I like the number twentyseven. Numerically, it's a magical number, back in times when numbers had a lot attached to them. See, twentyseven adds to nine, and it's made of three nines. That's 33. Three is considered a pretty special number, as are seven and two, being single-digit primes.
Numerically significant numbers don't necessarily mean good or bad. They just mean something drastic.
Nope, no point here.
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Kin
-
((What was it like there?)) asked Din.
((It was…harsh,)) Prowler said. She was staring off, not looking at Din. ((The ground was rocky and the plants were tougher and thinner. She looked at the mighyena's paws for a moment. ((Your feet would bleed if you went there. The ground would cut them up.))
((It sounds awful.))
Prowler didn't answer.
((Was that why you left?))
((No. It wasn't…that was just how it was.))
((Why did you leave?))
((I wanted to.))
((Why didn't everyone leave?))
Prowler didn't answer.
((Why didn't everyone leave?))
-
-
The pokemon, excepting Prowler and Din, were eating their breakfast outside of Mt Moon. The sight of the mountain was probably what had caused Din to ask Prowler about where she'd lived.
Prowler didn't look particularly affected by the sight herself. It was, she told Elliot, not a mountain. It was a large hill.
Caw disagreed. ((Of course it's a mountain. It's Mount Moon.))
((But it is not a mountain. It is small and the sides are flat and made of dirt. That thing-)) she jerked her head toward Howler, ((could climb it and come down the other side in a single day, without looking any worse.))
((This is what a mountain looks like.))
((I know what a mountain looks like.)) Prowler yawned. She didn't care about the argument.
((This is what a mountain looks like,)) Caw repeated. ((Don't make up stories.))
((Stupid Bird. You'd call their walls of rock mountains and their grass plains. What would you know? You've just a thrice-damned murkrow.))
-
-
The walk through Mt Moon was uneventful. There were cracks in the ceiling, filtering light through, so Elliot didn't need Howler's weird fireball again. The passage was wider than the one in Rock Tunnel, and the sides and floor were smoother, and softer too, covered in a layer of dirt. Elliot assumed there was rock behind the dirt, but he didn't see anything beyond a few pebbles.
There weren't many pokemon. A few zubat appeared, and Elliot saw a paras off in a corner and a couple of round stones he guessed were geodude. He didn't see any clefairy.
Down on the lower levels there were strings of artificial lights. Some people were working down there, looking for fossils, they told him. They were nice enough but obviously busy. They must have been part of some sort of company, because they looked like they were all wearing the same uniform, a long-sleeved, plain dark outfit. It might have been dark blue or purple or green, but it looked black in the limited light cast by the bulbs.
Elliot didn't meet anyone else. He got out after a few hours, not that long of a trip, and had enough daylight left to continue along towards Pewter. After what happened at Rock Tunnel, he wouldn't sleep anywhere near the opening of Mt Moon.
There was thick, tall grass on the sides of the path outside, which snaked through a sort of low canyon.
Sono, on Elliot's shoulder, suddenly perked up, hearing something. She cheeped in response. Feathered heads poked out of the grass, and she flew over. The spearow chirped at her and she responded, fluttering her wings excitedly. Elliot couldn't make out the words. Sono rubbed her neck against one happily.
Prowler looked at them silently, with an unreadable expression.
Sono didn't take long. She flew back to Elliot's shoulder and the group continued.
"What was that about?" he asked.
((I knew them. They met our flock once, when I was younger. My older brother went with them. I asked him to tell my parents what happened, that I'm okay.))
((You knew who your parents were?)) Discord asked.
(('Course. Doesn't everybody?))
((No one did where I lived. Everybody was just on their own. Sometimes there were twos and threes that stuck together for a while, and the nidorina did, but that was it. Why do spearow? Is there a reason?))
((Because we do. It's horrible being all alone. You always have your family. If something happens to your flock, you have to find another. It's safer that way, but even if it wasn't, it's just nicer, being around others.))
No more spearow appeared. Howler might have smelled something interesting in the air, because he started to run excitedly around Elliot. Prowler moved quickly out of his way, going into the tall grass.
She knocked into a concealed jigglypuff that had been sleeping there. Its huge blue eyes opened.
Prowler yowled, slashing it. It was tossed through the grass and smacked into the dirt wall on the side. She looked around frantically, breathing growing ragged. Her tail was stuck straight out, the fur puffed.
"Prowler, are you okay?" Elliot asked.
She didn't answer. After several seconds, she seemed to calm somewhat. She sniffed the air uncertainly.
((I don't see what you're scared of,)) Caw said. ((It's not like it's strong enough to hurt you.))
((Stupid Bird,)) she said softly. She pushed against Elliot. ((Keep going,)) she said.
"What is it?"
((There are so many here,)) Prowler said. ((How can anything stand it?)) She pushed against him again. ((Go.))
-
-
Elliot was trying to train Discord, so he had taken a break in a meadow with tall grass and was having Discord fight against the wild pokemon around the area. They defeated several pidgey and a sandshrew. The grass rustled again. A pokemon immerged.
"Pound," Elliot ordered again. Prowler intercepted the attack, bouncing the jigglypuff off her shoulder. She looked at the pokemon.
((What are you doing here?)) she said, more to herself than anything. She grabbed the meowth between her jaws. The pokemon hissed weakly and struggled, but Prowler took no notice. She padded calmly into the taller grasses, following the trail.
"Prowler? Prowler!" Elliot yelled. "What are you doing?" He was starting to sound upset. "Prowler!" He ran after her.
She spat the kitten out. ((What is it? You're noisy.))
"Don't hurt it."
((You were the one ordering it be hurt,)) she told him, sounding distantly reproachful.
"Come on, just leave it. It's okay."
((It is certainly not.)) She picked the meowth up again. Mumbling through the fur, she added, ((It is much too young to be out here.))
The other pokemon had noticed Elliot and followed him. Timidly, Din was approaching, expecting to be growled at again. Prowler instead pushed the meowth forward, the sudden motion making Din flinch nervously, but then she leaned over and sniffed the new pokemon.
The mightyena sat back on her haunches. ((What are you doing?)) she asked.
Prowler growled at Howler, who was getting too close, then glanced at the rest of the group with a look of mild irritation. ((This one is lost. I am going to look.))
((What do you mean, lost?))
((Stupid Bird. It is too young to be out alone. The mother may have lost her.))
((That's ridiculous. It's probably never even met its mother. Most meowth don't take care of their eggs. They're usually laid outside of the meowth's territory.))
((Stupid Bird,)) Prowler said again. ((Meowth don't lay eggs.)) She picked up the meowth and continued off.
Prowler caught up with them hours later, still with the meowth, who now looked sleepy and calm. She lay down by the campfire, placing the kitten on the ground. The meowth perked up somewhat at the new place and started to get up, but Prowler swiftly reclaimed it, depositing the kitten between her paws. She began vigorously licking it.
"Hi Prowler," Elliot said. "You couldn't find the mom?"
((I could not.))
"So what are you going to do now?" He remembered the last time. "Would it be okay to leave it?"
((It is too young.))
((Did fine this long,)) Caw muttered.
((Din?)) The mightyena perked up. ((Watch it.)) Prowler dropped the meowth in front of Din and left again.
Elliot fell asleep before she returned.
-
-
Elliot was woken by Sono's screeches early the next morning. Prowler was watching the hysterical bird without particular interest. She was surrounded by black feathers and clumps of feathers. The meowth was chewing happily on a wing.
((There was a flock nearby,)) Prowler was saying, not sounding as if she cared. ((I haven't seen him.))
((Liar! Why should I believe you! You're a persian, you eat birds! You're going to eat me too!))
((These were murkrow,)) Prowler said calmly, as if that made it different.
((You killed Caw and now you're going to eat me!))
((We do not eat spearow,)) Prowler said.
((Liar!))
((Before he caught you,)) Prowler said, ((if I attacked you, what would you do?))
((Be eaten.))
((What would you do?))
((I-I'd yell.))
((And the others would come,)) Prowler finished. ((Persian don't eat spearow.))
((Because you're scared of getting attacked by the whole flock,)) said Discord, sounding as if he suddenly understood.
((I just killed half a flock of murkrow. Spearow aren't strong. Stupid puffball.))
((Liar.))
((Spearow,)) Prowler said. ((When a murkrow is hurt, do you know what they do?)) Silence. ((They leave it. Abandon it. Even if they could beat the attacker, they won't. If it can't keep up, they won't wait.)) Prowler was staring at the ground. ((We don't eat spearow. Because you're…you're what we…)) She trailed off, watching the kitten pounce on the feathers as the wind made them flutter.
-
-
Caw returned before day had fully broken, his stomach especially round. His wingbeats faltered when he saw Elliot was up. He'd intended to return before Elliot had awoken. He did not glance at the feathers on the ground once.
"Where were you?" Elliot asked.
((There was a berry tree…)) Caw said.
Prowler looked revolted. ((Thrice-damned Bird,)) she hissed.
Din was confused. ((Is Caw okay? Was there a fight?))
((What?)) Sono asked.
((He smells like blood,)) Din said.
((Tell me, Bird,)) Prowler said, her voice shaking, ((how it is your cursed kind are still alive? Why is it they haven't eaten themselves all by now?)) Her tail lashed.
((An odd question for one sitting among their feathers,)) Caw said mildly. ((You injured a few you didn't kill.))
((Thrice-damned Bird,)) Prowler said.
Next chapter: The old gives way to the new. Life becomes death. Yet, isn't it right to mourn some things?