Melli couldn't believe what he was doing.
He REALLY couldn't believe he agreed to this.
After arriving in the Cobalt Coastlands, he spoke with Iscan, and Iscan brought him to Palina. The woman was very sympathetic, especially upon learning Snowflake was the most recent survivor of the Man Eater attacks.
She initially said Hisuian Growlithes were weary of people, and it took a while for most of them to accept humans into their presence.
He thought his mission ended in failure, only for Iscan to ask about "that one big Growlithe." Melli was eager to learn more, despite how hesitant Palina seemed.
He should have taken that as a sign and declined.
It was an Alpha Growlith, all sad sitting under a tree, clearly picked on by the others of its kind. Growlithes generally pair up and protect their territory together. Despite being an Alpha,
However, this one wasn't able to keep a partner.
Melli didn't understand why a Pokémon would pass up the opportunity, given the type of protection an Alpha Pokémon provided.
Then Palina said it.
That thing was a massive coward. To the point living with it for most wild Growlithes is more trouble than it's worth.
Still, Melli needed a fire type, and Palina was desperate to find companionship for the massive ball of fluff.
He agreed to take it on loan for now and see if it and Snowflake got along. He could safely say the trip back was far more exhausting than the trip there.
It didn't help that a Space Time Distortion appeared blocking his path.
They were forced to take the long way around or risk fighting stronger Pokémon than Melli cared to deal with.
It all sucked.
"Would you get out of the bush already?!" Melli barked when another flying Yanma spooked the Alpha, sending it diving for a bush that was way too small. Its trembling orange backside was sticking straight in the air, a beacon for everyone to see.
Skuntank went over and nudged the stupid thing, finally coaxing it out tentatively from what was now a crushed sorry state of wood and leaves.
Melli just wanted to sleep.
"… I should never have said yes… why did I say yes…?" He moaned.
At least they were close to the Shrouded Ruins. Snowflake and Akari should hopefully be back by now, either in their tent or causing all sorts of problems around the emergency camp.
"Melli? What are you doing with that thing?" Arezu stopped him.
The last person he wanted to talk to.
The Alpha yelped and tried hiding under Skuntank, the poison type squawking at being lifted so violently. His legs couldn't even touch the ground with the dog underneath his stomach.
"…. Honestly, I'm trying to figure that out myself."
"Awww, he's so shy," she cooed. "Don't worry big guy, Melli will make sure you're taken care of."
Arezu's face quickly turned serious. "You may want to get back to your outsider soon."
Melli's eyes narrowed. What trouble did he cause this time?
"Why?"
"Something happened the other day," Arezu shrugged. "Not sure what, but Snowflake was really out of it, and poor Akari looked ready to cry."
That wasn't good.
That wasn't good at all.
"I'll be going then. Thanks for the heads up."
"Sure thing! Just don't forget to tell me what happened later!" She waved him off with a smile, Melli rolling his eyes.
No, he would NOT just air that laundry out to dry. Especially if it was serious. The Growlithe finally stood up and sniffed at Melli's hand, not realizing Skuntank was still laid out on its back.
"… that idiot better appreciate the trouble I went through…" he started walking at a quicker pace, the Alpha tailing close behind.
Skuntank completely gave up on getting down.
People stared, the Growlithe whimpering and glancing around nervously the entire time. Melli didn't care. He just needed to know Snowflake was okay.
… and to a lesser extent, Akari.
Thank Sinnoh, he finally reached their temporary shelter. The tent was small, just tall enough to stand up in and fit four sleeping rolls laid side by side. It was good nobody wanted to stay with Melli or Snowflake. They actually had a little room to move, though not as much as he'd like.
Just the two of them.
…
And this stupid Alpha.
And that conniving Zorua.
And Skuntank and Caboose.
And whatever the heck Snowflake likely caught out in the Fieldlands…
Melli rubbed his sore forehead.
He should never have agreed to letting that idiot catch a Pokémon. Melli had no clue what he'd be walking into.
Hopefully Akari followed his very specific rules.
Steeling himself, the Warden opened his tent flap, finding things rearranged.
The two bedrolls, instead of being along the tent walls, were now laid out next to each other. Snowflake on the right side, which Melli had initially claimed. His roommate was completely hidden under the blankets, back to the center of the tent and another lump joining him.
Caboose, if he had to guess. Snowflake's coat was located near his feet, where a poorly dyed orange tail protruded from the folds.
That stupid Zorua.
And why was there a blue maned Ponyta on his bedroll?!
Technically, the Ponyta was lying on both bedrolls. It's back flush with Snowflake, and practically shoving Akari off of Melli's. She was laying up against her Typhlosion, eyes closed looking absolutely exhausted.
Wait, were those five baskets full of cake lures?!
"Akari!" Melli whisper-yelled, jolting the girl from her snooze. He motioned for her to join him outside. She was quick to comply, pausing when Snowflake started to get up.
"I'll be right back. I just have to check something first."
Snowflake made a groan of acknowledgement, not moving any further.
He sounded as tired as Akari looked, and Melli felt.
The teen didn't keep him waiting, hopping to her feet and dragging him out of earshot of the tent.
"Why is your Ponyta on my bedroll?!" Melli barked. "I don't want it catching my stuff on fire!"
Akari's expression turned confused.
"That's Snowflake's new Pokemon. I actually needed it for a request, but he caught it first. It… uh, doesn't like sleeping in the dirt… or Pokeball." She laughed awkwardly.
Melli was not amused. Honestly, he was more upset once he realized what she was saying.
Snowflake caught a fire type Pokemon in the Highlands.
The exact same type Melli had spent the last few days traveling to get.
He took that entire trip for nothing?!
"Uhhh, Melli? Are you okay?" Akari sounded tentative. "You have a really weird look on your-"
"What is with you Galaxy people and being so rude?!"
"I'm sorry! I thought you wanted to kill me for a second!"
"You are not far off!" He growled, trying VERY hard not to curse her out.
This wasn't her fault, but the fact that this HAPPENED!
"… cakes. Why?" His tone was just below a yell, several bystanders glancing over at the two.
"W-well…" Akari twiddled her fingers. "There was an… incident near Horseshoe Plains. When we got back, Snowflake REALLY didn't want to sleep, or be alone. I got Mai to come by since I didn't know what to do, and we ended up making cakes all night. I showed him every recipe I know," Her smile tightened. "Mai left around sunrise, but Snowflake is still really dodgy about questions, or talking at all… I'm getting worried…"
"So, to be clear. 'Something' happened yesterday, so instead of sleeping you dragged Mai into an entire night of baking, and are now letting all of these Pokémon sleep on MY bedroll?"
"T-that sounds about right."
Slapping his forehead in frustration, Melli cursed under his breath. "I can't believe I let you take Snowflake. That was such a mistake."
"I-I didn't know we'd run into a Shinx! I tried to keep him away from their territory I swear!"
Melli was honestly angrier at himself for that. He completely forgot the Obsidian Fieldlands were teaming with Shinx and their entire evolution line. He thought it would be a safer area for Snowflake to explore.
Clearly he was mistaken.
"Melli? Is there anything I can do? I-I really want to fix this, but I don't know how to help…"
The man grumbled unintelligibly. Would this girl shut up so he could think?!
"You want to know how you can fix this?! Take that stupid Growlithe back to Palina in the Coastlands while I deal with Snowflake!"
"What Growlithe?"
"Are you blind?! The one right behind me!" He turned around to point at the impossible to miss Alpha, only there were no Pokémon. Skuntank was gone too, and Akari just got more confused.
"I… never saw a Growlithe?" She laughed nervously, all while Melli's eyes twitched with barely contained rage. If Snowflake found that Growlithe, he KNEW there'd be no separating them.
If Caboose or Buggy were anything to go by.
But what if he wandered somewhere else?
What if Adaman found out?!
"Quickly! Help me find that Alpha!"
"An Alpha?! You brought an Alpha Growlithe?! Why?!" The teen gawked.
There was no time for this!
"I'll explain later! Just help me find that stupid thing!"
"O-okay!" Akari scrambled at his sudden insistence.
Thankfully, the Diamond camp wasn't very big. It hopefully wouldn't take long to track that orange dog down.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
Exhausted.
Sore.
Apathetic.
Those were the only things Snowflake currently felt.
He tried reassuring Akari, but he failed to hide how paranoid he really was.
Flinching at the slightest sounds or movement.
Smile so wide even he knew it was obviously fake to everyone else.
He knew it was caused by seeing that Shinx… eating its meal.
It was horrible.
The connections it made in his mind.
The unending anxiety that came after.
Did he think a Shinx would attack him in his sleep?
Or a particular Luxray….
Nope!
No point thinking about that!
Because he was just going to stay up all night so nothing would happen!
Akari wasn't happy with that decision, and ended up dragging Mai into this whole mess.
He didn't want anyone else involved, but she had insisted on staying with them. Somehow Mai did help Snowflake feel better, and the three made all sorts of cake lures throughout the night.
Mushroom, bean, honey, and salt.
Of course, all of their Pokémon were taste testers.
He probably knew how to make every variety of cake in Hisui now, and he learned which ones his Pokémon preferred.
Caboose definitely enjoyed bean cakes, her second favorite leaning towards grains. She was eager to assist in any way possible while the three worked, helping carry ingredients and trying to mold cake balls with her ribbons. Overall, she just seemed happy at being included. Her willingness to try all the cake flavors was nice too, but her favorites were made clear.
Buggy was far more picky. He liked the grain and bean cakes much like Caboose, but refused to touch the other types. He turned his nose up at them, instead perking his ears and scratching at Snowflake's leg the entire time they were cooking his preferred ingredients. Drool constantly dribbled out of his mouth into large puddles, whining whenever he didn't get any scraps thrown his way. Snowflake tried taking his coat off so Buggy could use it as a bed to lay on, but the little Pokémon decided to show his displeasure by smearing saliva all over his hoodie instead.
By the time Buggy got his food, it was an absolute bloodbath.
Well, a cake bath would be more accurate.
There was no concern for manners, simply attacking the meal and making all sorts of grotesque noises while tearing through the cakes. The girls couldn't help but watch with morbid curiosity, having to cover their faces whenever a stray bit of saliva went flying. By the time he finally had his fill, the little "Vulpix" sluggishly crawled into the folds of Snowflake's coat and fell into a food coma.
His Ponyta didn't beg, though she wasn't helping either. Cooper, as he decided to call her, watched them patiently, all the while lounging on Melli's bedroll. Snowflake tried to make her move to his, but since Buggy was in that vicinity, she blatantly refused.
Of course when the food was ready she ignored Buggy's foul eating habits, daintily nibbling at each cake determining her favorites. She preferred the grain cakes, but was willing to eat the bean ones too.
Snowflake made a mental note of all the beans and grains he'd need to gather for them in the future. He was a little sad none of them liked the salt cakes, especially since that was the one he already knew how to make.
Still, it was verrrry fun. Almost enough to calm his nerves for a while.
Sadly, it couldn't last forever.
Mai left with the sunrise, Akari having to go and check a few things as well. She tried to get Snowflake to join, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Outside, danger still lurked.
Something was after him. He didn't know why he thought that, but something primal in his brain wouldn't let him relax.
So he laid down, hoping he'd drift off eventually. Then he ran into another problem.
He really didn't want to sleep with his back to the tent wall.
He was still too on edge.
Laying on his right side was out of the question thanks to his damaged shoulder, so he swapped the bedrolls around… and moved them further into the center of the tent. No need for anyone to sleep so close to the wall! Especially when the flaps were easy to pull up!
Despite all that, the stupid vision of that Shinx and Starley refused to leave him in peace. Even with Caboose never leaving his side, he found restful sleep impossible.
Instead he laid there, eyes open, breathing in the stale air under his blankets, and squeezing an empty Pokeball with his bad hand. Passelle said if he worked his muscles he might gain more movement in the limb, and flexing his fingers was one of the few motions that didn't cause pain.
Over the last few months he lost a lot of definition. The difference between his arms was noticeable, despite being very lean already. He didn't want to wait too long, when it would be too late to actually recover anything on that side.
Still, certain movements caused a cramping pain to run through his arm and shoulder, or it just refused to go in that direction. He wasn't sure how he could improve something that was a constant nuisance all the time.
Perhaps Zisu would have more advice-
A loud sniffling made him pause. Not one of his Pokémon, but he recognized the sound of its short heavy legs scuffling against dirt.
Tensely he pushed back the covers, seeing Melli's Skuntank growling in greeting.
"Hello, Skuntank. Are Melli and Akari still talking?" Snowflake abandoned his Pokeball, deciding to try reaching for the Pokémon with his bad hand.
Trembling. Weakness. Shooting pangs.
He had gotten his arm a few inches off the mat, attempting to pat Skuntank despite his arm not wanting to straighten. Snowflake remembered a similar frustration with relearning to walk again, only that wasn't nearly as painful.
Well, maybe it was. It was easier to forget old pains while actively being blocked out by new ones.
Skuntank showed him mercy and waddled onto the bedroll, offering his cheek to Snowflake's shaky hand.
"S-sorry." Snowflake panted, giving him a weak chin rub.
He'd forgotten how exhausting it was working the weak muscles.
With his face free from the sheets, he finally noticed a new Pokémon in the tent standing behind Skuntank.
It was big, orange and extremely fluffy.
Snowflake sat up, the dog trembling and whimpering as soon as they made eye contact.
Not that he could see its eyes. They were completely covered by white bangs.
Why was it so big?
Growlithes weren't supposed to be this massive.
… wait, did that mean it was an Alpha?
"Hello there." Snowflake smiled. "I am Snowflake. And who might you be?"
The Alpha whined, Skuntank having to shuffle over and provide reassurance. Tentatively, Growlithe slowly creeped forward, low to the ground ready to show submission. Caboose finally stirred at the noise, yawning and turning to watch the two make their way over.
Snowflake gave them both time, grinning wider when the Growlithe finally reached hand sniffing distance.
"Good boy." He kept his voice soft, gently stroking its cheek. The Pokémon's ears perked up at the nice contact, fluffy white tail slowly wagging back and forth before breaking out into faster, happier motions.
"There we go. You are a verrry good buddy, aren't you?"
It whimpered, going stiff again when the tent flap flew open. Melli stood gasping for air, horrified face falling on Snowflake.
"SINNOH NO! I'M TOO LATE!"
"Melli! Did you bring this Growlithe? Were you out catching Alphas? Wait, if you could catch Alphas, then why did you ban me from it?!"
"I DIDN'T WANT AN ALPHA! AND IT'S GOING BACK TO THE COASTLANDS!"
"But they just got here, didn't they? You can't send them back just like that. They haven't done anything wrong." Snowflake rubbed its fluffy chest, the Alpha leaning in for more. "See? They are a verrrry good doggo. Isn't that right?"
"BORF!" The bark was LOUD. He'd gotten the Pokémon overexcited, and it couldn't contain its joy.
It probably altered the whole camp, and acted as an alarm for a very pissed off Zorua.
"GRAAAAAAR!" Buggy scrambled out of his coat bed hearing the bark, Growlithe yelping at the little "Vulpix" charging at its feet.
"Buggy no!" Snowflake tried and failed to grab the Pokémon before it actually bit. "It was an accident!"
Buggy didn't care, snapping and rushing at the massive Pokémon.
"RARAGARRRR!"
The Growlith yelped in panic, sprinting laps around the tent with the "Vulpix" right behind. Snowflake stood up and attempted to stop Buggy, but they were both too fast for him to grab. Cooper just watched the entire train wreck unfold, and Caboose started pursuing herself, reaching her ribbons towards both Pokémon hoping to calm them down. Unfortunately, the Alpha barreled straight at Melli, leaping to try landing on his head for safety from the tiny menace.
The Warden couldn't dodge in time.
With a high pitched yelp rivaling Melli's scream, the Growlithe collided with his chest, sending them both tumbling into the tent wall ripping the whole thing off its posts. The small parade that was hotly chasing Buggy quickly found themselves buried and wrapped in an entanglement of what was once their tent. The world turned a dark shade of blue while Snowflake struggled his way out, not making any progress.
He got head butted by a furious Cooper for his efforts.
Caboose was panicking at hearing Snowflake's pained grunt and fall, Buggy still going crazy trying to find his target, and Melli's non stop cursing while the Alpha whimpered and bayed.
"What in Sinnoh's name is happening?!"
That sounded like Adaman!
Snowflake tried fighting his way out of the fabric once more, pausing at the dizzy spell it caused.
Cooper had a verrrry hard head.
"Hold on, Snow. I'll cut you out."
… Snow?
Adaman had said it, followed by a knife slicing through the fabric next to him letting in a bright stream of light inside.
"You okay, Snowflake?"
That was his name. Maybe the guy just forgot?
"I am Snowflake, yes." He put the extra emphasis on 'flake' to make sure Adaman wouldn't forget again.
"WOULD YOU GET OFF OF ME! YOU STUPID COWARDLY PILE OF SHIT!!!
Snowflake saw the struggling lumps that were Melli, Growlithe, and Buggy absolutely flipping in every direction.
There was also a burning smell? But what could possibly be-
"COPPER! RETURN!" Snowflake quickly drew the Ponyta back into her Pokeball, Adaman rushing over to stamp out the tent fire just as a woman and her Psyducks used Water Gun to douse the flames.
And Adaman.
He stood. Slouched, drenched and exhausted while just about everyone in Diamond Clan had gathered to watch.
Taking in a deep breath, Adaman bellowed.
"MELLI! Stop fooling around and get out here RIGHT NOW!!"
Buggy and Caboose stopped struggling at the order, giving Snowflake a chance to dig through the fabric and recall both of them into their Pokeballs.
Now it was just the last two.
Skuntank had made it out on his own, now growling and scratching at the thrashing pile of fabric.
Snowflake continued pulling the canvas back, Akari finally making her way over and helping too. The three managed to get Melli out, along with a still sleeping Typhlosion.
That Alpha was still clutched to his upper body, looking terrified.
"…. Hello, Adaman," Melli sighed, having finally given up on escaping. He laid in the dirt, limp under the weight of that nervous Growlithe.
"Melli," Adaman sounded hoarse, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. If you wanna blame someone, look at this thing!" He gestured to the Pokémon still crushing his rib cage.
Snowflake glanced at the crowd. They were all either glaring at him or Melli. Most eyes directed at him were more worried or curious, while those looking at Melli either smirking or clearly annoyed.
He didn't like all the negative attention towards his friend in particular. Why would they be upset?
It was only the one tent that caught fire, right?
Adaman stopped to cough, sniffling back some mucus and going back to his interrogation. "And why do you have an Alpha Growlithe?"
"Honestly? It was a combination of good intentions turned into a great big mess-"
"It was my fault, Adaman," Snowflake stood up, not wanting to see Melli get in trouble. He didn't understand why their clan leader was frustrated with Melli in particular, but his friend didn't deserve it today.
This wasn't his fault at all.
"I, Snowflake, failed to keep my Pokémon under control, and it resulted in this mess. I apologize for the disturbance." He bowed his head, like he'd seen others in the clan do when offering apologies. Akari had said it was customary to look at the ground and bow for some reason.
Even if he didn't get it, he'd still respect the custom. Especially if it got Melli out of this.
"… can you promise to keep better control of your Pokémon in the future?"
"Of course! I, Snowflake, will work my hardest to keep everyone on track from now on." He saluted. Adaman rubbed his forehead, mumbled something about talking to Melli later, and stifling a yawn.
"I guess that's settled then. You're responsible for mending the damaged tent. Melli can show you how."
Melli groaned in defeat, everyone finally dispersing now that the action was over.
Snowflake took the chance to grab Growlithe around its belly, barely able to lift the massive thing. His right arm dangled, never having a chance to put his sling back on. He tried his best to grip with that arm too, but mobility was limited, and his other hand did most of the work.
He would need to train it more.
Akari and Skuntank took over reassuring the large Pokémon, while Snowflake's attention turned to his friend.
"Are you alright, Melli?"
"Alright? No." His friend mumbled. "Just humiliated, and tired."
"I'm reallllly sorry about the tent collapsing… and it catching on fire…"
"Why are you apologizing? It's all because of that thing." He motioned towards the Pokeballs on Snowflake's belt.
"Caboose was trying to help though? She didn't do anything wrong." Snowflake wasn't sure why Melli would blame his Sylveon either. He was genuinely curious.
The twitch in his eye and defeated collapse back to the ground was the only answer he got.
"I don't even care anymore. Somebody just strike me down already…"
"Please don't say that, Melli. I can show Snowflake how to fix the tent if you want to try resting." Akari offered.
Melli just blinked, pulling his hood over his eyes and rolling on his side facing away from the two, Skuntank acting as his pillow. The skunk and Alpha sat side by side, having a nice conversation amongst themselves.
Akari grabbed a needle and thread from one of her packs.
Snowflake sat down beside her and watched, still feeling guilty about the whole thing. If he would have been calmer around that Growlithe, none of this would have happened.
They did their best to repair the thing, despite Snowflake's inability to sew. Melli stayed quiet the whole time, neither of them sure if he was awake or not.
XxxxxxxxxxxxX
It took until sunset to finally get their tent pitched again. Snowflake could safely say he wasn't too disappointed with his repair job either. It would be good enough to keep the rain out, even if the stitching wasn't pretty.
Melli had gotten up to help get the tent standing, now collapsed face first on his pillow. Akari left soon after, having her own business to get back to. He didn't mind though. Now that Melli was back, he felt much safer.
Snowflake let Caboose and Cooper out of their Pokeballs, having to lay out one of his blankets for the Ponyta to lay on so she would stop trying to force Melli off of his own bedroll. Buggy was in time out for now, at least until they figured out what would happen with that Growlithe.
Melli said it was a coward that hated fighting, which would explain why it was so terrified of a baby like Buggy. That also meant it wouldn't be a good Pokémon for battling. Verrry unfortunate indeed.
At least Skuntank got along well with it. While Melli snoozed, the two had gotten more cuddly with each other, until they left the tent to find a more private location.
At least, that's what Snowflake assumed anyway.
"Uggggghhhh…" Melli groaned into his pillow.
"Are you feeling any better?" Snowflake asked.
"Not really…" he croaked. Shifting his head so he could peer around the tent. "Where did Skuntank and that Alpha go now…? Ugh." His face hit the pillow with a thud.
"Out doing the Delibirds and Combees if I had to guess." Snowflake stroked Caboose along her back, the Pokémon arching into the ministrations.
"… the what?" Melli sat up on his arms, giving Snowflake a questioning glare.
"You know, egg making? I thought since you didn't get the Growlithe for battles, it was actually a mate for Skuntank." He shrugged. "They are in the same egg group… is the Growlithe a boy or girl?"
"Egg making?!" Melli shot upright, rushing out of the tent without putting his boots on. "SKUNTANK! THAT GROWLITHE IS GOING BACK TOMORROW! DON'T YOU DARE!"
He listened until Melli screaming was too far away to understand, Cooper deciding Snowflake's back would be a great face scratcher.
"You know, my nails would do a much better job." He offered. The Ponyta shook her head, proceeding to get as much light colored hair stuck to his dark hoodie as possible.
"If that's what you'd prefer." He rolled his eyes and went back to stroking Caboose.
They waited a while until Melli finally came back, eyes wide and fingers twitching. Skuntank and the Growlithe came in not long after, the two laying down side by side.
Grooming each other.
The Warden took a heavy seat on his bedroll, still looking mortified.
Snowflake simply waited, rubbing Caboose behind the ear.
"So…. The Growlithe isn't going back to the Coastlands."
"Did they have an egg?"
"No, they are both boys!"
"Awww, that's a shame. I like baby Pokémon." Snowflake deflated. At least they were getting along, even if he couldn't be an uncle.
"Well you already have one and it's a nightmare!"
"Buggy just needs to learn. He'll get better with time."
"Whatever!" Melli flopped down onto his pillow again, this time Cooper deciding to sniff at his purple locks.
Apparently they smelled good enough to eat.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" He shot up with a death glare that could scare off a Ghastly. Thankfully she took the hint, deciding to bother Snowflake instead. He gave her some chin rubs, watching Melli expectantly.
The Warden raised a brow at his friend's staring.
"So… since the Growlithe is staying, are you giving it a nickname?"
"Why would I do that?" Melli questioned.
"He's Skuntank's friend. I figure he's your Pokémon now," Snowflake grinned. "Wouldn't you want to name your own Pokémon?"
"H-he's NOT mine!" Melli stammered.
"Are you going to nickname him or not?"
Melli just glared, mouth twitching. Snowflake wasn't sure why this concept was so hard to understand. Perhaps he needed assistance?
"… does that mean you would like some suggestions?"
"… whatever! Since you're so BRILLIANT with nonsensical names, let's see what you pull out this time."
"Hmmmm… he is a dual rock and fire type, yes?"
"Yeah?"
"I know! Coal!" Snowflake's grin increased in size. "It's a verrry clever name."
"I don't even know what coal is." Melli deadpanned.
"Oh! It's rock that people get from the ground, but it's not actually made of rock? More like fossilised Pokémon. You can light it on fire and burn it for fuel."
"… so it's like Mamoswine fat you'd made candles with? It's the fat of the earth?"
"That's close enough."
Melli looked at Growlithe, mulling the name over. "He is pretty fat."
"Don't shame him. He's big boned." Snowflake couldn't help but chuckle. It was nice knowing Melli liked the name.
"I'm assuming you've already named that one too." He pointed at the blue flamed Ponyta.
"I named her Cooper." He patted her cheek, the horse whinnying in response.
"… isn't that a human name?" Melli blinked. "Most of your names so far have been clearly not human based."
"It's funny you should say that! It all has to do with the story of.. uhhhh….." Snowflake scratched his chin. What was the story again? "The… first… uh, mobile machine thing, I think? And there was a race against a Pontya and the Ponyta won! I think the driver was named Cooper…?"For some reason the word locomotive came to mind.
It almost sounded made up, but also fitting?
"I think he was driving a locomotive"
"… what's a locomotive?"
"… I… don't remember?"
"You are just a well of information, aren't you?" Melli's voice dripped with sarcasm, though Snowflake didn't mind.
"You don't have to hang out with me."
"Honestly, I sometimes wonder why I-
STOP EATING MY HAIR!" Melli slapped the Ponyta away, grabbing his blanket and pulling it over his head. She huffed and snapped at him, but he no longer cared.
Snowflake couldn't stop laughing, Melli attempting to hold in his own cackling. They were both grinning in the end, despite how stressful the day had been for everyone.
He was happy to have such a great human friend, and many new Pokémon friends too.
XxxxxxxxxxxX
Two days after they took in Coal, the flood waters receded.
Three days later, Diamond Clan started repairs of the Settlement.
Another four days passed, and the death of a Galaxy Team member was reported in the Crimson Mirelands.
It was caused by a Pokémon.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxX
ART! EVERYONE ADMIRE AkaKosai AND HOW FABULOUS THEY MADE THE NEW PONYTA!!! THAT MANE IS FLAWLESS XD
https/cdn./attachments/703538024528740392/973215871671623780/image0.png
Welp, I literally never thought I'd have a story reach over 10,000 views on the other fanfic site, but here we are. Thank you all so much for the crazy support so far. The story would never have gotten this big or well developed without all of your support and I'm really touched by all of it.
https/homestar1812./post/684063877168775168/show-chapter-archive