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Liko wakes up exhausted from a quite frankly a hectic night, she had her memories temporarily erased, her pendant stolen and getting it back, meeting Dot for the first time, and as well as finding out that Dot is Nidothing!!! So yeah hectic is an understatement. Liko curls around the worn but well loved Nidorino push she’s had for seven years, snuggling into him even more trying desperately to chase a little more sleep. Sprigatitio prevents this from happening by meowing loudly and pressing her paws into Liko’s cheek.
Groaning and sitting up her back crackling from her poor sleeping position, “Ok ok I’m up, good morning Sprigatito, morning to you too Regal.” groggily slurring a greeting to her pokemon and the plush in her lap. Looking down at said plush she started to reminisce when she first got him.
Originally she didn’t own him, no he had initially belonged to someone very special to her. Someone she couldn’t remember the face or name of very well, her childhood friend. They had to move away but Liko had swapped her matching Nidorina plush named Queenie for Regal so they had something to remember each other by. Liko had hoped that she’d see her again but seven years flew by and with each passing year only emphasized the fact she’d likely never see her again.
She couldn’t help but cling on to hope as she missed them dearly and the only things she left behind was Regal, happy memories of the playing mock battles, and one very bittersweet one. That memory was still particularly painful for her even after seven years.
A 7 year old Liko ran into the classroom excited to play with her best friend for the day only to see her hunched over in the corner crying tightly gripping their nidorino plush. Concerned she ran over to them “whats wrong ____?” the smaller girl glanced up at Liko “my mom said that we're leaving and that I’ll never see you again” she sobbed even harder into her plush at that. Leaving, they couldn’t leave could they? they were supposed to be together forever.
Tears pricked at the corners of Liko’s eyes as she sank to the floor and hugged the distraught girl in front of her. “There has to be something we can do!!!” Liko cried, gripping her friend even tighter in her embrace. “But we can’t, I tried, mom said we’ll be gone tomorrow!” she shouted, letting go of the plush to grab Liko’s shirt instead. “I don’t want you to leave ___!”
“I don’t want to leave either, I want to stay here with you Liko!” Both girls cried their hearts out on each other's shoulders. Eventually their tears started to slow and removed themselves from the embrace. “I’m scared Liko, what if I forget you” Liko grabbed their hands “you won’t I promise” reaching into her bag pulling out her nidorina plush “here take Queenie and I'll take Regal so that way we’ll never forget each other” Liko said while removing Regal from their lap before replacing him with Queenie. “O-ok I'll take good care of her” the girl gave Liko a sad smile and hugged the plush.
Liko is brought out of her memories by a screaming Sprigatito, who was getting fed up at her trainers reminiscing. Setting down the plush on the bed “Sorry Sprigatito, you must be pretty hungry." She stood up to leave her room and get breakfast for the both of them. On her way to the dining room stopped at Dot's door wondering if she should knock and ask them to come with her. Liko shook her head, deciding not to as they're probably busy.
As the morning faded into the afternoon Liko found herself back at Dot’s door this time with Roy. “Dot I wanna ask you something?” Roy said as he knocked on her door. Liko rocking back and forth on her feet “H-hey… won’t they be busy right now? You know, because… Nidothing has videos to film and such…” Liko brought Sprigatito closer to her body “Liko, why are you so jumpy?” Roy nonchalantly pointed out “Huh?” startled by his question, Liko shook her head “Err, uh , I’m not! It’s just that my heart and head…”
Suddenly the door opened revealing Dot “Keep it down outside my room.” they mumbled letting the two inside. Liko unintentionally tuned out Roy’s question due to the panic of being inside Nidothing’s room. Petting Sprigatito Liko looked around their room, her eyes falling upon a familiar nidorina plush sitting on Dot’s desk. “Fuecoco! Wattrel! Let's Go!” Liko jumped a little at the sudden shout from Roy “Training time!!” he exclaimed, sprinting out the door with his two pokemon not far behind “Thank you Dot!”.
“Training?” Liko whispered to herself having missed the entire conversion between Dot and Roy. Dot just looked at Liko “So uhhh, do you want to do something?” surprised that Dot wanted to hang out with her “Aren't you busy or have something better to do?” The cherrim haired person wrung their hands “No not really, I’m taking a break right now.” Liko shifted in place a little “O-oh ok.”
The conversation went silent, making the two girls slightly awkward “So um what do you want to do?” Liko inquired “I don’t know, I didn’t really think this though huh?” they replied, fiddling with her sleeves. “Oh I know! how about I show a video I’m working on.” Dot slammed a fist into her hand before walking over her desk and started opening up a video.
Liko followed behind them to look over their shoulders at the screen, she glanced down at the little nidorina plush curious she asked “You have a really cute plushie,” playing with its arms “does she have a name?” Dot nodded “yeah her name is Queenie.” Liko picked it up and gave it a small squeeze. “What a coincidence I used to have a plush just like her with the same name, I don’t have her anymore though.”
“What happened to her?” Dot not looking away from the screen prodded her more information. “Well a couple years ago I gave her to a friend who moved away so she’d had something to remember me by.” Dot stared at Liko grasping her sleeve “Hey…. um did that girl..” they started to stutter gulping a bit, “give you a Nidorino plush named Regal” Hope staining their tone. “Why yes she did… wait” Liko eyes widened at the realization of just who the girl in front of her really was “Dot?” Tears welled in her eyes as Dot nearly bowled over her when they tackled her into a hug. “It’s you, It’s really you! I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too Dot!!” Liko gripped her even tighter into her embrace almost as if she were to let go of them; they'd be gone again. Finally reunited with each other they cried just as much if not more as they did when their 7 year old selves did when they had to say goodbye. The two stayed like that for several minutes before breaking apart, sticking close to another to catch up on the time they missed. They even missed dinner being found sleeping on each other's shoulders with matching Nidorino and Nidorina plushies on their laps.