(((Characters mine. Pokemon Nintendo...Aww, come on. Do we really need to go through this?)))

Chapter 6
Among Friends and Foes

Jemilie stared disdainfully as Sappius handed back her yellow towel, which was looking mighty far from yellow at the moment. Tan and dark gold clumps of fur stuck to it amid grit and dark blotches. An overwhelming stench of wet animal and salty saliva emanated from it. It had no hope…

The small bear-like Spinda grinned back at her, holding a paw up in appreciation and singing in a spirited voice, "Merci, mon ami!"

"Yeah, yeah…you can thank me by kindly explaining why the hell you attacked us," Jemilie growled in a less-spirited voice, tossing the ruined towel away in aggravation.

"Zat? Vwell, zat is veree seempel tu exeplain, no?" He cleared his throat. "…Eet was an akseedent."

She wasn't going to say anything. After a while of silence, however, with the Pokemon still grinning, pleased with his simple answer, it turned out that she would need to. "…That's it? An accident?" Her voice began to rise as she neared, Sappius and his companion forced to back away from the impending wrath that they somehow felt was about to come. Eyes blazing with that unique emerald flare, she roared, "YOUR 'ACCIDENT' NEARLY KILLED US! What the crap's the matter with you!"

The two forest Pokemon cringed together fearfully below the angered human, unable to answer. Well, how could they? It really was just an accident…who would've thought a human would appear in all places? The fire lizard, who had remained quiet beside her as she lashed out at their two attackers, seemed more saddened over his trainer's sudden change in demeanor than fearful, chirping softly in concern. "Char?" She heard it and, though it didn't calm her rage, backed off. A hand rose to clutch her head, to suppress the headache growing out of frustration. If there was one thing she didn't enjoy, it was acting like a tyrant, especially to those lesser type creatures. And she certainly didn't want to set a bad example to her new companion, making him get a wrong impression on her. She massaged gently, trying to reclaim the lost patience and level-headedness she always seemed to have. They've been escaping her quite a lot of times now…

"Look…I'm in a bit of a personal crisis right now, okay? Don't have time to fool around with you both." She let her gaze rest on them again, the flare in her eyes dying down. Seeing the terrified state of the duo, she spared a smile to calm them, though it came out quite wry. "The least you can do is help make up for lost time. Anything you can provide would be greatly appreciated."

They both glanced at one another for a moment, a silent exchange passing between them as they both thought and considered. Sappius, the leader as it seems, was the one that answered. "Vwell, zat ees nut a problem, mademoiselle. Yu cen count on moi to 'elp ze yung ladeez een deestress! Eezin't zat right, Monsieur Scruff?"

"Rururight," the Poochyena mumbled, nodding slowly with those azure eyes, eagerness overriding the dwindling fear within them.

Sighing deeply, dispelling the rest of her anger, Jemilie nodded thankfully, and then asked, "Do any of you know any Pelippers in this forest?"

Both pair of eyes blinked once before consulting one another again, the silent exchange of information taking place between those blue and brown orbs. Both stared at one another questioningly. "Vwhat eez zis Peleeper yu speak uf?" Sappius asked finally.

"Uhhh…you don't know? Well, they're bird Pokemon; water types…hold a sec." A hand dove into her pack, fishing out the small red device that held encyclopedic information on the silly creatures, and turned it to the appropriate page. "Here's what it looks like," she told them, holding out the evolved seagull's picture before them to study, hoping they at least recognized it if they didn't know its name. "Ever seen one of these?"

Sappius bent forward, humming as he fingered a thin, coiled mustache that Jemilie had mistaken for dirt until now. Staring at the picture, his face took a grim look to it, mouth curved downward in a frown. His closed his eyes and backed away. The Pokemon was silent for a good while, head held low, as if he was lost in thought. Jemilie pocketed the Pokedex and waited patiently, taking notice of their changing surroundings. Night had arrived, and in the forest, it was particularly dark. Their only illumination at the moment was Hwajeh's small flickering tail flame that seemed to waver with his feelings; sapphire orbs gleaming like crystals in the orange light it cast at her with uncertainty. Starlight and a half-hidden moon managed to sneak past the great forest canopy, casting a faint, silver haze to the dark world, though not enough to fully reveal what was cloaked deep in shadow.

"…Yes. Vwe du know uf a certen Pokemon like zat," Sappius said in a solemn voice. "Zer eez unlee wun uf zat kind uf Pukemun 'ere…B-but tell me, madmoiselle…vwhy wud yu want to find zis Pukemun?" He gave her a suspicious look that made her give a bit of consideration to her answer before replying.

"Well…" she started lightly. "She took something from me that I really would like back: a Pokemon egg."

A look of surprise seemed to cross the Spinda's features. "W-w-w-wat kind uf egg eez zis?" asked he, carefully.

"Well…I don't know." She really didn't have the egg for any longer than six hours. It was sitting all pretty in her PC along with the other abandoned Pokemon. She figured to have just waited until it hatched to know what species it contained, but before then, something else had taken it away. "Should I be worried?"

"Vwell…not really," Sappius admitted, and pointed a paw to the slow flowing river, nothing more than a faint glimmer of silver in the dark. "Yu can find ze wun you seek at ze end uf ze reever. She leeves een a large ruk. B-but-"

"Alright, thanks," Jemilie interjected and gestured to her companion. "Let's go Hwajeh."

"B-b-but-"

"That's enough. You've been a great help, thanks."

The small lizard obeyed immediately, swinging his tail happily, casting shadows every which way. The warm glow from its tail light slowly began to fade as the duo left the two forest beings behind.

"Ehhh… Vous êtes bienvenu, mademoiselle," was all he could say as the darkness enveloped the two for a while. Silent, intimidating darkness…

"Grrr…" The Poochyena pup stood up abruptly, nose picking up the scent of the fading smoke. He turned his azure eyes toward his companion, almost pleading.

"Vwat? But vwe cannut go wif zem! Eef zey find us now, zen all my effortz tu protect yu vwill be fer nufing!"

"Pooch..rrrrgg…"

Sappius folded his arms defiantly. He slumped to the ground, a straight, stern expression sealed on his face. "Nu. Nnnnu nnnu nnu, vwe vwill nut go, an zat eez fini!"

For a while, the Poochyena stood, ears falling sadly. Head swung back towards the direction of the two, and they pricked up again lightly. He gave the Spinda an evil look. "Rrrokay…rater!" The off-colored canine took off like a bullet. Before Sappius even got back to his feet, the pup had rounded a bush and disappeared.

"Monsieur Scruff, vwait! Dun't goooooo! Yu arr mekeeng a 'uge meestake!" Sappius ran after him…or tried to. He stopped as the river suddenly came up. He took a different direction…and ran into a tree. Another direction…tripped over a rock. Moaning lightly, he squinted around, Spinda eyesight not as well developed as Poochyena eyesight. An sudden howl sounded in the area, uncomfortably loud and quite near.

Before long, he was screaming a different call. "SCRUFF, DU NUT LEEVE ME ALUUUN EEN ZE DAAAARRK!"

--To be continued--