Threads of Connection

AN: The title was just random. Just ignore it. 

...

As Floyd walked toward the Beast Sanctuary, Pokémon such as Machoke, Geodude, and Mankey came to assist him in carrying Ursaring. Chen Yu was also there with Kang Jihoon and other members of their team. They noticed him and the other Pokémon with Ursaring and inquired about what had happened. Floyd, feeling somewhat embarrassed, admitted that his Fraxure had defeated Ursaring. This confession led them to give him strange looks, though they seemed to accept such occurrences as normal for Floyd.

Kang Jihoon and many members of the group, including Chen Xin, whose face was flushed, asked Floyd if he had some time to guide them with their Pokémon. Most of them had already acquired a second Pokémon, and some were with their first.

They even had plans to train more Pokémon, aspiring to be like Floyd or to surpass him. Floyd wanted to suggest that they focus on training only a few Pokémon for now, but considering the number of Pokémon he himself had, he felt it might come across as hypocritical.

Therefore, he chose not to comment on their plans and simply reminded them, "Treat your Pokémon sincerely."

He wasn't sure if they had taken his advice to heart, but he continued on his way to where Chansey was located.

Dratini, on the other hand, pouted as he was forced to stop his training by his elder brother and sister. They told him it was the Master's order and that if he didn't listen, they would gang up on him.

'What a scoundrel, this is unfair treatment. If you want to fight, you should fight fair and square, one on one. Clearly, I'm the younger one, and yet you have the nerve to gang up on me?' Dratini thought, feeling aggrieved. Reluctantly, he followed them.

A short while later, they came across Chansey happily eating with some other Pokémon. Chansey was quite popular in these parts.

She was initially delighted to see Growlithe but was shocked to notice the unconscious Ursaring and rushed to its aid.

Growlithe, who had been excited to see Chansey and had rushed towards her for a hug, ended up hugging the air as Chansey diverted her attention toward Ursaring.

Growlithe pouted at this, feeling somewhat slighted, but he understood that Chansey's priority was to tend to Ursaring's healing, so he let her be, snorting in resignation.

Happiny, witnessing this, laughed and then came over to hug Growlithe, attempting to console him. Growlithe was touched by the gesture and almost cried, thinking, 'At least her little sister still remembers me,' as he lifted his paws to pat Happiny.

"Happiny~" Happiny seemed to enjoy the affection and then followed Chansey to assist her.

Chansey was now examining Ursaring's body and started inquiring about what had happened. Floyd confessed the circumstances leading to Ursaring's state, feeling embarrassed but honest, and as expected, Chansey began her scolding. "Chansey, Chansey, Chansey, Chansey!" she chided, leaving Floyd to accept her rebuke without protest. He knew better than to talk back, as upsetting Chansey could result in him needing to use an excessive amount of healing powder on his Pokémon.

After Chansey's reprimand had subsided, she, with Happiny's assistance, began healing Ursaring. The process was relatively swift since Ursaring's condition had already been somewhat stabilized by Floyd's care. Before long, Ursaring's condition had improved; although still unconscious, his expression was now one of relaxation.

Chansey then turned to Fraxure, and her healing efforts were less demanding because of the initial treatment Floyd had administered. After taking care of Ursaring and Fraxure, Floyd had Dratini and Teddiursa examined by Chansey as well, even though Teddiursa had already received treatment. While Ursaring and Fraxure rested, Chansey completed the healing process for Dratini and Teddiursa, then proceeded to give Floyd another lecture.

In order to appease her, Floyd provided a substantial amount of Pokéblocks for her and her friends. Thankfully, Chansey calmed down. Truthfully, she wasn't really upset with Floyd's training methods, for she knew he genuinely took care of his Pokémon. Her distress arose each time Floyd came to her with his Pokémon injured.

Then Floyd, along with his Pokémon and the Pokémon from the Beast Sanctuary, began to help him again, this time by carrying Ursaring to the clinic from the base.

After reaching the clinic, Floyd expressed his gratitude to them and rewarded their hard work with extra food. The Pokémon, delighted with the gesture, happily accepted the food, bid him farewell, and walked away.

Floyd stepped into the clinic, a place where Ursaring and Fraxure could rest. As he traversed the quiet corridors, his gaze was unexpectedly drawn to a corner where Bianca was engrossed in her work. The rhythmic sounds of the weaving loom filled the space as she expertly manipulated the threads on bobbins. Her focused eyes traced the shuttles as they danced through the warp; her fingers, graceful yet deliberate, adjusted the tensioning devices, ensuring that each thread interlaced with perfect tautness to create fabric that seemed to form as if by magic.

This was not the first time he had seen her at this task, but each time he observed, he found himself captivated by her beauty. He rarely saw such an expression on her face, as she was usually timid and a bit clumsy around people due to her social phobia.

Floyd wasn't sure how many seconds he had been standing there, staring at her, until Dratini, a bit annoyed, lashed his tail against Floyd's leg with a soft "Ehew~."

Startled by the sound, Bianca's concentration broke like delicate glass under a tap. She lifted her gaze, and when their eyes met, an electric jolt of awareness passed between them. A blush crept across her cheeks, painting her with a bashful shade of crimson.

Flustered by the unexpected audience, Bianca's hand slipped, sending bobbins skittering across the floor, threads tangling into a delicate disarray. The loom's steady rhythm stuttered to a stop, the shuttles pausing mid-flight, and the half-woven cloth sagged but did not tear, hanging like a sigh in the quiet room. Despite the momentary disorder, nothing was irreparably damaged.

Floyd, feeling the heat of embarrassment on his face, cursed himself for standing too long and staring at her, which was not appropriate.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Bianca stammered, equally embarrassed as she gathered the half-woven cloth from the ground.

"No, it's not your fault; it's mine. I've disturbed you. I will go now, I still need to let them rest," Floyd replied as he carried Ursaring with Munchlax following behind, bearing Fraxure. He intended to walk farther from the bed, but since only this floor had beds, he chose the one furthest on the edge to minimize the embarrassment. The awkwardness from earlier still lingered, and now, with another awkward encounter underway.

Floyd and his Pokémon settled Ursaring and Fraxure onto the beds to rest. Dratini expressed a desire to continue training, and Floyd, still distracted, merely nodded at him and sat down near the beds. Growlithe and the leader Goomy said their farewells, seeking out mild training, while Horsea and the four Goomys mentioned they planned to play with the Squirtles.

Floyd had the urge to stop each of them, but he found no reason to. They wouldn't be of any use by staying, and his desire to ask them to stay was more to ease the awkward tension inside the clinic than anything else. Munchlax and Teddiursa were the only one who remained, which Floyd was thankful for, as it meant someone stayed with him in this uncomfortable situation.

However, the feeling of awkwardness didn't abate, as even though he had chosen a bed at the farthest edge, he was still only a few meters from Bianca. There were no curtains around each bed, which meant they could still see each other. So, in an attempt to shift his attention, Floyd took out the berry blender and allowed Munchlax and Teddiursa to eat food.

(AN: Okay, let's just write romance, not Pokemon, hahaha)