Another Dip
By Limewah
Patron Reward for Moggers (September 2023)
Featuring characters owned by the Pokémon company
SNEAK PEEK

That Victreebel’s enzymes had ended up a blessing in disguise. Once it gave up on trying to digest her and spat her out, she took a long, sticky walk back to her hotel room and washed herself off in the shower. Of course, she’d missed her spa appointment and she wasn’t going to wander in smelling like a wad of melted candy with a texture to match.

To her surprise, the sticky stuff didn’t even need soap to clean it off; as the water diluted it, it simply glided down the drain, the deep purple colour gradually fading to lavender, then lilac, then clear once again.
Her fur and skin felt different, too. Her coat looked shinier than it usually did when damp, and her skin felt pleasantly soft. She chalked it up to the normal satisfaction she usually got when getting de-mucked(a common occurrence for her). As she stepped out of the steam filled bathroom and towelled herself off, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. 
She looked exactly as amazing as she felt.

Sascha had a new lease on life the next day. She felt like she could have lit the entire city on her own, just on the strength of her good vibes. 
The accidental treatment she’d had last night was still showing its effects that day.
Her fur was positively glistening in a way it never had before. Her coat was the consistency of warm satin, puffed out just a little, yet not frizzy at all.
She could feel eyes on her, practically bulging out of their sockets. As if she wasn’t head-turning enough as it was. 
It was a perfect day to really explore the shopping districts; the upscale ‘vintage’ boutiques were full of trinkets and fine outfits to try on, model, then not buy. Today was a day to see herself - and be seen in turn.
She half wondered if she’d run into that Victreebel. By now its trainer must have found it. It would be out with the other ‘loose’ Pokémon. She saw plenty of Meowths, plenty of Pikachu, and even a few wild cards (what was a Snom doing in this climate? The poor thing was sluggish, it looked like it might melt, even though its trainer was constantly watering it). 
No sign of a Victreebel, though. That is, until she spotted a familiar shape peering out from an alley near the Garden District.
It didn’t see her, but its eyes looked tired, and weary…
A hunch snuck up on Sascha, and she followed that hunch as she followed the plant pokemon into the alley.

“Hello?” she called out, and the pitcher-plant wheeled around. It looked startled, nervous and sort of deflated.
“No no,” Sascha said, raising her big paws up. “Don’t worry, I’m not looking for payback… what’re you doing all the way out here? Did you lose your trainer?”
It shook its head, gurgling with shame.
“... You don’t have one, do you.”
It nodded.
“I figured… That makes a lot of sense. Are you looking to steal some food? I hope you haven’t eaten anyone else’s Pokémon…”

It deflated a little more. So it had tried at least.
“I think I’ve got some snacks… tell you what, go back to that bit of the jungle where I met you. Near that little lake? I’ll buy you some treats and meet you out there.”
It understood her perfectly, judging from how it instantly seemed to perk up. She idly wondered if maybe it had a trainer once upon a time… 
When she picked up some grass-type appropriate snacks and jerky, a pokéball somehow found its way into her shopping.

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