"Yeah, totally! Trust me, you're lucky to have a magician like me by your side!" Braixen puffs her chest out and beats her free paw against it. You chuckle as she holds her melodramatic pose for a bit too long. You feel kind of silly for even thinking the bipedal fox had a hint of malintent in her; she was a total goofball. Ever since she first talked to you--which, to be fair to yourself, was all of, what, ten minutes ago?--you've felt pretty safe in this fox's hands, for the warmth and comfort of her fur, if nothing else. She has done nothing but offer you kindness and keep you safe, like any respectable person would. Even if you weren't gonna get help from a human, you feel she's at least the next best thing.
Something tells you it isn't going to be that easy to restore your size, though. You might as well ask the question before you get your hopes up.
"So...can you grow me back yet?"
"W-well, uhh...the incantations are pretty complex; that is to say..." Braixen stammers, smile faltering, "Er...you could be stuck like this for a little bit."
Eh. You figured. Might as well have some fun with it, then.
"Was that a joke at my expense?" You crack a smile as she flinches slightly, the beginning of an apology already leaving her lips. "Gotta say, you're making me feel pretty small right now."
"Ugh, stooop, you're giving me flashbacks to Magister Conifel's classes," she groans, "Always made us listen to his stupid jokes when he taught us pyromancy. I'll never unhear the word 'heated' ever again..."
You laughed, but honestly, your interest was piqued. Did Pokemon really have education systems?
The Braixen noticed your curious look and quickly answered, "Oh, yeah, I forgot! Humans don't really know about how we foxes coexist, huh?"
You shook your head.
"Well, we don't have much magical aptitude when we're just Fennekins; most of us just learn about how to survive early on, then save the whole ~arcane sorceryyy~ stuff for later, when we become Braixens--" she pauses, then pats her paw to her chest, "--Like me!"
You couldn't help but break into a content grin as she continued to blab on about her people. Even if she said she didn't like her classes, it's obvious how much she likes having someone to talk to, to explain things to. Her smile's so bright, it almost hurts to look.
"--Anyway, we only become Delphox when we master our powers. Then, we get to help other Braixen grow and develop their magic, too!"
You feel the need to speak up at that, given that you haven't seen any other foxes around here. "Well, that kinda begs the question: why aren't you with the other Braixen?"
The fledgling mage flinches at that, looking more hurt than you expected. You're about to apologize when she interjects:
"No, no, don't feel bad for bringing it up. It isn't because I'm an outcast, if that's what you're thinking." You reassure her that that's the opposite of what you'd expect. She blushes at that and scratches the back of her head with a paw. "Uhm, y'see, I don't...really know, myself. All I remember is that I got separated from the group, and *poof*, I'm here. All alone..."
Damn; looks like you're not the only one with rotten luck. You take the moment to brush your miniscule hand against her own, hoping she could feel it.
The lingering worry you had dissipated when you felt her free paw come down and brush you in turn, inadvertently pushing you down on your back in the process, forcing the air out of your lungs. Still, that cute giggle made it worth it.
"Thanks, little guy! I'm feeling better already with you around."
You shoot her an obviously fake frown. "You know, I'm not sure if I appreciate being called 'little guy'."
Instead of playing along with you, the Braixen gasps, darting a paw up to her mouth. "Wait...oh, right, we haven't even introduced each other! My name's Yewla! What's yours?"
"It's Brady," you reply, taking the opportunity to get back on your feet and dust yourself off. "Are all the people of your community named after trees?"
"Oh no no no, that's just an old tradition! Some people do, some don't. Mr.--I mean, Magister--" she stops, waving her hand around, "--Conifel and I just happen to have them."
"Heh. Kinda reminds me of those famous 'Pokemon Professors' that every region has." You pause. "Well, maybe not, actually; you have the decency to try to make a name out of it. Those guys have no creativity."
And there she goes with that cute little cackle again. If this keeps up, you might just forget that you're basically stuck here until she somehow manages to learn the spell to grow you back.
Well, there's a lot of worse (and far more believable) fates from an unlucky hike than being shrunk down and looked after by a talking Braixen, that's for sure.
You and Yewla continue to chatter about yourselves for a while, appreciating each other's company. Eventually, she decides to head back to her spot in the cave. She was insistent on holding you against her chest fluff like before, much to your sudden embarrassment. You could feel the vibrations from her gentle humming, and if she pushed you close enough, you'd probably hear her heartbeat. Being so...intimately close to someone like this, even a Pokemon, is making you feel all kinds of weird. Confusing emotions aside, it wasn't any less intensely fluffy than before; you swear her fur was almost like Ducklett down...
At one point, Yewla stops promptly, keeping a paw on you while the other went somewhere else. There was a pause. She didn't say anything yet, and you were feeling a bit impatient, so you stuck your head out of her chest fluff to take a peek. In front of you was...
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