CHAPTER 4
Days passed and I was still living with Growlithe and his parents. No one even mentioned me leaving.
I had worked hard to be good, and to prove myself. Every morning I'd help with what little chores there were. Dusting the floors with a small branch covered in leaves, keeping the front yard clean. And I even helped find breakfast. Sometimes I'd wake up very early, when it was still dark, and pick berries for breakfast.
This made a good impression. They never discussed my leaving. I had to work hard so they'd know that not all Houndour were bad. I hadn't met another Houndour, so maybe they were born bad, but I knew that I wasn't. And somehow I had to prove it.
After an entire week living at his house, I was pretty confident that I was staying here for good. But one night I felt saddened. I missed my three friends. As everyone slept, I quietly stepped onto the box under Growlithe's window and jumped through the window. I walked a little ways, and then sat down. The moonlight was hardly shining. The starless night was cloudy, windy, and cold.
I stared off at the cave. I couldn't see it. It was too dark. But I knew it was there. That's all that mattered.
I sat there recalling all the good times I'd had with my three pals, when a sound jerked me back to the real world.
"Pssst! Hey, you!"
Startled, I looked around. What ...? I didn't see anyone ...
"Over here!" Out from the darkness of the woods stepped a figure. And another one. And two others.
I was scared. A trainer? Houndour haters?
Then what little moonlight there was lit up the silhouette of the one in front of the others.
It was like looking into a mirror! Another Houndour! And with him three others.
"What?" I said. "I've never met another Houndour before!!" I walked up to him and studied his face. Wow! It really was another Houndour.
"Yeah, sure, kid. I'm Blaze. These other guys are my pals. But anyway, the reason I'm here. We heard there was a Houndour living with a family of Arcanine. That would be you, right?"
I nodded.
His jaw dropped. He turned over his shoulder to the other three and laughed. "Hey guys, can you believe it? The rumors were true!" He turned back to me. "I can't believe this. I'm speechless! I mean, who woulda thought a Houndour first of all, would want to be around Arcanine and Growlithe, let alone ACTUALLY live in the same home as them!"
Then all four burst into laughter.
I felt bad, like they were laughing at me.
"Hey, kid. How did you manage to do it, huh?" Blaze asked.
I thought for a second. "Uhh ... I just ... was a good kid."
They stared at me.
"Ahhh, good?" Blaze stuck his nose in my face. "GOOD? Kid, Houndour don't act 'good'. We act BAD. Who told you otherwise?"
I took a step backward. "Well, no one. I was just born that way."
He started nodding. "Oh yeah, sure, I see, uh-huh." He answered in a sarcastic tone. I didn't like him already. "So, why'd you leave your parents for those two Arcanine?"
A knot formed in my throat. This was a sensitive issue. "Because I don't have any. I hatched alone. They abandoned me or something, I don't know, and I don't care."
"Ooooohhhhh, no WONDER you're so mixed up! There was never no one to show you the ways of the Houndour!" He shook his head in disgust. "Come with us. We run wild, no parents. We're on our own and lovin' it. You'll love it too."
"I like my ... umm, parents ..." I stuttered, not sure if they really were.
"Of course you do!" Blaze answered. "You don't know no better. But after you hang out with us for a while, you'll know what bein' a Houndour is alllll about! C'mon, let's go!"
He turned to leave.
"I'm staying. I can't leave." I answered.
"Come on." Said another. "We'll show you how to be a real Houndour."
"I ... I can't. I've got to be good or they'll make me leave." Before they could say anything else, I raced back to Growlithe's place, leaped back in through the window, and hid in the closet should they come looking for me.
Morning came quickly. I awoke to find myself still in the closet. I didn't mean to fall asleep in there. Those guys never did come back, at least not to my knowledge, and if they did, I didn't hear them.
I stepped out of the closet to find Growlithe staring at me.
"Umm ... what are you doing?" He asked.
I smiled nervously. "Nothing really. Just felt like ... looking in the closet!"
He gave me an expression that says, "Sure, whatever you say, but I don't get it."
"Breakfast!" Came a shout.
That was when I realized how incredibly hungry I was.
We both hurried to eat, playfully shoving eachother to see who got there first.
Growlithe won, naturaully, since I had no idea where the breakfast was to be eaten. It turned out that it was in the room where I had first seen Growlithe's mom emerge from.
Breakfast was a variaty of berries, and a mushroom and apple for each of us.
I was, I have to admit, disappointed at the lack of a meat food group. But the prospect of being homeless was even scarier than life without meat.
Breakfast was good. Not to offend my three friends, but ... they didn't know how to make a good meal. But I didn't know any better back then. That was the only food I had ever eaten, how was I supposed to know that better food did exist?
As soon as breakfast was over, Growlithe invited to play outside. I happily agreed to go, the sun was shining its warm, comforting rays on everything it touched. This was new compared to the bad weather we had been having lately, especially last night.
When we went outside, I cautiously looked around. I didn't want to run into those mysterious four Houndour who had appeared from practically no where. And what would happen if my parents learned that I had been talking to them? They'd think I was keeping bad company, and that I really was bad. I had to stay away from them.
After I had made sure they weren't around, I leaped after Growlithe, who was already off the porch.
After romping through the grass, we both lay on our backs and stared up at the sky. We talked about different things. Why the is sky blue, reasons we wouldn't want to belong to a trainer, and what the difference is between an ocean and a sea.
But our thoughts were interrupted by the shriek of a whistle and shouting. We raised our heads and stood to our feet. I shook the grass of my back, and listened to the sounds.
"It's okay." Said Growlithe. "It's just training."
"What do you mean?"
He pointed his snout in the direction of the sounds. "The police dogs. They train everyday. It looks like a lot of work, but they do it to protect the city."
This sounded very interesting.
"You want to go see?" He asked.
"Sure." I responded.
"It's over this way." He led me through the trees, all the while the sounds grew louder. Then he pushed past some bushes and motioned for me to be quiet.
I poked my head through and gasped. There were at least twenty Growlithe in a large pen, each with their own trainer. They were racing around the pen with their trainers.
"That's excersise." Whispered Growlithe. "They need to be in shape you know."
After a few minutes, they gathered together, Growlithe and trainer. Then a woman stepped in front of everyone else and was, it appeared, giving them instructions.
"Now they're going to practice commands with the Growlithe. Things like attack, and sit." Growlithe mumbled quietly, his eyes locked on the activity going on before us.
We watched for a while before Growlithe informed me it was lunch time. I hated to leave. As we headed back to the house, Growlithe and I talked about the police dogs.
"That's what I want to be when I grow up." He said excitedly. "You train and train, it's a lot of work, but you put your life on the line to help people. You protect the city from evil."
Then, suddenly, I was struck with an idea. Protect the city from evil? If I did that, certainly everyone would realize that I am not evil. Why would I want to protect the city from evil if I myself was evil?
It was perfect. I then made up my mind to become a police dog, and prove to everyone that I was a good Houndour, no matter how silly an idea they thought it was.
Days passed and I was still living with Growlithe and his parents. No one even mentioned me leaving.
I had worked hard to be good, and to prove myself. Every morning I'd help with what little chores there were. Dusting the floors with a small branch covered in leaves, keeping the front yard clean. And I even helped find breakfast. Sometimes I'd wake up very early, when it was still dark, and pick berries for breakfast.
This made a good impression. They never discussed my leaving. I had to work hard so they'd know that not all Houndour were bad. I hadn't met another Houndour, so maybe they were born bad, but I knew that I wasn't. And somehow I had to prove it.
After an entire week living at his house, I was pretty confident that I was staying here for good. But one night I felt saddened. I missed my three friends. As everyone slept, I quietly stepped onto the box under Growlithe's window and jumped through the window. I walked a little ways, and then sat down. The moonlight was hardly shining. The starless night was cloudy, windy, and cold.
I stared off at the cave. I couldn't see it. It was too dark. But I knew it was there. That's all that mattered.
I sat there recalling all the good times I'd had with my three pals, when a sound jerked me back to the real world.
"Pssst! Hey, you!"
Startled, I looked around. What ...? I didn't see anyone ...
"Over here!" Out from the darkness of the woods stepped a figure. And another one. And two others.
I was scared. A trainer? Houndour haters?
Then what little moonlight there was lit up the silhouette of the one in front of the others.
It was like looking into a mirror! Another Houndour! And with him three others.
"What?" I said. "I've never met another Houndour before!!" I walked up to him and studied his face. Wow! It really was another Houndour.
"Yeah, sure, kid. I'm Blaze. These other guys are my pals. But anyway, the reason I'm here. We heard there was a Houndour living with a family of Arcanine. That would be you, right?"
I nodded.
His jaw dropped. He turned over his shoulder to the other three and laughed. "Hey guys, can you believe it? The rumors were true!" He turned back to me. "I can't believe this. I'm speechless! I mean, who woulda thought a Houndour first of all, would want to be around Arcanine and Growlithe, let alone ACTUALLY live in the same home as them!"
Then all four burst into laughter.
I felt bad, like they were laughing at me.
"Hey, kid. How did you manage to do it, huh?" Blaze asked.
I thought for a second. "Uhh ... I just ... was a good kid."
They stared at me.
"Ahhh, good?" Blaze stuck his nose in my face. "GOOD? Kid, Houndour don't act 'good'. We act BAD. Who told you otherwise?"
I took a step backward. "Well, no one. I was just born that way."
He started nodding. "Oh yeah, sure, I see, uh-huh." He answered in a sarcastic tone. I didn't like him already. "So, why'd you leave your parents for those two Arcanine?"
A knot formed in my throat. This was a sensitive issue. "Because I don't have any. I hatched alone. They abandoned me or something, I don't know, and I don't care."
"Ooooohhhhh, no WONDER you're so mixed up! There was never no one to show you the ways of the Houndour!" He shook his head in disgust. "Come with us. We run wild, no parents. We're on our own and lovin' it. You'll love it too."
"I like my ... umm, parents ..." I stuttered, not sure if they really were.
"Of course you do!" Blaze answered. "You don't know no better. But after you hang out with us for a while, you'll know what bein' a Houndour is alllll about! C'mon, let's go!"
He turned to leave.
"I'm staying. I can't leave." I answered.
"Come on." Said another. "We'll show you how to be a real Houndour."
"I ... I can't. I've got to be good or they'll make me leave." Before they could say anything else, I raced back to Growlithe's place, leaped back in through the window, and hid in the closet should they come looking for me.
Morning came quickly. I awoke to find myself still in the closet. I didn't mean to fall asleep in there. Those guys never did come back, at least not to my knowledge, and if they did, I didn't hear them.
I stepped out of the closet to find Growlithe staring at me.
"Umm ... what are you doing?" He asked.
I smiled nervously. "Nothing really. Just felt like ... looking in the closet!"
He gave me an expression that says, "Sure, whatever you say, but I don't get it."
"Breakfast!" Came a shout.
That was when I realized how incredibly hungry I was.
We both hurried to eat, playfully shoving eachother to see who got there first.
Growlithe won, naturaully, since I had no idea where the breakfast was to be eaten. It turned out that it was in the room where I had first seen Growlithe's mom emerge from.
Breakfast was a variaty of berries, and a mushroom and apple for each of us.
I was, I have to admit, disappointed at the lack of a meat food group. But the prospect of being homeless was even scarier than life without meat.
Breakfast was good. Not to offend my three friends, but ... they didn't know how to make a good meal. But I didn't know any better back then. That was the only food I had ever eaten, how was I supposed to know that better food did exist?
As soon as breakfast was over, Growlithe invited to play outside. I happily agreed to go, the sun was shining its warm, comforting rays on everything it touched. This was new compared to the bad weather we had been having lately, especially last night.
When we went outside, I cautiously looked around. I didn't want to run into those mysterious four Houndour who had appeared from practically no where. And what would happen if my parents learned that I had been talking to them? They'd think I was keeping bad company, and that I really was bad. I had to stay away from them.
After I had made sure they weren't around, I leaped after Growlithe, who was already off the porch.
After romping through the grass, we both lay on our backs and stared up at the sky. We talked about different things. Why the is sky blue, reasons we wouldn't want to belong to a trainer, and what the difference is between an ocean and a sea.
But our thoughts were interrupted by the shriek of a whistle and shouting. We raised our heads and stood to our feet. I shook the grass of my back, and listened to the sounds.
"It's okay." Said Growlithe. "It's just training."
"What do you mean?"
He pointed his snout in the direction of the sounds. "The police dogs. They train everyday. It looks like a lot of work, but they do it to protect the city."
This sounded very interesting.
"You want to go see?" He asked.
"Sure." I responded.
"It's over this way." He led me through the trees, all the while the sounds grew louder. Then he pushed past some bushes and motioned for me to be quiet.
I poked my head through and gasped. There were at least twenty Growlithe in a large pen, each with their own trainer. They were racing around the pen with their trainers.
"That's excersise." Whispered Growlithe. "They need to be in shape you know."
After a few minutes, they gathered together, Growlithe and trainer. Then a woman stepped in front of everyone else and was, it appeared, giving them instructions.
"Now they're going to practice commands with the Growlithe. Things like attack, and sit." Growlithe mumbled quietly, his eyes locked on the activity going on before us.
We watched for a while before Growlithe informed me it was lunch time. I hated to leave. As we headed back to the house, Growlithe and I talked about the police dogs.
"That's what I want to be when I grow up." He said excitedly. "You train and train, it's a lot of work, but you put your life on the line to help people. You protect the city from evil."
Then, suddenly, I was struck with an idea. Protect the city from evil? If I did that, certainly everyone would realize that I am not evil. Why would I want to protect the city from evil if I myself was evil?
It was perfect. I then made up my mind to become a police dog, and prove to everyone that I was a good Houndour, no matter how silly an idea they thought it was.