hey look it didn't take me a year and a half to put out the next chapter! Anyway, weight gain will (slowly) start happening from here on, I swear.

Maybelle's been off for a few weeks now, and seems she doesn't really know what to do with herself. Perhaps Jordan can find her something to do?

Part 1
Part 2
Part 4

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The two's trip to the beach came and went without a problem. While for the most part it was the two of them lounging about, Jordan was able to get Maybelle in the water at least a couple of times, for reasons other than fitness. But sure enough, they came back to their home, most of the hubbub regarding May's hiatus having blown over.

It was a couple of weeks after their trip. Jordan was coming home from work. She worked at a diner, where she bounced between cooking and serving. There weren't many people working there, nor was the place particularly busy, even during peak hours, so it was common to cover multiple roles when needed.

Today was especially quiet, given the heavy rain that persisted for most of the day. After cleaning up and closing the shop, it was already after dark. Jordan usually walked to and from work, since it wasn't more than twenty minutes each way. The rain had let up at the least, leaving large puddles along the sidewalks and roads. Jordan easily walked around them, enjoying the misty evening.

As she approached home, she noticed the lights were off. Strange, since May usually was awake for a good while after the sun had set. Perhaps she was feeling unwell?

Jordan made her way to the door, and unlocked it. As she opened it, she heard the television was on. "I'm home!" She called out to the house, getting no response. "Belle, you in here?" She stepped into the living room, and found May sprawled across the couch, her fluffy mane and tail occupying most of it. The only light source the glow from the TV, she seemed to have an absent minded stare at whatever programming was on the screen. "Have you been just laying here since I left, Belle?"

"No … I went and did a workout earlier." Maybelle replied, her voice clearly low on energy.

"Are you not feeling well?" Jordan asked, quickly going to put a hand on her head. May let out an exasperated huff.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just tired, I guess." She mumbles.

Jordan rolled their eyes, as they gave Maybelle a ptods in the side. "You know what I said about being fine, right? It stands for Feeling Insecure or Negative Emotions. So come on. We're partners, Belle. I know when something's bothering you."

Maybelle groaned at Jordan's mini-lecture about the usage of the word fine, and let out another huff. "Alright, alright … I know better than to try and out persist you. I've been trying to let myself relax more, like you were saying, but I don't think I'm the type to relax. I went out for a run, it started raining, I came back, dried off, worked out in the basement, had a shower, then lunch, then … just watched garbage shows. 'Watch' being generous wording. I fell asleep for most of it. That's been my day. No conferences or interviews, no fights to prep for. I feel like I'm not doing anything at all. It's barely been a month, and I'm supposed to be off for a year."

Jordan stifled a snicker as Maybelle explained their problem. "You're bored, Belle." She pointed out, giving Maybelle's arm a tug to get her to sit upright. "What about that business you run with Mr. Becker? You could do some stuff for that, couldn't you?"

Maybelle snorts. "You know I hate being on camera. And if you mean in a business sense, I don't really manage the company. No idea what you would even do. What, do I call up stores and ask 'Excuse me, are my clothes selling? Yes? Okay, stock more shorts, please.' We talk about new products every now and again, that's about it."

"Ah yes please diversify my portfolio with bear bonds." Jordan laughed a bit, adding to Maybelle's mockery. "Well, alright. But we do need to find you something to do as a hobby. Maybe you could start by doing those puzzles in the paper?"

"Jo, I am a lot of things to a lot of people, but not even to myself am I someone smart enough to do a crossword." Maybelle stated, her eyes still fixed on the screen, but her body started to lean against Jordan's.

"Well, I think you're clever, at least." Jordan reached for the remote, and began to flip channels. "Okay, well … I'd say join the community center beach volleyball club I'm a part of, but last time we tried that, it just brought a bunch of weirdos. Oh, what about the book club I'm a part of? It's at Mazie's house, so it's not public. We usually have tea and fancy little sandwiches, and sometimes we dress up depending on the book we read."

"Yeah, I could come to that. I'm not sure on the whole costume thing, but reading would probably be a decent time sink. But that's, what, once or twice a month? I need something I can do when I want to."

As Jordan was flipping through channels, she happened to stop on one that caught her attention, a cooking show. There was an older, but rather spirited Swampert talking about the importance of when to put spices and salt onto food, and how timing is so important to a good meal. A little grin began to grow on her face. "May, have you eaten dinner yet?"

"No, I was waiting until you got home, cause sometimes you bring stuff from work." She replied. "Did you wanna order in?"

"No, I have a better idea." She grabbed Maybelle's hand, and tried to pull her off the couch. "C'mon, help me cook dinner."

Part 4