XIII : The Night of Max
Max tells a story about a friend
Stephanie listens
While Brian was following JoAnn, Stephanie had found Max on the couch, swaying back and forth. Beside him was a mini-vodka bottle.
"Hey Steph, did you know the mini-fridge its actually a mini-bar?" Max slurred.
"Max, those bottles are more expensive then the champagne we drank tonight, wait, are you sloshed?" Max giggled.
"No" Max pulled him self as close to Stephanie's head as he could, as she sat down. "Well, yes I'm drunk! Call the media, daddy's hammered!" Stephanie grabbed Max, and flipped him on his back, laying him on her lap. She stroked Maxs' fur slowly. "Why am I on my back?"
"To keep you from throwing up and drowning in it" Max sighed. "Is their something on your mind?"
"I don't want to talk a-out it" Max slurred, missing his b's.
"Come on, you know you can talk to me about any thing" Stephanie mumbled, scratching Max behind his ears.
"Oooohhhh" Max moaned, "You're evil, evil evil evil" He began to kick the air with his back leg, "Alright, I'll talk" Stephanie grinned an evil grin, as Max began his story. "You see, earlier to night, I met this friend I have been meeting a few times now, her name is Amber…
Three Hours Earlier
Max and Amber had decided at time, to meet at the edge of the forest, Amber telling Max she had a fun surprise for him.
"Max, you came" Amber exclaimed happily.
"Of course I did, I said I would, and besides, I enjoy your company. Now, what did you want to show me?" Amber grinned.
"Follow me" She said, running into the dark forest. Keeping his eyes on the gold band on her tail, Max ran as fast as he could.
The two raced through the forest, until the came upon a clearing, filled with various berry trees. Their were some that Max hadn't even seen in the Sacred Valley.
"I don't understand" Amber laughed.
"I assumed you wouldn't. Now, most berries no longer grow in the wild, ever since the war, the soil has been"
"Empty of almost all nutritional value?"
"Exactly. The soil died, most fruit died, and almost all berry variety died, except the driest ones of course. Well, when me and my master first got here, I went out and explored, while she drank. I ended up finding this place, I mean purely by accident!" Max grinned.
"You know, you're amazing" Amber laughed.
"Yeah, I know" She walked over to a vine like tree, with a green and pink striped berry, larger then the two eons combined. Amber used crunch to separate the berry from the vine, and then rolled the large berry over to Max.
"I've never seen a berry like this, what is it?"
"A watmel berry. These don't grow in many places. Do you want to open it?" Max grimaced, wondering how to tell her he couldn't.
"Uh, I'm just really tired" Amber nodded.
"Don't worry, I understand" Amber once again used crunch, breaking the watmel in two. "Dig in" The two took giant bites.
"Oh my god, this thing is sweet" Max said.
"I know, don't you just love it?" Amber asked, almost moaning, "I haven't had one of these in almost four years. When was the last time you had one?"
"Uh, never?" Amber looked at him strangely.
"Never? In your entire life? Your trainer never bought you one when they found one?"
"I, well, I don't really eat berries"
"You don't eat berries?" Max shrugged. "You know Max, you are the strangest Espeon I have ever met"
"Okay, now I have a question" Max turned away from the giant berry. "Earlier, you mentioned your master drinking, and I noticed a twinge of bitterness in your voice, why is that?" Amber scowled.
"My master is not a good person, I can admit that. She is extremely shallow, and narcissistic. But, the thing that bugs me most of all, is she's a fucking alcoholic" Max choked, as he began to cough up the berry. Amber rushed over, concerned, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine" Max choked. "A drunk you say?"
"An absolute drunk. In the five years I've lived with her, she has managed to drive away two husbands, and over six million credits. I mean, how do you drink away six million credits?"
"Luck and several bottles of vodka"
"This isn't a joke!" Amber exclaimed. "I hate booze, and seeing what it can do to people. My master may be stupid, and a bad person, but I still care about her"
"And you hate booze?"
"It destroys people, and I've seen pokemon who have tried berry wine and become drunks. Booze kills" Max nodded.
"Booze kills" He said in solemn agreement.
"So, to celebrate your agreement on the dangers of alcohol" Stephanie said, "You came back here, and got drunk off your ass?"
"Something like that" Max muttered, his stomach still being rubbed by Stephanie.
"I don't understand, you've obviously got a crush on this Umbreon"
"Don't say that" Max spat suddenly.
"Don't say what?"
"That I have a crush on Amber, I can't have one" Stephanie shook her head, knowing she was going to regret her next question.
"Okay, why?" Max looked at her exasperated, his giant blue eyes expressing that the answer should have been obvious.
"She's a pokemon!"
"So?"
"What do I look like?" Stephanie grabbed Maxs' tail, right below the split, and yanked, causing him to yelp.
"Well, you squeal like an Espeon, so I'm going to have to say an Espeon" Stephanie said coyly. Max grumbled, so she went back to rubbing.
"I may be an Espeon in body, but I'm a human in mind"
"Alright, you obviously don't have a crush on Amber, but you care about what she says. So, why did you come back here too get smashed?" Max thought this over.
"Actually, I don't know. I love talking to Amber, but when ever I do, I desperately need a drink. I-uh-I" Max closed his eyes, and passed out.
Stephanie moved onto her back, letting Max sleep. He would need a goodnights sleep, the next day would be murder. But as Stephanie stared at the ceiling, she wondered about Amber, and what made Max so happy and miserable at the same time.