Chapter Seven: Mathrara shows his stuff

Chris turned around, walking backwards. Mathrara was lagging behind both of them – and that was saying something. He (Chris) had to walk slowly due to his injury. That Mathrara was walking slower was saying something. The poor guy seemed tuckered out, from the slow staggering walk, and his heavy breathing.

"What's wrong with you? You said you were fine now."

(How do you… do that? )

"Huh? Oh. I walked a few miles every day, for most my life. It doesn't bug me to walk cross-country, except for this damn ankle."

(Fine, but how does Kani…)

(I'm no regular Espeon.)

"More or less. Actually, she followed me most the time, on foot, as an Eevee. That her endurance would improve isn't a shock."

(But most Espeon…)

(Don't walk. So? )

(It's still weird.)

A cry cut them off. A Tauros came charging at them, full speed. Apparently, it thought they were invading its territory. That's what Chris heard, anyway.

"Why do we always end up with the poke-nuts attacking us? And why the heck is this thing crying about its territory?"

(They're supposedly only in the Safari Zone. Dunno how it ended up here. But this must be its land.)

"Great. Kani?"

(I'm…)

Mathrara shook his head, and cut off her response. (Let me deal with it.)

"Mathrara? Sure. But I don't know your attacks…"

(I've got a trick.)

Mathrara ran in front of Chris (weariness forgotten), and then sat down. His eyes glowed, and as the Tauros closed to ram him, it slowed down, then fell asleep at his feet.

Mathrara then proceeded to torch the Tauros with a weird heat-based attack Chris didn't understand. It took two tries, but then the Tauros went from 'sleeping' to 'fainted'.

Chris silently began to ponder the question about capturing it, and then releasing it once it healed. Kani however, had a different idea.

(No. I am NOT having a testosterone-laden bull traveling with us for any length of time.)

"But…"

(No.)

(She's kinda right. Tauros have no brains to speak of. You'd never understand it like us. You'd only get tolerance, and it would attack you the moment you freed it. Besides, then you'd be accused of poaching, with a Tauros in a regular ball. They're only seen in Safari Balls.)

"Fine. But I understood that it was screaming about its territory being invaded."

(I guess I did a better job than I thought.)

They walked away – Mathrara was getting stronger, even though he was tired. However, he was moving even slower than before, so Chris just picked him up in his arms.


Chris looked down at the small fox in his arms, grinning slightly. "Geez. What was that?"

(Hypnosis, then Heat Wave.)

"OK… What attacks do you know? Kani said most pokemon know what they're called…"

(Confuse ray, will-o-wisp, quick attack, roar, ember… faint attack, hypnosis, double team, and heat wave.)

(Yeesh.)

"What the… that sounds wrong…"

(Who was your father? Most vulpix don't know those last four.)

(Dunno. Mom died giving birth to me, and I was raised by another family of pokemon. Since mom didn't say who my father was, the ninetales that raised me didn't know either. Boy, was she surprised when I pulled off a hypnosis to get some food.)

"Cool. You know attacks that most others don't."

(Wait… you're not going to try to show me off, are you? )

"Only when you want to show off."

(I get to show off too? I'm liking this…) He yipped, then began to squirm (Your bag would be more comfortable, you know. For the both of us…) he shifted his position several times, trying to get comfortable.

"No way. Unless you want to evolve."

(Oh… right... what, you buy stones for your Eevee, and chicken out? )

"Maybe…"

(Yup. I was too cute.) She laughed, a catlike sound.

(Odd. Never met an Espeon like you before.)

"One of your previous trainers had one?"

(Yea. Nice girl, but quite a sap. For some reason, she couldn't understand her Espeon's warnings.)

"Probably had no potential to use telepathy. Or something like that, I forget why some people can't."

(Maybe. I wonder why so many trainers like using Eevee's evolved forms? )

"I'm no trainer, despite that I 'caught' you. It's a scam, to prevent Rockets from going after me. And they're cute. I'm not immune, and I'm a guy!"

(You know Chris, I think you'd actually be not a bad trainer. So long as I'm around, anyway. And thanks for the compliment.)

(She has quite the ego, huh? )

Chris grinned, but didn't say anything. Kani tried to use confusion on Mathrara, but she stopped when she saw Chris would go flying too. (No fair! )

"So? You've used charm on me so many times for food, it's about time you got poked fun of."