So quickly out to pick up some cake, and then they can have a little party.

Heee. Wonderful!

(Stiletto and Garnet do eventually agree on a cake flavor and design.)

Oh good.

Yeah! 

Garnet is a bit of a cake hog.

Next time maybe they'll get more.

Sounds good! 

They can also brainstorm ideas for neat battle tricks while they eat. There's probably something they can do in doubles, since they can talk on the fly...

They'll probably have to cut Flicker out of double plans like that, since she can't use the collars.

Maybe she can help with pre-battle strategizing?

Yeah! That'd be fun.

Great.

Intrepid has some ideas already for combination tactics!

As expected of her cutieness.

Heeee!!! (Headbutt purr.)

They can discuss until bedtime, then go try things out tomorrow.

Okay!

Tomorrow: initial results look promising. They win both the next stage of the challenge matches and a couple side battles, netting some extra cash and interest from the general population of gym-goers about the tactics they showed off.

Intrepid is definitely the most smug about their rising popularity, though the others do plenty of their own preening.

(One of their new fans is a vaporeon who doesn't seem associated with any particular human; she's definitely one of the ones analyzing them more. Ellie and the others have seen her around the gym's area before - but never in the battles or with a human, actually.)

Maybe she'll come talk if they keep winning.

Maybe! Or Intrepid could go up to her. She likes making new friends, after all!

If Intrepid wants to do that, she should feel free.

Headbutt!

And bounding over to the vaporeon!

Who chirps in greeting and bumps noses with Intrepid!

And she seems pretty talented at psychic-style deep talking - her mind nudges amusement-interest-entertainment-excitement-battle at Intrepid.

Purr!

She nudges approximately the feeling that sums up to 'Ellie is great' mixed in with 'battling is fun' and 'wanna fight?' back at the vaporeon.