Ah, full moons. They create such mystery and fear. Clear nights amplify the uneasy feeling a full moon generates. People fear monsters and creepy crawlies that bump in the night on these monthly moons - although, that's strange considering many people keep "monsters" as pets. But no matter the fear factor, Gary Oak had a different reason to hate full moons.
Umbreon.
The moonlight pokemon had a love of these particular moons and tried her ever hardest to get outside. No matter what Gary was doing at the time. He could be sleeping or playing video games or reading or simply not going outside it is 1 o'clock in the freaking morning, Umbreon! and she would still try to get out.
One particular full moon seemed to be worse than all the others and stuck out in Gary's memory far more. He was pulling an all-nighter to finish a paper due on his grandfather's desk that morning. Unfortunately, the clear dark sky showing off the big bright moon was driving Umbreon up the wall. She stood on her scratching tower with her paws on the window sill, sniffing the glass and fogging it up. Umbreon took a paw to the window, scraping and scratching at it in the hope that she could miraculously end up outdoors.
"Umbreon, stop that," Gary fussed, never looking away from his laptop's screen. She looked toward her trainer then back at the window. She knew how to get her way and was willing to do anything to get a taste of the night air.
Umbreon scrambled off the scratcher and to a trash can. She stuck her nose in it and then her front paws, attempting to climb in. The can tumbled over and the garbage inside spilled out. Yuck! Cologne cans! Umbreon pulled her head out and shook, looking at Gary. The researcher had turned to look at her, tapping his fingers on the desk.
"Really?" He sighed, plopping on the ground and putting the trash back. "Go lay down or something. I have to finish this paper, Baby Girl…" Gary pet the pokemon's head and got back in the chair to resume typing.
Umbreon sat on the carpet for second just looking around the room for something else to distract Gary with. Bingo! Bedside table!
She hopped up on the bed and sniffed the items on the table. She put a paw on the lampshade and dragged it down, nearly pulling the shade off. But Gary ignored it. So, Umbreon went bigger. She sniffed the picture of Gary and Daisy before tapping at the kickstand. The frame fell back with a loud clang! against the glass tabletop.
Gary cringed visibly at the sound. He knew exactly what she just knocked over. Looks like someone won't be getting any treats for a few days…
Umbreon noticed that Gary wasn't going to do anything about the picture so she went for the last item on the table. She really didn't want to mess with it in fear that it would break. But, desperate times called for desperate measures. The moonlight pokemon picked up the red-half of a rusted pokeball with her teeth and jumped off the bed. She dropped it on the carpet and gently pawed at it until she hit the leg of Gary's desk.
"What do you have now?" Gary questioned, looking down at her. Then it clicked. "Give me that! Umbreon!" He dove after the pokeball half when Umbreon jumped away from him. "I don't want to play, give it!"
Umbreon jumped up on her scratcher and dropped the pokeball. Gary snatched it, popping the dark type eeveelution on the nose. "You know not to mess with this," Gary fussed. He trudged back to his desk to continue writing. He put the red piece beside his drink and out of Umbreon's reach.
The pokemon looked out the window and sighed. She really, really, really, REALLY wanted to go outside! Big-guns time.
Umbreon hopped off her scratching post and went to Gary's side. She rubbed her head against her trainer's calf with a purr. She plopped onto her side and gnawed gently on Gary's toes. He jerked away and laughed. The quick action made Umbreon jump, so she attacked his toes farther, even using her paws to pin his feet down so she could bite and lick at his toes.
"St-stop, Umbre-ahn!" Gary laughed. He swatted down at his feet to try and get his partner to leave his poor toes alone.
Umbreon got up and stretched up with Gary's desk. She grabbed at some papers and pulled them closer.
"Nonono…" Gary pushed the stack back up on the desk out of her reach. So Umbreon did what any other sensible pokemon would. She jumped onto the desk. "Down!" Gary commanded. Umbreon rubbed her head against his hand. She plopped over on her side and stared at him, watching him type. They stuck with that arrangement for a few minutes before Umbreon started up her attention seeking act again. She dragged herself closer to the laptop and sniffed the screen.
"Bree…" she called, looking at Gary. He nudged her face away from the screen and scratched her head. Well in that case… Umbreon tipped her head back and rubbed it against Gary's hand, causing several typos that at this point Gary didn't feel like fixing. Then she wanted to try typing herself. Gary shooed her paws away from the keyboard several times before giving up and putting her on the carpet once again.
"I'm almost done, I swear." Gary said. He had no intention of going outside afterwards but hopefully saying that would somehow convince Umbreon to leave him alone for ten more minutes.
"Umbree…" the moonlight pokemon said with a nod. She scurried over to her scratcher and sat on it, staring out the window. Soon, Gary would be taking her outside! The sky was still crystal clear and the moon was still big and bright against the dark blue blanket of space. Ooh it was so pretty! "Bree!" Umbreon mewed. "Bree! Umbree! Uuuum-bree! Eeee!" She scratched at the window sill and the glass again, purring loudly.
His pokemon's howls stung in Gary's heart. He deflated and sighed. Guess he was going outside.
The last words were typed up and the last period placed. Gary pulled up the printing options and sent the document to the printer in Professor Oak's lab. He pushed away from the desk and threw his head back and rubbed at his tired eyes. "FINALLY! DONE!" he screamed into his palms. Umbreon's ears twitched and she jumped over to him, hopping up on Gary's lap.
"Umbree?" she twitched her nose and nudged her face under Gary's chin.
"Yeah, c'mon let's get your harness so you don't run away from me…" Gary stood slowly so Umbreon could jump down. She dashed out the door and to the steps. Umbreon stood waiting for Gary at the stairs until she saw him emerge from the bedroom, then she was down to the mudroom.
Outside time, outside time, outside time!
Gary put the harness on his very eager partner and snapped the leash on. "OK, c'mon," he called, opening the front door. Umbreon dashed out and dragged Gary by the leash. She sniffed the air and jumped at it, purring loudly and running in circles. She dug at the ground and sniffed the trees, climbing up them and jumping from branch to branch. Gary smiled at her and sat down, giving as much leash as he could. The grass was cool against his legs and the wind just barely blew enough to adjust his hair style. It was peaceful; he could see why Umbreon wanted to come out here.
In no time, Umbreon was up as high as her leash would allow and she was able to stretch against the tree and scratch, disturbing various bug types and a few Hoothoot. Not that she cared. She yawned at the moon and shook her head. That's when her leash jerked backward. Umbreon lost her balance and fell down a few feet before she got her footing and crawled back on a branch.
Why had Gary yanked on her leash? She looked down at the ground and saw her trainer laying on his back, arms and legs spread like Staryu. The leash was being barely gripped and Gary's mouth hung open. Curious, Umbreon jumped down from the tree and slunk over to Gary. She sniffed at him and nudged his side with her nose. Huh. He fell asleep. Umbreon wished she had the ability to laugh, because she would have been crying with how hard she would be laughing. Sadly, she had to settle with crawling on top of Gary's chest and curling up to sleep with him.
Ah, full moons. Maybe Gary Oak didn't hate them as much as wished he did.
Dedicated to my freaking cat who won't stop howling and scratching the door at night during full moons. Every time. Three years straight. *Sigh*
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