Me: Yeah, I'm getting way out of order for my stories.
Shuckle: You can say that again.
Me: It would be a little awkward to post this in spring though so here it be.
Tepig: You have a poem for this?
Me: I think I'll leave it be.
Tepig: Alright then. Sharto doesn't own Pokemon or anything that could upset the law.
Shuckle: Story. Go.
It was a cold Christmas Eve night. There was a slight breeze in the city, and it was snowing softly, the flakes settling on roofs or streets and reflecting the orange glow of the streetlamps. Decorations were up on nearly every street. The lights cast their twinkling glows to all passing by while the snowmen sent their merry expressions.
Jane was in her trainer's apartment on this night. Unlike the rest of the residents though she wasn't sleeping. She couldn't; not with him outside.
As an Espeon she was able to detect the presence and future movements of those around her. He was certainly not an exception to this power. He was a Jolteon and he'd been following her for days now.
While his behavior was strange, and naturally creepy, Jane had never picked up any hostilities so she had never found a reason to tell anyone. But this time there was something different about him. The Jolteon seemed to be nervous.
At first he was at the other side of the street; then he was crossing it slowly. He constantly turned his head as if he didn't want to be seen. Eventually he made his way to the door of the apartment complex and Jane was fully prepared to wake up the city if he decided to open it.
But he didn't try to open it. He simply lowered his head, raised it again, and bolted back to the other side of the street.
Now what was he doing? Surely he wouldn't have followed her just to bow to a building. He must have put something there. He didn't have enough hostilities to be placing a bomb or anything dangerous; but then, what had he put down?
The question was going to drive her crazy all night unless she checked it now.
She made her way through the halls and down the stairs not bothering to keep her steps light. The residents of the apartment complex were heavy sleepers. When she reached the door where the Jolteon had set something down she used her psychic powers to open it. She was immediately met by a chilling breeze.
She looked down and saw a small blue box with a note on it. There were three words written on it.
To Jane. Espeon.
So the Jolteon knew her name. It wasn't surprising considering how many days he'd been following her. He didn't know the apartment number though; which was good.
And he had gotten something for her . . .
She opened up the box, now certain that it wasn't dangerous, and found a red bow.
Jane closed the box, picked it up, and made her way back to her trainer's apartment taking care, this time, to not wake Dennis, her trainer's Chespin.
She put the box on a table, turned around, and went back outside. She was going to find this Jolteon.
The streets were cold and the alleys cast a darker, more depressing look than the merry twinkling of the main buildings. Thankfully he was easy to find. Jane had put a mind link on him the second day he was following her. It was just like a tracking device; counter stalking if you wanted to call it that.
The Jolteon was just inside an alley hiding behind a dumpster. Jane went forward to approach him but didn't know what to do with the jewel on her head. She could light it and warn him that she was coming, but if he ran there was no way she could catch up. If she didn't turn it on though he'd be taken by surprise and sneaking up on somebody this comfortable in a dark alley wasn't a good idea.
She turned it as low as she could. Even so she sensed him bolt to his feet immediately.
"Please don't run." Jane said pleadingly.
At the sound of her voice the Jolteon's nerves reached their peak, but he stayed where he was.
Taking that as a good sign Jane made her way around the dumpster and finally got to see this Jolteon face to face.
He was thinner than a Jolteon should have been and the white mane around his neck had grown larger for the winter. Clearly he didn't have a trainer to help him stay warm. Maybe he didn't have anyone at all . . .
He must have had experience here though; despite his nerves he was merely tensed and his eyes were almost normal. The only thing giving him away was the occasional shivering of a leg and even that was quickly stopped.
"Who are you?" The Jolteon asked clearly fighting to keep his nervous state out of his voice.
"My name's Jane." she answered. "What's yours?"
"Grant."
"That's a nice name." Jane complimented.
"Thanks." The Jolteon said awkwardly.
"Do you have anywhere to go or someone to be with tonight?" Jane asked. She was tempted to ask about the bow but considering where Grant lived she probably didn't want to know.
Grant answered her shakily. "Uh no I . . . live on my own."
"In an alley?" Jane asked sadly.
"I'm used to it . . ."
"But it's Christmas Eve!" Jane exclaimed. "Nobody should be alone tonight and they especially shouldn't be stuck outside!"
"It's fine I-"
"No it's not." Jane interrupted. "Come on, you can stay at my apartment tonight."
"I can't-"
"Why not you have nowhere to go and no one to be with. What's the point of saying no? You don't have to stay forever."
"I don't want to be a-"
"Please don't make me force you." Jane sighed. "It forces me to go through your memories and that can get awkward for both of us."
It was just a bluff. There were some Pokemon who could actually do that but Jane wasn't one of them . . . yet. Grant's nerves were still on high alert though so he definitely didn't want her finding out who got her that bow.
" . . . Fine. Lead the way."
Jane didn't ask him anything on the way back, though she did notice that he tensed up the moment he saw that she had received his gift.
She opened the door to the complex again and shut it after Grant had, hesitantly, followed her.
"Why do people even bother using locks if psychic Pokémon can just unlock them?" Grant whispered. They were still in the main entrance so nobody would hear a regular voice anyways but Jane kept hers down to suppress his nerves.
"Some trainers have their dark type Pokémon use their powers to prevent us from doing that, even if there isn't a dark type around it still makes it harder for other types which is why all the good thieves have a psychic type."
He'd obviously wondered about that for a while if he was able to ask it over his nerves.
Jane led him through a hall for a while before taking a right turn into the stairs. From the top of the stairs her apartment was the third one to the left.
She was certain now that Grant had been raised in the alleys, or as Dennis would call it "the ghetto". She had needed to change how she walked to stay silent. He on the other hand was naturally silent.
They reached her apartment quickly. Once the door was closed Grant had no way out of it and if his nerves were anything to go by, he knew it.
She laid down on the floor near her actual bed hoping he would take the hint and use it instead. There was no such luck though as he laid down on the floor, lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Jane frowned to herself and got up. She nudged his head with her nose to get his attention. Now THAT set off his nerves. His eyes snapped open and looked up at her.
She used her tail to communicate, she pointed it first at him and then the bed. He opened his mouth, probably to protest, but she gave him a look that she hoped conveyed the message that "I can force you to do that to."
Fortunately he got the idea. He got up and got into the bed, hesitantly of course.
Grant clearly hadn't expected a bed to be so comfortable. Even with his nerves he was asleep within a few minutes.
Jane soon followed.
Jane woke up early the next morning. Waking up early for Christmas was pretty easy, plus she did need to warn her trainer and Dennis that she had invited a Jolteon over.
Jane wasn't too worried about her trainer; if she was surprised the worst she could do was call her or Dennis to battle. Dennis however was dangerous to surprise. He might have been lazy most of the time but he could be a walking arsenal when he wanted to.
She decided to wake him up first, a difficult task any other day of the year. His eyes snapped open the moment she poked him.
"Time to see what we got?" Dennis asked cheerfully.
"There's something I need to tell you first." Jane said.
"This isn't the part of the movie where you tell me Santa didn't come is it?" Dennis asked putting on a fake frown.
"No, he came."
"Alright then; what is it?"
"Well," Jane said. "there's a Jolteon in my bed right now."
Instantly two vines shot out of Dennis's back, four Pin Missiles reared above his head like snakes, and his paws prepared to use Furry Swipes.
"It's fine!" Jane said quickly. "I found him living alone in an alley last night so I decided to bring him here for Christmas."
"Oh, ok then." Dennis said calming down enough to put his arsenal away.
"Hey did you lose something last night?" Dennis asked.
"Like what?" Jane asked.
"Oh I don't know." Dennis started. "Your car keys . . . your wallet . . . your virginity . . ."
"Virgini-. No, nonononono. It wasn't like that." Jane quickly denied.
"I'm just messing with you. But if it wasn't Christmas I would be serious."
"So." Dennis continued. "You just need to warn Julie now?"
"Yeah."
Warning Julie was a bit more difficult with the whole language barrier thing. Jane had to bring her into the room where Grant was and use a lot of tail pointing and nodding to get the point across.
By this point Grant was fully awake so he was more than aware of just how many people were around him. He'd also had to introduce himself when Jane noticed he wasn't asleep.
He introduced himself to the Chespin Dennis anyways, there wasn't much he could say to a human.
Being awake also meant that he was present when Julie asked. "So is this just a Jolteon you found on the street, or are you two a little more than friends?"
She'd said it jokingly so Jane just rolled her eyes. Grant knew it was a joke to but he turned red upon hearing it. This went unnoticed by Jane but Dennis certainly hadn't.
Once he was alone with Grant he decided to mention it. "I saw what you did back there Grant."
"Uh, what?" Grant asked uncomfortably.
"I saw how your cheeks got all rosy when Julie asked if you and Jane were more than friends. And then when we left the room you just so happen to be walking behind her."
"I- I wasn't."
"Chill out man I know you're in the innocent stage of love right now." Dennis said.
"Just don't-"
"Tell her?" Dennis finished. "If I wanted to tell her I would have done it the moment I noticed. Your secret's safe here."
"Uh, thanks?" Grant said uncertainly.
"No problem; now come on, breakfast doesn't eat itself.
Tepig: I think I see where this is going.
Me: Yeah it's kind of a short story.
Shuckle: Now let's post it on the interwebs.
Me: Actually I think I'll wait.
Shuckle: Why?
Me: Since most of my audience is American 9:03 pm isn't the best time for posting.
Shuckle: That sounds like a business decision.
Me: It is.
Tepig: Bye!