"Molly, watch after your brother!"
The girl rolled her eyes, holding the door open while her younger brother ran out at full speed, leaping past her with a holler. "Yes ma'am," she called back while letting the door fall closed behind her, chasing after her brother. "Wait up, Izak! Geez…"
Molly followed her brother while he hopped around through the grass, leaping after insects and small creature alike in feeble attempts to catch them. The sun was high overhead today, casting rather small shadows across the flat landscape, blades of grass fanning to and fro in the mild breeze. It didn't take long for the heat to work up a thin layer of sweat of Molly's pale skin while she chased her brother around, playing games like tag and hide-and-seek - luckily, the light touch of the wind kept her from getting too warm, keeping her nice and cool.
"Molly, look what I found!"
With a sigh and a shake of her head, the girl jogged over to where her brother was kneeling, peering over his shoulder. "You gonna show it to me?" she asked expectantly. There was a long pause where neither moved nor spoke, causing her to worry a bit. "Izak…?"
She leaned down to touch his shoulder, and he jumped, turning around and unleashing a torrent of large, slimy earth worms all over her blouse. Molly let out a squeal, falling back onto her bum while scraping at the disgusting little things. "Izak!" the sister nearly screamed, earning a satisfying cackle from the little devil. With new life, Molly jumped to her feet and took off after her brother.
After a few minutes of chasing him, the boy got smart and took off into the trees that surrounded their quant little community. With a growl of frustration, Molly followed suit, dodging around trees and trading insults with the snot-nosed little monster. Izak was quick, and his smaller frame let him navigate through the more dense areas better than she could.
Finally, they breached yet again through the trees, back out into the open grasslands, and the girl tackled her little brother, landing atop him. He shouted in protest, but Molly held his wriggling form down by his shoulders, pinning him to the earth beneath him. "I'm gonna make you eat worms, you little brat!" Despite his protests and squirming, the boy was laughing, amused greatly by the situation and the successful prank. It was always a good day for younger sibling when they managed to successfully torture their family.
Molly smirked, hopping up off of him. "Just wait until dinner tonight."
The boy hopped up after her, looking offended. "You wouldn't dare," he accused, pointing his finger at her.
"I would so," she corrected him. "And don't you know that it's rude to point, shrimp?"
Izak stuck his tongue out from between his lips, blowing at his sister. "Old bag!"
Molly gasped, face flushing in anger. "I am not an old bag - !" she stopped short, going still, eyes focused at a spot behind her younger brother. Her eyes were focused on the form in the grass, mouth taut, whole body tensed.
The boy was confused, tilting his head. "Molly? What's wrong?"
She almost didn't hear him. Slowly, carefully, the girl gestured towards herself. "Izak, come here sweetie."
The boy wrinkled his nose. "I'm not a sweetie!" To accent his point, the small boy stomped his foot, arms crossing in front of him. She could see it coming, she knew it was about to happen, but her body was too slow to react; there was nothing she could do to keep the form from shooting out and latching onto her brother's thin, frail calf. They both screamed, frightening the creature just enough to cause it to retreat.
Molly grabbed her brother's hand, jerking him up off the ground. She struggled with getting him behind her while her other hand fumbled numbly at her hip, eventually finding the button that she was looking for.
There was a flash of red light.
As it faded, a large blue form stood between them and the massive, coiling black snake. "Marill!" the girl screeched. The thing looked around in confusion, eyes darting between its master, the threat, and the young boy. "It bit Izak," she stuttered out, eyes still wide, her brother cradled in her arms now. The blue creature let out a growl and planted itself firmly in the snake's path.
"Bubblebeam!"
Marill reared its head back for a moment before pointing at its opponent and sending forth a large blast of bubbles. They smacked into the creature, knocking it back and earning a loud and aggravated hiss from it. It launched itself at Marill, bladed tail glowing purple. Molly didn't even have time to tell her Pokemon to dodge the attack; luckily, though, she didn't have to. Marill leapt to the side, sliding away from the attack and launching another blast of bubbles. They scored another direct hit and the snake hissed again, this time turning and streaking away through the tall grass.
The blue creature began to chase it, but Molly called it back. "We don't have time! We have to get Izak back to the house!" Molly began to look around, finally realizing just how far they'd run while playing earlier. In the distance, she could just barely make out the cluster of houses in which they lived. Molly whimpered, shifting her brother slowly to her back. "Izak, Izak baby hold on okay?" Through sniffled the boy wrapped himself tightly around his sister. "I know it hurts, but be strong for me, alright? I'm gonna get you home as fast as I can…"
There was no response except for another sniffle. She was surprised by her little brother's strength; if she had been bitten by something like that at his age she would still be crying. "Marill, watch out for any more wild Pokemon, alright?"
And with that she began the long walk home, toting her brother on her back.
Sometime while they were running the breeze must have died down, because now Molly was very much uncomfortable and there was no touch of wind to redeem her from the heat. The sweat built up as she marched, eyes focusing on the ground just a few steps ahead of her to make sure she didn't trip.
They'd been walking for about ten minutes when her brother's voice came from behind her, barely louder than a whisper. "Do you think Mr. Bobby is cooking…?"
Molly blinked at her brother's odd question, turning slightly to glance back at him. "I dunno, bud. Why are you asking?" He didn't speak, responding instead with a point from over her shoulder. The girl glanced up to see what he was pointing at. It took a second, but then she noticed it: smoke. It was rising slowly from the community they were walking towards. Bobby and Charlotte, their neighbors, sometimes had cookouts in the fire pit in their back yard, but that was a lot of smoke…
The girl's legs began to carry her just a bit faster. "Yeah, Izak, they're probably just cooking," Molly lied.
Probably just cooking…