Wes dragged his tired feet against Orre's hot red sand. He looked at his wrinkled map time and time again but he just couldn't understand any of the markings on it. He thought he had understood how it worked at first, but just ended up confusing himself all over again.

With an exhausted sigh he dropped down to the earthy clay with a plop! At this rate, it would take him weeks before he got to the Outskirt.

Hearing a rustling noise in the distance, Wes' brow crinkled as his body began to fill with concern. Slowly getting to his feet, he cautiously made his way to the rustling bushes a few feet away. Sticking his hands in its center, he parted the bush in two and meekly peered through.

What he saw was a small brown mammalian creature struggling to free itself from a barbed wire fence. It appeared to be in much discomfort, all the while getting more anxious from being trapped.

It ached Wes' heart to see this poor creature suffer like that. Stepping through the bush, Wes slowly made his way over to the quadruped creature.

"'Scuse me?"

The small creature jumped, the wire's sharp edges making their way deeper in its skin. The little thing gave a low growl as Wes made his way closer to it.

"You got yourself stuck in there pretty good didn't yah?" He asked kneeling to the ground. He examined the wire connected to the fence post.

"Vee vee!" The small creature cried, ignoring the pain in his body and standing his ground.

"Oh, you don't have to worry. U'm not gone hurt yah." Wes said, reaching into his pack and pulling out a paper clip. He bent the versatile steel wire and straightened it out completely. He then bit down on one of its ends and twisted the wire until it formed a small loop. Looking at the barbed wire once more, Wes hooked the tiny loop on one of the points on the sharp edge of the wire. He then twisted the paper clip once more and pulled, repeating this cycle multiple times before manipulating his end into another loop.

Hooking his finger in the loop he just made, he pulled the paper clip and the once wrapped staples on the wire fence fell to the dirt. Picking up each one and twisting them around his crooked paper clip, Wes knelt back down to the creature that was now eyeing him precariously. He began sawing the wire coiled around the furry creature.

"Vee?"

"I uster get myself caught in these all the time when I was little. My Mama always say I had skin tough as armor."

It took him all of seven seconds to cut through the wire fencing that was coiled around the furry creature. Once he sliced it, he untangled it from around the small creature.

"There you go. You're all free now." Standing to his feet, he picked up the broken wire and threw it to the side.

The small creature looked himself up and down before widely stretching his legs. When he was finished, he sat back down and offered a sincere "thank you" to the boy who just freed him from the hurtful trap him.

"You're welcome." He said, walking over to a near stream. Near the stream was a Sitrus tree.

As he had done many times before, Wes climbed up the tree with ease and knocked down two Sitrus berries before climbing back down. Looking around once more, he spotted a broken glass bottle nearly filled to the brim with rocks and sand. Digging the bottle out with his bare hands, Wes picked it up and ran back over to the stream. He then proceeded to clean the bottle.

The creature watched Wes curiously as he washed out the broken piece of glass until it was almost shining. He returned moments later with the berries and the broken glass bottle filled with cool water in his small hands. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out a torn worn-out washcloth. He dipped the old piece of cloth in the cool water, making it slightly damp. He then proceeded to clean around the creature's wounds with the rag, much to his surprise.

"My name's Wes. What's yours?"

"Veevee?" He replied, slightly confused. "Eevee?"

Setting the rag down, Wes took the broken glass bottle and held it a few inches above the Eevee's wounds. He then began to flush out the cuts, removing any and all bacteria and debris that found their way down there. When he was done with that, he took out an antibiotic cream out of his pack and began applying them to the Eevee's injuries.

"There you go. I don't have no bandages, so that'll jest have to keep fo' now." Wes put the cream back in his bag. He picked up one of the Sitrus berries and held it out towards the Eevee.

"This'll help heal your wounds faster. It tastes real good too. It's real juicy and packed with lots of flavors."

"Vee?" He looked at the berry, blinking a couple time before taking a large bite out of it. The berries juices spilled out and flowed down the Eevee's mouth as he continued to chew. When he was done, he gave a happy reply, smiling at Wes and showing his thanks.

"You're most very welcome." He said placing the berry down and wiping his hands on the damp washcloth he put down. "I never seen a creature like you befo'. You must be what they call a pokémon, am I right?"

The Eevee tilted his head to the side before nodding swiftly and happily.

Wes smiled. "Amazin'. My Mama would sure love to meet you. She talk about your kind all the time."

"Eevee?"

He stood to his feet. "Well, you're free now. Try not to get caught in no more fences, okay?"

The Eevee watched as Wes got further and further away from him. Sitting there, he pondered on this boy who freed him from the metal trap and treated his wounds. He pondered on it for many minutes.

Making a decision, the Normal-type pokémon sprinted off in the direction Wes was heading.


Wes still couldn't decipher his old wrinkled map. It was all foreign to him. It may as well have been non-linear writing if he couldn't understand what it was saying.

"Is this what grown-ups use get to their destinations?" Giving up, he dropped the map to the ground. "How am I ever gone call Mama now?"

The sound of light footfalls could be heard from behind. Wes ignored it at first—the empty road was full of strange noises that mysteriously came from nowhere. But then the footfalls got louder, followed by a high-pitched cry.

If Wes had not recognized the voice, he probably would have hid away in the bushes, waiting to see what was trailing him from behind.

But he did recognize the voice. He recognized the cry. He heard that same cry not ten minutes ago.

About-facing, Wes turned to see who the owner of the voice was. He got his answer when the small bushy-tailed pokémon he knew as Eevee came spiraling down the dirt road and into his arms. He snuggled up close, nuzzling Wes.

Wes gave in and hugged the creature tight to his body. "Well, hey there lil' buddy. Whatcha doin' followin' me?"

"Eevee! Eevee Eevee!"

Wes pulled back and looked the small pokémon deep in his brown eyes.

"With me? But I don't even know if I can make it on my own. I can't even make heads or tails of the patterns this here map." He said, pointing to the ground where the map had fell.

"Eevee! Veevee Eevee!"

"But I may not be able to take care a you. U'm still learnin'."

The Eevee found his way to Wes' left shoulder. "Eevee."

Smiling, Wes petted the small pokémon on the head. "I guess that's it then, huh?"

"Eevee."

With a chuckle, Wes reached down for his map, only to find that it was no longer at his feet. He began looking around but it wasn't anywhere to be seen. And there wasn't much for him to look for because the only thing before him was the dry dirt road.

"Aww man. I loss my map." His shoulders slumped.

"Eevee. Eevee Eevee."

"I guess. I didn't understand that ole map anyhow. So how 'bout we play it by ear?"

"E-Vee!"

"Sounds like a plan to me." He said as he once again started down the dirt path. "Hey, you happen' to know this place called the Outskirt Stand?"

"Eevee."

"I thought as much."