Disclaimer: Pokémon © Satoshi Tajiri; Nesrin and all other concepts © me

III

A Spring of Beginnings: Part 2

Sometimes, I marvel at the extent of my own denial.

Because, seriously, I really should've known that that wouldn't be the end of it.

After all, has life ever been that simple?

…actually, don't answer that.

"Uwaaah…" Nesrin sweats, perched on a branch and behind a shroud of leaves, as she peeks around the tree to observe the current situation. "To think that he'd go this far…"

Examining the many tracks that cover the forest floor, Red is crouched beside his Poliwag with a look of utter solemnity on his face. Nearby, a brunette with bright blue eyes and her Jigglypuff are following his example, albeit with a cheerful air, as a boy with auburn hair is sitting atop of an overgrown root with a bored expression. His Eevee, ears perked and tail swishing, stands guard.

"How dangerous," she whispers to herself, knowing that they won't be able to hear her from their current position meters away, before she presses a finger against her chin in thought, "Although, this does remind me of the time I swiped Kyoya's tonfas for fun, hehe…" A carefree smile plays on her lips as her eyes close in a gentle curve. "Ah~ The good ol' days… How I miss thee…"

They had been filled with blood, gore, and war but also friendship and love~!

Rustle, rustle…

The sound abruptly wipes the nostalgia from her face as her ears twitch in concentration.

Rustle, rustle, rustle…

And her heart beats just a tad bit faster when she realizes exactly who is approaching from behind.

Rustle.

"Ah, Foongus…"

Honey-colored eyes meet glaring red orbs, bright with determination, before steam seems to shoot out from his pink nose.

"Mukya!"

And she leans backwards to avoid a Karate Chop, soon finding herself falling from a height of potentially disastrous proportions.

"MUKYA?!"

Wind whips around her and she twists her body, warmth spreading from her core outwards, and waits until the last second in order to grab onto another branch, using her momentum to swing around it and fly through the air. Her bare feet connects with the rugged surface of a tree and she runs down the trunk, gaining speed before leaping off and grabbing onto a hanging vine. Soaring through the air like a pendulum, she swiftly passes the trio and their partners, locking eyes with wide carmine, and her lips stretches into a teasing grin.

"Catch me if you can~!"

And then she's gone.

The hunt is on.

Heart pounding in excitement, Nesrin knows that she'll regret her decision later but, as it is, the thrill of the chase has overwhelmed her sense of rationality.

"Whoopsie~!"

Landing on a branch, she twirls around the Mankey as he leaps towards her with a Scratch attack that ultimately misses. He stumbles and finds himself about to fall, frantically waving his arms in an effort to regain his balance, but doesn't and sighs in relief before a vein throbs on his head and the Pig Monkey turns to the girl with a cry of outrage. She snickers, eyes twinkling, before winking with a singsong.

"Better luck next time~– Ack!"

A stream of water clips her nose and hits the tree trunk, spraying in all directions before dispersing in drops.

"Nyoro!"

Surprised by the chirp, Nesrin turns just in time to see the others step into the clearing and sweats, raising a hand to ruffle her hair while closing an eye with just a hint of irritation and an undertone of respect. "So y'all were able to keep up, after all."

"Hmph," the auburn-haired boy snorts with a stubborn jut of his chin, "I don't know about them, but don't underestimate me." Then, without further ado, his stance turns aggressive as he shouts, "Eevee, Shadow Ball!"

"Vui!" A sphere of dark-colored energy shoots towards the pink-haired girl but misses as she dances away, making the Evolution Pokémon growl. "Vui…!"

"A-Ah…! Wait a moment, Green!" The brunette shouts, running to stand in front of them with her arms outstretched. "Did you forget?! We're here to thank her, not fight her!"

"She's the one who started it!" Green defends himself with a scowl twisting his lips, "And Red attacked too, so why aren't you scolding him?!"

Her cheeks flush. "Th-That's because he wasn't really aiming for her, dummy!"

And his brow twitches. "Well, it still hit her, didn't it?!"

Electricity seems to spark between the two, unnerving the Eevee but the Jigglypuff next to him simply sighs in resignation.

"Purin, rin…"

And on they bicker.

In the meantime, honey-colored eyes stray to said boy and narrows ever so slightly upon seeing carmine orbs stare straight back. He isn't visibly aggressive and, indeed, appears to be lax, but she can tell from the intent exuding from his form that he won't be letting her escape as easily as before. And his Poliwag is obviously of the same mind, tail rigid and gaze never faltering from her form.

"…heh." She smirks, crouching on her perch and resting her cheek against a fist. "Well, you've got guts, I'll give ya that." Her ears twitch upon hearing a rustle from behind. "But…"

"Mukya…?!"

In a single movement, Nesrin grabs onto a furry limb and pins the Mankey against the branch with a feral smile.

"I ain't letting ya get me that easily."

With that, she tosses the stunned Pig Monkey at them as a distraction and turns to sprint across the treetop, weaving in between the branches like it's second nature to her, as cackles escape her lips.

I have to admit: I haven't had this much fun in a long time!

Maybe that's why I'm being rather reckless?

Then again, I bet I can escape even if I were to be captured.

(Nurufufufu~!)

She's beginning to tire and it shows in the way sweat drips down her face as her breaths come in short pants. It's a bit irksome, but her young body is still developing, which means that she needs to stop overexerting herself or else be forced to face the aftereffects. And yet, with the adrenaline pumping through her veins, she doesn't want to.

"Hah… Hah…" She wants to laugh, but her lungs are already preoccupied with getting enough oxygen on this run and so she smiles, grins, bares her teeth with so much amusement that her cheeks begin to ache. "Heh…!"

Jets of water cut through the air as she dodges by a hair and looks over her shoulder to see that the trio of humans and their Pokémon are keeping up relatively well though that's mostly because of the Mankey who has decided to ally himself with them.

Still, it makes her all the more pumped…

Or, at least, that's how she wants to feel, but she's already bypassed her limits and knows that she'll fall soon enough.

With that in mind, Nesrin curls her forefinger and thumb together before bringing them to her mouth.

Fwee~!

A sharp whistle escapes her lips and a beat passes before–

"KREE-Ee-ee…!"

–an echoing cry resounds through the air and a shadow descends.

"…!"

Carmine eyes widen as the boy skids to a stop, making his Poliwag bump into the back of his legs but his attention never wavers. Each beat of the Beak Pokémon's wings cause the wind to stir around him as his friends catch up, but it's the sight of the pink-haired girl on the Fearow's back that causes his heart to drop to his stomach. Honey-colored eyes gaze down at him, twinkling with mischief, before Nesrin winks.

"Better luck next time, yeah?"

And she's gone once more.

Trollolol~ I love messing with people.

But, that aside, I suppose that an introduction is in order.

This is Knightmare, a Fearow whom I befriended way back when he was still a Spearow.

Granted, he's not actually 'mine' since I'm not a registered Trainer and he's never been captured in a Pokéball, but…

Through thick and thin, we've got each other's back.

"Nice save, Knightmare," Nesrin compliments once they've landed safely, stroking his beak with a smile, "I wouldn't have gotten out of there otherwise."

A guttural growl rumbles in his slender neck as his single eye gazes into hers before he hisses in question and she chuckles, resting her head against his, "Don't worry. It's just a game. I won't let myself be dragged into the system."

For a moment, Knightmare stays silent, gauging her response, before he nods jerkily and settles down in the nest of fabric, feathers, and straw, wrapping a wing around her form as a makeshift blanket.

Snuggling against him, Nesrin hums in contentment as exhaustion seeps into her body, making her eyes droop, and a yawn escapes her lips.

"Night-night, Knightmare…"

"Krou…"

Ah, before I forget, I don't actually live in Knightmare's nest.

In fact, my place is directly below his and is a quaint cottage complete with an HVAC-system and indoor plumbing. (All hail indoor plumbing!) I don't have an electric or gas stove though so gathering wood can be a bit of a pain, but I'm usually out and about anyway so it's not that much of a hassle.

And I digress.

When dawn breaks, Nesrin is already up and about despite her sore muscles and the pleasant aroma of toast and Tamato Berry jam wafts through the air. Its spicy taste combined with the sweetness of the bread immediately wakes her up while giving her the boost of energy that she needs. And it doesn't hurt either that Knightmare adores food with a bit of heat.

"Now then," she sighs after cleaning up and stretching out her body, "What shall we do today?"

It's a shame that I forgot:

Hindsight's 20/20.

Trivia:

4. Nesrin hates dealing with the heat because one can only strip so far.

5. Conversely, she doesn't mind piling on layers during subzero temperatures.

6. Her favorite season, by the way, is autumn because of the Harvest Festival.