Chapter 3: Awakening and Discovery

Jake felt oddly detached from his body in fact, it was almost like he was looking down at his body. He didn't feel any pain and was rather quite happy.

"Am I dead?" He thought. "Is this what it feels like to pass on?"

"No…" a soft voice replied. "You are not dead." The voice sounded familiar. Almost like he had heard it before.

"Suicune?" he asked slowly.

"Yes." She replied.

"Where am I? How come I can see myself and I don't feel any pain?"

"Slowly…One question at a time young one."

"Sorry…so I'm not dead?"

"No, I have pulled your being from your body into mine in order to keep you from slipping away while I heal you."

"Why? Why would you do this?"

"I can ask you the same question."

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you give your life in order to save mine?"

"I don't know…I just sorta acted without really thinking what the outcome may be. I didn't care as long as you were safe." Suicune remained silent.

"I was willing to die to save you…why are you saving me?" Jake asked.

"Why do you ask? Do you not find your life worth living?" This time, Jake remained silent. "You saved my life, now I am saving yours…that is all there is to it." Jake felt as if she was hiding something from him.

"But…" he started.

"Please…rest." Suicune insisted. "I need to focus in order to do this correctly."

"Th-thank you." Jake said quietly. It felt as if she was pulling from his mind.

"No…thank you." She replied.

Suddenly, everything began to fade away. Soon, there was nothing…no light, no darkness…just nothing.

Jake felt warm, like he was wrapped in a blanket. He remembered feeling warmth on his face. He cracked his eyes open to find himself staring into a bright light. He sat up suddenly. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He found himself sitting in his bed.

His hands shot to his face as they felt to see if he was there. His eyes flew down as he ripped off his shirt. His finger traced the area he had been shot the night before. No trace remained of the wound.

Was it all a dream? Jake thought. No, that was too real to be a dream. But how the hell did I wind up here? He slowly got out of bed and stood up carefully. His head spun slightly and spots danced across his vision. He felt dizzy and caught himself on his bedside table to keep himself from falling to the floor.

He took a few deep breaths before standing upright. Again the wave of dizziness hit him again. For a moment, Jake thought he was going to be sick so he hurried to the bathroom as fast as he could. He stumbled and fell to his knees as he hung his head over the toilet.

Jake closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down. He sat there for several minutes until the churning in his stomach stopped. Slowly, he got to his feet and instead of trying to walk…he just stood there. Finally, after several minutes, the sensation passed.

Jake splashed some water on his face before getting dressed and making his way downstairs. He clicked on the radio and got started with making breakfast. A few minutes later, a special report caught his attention.

"We have breaking news coming out of Mistfall City. Two notorious Pokémon poachers have been apprehended. They have been charged with over three hundred counts of illegal poaching and Pokémon theft. They are also believed to have had ties with Team Rocket. We go now to the arresting officer for her report."

"Shortly after 2:15 a.m. this morning, two armed Pokémon poachers were apprehended just outside the small quiet town of Mistfall City. It is believed they were in the area searching for rare Pokémon and were planning on selling them to Team Rocket. The two men claimed to have been attacked by a young gentleman while they were camping out in the forest."

Jake ground his teeth furiously upon hearing that. He continued to listen.

"All we can say is to whomever this young man may be, we thank you for helping up bring down these two Pokémon Thieves."

"Wow…talk about some good news." The radio host said. "It's nice to know there are people out in this rough world we live in who are willing to risk anything to do what is right. Well, if the brave gentleman is listening out there, everyone here at the PKMN Station say "thanks."

Jake clicked off the radio with a smile and went back to making his breakfast. He took his time eating because he knew he would have the day off. Once finished he started washing the dishes while pondering about what he was going to do that day.

Maybe I'll go to Suicune's shrine. I wonder if I can find her. He thought. Once the kitchen was clean, he went upstairs to get his pack ready for his hike. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a thick shirt. Then he slipped his sketchbook into his pack with a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. He was bringing the extra clothes just in case the weather turned out better than he thought.

He also packed his camping medical kit. He always took it is he was expecting to go on a long hike. He packed a few other items he knew he might need before slipping on his hiking boots and heading out back. From his shed, he grabbed his machete which he hung from his waits in its sheath. He also grabbed his hatchet. He knew that if he was going to cook or make a fire, he would need something to cut firewood. He slipped the ax through a loop on his pack before turning to face the trail that led deep into the woods.

With a sigh, he set out into the forest. He knew the trail well and now was able to follow it in the faint light that reached through the trees. It wasn't long before the shrine came into view. His mind flashed back to the night before. His fists tightened and he quickly pushed the thought from his mind before he got mad. Today was a good day and nothing was going to ruin it.

He scanned around until his eyes stopped on a hidden trail that was behind the shrine. His dream of Suicune entered his head and he remembered how she had started to led him down the trail. "Come…"

Does she want me to find her? He thought. He decided to go with that notion and pressed on down the trail. The vines and other plants grew in a tunnel like structure. Jake stumbled down the trail as he tried to watch his footing. Here and there, roots would poke up in little arches as if they were waiting to snag a passerby's foot.

The trail twisted and turned for what felt like hours. Jake could hear the dull roar of swift moving water from up ahead. He quickened his pace as he moved towards. As he ran, a branch swiped him on the neck, causing a thin line of blood to form. The quick stinging sensation caught him off guard and he lost he balance and fell forward.

As he fell he rolled to soften the blow. He suddenly felt pain lace up his leg. As he rolled the pain spread from the base of his right ankle and traveled all the way to the front of his left shoulder. Jake looked down to see a thick vine covered with sharp thorns wrapping its way up his body.

"Gah…son of a bitch!" he said through his bared teeth. Each thorn felt as if it was on fire. Without even thinking, Jake grabbed the end of the vine at his shoulder and ripped it away. A yell of pain escaped him as he managed to remove half of it. With another shout and a quick jerk, he removed the rest of the vine.

Removing his shirt, he saw a trail of small puncture wounds traveling across his torso down to his waist. He knew that it was worse than it looked. Some of the thorns had broken off and were embedded within his skin. Jake knew he had to do something about it fast…but he would feel better if he had a shelter of some sort to work in so his tugged his shirt back on with a wince and pressed on.

He was hoping there would be a cave of some sort up ahead. He would use that for shelter if he had to. With the hopes of finding one up the river, he pressed on until he stumbled into a clearing. Just to his right, the river flowed swiftly past him. The trail continued to a large log that spanned the river.

Something deep in Jake's mind wanted him to press on. He was apprehensive though. He could swim, but the swirling and churning water seemed foreboding. He stood there with an internal conflict taking place in his mind. Should he press on or should he turn back? Fuck it. Jake said with a shrug.

The log was slippery so, rather than walking across hit, he would crawl. Jake slowly inched his way. He tried to ignore the torrent below him but he could not entirely block out its roar. Come on, Jake…you can do this. He urged himself. After all, you did take on two armed man last night…this is nothing compared to that.

With his newfound courage, he quickened his pace. He just made it over the halfway point when his hand slipped. Jake found himself heading face first towards the water. Instinctively, he reached out and made a last ditch grab for the log. His fingers dug into the soft moist wood. With a jerk, he stopped falling.

He took a moment to catch his breath. His hand hurt and it felt as if one of his fingers broke from where it was locked in place. He tried to pull himself up and gain leverage with his legs, but the log was too slippery. So, he tried to pull himself up with he left arm. Pain shot up from his hand and combine itself with the pain the thorns had caused moment before.

The shock proved to be too much and Jake lost his grip. Everything seemed to slow as he fell towards the water. With a solid smack, he landed back-first before being swept off in the current. Jake struggled to remain above water, but the churning around him made it difficult. Pain burst throughout him as he felt himself slamming into rocks hidden in the rapids. He didn't know how far the river would go, or even where it went, but Jake knew he had to get out, and fast.

The cold water slowed his body's actions. A sudden current pulled him under the water. Looking up, all he could see was light filtering through the swirling bubbles above. He hit the bottom of the riverbed and was drug across it for several feet before he managed to kick himself off towards the surface.

He head broke the surface, and he gasped for air. But before he could fill his lungs, he was pulled under. Again, he kicked up and before he managed to get any more than a "sip" of air, he was tugged back under by the undertow. Lights began to swirl in front of his eyes and his lungs began to burn from the lack of oxygen.

Jake remembered something he had heard before. If caught in a swift current, you should relax and not fight it. If you do, you will only wear yourself out and most likely lead yourself to a water death. Jake focused on relaxing. He felt himself getting closer to the surface. But with his lungs begging for air, he found himself struggling to try to reach the surface faster.

Finally, his head hit open air and he took in as much air as he could. Looking up, he could see a hanging log rapidly approaching. If he could grab it, he might be able to pull himself out. He waited for the right time, and then reached up right as the log passed.

He made contact and quick managed to wrap an arm around it. Jake gasped for air as he held on for dear life. He could feel his battered and bruised body wanting to give in and be swept away, but he refused to be. With all his might, Jake managed to get both arms wrapped around the log.

The log was weak however and begun to sag and bend under his weight. Jake knew that is he didn't get to shore fast, the log would snap and he would surely drown. He began to pull himself along the log as quick as he dared. The log sagged even more. Some of the soaked wood began to give way. Jake began to hurry now. He was only a few feet from the shore. He reached out with a hand and managed to grab hold of a rock.

Unfortunately, the rock was loose and gave way from under his grip and with his rapidly shifted weight, the log buckled and snapped. This is it. Jake thought. I am really gonna die this time and Suicune isn't around to save me.

"Don't be so quick to doubt me." A voice rang out in his mind. He came to a sudden stop. Looking up, he was shocked to see Suicune. She had grabbed him by the back of his shirt collar. "Gottcha."

She pulled Jake up onto the shore. He lay on his side, trembling from both cold and exhaustion. He looked up at Suicune, only to find her face right in front of his.

"How many times must I save you I one week?" she asked. Jake just sagged back to the ground too weak to answer. Suicune shook her head. "Come on. We need to get you someplace warm." She said lying next to him. Jake used what little strength he had to pull himself onto her back. He lay there, weak and tired.

She got up slowly and began to head down the trail. She soon gathered speed and was traveling at a breakneck pace. Jake was surprised by how smooth the ride was. All he felt was a gentle swaying motion. That combined with the softness of her silky fur and his exhaustion lulled him into an almost hypnotic sleep.

Suicune was amazed by how far he had gotten on his own. Not very many did try to take that trail and the few who did were amongst some of the best outdoorsmen. This boy was something else. She glanced back to see Jake resting, his hands holding on out of instinct.

With a sigh, she turned off the trail and deeper into the forest. With extreme reflexes, she nimbly jumped over fallen trees and around sparse pools of water. She continued until a small cave entrance came into view. It was so well concealed, that if she wasn't openly looking for it, she might have missed it.

She slid to a stop outside the cave. She laid down and gently shifted Jake off of her before she checked the cave to see if it was safe. Once it was, she carefully pulled him inside. She looked around the bare cave and knew that if they were going to stay there for any amount of time, they would need someplace soft to be so she set out on the task of getting leaves and soft mosses into a large flat pile.

It didn't take her very long and after a few minutes, she had gathered a considerable amount. Jake shifted with a moan and slowly opened his eye. Suicune padded over to him.

"How do you feel?" she asked. Jake sat up with extreme slowness, groaning with pain as he did.

"Like I went twelve rounds with a Hitmonchan." He said with a weak laugh. He looked around the cave.

"I found it thinking you may need to stay here and recover." She said. Jake somehow managed to get to his feet. Suicune was surprised that he managed to even sit up let alone stand. "You know, you should get out of those soaked clothes as soon as possible. You'll get sick if you stay in them for too much longer."

"I know." Jake said. "There is something I need to do before I do." He stumbled as he made his way to the mouth of the cave.

"Where are you going?" Suicune asked.

"To get firewood…I need a fire if I want to get dry quicker."

He staggered out of the cave and Suicune followed him, worried that he might faint from exhaustion. Jake, however, proved her wrong and managed to get a nice amount of wood before returning to the cave. He had brought a piece of flint stone with him to help with starting fires. Striking the rock with the back of his hatchet, Jake managed to send a cascade of sparks onto the wood. After a few more tries he managed to get a nice fire going.

Jake then stripped of his shirt and jeans and tossed them aside. He then sat down close to the fire to get dry. Suicune lay a few feet away on the makeshift bed of leaves, watching him the whole time. She found herself looking him over. There were several cuts and bruises covering him. Aside from that however, he was remarkable fit.

His toned body showed signed that he got a good work out regularly and the tan os his skin showed that he enjoyed being outdoors.

She watched him as he gazed into the fire, apparently deep in thought. He was cast into a warm glow of light and the shadows danced across his face giving him exotic features. Suicune felt an odd and sudden feeling of fondness of Jake. She had to admit, even though he was human, he wasn't that bad looking…if you look past the injuries.

She looked off towards the cave entrance when he looked at her. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she blushed and she quickly hastened to get her mind in a different thinking state. She looked back at him and scanned his injuries. Some of them were rather severe and though he didn't show it, she could sense that he was in a lot of pain.

"Just look at yourself." She said. "You're like a young pup that has to go sticking his nose into everything only to get into trouble." Jake looked down. "I'm sorry." She quickly added. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, you're right." Jake admitted as he looked over his injuries. "I do seem to always find myself getting into some fore of trouble."

"Well, I may be able to help you." She said. "Come lay over here." Jake sat there for a minute before staggering to his feet and shuffling to the bed of leaves. He laid on his back looking up. Suicune swung her head over and looked down at him.

"Okay, this may feel very weird." She said in a calm voice. Jake looked a bit worried as he could only imagine as to what she was going to do. Her eyes began to glow a deep blue. He remembered seeing them do that when she was healing him then night before.

His whole body went rigid as it felt as if electricity coursed through him. His skin began to prickle on crawl and his injuries began to heal. His fought the urge to move not only to ride himself of the sensation, but to also move from her piercing glare. He quivered lightly as the thorns stuck in his skin began to work themselves out. After what seemed like an eternity. The sensation stopped and Suicune's eyes returned to normal.

With a sigh, she felt her head droop slightly. The energy needed to heal him was more than she thought due to the broken finger and rib he had. Her eyes got heavy for a moment as a wave of weakness washed over her.

Jake sat up and looked over himself. He seemed surprised that she managed to heal all of it.

"Thank you." He said looking at her with a smile. She nodded in return. Jake could sense that she was tired. "Is something wrong." He asked worried.

"No." she replied with a tired expression. "It just takes a lot of energy to do something like that." Jake felt ashamed that he was the reason she was like this because he wasn't as careful as he should have been. She sensed his regret and quickly spoke out. "Don't feel bad about what happened. There was no way you could have known what was going to happen."

She felt his gratitude for her radiate from him as he looked up at her and smiled. They both turned and looked into the fire for a few minutes. Jake yawned when he realized how tired he was and only then did Suicune realize how tired she was.

Jake laid out on the leaves on his side as he faced the fire. Suicune watched him lay there for a few minutes before he shivered. She then rolled on her side and with her paw, pulled Jake closer to her. Jake was somewhat shocked as she held him against her body. He then realized that she was only trying to keep him warm so rather than struggle against her, he just accepted what she had done.

He snuggled against her soft warm chest as she held him close. For some reason, this made her smile and she nuzzled him gently on the cheek. It wasn't long before their tiredness got the best of them and soon, they were both sound asleep.

Next Chapter: Confusing Feelings; Unexpected Attractions... I am going to start putting the name of the next chapter at the end of the previous in order to give you and idea of what may be to come. I kinda like to keep my readers guessing. This way if you know, you may be inclined to guess what's going to happen next...kinda suspenseful.