Chapter 16
Friends



"Jamie, I... I didn't mean to- No, I was- You were- Jeez, I'm bad at this..."

"It's okay, we've got time."

Snivy takes a deep breath. "... Jamie... About what you said back there..." Uh oh. Well, I knew this was coming, and frankly I deserve whatever verbal beatdown they're about to give me. "You were right."

"Wait what?"

"Everything you said was completely right. From day one, I've been so awful to you; refusing to respect you, looking down on you, putting you in danger. I've been a horrible partner... no, a horrible PERSON. I know this doesn't make up for it, but I'm sorry for being so immature. Everything I've done has made you miserable, and I don't deserve to be your par-"

"Stop, stop. Snivy, everything you just said is wrong."

"Wait what? But I said you were right..."

"Yeah. That also was wrong. I was wrong. I got caught up in my anger, and I wasn't thinking at all. Everything I said back there was either blown way out of proportion, or just plain wrong. Sure you put me in danger a few times, but you also kept me safe, and had my back in battle. You've been pretty rude to me, but I haven't always been nice to you either. You've made a lot of mistakes, but so does everyone. That doesn't make you a bad person. And that part about being miserable as your partner? That was, without a doubt, the dumbest thing I've ever said.

"You've taught me so much these past few days; from fighting and exploring, to learning to laugh at myself and not obsess over trying to be mature. Those pranks with the whoopee cushion? Those were hilarious! And that mud fight you started was the most fun I've had in a long time! Oh, and the game of water tag! Seriously, that was the best! I used to be embarrassed over enjoying those sorts of things, and you helped me get over that.

"My time in this world has been amazing, and it's all thanks to you. Fighting, playing, and laughing alongside you has been the opposite of miserable, and I'm sorry for telling you otherwise. I'm sorry for calling you immature when I knew how it would hurt you. I'm so sorry for everything I said back there. You're the best partner I could ever have."

Tears well up in Snivy's eyes, and their voice is strained. "T-that's... Mudkip, I... Wait, no! Jamie! Shoot, dang it, fudge, I meant Jamie! I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"Hey, hey, it's fine. I know you didn't mean it. To be honest, I probably shouldn't have been reacting so strongly before. I mean, it's not like you were trying to be mean."

Snivy flinches. "Actually, about that. There's... a lot I haven't told you, and after all this, you deserve to know. I think I should start from the beginning... You remember back when I told you about how I decided to leave home to become an explorer? Well my family... wasn't really thrilled with the idea. They were never really thrilled with any of my ideas, actually.

"Back home, I had two older siblings, Red and Blue. Apparently they were pretty amazing growing up. My parents were always comparing me to them, 'Red was so much more mature at your age,' 'Blue never acted this foolish when they were young,' always telling me how disappointing I was. Red and Blue did it too, telling me how bad I was at everything. They were all so smart, and calm, and talented, and I was just an immature little runt... That's what they always said, and I actually believed them.

"But when I started liking mystery dungeons, they told me how immature exploring is, how that life is improper and unrealistic. Up until that point, I had just accepted that I was awful, but that was the last straw. I packed up in secret and snuck out one night, eager to begin my amazing life exploring mystery dungeons... But it didn't turn out how I expected.

"For the first time in my life, I was alone, fending for myself. I was determined to keep going at first, knowing that going home would be... awkward, to say the least. But battle after battle, loss after loss, it wore me down. And all that time alone made me desperate for someone, anyone to talk to, even my family. I got defeated twice in Circuit Cavern, and I was ready to give up if I failed again... And then I found you.

"When we first met, you were... Um, well, you weren't very... You were kinda..."

"Weak, ignorant, and helpless?"s

"... Yeah. At first, I was just happy to have someone to talk to. But then I realized; in all my life, with parents, older siblings, and even my friends being more mature than me, meeting you was the first time I've ever been... above someone. Stronger and smarter than someone, I had finally found someone lower than me! And this weird little Mudkip thinks they're a human? That's ridiculous! I felt so far above you. It was finally my turn to be superior to someone."

"This is an apology, right?"

"Sorry, I'm bad at this. I just... think you should know how I felt back then."

"Alright. Sorry for interrupting."

"Right, so... you WERE weak. But then things changed. You were figuring out mystery dungeons, getting the hang of fighting, and... you were criticizing me. Scolding me for jumping into danger without thinking, and... calling me immature. I know you didn't know what that word meant to me back then, but it hurt. Suddenly, my superiority was gone, and I was back where I started; stuck with someone smart, calm, talented, and most of all mature. Someone who was everything I wasn't.

"I clung to the only thing I had over you; the name Mudkip. You thought you were a human, and that ridiculous belief put you below me. Whenever I called you Mudkip, and you got all upset, it made me feel like I was better than you. And then, it turns out you really are a human, and I've been the fool all along. I... I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose the one thing that made me better than you, so... well, you know the rest. I gave in to my emotions, just like always...

"Jamie... You're an incredible partner. You've helped me learn and grow so much, and adventuring with you has been the most fun I've ever had. Even when I messed up and you scolded me, you'd try to avoid making me feel bad, and you'd cheer me up when I got upset. I'm so sorry for how I've treated you all this time, and I promise I'll respect you from now on. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Snivy, I... that's... y-you..." Suddenly, my throat feels tight, and I can't seem to find the words anyway. My heart feels so strange, and my eyes- when did I start crying? As tears start falling and I race to figure out these feelings, memories of our adventures flash in my mind; playing in the mud, sharing meals together, getting chased by that terrifying Igglybuff, lying down in the grass and stargazing... The feeling definitely isn't sadness, but it's not exactly happiness. I look at Snivy and see that same feeling in their eyes. And then it clicks.

Love.

My speech giving way to sobs, I lunge forward and wrap Snivy, my partner, my friend, into the biggest hug I can. After a few moments of sobbing into Snivy's chest, I feel them embrace me in return. Soon, we're both bawling our eyes out, whimpering apologies and thanks between the sobs.

I don't know how long it takes, but eventually my tears run out. I release Snivy and step back, taking a bit moment to compose myself. "Sorry about that. I guess you're not the only one who gives in to your emotions."

Snivy wipes the tears from their eyes. "Don't worry about it; if you hadn't done it, I probably would have. So, um, apologies accepted?"

"Of course." I extend my hand. "Partners?"

Snivy takes my hand... and pulls me into one more hug. "Friends."

... I return the hug. "Friends."

After a few seconds, we separate. I let out a sigh of relief; I'm so glad it's over.

"Hey, I've been wondering," Snivy says. "Where'd your Joy Scarf go?"

"Oh yeah, that. Actually, I was wondering the same thing about yours."

"Oh. Well, at the time, it just suddenly felt itchy, but I think it was really because it reminded me of our team. Of you."

"Yeah. Now that you mention it, I think I felt the same way. Except replace itchy with soggy, with all the rain. Um... would you mind helping me put it back on?"

"Not at all, bud!"

I fish the scarf out from my bag, and Snivy swiftly ties it around my neck. They equip their own Joy Scarf and strike a cool pose!

"All right! Team Barbarian back in action!"

"You mean Team Soggy Leaf?"

"Ugh, can we go back to when we weren't talking please? No amount of catharsis is worth that awful name."

"Too bad, that's our official team name now."

"No."

"That's how I'll introduce us to everyone we meet!"

"Nooooo!"

"I'll even write it on our scarves."

"I'm not letting you do that."

"Then I'll just do it when you're asleep!"

"Darn it, Mudkip. Wait! Shoot! Jamie! I swear I didn't mean it!"

"Hey, it's fine. I know you didn't. Honestly, you can call me Mudkip if you want. I don't mind."

"... You... don't? But, we just had that whole..."

"Well, it DID bother me at first, but I got used to it. My only problem recently was the lack of respect. Now that that's fixed, it's fine. Like a nickname."

"... Huh. You're weird."

"Thanks! Now let's keep moving, we're getting close to the heart!"

With high spirits, we race toward the heart. I lead the way with my weird dungeon sense powers, knowing exactly what paths lead to our destination. Soon, we find it; it's a big room, and the air is filled with little pink lights. Snivy steps into the room, and starts floating around just like in the gravity winds, except without any wind; they just float in place.

Snivy starts experimenting, kicking their legs as if they were swimming in water. Surprisingly, it works, and they swim around in the air. "Hey Jamie, get in here and try this out, it's AWESOME!"

Following Snivy's lead, I step into the zero-gravity zone and try to learn how to move. It's not quite like swimming in water, but my usual swimming tactics let me move around decently well. It's also useful (and fun) to push off walls and fly around at high speed! We fool around awhile, until a familiar pink sphere catches my eye.

It floats in the center of the room, which would have been a problem in any other dungeon. I fly-swim over and prepare to... do whatever it is I do with these. "Hey Snivy, I found the pink sphere thingy. I'm gonna do the thing."

"Okay, have fun."

I take a deep breath and touch the sphere.



I look around at the stars filling the space, shining in a rainbow of colors. I feel the familiar call of home, and turn my gaze to a bright star in the distance. Following the strand, the call gets stronger and stronger, until finally, after all this time, I've reached the source.

The biggest star of them all, lighting up the void with a pure white light. I feel like I'm sitting at the center of the universe, the world expanding outward all around me. It's so beautiful...



I open my eyes, back in the heart of the dungeon, still feeling the presence of the white star.

Snivy taps my shoulder. "Hey, how'd it go?"

I smile. "We're almost there. It's that way." I point toward the star.

Snivy grabs their compass. "Alright, so that's- Wait, I'm upside down. Let me just... um..." Snivy flips the compass upside down. "There we go. Northeast. Let me just check my map, and... huh. There's already a dungeon marked there."

"Wait, but that means someone's already explored it. Wouldn't they have found the Guardians' Gate?"

"Well dang. Maybe your weird power was sensing something else?"

"But what else could it be sensing..?"

"Well, no point worrying about that now; this is still our best, and only, lead, so let's just keep moving and figure it out when we get there!"

"Yeah, good point. But first, there's something we have to do here."

"What's that?"

I fly-swim over to Snivy, floating in front of them for a few seconds... Before bopping them on the head! "Tag, you're it," I shout as I swim away!

"Oh, you're going DOWN!"






This is a chapter that I really want feedback on, specifically the big emotional scene at the start. What felt good? What felt awkward? What worked, and what didn't? I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Also: The serious arc is over. Now back to your regularly scheduled lighthearted fun!