One week later, Penny, Nemona, and Arven met up at the Boardtrot. Instead of their PET sashes, they were each wearing lanyards containing their new ID cards. It was a bright and sunny afternoon, a sign that summer was due. The Boardtrot was bustling with ponies from all over Equestria, and a few Pokémon, too. Sunny was making smoothies at her stand, while Izzy was selling charm bracelets.

"Wanna try hitting the targets?" asked Nemona, excitedly pointing at a nearby stall.

"No thanks," said Penny. "Those are rigged."

"How 'bout we go on the Ferris wheel first?" suggested Arven. "It'll give us a quiet place to talk."

"Yes please," said Penny.

The Ferris wheel was purple, and both it and the carriages were shaped like hearts. When the trio reached the front of the queue, the operator said, "Only two ponies per carriage."

"I think the three of us together weigh less than one pony," said Arven.

The operator sighed. "Get on."

The three got into their carriage and sat down together. As soon as it started to move, they started talking.

"So what have you two been up to?" asked Arven.

"I've been giving unicorns Pokémon 101 lessons," said Nemona, "but it's only temporary. Bridlewood's nice and all, but I like Maretime Bay more, so I got my citizenship here."

"Same for me," said Penny. "Leafeon won't admit it, but she's been nervous in Zephyr Heights ever since the power plant. The royal guard's Pokémon division has more than enough members, so they don't need our help anymore. Plus, it's quieter here."

"Well, I'm staying in the P-E-T," said Nemona. "How about you, Arven?"

"I think I'll still focus on cooking," said Arven. "I wanna show ponies that Pokémon aren't just about violence, y'know? Maybe one day, I'll be able to open a restaurant."

"Oh! I just remembered," said Nemona. "We need a place to stay. I've heard some apartments are going cheap..."

Arven suddenly became very interested in the window. "Y-you mean you want us to live together? But we're not—"

"In love?" Nemona finished. "Yeah, I don't mean like that. Sunny's friends live together, but they're not involved... I think."

"Are you sure an apartment is big enough?" asked Penny. "I've got my Veevees, but I still need to find Vaporeon, Flareon, and Sylveon."

"And I'm still hoping to find to find my Mabostiff," Arven sighed.

"Don't forget Pawmot!" exclaimed Nemona. "Plus, we can always crash at the Brighthouse until we make our minds up."

They continued talking until they got off the Ferris wheel. Then, Nemona went off to buy snacks and returned with three sticks of cotton candyfloss. As they ate theirs, the whole Boardtrot suddenly fell silent.

"Attention, everypony! Or Pokémon, or Sparky," Pipp's voice boomed through several speakers. They looked up to see her flying overhead, carrying a microphone. "To celebrate Pokémon gaining citizenship, I thought I'd put on a surprise performance! This song isn't mine — a friend told me the lyrics." She winked at Penny. "I hope you all enjoy!"

Pipp weaved through the air as she sang a song about love bringing someone out of a dark place. Most of the crowd stood still, and some of them, including the trio, swayed in time with the music. Penny, Nemona, and Arven smiled in unison when she reached the bridge.

Author's Note

The song Pipp sings is "Celestial" by Ed Sheeran.