N-no thank you!!

Your eyes nearly fall out of your head as the implications of Arro’s offer hit you. Ears pulled back and cheeks burning with embarrassment, you sit in stunned silence. Arro does naught but beam down at you, obviously enjoying your reaction. Not receiving anything but that delighted smirk, you know you must speak to break the awkward stalemate.

"N-no please!! I mean..! Are y-you?!" Arro can no longer contain himself and laughs hard at your flustered rambling. You sit there, cycling though varying degrees of bewilderment whilst the cackling pokemon has his fun. After the eeveelution’s giggles subside, he quickly removes himself from your leg, sparing your cherry red visage from his smooth undercarriage. His mirth at your expense begins to run long, putting a sour expression on your face.

Finally sensing (or rather finally caring) that he has pushed too far, Arro steadies himself with a great exhale before replying, “Apologies, my friend. Shall we continue?” You are confused once again, thinking your bath complete, when your host snaps his fingers as you try to rise from your stool. “We aren’t done, treecat.” His voice is stern, leaving little room for protest. You settle back down with a huff.

Your dour attitude is alleviated somewhat as you watch Arro as he fiddles with that jar of foul tasting powder. Your interest grows as he pours a pawful of the light pink contents into his hand before squirting it with a small jet from his mouth. The mixture quickly foams up as it is rubbed between his fingers, prompting you to ask its purpose.

“Better to show you, I’d think!” Comes the response as your host approaches you, walking up to your side. You flinch as the odd substance is rubbed against your scalp, the sensation completely foreign to you. As the foam is scrubbed deeper into your fur, however, you catch the fruity scent from earlier now doubled in its potency. You begin to relax as Arro’s massage continues down your neck and over your shoulders. Seeing your change in demeanor, the Vaporeon happily quips, “I am glad you approve, Kale~ Still, we’ve a lot of matted fur to cover.” He scoops a mount of the fluffy bubbles from your head and wipes it in your own hand. “Think you can take care of your arms?”

Now thoroughly fascinated by this new experience, you nod and begin to work the foam into your opposite forearm. Before long, you are grinning like a child, enthusiastically covering yourself in more of the sweet smelling lather. Noticing your joy, Arro looks up from his work on your legs with a wry grin. “I knew you egg snatchers cared little for personal hygiene, but I am surprised you’ve never experienced soap before!” The mention of your kin causes a look of apprehension to dampen your smile. Not wanting to ruin the moment, you quickly change the subject.

“This stuff is really something, Arro…” Raise a palm of the soap, “How did you come by it?”

“Well thank you, Kale!” He replies with a bit of pep. “Though, I didn’t ‘come by’ anything.” He motions with a free hand to the shelves stocked with more of the jars. “A hobby of mine. First I find a lovely scent I’d like to capture, squeezed flower petals, mashed fruits, or the like. A bit of ground coral for thickening and a touch of fine sand to serve as a base.” The Vaporeon beams with pride as he explains the finer details of drying and preserving the mixture for storage. Happy to let him ramble about his interests instead of your upbringing, your first bath continues until you are properly covered in peachy fragrance.

“Eyes closed, Kitten~” Is all the warning you get before a powerful stream of cool water buffets your bubble coated fur. The rinse is much less pleasant than the rest of the wash, but you endure and are handed a cloth to wipe away the residual water. As the storm still rages beyond the huts' walls, what remains of the day is spent cleaning up the mess your intrusion caused. Furniture is stood upright and muddy prints are washed between the floorboards. Even though you lack the materials to properly repair the busted door, you both heave the heavy center table in front of it, mostly just to keep it from swinging in the wind.

During your work, Arro even rewards your earlier honesty with insight into his village, now known to you as Cove Crest, as well as his role within it. He explains that most of the town has left for a deep sea refuge, one that has been used to protect the weak and **** in times of hardship for generations. Only he and a few others currently reside in Cove Crest, mostly to maintain it against the elements. When you ask why he has not gone to the safety of the refuge, Arro merely scoffs at the question. “Was that tail slap I delivered to your nose in any way ‘weak or ****’, Kale?” You share a laugh as the late afternoon sun begins to poke through the rain clouds.

After a simple dinner of freshwater and sea greens (another enjoyable first for you!), both Arro and yourself recline on his straw pile bed. After about the fifth mention of the easing weather outside, you decide to remind him of your journey, hoping that he might have a few tips on where to resume the search.

“Honestly Kale… I haven’t the slightest clue as to how you might proceed. I’ve been mostly focused on providing for the few who remain in Cove Crest.” Catching your sullen look, he is quick to add, “The one who may know of what you seek would be our village elder, Lyra.” Your interested expression prompts him to continue, “She has been around for generations, both as a guardian as well as mentor to her people.” He speaks reverently of this woman, a look of admiration upon his features. “She has saved many of us, Kale. I have no doubt she will have some of the answers you need.”

With this in mind, you thank him for his hospitality and begin to rise from his bed. You make it half a step before that rubbery tail whips around your middle, giving a rough yank backward. “Where do you think you’re going, Kitten?” The Vaporeon's tone playful once more. Your protests are cut short when Arro’s sing-song rebuttal reminds you that it is still pouring outside. “You wouldn't DREAM of ruining all of my hard work on that tangled fur of yours, right Kale?”

You absentmindedly run a hand paw over the back of your head, not remembering the last time your fur had felt so smooth. Knowing your new friend wasn’t wrong, you settle back down into the straw. “You will spend the night, warm and comfortable. I must insist!” You find no reason to argue with Arro, though you do ask if he could release your torso from his finny grip.

“And let you abscond like a thief in the night?! I should think not, tree hopper~” With no energy left to argue, no reason to complain, you merely relent. And so it was that Arro, a complete stranger to you this morning, had fed, washed, and endeared himself to you. As you drift off, still snuggly bound to the snoring aqua fox, you quietly thank him for reminding you why you set out on this quest in the first place.