CHAPTER 3
Then came a shout.
"That's my mom, I have to go!" Growlithe said, and then walked toward the sound.
"Can ... can I come over?" I stuttered. I hated to say those words.
"Sure, let's go!" He raced away through the rain, which was now very heavy.
I splashed through the mud after him, and then we arrived at his home.
I had expected it to be nothing other than what I'd seen in this forest. Maybe a clearing of trees? Instead, it was an old abandoned log cabin. They were lucky to have found this.
"Come on in." Growlithe said as he walked up the porch, and pushed open the door with his paw.
I cautiously followed him. I was scared. I shook off the water and mud before entering, then went in. It was dark, except for a few holes in the roof, which allowed for sunlight. Unfortuantely it also allowed for rain.
"There you are Growlithe." Came a voice.
I looked and saw a huge orange Pokèmon step out from a room. She looked just like Growlithe, but bigger and fluffier. I later learned that the species was called Arcanine.
"I was beginning to worry that ..." She gasped when she saw me. "You ... you brought ... a friend?"
"Yeah, we were playing tag and he asked to come over. His name is Houndour."
"H-hello, Houndour." She looked over her shoulder and shouted. "Honey! Come here please!" She looked back and smiled. "Growlithe, why don't you and Houndour go to your room and play."
"Okay. C'mon, Houndour!" Growlithe replied.
I followed after him, but I was curious about what Growlithe's mom was going to say to her husband. So I peeked around the corner and saw another Arcanine appear from the same room as Growlithe's mom's. They sat down in the living room and whispered.
"Dear, our son has befriended a Houndour. You know what everyone says about those Pokèmon."
"Oh dear." Said Growlithe's dad. "Everyone says they're evil. And that they are against all things good."
"Exactly. What do we do? I never thought of this happening. I never made up my mind on what we should do if our son ever made friends with a Houndour."
I was stunned. Houndour? Evil? I wasn't evil!
"Well, maybe we oughta just see for ourselves. Maybe Houndour aren't really like that."
The mother sighed. "I agree. But I'm scared for Growlithe to have influences that may be bad."
Suddenly a shout startled me.
"Hey Houndour, come on!" It was Growlithe. I would have to miss the rest of the conversation.
I went into his room and sat down near the doorway, hoping to catch some bits and pieces of the conversation. But Growlithe was so enthusiastic ... not to mention loud. It was hard to listen to the conversation and pay attention to him at the same time.
"Check this out!" Growlithe said. He jumped up onto a box, and poked his head out his window. "My room has a window that looks out at a big field. Come see."
I reluctantly went up to the window. He jumped down from the box and I took his place. I looked out at the field, and at the mountains behind it. Then I noticed a dark hole on the side of the mountain.
That wasn't just any dark hole either. I recognized it. It was the cave. I was crushed. I lowered my head and rested them on my paws and stared out at that place I loved. Not that I loved it because it was such a great old cave. But because it was my home. The place my three friends and I spent together.
"What's wrong? Houndour? Hey, Houndour!"
I turned, startled. "What?"
"What's wrong? You look sad."
I quickly changed my facial expression. "Oh, no. Nothing. Nothing's wrong."
"Okay ..." He answered, sounding a bit confused.
Then the two Arcanine walked in.
"Houndour, where do you live?" Asked the father.
"I don't have a home." I answered sadly, because now I really didn't.
They were clearly surprised to hear this. "What about ... your parents? Where are they?"
"I don't have any parents. I hatched, but ... I guess they abandoned me." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but I felt one tear slide down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, but they probably noticed it.
"You're homeless?" Asked the mother, with sympathy in her voice
"Yes." I answered.
"We'd, ah, better go have a little discussion, dear." The father quickly said. "You boys have fun. We'll be back soon."
They both left.
"You don't have a mom and dad?" Growlithe asked, still surprised.
"No." I replied, after swallowing a knot in my throat.
Growlithe sensed my sadness. The rest of this time was spent quietly doing nothing. Nothing but sitting and shuffling our feet. It was an uncomfortable silence. Growlithe not knowing how to react, and me not knowing how to handle my situation. And finally the two Arcanine returned.
"Houndour?" Said the mother. "We're going to let you stay here for a while, at least until we can find you some parents."
I was a little worried. They were supposed to say, 'Houndour, we're adopting you!'. But I couldn't let them know the plan. I had to be on my best behavior. Perhaps, in the end, they'd see that Houndour aren't all evil.
"Thank you!" I wanted them to know how thankful I was. I raced up to them and gave them each a hug. "Thank you so much!"
They were surprised by this. But they smiled.
The rest if the day was spent inside. A terrible storm was shaking the trees outside. The howling wind sounded so lonely and cold. The rain was pouring. And even though we were inside, when the wind blew, it blew rain in through Growlithe's window, getting us wet.
I knew I was a Fire type, and so was Growlithe, but water outside a Pokèmon battle wouldn't hurt us. At least not siginificantly. Growlithe seemed to like feeling the rain drops splatter him in the face.
As for me, I was too depressed to find pleasure in anything. But for the sake of making a good impression on my "mom and dad", I shouted and played with Growlithe.
If they didn't accept me, a trouble-making Houndour, I had no idea what I would do next. But I knew that I wouldn't be kicked out without having tried my best. No. I would do all within my power to stay. That way, if the frightening idea of them sending me away DID come true, I would at least be comforted by the thought that I had done my best.
Then came a shout.
"That's my mom, I have to go!" Growlithe said, and then walked toward the sound.
"Can ... can I come over?" I stuttered. I hated to say those words.
"Sure, let's go!" He raced away through the rain, which was now very heavy.
I splashed through the mud after him, and then we arrived at his home.
I had expected it to be nothing other than what I'd seen in this forest. Maybe a clearing of trees? Instead, it was an old abandoned log cabin. They were lucky to have found this.
"Come on in." Growlithe said as he walked up the porch, and pushed open the door with his paw.
I cautiously followed him. I was scared. I shook off the water and mud before entering, then went in. It was dark, except for a few holes in the roof, which allowed for sunlight. Unfortuantely it also allowed for rain.
"There you are Growlithe." Came a voice.
I looked and saw a huge orange Pokèmon step out from a room. She looked just like Growlithe, but bigger and fluffier. I later learned that the species was called Arcanine.
"I was beginning to worry that ..." She gasped when she saw me. "You ... you brought ... a friend?"
"Yeah, we were playing tag and he asked to come over. His name is Houndour."
"H-hello, Houndour." She looked over her shoulder and shouted. "Honey! Come here please!" She looked back and smiled. "Growlithe, why don't you and Houndour go to your room and play."
"Okay. C'mon, Houndour!" Growlithe replied.
I followed after him, but I was curious about what Growlithe's mom was going to say to her husband. So I peeked around the corner and saw another Arcanine appear from the same room as Growlithe's mom's. They sat down in the living room and whispered.
"Dear, our son has befriended a Houndour. You know what everyone says about those Pokèmon."
"Oh dear." Said Growlithe's dad. "Everyone says they're evil. And that they are against all things good."
"Exactly. What do we do? I never thought of this happening. I never made up my mind on what we should do if our son ever made friends with a Houndour."
I was stunned. Houndour? Evil? I wasn't evil!
"Well, maybe we oughta just see for ourselves. Maybe Houndour aren't really like that."
The mother sighed. "I agree. But I'm scared for Growlithe to have influences that may be bad."
Suddenly a shout startled me.
"Hey Houndour, come on!" It was Growlithe. I would have to miss the rest of the conversation.
I went into his room and sat down near the doorway, hoping to catch some bits and pieces of the conversation. But Growlithe was so enthusiastic ... not to mention loud. It was hard to listen to the conversation and pay attention to him at the same time.
"Check this out!" Growlithe said. He jumped up onto a box, and poked his head out his window. "My room has a window that looks out at a big field. Come see."
I reluctantly went up to the window. He jumped down from the box and I took his place. I looked out at the field, and at the mountains behind it. Then I noticed a dark hole on the side of the mountain.
That wasn't just any dark hole either. I recognized it. It was the cave. I was crushed. I lowered my head and rested them on my paws and stared out at that place I loved. Not that I loved it because it was such a great old cave. But because it was my home. The place my three friends and I spent together.
"What's wrong? Houndour? Hey, Houndour!"
I turned, startled. "What?"
"What's wrong? You look sad."
I quickly changed my facial expression. "Oh, no. Nothing. Nothing's wrong."
"Okay ..." He answered, sounding a bit confused.
Then the two Arcanine walked in.
"Houndour, where do you live?" Asked the father.
"I don't have a home." I answered sadly, because now I really didn't.
They were clearly surprised to hear this. "What about ... your parents? Where are they?"
"I don't have any parents. I hatched, but ... I guess they abandoned me." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but I felt one tear slide down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, but they probably noticed it.
"You're homeless?" Asked the mother, with sympathy in her voice
"Yes." I answered.
"We'd, ah, better go have a little discussion, dear." The father quickly said. "You boys have fun. We'll be back soon."
They both left.
"You don't have a mom and dad?" Growlithe asked, still surprised.
"No." I replied, after swallowing a knot in my throat.
Growlithe sensed my sadness. The rest of this time was spent quietly doing nothing. Nothing but sitting and shuffling our feet. It was an uncomfortable silence. Growlithe not knowing how to react, and me not knowing how to handle my situation. And finally the two Arcanine returned.
"Houndour?" Said the mother. "We're going to let you stay here for a while, at least until we can find you some parents."
I was a little worried. They were supposed to say, 'Houndour, we're adopting you!'. But I couldn't let them know the plan. I had to be on my best behavior. Perhaps, in the end, they'd see that Houndour aren't all evil.
"Thank you!" I wanted them to know how thankful I was. I raced up to them and gave them each a hug. "Thank you so much!"
They were surprised by this. But they smiled.
The rest if the day was spent inside. A terrible storm was shaking the trees outside. The howling wind sounded so lonely and cold. The rain was pouring. And even though we were inside, when the wind blew, it blew rain in through Growlithe's window, getting us wet.
I knew I was a Fire type, and so was Growlithe, but water outside a Pokèmon battle wouldn't hurt us. At least not siginificantly. Growlithe seemed to like feeling the rain drops splatter him in the face.
As for me, I was too depressed to find pleasure in anything. But for the sake of making a good impression on my "mom and dad", I shouted and played with Growlithe.
If they didn't accept me, a trouble-making Houndour, I had no idea what I would do next. But I knew that I wouldn't be kicked out without having tried my best. No. I would do all within my power to stay. That way, if the frightening idea of them sending me away DID come true, I would at least be comforted by the thought that I had done my best.