What are some of the girls’ favorite autumn activities, when they have the time?
I've made the decision to answer this ask with shipping scenarios, because I believe autumn is a romantic season, and I've also been craving some romance lately! (The consumption of alcohol is featured in the third section of this ask response. The protagonists of Sisterhood's universe in addition to any love interests are all adults and everyone present drinks responsibly. So no one becomes intoxicated.)
FerrisWheelshipping & Sequelshipping
🤎 Each year in Unova, Nimbasa City hosts a week-long autumn fair. The city is famous for its amusement park open throughout the year, but nearly any Unovan will insist the autumn fair is special.
N was raised by a Zoroark in Pinwheel Forest and then hidden away in a castle underneath the Pokémon League during his childhood years, and additionally it was springtime when the events of Black and White occurred, so he was never given the opportunity to enjoy whatever the autumn fair had to offer.
So Touko, N, Mei, and Hue manage to arrange their schedules for a double date during the weekend! Mei and Hue have been to the fair before (as has Touko), a few times as a matter of fact, but this is the first occasion they're attending as a couple!
🤎 Both couples arrive early in the afternoon (because teaching a Magikarp how to ride a bicycle would be less difficult than waking Touko up any time prior to 11:00 AM). But not even half an hour later, Touko's and Hue's hotblooded personalities result in the two challenging one another to see who can win the most prizes for their respective date!
The two prove themselves to be forces of nature even whilst playing carnival games - the vendors responsible for the rigged ones are left baffled as well as terrified. The individual running a stall where three balls are thrown at a tower of glass Moomoo Milk bottles decided to glue the bottles together, but it only took a single throw, from Touko then Hue afterward, to send them all tumbling down as though they were made of paper instead. By the afternoon's end, both N and Mei are nearly buried beneath their winnings.
While this is happening, N and Mei find themselves in a competition of their own: seeing which one can consume the most cotton candy, candied applies, and caramel covered popcorn! Between the games, Mei offers Hue bites of her snacks. He claims to dislike sweets (this is not true - he just believes being seen eating them would conflict with his tough guy image) yet accepts her gently tossing popcorn into his mouth as well as fluffs of cotton candy with cheeks almost as pink as the latter confection.
N also accomplishes winning Touko a large Serperior Poké Doll by correctly guessing how many Poké Beans are in a jar! He attempts to explain to her how he found the answer with a mathematical formula, but her brain begins producing smoke about a third of the way there, so she gives him a swift kiss to the lips as thanks and to shut him up. "I've got no idea what any of that you just said was supposed to mean, but you sure did look cute while saying it."
🤎 Once evening has arrived, Touko and Hue at last agree to relax and go on a ride with their respective date (it's unclear who won since they both lost count around the halfway point-). And N, of course, requests the former joins him on the Ferris wheel. Mei has the latter by the arm, leading him towards The Tunnel of Love.
Hue morphs into a sputtering mess once he realizes their destination. Mei releases her hold on him to climb into the Swanna boat and looks at her boyfriend expectantly, then pats the space next to her when he continues to stare blankly. After a lengthy (as well as awkward) pause, she asks with a little frown and tiny tears forming at the corners of her eyes if he doesn't want to go.
He does want to! - he wants to yell in response. And even if he didn't, he couldn't possibly say 'no' to that precious face! Hue still can't seem to find his voice though, so he settles for vigorously shaking his head, to such an extent Mei can see afterimages, then more or less tossing himself directly beside her into the Swanna boat. She happily latches onto his arm again and places a kiss on his cheek.
Meanwhile, N and Touko watch the sunset from the Ferris wheel and appreciate how it bathes everything in shades of orange. Well, Touko is pointing out the window, admiring how the sky looks as though it's on fire - N, however, is admiring how she looks in the light of the sun. He reaches out to place a hand over hers, and when she turns to face him, he gently presses his lips to hers. ...They're a little sticky from all the sweets he's eaten, but something like that won't stop Touko from smooching him back!
They exit the ride holding hands. Mei and Hue also emerge from the Tunnel of Love at that same moment! The latter's face is completely covered in kiss marks. Touko grins and asks him if he had fun on the ride. Hue still hasn't regained his voice, so he once more replies with vigorous shakes of the head. At least fifteen minutes pass before he can speak in complete sentences again.
Lonashipping
🤎 Even in the tropical region of Alola, autumn is the season of chills. And nothing could bring more chills than a haunted house attraction! According to Mizuki, that is.
In her home region of Kanto, tests of courage are a common sight in several cities and towns during the season. She's pleased to discover Alola isn't so different in that regard. Mizuki soon proceeds to pester Gladion towards accompanying her at a haunted house attraction at Hau'oli City. The blond scoffs at the idea, or at least he does initially.
She begins making Torchic noises at him, and he does not appreciate the insinuation the reason behind his refusal is because he's afraid of dark spaces, poorly made costumes, even more mediocre props, and a collection of cheap jumpscares. So to prove her wrong, he agrees to visit the haunted house attraction!
Gladion stomps away with his head held high in triumph, but then a moment later, he pauses midstep - he's struck by the realization his girlfriend just played him like an otamatone.
🤎 Gladion is a man of his word though, so he arrives at Hau'oli City that very night as promised. Mizuki is already there waiting for him, but he almost doesn't recognize her. She's wearing a black and white pinstripe suit paired with pointed spectacles and carrying a clipboard. And her expression is so serious, it nearly rivals that of the Champion of Sinnoh, Hikari! He's honestly a little unnerved... even though there's this other part of him which finds her incredibly attractive in that suit. Those glasses suit her as well, he thinks.
He wants to tell Mizuki she looks nice, but what comes out is the question of why she's dressed this way. "You'll see." is all she says, without so much as a grin, and Gladion is absolutely certain this is more frightening than whatever awaits inside that haunted house. They go inside, Mizuki's heels clacking against the floor with each step. He learns after the first jumpscare (which did NOT startle him) she's apparently taken it upon herself to assess the establishment. Mizuki is not getting paid for this, and yes, Gladion does indeed ask. She replies this is a labor of love.
His girlfriend continues scrutinizing every detail of the haunted house while flawlessly maintaining her serious demeanor. Gladion refuses to admit this aloud, but the quality of the attraction is higher than he anticipated. Nevertheless, Mizuki feels the need to respond to the scare actors attempts at provoking a reaction out of her with advice. Understandably, some of them aren't appreciative towards her input, however, the blond witnesses the grand majority staring at Mizuki in total awe before scrambling for a notepad or their phone in order to write down her words of wisdom.
She ultimately rewards the establishment four out of five stars, then pats her boyfriend on the head for being so brave. He can't make up his mind whether she's patronizing him or not because Mizuki is still behaving in that stoic manner. It's a weird night for him.
🤎 A few days later, Gladion receives an invitation to accompany her to another a haunted house, this one in Malie City. She also requests he wear a costume? Several Torchic noises later, he sighs and agrees and reluctantly slaps one together. He arrives that night with a Zorua ear headband on his head and matching tail accessory clipped to the back of his pants. The blond expects to see Mizuki in the same outfit as last time, but instead she's in what is perhaps the most perturbing Mimikyu costume he's ever seen.
She spends several seconds looking him over, then remarks how his costume barely deserves one star, but she's going to give him three. One star is the special boyfriend bonus, and the other is because he does admittedly look cute. After a pause, Gladion asks why she isn't wearing her pinstripe suit and glasses this time. Mizuki laughs, says that was work, but tonight is all about play! She shoves him through the entrance while sharing her intention of scaring the scare actors, both human and Pokémon.
It's yet another weird night for Gladion, and ultimately the second of several to come. Every few days, Mizuki invites him to another place where she either assesses the establishment while wearing that suit, or terrorizes the staff in a different costume. Thankfully, nobody has taken any serious offense towards her shenanigans, and her making Torchic sounds at him eventually becomes unnecessary to convince Gladion to take part in these spooky excursions. He's having fun too, although he remains an amused spectator rather than a participant. She truly brings a certain flavor of excitement to his life.
One fateful day however, Mizuki informs the blond she has a surprise waiting for him in Po Town, of all places. Any inquiries he has about it go unanswered, and Gladion is admittedly curious as to what she has planned, so to Po Town he goes. Once there, his girlfriend greets him with a hug followed by a kiss to the cheek. She tells him how grateful she is that he's spent so much time with her lately (even if she had to bully him into it at first), going to so many haunted houses and going along with all her mischiefs!
And he's still so stunned by the kiss and how she's nuzzling into him, Gladion nearly misses what she says next: Between the days the two of them were visiting those haunted houses, when not occupied with battling challengers as Champion of Alola, she, Acerola, as well as the members of Team Skull collaborated together to construct a haunted house of her very own! And she wants Gladion to be the very first one to see what lurks inside!
He stares at Mizuki, then the Shady House, then Mizuki once again. "Do I have to...?" is what he wants to ask, because if there's anything the blond has learned this autumn, it's that this woman knows more about horror than anyone in the entire region if not the whole world. But she gives him a kiss on the lips and the prettiest smile he's ever seen on her face, and this proves to be a far more powerful incentive towards bending him to her will than those Torchic noises ever were. "The things I do for love..."
DressedInPinkshipping VS Barriershipping
🤎 Gloria usually spends the season baking autumn-themed treats, sending them to her friends and family as well as snacking on some herself. However, after meeting and befriending Calyrex, who was once given the title The King of Bountiful Harvests in Galar's distant past, she takes interest in the idea of reviving the festival held in the Pokémon's honor. Once she's gained permission from the mayor of Freezington to host the event, the preparations begin!
As the region's current Champion, it isn't too challenging to produce intrigue in others towards the celebration. Nevertheless, Gloria does acknowledge that managing the event will be a massive undertaking. She enlists Sonia and Hop to collect as many details of the festival as possible from old texts, since all those years of isolation left an effect on poor Calyrex's memory - the King Pokémon can't even recall what century his legend dates back to!
(My voice claim for Calyrex is Excalibur from Soul Eater. I will not elaborate at this time.)
Anyway, early into the planning for The Festival of Bountiful Harvests, Gloria is approached by both Bede and Avery. Bede and Avery simply stare at one another in silence for several seconds (or perhaps glare is more appropriate a description). Gloria also stares at Bede and Avery. All three then ask at once, "What are you doing here?"
Both boys respond with a huff and declare they've arrived to provide her assistance - but not for her, they vehemently insist! Avery claims his involvement is out of a desire to service the King of Galar, and he doesn't want to be home right now (both statements are technically not a lie) and Bede claims Opal forced him to (she did no such thing). Leon has been his overbearing self ever since Gloria announced her intentions of reviving this festival to the public, so Gloria decides she would rather deal with their tsundere nonsense than accept his help and be subjected to more of his coddling.
🤎 Gloria is encouraging those who wish to participate in the festival to wear a costume similar to the attire worn during Calyrex's reign in the region's past. This certainly isn't necessary in order to attend, but she does believe this will make the event more fun. Thanks to Sonia's and Hop's research, she has a concept of what they should look like. Her plan is for Sonia, Nessa, Bede, and Avery to model these outfits once they're finished in order to give an example of what she expects as well as to garner more fascination towards the event. Gloria is also allowing the latter pair to design her own costume after both prove to be surprisingly skilled at sewing. She's internally begging them to not make her regret this choice. "Fashionable! Functional! And warm~!" is what Sonia repeatedly reminds them.
The result is Bede and Avery bickering incessantly for a few days due to their creative differences. When Sonia and Nessa inquire as to why they're so heated over what Gloria's apparel should look like, the boys stutter how it would reflect poorly on the region if the Champion were seen wearing something ridiculous. The girls then remind them both of Leon's cape, but Bede and Avery are finished with this discussion. They eventually come to a compromise, incorporating themes from Calyrex and his steeds in the design. And because Gloria is the newly crowned Champion as well as Calyrex's Chosen, they both agree the costume is deserving of a crown. And for no other reason than those mentioned previously. (She's the ruler of their hearts, but they would sooner eat their shoes than admit it).
The brunette is ultimately impressed with their handiwork, but Avery suggests holding off the reveal of her costume, for now only showing its silhouette during the demonstration, in order to amass even more excitement from those observing. She admits it's a brilliant idea. And it's so brilliant, Bede wishes he thought of it first - he sends the blond a Mean Look when Gloria's attention isn't on them. Calyrex, however, doesn't miss it, but elects to remain silent on the matter. From there, Bede and Avery continue attempting to outdo each other during the remainder of the preparations.
🤎 Gloria somehow manages to comfortably squeeze those attending the festival into Freezington. There's a giant curry pot in the center of the village, as well as tables stacked high with autumn-themed foods and treats. Gloria begins the event with a speech, reminding all those listening why they're present: to honor Calyrex's legend so that the King Pokémon won't fade into obscurity again, but also to honor their ancestors and express gratitude for their bounties. She raises a glass of red wine in a toast to The King of Bountiful Harvests, only for Leon to interject, "RIA! You shouldn't be drinking wine! You're-" "Nineteen years old, Leon!" Sonia furiously whispers, "So sit down and shut up!" then yanks him back into his seat herself.
(*The Galar region is based on The United Kingdom, and the drinking age there is eighteen as opposed to twenty-one.)
Following the toast, everyone is granted the freedom to mingle and partake of the buffet. A line of people who wish to meet Calyrex and shake his royal paws has formed. Peony is declared a guest of honor, although he's still not entirely certain why even after both Gloria and Calyrex explain. Bede and Avery still won't stray too far from Gloria's side, even after being reminded their duties are surely done by now. She admittedly finds some amount of amusement in watching them struggle to concoct more excuses.
Avery ends up scolding Bede over his table manners - the latter is behaving, but the former is stressing the importance of silverware placement and how that's a salad fork, not a dinner fork, and holding one's pinky finger out when drinking. Avery shakes his head and says clearly Bede is in need of an elegant adult to properly instruct him on these matters, only for Bede to remind him he's only two years older. Gloria chuckles in response, causing the blond to blush indignantly, which results in her laughing harder. Bede puffs out his chest a little, sending his love rival a smirk.
Shortly afterwards, the announcement is made that the tournament is about to begin! And the winner will receive Calyrex's blessing, a wood carved trophy depicting said Pokémon, and finally a kiss on the cheek from Champion Gloria! (Leon's shouts of protest over the lattermost prize can be heard echoing across the Crown Tundra). Both young men practically trample over one another to register, but they insist their passion is towards the glory of victory, not Gloria! To summarize the outcome of this event - neither of them win. Allister does! He refuses to remove his mask in public, however, so he accepts a gentle kiss to the top of the head instead. The gesture is purely platonic, but both of the brunette's male admirers are still seething with jealousy (and doing a terrible job convincing anyone they aren't).
Both are given the opportunity to share a dance with Gloria later during the festival, though! She thanks the two young men sincerely for their time and various contributions, and she appears so content, the smile aimed at them so lovely, her tsundere entourage is entirely dumbstruck. The justifications they had been clinging to all this time in order to share space with her without sacrificing their pride are left completely forgotten in the moment - but the rivalry between the two will only grow more fierce from here!
