Hunters: A Fairly Short Story
Disclaimer: Pokemon isn't mine, and never will be. Are you happy now?
Author's Note #2: This story is based on a folktale called 'A Fish Story.'
Author's Note #3: Kyuukon is the Japanese name of Ninetales. Otachi is Sentret's Japanese name.
---
In the city of Kainess, there lived a twenty-six-year-old man named Oliver. Oliver looked like a normal person, but he was heinous enough to poach Pocket Monsters. The neighbors warned him not to do this.
"Those Pokemon could turn out to have Trainers," the neighbors told him.
Oliver found this to be false. He stalked, murdered, and mutilated Pokemon after Pokemon, and none of them had Trainers.
The neighbors later changed their advisory. "Those Pokemon are gonna kill you if you try to hurt 'em," they warned.
This wasn't true, either. Oliver grabbed every monster before it could so much as attack him.
"No Pocket Monster is ever going to lay a claw on me," Oliver boasted. "I'm too fast for 'em."
"We'll see about that," said Jeremiah, a twelve-year-old neighbor.
---
One midafternoon, Oliver was out hunting, as usual. He came armed with Monster Balls, like a Trainer, but he also carried rocks, a jagged knife, and a .44 rifle. Oliver hadn't had much fortune that day. All he had killed was an Otachi, the fur of which didn't fetch a particularly high price on the black market. If Oliver could slay a rare Pokemon, that would be good news for him. (Oliver, that is. Not the Pokemon.)
"I'd love to kill a Legendary," Oliver mused aloud. "Now, that would bring a hefty price tag." His face twisted into a hideous grin, as Oliver imagined how much Lugia's severed tail would cost.
The Pokemon in the forest scampered and hid. They were understandably frightened of a person who would make such a dreadful statement.
A rustling noise came from a bush. Oliver whirled around, ready to fire, but nothing came out of the bramble. The bush rustled once more.
"I know you're in there, whatever you are!" Oliver yelled. "Come out right now."
The noise stopped, and an incredible-looking creature proceeded from the bush. The creature was a Shiny Kyuukon, which meant that she had red eyes and silver fur, making the Kyuukon look more like a wolf than a fox. Oliver had never seen a Shiny Pokemon before, but was eager to slaughter this one. He licked his lips. What a high price for which this sparkly fur would sell!
The poacher raised his rifle and aimed it at the Kyuukon. Before she could be shot, the Kyuukon began to speak in a lyrical tone.
"Shoot me, Ollie. Shoot me, Ollie."
Oliver almost dropped his gun in shock, but he still focused the crosshairs on his prey, and fired. With a snap and a spark, the Kyuukon collapsed to the forest floor, writhing and bleeding from the stomach.
"Capture me, Ollie. Capture me, Ollie."
Oliver hesitated. He grabbed a Monster Ball from his belt and tossed the ball at the wounded Pokemon. She didn't put up a fight. Neither did she wince when the Monster Ball hit her body. The Kyuukon allowed herself to shrink and be sealed inside the Monster Ball.
Oliver picked up the ball. He was about to clip it to his belt when he heard the mystical voice.
"Take me with you, Ollie. Take me with you, Ollie."
When he arrived home, Oliver set the Monster Balls on a table. Again, the Kyuukon spoke from inside her ball.
"Release me, Ollie. Release me, Ollie."
Oliver pressed the button on the Kyuukon's Monster Ball. The shiny beast emerged, and spoke again.
"Shave my fur off, Ollie. Shave my fur off, Ollie."
He grabbed his electric razor. Oliver felt extremely uneasy, but he flipped the razor's switch, and shaved off the fur of the Kyuukon's neck.
"Shave all my fur off, Ollie. Shave all my fur off, Ollie."
Reluctantly, Oliver did so. When the Kyuukon's fur was gone, she opened her mouth.
"Put my fur on, Ollie. Put my fur on, Ollie."
He held the limp coat in his arms. Oliver placed it around his shoulders. The Kyuukon focused her sight on the fur. Her eyes began to glow, and Oliver found the fur coat wrapping itself around his neck, choking him.
The Kyuukon used her mouth to grab the Otachi's Monster Ball, but didn't remove her eyes from Oliver's body. She somehow made him roll outside, onto his front lawn. All of the neighbors were watching.
"H-help...." Oliver gasped. "I tried to kill something awful. Now it's choking me with its fur!"
"Bad luck will catch up with you sooner or later," replied Jeremiah, the boy from earlier.
As Oliver drew his last breath, the Kyuukon released the Otachi, then sang out:
"Kill Pocket Monsters, Ollie, and see what hunts you down!"
She scampered off into the thicket of trees, and no human saw hide or hair of the enigmatic Kyuukon again.
THE END