Nemona deadpanned off to the side, causing both women’s heads to snap to face her, both looking startled. “Hah! You should see the looks on your faces! Here, Dani. One ice cream as promised. I’m going to make myself scarce before you two start making out.”
Rika and Dani watched Nemona leave for a moment before Rika began to chuckle. “You’ve got a good friend in her, Dani. A right proper mabosstiff when she wants to be.”
“Wait… did… Did she help set this up?!”
“It was either that or me haunting your apartment lobby until you emerged to restock your ice cream, and I doubt your building manager - and neighbors - would have liked that,” Rika said with a shrug.
Dani giggled softly and leaned up, pressing a kiss to Rika’s cheek. “Would you come back to my apartment with me? I need to get this little one properly settled in, and um… I don’t want to share you with the public right now.”
“Lead the way, Dani,” Rika murmured, pressing a kiss to Dani’s temple before scooping up Braeburn. “C’mon Braeburn, you can cuddle with your girlfriend later.”
“Braeburn?”
“He likes apples. A lot. It just kinda fit him, and he likes it, sooo…?”
“I like it…~” Dani said with a soft smile as she scooped her new Applin up, cradling her in one arm as she held her ice cream with the other hand. “Let’s go.”
____
Rika let out a happy sigh as she settled down on Dani’s couch, shifting to face her new girlfriend. “I’m glad I figured out why you gave me Braeburn. I’ve been too much of an idiot to make the leap myself and confess to you, at least until I absolutely fucked up your confession with my cluelessness,” Rika said with a soft laugh, her hand moving to toy with a lock of Dani’s hair, twirling the curl around her finger. “I had quite the crush on you when you did the gym run, and it only got worse when we became friends. My cowardly ass didn’t want to lose your friendship if you turned me down, so I never said anything…”
“I may have been quite drunk when I came up with the idea to confess. Poor Nemona had to deal with my drunken planning frenzy and then psych me up to do it when I woke up the next morning - still tipsy, mind you,” Dani said sheepishly. “Despite the momentary heartbreak, I wouldn’t change how we got together for anything. Knowing you went to the trouble to learn about customs I’m used to and apply one of them masterfully means more than you could ever know.”
Rika smiled, leaning in to kiss Dani softly, her hand moving to cup her new girlfriend’s cheek. “Neither would I. The best romances always have an epic tale or two, don’t you know?” Rika joked lightly as she pulled away. “With how many eager Girafarigs I had to duck and weave through to get back to Medali, it certainly qualifies. I swear those things have a secret need for extreme violence with how persistent they are in chasing trainers down.”
“Wait, Girafarigs usually leave you alone pretty quickly if you’re on a Cyclizar… You mean you went to the spot past Medali? On foot?! Rika, that’s a huge trek even on a Cyclizar! It’s one of the reasons Nemona dragged my tipsy ass to the fields near Lavincia. There was no way either of us was going to successfully make that trek while I was… not sober enough to stay on Miraidon.”
Rika flushed slightly and cracked a grin. “In my defense, I didn’t know it’d be that big of a hike. That and I was a bit too distracted by the realization that you liked me too, and that I needed to fix things ASAP. I was halfway up the mountainside when it registered that I probably should have rented a Cyclizar, and I was bound and determined to get your little lady that day so I said fuck it and kept going,” she said as she let Dani pull her into another gentle kiss, letting out a happy little sigh as she sank into it.
“She’s gorgeous, and your grand tale will be something I’ll never let you live down,” Dani teased.
They were both drawn from their little love fest by a bang-crash and the telltale light of an evolution, a metal fruit bowl bouncing out of the kitchen doorway before rolling to a stop near the couch. Both shared a look before bolting into the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of apples strewn about the small dining table and floor and two very happy and smug dragons on the table feasting on the apples. A Flapple… and an Appletun.
“Nyahahahaha! No wonder Brae likes her! She’s just as much of a smug lil shit as he is!” Rika laughed, leaning heavily on Dani to keep herself upright.
“Oh Alice… I… This is your fault, Rika. Somehow,” Dani stated with amusement as she watched the little Appletun munch on one of the sweeter apples.
“Mmm… I think it’s yours,” Rika shot back. “You’re the one who caught Brae, and he’s taught his apple thieving skills to your little lady,” she said as she calmed down, still letting out the occasional chuckle as she tugged Dani into her side, pressing a kiss to her temple. “At least the bow fits her now,” Rika said when she noticed the once large bow stuck to the back of the Appletun’s head, now an appropriate size compared to her body.
“At least the bow fit her now,” Dani echoed with a little giggle.
