“I tink we should steal their maple syrup!”
“And if we gotsa, her life too!”
“Huh?”
Pel walked in on what sounded like his two best friends plotting a strangely sweet murder while looking for something to snack on in the outskirts of Fortree. Despite living in Rustboro, he tended to basically live at Fortree, as Tor lived in the woods and Maud’s parents worked at the weather institute.
“What exactly are you two planning that I wasn’t invited in on?” Pel inquired, fidgeting with his much too long sweater sleeves.
“Well, I tink the teacher in yer town has way too much maple syrup in tha class fridge, and me n’ ya are starving all the time! So, we’re comin up with tha plan ta steal it from ha! Ya understand wha I’m putting down?” Tor announced with an air of excitement. She had only learned how to speak the local language a few years ago, only being able to speak in tor and torchicks as a child, but she learned quick, even if most of her language was stolen from action movies and commercials playing in Lilycoves TVs at the mall.
“We were gonna surprise you with it, since I know you don’t wanna take my families food, and if I gave it to you or Tor my parents would be mighty miffed! I was thinkin’, if she doesn’t give it for free, we’d hafta probably beat her for it!” Maud chimed in with this tidbit of info, her usual cheerful yet dim demeanor never fading. As of late, she had been starting to pick up her parent’s general lack of empathy for anyone who isn’t people she cares for, and their lack of being able to care for anyone but themselves, Maud only really caring for her, Pel, and Tor, worryingly enough.
“Beat her? But Maud, we aren’t old enough to own any Pokémon! Unless you mean...” Pel hesitated before suggesting this “beating her in a fist fight or something?”
“I was thinkin’ a metal pipe!”
“Maud!”
“Maud, ya ain’t tinkin prac, practi, pratic-tally! Yew gotsa just steal it instead, fightin her that violently would jus’ cause more problims. Side’s, ain’t no hono’ in fightin without a Pokémon or yer fists, ‘less yer like me n gots some of that Poké power in ya naturally!” Tor was always proud of her part Pokémon heritage, always gloating it when she could.
“I guess so!” It was lucky Maud just went along with Tor and Pel, her moral compass could be quite skewed at times.
“Well, c’mon yew two! We got some food we gotsa wrangle ourselves!”
“If we must do this, can we get some berries first? I’m quite famished and I’d really like to pair that maple syrup with some Kelpsy berries.”
“I love Kelpsy berries!! Tor pleaseeee!! I’ll make Pel ask the teacher insteada us two!”
“Course we can yew two! ‘Sides mud, I was already gonna make ‘im dew it if ‘e find out bout our plan.”
“You’re so smart Tor!”
“Wait, huh?”
Before anymore words could be exchanged, Tor had already grabbed both by the shoulders to bring them closer.
“Pretty sure we planted some near our secret base anywho!”
“I still think we should have made our base at an ocean base…” Maud pouted.
“You know Tor’s afraid of water!”
“A-am not!”
“Hehe, yeah, remember when we played with water guns, and she ran away screamin’”
“It wa’ a battle cry!!”
“Well, it certainly was a cry.” Pel snickered.
“You bein’ snarky is always meane’ then when me o’ Maud a’”
“Ack, sorry!”
“I think it’s funny!”
“You’ll tink dat till it’s directed at cha…” Tor grumbled, pushing them from her shoulders to holding both their hands to lead them to their base.

They continued their banter all throughout their walk to the base and then finally found their berries. They sat down and started eating, Tor picking at some bugs on the floor to eat as well.
“This is so good! I haven’t eaten all day since my parents have been out at Mauville all week again!”
“Well m’ glad I could getcha some grub, maybe we can scrounge ‘nuff money n’ sympathy ta get y’all some magikarp from Lilycove.”
“Bu’ wha’ bou’ ou’ syrup?” Maud asked with a mouth full of berries. “Besides, you don’t even eat Pokémon!”
“I know, I think it’s inhumane if it isn’t hunted by another ‘mon, nd even then I think it’s awful but I know you definitely do Maud, and Pel does when he gotsa.”
“You can be very sweet sometimes Tor.” Pel smiled at her.
“Ah, you shut it” Tor looked away pouting, and shoved Pels full mouth with berries while Maud giggled, her mouth already full.
They wouldn’t forget this memory in a million years.