The Four Seasons

by aprilcats

Mercedes (aka Merry) leaves home for the first time ever with her Pokemon companion, a Sawsbuck named Fannar. Merry comes from a long line of mountain dwellers, but has a growing curiosity of the outside world she has never stepped foot in. She soon gets the chance she's been waiting for, but it quickly throws her in the middle of an adventure she isn't prepared to face.

1. Part 1, Chapter 1

Part One

Winter

1

The dark shadows of the mountains stretched out over the snow covered range as the sun went down, its light slowly escaping the area. The wind softly blew the top layers of snow in the same general direction as the last rays of light caught them and caused the cold powder to sparkle.

Over the hills, there were two shadows moving towards one of the many large mountains. The shadows were of two figures, a petite girl and a large reindeer-like creature. They were traveling uphill, walking back to their home nestled on the mountain looming over them. Clouds of their warm breath added to the cold atmosphere as they trudged along, finding themselves in deep snow. The girl had a little trouble when the snow reached her knees, but her loyal companion nudged her shoulder, offering a ride on his back. She nodded, and climbed up, grasping his neck and burying her cold hands into the tufts of white fur around his neck.

Although they had lived in the mountains their whole life so far, sometimes the weather threw challenges at them here and there to keep them on their game. The girl had a job to do, as the rest of her family and their ancestors once did long ago; herd their group of the Pokémon, Sawsbuck; the same Pokemon carrying the girl on his back through the deep snow. However, that particular day, the herding job was handed to the girl's step brother, giving her the day off. So she spent the day with her Sawsbuck, exploring the mountainous region they had come to know and love as they both grew over the years.

The two enjoyed taking long walks up the mountains and down in the valleys, racing with the girl's family members and their trusty Sawsbuck companions, and taking deep breaths of the mountain air as they lay on the snow, looking up at the bright winter sky.

All they truly knew was life in the mountains, the life their ancestors had given them, the job they passed down, and the connection to nature that came naturally to them all. Earth and sky, sun and moon, snow and flowers, the cold air of winter and the muggy heat of summer, and every other bit of wonder that nature brought to them. Their job was to herd the great Sawsbuck, the main Pokemon of their culture, but their way of life called them to remember the importance of being one with nature by respecting the earth and every creature on it.

The girl pulled her scarf up to her ears and looked ahead. A small hut was coming into view with smoke emerging from the chimney. After a long day of adventure, they were finally home.