Warning: Sudden change in speech due to Growlithe evolving (ageing).

Edited by my friend PonyAce.

I watch as the snow fell from the sky and land on the ground, adding onto the large pile. I'm not sure how it works, but it doesn't matter. My dad taught me the names when I was a small pup during my first winter. It had been many years ago, but I remember it. I wonder if he does?

Even if he doesn't, it doesn't matter because when he comes back he'll teach me more things about the world. He'll tell me the names, then we'll go out and I'll see them first hand-whenever this snow clears up. I don't like snow, but dad does. He always smiles when he sees the first snow flake of the season. I don't get why. Snow melts into yucky water and sticks to my fur, but sometimes he'll pick me up and stick me inside his leathery fur.

It's fun seeing the world from his height. Everything looks so small and so far, like it'll disappear soon. I wonder if I walked on two legs would I be able to see it the same way? It's hard though. I don't see how dad does it.

I wonder when he'll come home? He said he'd be back in five minutes-whatever that means. I guess I'll just look out the window and watch for his five minutes. I wonder if it's a flying pokemon like the ones he keeps outside when it's not snowing? I always like new friends! I have lots of friends. Usually they stay with me, but they got tired of waiting for him to return and left. Dad won't be happy with them, but he'll be overjoyed that I stayed!

Maybe I'll get a treat, or a rub? Either's fine with me.

I thought I heard dad today, but it was just the wind. Stupid wind. It not only makes me cold, but it tricks me. It hit the door just so I'd jump up and run to the door. Well, I won't fall for it anymore! It can hit all it wants, but I won't go-

*Bang*

I think dad's here!

The sky-as dad likes to call it-is dark. It's like someone turned the sun off. Dad said that when the lights turn dark is because someone flipped a switch. Does that mean someone turned the lights off outside? They need to turn it back on then! Maybe then the bad wind will leave.

But then dad will get sad when the snow melts. I don't want dad to be sad because then water comes out of his eyes. If dad lost too much water then something bad would happen! Gotta keep dad happy.

I just wish he was here, so I could make him happy.

I'm running out of food. Dad usually keeps lots of food out in the open, so I can get to it, but they're gone now. I started to eat out of this large white box that growled. I was always afraid of it, but I had to get its food! Dad always got food out of it, so I knew there was some there. The food isn't bad, but I like mine better.

Whenever dad opened the box, there was always food. Where did the food come from? Did another pokemon put it there? Was the box magical? It did shine a light whenever I opened it…

But why is the food almost gone? Why wasn't there more? Did the box only work when dad touched it? Why wasn't dad here to make it work?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I understand now…

I know why dad hasn't come back…

He's out finding a new friend! But not just any friend, a magical one that's hard to find! But why didn't he bring me? I could help! I helped him catch lots of friends, so why not know? Was it a surprise? I liked surprises! Whenever there was a surprise there was food and toys. I liked toys. Especially the ones that made a noise. Those were the best!

Dad always got me one whenever we found a town. We'd walk from place to place. Sometimes it was long but it was fun! He laughed and was always happy. He always smiled when we travelled together.

I wish I could see him smiling again. Maybe when he comes back we can leave. I hope the next place is warmer. Dad has to be sick of all this snow. Right?

Why….

Why isn't he here?

Does he not love me anymore? Did I do something bad? I must have, since I've been bad lately. I feel so angry, and sad. I hate those feelings. It makes me do bad things. I ripped apart this soft thing that was full of white stuff. I even blew fire on a few things. They burned for awhile, but then they went out.

Dad said something about how this place wouldn't catch on fire because of the stuff it was made from. I dunno what it is, but it's hard and doesn't taste good when I lick it.

I wish it would though. Maybe if I burned stuff dad would notice and come home. But then I'd be bad, and he wouldn't come back. I made a mess of things, like dad had said before. Dad hated messes, but I made one.

I don't even care though. Making messes made me feel better. I wasn't angry or sad anymore. I wasn't happy though, just tired. Was it bad to feel this way?

I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry for whatever I did. I won't do it again.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Father still hasn't returned. I've grown since he left. I am no longer a Growlithe, but an Arcanine now. Will father return now that I am older? Father had called small people that I've seen before children, but called himself an adult. Am I now an adult? Am I like father?

I really wish father would return. I have run out of food. The only thing keeping me alive is the snow, but it can't fill my stomach like food can. My stomach growls and hurts more often then it did before. Was it because my body had grown? Sometimes I am lucky enough to find a berry outside, and that quietens my stomach.

Is the berry from father? Or is it from a pokemon that lost it? I hope it is the pokemon doing it, and not father. That would mean father was coming back, but then leaving again. If it was father's doing, then I would have noticed him. I sit in front of the window and watch for him, but all I see is endless snow. When would the snow leave? Sometimes more falls from the sky and adds more. I can't even remember what a flower looks like.

Father must be happy though. Perhaps he's out there, somewhere, enjoying the sight of the snow. Just walking around, or perhaps he's playing in it. It wouldn't be the first time. It would explain why he hadn't taken me with him. I enjoyed the warmth better than this cold. The warmth brought new, wonderful smells. There was colors everywhere I looked. The grass felt wonderful as I rolled around in it, even if the grass tickled my nose and caused me to sneeze.

The cold just brought dark skies, which brought snow. The snow covered all the colors, and the wonderful smells as well. Pokemon hid as well to find warmth, so there was no new friends. Sometimes father found new ones, but they were cold, and never seemed to warm up.

Father liked the warmth too, didn't he? He would laugh, play, and smile in it with me. I can still hear his laughter: it was soft like a Chimecho's ring, but warm like the fire Charmander's tail. It was wonderful to hear, but a memory did no justice. To fully experience its effect you had to hear it first hand.

Would I ever hear it again?

Whenever I think that, or something like it, a memory would come to me. It was back when I was a Growlithe and father had left. Our friends were here with me at the time, but they would leave soon-not that I knew that.

I can faintly remember the words Fearow spoke before he left. 'He's not coming back you know.' He was talking about father-or master as the others called him. 'He's left us here to die.'

I had stood up for father. I argued that he would never do such a thing. Fearow didn't care though, neither did the others. They just shook their heads and left. They'll be sorry though. When father returns we'll go out on an adventure, and if we see them again, they'll be sad that they left him.

For now though I have to wait.

The snow has gotten worse. I can no longer look out the window because all I see is white. I can hear the wind raging outside. It reminds me of a Gyarados father and I had seen once. It was splashing in the water, causing a big mess. Some trainers had calmed it down, so we didn't have to worry.

My stomach is growling as loud as the wind, but I don't care. I'm too tired to search for food. I'm too tired and cold to do anything. I just want to lay here in a ball and sleep, but what if I miss father?

He'll wake me up. Yeah. He'll wake me up and then…we'll…leave. Yawn. Can't…think. Must…sleep. I'll..rest…and dream of father. Yes, I'll…dream. I see… father…in my dreams.

Goodnight…