Hello everyone! Hope you had a good weekend. Once again I had too many ideas and just had to do some writing, which is all the better for anyone reading. I appreciate reviews as always, and will respond to most at the start of each chapter. Anyways, enjoy!

I looked down upon the Growlithe who had spoken in his voice, my tormentor's voice. If I was in this state it wasn't beyond reason that he was as well. "well, what am I going to do with you?" I said. My voice sounded the same to me as it had before.

He stared up at me, his eyes widening a fraction. "Y-you?" He sputtered. "Out of all the people to be here, you?" He seemed to be in denial.

My mind raced. I had power over him now in a way I never had before. "Well, seeing as there's nothing of worth over here, I guess I'll be going." I said in a jovial manner. I wanted to just say that I hated him, but this would probably hurt him more. I started walking back the way I had came.

"Well fuck you too then!" He shouted, a few seconds I had turned away. "I'm sorry I was an asshole, I guess! Is that what you want? An apology? Just please, please, help me up!"

I spun around and walked back towards the edge once more. I simply asked "Why?".

He was still looking at me, eyes just as wide. "Why what? Why I bullied you? Because…" He trailed off, seeming pensive. "I guess I don't know. My parents never had much time for my, ya know? And so I just…" I assume he tried to shrug, but the motion didn't translate well with four legs. He more just dipped the front of his body down. "Or do you mean why you should help me? I guess despite the fact that I made your life hell for a few years you're still a good person at heart and wouldn't leave me here to die or some bullshit like that? I guess it's cliché but I am counting on you here."

I continued to meet his gaze. " Well, I hate to prove you right but I'd rather not have your death on my conscience. I'll try and help." I said, measuring my words. He visibly relaxed.

I looked around for something I could use. If I still had hands I would try and anchor myself to reach down and pull him up, but that was out of the question. The solution appeared in the form of a thin vine wrapped loosely around a tree trunk. I took a running start, and caught the vine several feet in the air. The sudden weight caused it to fall, pulling some smaller branches down with it. "Everything alright up there? Don't want you dieing before you can get me up." He called out from below.

"Glad you care so much about my wellbeing." I retorted. I gave the vine an experimental tug with my mouth and found it to still be sturdily attached to the tree on one end. I dragged the open end over to the cliff, and nudged it over the edge.

"Alright, got the vine, now what?" He asked.

I thought for a moment longer before speaking. "Hold on tight." It was hard work, dragging him up the vertical cliff without being able to adjust my hold on the vine. Twice the makeshift rope almost slipped from my jaws, and twice I clamped down tighter and persevered. My respite came once his top legs had purchase on level ground and he could pull himself up the rest of the way.

"This entire situation is fucked." He said, once he was solidly in the ground. I nodded in affirmation. I had wasted enough of my time here already, so I turned to leave. "So you're just going then?" He asked. "To where?"

I turned my head back to look at him. "Somewhere that isn't here. Look, just because I helped you doesn't mean I've forgiven you. Remember that." He didn't say anything else as I made my way away from the cliffs and back into the forest.

Maybe I just hadn't noticed before, or maybe my mind was just getting used to having sharper senses, but almost suddenly I could see signs of life where there had previously been none.

One tree contained a pidgey mest. A sapling had bent over slightly, likely pushed there by the passing of a large animal. There was a fern with holes bitten into the massive leaves, either by caterpie or weedle.

I was so absorbed with observing the forest around me that I almost walked into the massive moss covered stone. It took me a second or two to register its existence, then another two to realize what it was. It was, quite probably, a moss stone. Was it safe for me to evolve? Probably not, I had barely even gotten used to my new body, imposing even more change would be a terrible idea. I backed up, then moved in a semi-circle around the stone, giving it a wide berth.

I continued to walk, aimlessly, with no knowledge of what I was searching for. Through gaps in the trees I could see that the sun was indeed rising, the day only just begun. I still didn't know what I was looking for. I only had three landmarks, the pond, the cliff, and the moss stone, not really enough to get a sense of where I was. The topography of the area was quite variable, with small hills scattered throughout the forest.

I had walked for maybe two hours before another sense took it's hold over my perception. The smells of the forest nearly overwhelmed me, so vivid and numerous were they. There were smells for which words did not exist that I could now detect. I struggled to process all the information I was taking in. The fallen tree to my left smelled of rot. A small group of the same pokemon had passed to my left an hour or so ago. In the distance, the faint smell of smoke.

I soldiered on, trying my best to filter through the sensory overload I was receiving. It was exhausting, trying to ignore all the information vying for my attention. I halted abruptly, stiffening. The smell of smoke was getting stronger by the second. I turned in the direction of the smell, suddenly afraid. Was it a forest fire? I hadn't found anywhere besides the pond that would be safe from that.

My fear was assuaged when I heard the footfalls. An Arcanine was running through the woods at top speed, holding a Growlithe by the scruff of it's neck. As it charged past, the Growlithe gave me a pained look, and I realized who it was. If he went and got in trouble it was not of concern to me.

By the time the sun set I had yet to find a place to stop, but I could not keep going. I cleared a spot on the ground, and was quickly taken by a dreamless sleep.