Bubbles

A Clover Guild Story


Lena Raine's Firebugs


Nira the sneasel, to the surprise of none who knew her, did not trust the Guild's resident alchemist. The rumors that surrounded him were one thing, but she had seen firsthand how he had nearly killed her partner. So when Ikarus announced he had "bubbles" free for Guildmembers to toy with, she was sure to keep Booker away.

"They're h-harmless, Nira," he told her, but she refused to let Booker get anywhere near Ikarus's concoction. But when she saw that her student, Shelby -- who could admittedly be annoying at times -- blowing bubbles into the face of Pirth, she had to admit to herself they did look kind of cool.

The solution was quite simple: get someone that didn't almost murder her partner to create some. So that is precisely what she did. She grabbed a vial of the terrible stuff and went to an alchemist in town.

"Why," said Sir Aalto, a crocanaw who inspected the vial before pouring it onto a piece of grimy food. "This is just degriming agent. Any adept alchemist knows how to make this."

"So, our Guild's alchemist is just stealing other pokemon's work?" Sneasel said, her arms crossed. "I'd be happy to report this to whatever lame association you guys have. Get that perv removed."

"Aheh, no," came Sir Aalto's reply, "this is a very basic one. From smell alone I can see he used a strange mix of berries instead of what the Alchemist's Guild standard formula uses. A poor imitation of what we make, but an original one. I might just write to Lively Town about this..."

"Well, whatever," Nira interrupted, "I know these things can be used to blow bubbles, right?"

Sir Aalto raised an eyebrow and put down the vial. "Is that what your Guild is using this alchemical creation for? Blowing bubbles? Not degriming valuables caught by dungeon traps?"

"Hey, I didn't say they were using it right... and it's not like most teams there even go into dungeons."

"Eh... right. Well I suppose you could use our superior formula for bubble-blowing, if you really wish. But--"

"Sure," Nira said, tossing a pouch of Poke to the table, not wanting to hear any more. "Just take what you need for a vial of the stuff. It looks cool and all but I don't trust that alchemist for anyone's life."

The crocanaw shrugged and picked out a few coins. His claw grasped one more, but he decided against it; there was no telling what this sneasel's game was, even if she was from that place. This was especially so considering that she had actual money and wasn't a beggar; if she was one of the few competent Explorers in the guild that tainted Capim's reputation, he didn't want to get on her bad side.

"Here," Sir Aalto said as he slid back to Nira both her less-full pouch alongside a vial of translucent liquid. "Be sure to be careful to not get it on anything edible. You do know why Explorers don't use this in dungeons, right? It makes degrimed food--"

Sneasel scoffed as she grabbed both with one motion of her claw. "Psh, yeah! I'm an Explorer, after all. Don't you see the badge?"

Sir Aalto muttered under his breath before he could help it, saying, "I do. That's why I asked."

He realized too late he had spoken louder than he wished, and he looked up, ready to see an angry sneasel's claw coming for him. Thankfully, she had already left, and Sir Aalto resumed his more important duties, such as cleaning the mess he had made.

Surely, thought Sir Aalto, holding his tongue out to taste the apple he had degrimed, but before he could make contact, his wits got the better of him, and he threw the apple away.

Back at the Clover Guild, Nira held the vial between her right claws, then turned to the object she held in her left: a "bubble wand" which was really just a yellowed wooden twig with a hole on the top.

She certainly wasn't going to ask the crocanaw alchemist for such a thing, and as she inspected the little wooden stick, she accepted that Ikarus's stupidity when it came to alchemy could not possibly extend to the shaping of wood. After all, it did appear to be a regular stick.

Just for safe measure, however, she dipped the stick into the vial and held it back up to her eye. She saw a thin film occupy the hole. Satisfied, she held it to her mouth and blew. From it a bubble appeared, growing slowly as it wobbled and wavered until, finally, it left the wand.

The delicate sphere floated blissfully though the air, like it would a town and beach away, before finally the surface tension faltered and it popped.

"Heh," Nira said, quickly dipping the stick in and blowing another, then another.

By the time Booker entered the room and found bubbles floating at the ceiling and the floor and everywhere in between, the vial was halfways empty.

"N-Nira?" said the ribombee, "I thought you didn't want to use Ikarus's bubble formula?"

"I didn't. I went to an alchemist in the town so it's safe! C'mere and give it a try!"

Booker buzzed his wings and lifted himself onto the table next to her, inspecting it and asking, "Well, what's different about it?"

Nira handed Booker the wand. "This one won't kill you. Here, give it a try."

Booker's antennae drooped when he stared at the instrument as large as him, causing Nira to blush; even she sometimes forgot his size.

With the wand firmly between Nira's claws, she leveled the wand to Booker and encouraged him to blow. His first efforts, characterized by the same amount of effort he would give as a human, were far from enough, with the watery film wavering only barely.

With a deep inhale and an even grander exhale, Booker tried once more, but still it was not enough; the bubble refused to form.

Booker, however, refused to give up. With a push of his arms and a flare of his aura, a fairy wind rose from behind him and pushed into the wand, and out came a bubble of great size.

Nira clapped her claws together and said, "Nice job, Booker! I never woulda thought of that."

"Thanks," Booker said as he watched the bubble float upwards, joining the others in the room. He realized that the fairy wind must have strengthened it somehow, since it was larger than all the others.

Nira also made note of this and said, "How big can you make it?"

Booker smiled and took stance once more, saying, "L-let's find out."

Nira watched as once more the fairy wind blew, and the bubble grew to an even greater size, but it didn't pop. She saw how Booker redoubled his focus, causing it to grow even larger with even his antennae billowing in the fairy wind. It was the largest bubble she had yet seen.

"That's cool, Books, but I bet I can beat that if I try hard enough!" Nira said. With a swift claw, she held up the wand once more to her mouth. Booker fluttered his wings and floated up to see for himself if his partner could best him.

With a great inhale Nira closed her eyes, held her breath, and blew as hard as she could.

She opened her eyes to look at the bubble, but instead saw Booker flying where it should be. Before she could tell Booker to move out of the way, she realized through Booker's hushed cry of astonishment he was in the bubble.



"B-Books?" she said with an initial worry, one which was quickly replaced by a growing humor upon seeing her partner float aimlessly though the air.

She moved to pop it with her claw, but Nira couldn't help but smile and say, "So Booker, this is a pretty easy way to fly huh?"

Booker's muffled "Not funny, Nira" was, in fact, quite funny to the sneasel, so she said, "Only if you say please!"

Booker pouted but, upon failing to exit the bubble himself, relented with an annoyed, "Please, Nira, free me from the bubble you imprisoned me in."

Nira chuckled and said, "Y'know, you're kinda cute when you pout."

With her left claw she popped it, and with her right she caught Booker, grabbing him and pulling him close, though he was soaked in the fluid.

"Th-thanks Nira," Booker said, trying to sound angry but nonetheless blushing.

"That was funny, to see, Books," Nira replied, caressing him before she planted a small kiss on Booker.

Almost immediately she gagged and held Booker away, who asked, "W-what's wrong?"

"Bleh!" Nira said, "You taste terrible! That fluid is nasty! C'mon, let's wash you up and rinse out my mouth."

With Nira carrying Booker they immediately left the room, leaving behind only floating bubbles, each popping one by one until none remained.

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Pub: 02 May 2026 06:34 UTC

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