What is it like to give something up for another's benefit? Sometimes the sacrifice is mind numbingly unthinkable, while other times it is as simple as picking berries or trimming hedges. Sacrifices are neccessary in a community and most go unnoticed or unappreciated. But saying thank you or further expressing your gratitude is a feat worth accomplishing.
And here is another bout of my special psychobabble that will go nicely with this chapter as well.
And in the struggle to grow closer to their friends, one knows they will most surely be pushed away, in response. Yet they often persist, why? It's because they want to get closer, they want to know you better, and in getting to know you better, you often get to know yourself better as well.
After all, everyone knows...
Smiles go for miles!
I'm sorry! I've just been playing Pokemon Explorers of Darkness so much that that one humorous line is imprinted in my mind!
Oh, well anyways it has been awhile since I've updated and we've only got about four or so chapters left in this story.
So be nice and...
Reveiw!
Viva la feedback!
As a leader, Bosco was rather enthusiastic and often encouraged his fellow group members. He was determined to be a good leader.
If one wanted to leave or stay behind when he chose to move onward once more in his travels, then he wished them well and bade them goodbye with a mixture of hope and dismay. The hope was that they would find their one true place, the dismay was for the truth he knew about their chances of succeeding. Finding a place where one truly fits was ever so rare, the percentages so slight.
This was his way of seeing things: If he had gone through three owners and none had worked out, then fate was against him. Guardian knew how many owners some of his companions had been through.
If Bosco wanted one thing and one thing alone, even if he had to live life as a outcast it was that all of them would find a good home. But he knew that was most likely impossible for all of them.
But the chances were higher now that they were free and away from the fickle city, some could belong in the wild, after all, some did not act docile enough to be a human's pet.
Bosco was pulled out of his thoughts as he walked onward by Claire shouting boldly. "Hey, look alive!" The Meowth pointed a paw at the small town that stood out before them.
Around twenty houses were spread out amongst a neatly spread feild-ish area, fences and walls had not become a big fad here and there seemed to be less traffic here.
Several eyes widened and the gazes turned to Bosco who kept walking, the Umbreon rested beneath a shady tree. "You all spread out and try to find yourselves a home, if all does not go well, we shall meet back at this tree at nightfall. I'll be here waiting with open paws."
Several of them scurried off, some lingered and walked away slowly, but there were those that also chose to remain beside their leader.
Claire and Tripod sat side by side and smiled at Bosco. "You lead them well, I myself could not imagine following a better leader then you, Bosco."
"Really, thank you Tripod, but why don't you and Claire go look for a home like the others?" His gaze landed on Flora and Evergreen also sitting beside each other, and then he saw the Jolteon, the Eevee, and the giggling Marill duo. "And how come you fellow Pokemon aren't looking as well?" he asked a golden ringed ear twitching in curiosity.
Evergreen spoke up for them all, "We are giving the others a better chance, if too many of us try at once, the odds for the others will become slimmer. I'd rather see them smile and being happy. Besides, in our case, who would take in both me and Flora at once? Surely there isn't enough room in most of these houses for two, and I've already seen quite a few pets owned as is."
The Marill pair giggled and nodded. "Yeah, and there's no ponds or anything around here, we want water where we live!" The two said at the same time, the dark blue furred one gave the other a high five.
Pip the Taillow flew back from wherever he'd flown to, the Taillow landed atop Bosco's untwitching ear, he whispered and chirped several interesting tidbits that made Bosco grin at the two aquatic mice. "Ah, well then, you two Marill will be happy to know that my good feathered friend, Pip the Taillow has informed me that the place we will be going to next has quite a few lakes nearby." The two Marill both gave a whoop of excitement and punched the air while giggling.
Bosco looked up at Pip, "Thank you for telling me about what you saw Pip."
"It was nothing leader. Oh, I see a really tall Pecha berry tree with lots of tasty, plump, juicy treats in the distance, anyone else hungry?"
A roar of 'yeses' rang out followed by a loud unity of stomach rumbles. Claire leaped to her feet. "I'll go get us some food, after all, I'm probably the only one who can climb up a tree that high." The Meowth said and gestured to the Taillow, "Pip, mind showing me the way?" and then she was following suit as the Taillow guided her along, Tripod stood up and with a murmur of 'I'll go help her' he bounded after his mate.
Flora stood up and stretched and then prodded her Bulbasaur companion with a vine. "Let's go help them as well, Evergreen." Evergreen nodded and stood up beside the Leafeon. "Hey Bosco, you and the others wait here, we'll bring enough back for all of you guys!"
Bosco nodded and smiled. "Thanks."
000
As Claire clambered up the tree, a worried Electrike gazed up at her, "Careful Claire!" he shouted. The Meowth grinned a Cheshire grin. "Tripod I'm a cat for nature's sake! I was born to climb trees and another thing I was born to do is- Ahhhh!" She cried, as a paw slipped on a slippery part of the tree bark.
Claire was now hanging from a paw, she looked down at the ground and her ears pull back in utter terror. "Claire!" The Electrike yelled in fright.
"Whoa! Hang on there!" Flora shouted extending a vine and lifting the dangling Meowth up, she sat Claire atop a sturdy branch. The trembling Meowth smiled and waved her tail at the Leafeon. "Thank you so much Flora! I was sure that I would have fallen any second there."
Claire then scowled at her extended claws. "Curse these uncoordinated paws of mine, this is why I loathe the indoor life, it makes one's survival skills grow bland and blunt."
"Nonsense, you just need practice, then you will get the hang of it, here let us help with gathering the berries." Evergreen said as he extended a vine and plucked some Pecha berries.
000
Meanwhile, Bosco had been conversing with the Jolteon for several minutes on end.
"So your name is Jason, huh?" The Umbreon asked, repeating what said Jolteon had just told him.
"Yup, stupid name I know, but it's what I was named as an Eevee."
Bosco laughed. "Stupid? Some might think the name Bosco is stupid, but a name's a name and it means more to some than to others."
Pip soared down and chimed in with a cheerful chirp. "I think Pip is a stupid name, I don't 'pip' I chirp, but my first owner was probably deaf in an ear or something. You know, most of the time a new owner will give you a new name."
Claire and the others then arrived and walked forward, arms, paws, and vines brimming with what had to be the plumpest and juiciest Pecha berries they'd ever seen in their lifes.
Everyone immeadiatly dug into the berries as soon as they were laid before their gaping, hungry maws and ate until they were fuller than a tick.
Upon having become stuffed, they realized there was still a good portion of untouched Pecha berries leftover. Bosco decided that the Pokemon who were unsuccessful in their search would return and also be hungry from their efforts, thus he suggested the berries be left for them to eat.
"Bosco, can I ask you something?" Flora asked, licking a paw moist with berry juice.
"Sure thing Flora, ask away." The Dark type replied while he was scratching his side with a hind leg.
"Who was your first owner? Do you renember? If so, would you mind telling us about it?"
A few murmurs of curiousity from the others about the past of their leader rang out. Bosco noticed most of them were now gazing curiously at him as well.
He took a deep breath.
"I was born in the wild, my mother was a glorious Flareon named Firefang, I know not who my father was and can't say I deeply care. One day when I was still just a kit I wandered off, far into the city. It was then that I became lost and alone, I ran in circles tiring myself out before I callapsed and began to cry out for my mother. A creature that wore coats of many colours and stood on two legs grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, frightened as I was I was also exhausted so I only whimpered softly and trembled. I was surprised the creature didn't eat me then and there, but it didn't and soon I was taken into a place with four walls around me. I learned later that it was a man that found me and took me into a house. He handed me to a more feminene looking creature's of the same species as he himself. I became less frightened and soon grew fond of the woman."
Bosco stopped for a second, he sighed and shook his head sadly.
"It sounds like a perfect home." Tripod said to him.
"What went wrong?" Evergreen asked, his red eyes wide in wonder.
"It is true," Bosco replied,
"it did seem perfect, I was doted upon, fed nourishing milk and later meat. They took me out for walks and brushed my fur, I was given the name Bosco because there was a human magician named that as well. When I evolved they both looked at me in awe, telling me I was perfect and that no one would ever replace their magnificent Bosco.
I always got along fine with both the man and his wife, but soon there came the news of another coming to live among us. A baby was going to be born they said and even I was delighted to know I'd soon have a friend. But it went sour, I could sense from the beginning that the child and I wouldn't be able to get along.
Sure at first when he was unable to walk I kept my distance, but as soon as he became mobile, I was unable to cope, so I hid atop objects or in places he couldn't reach me in. He grew fast, soon he was three and a living nightmare, and a serious pain in the bum.
He pulled my ears, tugged my tail and eventually broke many valuble objects.
I could do nothing about it and the blame was always put on me because the kid always pointed a finger at me and said 'bad puppy'.
I composed myself as much as possible, but one day when I was especially ticked who should sneak up behind me, but the terrible brat.
He thought it would be funny to try and grab both my ears with one hand while giving my tail a particuly strong tug on my tail with the other.
My rump was already sore from the last time, so that tug crossed the line for once and for all. I struggled, my head and ears coming loose from his grip, unfortunetly the sight of him holding my aching tail infuriated me even further. And I physically reacted.
I bit down as hard as I could upon his chubby child hand, and I drew blood. I gagged as drops of the metalic tasting liquid rushed down my throat, coughing I released my hold, blood dripping onto my fur, despite being black, it was obvious that there was blood upon it.
The boy, having tears brimming his wide eyes let out the loudest of wails and released his hold on my tail in fright..."
"What happened next?" Flora asked.
Bosco looked at the Leafeon.
"That, my friend, is obvious... The man and woman arrived on the spot immeadiatly, the woman comforting her son, and the man, I shudder at renembering his response, the narrowing of his steel grey eyes as he gazed at the blood on my muzzle and paws. But his physical reactions were far worse, the way he grabbed me by my ears in anger, opened the door and hurled me outside roughly. He shouted after me, 'I thought you were better than that Bosco! But now... Be gone with you! You are on your own from now on!' and his words still echo in my mind."
"I'm sorry to have made you relive such a sad memory, Bosco." Flora said softly.
"It's okay, I'll find a place where I'll belong eventually... I know it, as surely as I know my name. I will belong somewhere someday. I will belong."