Misunderstanding

AN: CRINGE ASF!

...

"Here," Floyd said as he handed Starly to Bianca.

"W-w-what?" Bianca was taken aback by his actions.

"Take her, so I can apply the powder more easily," Floyd said. To be honest, Floyd just wanted to give Bianca and Starly some quality time together; he didn't plan to keep the bird, so it seemed much better for Bianca to hold her.

"I, I, I," Bianca stuttered, hesitant at first, but Floyd didn't give her a chance to refuse and gently placed Starly in her lap, then proceeded to administer the healing powder.

Bianca felt a rush of embarrassment from the scene, with Floyd in front of her, sprinkling healing powder on Starly. She harbored another thought that sent her face flushing red, extending to her neck and ears. She lowered her head to hide her embarrassment from Floyd.

Starly felt comfortable, then slowly closed her eyes and drifted to sleep in Bianca's lap.

"Oh, cough, cough, what did I stumble upon? Am I interrupting something here? I should go back!" Kang Jihoon, who happened to pass by with his Pokémon, caught a glimpse of what he misinterpreted as an intimate moment between Floyd and Bianca. From his angle, Starly was obscured by Floyd's body, so he jumped to conclusions and quickly retreated with his Pokémon.

"It's shocking; Bianca and Floyd actually have a thing? Hehe, if the boys find out, they'll be heartbroken," Kanraku murmured to himself, smirking at the thought of the other men's reactions. As the vice-captain, he was privy to gossip among the men. Even with the issue involving Choi Yerin, he often feigned ignorance. He knew that several men fancied Bianca but were too intimidated by her personality to make a bold move.

"N-no, it's not what it looks like!" Bianca attempted to clarify when she noticed Kang Jihoon's hasty departure, but it was already too late. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red from the misunderstanding.

Floyd, confused by Kang Jihoon's reaction, turned to see Bianca's flustered state and something clicked for him. Realizing how their situation might appear to an outsider, his face turned red as well. Standing up quickly, he said, "Bianca, please look after Starly to ensure her health. Given what's happened, it's probably best to have her checked by Chansey. I need to attend to something else; I'll be on my way."

Floyd made a beeline for the Beast's Sanctuary, knowing the longer he stayed, the more awkward it would become.

Bianca, noticing his hasty departure, covered her face with her hands in embarrassment. Swablu perched on Bianca's hair and observed the reactions of both Bianca and Floyd with a mischievously knowing look.

"Tweet," (Bianca must like brother Floyd.)

Swablu might appear young and innocent, but this little bird was exceptionally mischievous and sharp-witted, well-informed about the romantic dynamics among many Pokémon, including what it means for males and females to become partners.

"Tweet," (If Bianca and brother Floyd ended up together…)

Imagining such a possibility made Swablu's eyes shine. She had a high regard for Floyd; he was cool, a great cook, and strong. If Bianca and Floyd became a couple, Swablu snickered to herself, already conjuring up some mischievous schemes.

"Tweet, tweet, tweet, tweet," Swablu laughed slyly, causing Tailow, Chikorita, and Poochyena to shiver, wondering what mischief she was plotting now.

If Floyd knew what Swablu was thinking, he would surely scold her, but alas, he had already reached the Beast's Sanctuary to check on the berries. He took out some ready-made healing powder and filled a bottle with it, then placed it inside his backpack. While organizing his backpack, it suddenly dawned on him that he had inadvertently shown it to Bianca earlier.

He smacked his forehead and shouted in his mind, 'I SHOWED HER MY BACKPACK!'

How could he have forgotten something so crucial? He had inadvertently revealed his backpack to someone he didn't fully trust yet. If word of this got out, it would surely spell trouble for him.

Nevertheless, he found a bit of solace in the knowledge of Bianca's character, which seemed trustworthy. Yet, it was his lapse in caution that had allowed for the accidental reveal. Had it been Chen Yu, Kang Jihoon, or Ivan, the consequences might have been dire.

"Well, what's done is done; I can't reverse it. So, what am I going to do about her?" Floyd pondered helplessly. The notion of eliminating her was out of the question — she hadn't done anything to warrant such action, and he wasn't the kind to resort to violence needlessly, especially not against another human.

It was unprecedented for him; only his Pokémon, with whom he was close, had ever seen his bag. But now, a human had seen it. "Close?" Floyd caught himself and his face reddened as he chastised his brain, "What the hell are you thinking!"

But after much deliberation, no viable solution presented itself to him. The previously contemplated absurd idea was utterly impossible, so he returned to the Safe Zone.

Before rejoining his Pokémon, Floyd first stopped by the base to deliver the Pokéblocks he had made, along with some healing powder. Then, he collected some berries and returned to his Pokémon.

Observing his Pokémon in the midst of training, he quickly set up his berry blender and prepared Pokéblocks. After a while, he allowed them to rest and served them the food he had specially made.

Floyd was pleasantly surprised to see that Horsea and Goomy had leveled up. He reviewed Horsea's stats:

Pokémon: Horsea

Level: 20 ♀

Type: Water

Ability: Swift Swim

Moves:

Intermediate Level: Dragon Dance

Beginner Level: Water Gun, Rain Dance, Smokescreen, Twister, Tackle, Wrap, Focus Energy, Dragon Breath

No new moves had been learned, but Smokescreen was now more advanced than Twister, given it was a move Horsea frequently used in addition to Water Gun.

Similarly, Goomy, the second eldest, had reached level fifteen and had even mastered Absorb.

Pokémon: Goomy (Hisuian – Disappearing 64%)

Level: 15 ♀

Type: Dragon

Ability: Hydration

Moves:

Intermediate Level: Bubble

Beginner Level: Water Gun, Dragon Breath, Tackle, Absorb

"You've all been performing admirably; I'm quite satisfied. Dratini, Horsea, and Goomy have shown improvement today, so let's celebrate," Floyd announced.

His other Pokémon, witnessing the advancements of their peers, felt a twinge of envy, but Floyd reassured them, "Don't worry, I've noticed your efforts. You've also trained hard, and you will certainly improve just like them. To celebrate, I'll add something special to your meal. Ta-da!" Floyd presented a bottle of milk.

The Pokémon looked on in confusion, and Floyd explained, "This was made by Miltank. I asked her for some, so let's taste it. I'll mix it into your food," he said as he blended the milk with their Pokéblocks and handed each a bottle of juice.

The berries, sponsored by Kanraku, had allowed Floyd to lavish his Pokémon with care, possibly contributing to their rapid progress.

As the Pokémon happily savored their meal, they felt as if they were in paradise. They could swear, no matter how much time passed, they would never tire of Floyd's culinary delights.

After the meal, Floyd, with the assistance of Munchlax, Fraxure, and Growlithe, began cleaning up. He thanked them with a pat on the head and rallied them, "Let's get back to battling those wild beasts."