The ground in the forest felt different to the quarry. At first, it was tough on Isobel's feet as usual, and then it softened the further she advanced up the hill. It was nice to feel the mud squelching beneath her. The only place Isobel could do that back in Circhester was at the park, since nobody would've noticed or cared.
Come to think of it, Gloria once offered her a pair of shoes when she evolved into a Machoke, though she refused it at the time. There wasn't much of a point wearing them if all she did was battle and accompany her trainer through the routes. Then her perception of them slowly shifted over time.
Right, Gloria. Isobel was tempted to shoot her a message, but there was no signal up here, as predicted. Instead, she turned to Bronze, who gracefully weaved between the rocks, branches and trees they occasionally bumped into. He occasionally stopped to sniff at the ground or the air.
"Can I ask you something?" Isobel said.
He only muttered in reply, staring at a pawprint.
"Did you… like that battle back there, as short as it was? I knew you weren't too keen on gettin' back with a trainer. I just got lost in the heat of the moment since he was itchin' for a scrap."
"It's okay," Bronze replied. "I have some of the same urges as you do, Isobel."
"All Pokemon do. I just meant dealing with Trevor and all that."
"Of course, I hated it with him. But with you, I actually enjoyed it while it lasted. And I have to admit, Trainer Isobel has a nice ring to it."
"You think so?" She snickered. Were there any trainers that happened to be Pokemon out there? She'd heard of a Ralts who became one in another region, but if it hadn't gone viral at that point, that was either a rumour or completely fictional. "Huh."
"I mean, you're a great fighter. You enjoy training Pokemon like me. But, well, you haven't really talked about your past with your trainer before, even though I know you talk to her."
"Nah, I guess not." Isobel kicked up a clump of dirt. "Don't worry, it wasn't bad or anythin', just..." She sighed. Even now, she couldn't decide what to say or how to express herself. "Okay, let's say I did become a trainer, somehow. I got my badges and gear and Pokeballs and crap, and I start capturing other Pokemon, or I convince them to tag along with me."
"Sounds like every kid's dream come true."
"Well, not every kid." Isobel scratched her head. "But, even if my Pokemon do agree to it, I wouldn't want them to feel tied to me, like I did with her. It wouldn't feel right. What do you say to that?"
Bronze pondered on it, slowing his walk to a stroll. Isobel adjusted her speed to his, waiting for a response – he took his time, but Isobel put that aside as she soaked in the moment. The forest was still. It was not only darker because of how the canopy filtered the light, but it was also approaching sunset, as the sky was cast in a darker shade of blue. The air was strong with the sickly scent of flowers, and the earthy notes of the mud. The ground massaged her feet as she ambled, grass brushing past her toes. Birds sang as far as she could hear, and the wind rustled the leaves of the trees. She felt like she was floating here, like—
Thump. Footsteps pounded the ground far away, shaking the branches. Isobel and Bronze stopped dead in their tracks — she braced all of her arms while Bronze arched his back, hackles raised and ears perked up. Thump. Bump. Boom. Thump thump thump-
"P-P-P—" Bronze stuttered—"PANGORO!"
The grey blur shot past the trees, raising a claw at them both. Isobel threw herself to the ground in an effort to avoid the attack. It missed, but she had to get up. Quickly, now. She regained her footing and raised her hands in protest.
"Stop!" she yelled. Hopefully, he would listen to reason.
He did not listen to reason — his paw struck her chest instead.
"Oof!"
Isobel tumbled backwards, hitting the tree behind her. Wow, that was a dumb way of getting hurt, but that wasn't going to stop her!
Isobel sprang to her feet, getting back into her stance before the Pangoro struck again. She dodged this time, then struck his side-belly. That hit was a way of saying 'stop', but he didn't recognise the gesture and kept attacking. Fists flew in a flurry. Isobel matched his speed with her own bullet punches. As strong as she was, each punch it delivered battered her hands, especially against those claws.
How much longer was she gonna take this? Her arms felt like lead. Her legs wobbled. Her feet were sore. This wild Pokemon wasn't gonna outclass her, right? Right?
The Pangoro yelped as Bronze sunk his teeth into his leg. Perfect timing. Isobel wound her arms back and bulked up, then punched that panda straight in the gut. Dad always said to aim for that area, which she later learned was the solar plexus.
It knocked the Pangoro flat on his ass. Bronze joined Isobel's side again. They had an opening. But Isobel kept still, even as Bronze pawed at her legs. Was she going to run away? Or...
C'mon, put 'em up, put 'em up! Don't chicken out of a fight just when it's about to get good!
Those seconds of indecision were enough for the Pangoro to stagger back to his feet. They grunted, then bolted straight for Isobel with a body slam. Seconds became milliseconds. At best, Isobel was going to lose. At worst, what happened once she fainted? What would the Pangoro do? What would become of Bronze? Isobel braced herself, preparing for the worst.
Something stepped in between the two. Muscles rippled before her. Quadruple arms shielded Isobel. Even as the Pangoro towered over her, this new figure held him back.
"Kuro, c'mon, now." That voice sounded familiar. That soft, yet gruff tone. Isobel only heard that way back when, like the time she got scolded for... ah, it didn't matter. She knew who that was.
Mum pushed forward, overpowering the Pangoro enough to hold him back, but with enough restraint that he kept standing.
"Kuro, c'mon, now," Mum repeated, keeping a vice-like grip on his bear claws. Kuro grunted and grumbled. Isobel stood there, not sure of whether or not to step in. But to her surprise, Kuro relaxed his shoulders, gently leaning into Mum as she stroked his head.
"Yes, Kuro," she said as she scratched his round, fuzzy ears. He huffed contendly, seemingly forgetting about Isobel and Bronze. Those two were speechless.
Eventually, Kuro stepped away from Mum and started slinking back to the depths of the woods.
"We'll fight later, alright?" Mum called.
Kuro only stared, his face covered in shadow. He made no response, and turned around to leave, disappearing under the shade of the forest's canopy.
That just happened. Isobel had a lump in her chest after that blow, which she nursed with a hand. Mum turned around, and Isobel saw her for the first time in many years. She had gained new scars since then, though they all manifested as tiny nicks across her face. Yet, past the battle marks, there was a gentleness to her look. Her pants looked more like bloomers than briefs. She had a bag with her as well, which was strapped across her torso. All in all, Isobel was spellbound.
"Well," Mum said, "that's one way to deal with a Pangoro."
Isobel slid to the ground, resting against a tree. "Jeez, my life flashed before my eyes, then. Thanks for saving my skin."
"And mine," Bronze said, sticking his tongue out. "His fur tasted awful."
"Don't mention it. Now, who are you?"
Isobel was taken aback by that. She stared, dumbstruck, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Maybe both.
"It's Kit, Ma…" She sighed, scratching her head. "Well, I go by Isobel now."
"Oh," Mum said flatly. She stared Isobel down, in a much more stoic manner compared to Dad's gaze. "Right. It has been a while, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, I suppose so." She knew so.
"Isobel, hmm…" Mum lingered on that name for a moment, shaping it with her mouth, then smiled. "That's a good name. Did your trainer give you that?"
"Gloria? O-oh, yeah, she did."
Isobel rose up, crossing her arms as she leaned back on the bark. She liked that Mum complimented her name rather than ignored it, but still… Isobel shot a quick glance at Bronze. There was some hope that he'd back her up, but he just stepped aside, though perhaps it was none of his business anyway. The wind rustled the leaves some more, and a Joltik above chittered and buzzed, as if on cue.
"Sorry, this is, um, awkward."
"Yes, it is." Mum's nervous laughter cut through the stiff air, as did Isobel's, which quickly turned into a sigh.
"I dunno how to feel. I just met Dad and he was nice, but, well…"
"Oh, him." Mum smirked. "He is intense, after all."
"Tell me about it." Hearing that from Mum partly soothed the uneasy feeling in her stomach. "And, well, I heard you left him."
"Yes. We both agreed on it."
"Ah, I see." She wondered if they did that once she left or if it was more of a slow burn. It was still a shock when she first heard it, but now, she wasn't sure how to feel. "Sorry. It's been so long, that neither of you feel like my parents anymore, I guess."
That feeling was back again, this time, settling in her throat. Oh great, another thing she shouldn't have said. Isobel looked down the hill, wondering if it was better to just leave, when Mum slipped a hand to hers.
"Well, I'm the one who didn't recognise you at first." Her soft voice dropped to a whisper. "I feel like I should be happier than I am, seeing you, but we don't really know each other that much anymore, do we?"
"Exactly." Isobel traced another hand over hers. "So, what do you really say to that?"
"We don't have to say anything if you don't want to." Mum stepped back and looked up the incline. "But I appreciate that you came here to see me, as well as your honesty."
"Yeah. Same."
"I don't want you to waste your journey, so you can come with me to the den if you wish, as I'm on my way there anyway."
Bronze stamped his feet in place, tail wagging. "You mean—"
"Yes, though they're less talkative than you." She sensed that Bronze's tail drooped, since she wagged a finger. "Not that that's bad. They're just more like Kuro, if you know what I mean."
For the first time in a while, Bronze's face brightened, and he happily yipped, jumping in place. Mum kept fittingly mum and started trekking up the hill, though Bronze whizzed past her, adamant to get to the other Thievul as soon as possible. So he led, while Mum and Isobel walked together.
Isobel had trouble matching Mum's pace as they continued up the steep incline — for such a fit Machamp, if she was tooting her own horn, stuff like sheer hills and stairs weren't Isobel's forte. From the way Mum's legs were caked with flaky, dry mud, she was very much used to hiking in a way Isobel wasn't. But she pressed on, concentrating on her breathing as well as the leaves, sticks and brambles that crunched underfoot. That feeling from before Kuro's encounter returned. Being far away from society. Forgetting she had a phone in her pocket. Forgetting she didn't even have shoes on. Well, until she stubbed her toes on a tree stump. But she kept her swears muffled through gritted teeth — she could take it like a champ.
A Mach—
No, no time for puns either. She didn't want to ruin the moment. Yet, her wandering thoughts tried to anyway. Mum pushed for Isobel to go on the journey as much as Dad did, though it was more of a gentle nudge. Isobel wasn't in such a bad headspace right now — hopefully, it would stay that way if she got along better with Mum.
Eventually, Bronze reached the top, excitedly pacing back and forth until Isobel and Mum caught up with him.
"C'mon!" he yelled, "you're too slow!"
"You don't need to wait for us!" Isobel yelled back.
"I know! I wanted to wait for you, though!"
Isobel didn't know what to say to that, so she just pressed on. The homestretch was always the toughest part, as she had to dig her hands into tree roots and clumps of dirt to climb up to the hill's peak. Mum just went on all sixes and ran up to the top without breaking a sweat.
"Showoff," Isobel said, trying to grab the edge. Her feet were slipping though, unable to grip themselves in the slick mud. Crap, this wasn't good. As a last ditch effort, Isobel jumped forward and reached her hands out — Mum caught her.
"This showoff just saved your skin again." She gave a scarred-streaked smirk as she pulled her up. "Now, let's not keep this Thievul waiting, shall we?"
Isobel nodded as Bronze disappeared behind the bushes. Where was all this hyper-activeness coming from? As soon as Mum led Isobel to the clearing where Bronze was, she found her answer.
A whole pack of Nickit and Thievul chased after Bronze as he zipped from one spot to another, happily squealing. He rolled in the ground — the others were quick to pounce on him, still chattering and squeeing in equal measure. Of course, not long after that, they started playfighting, throwing harmless swipes at one another and light nibbles on the neck. Bronze wasn't lying when he said he had the same urges as Isobel. But it was the first time Isobel truly saw Bronze in his element here.
The time they spent together in the past week had its moments: the strolls in the park, in surveilled parts of the wild, the treats from the food stalls, the chance encounters with other friendly and furry Pokemon. Underneath that all, he still seemed unsure of himself. This, however, was the happiest Isobel had ever seen him. That energy was infectious as Isobel had a big, dumb grin on her mug from it all.
Bronze got out of his fox-huddle long enough to rush over to Isobel, running circles around her as his fur brushed past her feet. She chuckled at first, but then she let out a full-on belly laugh when the whole pack made donuts around her. She fell to the ground, chortling as Bronze pounced on her, licking her face.
"Ohoho! Stahp, that tickles!"
Bronze pulled back, only for the other foxes to bury Isobel in their coats. She was positively overwhelmed by the sea of orange — there were only so many headpats she could give every single Thievul here before she got tuckered out. But one of them made a gekkering noise, signalling the others to back away. Bronze was in the middle of it all, bowing before Isobel.
"Thank you."
"Well, it was nothing, really. I just brought you here."
"Yes, but I wouldn't have been able to find it without you, not safely, anyway." One other Thievul accidentally beaned him in the face with their tail as they passed by, but he shrugged it off as he turned to Mum as well. "And thank you, too. It's nice to meet Isobel's mother at last."
"Well, you're a polite fella, aren't you?" Mum knelt down and scritched his neck, making him purr like a motorcycle. "You'll have to teach some of these other guys some manners!"
"I'm sure I will."
"Good, because I brought you all food, and I want them all to have their fill." Mum stepped back and drew a trio of dead Bunnelby out from her pouch, hanging them by her ears. Isobel recoiled.
"That's—"
"It is harsh," Mum said, "but these are from the wild, just like these Thievul here. They would do the same even without me pitching in."
"Yeah, I know that." She felt a bit silly there, but tried to ignore it for now.
Mum threw the catches to the ground. The pack descended on it instantly, though they left a spare one for Bronze. He sniffed at it for a little bit, staring back at Isobel. The others stopped to stare at him. That was a long enough pause that the pack just decided to take it instead, leaving him with nothing. None of the foxes stopped to reassure him or give him notice while they went about their ravenous business.
Isobel didn't know what to say there. Neither did Mum. Nor Bronze, especially Bronze. He slunk over to Isobel's side, staring at the feeding frenzy that ensued without him. Then before she knew it, it was over, as three skeletons were left behind. One of the Thievul glanced at Bronze before they returned to their den, burrowing in a hole near the edge of the clearing.
Bronze whined. Isobel knelt down to try and pat him down again, but before she could, Bronze took off, disappearing behind the trees.
"Bronze?" she called. "Bronze!"
No answer. Just bushes rustling ahead. Isobel turned to Mum, who looked just as perplexed as she was. Dammit, she felt like such an idiot for not asking Bronze what was going on sooner. Right now, though, there was no time for regret. Isobel bolted after him. Footsteps followed behind her.
Isobel charged uphill again. The incline was even harsher than before, which was hell on Isobel's feet. At least there were far less trees this time, which allowed her to see Bronze as he sprinted upward. She was never going to catch up with him at this rate. Mum, however, picked up the pace. On all sixes again. That wasn't even natural for Machamp to do, and yet somehow, Mum blended in with the rest of the wildlife around her, using all four of her arms to propel herself forward. So Isobel did the same. It was hell on her hands too — that always was a sensitive part of her body. But it did the trick. The further she got, the lighter Isobel felt, which was a new feeling. She eventually caught up to Mum, running with her, neck and neck, mother and daughter, together.
Finally, they reached the edge of the hill, slowing their pace so that they didn't slam into Bronze or tumble downwards. He sat there, overlooking the view from up high, where the forest stretched on endlessly into the mauve sunset.
"Are…" Isobel said in-between breaths, "are you… okay?"
Bronze shook his head, though he didn't turn around to see the two.
"Isobel…" he whispered. "I… you know I met the Inteleon yesterday, right?"
She hummed in confirmation.
"Well… I talked to her about coming back to the wild if I didn't want to be with a trainer, and she said they didn't know if they could do that with me. If I would survive out there. Or…" His tone had some hesitation. "Or, er, here, I mean."
Isobel was taken aback. She went to reach a sympathetic hand to him, but she kept it to herself, respecting his space. Right. There was that sinking feeling that something bothered Bronze ever since yesterday. It was stupid of her not to ask him sooner, but it was too late for regrets.
"I… I hate staying in the city. All that noise, all those human things that don't make sense to me. I know you tried your best to make it worth my while, and, well, you did."
"Of course, Bronze, I wasn't gonna just leave you on your own."
"Right. But, well, the true reason I came with you… I wanted to prove her wrong. I wanted to show her I could stay here. But I… I—" His voice faltered, and he turned towards the two.
Bronze was crying. His eyes were all red and misty, though he tried to hide it by pawing at his face.
"She was right about me — I don't stand a chance here!"
"Woah, hey there…" Isobel knelt down, unsure of whether or not to give him a reassuring headpat. "I'm sure it'll take some getting used to, hunting and eating wild Pokemon and such."
"It's not just that!" he yelled, hackles raised. "The way the pack looked at me. They weren't gonna see me as one of them, even if they were nice to me before." His face scrunched up. "So I-I'm just gonna be dead weight!"
"No, you're not." Isobel scowled. "Don't talk about yourself like that."
"I know I'm not, and I'm sorry, okay?" Bronze glanced past the duo and back down the hill. "But if it was life or death, they'd leave me in a heartbeat." He sunk to the grassy floor, lying down with his tail cradling him. "I don't belong here either. I don't belong anywhere I go."
Isobel pawed her face, trying to hold it together. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy for him to be accepted into any pack. Her heart broke in two hearing that, but it wasn't just from seeing Bronze so defeated. This wasn't about her, though. And yet, she couldn't hold it in. So she sat down, wrapping her arms around him.
"That makes two of us, I guess. I feel ya." She let out a heavy sigh. "I really do feel ya."
"Wait, hold on, Isobel." Mum dropped her cool demeanour and knelt down alongside them. "What makes you say that?"
Isobel laughed out of frustration. Not this again. "It's a long story, okay? And it's dumb, anyway. I don't have to hunt in the wild like you do, so it shouldn't matter."
"Well, I want to know what's bothering you. And just because I do hunt, it doesn't mean I wouldn't understand your struggles."
"Dad didn't seem to, though." Another humourless chuckle. She tightened her grip on Bronze, who rubbed his head on her shirt. "I kept tryin' to tell him why I left my trainer and he wasn't havin' it. Like I'm a failure for not wanting to be a part of that anymore."
"He did?" Mum ground her teeth. "That clod. After everything I told him…"
"B-but, what if he was right? What if I failed my trainer?" Isobel's eyes stung. Dammit, not here, not in front of her. "She should've been enough for me, what I did with her should've been enough, what I'm doing right now should be enough, but it just isn't!" She let go of Bronze since she sensed him squirming, and tugged at her head. "There's gotta be somethin' wrong with me if I'm always fucking up like this! I don't even know what I'm doing anymore, no place will accept me for who I am, and I should have it all figured out by now when I just went through this shit a week ago, so why am I so busted—"
Mum grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in for a hug. It's been so long since she felt that. The way she squeezed her by the back of her shoulders when she embraced her. Isobel took a deep breath, trying to keep it down, but she couldn't. The waterworks rolled out. This was so stupid — why was she crying like this? She knew she could be open with how she felt, but she didn't know how to. Not like this. But Mum was there, patting her on the back while she sobbed into her chest. Bronze joined in the huddle as she felt his fur brush against her skin.
Isobel missed this. Even with Gloria, it just wasn't the same. She missed this a lot. Tears kept coming out until the well dried up, as long as she needed to. Mum loosened up a bit while still keeping a grip on her, and traced a free hand over Isobel's wet cheeks.
"Sorry, B-Bronze," Isobel said, tilting her head down. "I… god, I didn't mean to make this a me thing."
"No, you haven't." He leaned into her side. "I feel less alone now you told me."
"D-do you?" She exhaled. "All…alright then."
"Isobel," Mum said, "shall we stay here for a bit? Just so you can tell me what's on your mind, what you've been going through." She sighed. "I can't pretend I know you, and I can't talk as a parent, but I can still listen to you, Machamp to Machamp."
Isobel nodded, and reluctantly smiled.
"And you, Bronze." Mum also leaned in for a hug, nuzzling his face. "I take it you also came from a similar background."
"Sort of," he muttered. "I didn't have a choice."
"Well, I don't want you to come away from that pack feeling like you're not a part of it either." She pulled away and lay down on the grass, facing the sky as she wrapped her arms around her head. "So, how about it?"
Isobel took a deep breath. It was getting late. She didn't know if she could get back in time to catch the last bus, since she only planned to pop into the dwelling for the afternoon. Yet, when she looked up, she realised just how much of a beautiful night it was. All those purples, oranges and blues. It was slightly cloudy, and there was no sign any more would block out the sky. Dots of light faintly twinkled against its darker hues, and the pale full moon loomed above like a crystal ball. Slowly, she laid her back against the soft ground and shifted her body to get into a comfortable position. The thick grass became a bed for her. It breathed with the wind. After all the discord in her heart, after all the tears shed, Isobel finally relaxed, and was ready to open up to Mum.
But that would have to wait. Bronze laid down beside her, his belly all exposed, and he faced the sky along with her. The three remained like that for a while, soaking in the scene until one of them was ready to speak. And it wasn't going to be Isobel — someone else deserved the next turn. And there, Bronze had the first word.