[BR}Cookies for Pokemon!

“Can’t believe the woman in the forest is having us do this,” Aeson sighed lightly, his teal-colored eyes turning back to look toward the human that was following him. As he stopped for a second, seeing the little shack set up for them to make the cookies, he looked over to Knight. His pokemon was sniffing the ground, mostly to make sure there was nothing dangerous around, and wagged his tail when it seemed to be clear. The mushrooms in the forest always creeped him out, but the glow did illuminate their surroundings and would keep them safe, at least. He turned to the one following him, the boy that had met up with him at Baba’s shop. 

“Alright, let’s get in there and make these cookies for the pokemon that live here. The sooner we get out of Sylvangloam the better,” he smiled a little, his pokemon letting out a bark-like noise in agreement and running on up to the small shack. His tail wagged back and forth, ears flopped over and tongue hung out a little. He barked again, almost impatiently. 

Aeson laughed at his partner and shook his head. “Alright, maybe if there’s enough we’ll give you some cookies too.”

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This place is… beautiful, to think the depths of Sylvangloam would look like this. I should take some notes while I’m here, perhaps even a picture or two if the forest will allow it. Such an odd thought. Eteri smiled as he looked around at the glowing mushrooms and the trees, believing he saw a few of them sway in unnatural ways. He’d heard the stories and knew where he was headed, but he hoped the forest would cooperate as well. The less danger we deal with, the better. I don’t want to hurt anyone and this guy, He thought as he looked at the dark-skinned male before him with slightly pointed ears and pink hair, he was nice enough to accept my invitation. Traveling together is a lot safer than traveling alone, especially in this area.

Hearing the male’s words when he looked at him, holding a light smile at Aeson’s words. “I think it’s rather wonderful here, though I do know that the forest isn’t too keen on having settlers. This shouldn’t take too long, how hard can baking cookies be?”

The question elicited a whimpering sound almost from the strange Pokemon following by his side, Sylvarin, the strange bead-like objects forming within his collar giving off a light of their own. The light wasn’t as strong as that of his electric core, a signature of his Sanyatto DNA, but each seed just seemed like a smaller version of it.  Sylvarin’s expression was one of dismay and almost fear, glancing up at Eteri who seemed to give the Pokemon a confused look.

“What? My cooking isn’t that bad. I’ve… improved, right?” Eteri inquired, almost falling over when Sylvarin’s head shook quickly in response. About to make a new comment, Eteri’s attention went to see the Pokemon Aeson had with his run up to a small shack. “Well, practice makes perfect. We need to make a good impression, so wish us luck, Sylvarin.”

Sylvarin forced a light smile, though it faded with a heavy sigh. This was going to be a LONG night.

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Aeson chuckled a little, letting his hand rest on the doorknob before opening the door to the small shack. It had what all they would need to bake, assuming it was provided by the forest itself almost, or by the old lady, one could never be too sure. He took a breath and stepped into the floral-scented house, as Knight was quick to approach his side and sit down. Sniffing the wood floors, and the other scents that were inside, Aeson chuckled when the pokemon sneezed. “Watch it, we might find something you’re allergic to.” 

The joke didn’t seem to settle well with Knight, eyes narrowed, and his fur bristled a little at his trainer, not that he would ever hurt Aeson on purpose. “Stupid human, if I’m allergic to anything in this house, I’m staying outside!” He knew his companion couldn’t hear him, the only one that could was the other pokemon, known as Sylvarin. 

“Well, let’s get to making these cookies. If you’re not good at cooking, then perhaps you’re better at baking. I’m not awful at it, but… well me and the oven don’t get along too well with one another, let’s just say that.”

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The strong smell of flowers and herbs seemed to slam into Eteri’s face as the door was opened, the scents prompting a coughing fit. He moved his hand before his mouth as he allowed himself to cough, body jerking a bit with each one, his throat feeling a little raw from the reaction. “Not… fully what I was prepared for.” With that admitted, he walked into the home as well, noting Knight’s motions. “It might just be a general irritation as well, such strong and powerful scents can do that. Some are strong enough to even alter one’s sense of taste.”
“Maybe enough that your cooking won’t taste like a soggy piece of cardboard.” Sylvarin sighed a bit, looking at Knight as he walked over and took a seat not far from the Pokemon. “Would you prefer sitting closer to an open window or the door? Perhaps it’ll be easier on you.”

Glancing at the Pokemon as he heard the sounds they made, Eteri took it that they were communicating in their own way, a notion that brought a smile to his face. Aside from that, he took in the layout of the room they were in and all the ingredients that were sitting out; however, what he didn’t see was the old woman anywhere. Carefully, he walked further into the home, listening to Aeson’s words as he made a mental note of everything. “I can work the oven no problem, I can mix the ingredients as well with relative ease, which is not much different from working at the lab. Just, no matter what I do, it never holds much flavor to me.”

After taking in most of their surroundings and the ingredients left out, he took in a deep breath. “So… should we go ahead and start? Or should we wait around for her?”

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“I’d say we go ahead and start,” Aeson offered a smile, moving to get some of the ingredients for ease of access for them, looking at Eteri lightly. “No flavor to you? Could be your tastebuds, or you just don't like your own cooking. Happens to me sometimes when I cook, but it usually depends on what mood I’m in.” He admitted with a smile, reading the box they had so they could get going. “I’ll get the water, oil, and eggs for you. There should be some decent-sized bowls for us to use.” He hummed, walking away from Eteri and grasping the nearby measuring cup so he could use it to get the correct measurements for the times. 

Once the measuring cups were filled, and head some eggs to put into the cookies, he walked back over to Eteri, hoping the dry ingredients - mostly the cookie things were ready for the wet ingredients, which he would let Eteri mix up. “What’s it like in Groveheart, Eteri?” He asked finally, moving a hand through his pink hair while one of his eyes closed. “It’s… nothing like Brookfell here or in Groveheart, I’d assume.” 

Knight snorted a little before he glanced at Sylvarin when she came to sit beside him and shook his head back and forth, moving to lay down on the wood floor instead, obviously pouting but his human wasn’t paying too much attention to him currently. “I’ll be fine as the smell filters out of here. Humans must not get affected by spores and dust as easily as we canid pokemon do. I’d say it's the same for most pokemon unless they have no nose.” 

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“I… think it’s more than just my taste buds.” Eteri chuckled nervously, he knew he was bad at cooking, his parents even stated he had a long way to go when it came to making food. As Aeson went to get the more liquid ingredients, he looked at the ingredient list and worked on mixing the dry ingredients. Alright… so I need to mix these together, then mix up the other ingredients, and slowly mix them together, right? Is this… all I need though? I don’t see anything else on the list.

“He’s doing it again.” Sylvarin sighed heavily, laying down on the floor and moving his paws over his muzzle. “When he has that look on his face, he starts making mistakes. I might need to try to interfere if only I knew how humans make cookies.”

Being careful as he mixed the ingredients, looking at the ones that Aeson brought over, he took in a deep breath and tried to be careful as he listened to the male talk. “Grovehart?” He inquired lightly, though he smiled at the memories of his home. “It’s lovely there, though I haven’t really been to a lot of places. Now that I have Sylvarin, my family won’t panic as much with me being out and about.” As he thought about how to answer the full question, being careful began to beat the ingredients into a fine dough. “It’s filled with nature, despite being the technological heart of the region, and there’s several research buildings so there’s always a lot actually going on. Wild Pokemon live in harmony with the citizens, though there are some issues once in a while, especially since we’ve begun finding fusions.”

As he thought about it, he did stop a bit, looking at Aeson. “What about Brookfell? I’ve heard it’s a hotspot for criminal activity, but I’m sure there are some good people there trying to make things right, right?”

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Aeson's eyes didn't leave the trainer, head tilting as he watched the ingredients get mixed up, a grin showing on his face. Aeson enjoyed listening about Groveheart from Eteri. "I see, it must be nice to be close to nature and still have the luxury of technology." He shifted his weight to better watch the male stir the contents of the dough in the bowl with the dry ingredients. Seeing it finally coming together he grinned.

"It's starting to look good, what kind of cookies are we making anyways?" He mote asked himself, grasping the box and turning it around. "Huh, literally called Fairy Dust? Really?" He laughed a little and shook his head, placing the box back down. Gaze lowered to the counter, and Aeson let out a frustrated sigh. "Brookfell is hard to be there. There are a lot of illegal activities going on and the police do their best. Not all citizens are bad, but… it makes it challenging to live there." 

Knight looked to Sylvarin, head tilting to the side as his ears remained up. He spoke to the Pokemon, which probably sounded like yips and barks or low growls to the humans. "Let's hope they don't burn the cookies or make too much of a mess. Else we may have to figure out how to bake them."

"Looks like they should be ready to go on the sheet tray." Aeson grabbed the parchment paper to line the sheet so the cookies wouldn't stick. "We may want them a little smaller than what the box says if we can."

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“It is, and it’s home to my favorite place too. The King’s Shrine is really… it’s really a sight to behold. Even the wild Pokemon seem to respect it, in their own ways of course.” Eteri smiled, shrugging when the question about what kind of cookies they were making was asked. “I… really have no clue, um… wasn’t it written down somewhere? I don’t even think it was on the ingredient list.” He continued mixing up the dough almost subconsciously, unaware of the sigh that escaped Sylvarin’s mouth.

“Let’s hope they don’t, but as long as that Trainer of yours can keep him somewhat distracted, they might actually have some taste to them.” The Synthenine and Sanyatto fused Pokemon said, tail twitching a bit as he watched the two somewhat impatiently. He wanted to see what was made, he wanted to taste test the cookies a bit, and he hoped they turned out good since his trainer wasn’t overthinking it. Still, he grumbled a bit as he waited.

Eteri’s gaze cast to the floor when Aeson mentioned how Brookfell was. It sounded like what he’d heard from others, a city of criminals, though obviously those who only turned to the life of crime to survive or who struggled against it altogether. “It sounds like it would be difficult, I’ve wanted to visit the various cities, but I’ll need to be careful if I go to visit there.” With a nod when it came to the cookies, he went ahead and began setting out the dough onto the sheets, shaping small cookies each a few inches apart. As he did, he smiled a bit, “I wish you luck in trying to make it a better place. I mean, you… are a police officer, right? Taking on the good fight for those who can’t, it’s really honorable of you.”

Aeson laughed a little nervously, watching the batter get mixed until it was well whisked. Once it was ready, he took the bowl from Eteri so he could place them onto the sheets, though his eyes lowered in thought. “Y-yeah, I’ve been a police officer for a long time. My… father was one too,” he admitted, looking down as the cookies were put down in small circle-like shapes. Or… well the best circle shapes that he could make anyways. “I don’t think there’s enough good deeds done in the world, but even one act of kindness could make someone’s day. Besides, someone has to go out there and do it right?” 

Knight sighed more to himself, letting his blue eyes watch his trainer for a moment, as one ear flicked a little as well. He turned his attention toward the Synthening fusion, letting out a gruff of a chuckle. “We’ll see how they turn out. Perhaps we’ll get to have a taste.” Not that he wanted a taste, his tail was just wagging for no reason right!

As the cookie batter was all placed on the sheets, leaving minimal cookie mixture in the bowl, Aeson placed them into the oven and closed the door so they could start baking at the appropriate temperature. “The guardians’ shrine huh? I bet it’s beautiful, I haven’t been there myself,” he admitted, wiping his brow a little. “You want to lick the bowl, Eteri?” He offered, holding the bowl out toward the man he teamed up with.

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“Every good deed deserves another.” Eteri smiled gently, washing his hands of the cookie dough residue once the sheet was taken to be placed in the oven. It was already preheated, so all that was left was watching over the cookies as they baked and sampling their efforts. Glancing at the Pokemon and smiling, the question caught his attention and he turned to the male with some confusion. His gaze went from the man to the bowl in his hands, gently pushing it away.

“I’ll wait till the results are in and have a taste of those. Raw ingredients aren’t supposed to be consumed, though many do it, it’s not a habit I want to start. Though Sylvarin might.” Grabbing the spoon-like utensil from the bowl that held a bit of the dough on it, Eteri walked over to his Pokemon and Knight, holding it out to Sylvarin. “You want to taste it? Such raw ingredients don’t seem to bother you, or they never have before.”
Staring at the wooden spoon and the batter on it, Sylvarin could almost feel himself sweat a bit as he swallowed hard. Was it going to be good this time, or was it going to end up a disaster? Sure, he liked licking the bowl, but only when it was Eteri’s Mother’s cooking. Eteri’s was lacking, but he knew his trainer was trying. Somewhat hesitantly, he leaned forward, letting his tongue run over the batter and allowing it to settle on his taste buds. Within a few seconds, he gently moved his paws to hold the spoon upright, licking on the dough. “It's actually pretty good.”

The sight caused Eteri to chuckle lightly, reaching his hand out to stroke the fine fur of his partner’s head. “Seems you like it, just don’t eat the spoon. I know it’s wood, but still.” As he stood up, he looked to Knight and then to Aeson. “Might need to check on them soon, but does Knight want to try some before the cookies are done?”

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Aeson chuckled a little, watching Eteri take the spoon over to his pokemon and how it seemed to hesitate before licking the spoon off. He turned his gaze to Knight, who seemed to be waiting idly by, though his ears were down a little and his eyes looked pleading. Rolling his own in a playful manner, he walked over to Knight with the bowl in his hand and kneeled down in front of his partner pokemon. “You know eating this might make you too fat to come with me on the job,” he jested as a joke. Knight seemed to frown with a narrowed gaze, tail fluffing up as if he was insulted that just a little bit of cookie dough would ruin his physical features.

He did lean his head forward taking a few sniffs of the bowl, and allowed his tongue to lick around it, enjoying the taste of the cookie dough that was left behind. His blue gaze shifted to Sylvarian when he heard him mumble with the spoon in his face. “That’s good,” he commented back, his tail wagging a little from the thought. Sylvarian was right, the food was really good, it left a perfect taste in his mouth and he was sure the pokemon outside would enjoy them when they were done. He sat back on his haunches, letting Sylvarian have some more when the spoon was empty.

Aeson smiled, and moved the bowl toward Sylvarian so he could have what Knight left behind which was a decent amount at least. “Looks like they seemed to enjoy it pretty well? So they must have turned out decent in some way, right?” 

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Smiling at the Pokemon, Eteri watched as Aeson offered the bowl to Sylvarian once Knight was done. He nodded at the words, pulling on an oven mitten the moment he heard the timer ding. “Yeah, and now it's time for the moment of truth. Hope they didn’t burn.” Carefully, he opened the oven and used the mitt covered hand to grab onto the hot tray. As gently as he could, without being too slow, he removed the sheet tray from the oven and placed it on top of the stove to check the cookies.

The edges were a light golden brown, the centers fluffed up, and the undersides sharing the same hue as the edges. To him, they seemed done, both on top and on the bottom; however, he carefully checked a few of the others just in case any still needed some time. Once he had done so, he used the spatula to carefully remove the cookies in question and place them on a cooling rack. Eteri didn’t want to squish or damage the cookies as he did so, placing an empty tray down once he was done and removing the mitten. “There, now they just need time to cool off.”

As if hearing this, Sylvarian stood up from where he was and walked over, resting his chin on the countertop and eyeing the cookies. They smelled wonderful, surprised they turned out good, and yet glad they had as well. Eyes closing, he inhaled their scent and savored the aroma, his very tastebuds dancing in anticipation. He did whimper a bit at the hand to his head, looking at his trainer’s apologetic smile.

“You need to wait, Sylv. I don’t want you burning yourself and not all of them are for you.” Leaning over, he gently patted the top of the Pokemon’s head. “Be patient.”
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“You can’t have it until it cools, else you might burn your tongue off,” Aeson joked gently, patting Knight’s head who seemed to give a whine in return as well. He wanted some of the cookies, but he did know better than to go and try to eat all of them. The smell was permeating the cottage they were using, and one could see out of the window, mixed in with the glow of the mushrooms as pokemon were starting to fly toward the cottage. His head tilted for the moment, and a sweat drop formed on his face a bit as he sighed. “Seems we may have to start giving out the cookies soon,” he admitted to Eteri, pointing at the window where one could see a few floating pokemon staring inside. 

“Guess the aroma ended up alerting them huh?” He asked lightly again, walking over to the tray where the cookies were. Knight whined again, but Aeson patted his head in an attempt to keep him calm. “Don’t worry there’ll be enough for you too. But our task is to feed the pokemon of the forest as well. Don’t think we want to make our quest giver angry, now do we?” There was something a little unsettling about Baba to be honest, not something that Reason could pin-point on his own. 

“I think these are cooled enough now, let’s go and give them out to the pokemon, shall we?”

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More focused on petting Sylvarin, Eteri hadn’t noticed their visitors outside till Aeson said something. He followed the male’s finger to the window, almost jumping at the strange Pokemon on the other side. It looked like some fusion of a bird Pokemon mixed with a Lanturn, glowing in the dark of the forest and illuminating the world outside. Once it moved, he could see more Pokemon cautiously making their way toward the cottage.

“I guess this is what she meant when she told us to be ready.” He chuckled a bit, brushing his hair aside as he returned his attention to the cookies on the cooling rack. “I just hope we have enough for everyone.” When the other mentioned he thought they were cool enough, Eteri moved most of the cookies to another set of plates. “You can go ahead and hand some out then.” 

He did take two of the cookies though, holding one out for his own Pokemon and approaching Knight to offer the Pokemon a cookie as well. “We can give you both, we’ll wait and see if more are left over after we feed our guests. Alright?” Though he was a bit cautious, as Knight wasn’t his Pokemon and he didn’t know much about Aeson’s partner, he did reach out his other hand slowly to try to pet Knight. “Once all the cookies are done and we clean up, we’ll be leaving.”

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Aeson chuckled under his breath and quickly took the tray in his hands and moved toward the window. As most of the pokemon were near the window, or a few clambered onto the outside sill, he lifted the window to let the pokemon come into the house for the time being. Sitting the tray there, he turned to watch Eteri, smiling at his interaction with Knight. He knew the pup would be fine, and that he wouldn’t hurt Eteri, Knight was well-behaved and he knew better, especially if the person didn’t give him any kind of odd feelings. He turned his attention from his pup and back to the pokemon, each holding a cookie and eating almost ravenously at their meal.

Knight sat like a good pokemon, letting his ears tilt back a little as Eteri seemed to nervously approach him. Knight moved to sniff the hand, not that he hadn’t figured Eteri was a good man, and allowed him to give him some pets. He took the cookie held out to him, biting it as he lowered his head and letting Eteri’s hand brush along his neck. The altered colored part of his neck fur was harder, and bristled with the texture of a rock, a trait he had gained from his Lycanroc half. Once the cookie was devoured, he offered a few licks to Eteris hand and let out a bark in appreciation and thanks.

By the time they were done, it seemed most of the cookies had been eaten and two more were left, Aeson picked them up and walked over to the two pokemon. “Looks like you both got one for the road. We should be getting back before it gets too dark. I might have to get a place in Grovehart before I make my way back to Brookfell,” Aeson flashed a smile. “Guess I can walk you home, if you don’t mind, Eteri.”

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My Word Count: 1991

Thuli’s word Count: 2158