The experience did not fall into the category of enjoyable. Not in any sense of the word she was familiar with. Kaledi had awoken with the image of that darling pointed face in the forefront of her mind, and set off toward the pokécenter rather wondering if she could stand letting the little creature go. He was such a cute little thing…
She tried to remember that impression as she struggled with the snarling fully-restored-to-health bundle Nurse Joy had handed over to her. Though the vulpix had seemed well-secured at the start, if not exactly docile, somewhere during the trip he had worked a pawful of claws through the blanket Nurse Joy had used. The fox pokémon was currently alternating between attempts to bite her and scratch her, several times succeeding as she shifted her unruly bundle.
"Oow…" She winced, glaring irritably at the vulpix as she examined her latest injury. "You know that's a really rotten way to say 'Thank you.' Not everybody would put up with an ungrateful little wretch like you!" She poked a remonstrative finger in the pokémon's face, then jerked it back as the fire-fox's sharp teeth snapped shut. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! Can't you tell the difference between enemies and- and- non-enemies? I am not out to get you."
Kali's only was response was a baleful, golden-eyed glare.
"Remind me again why I'm doing this," she muttered to the world at large. She was reaching the edge of the farmlands, and she slowed her pace somewhat, stepping carefully, and looking about for an appropriate spot for the release. Spying some tall grass bordering the woods, she edged within a few yards of it, and stopped to ponder strategy.
Eventually, she just grabbed one edge of the blanket and yanked, dumping the vulpix unceremoniously to the ground as she leapt backwards. He blinked in startlement, then got to his feet, shaking himself out. He crouched warily in front of her, watching her with big, golden eyes.
"Well, go on then!" she said, when the vulpix didn't move after a time. She waved a hand. "Shoo!" A less than comforting notion entered her head, and she wondered uneasily if he was going to attack her. The hair along the back of her neck pricked.
She had just decided to make a run for it, when, with a flick of his tail, the vulpix broke the stalemate, vanishing abruptly into the grass. Kaledi stared after him for a moment. "Well. That was certainly exciting." Finally she turned, and started back into town. If twin golden eyes watched her from the tall grass, well, who was about to notice them?
~*~*~*~*~
Her father glanced up from his sketchpad as she entered the house. "Kali, there you are! I've been waiting to show you this all morning. I really think I have something here. Look, see how the ecumenical design enhances the-"
"I was letting a pokémon go for Nurse Joy," she interrupted him, both because she was in a bad mood and because she knew he wouldn't ask. Not that he wasn't a caring father, he just got so wrapped up in his work sometimes…
"Pokémon! Selection day is coming up, isn't it?"
"Yesterday, Dad."
"What?" He reached for his glasses, and started fumbling through the papers on the table. "What day is it?" He finally found his planner in the mess. "Ah!…Oh. Oh." He turned towards her, contrition on his face. "Kali, dear, I'm sorry. I forgot again, didn't I?"
"It's no big deal," she muttered.
"Oh, Kali…" he reached towards her, but she stepped out of range, not quite willing to forgive an forget. Her father sighed, setting down his papers as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, dear, you'll get your chance next year. And I know it's selfish, but perhaps you'll forgive your scatterbrained father if he says he's just as glad you're staying home another year. There have been all those muggings of pokémon trainers lately."
Kaledi nodded reluctantly. Muggings and thieves had never been unheard of, but police were saying this new wave of attacks showed signs of an organized group. The muggers posed as trainers, and challenged real trainers to matches. They used a number of strategies to ensure they won, by means fair or foul, then set their own pokémon on the trainer. Worst of all, as far as the trainers were concerned, they didn't steal money- they stole pokémon. That was an idea that made her stomach roil.
"So, no leads yet?" she asked, heading towards the refrigerator for something to settle her stomach- she'd missed breakfast. Asides from one lonely jar of veggie dip huddled in a corner, it was empty. She rolled her eyes, sighing, and went for the money-jar. Looked like she was doing the shopping again.
"Not a trace," her father replied. "Are you going out again?" he asked, seeing her headed towards the door. "Stay; we can eat lunch together. I know I don't pay enough attention to you."
"Um, yeah, that's going to be a problem, Dad. Remember that little chat we had about not eating everything in the fridge unless you're willing to head straight to the mart?"
"What? Oh." Her father looked sheepish. "Must have overlooked it. I get so busy."
Kaledi grinned. "Guess we're lucky I'm so self-sufficient," she said wryly, doing a fairly good job of squelching the bitterness that wanted to creep in.
Her father smiled benignly, turning back to his work. "Yes, very lucky, dear."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What's the matter Citygirl? You're twitchy today. Going to go psycho on us?"
Kaledi blushed at the mocking comment. She was beginning to think there was something wrong with her. Some problem with her vision, if not her mind. All day, it seemed, she had been catching flickers of motion in the corner of her eye, but every time she turned to look, nothing was there. It was bad enough to be starting at shadows when alone, but to do so in front of this particular gang of village kids…
It wasn't that she wanted them to like her. Or at least, she didn't care one bit if she was 'part of the group.' Currying favor wasn't a game she had much interest in. She just didn't want them to scorn her, either. If she was going to be alone she'd rather be respectably aloof than a loser. Not that I care one bit what they think, she thought fiercely.
Looking up at the speaker, she forced a smile. "It's nothing. Hey, congrats on getting Selected, Shydri." She tried her best to look casual.
Shydri glanced sideways at her, hand moving unconsciously to the pokéball on his belt. "Thanks. Where were you, anyway? You've only been going on for months about how you were going to get a pokémon and get out of here first chance."
Kali blinked. "I- I had other things to do. There's always next year." She winced inwardly as she heard herself parroting the trite phrase the adults had been 'consoling' her with.
Luckily, no one was paying attention to her, as the conversation had broached the only topic the other kids were interested in at the moment. "Come on, Shydri- let's see it!" "Yeah, let us have a look!" "I barely got a glimpse of the pokémon, Selection day!" "Don't be greedy!"
Shydri looked uncertain. "He's not really used to a lot of people yet. He can get awful fierce…"
At his hesitancy, the crowd of village kids immediately started a second beseeching commotion. "Wow, is it really strong?" "Aw, come on!" "You're so lucky, Shydri!" "Pleeease?"
The adolescent swelled pridefully. "Well, I suppose I could bring him out for just a minute. But don't get to close!" He took on a superior tone. "Only a trainer can handle a pokémon." He waved an arrogant hand at them. "Get back a bit."
As he fiddled with the pokéball on his belt, Kali lurked uncomfortably on the fringes of the group, unwilling to admit her envy- especially to herself. She distracted herself by focusing her attention on the occasional flickers of motion at the edges of her vision. Dang it, I could swear there was something out there, she thought in frustration, as she caught the tail end of another movement in the corner of her eye. Her efforts to divert her mind had worked to perfection; Kaledi had totally forgotten the groups of villagers cooing admiration over Shydri's new pokémon. If I was just a little faster…
Spinning too abruptly, she overbalanced and stumbled backwards through the crowd. Her foot thumped into something soft, and she toppled completely, sprawling across the ground.
Shydri's seel squealed shrilly when her foot hit it, and waddled rapidly to hide behind Shydri's legs, honking in alarm. A chuckle of amusement rippled through the village kids. Kaledi got to her feet slowly, and found herself face-to-face with Shydri, beet red with anger and embarrassment. "What're you doing, going after Tide like that?!" he growled, stepping forward. "Watch where you put your clumsy feet, Citygirl." He planted his hands on her shoulders, shoving her roughly backwards. The ferocity of the attack caught her off guard, and she fell again, scraping the heels of her hands against the ground. Shydri advanced toward her again, and she struggled to reach her feet.
A sleek form streaked past her, snarling a challenge. She blinked as Shydri reeled backwards, batting at the small pokémon that had set into him. It was a vulpix. More specifically, he was the vulpix, the one she had brought into the pokécenter and then released.
The onlooking village kids were apparently too stunned to react. They stood gaping as Shydri wrestled with the vicious pokémon, his seel striving to work its way between them. Collecting herself, Kaledi waded into the fray, dragging the wild vulpix off the battered pokémon trainer. The vulpix continued snarling and scratched indiscriminately at everything that came into reach- which was mostly Kali. Resolutely, she pulled him tight against herself, restricting the movement of the clawed paws, and locking its jaws shut between her fist and chin.
Winded, she turned towards Shydri. He was gingerly rubbing his bleeding face and arms, and when he looked at her, there was fear beneath the anger in his eyes. The crowd stirred uneasily. "Setting pokémon against people is a crime. I'll- I'll have you…"
Kaledi's heart almost skipped a beat. "He's not mine! He's a wild!"
The fear slowly faded from Shydri's eyes. He barked a laugh, though it sounded weak. "Oh. Well. Good."
The entire group seemed pretty much at a loss, and as the silence grew prolonged, Kali occupied herself with avoiding the vulpix's sharp claws. So she didn't see the grin that spread across Shydri's face, or the light that entered his eyes. She didn't notice anything until he spoke.
"Well, if it's wild then it's fair game. Vulpixes are pretty rare around here!" He dug a pokéball out of his backpack, and took aim. "Hold still, Citygirl…"
Kaledi didn't know she was going to act until she was already moving. Flinging the startled vulpix to one side, she didn't wait to see him disappear: she tackled Shydri and set into him with both fists.