
“…”
Ivy sat on her bed. It was a fairly new twin bed, where she laid down on the other side of the room of Lillie’s bed. To think that this family was so quick to adjust Lillie’s room like this to accommodate for her, even after her situation before, it was… strange. Even stranger still, they left her with all of her Pokémon, purified and everything. Ivy took out the her Beast Ball and continued to stare at it.
“Nebby… is this… really where you want us to be…?”
There wasn’t any response, but she couldn’t help but extrapolate the emotions of her best friend.
Ivy pulled the Beast Ball closer and against her chest. “I’m… I’m sorry, Nebby. I… I was so selfish, and you and our other friends have every right to be upset with me. I always knew that you guys were going through so much just to protect me, but… but after I felt it myself, I… I can’t believe that I would be so horrible to let it happen, and… and—”

The Beast Ball suddenly bursted, revealing a Lunala. It didn’t wish to hear Ivy’s apologies. The Lunala leaned in and laid itself on her.

“B—but Nebby—” Ivy didn’t protest the laying, but she knew what this means.
Lunala nuzzled her. It doesn’t want to hear it.
“But—”
Lunala nuzzled her again. Don’t make it lick you, Ivy.
“…” Ivy sighed. “Do… do you forgive me?”
Lunala nodded. They’re all safe now, and Ivy can be a girl like she always wanted and that’s what matters. All they need to do is to adhere to the rules, let the others deal with the group, and they can finally all be free.
“… okay. I’ll… I’ll stay. If… if it will make you all happy—”
Lunala licked her face. Stop it.
Ivy blushed. “O—okay! Okay! I get it. I’ll… I’ll calm down.” Ivy pulled the Lunala into a hug. “But… uh… can we snuggle tonight? It’s been so long since we’ve both done that without… y'know.”

Lunala adjusted to snuggle with Ivy, making sure not to crush its bestie. It’s been waiting for this for a while.

“Thank you, Nebby. Good night.”
—

As the duo fell asleep but still before Lillie returned to her room, one of Layla’s copies appeared to watch the two. She sighed. “You have better be right about this, Lillie and Heidi.”
She disappeared. The two friends deserve their privacy.


















