Author's Notes

This fic will be relatively episodic, the overarching story being there but taking a back-seat.

This one is also so I have something more fun and less stressful to write. A lot of it may be cringe because I'm taking a bit of inspiration from the increasingly popular Reddit stories. While I don't think anyone actually cares enough, I also intend to have more interaction from you guys: the readers. If you want anything specific in the story (be it an event, character, or anything else), suggest it in a review or PM and I'll consider adding it (try to keep it within the story's teen rating, if you can).

This was posted a while ago originally, but I took it down because I got triggered about unrelated drama in the reviews section. But, you know what? I don't care anymore. If you wanna go out and be a gallant knight, doing the oh so honorable task of ruining authors' days with your petty squabbles with unrelated parties that no one else cares actually about under the guise of "warning people about the trolls", be my guest.

Don't think this chapter is up to my current writing standards. I'll rewrite it later if I feel like it. I've done some minor revisions here to correct spelling/grammatical errors, and make some lines flow better.

The sawk dug his hand into the steep hill as he slid down. Some of the dirt from said hill got disturbed from its perch, sliding down alongside the foreign blue pokémon.

He let out a grunt, looking around as his steady feet impacted the ground. The dust soon settled, revealing his surroundings more clearly.

"Finally, the river! Just as I had sensed," the sawk commented. He smiled, seeing the clear liquid twinkling in the faint light of the full moon.

His fennekin companion had finished sliding down the hill just then.

"Yeah, if by sensed you mean looking down the hill before you slid."

The sawk crossed his arms, looking back at his friend.

"Yeah 'Scar, I used my sense of sight."

"It's Scarlett," the Scarlett corrected. The fennekin's own sense of sight went briefly unreliable as she rolled her eyes. She stifled a yawn. "What are we doing out in the middle of the woods this early anyway? It's three in the morning!"

"I found somethin' cool out here yesterday!"

"Okay?"

The sawk lead his fennekin friend over to the riverbank, gesturing to a bottle sticking out of the mud.

"See? There!" he exclaimed.

"That's... just a bottle, Daniel."

"Not just any bottle," he corrected, "it has a message inside it!"

The fennekin rose an eyebrow, interest peaked. "Oh, and what does it say?"

"I don't know, haven't opened it yet."

"Well, come on then."

The two walked up to the bottle, the sawk gently pulling it out. He popped the plug out, turning it upside down. He smacked his hand against the bottom of the bottle a few times, causing the note to slide out.

The fire type fox went to pick up the page but soon recoiled with a squeal.

"Ew!" she cried, "It's sticky!"

"Was probably a soda bottle or somethin'..." Daniel reasoned, putting a hand to his chin. "Hmmm..."

"W-what ever. You hold it."

The sawk nodded at the request, picking up the paper with both hands. As the fennekin laid down, he cleared his throat in preparation of the long message.

"Okay, okay... Ahem..." he clears his throat one last time, taking a deep breath. "It says 'SOS'."

Scarlett stared for a moment in anticipation of elaboration. None ever came.

"And...?"

"That's it, that's all it says."

"I can see more on the back."

Daniel's eyes widened in shock.

"'Scar, you're a genius! I never thought of that!" He quickly turned the page over, reading the back. "Okay... 'I'm stranded on a tropical island. I don't know where specifically I am. Please send help.'"

"Huh... Interesting..." Scarlett commented. "Figure we should go tell the authorities?"

Daniel shook his head.

"That's no fun! We should send another message back instead!"

"Fun... Yeah. We're gambling with someone's life here, we probably shouldn't dilly dally with trying to get a message back to them. It's a flook it even ended up here, the chances of ours ending up in the same place is one in a million."

"Oh... Yeah, that's a good point..." Daniel looked a bit ashamed of himself. "Let's go tell someone."

"Yeah."

"So let me get this straight," came the voice of the gruff furret. "You found a bottle with a message in the river, and this note was inside." He looked down at the bottle and note in his paws.

Daniel nodded, gently petting Scarlett in his arms. The aforementioned fennekin was visually displeased by this but wasn't fighting it.

"You know what this looks like to me? It seems like you two have been watching too many movies and dug an empty pop bottle outta' the recycling bin. Look, it's a cute little prank you got here but the authorities have real emergencies to take care of, not silly pretend games. Okay? Just run along now, ya' hear?"

Daniel's eyes widened in shock.

"N-no officer, I'm serious, I-"

"Run. Along." The furret officer jabbed a paw in another direction, staring at him sternly. "Ya' hear?"

Daniel put a finger up, about to retaliate once more, but Scarlett gently grabbed his arm.

"Yes sir..." he sighed, hanging his head and walking away.

"Well, at least we tried," Scarlett commented with a sigh.

"Yeah." Daniel took a seat, legs crossed in the middle of his living room.

The two simply sat there for a while, thinking. Waiting. Several minutes later, Scarlett's stomach began to growl.

"You hungry, 'Scar?"

The fennekin nodded.

"I am."

"Well, I gotta get to work soon anyway. Hang with me there, I'll fix you somethin' up."

Scarlett looked up, mildly surprised.

"I didn't know you had a job, Daniel."

"Just for the summer."

"Ah."

Daniel went into his room to change into his uniform. Said uniform consisted of a black hat, a black T-shirt with the company logo, and a white apron.

Once he had come back out, he gestured Scarlett to follow him. The pair walked out the door

"You work at Cheesy Joe's?"

"You bet."

"Out of all the places, I wouldn't expect you to work at a sandwich shop..."

Daniel shrugged off the remark, walking inside. He waved at one of his fellow employees behind the sandwich assembly counter.

"Yo Jacob," he called, "I'm starting my shift early, feel free to go home."

Jacob, a raichu, nodded.

"Ayyy, thanks champ! You the man." He ran over and hugged Daniel tightly, before running out the door.

Daniel got behind the counter, beginning to prep his station. Scarlett hopped up next to the register.

"What kind of bread to ya' want, 'Scar?"

"Herb and cheese."

"'Aight. Any meat?"

"Ham."

"Cheese?"

"Cheddar."

"Want that toasted?"

"No."

"Plant matter?"

Scarlett stared at him incredulously.

"Uhh... Onion, olives, lettuce."

"Will do, any dressing?"

"Mustard."

Daniel went hard at work, assembling the sandwich. He soon finished and handed it to Scarlett.

"Here you go. Free of charge, since you're a friend." He dropped a few of his own coins into the register. His fennekin friend flashed a smile.

"Hey, thanks," she said with a nod, before soon starting to eat.

The two sat there for a while, occasionally talking. It was about thirty minutes before customers started coming in.

The first few costumers were very nice. They just ordered their sandwiches, paid, then either left or sat down at a table. They occasionally chatted and joked with Daniel and Scarlett, everyone getting along well.

There were two customers sitting at a table, both were vulpix. It was just then that a delcatty walked in.

She had a scowl on her face as she approached the counter, looking at the notepad in her paw.

Daniel smiled brightly at her.

"Hello, welcome to Chee-"

"Shut up."

Daniel stepped back a bit. The remark had stung, but he kept his smile. Scarlett shot the delcatty a harsh look but was ignored.

"Sorry... What w-"

"Flatbread, steak, Unovan cheese, lettuce, olives, and mushrooms. Not toasted, no dressing. Got it?"

Daniel nodded.

"Yeah." He got to work on the sandwich, assembling it without issue until he got to the final part requested. "Uh... Ma'am?"

"What?" She had a stare that could solidify magma.

"We're out of mushrooms..."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"That's bullshit!" She jabbed a paw at his face. "You're lying!"

The sawk stepped back, raising his hands defensively.

"Hey now, there's really none. Look for yourself." He pointed his large blue finger toward the empty tray where the mushrooms usually are.

"You probably hid them just so I couldn't have any!" the delcatty growled, putting her paws up on the counter. She got right in Daniel's face.

It was at that moment when Scarlett stepped in.

"Why would he do that?" she inquired, walking up to her.

"I can tell he's a troublemaker by the way he looks!" she just about shouted, face turning red. "I'm calling the police if this doesn't get resolved!"

"For what?!"

"Theft! I'm being stolen from!"

One of the vulpix walked up to the delcatty.

"Excuse me ma'am, no one's-"

"I want to see the manager!" the delcatty shouted, cutting them off.

The shout alone alerted the manager, who came rushing out.

"What's going on here?" demanded the flareon. "I'm the manager, miss."

The delcatty had a smirk plastered all over, walking up to the manager.

"Sir, your employee here refuses to give me mushrooms on my sandwich, that I'm paying for with my own money! I demand I'm either given the mushrooms or get the sandwich for free!"

The manager looked over to Daniel.

"W-we're... out of mushrooms, sir. The next shipment doesn't come in until later today."

The manager walked over, inspecting the empty mushroom tray. He went in back, checking the delivery schedule. Everything checked out.

"Lady, I'm afraid he's correct."

"Then I deserve this for free as compensation for wasting my time!" the delcatty demanded.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out of my shop! Get out, get out! Right now!" he was steaming mad, stamping his paw at the lady.

The delcatty scoffed.

"I am calling the police on you! I'm getting this place shut down!"

The manager had enough. He inhaled deeply, before spewing flames from his mouth.

The delcatty screeched in horror, darting out of the restaurant. The manager simply walked behind the desk and nuzzles against Daniel's legs.

"Hey, thanks Joe..." the sawk said, leaning down and patting the flareon.

"It's no problem. You're in the right. I would have discounted her for the inconvenience, but I didn't like the attitude." He started walking back toward his office. "You can have her sandwich, free of charge."

Daniel nodded, turning to Scarlett and the vulpix that had tried to help.

"Hey, thanks you two for standing up for me."

"You're welcome. Not gonna let some bitch push you around like that," Scarlett dismissed with a wave of her paw.

The vulpix nodded, simply smiling. He went and sat back down at his seat.

The sawk wiped some sweat from his brow, glancing at the clock.

"Six forty-five... That's about eight hours to go."

Scarlett nodded.

"I'll just hang with you all day, I suppose. Nothing better to do."

The fighting type smiled.

"That's what I hoped to hear!"

The rest of the day had been relatively uneventful. Daniel was chatting with Scarlett, ready for the end of his shift. Jacob walked in through the door.

"Yo Danny, I'm takin' over! Head home."

"Thanks, dude."

The sawk picked up his fennekin friend, walking out the door. It was mid-afternoon.

"Daniel, may I stay at your place tonight?"

"Sure. Why?"

"Just feel like it." the rest of the walk home was in relative silence. Daniel was simply enjoying the various smells of the town. Chicken, flowers, whatever was nearby.

It was after about fifteen minutes that the sawk stopped. He walked up to an ATM.

"What're you doing Daniel?" Scarlett questioned with the tilt of her head.

"Picking up some snack money. I usually carry just enough with me, but after paying for your sandwich and the fact that you're still with me I'm gonna need a bit extra." He turned to Scarlett, giving her a warm smile and a wink.

"Oh, uh... Sorry..." Scarlett apologized, looking up at him.

Daniel laughed it off.

"No need! It's great to have company."

Scarlett's cheeks turned scarlett.

After he got the money, they stopped at a convenience store.

"Okay, let's see..." Daniel breahted. He leaned down, looking at the selection of soda. "Huh? That's strange, no grape..." he commented, an eyebrow raised.

One of the store employees who was walking by stopped.

"Is that so? Some flareon and sylveon stopped in here earlier, they bought the whole stock. Again."

Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, whatever. Just pick something, Daniel."

"Okay!"

The sawk resumed his searching. He settled on cherry cola. He grabbed a two liter bottle.

He then walked over to the snacks isle, his eyes darting back and fourth, analyzing the sugary, fatty, unhealthy foods in front of him.

"Probably gonna go for chips. That okay?"

"Yeah."

Daniel nodded, grabbing a family-sized bag.

They walked up to the register, watching closely as the clerk scanned their items.

"That'll be five ninety-six."

Daniel forked over the money. After it was counted, the clerk raised an eyebrow. It was the exact amount, no more.

"No change. Have a good day."

Daniel scooped Scarlett back up, walking out of the store.

As Daniel stepped through his door, he flopped onto his couch, popping open the chips and soda. He shoveled some of the potatoey snacks into his mouth, downing it with cola straight from the bottle.

Scarlett wandered to the kitchen, grabbing a cup and a plate before walking back.

She emptied some of the bag's contents out onto the plate, and poured herself a glass of cola. She ate the chips one at a time, occasionally sipping at her drink.

Daniel leaned over and pet Scarlett, who shot him an annoyed look. This look was ignored.

"So, about that message earlier," he wondered, "should we try to send out a response?"

"Sure, why not. Doubt it'll work, though."

Daniel shrugged.

"Who knows, maybe we'll be lucky!"