IV
"So Fang; are you old enough to be wandering the cold and foreboding Sevii Islands all by yourself at night?" Spike mocked, carefully wrapping a large sheet of newspaper around himself to block out the draught.
Fang grumbled, shuffling down into a rough sack - which he had produced from within the other sack he had dragged along with him.
Dour shivered harshly, his breaths rising into white mist amidst the frigid air of the deserted Pokémon Centre. - It was well after three AM by this time, and the whole island seemed to have ceased their prowling and retreated to their dank dens; away from any threats from in the night time.
"How old are you anyway, Fang?" Spike asked, rolling onto his stomach; the cold linoleum tiles piercing his gut.
"…Eleven." Fang growled, his dark eyes narrowed.
Spike raised his eyebrows, suddenly looking very shocked and affected.
"…Just the same as…"
"Happy birthday, dear Emily--!"
"Happy birthday to yooou--!"
The overexcited vixen bounced happily up and down in her seat; watching in awe as her grandpa carefully heaved in an immense iced cake in the direction of their tea-table - lined with six glinting pink candles.
"Now Em', you get to blow out your candles, and make a special wish. Only don't tell anybody, or it won't come true."
Emily smiled, the corners of her mouth almost reaching the tips of her ears.
Spike glowered beside her; a pointed blue party hat strapped to his head with an elastic band. Several younger, irritating cousins of his and Emily's were also seated around the table with them - blowing party tooters and setting off confetti poppers.
His sister clambered up onto her chair, enabling her to see over the entire table - also giving her a great viewpoint of which to blow out her candles.
Emily took in a long breath, closing her eyes in concentration.
Just as the expelled air from Emily's lips touched the tiny flames, crushing them into minute wisps of grey smoke; Spike seized his chance.
The heartless male Eevee gave a harsh snicker; his sharp incisor fangs sliding out slowly from beyond his lips - now curling into a maniacal grin all over his untamed furry face.
His dark, glinting eyes glistened with sheer mischief and amusement, as he carefully raised one of his furry paws, trying not to attract the attention of anybody watching.
Spike quickly brought his raised paw back down towards its target - smashing it straight across Emily's neck, knocking her onto the table.
His terrified sister let out a small whimper of surprise - before her nose collided with the cake and instantly vanished amidst the mountain of sticky topping, along with the rest of her face.
The next few moments passed in a sort of blur: Emily pulled her head free from the cake, her face immersed in the thick white topping. She furiously wiped her face - her dark eyes brimming with tears.
"…Spike! I hate you!"
"…Spike! How dare you ruin Emily's birthday?! …You're in big trouble, mister."
"..No! No Gramps! …I-I'm sorry- I won't-"
The prankster felt pain then - as his grandpa laid a firm paw across his backside, bending him over his knee in fury.
"…OWWW!! Gramps! I said I was sorry…!" Spike sobbed, feeling a second blow to his behind.
His sister smirked silently to herself from the doorway - feeling a sadistic joy at watching her brother suffer; yet also feeling extreme sympathy for her furry hero.
"…I love you Spike… But…" Emily mumbled. "…You deserve it." She spat, flouncing out of the room as her brother's wails continued.
"…Spike? What the hell's up with you…?"
Spike didn't respond – just continued whimpering quietly, as his bottom lip trembled. He was softly moaning apologizes under his breath, clutching his buttocks protectively with both paws.
"…I think he's fantasizing." Fang snickered, catching sight of Spike's unusual position.
"…Fuck off Fang." Spike growled – opening his eyes; the last threads of the flashback seeming to fade into silence.
"Have you two been taking whiz-banger overhaul berries or sum'pn?" Fang asked, tilting his head.
"…You mean hallucinogenic?" Spike sneered, shaking his head in despair.
"Whiz-banger overhaul!" Dour snorted, laughing at Fang's change of expression.
"Aw come on…" Spike sniggered, his dark eyes shining. "Don't ridicule the fella – he's probably never even seen a cigarette before. The world is a big and scary place for little Poochyena critters like him, after all."
"Actually, I do know what smokes are…" Fang grumbled, seeming upset. "…My Trainer used to use them."
Spike looked a little uncomfortable – knowing full well what Fang meant by 'used to'.
Fang glowered, shuffling back into his sack, rolling underneath the bench that Dour was sitting on, to keep the draught out of his hide.
"…Sorry." Spike muttered, tugging his cover around himself, watching the steam clouds rising from his nostrils as he exhaled.
"…It's alright." Fang sighed, flicking a dead beetle with his paw. "…You didn't know."
Dour smiled gently to himself, resting his head upon the rough arm of the bench – letting the sharp fibres of the upholstery scrape against his cheek. "…Yes… Another fight avoided…" He thought, letting his eyes gently close.
"Urgghh… Wha… What time is it…?"
Dour sat up slowly, the room still filled with darkness – his breath still condensing upon the dull walls as he spoke.
He felt something warm brush against his paw – and he jumped in surprise, quickly drawing it back. "…Wha… What was that?!"
Another stroke swept across his other paw – leaving a wet, sticky residue along his sole.
"Augh! What the…!"
Dour trembled slowly – terrified amidst the darkened void, watching his frigid breath dancing in mysterious forms before his nose. He gingerly leant over the side of the bench, looking down at Fang – who was seated upon his hind legs, whimpering quietly.
The glinting black spheres of his eyes shimmered softly back at Dour; misted and glassy with moisture – as if he were crying.
"…Fang… Stop licking my paw." Dour growled, rolling back onto his side, and dropping back into slumber.
The next morning – Spike was the first to wake, pacing up and down the tiled floor of the Pokémon Centre; impatient for the other two to awaken.
"…Wake up, wake up! Wake up, NOW!" He eventually yelled – after waiting for around three minutes. - (Which had seemed like three hours to an irritable Eevee like himself.)
Fang groaned, wriggling out of his sack – whilst Dour gave a stifled grunt, raising his head from the arm of the bench; the rough fibres had imprinted onto the side of his face, looking like he'd been attacked by a playful Skitty.
"You could market yourself as an alarm clock." Dour groaned, yawning heavily as he hauled himself upright, leaning his back to the wall.
"Any chance of breakfast?" Fang asked gingerly, rolling out from underneath the bench, climbing up onto his feet.
"I suppose so." Spike muttered, taking out his brown leather berry pouch.
Spike nodded his head, indicating for Fang to hold out his paws. Fang did so - and he was rewarded with a pawful of five colourful berries; a dark crimson Razz, a tender pink Pecha, a rough purple Chesto, an emerald green Rawst and a shimmering sapphire-blue Oran.
Fang smiled in pleasure, popping the Pecha and Rawst into his mighty jaws - pink and green sticky juice dribbling down his furry chin.
"Dour?" Spike called, raising the bag encouragingly.
"…No thanks… I'm not hungry." Dour mumbled, scratching in irritation at his right cheek, where the scar had absorbed back into his skin.
"Suit yourself." Spike shrugged, tucking his berry pouch back into the folds of his thick bushy fur around his head, tying it securely around a string he had tied around his neck.
Resting gently upon Spike's fuzzy neck was a second string - only made from tiny gold links, glinting softly as they caught the light. Dangling in front of Spike's chest was his golden charm necklace - the two names 'Emily' and 'Ernest' engraved into the centre, entwining at the letter E.
"…No Spike! …I… I don't wanna go in there!"
"…Emily, why not? This is the furthest we've came before - don't you want to see what's on the other side?"
"…But… B-But Spike… It's d-dark and scary… And it's full of c-creepy bugs!"
"…Emily, I won't let them hurt you." Spike whispered gently, slipping his paw into his sister's own, stroking it softly.
Emily snuffled quietly, wiping her tears thickly with the back of her paw - forcing a heroic smile to spring to her lips.
"…A-Alright Spike… We're brave adventurers… We'll get through the… P-Pattern Bush together!"
"That's what I like to hear! C'mon Em' - we'll show them what we're made of!"
"…What…? Was that…? …Was that when…?"
"…Hello?! Spike?!"
Spike blinked, snapping out of his trance, as Fang was furiously waving his tail in front of his nose. Spike batted him away in disgust.
"…Did you see Emily again…?" Dour asked, raising his eyebrows sympathetically.
"…Yeah… I saw… …A few years ago…" Spike paused, grimacing as he tried hard to piece his memories back together.
"We used to go around the Sevii Islands with my Grandpa and my cousin… …And his Trainer came too, on his rowing boat… …They'd go off and train in the tall grass, and we'd…. Emily and I… We'd go on adventures together…"
"……So what did you see?" Dour asked, stepping closer, curious to hear what Spike had to say.
Spike groaned, rubbing his temples as he wracked his brain, attempting to drag his dusty, forgotten childhood memories back to the surface of his skull.
"…I saw… …I saw…"
Spike suddenly jumped, his huge tail almost knocking Fang over. "It was at Pattern Bush!"
The Mohawk-clad Eevee now seemed very excited. "Pattern Bush is only about half a mile from here!"
'Only…' - Dour thought; he'd never wandered any further on Three Island than to his quiet spot just outside Berry Forest.
The day he'd met Spike - he'd been dared to go inside by a spiteful Luxio who had jumped at every chance to bully Dour at every opportunity he was given.
"…Ha, can't get me now, Rox." Dour muttered, smiling smugly to himself - not listening to Spike's continued and excited ramble.
"-and… This might sound totally impossible, but… The old Ledian who lived out in front of Pattern Bush always took a shine to Emily - she'd go and visit her every Friday, and I had to play on my own on the beach. She didn't like me coming in her house, I spilt some lemonade the first time I was round there, see. She said I was a clumsy cretin and- …Dour, are you even listening?!"
Dour jumped in surprise, nodding his head rapidly; trying to hide the fact he hadn't taken in a word that Spike had said. "Yeah um… So you think Emily will be at Pattern Bush?"
"…I dunno. What day is it?" Spike asked, glancing over at Fang - who was excavating dirt from between his claws.
"No clue." Fang responded, sticking out his tongue in concentration, as he licked at his feet, slurping out bits of broken twig and fluff from under his claws.
"I don't know either." Dour mumbled sadly, trying to ignore Fang's disgusting habits.
"Well…" Spike croaked, swallowing hard. "…We can always try…"
"Spike! Wait for us!" - Dour was yelling, as he and Fang sprinted down the mossy green pathway through Six Island village - the energetic Eevee running at the speed of a rocket ahead of them was slowly becoming fainter and fainter as he bounded down the marble steps to the Water Path launching zone.
From where Spike had stopped; he took a deep inhale of the crisp sea air - gazing around at the many swarms of malicious Tentacool bobbing menacingly across the gentle ripple of the waves. Groups of curious Bellsprout waded in and out through the tall grass clumps dotted around the peaceful picnic spot to his right - overlooking the rocky coral reefs and soft-current swimming areas, where many Trainers were bobbing to and fro in inner tubes with their prized Pokémon.
"……You…could…have……waited…" Dour panted, as he reached the bottom of the stairs, saliva dripping from his tongue and sweat trickling down his forehead.
Fang groaned, clutching his side, where he'd developed a stitch from running so fast straight after breakfast.
"You two are so unfit." Spike sneered. "You'd never make it through the Pokémon Cadets."
"…Were…you…with…them?" Dour asked, raising his eyes weakly to Spike's own.
Spike rubbed his chest proudly, tossing his hair. "…Of course. Gramps enrolled me with them when I was five. I got to go to Johto with them on a camping expedition."
Dour grimaced with envy. He'd only ever heard stories about the far-off land of Johto - wonderful stories which had set a pulse beating rapidly within his chest; the sheer scent of exhilaration and anticipation reaching his nostrils every time he imagined what it would be like.
Fang smirked oddly, suddenly sounding very smug. "…And did you earn your swimmin' medal?"
Spike blushed. "Errr… The ten metres, yes…"
Fang laughed, his eyes glittering. "So a beginner's bronze, then."
"…What's it to you?!" Spike growled, his ears twitching in anger.
"Just makin' an assumption." Fang giggled. "If you can only swim ten of those metres… How are you going to swim to Pattern Bush?"
Spike clenched his teeth in rage, as an infuriated grimace spread rapidly across his entire face - a nerve twitching below his right eye.
"…But what about you…?!" Spike yelled, pouncing on Fang, pressing his paws into his shoulders. "How are you gonna get to Pattern Bush yourself?!"
Fang smiled calmly, ignoring the Eevee's rage. "…Hey. I didn't suggest it." He said smugly, raising his eyebrows.
Just before Spike was about to pulverise Fang's face with his trembling fists - Dour cut in, nervously, but sharpish.
"…Remember Spike, I… I told you I can't swim."
Spike screamed in fury - kicking angrily at a wooden fencepost. - He leapt backwards immediately, as he'd stubbed his toe accidentally.
"For fuck's sake! We can't get to the Pattern-fucking-Bush; I'm stuck on this island with two retards, and I'VE GOT A SPLINTER IN MY FRICKIN' TOE!!"
"…Now, now, there's no need for language like that."
The three boys looked up in surprise upon hearing this new voice - a gentle feminine tone, laden with kindness and care.
Stood before them all was a plump blue rabbit - her long ears pointed erect to the sky, twitching occasionally as if she were scanning for incoming danger. Her paws were podgy and padded - and her tail resembled a square-edged spring with a large, blue rubber ball perched upon the end.
Her nose was a small black button set in the centre of her chubby face, and her eyes were a heavy shade of dark hazel - reflecting the sun's shimmering rays.
"…And who are you supposed to be?" Fang sneered, rudely.
Spike growled at him, elbowing him out of the way. "…Don't listen to him, ma'am - he's just a common testicle-licking mutt."
The Azumarill grimaced, averting her eyes from both Fang and Spike - turning her gaze to Dour; who had remained silent in shyness.
"I've not seen you around these parts before." She said, smiling warmly. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"…My n-name's… D-Dour…" Dour mumbled, stammering nervously as he responded to her question.
"W-What's yours?"
The Azumarill beamed in pleasure, satisfied by Dour's politeness. "My name is Azzurri."
"Azzurri?! What sort of crack-nut name is that?!" Fang snorted, throwing back his head in laughter - before Spike socked him right in the gut as a punishment for being uncouth and tactless.
"…It's an Italian name." Azzurri frowned, sticking her nose in the air. "A name of high culture and social class. Of course, you wouldn't understand that."
Fang ground his teeth in rage, ready to retort back - but Spike cut in first.
"What does it mean?"
"It's the Italian form of azure. The colour of my fur - it makes a lot of sense." Azzurri smiled, seeming pleased that Spike had questioned the reasoning behind her name.
"What's yours, Mr. Mohawk?" She grinned, staring in amazement at Spike's rebellious, punk hairdo.
"Ern-… Spike." Spike said quickly, correcting himself. "Spike Evoli."
"And what about…?" Azzurri asked slowly - trying to distract herself from looking at Fang, who was attempting to slurp the grime from inside his tummy-button.
"That's Fang." Dour answered, also grimacing. "Don't pay any attention to him, Ms. Azzurri."
"Oh please Dour!" Azzurri giggled, blushing foolishly. "No snobbish titles for me - just plain Azzurri will do."
"What're you all doing out here - are you taking a vacation?" Azzurri asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Well… See, we were going to go to Pattern Bush… We're looking for my little sister." Spike began, staring down at the endless stretch of navy-blue ocean laid out before him.
"Oh… I'm sorry - did you get separated?" Azzurri asked, her voice laden with sympathy.
"…Yeah… Three years ago…" Spike muttered, glaring at his feet.
"Oh you poor dear!" Azzurri exclaimed, now sounding highly concerned. "Have you not heard anything from her?"
Spike shook his head. "No…"
"…We used to come to Pattern Bush when we were younger… But… Gramps would take us on his boat… I can swim - but I can't swim that far…"
"…And I can't swim at all." Dour added, sounding embarrassed.
Azzurri suddenly smiled, an idea striking her. "Well I'll help you, Spike darling - swimming is where we Azumarill excel! I can ferry you across the Water Path on my back!"
Spike's downtrodden face suddenly lit up. "…Honest?! …You'd do that for us?"
"Of course, dears. It's the least I could do - I feel dreadful after hearing about your poor sister." Azzurri said gently, approaching the bank.
"What was-… Is, her name?"
"…Emily. Emily Evoli." Spike mumbled, feeling a hard pang in his chest after hearing Azzurri accidentally use the past tense to describe his sister.
"…Emily Evoli. It's an alliterative symmetrical syllable name!" Azzurri exclaimed, sounding impressed.
"…That's exactly what she used to say…" Spike muttered, though not loud enough for Azzurri, Fang or Dour to hear him.
"Hop on board, dears - we'll soon have you over at Pattern Bush!" Azzurri chirped, climbing into the shallow water, with her head held slightly above the water's surface.
Spike nodded, gingerly climbing up onto Azzurri's shoulders. Dour followed, shaking nervously, as he sat down upon the bottom of her back.
"…What about me!?" Fang yelled indignantly. "There's no room for me!"
Azzurri lifted the sapphire sphere on the end of her tail out of the water - letting it float on the surface.
"Sit on my tail, Fang?" Azzurri suggested. "You may get your feet wet, but… I won't let you sink."
"That's dirty." Fang commented, creating his own innuendo by twisting Azzurri's words.
Nevertheless, he cautiously placed his front paws around Azzurri's tail - resting his stomach upon it, letting his back legs and the tip of his tail dangle in the warm ocean current.
"Now hold on tight…" Azzurri called, as she began rapidly kicking out her paws, propelling herself and her three furry passengers swiftly through the water; starting their journey to their first adventure at the Pattern Bush.
"Augh… That's one boat ride I wouldn't like to do again in a hurry." Fang moaned, climbing off Azzurri's tail as she set the three of them down upon the shore.
"Thank you, Azzurri." Spike growled, glaring in Fang's direction - feeling miffed on Azzurri's behalf.
"You're welcome, Spike." Azzurri mumbled, shaking her head. "I'll be waiting here for you all when you get back from your search."
Spike, Dour and Fang watched her scramble up along the steep, sandy bank where they had docked. Azzurri tottered over to a gently shaded patch of shrubbery, surrounded on three sides by bushes and flowerbeds. She lay down on her back, folding her ears over her eyes to protect her slumber being disturbed by the glare of the sun.
"…Right… We're here." Spike muttered darkly, focusing his gaze upon a thick forest's edge, which was coating half of the island.
"…To Pattern Bush?" Dour asked, placing his head on one side. "…Spike, what are you thinking?"
Spike shook his head, turning back to face Dour and Fang. "…I was thinking we ought to pay a visit to Buzzard."
"What's a Buzzard?" Fang asked, flicking out his tail clumsily in an attempt to attract a passing butterfly.
"Buzzard is the old Ledian who lives out over there…" Spike groaned, pointing in the direction of a small wooden tree-house, balanced neatly in the branches of a large oak tree several metres in front of them.
"Ah, the one who doesn't like you." Fang snickered, also staring up at the tree-house Spike was pointing to.
"…I'd go with you Spike, if you were afraid…" Dour mumbled - though his own tone was closer to sounding like a Teddiursa caught in a bear trap, rather than an Ursaring roaring in the face of a Pidgey.
"I'm not afraid!" Spike sneered, glaring at Dour. "…Just… she'd probably turn me away instantly if her old memory could familiarise itself with me."
"Ah, what's she gonna do?" Fang laughed, shaking his head in despair. "- Chase you 'round the island with a broomstick?!"
"…It was an accident! Please believe me!" - Spike pleaded, not daring to look over his shoulder at the incoming red homing missile that was focused on his tail.
"You've not changed at all in three years, Ernest Evoli!" Buzzard screeched, clenching her fists tightly, as she flapped her wings faster, attempting to catch up to the sprinting vandal running ahead of her.
Dour and Fang shook their heads - both of them hanging from the branch of a nearby tree; as they'd both leapt up there as soon as Buzzard had started chasing Spike, in order to avoid also being attacked.
"Why can't you be more like your sister Emily?!" Buzzard yelled, now flying above Spike's head. "She never used to waltz straight into my house without ringing the doorbell - and she never used to put her paws on the coffee table… And she never ever once smashed one of my priceless china plates!"
"…IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!" Spike whimpered, clenching his teeth in determination as he increased his pace.
"…Alright, it's time for me to finish this, Ernest." Buzzard grinned, rapidly rubbing her wings together - a fine silver powder beginning to pour from between them.
"Respect your seniors… Silver Wind!"
With Buzzard's words, she flipped backwards in the air, so that she was hovering above Spike's bouncing tail. She spread her arms and wings apart, and sent forth a torrent of glistening silver dust to cascade down over Spike.
Spike closed his eyes furiously, determined not to be blinded by Buzzard's attack. He continued to run on ahead, but to his dismay, his paws suddenly skidded upon the dusted ground - his claws' grip totally unaffected by the slippery powder.
Spike let out a quiet yelp, feeling his legs fall out from underneath him, his belly skidding rapidly along the floor until his skull collided with a huge Razz berry bush - stopping him in a sudden burst of spiky branches and splattering orange berry flesh.
Buzzard landed gracefully on her two hind legs, several centimetres from where Spike lay in a bedraggled heap, tangled within thorny branches and immersed in squished berries.
She dusted her paws down smugly, shaking her head in despair. "Oh well… Life is rough, isn't it, Ernest?"
Buzzard cackled to herself, leaping back up into the air, zooming off back off in the opposite direction. As she passed the tree where Fang and Dour were perched, she poked her head up through the leaves, giving them both a fright - both of them squeaking in shock.
"You must be friends of dear little Ernest." Buzzard smirked, her eyes glinting menacingly.
Fang trembled nervously, making a sound like a hamster exploding inside a microwave oven.
"…Uhh… T-That's right…" Dour stammered, edging backwards slowly, gulping as he noticed the height from which he was suspended.
"Don't worry boys - I shan't punish you… After all, you were not the ones who barged into my home and smashed one of my priceless plates, now, were you?"
Dour shook his head, nudging Fang sharply in the side as an indication for him to stop shaking.
"So long boys!" Buzzard laughed, performing a swift 180 degrees turn, before speeding off back to her home.
"…She's someone I wouldn't want to meet again in a hurry." Dour muttered, slowly beginning to climb down the bark of the tree.
"Totally." Fang agreed, leaping down from the branch, following Dour down.
Once both canine critters had safely touched the ground with their paws - Dour stood up on his hind legs, scanning the area for Spike.
"…Spike?! …Spike, are you alright?"
"There he is!" Fang called, dashing over to the Razz bush with Dour at his heels.
Dour and Fang knelt down beside their bedraggled friend, gently easing clumps of his fur free from the wild tangles of the thorny branches.
"…Now do you see what I meant about Buzzard…?" Spike moaned, feeling the tiny thorns cutting into his skin.
"…Yeah, we see." Dour mumbled, placing his paws upon Spike's shoulders, pulling him away from the tangle of tricky branches whilst Fang began to unpick Spike's tail.
"Oi! Watch what you're doing with my tail!" Spike shouted, not trusting the clumsy Poochyena anywhere near his rear end.
Fang snorted with immature laughter, once again - finding a perverted twist within Spike's words. Dour shook his head in despair; hauling Spike up onto his feet as Fang freed his tail from the bushes.
"There you go." Dour smiled, scratching his head nervously.
"…Dour…?" - Spike began, nervously.
"Mmm…?"
"Can you burn Buzzard's house down for me?"
"You know Dour, you really are a wimp."
"I am not!" Dour protested, grumpily kicking fallen leaves out of his path. "I wasn't going to just burn down some old lady's house, when she hadn't done anything to me in the first place!"
"What's the point in havin' fire powers, if you don't do anything fun with 'em?" Fang asked, raising an eyebrow rudely.
Dour snarled, wisps of smoke beginning to slither up from his nostrils.
"Yeah Dour! You shouldn't even BE a Houndour!"
Dour stopped; his eyes instantly turning red, the smoke gently simmering down. He'd heard a phrase like that before. But not from Spike…
"Give me the branding bayonet."
"…No!"
"…Dour, do not speak out of turn."
"…A real Schneider does not speak when faced with suffering."
"…Though he's not at all worthy…"
"…Yes Doom, we have established that…"
"…Now…"
"…ARRRRGGGHHHH!!"
"I think he's coming round…"
"…Bumsen."
("Fuck…")
"Pardon, Dour?"
"Verdammt bastard."
("Fucking bastards…")
Azzurri laid a gentle hand upon Dour's molten forehead, whispering gently into his ear in an attempt to comfort him.
"…H-He's done it before A-Azzurri…" Fang stammered, his legs shaking. "…H-He blacked out once b-before…"
"…And then he started talking some other language…" Spike added. "Like he just did."
"Dour…? Can you hear me?"
The Houndour blinked, opening his eyes wider - their colour slowly fading back to their normal hardened umber. He groaned, squirming uncomfortably upon feeling the unpleasant dampness of his body, due to his sudden excessive perspiration.
"…Azzurri? …Spike? …Fang?" Dour mumbled, swallowing hard; attempting to focus his eyesight on the creatures before him.
"…Doom?! Are you there Doom?!" Dour yelled, quickly leaping up out of Azzurri's grasp, standing square on his four paws - screaming to the sky.
"…Doom! COME BACK HERE YOU WORTHLESS COWARD!"
"…Azzurri! Do something!" - Spike pleaded, chewing on his lip nervously.
Azzurri scratched her head quickly; her eyes darting from side to side as she forced herself to think fast.
She nodded her head quickly - suddenly getting an idea. Azzurri opened her mouth gently, spitting out a soft stream of cold water onto Dour's skull cap.
- Dour grimaced, shivering at the sudden shock of the water's temperature, and suddenly feeling his elemental balance being upset.
Azzurri closed her mouth, watching Dour shake himself dry - before he began to tremble slightly in fear.
"It's alright Dour… I only did it to help… I'm not going to do it again…" Azzurri mumbled gently, placing her warm paw on Dour's shoulder.
"…Y-You mean it…?" Dour whimpered; his eyes wide with fear.
Azzurri nodded gently. "…Come on, let's go back."
"You're not feeling sick are you, Dour?" Azzurri asked, sounding concerned. "You haven't spoken a word since we set off."
"Dour doesn't talk much, Azzurri." Spike explained, watching a group of young Pokémon Trainers swimming alongside them.
There were four of them; three teenage girls and a young boy with a gently combed mop of brown hair, bobbing inside an inner-tube.
"Look sis', that bunny is carrying those dogs on its back!" He chirped, sounding excited.
The three girls stopped for a moment, treading water by gently swishing their limbs through the cool sea current.
"Look Karen, it's an Azumarill!" - One of them called; her sapphire blue eyes glimmering in admiration.
"Aww, isn't she cute?!" - Chirped a second, brushing her damp blonde fringe out of her eyes; her grin tickling her freckled cheeks.
Azzurri smiled gently to herself, continuing to swim on with a slight shake of her ears - leaving the children cooing and giggling amongst themselves.
"…I am NOT a dog." Spike snapped, as soon as they were out of earshot.
"…Doesn't it b-bother you, Azzurri?" Dour piped up, clearly ignoring Spike.
"Does what bother me, Dour dear?" Azzurri asked, turning her head slightly to face him.
"Trainers, just randomly pointing at you and talking about you…" Dour mumbled, lowering his eyes. "I'd hate it…"
"Of course not Dour, I don't mind at all. It's not like they say bad things about me." Azzurri smiled. "You need to stop being so shy Dour - learn to take a compliment!"
Dour glowered, feeling his cheeks tingling as the sun beat down upon his back.
"How much longer Azzurri…?!" Fang whined, from his perch upon her tail.
"It shouldn't be long now, Fang…" Azzurri sighed, hating the sound of his voice.
"Why don't we all sing…?" Spike muttered sarcastically - gazing over at a group of Tentacool bobbing casually upon the surface of the ocean.
"Oh! Good idea Spike!" Fang smirked, his eyes glinting. "I've got a good one…" He giggled, taking in a breath.
"One million bottles of Zinc on the wall, a million bottles of Zinc! You take one down, pass it around - Ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-nine bottles of Zinc on the wall!"
"…Fang…"
"Ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-nine bottles of Zinc on the wall, ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-nine bottles of Zinc! You take one down, pass it around - Ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-eight bottles of Zinc on the wall!"
"Fang…!"
"Ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-eight bottles of Zinc on the wall, ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-eight bottles of Zinc! You take one down, pass it around - Ninety-nine thousand, nine-hundred-ninety-seven bottles of Zinc on the wall!"
"FANG!!"
"…What? I was just getting to the good part…" Fang sniggered.
"…Do you know anything that's not annoying, Fang?" Azzurri groaned, sounding exasperated.
"Lessee…" Fang thought, determined to think up a song even more annoying or mildly offensive.
"Who ate all the pies? Who ate all the pies? Whoooo ate all the piiiies?! Snorlax, you fat bastard! Snorlax ate all the pies!"
"…Fang, I don't care for language like that. Especially coming from a fourteen-year-old Poochyena." Azzurri sighed, tutting in disgust.
"Fourteen!?" Spike gasped. "You think that immature little guano is fourteen?!"
Azzurri furrowed her eyebrows. "…Then how old is he?"
"He's eleven, Azzurri." Dour mumbled, shaking his head despairingly in Fang's direction.
"Appalling. I wouldn't let a son of mine use language like that, even at sixteen." Azzurri complained, rolling her eyes.
"…What's a guano?" Dour asked, curiously - though nobody paid him any attention.
"You didn't even let me finish the song…" Fang growled, baring his teeth. "You're just an Easter egg with ears."
"No wait; you're the Easter bunny after she's eaten everybody else's Easter eggs!" Fang snapped, rudely.
"She's big; she's round - she bounces off the ground… AZZURRI!"
Azzurri shook her head, an odd smile curling up the corner of her lips. They were now only a meter away from the shore - and the golden sands were in clear view.
"Well… If you're going to insult me like that Fang…" Azzurri smirked, quickly lifting her tail from out of the water; dunking Fang neatly into the shallow water with a plop.
Fang screamed out in terror, furiously flailing his paws in all directions - splashing frothy waves all around him, spraying sprinkles of salt-water in every direction.
"Argggggggggghhh!!" Fang gurgled, his mouth filling with brine. "H-Help me! I-I can't swim!!"
The helpless creature struggled to keep his head above the water's surface, as his eyes stung from the exposure to the bitter brine, his nose was clogged with salted snot and his ears were feeling unpleasantly moist and mushy inside.
After a few moments of rapid flailing and screaming, Fang felt his paw scrape along the ground. He stopped, placing all four of his feet upon the floor - realising the water had only been up to his chest the whole time.
Dour, Spike and Azzurri had been watching from the shore - and now they were doubled up with laughter at the expression of sheer humility upon Fang's face.
The soggy, bedraggled Poochyena clenched his teeth, his cheeks burning in both fury and embarrassment. He waded through the shallows to the beach, his paws squelching loudly upon the wet sand.
"Ahh… I think we could all do with a sing-along right now." Spike grinned, taking in a breath.
"One million bottles of brine on the beach, a million bottles of brine! You throw Fang down, splash him around - ninety-nine thousand nine-hundred-ninety-nine bottles of brine on the beach!"
"I think I like this version better." Azzurri smiled, folding her arms smugly.
"Ah, there's nothing like a day out at the beach, eh Dour?" Spike grinned.
Dour smiled. "Nothing quite like it at all Spike…"