Stonekipsta, foxyjosh, Syzdoth, Embersky, trherring and Frizz.22- Thank you for the reviews and support. And for helping me decide which pokemon Natalie should get first. You all deserve several of my overused smileys. If you actually want them, I'll send you a message filled with them, lol.
Fields of lush green soon became Murphy's new home. There were far too many in Hoenn for his liking.
He passed the first gym, having reached Petalburg City, muttering that she should be allowed to challenge the leader, due to his super-effectiveness.
Damn the Pokemon League rules.
The overwhelming heat of the sun meant that Murphy spent most of his travels hiding out in shaded areas. Unfortunately, bug-type pokemon were also hiding in the same retreat, popping out from holes in the tree trunks and dropping down from uppermost branches.
Wading through the many surrounding lakes was the only way Blitzen would travel by his side. His long, muscular legs needed the space to stretch out and the heat dehydrated him so quickly.
Feeling lost and alone, threatening to crawl back into his shell without him, Murphy obliged. It was a nice feeling, having his calves numb slightly in the shallow depths of semi-cool water.
It didn't take long to get used to the travelling. After his first battle, and spectacular defeat due to the under-levelled hitmonlee despite the super-effectiveness, Murphy had taken to roaming route one-hundred-and -four, partaking in some much needed training.
It was almost a month later when he re-entered Rustboro.
He left Blitzen at the pokemon centre, giving him a long, overdue rest, whilst he spent his first day reunited with civilization sightseeing. There was a petting zoo, just off the outskirts, that he planned to visit, if just to widen his knowledge of pokemon.
Having concentrated solely on his starter, Murphy felt it was necessary.
There were many different kinds of tame pokemon, split into separating pens inside and out. Obviously, miltank, the pink cows, and mareep, the yellow sheep, were grazing outside, hidden behind flocks of little children. A few white and blue squirrels, cute by many people's standards, were playing hide and seek-or at least that's what it looked like to Murphy-behind several cedar saplings and full grown willows. They roamed free, some even daring to peek into a woman's low slung handbag or scurry up a small child's shoulder.
Colourful birds, clearly tamed well enough that they were trusted not to fly away, brightened the large garden with their royal blue, emerald and golden feathers. Their sleek black, wonderfully strange shaped heads- the crest resembling a musical note- alone were a conversational piece.
Also brightening the air and trees were the colourful array of bugs. Honey-coloured bees and honeycombs were buzzing in the background. Ebony outlined snow white wings, protruding from violet butterflies, fluttered past awed faces, only to be joined by darker wings of a larger span, flecked with beautiful colours- scarlet, gold and ultramarine.
An aviary filled with chirping smaller birds stood closest to the inside pens, connecting to the wood-panelled wall. A few of the hatchlings remained inside with their parents, too fragile to fly freely. Bright yellow ducks, joined by rose pink hippo-like pokemon, lounged lazily by a stretch of water. Some were even sleeping in the cool, shallow depths.
Despite all the outside wonders, Murphy stayed inside. The comfortable breeze of air that escaped from the fans whirring almost everywhere was a pleasant refuge from the sharp sun. Many canine and feline pokemon were padding around, revelling in the odd tummy tickle or scratch behind the ears.
They were certainly domesticated.
A group of lilac and raven pigs were playing with bundles of hay and straw, locked in a wide pen. Most were emitting an odd gurgling, almost like laughter, and Murphy found himself watching them for a while, before a tiny critter kept popping up, visible in the corner of his eye.
The rest of the species were huddled in the far corner, curled up in their chocolate banded tails, hiding away from the crowd that passed. The one who had taken to bobbing up and down, however, swivelled on her own bushy tail and made a whirring noise that could only be took as elation.
She bounced again, landing on two tiny feet, coloured exactly like her tail, minus the darker rings, and bounded forward, still chirping happily.
"Sentret. Treee!"
Murphy lowered himself to his knees. He couldn't help but smile at this strange little chipmunk. Her dark ears perked, twitching with a cute quirkiness. Once close enough, she raised herself with fantastic balance, resting her stubby paws on the wooden gate.
She allowed him to ruffle her soft fur, almost purring at his touch. "You like that, huh?" Murphy chuckled.
In response, she hopped back and spun on her tail, becoming a blur of chocolate and cream. The others tutted in disapproval.
"She's a handful that one," a short, blonde-haired woman appeared at Murphy's side, grinning down at him. She was shaking her head in a joking manner, but Murphy could tell she didn't approve either. "Never seen anything like it."
Murphy's silent response prompted her to continue. "Sentret are timid creatures. As you can tell, looking at the rest of her clan, on busy days like today they prefer to shy away from all of the attention." She let out a light laugh, still shaking her head. Murphy didn't miss the low sigh either. "We're not sure what to do with her. If she carries on like this, she'll be disowned. And sentret can't sleep alone, they need others around them."
"In that case," Murphy dug into his pocket, pulling out a fistful of notes he had won the previous day. "I'll take her."
"So, what exactly are you going to show me?"
"Us." Blondie corrected.
"No, me. I still don't see as to why you have to be here."
"Just be patient and you'll see." Natalie cut across blondie's snapping retort.
The crackles of the campfire, as the ember spat and the wood burned, was the only noise to be heard as the three of them fell silent once again, sitting awkwardly in the black cloth of night, faces lit by the orange glow, waiting.
"How long do we have to wait?" To her left, she felt Murphy shiver and move closer to the flames. Natalie huddled deeper in the oversized sweater Murphy had lent her and shrugged. It was after minutes of no response that she realized her reply had gone unseen.
"I'm not sure how it works…" She admitted glumly.
"Can't you just tell us?" Murphy's mutterings followed the question.
"Well… I wouldn't know what to say. Until I get some answers, I can't really give you any."
"But you can show us what happened to you?"
"…Yes."
Silence fell again. The blonde-haired girl, who had demanded she had to be there for reasons unknown, began to question Natalie's mental stability. Perhaps giving up her warm, comfortable room for a night under the stars had been a bad idea. Her legs ached with cramp and her jeans were already sodden from the damp that spread from the ground.
Their dinner hadn't been much cop either. She had given up a luxurious spread of different choices for spit-roasted rats and birds. Dry, tough and sparse.
Murphy's chosen hunter-Vixen- was resting in between Natalie and Murphy's knees. Her henna eyes flashed garnet in the dancing flames as she lay, full, on the dusty ground, swishing her six, beautiful tails, each one as warm and vibrant as their fiery source of light and heat.
They grazed Natalie's knee as they flicked back and forth. Their touch was just as warm as the sunlight that beat down during a summer's day. Perhaps warmer.
That warmth spread through her quickly. Combined with the peaceful atmosphere and her satisfied stomach (for the first time since she had been dumped in the unknown), she began to feel sleepy. Her eyes drooped occasionally and became a strain to hold open. It didn't take long for her to slump to the wet floor and give in to the lull of sleep.
"Brilliant." A heavy sigh came from across the campfire, followed by scuffling. "We're sat here waiting for… God knows what… and she falls asleep!"
"Then, by all means, leave." Murphy snapped back.
"Fine."
Two soft thumps indicated that she had stood up. Murphy could just see her outline towering above the flames. Golden glints randomly appeared every time she straightened up from collecting her stuff.
"See you around…" Murphy cheered, even raising his hand to wave her goodbye. "…Or not."
She didn't respond. She stalked away, heading back up to the clearing that led to Sandgem Town.
She was almost there when something catching the corner of her eye caused to stop.
Natalie was glowing.
The bright illumination lit up the surrounding area, engulfing the flames that had once been a poor source of light. Vixen, startled, leapt up with a yelp and sped off towards the hedge nearest the stranger, the furthest accessible point away from the strange scene.
Murphy slid back too. His tangled, half-asleep legs stopped him from moving too far away. He had managed to drag himself a few feet before the stabbing sensation caused him to crash back to the ground.
He now sat staring, open mouthed, at the blinding light ahead.
It dimmed as his vulpix and the stranger headed back. The process was slow and white squiggly lines and dots clouded their vision long before the light faded completely. A few blinks later and everything was normal.
Except it wasn't.
The sleeping girl had vanished. A bundle of clothes, matching the ones she had worn, were scattered on the ground, flapping lightly in the faint breeze. A fox, burnt sienna and almost vermilion in colour, was staring their way, her sorrel eyes bright with concern. Her ears were twitching nervously, the tip missing from the right- an old battle wound.
Vixen.
Except, Vixen was standing in front of her owner, protectively, her hackles raised. She growled, her growls growing louder as they forced their way from her throat, transforming into a bark as she leapt.
"No!" Murphy cried as he realized, slightly too late. He scrabbled about his person, dropping many items in the process, searching for Vulpix's pokeball. She disappeared in another flash of light as a heart-wrenching howl pierced the air.
I used Vixen because many of you voted vulpix. I chose ponyta, however, thanks to Syzdoth's suggestion, which I completely agree with.
I apologise, again, about the striking similarities to Priya's team. It's unintentional, I assure you. (Syzdoth)
Thank you all, again, for reviewing!