Changes

Cotton ran blindly through the woods behind her master's ranch, tears streaming from her eyes.  She'd had another fight with her boyfriend Napoleon.  Their fights had been occurring more and more often, and were getting louder and more violent with each new one.  Cotton stopped at the base of a tree and sank to her knees, sobbing.  Ever since she first saw Napoleon, she had loved him.  When he found out he truly loved her, not because of her Cute Charm, she thought their love would never die.  But now, as of recently, she was seriously considering ending their relationship, but thought she wouldn't find anyone else.
"Hey, Cotton!  Are you all right?"
Cotton looked up to see Vincent, sitting on a branch of the tree she was kneeling in beside.
"Vincent, what are you doing up there?"  She called.
"I was climbing the tree for training but one of the branches broke off and now I can't get down!"
In spite of her sadness, Cotton couldn't help but laugh at the Lucario's predicament.
"Don't laugh!"  Vincent yelled.  "I've been stuck up here all day!  And I'm really hungry!"
"I'll be right there!"  Cotton called.  She then squatted and used her powerful legs to jump up and land on the tree branch, right next to Vincent.
"Wow!  That was something!"  Vincent said, amazed.
"Oh, that was nothing."  Cotton said.  "I can jump even higher.  But why did you come up here to train, anyway."
"Well, I thought that if I came up here and did those fancy poses like other Lucarios, I might be a better fighter, but it's a lot harder than it looks."
"I thought you were doing it to impress Veruka."  Cotton snickered.
"Oh, yeah, Veruka…"  Vincent said, suddenly looking away.
"Vincent?"
The Lucario sighed heavily.  "Can I tell you something?"
"Of course."
"I'm giving up on Veruka.  She's so awesome and I'm so pathetic, she deserves someone better than a loser like me.  Besides, I've been chasing her since the day I hatched.  My crush on her has practically turned into an obsession.  She doesn't need that, and I sure don't need to add 'stalker' more to my list of faults."
"What faults?  Vincent, you're a great…"
"I know it's true!"  Vincent said with angry tears in his eyes.  "I try to act like being the group buffoon doesn't bother me, but deep down, every crack, every joke, every beatdown, it hurts.  It really hurts.  Especially the beatdowns!  No wait, I think the jokes hurt even more!  It's bad enough I'm a failure as a Lucario, but to have everyone pointing it out every minute of every…"
At this point, Vincent finally broke down and began sobbing into his hands.  Cotton gently wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace.  Vincent buried his face into one of her long fluffy ears, muffling his sobs.  Cotton gently rocked him back and forth, patting and stroking his back, and whispering reassuringly in his ear.  After a while, he stopped sobbing, but still held onto her.
"Um, Vincent?  Are you okay now?"  Cotton asked a bit nervously.
"You're really soft."  Vincent said.
"Oh, um, thank you?"  Cotton said, blushing slightly.
They stayed in a hug for several more minutes until Cotton finally spoke up.
"Uh, Vincent, sweetie?  You can let go now."
"Oh!  Yes!  Of course!  Sorry, sorry…I was just…"  A blushing Vincent babbled.
"It's okay."  Cotton said, trying hard not to giggle at his flustering.  "Because to tell you the truth, I'm going through trouble just like yours right now."
"Really?"
"Yeah…my thing with Napoleon…it's gotten really bad lately and…I just…I think we might end it and…"
"Cotton, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to."  Vincent said, noticing she was getting upset.
"No, I need to."  Cotton said, shaking her head.    "I keep it bottled up from everyone and I just really need to talk to someone, and you're perfect because you're sensitive, kind, compassionate, caring, cute…"
Both immediately stopped dead when they heard that.
Did she just say cute? Vincent thought, blushing.
Oh Arceus, did I call him cute? Cotton thought, blushing.
The two sat awkwardly for a moment, until Vincent spoke up.
"So…you were saying?"
"Hm?  Oh, yes about Napoleon.  I thought he was the love of my life, and it seemed that way for a long time, but…now things are just suddenly different.  What happened?"
"Time changes us all, Cotton.  One day, we wake up and realize we're not the people we used to be.  Rupert used to be a suave, cool headed bachelor, but now he's in a relationship of his own.  I used to be an immature, naïve Lucario, but now, I like to think I'm a bit wiser than I used to be, about the world, relationships, and myself."
Cotton was amazed.  Vincent did sound wiser and mature.  Maybe he was changing.  And now that she thought about it, she had changed too.  Once the excitement of her relationship had cooled, Cotton wanted to start a family and settle down, but Napoleon wanted to remain a hot-blooded fighter.  As a matter of fact, that's what they'd been fighting about that morning.  Cotton sighed.  She knew Lopunnies were one of the most lusted after Pokémon in the world.  She wanted someone who loved her for who she was, not for her looks.  But everyone else at the ranch was either taken or too young, and finding a 'wild' boyfriend with the traits she wanted was practically slim to none.  She soon found her eyes drifting to Vincent sitting next to her, who was watching the horizon and humming inanely to himself.  Cotton instantly felt warmth in her chest, something she hadn't felt in a while.  She gently took his hand and whispered one word.
"Vincent."
"Hm?"  Vincent turned towards Cotton, and was shocked to see her leaning towards him with her eyes closing.
"C-C-C-C-Cotton?"  Vincent stuttered nervously, backing away with his heart pounding in his chest.  "W-W-W-W-What are you d-doing?"
"Just relax."  She breathed.  She gently approached the goofy, loveable, sweet Lucario and gently pressed her soft rabbit lips to his smooth jackal ones.  Vincent's ears shot straight up, his eyes opened wide, and his heart was pumping so hard, he swore it was going to burst out of his chest.  But then his ears slowly went down, his eyes closed, his heart slowed, and began returning Cotton's kiss.  He pulled her closer, loving the shape of her body and the feel of her fur.  His brain felt like it was going supernova as it realized he was kissing the kind, sweet, beautiful rabbit.  Vincent's hand went to her head and ran down her ear, from the brown fur to the pink fluff.  It was like touching a cloud.   His mouth temporarily broke away to murmur, "Soft…" before Cotton pulled him back in for another mind melting kiss.  Cotton opened her eyes without breaking the kiss to look at Vincent.
He's having the time of his life.  She thought.  And, come to think of it, she was too!  She gently stroked his chest, feeling the broken-off spike.  Vincent gasped at her touch and began whining and moaning.
"Oh, Arceus, Cotton…"  He moaned.
"You poor baby, you did that for us…"  She whispered softly, her voice like music to Vincent.
"Uh huh…I did…now, come here, angel…"  Vincent gasped as he pulled her close again.
Angel…I like that.  Cotton thought.  Vincent stuck his snout into her neck and kissed it, enjoying the heavenly taste.  Cotton gasped and brought her hands to Vincent's head, gently scratching the bases of his ears, making him whine again.  The two were so lost in each other that they didn't even hear the sound of the tree branch they were sitting on cracking.  In fact, they didn't notice until the branch gave and the two crashed to the ground.  The two Pokémon lay on the ground for a bit, until Vincent spoke up.
"Ow.  You okay?"
"Yeah, a bit sore, but okay."  Cotton said rising to her knees and rubbing her head.  "Fortunately, I landed on something soft…"
Then Cotton realized the soft thing she landed on was Vincent, and they were in a very awkward position.  They stayed there in sheer awkwardness, staring at each other, but then taking in each others' features.
He looks so cute, lying like that, looking all flustered…
Dear Arceus, she's so beautiful…
The two stayed like that for a while until Cotton finally got up, leaving Vincent feeling cold and a little disappointed.
"We can't do this, Vincent.  Not yet.  I still have a relationship to end before I start a new one."
"I'll go with you."  Vincent said, getting up as well.  "Napoleon probably won't take this well, and you'll need someone to back you up."
He joined Cotton's side and took her hand.  She could see his knees were shaking.  That wasn't surprising.  Napoleon was one of the strongest members of their team and his temper was somewhat short.  But Cotton was touched that Vincent was willing to risk Napoleon's wrath to be with her.  She gently kissed him on the cheek.
"For luck."  She whispered.
The two slowly walked out of the forest, unaware of a Mismagius with a video camera and a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Well, none of that fell on deaf ears!"  Edna snickered.