Houndour's POV
"Mudkip? Are you all right?"
Something seemed wrong with the pokémon in front of me. I couldn't quite put my paw on it, but she seemed... Well, she looked like she was depressed. Why else would she just sit in front of the window and stare into space? Pokémon (well, most pokémon) only did that when they were thinking about something depressing. At least, from my experiences that's what they did, it was what I always did. Always, even since I was freed...
"No... Well, yes," I blinked when she changed her answer so quickly, but right now it was probably a good idea to simply listen, "It's just that... Ever since Greg and I started travelling with Jack and Alexa, well... I've seen that girl risk her life for the sake of the pokémon she trains. I don't think Greg has ever done that..."
I frowned when she had said that; how could she think that her trainer didn't care? Mudkip's trainer... That boy never made her do anything she didn't want to, as far as I could tell. She was lucky; I had been forced to do dark, dark things under Master's... Former master's... Rule, "I don't see why you should be upset, Mudkip. He simply hasn't been given the chance to show that sort of devotion; There are human trainers who couldn't care less about the lives of their pokémon, but I think your trainer isn't that sort of human. The kind who doesn't care, that is."
She was looking at me strangely when I had finished, and that alone almost made me belive I had said something offensive... Right up until she spoke to me again, "I guess you're right. But I can't help it... I'm a bit jealous of Jack and Kirlia. And you, she talks about you endlessly from what I've heard."
"Huh? Master does?"
"Mhm. I remember when Greg used to do that... He'd brag to whoever he met about us; Masumi and I were his first pokémon," Mudkip seemed to be going into a bit of a daze then, as if remembering something fond. Sister always yelled whenever I did that...
"Hey, what's that pokémon doing over there?"
"Is it retarded or something?"
"Who cares? It's a differently coloured pokémon! Those are really, really rare!"
What were they talking about? Mudkip blinked out of her daze and looked at a point behind us, and it was obvious just what she was looking at; There was a small blue rabbit-like pokémon hopping through the sliding glass doors of the Pokémon Center, waiting until the doors almost closed before making them open by going to the other side. Was this supposed to be amusing?
I didn't get it.
"Hey, I'm gonna battle it!"
"No way, I saw it first!"
"Back off, this thing is rare so it's gonna be mine!"
"Hands off of my Nidoran! Go, pokéball!"
All of the humans in the center began to swarm around the Pokémon (one of them had called it a Nidoran, so that was probably the name of its species) and several pokéballs went flying into the air. What was even more unbelievable than the greed of the humans was that the Nidoran got out of the pile without a scratch on him, or without the humans noticing him for that matter. For greed to blind humans so much…
"Houndour, it's heading for us! Come on!"
Mudkip had started dragging me out of the way as the Nidoran ran right by us, one of the humans finally noticing that it had escaped and chased after it, soon followed by the rest. Nidoran didn't seem like it was having fun anymore, it looked terrified...
"Mudkip, I think we should go after..." I didn't even get a chance to finish speaking before Mudkip raced off after the group, trying to catch up with the other pokémon before something serious happened to it. She was depressed earlier, but after seeing her race to help another pokémon, even if she didn't know it...
Perhaps, one day, I would be that brave and kind, as well.
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Alexa's POV
"What the hell is going on out there?"
"I think a wild pokémon wandered into the center. It looks like every trainer here is trying to catch it!"
Wild pokémon? What kind of pokémon was stupid enough to wander right into the middle of a Pokémon Center? I yawned and got up, rubbing my eyes a bit. Greg was already dressed and ready, causing me to blink at him when he turned to me once again, "Just stay in bed for a bit. I'm gonna see if I can get those trainers to leave the poor pokémon alone."
"I'm fine, you jerk. Don't think I'm not coming-"
"So you don't mind coming after a wild pokémon in your pajamas."
"No, as a matter of fact, I don't," Man, that guy was getting on my nerves! I glared at him and hopped straight out of bed after he left the room, grabbing my bag and everything I'd need. Jack would be in for one hell of a wake up call, since I couldn't use Kirlia. He was still too badly burned from earlier, stupid butt-monkey pokémon...
But, unfortunately, by the time I got out there, it was over. There were a lot of trainers with frowns on their faces, and (just my luck) Greg was holding a shaking pokéball in his hand, "Aw man, you caught it already?"
"That's the weird thing. It just sort of jumped towards my belt and hit the empty pokéball before going inside," Greg looked at me and shrugged, shrinking the pokéball back to normal before talking again, "It was a male Nidoran. A blue one."
"What's so special about a blue Nidoran?"
"Males are normally a dark pink, it's the females that are blue. This little guy is an oddball; the colour of his fur makes him extremely rare."
"Smart ass..."
"Hey, knowing this stuff comes with being the son of a well known Pokémon Professor," I blew a raspberry at him after he said that, watching the other trainers clear out of the area while doing so. So that was what everyone was after... But I didn't get it. Why was everyone going crazy just because its fur was a different colour? It was still a pokémon, and though it'd be cool to own a rare pokémon... It was just an ordinary pokémon like any other, right? Poor thing, having all of that unwanted attention...
I snapped out of my thoughts when Greg let the Nidoran out of his pokéball, said Nidoran blinking up at me before turning to Greg and hugging his leg. Admittedly... That was adorable. Yes, I'm letting my girly side take over on this one, but I couldn't help it! It was just so... So cute!
"Aww, he likes you Greg!"
"Shut up if you know what's good for you, this is a lot more painful than it looks..."
"But he's your pokémon! Oooh, you should give him a nickname! How about Snuggles?"
I didn't know how, nor did I even want to know, but the Nidoran looked up at me with really, really big eyes then. Greg's eyes also widened when he realized what had just happened; the Nidoran had taken on a nickname. Its new name was Snuggles.
I'm not entirely sure what happened first, Greg accusing me of giving the Nidoran a stupid name or me falling onto my ass laughing over it. Either way, it ended up with me being chased around the building by Greg (and me still laughing over it, it's funny damn it), "Hey! It's not my fault the Nidoran actually went for the nickname!"
"It is so your fault, you suggested it!" Wow, was he ever mad. He'd get over it though, eventually... About the same time he'd eventually forgive me for getting us kicked out of the Pokémon Center, since that was exactly what happened. Nurse Joy ended up escorting us out (and throwing our stuff out behind us), saying that we were causing too much of a fuss.
"Great, just great. Crazy Lexi got us into yet another mess..." Greg was groaning at me, and later I'd apologize for this, but right now... That nickname he just gave me was too much.
"Hey, the stupid nickname isn't my fault! You didn't give Nidoran a nickname before so that's why it clung onto that one! The pokémon's a retard or something!"
"Stop picking on Snuggles, this is your fault!"
"Greg?"
"What?"
"You just called him Snuggles."
I laughed at him again when he realized just what he had said, and again when Snuggles came over and pounced on him to cuddle him again. Houndour and Mudkip just watched us but I didn't care, this was way too funny! But... It stopped being funny when Greg finally fell over and seemed to pass out, "Uhm... Are you okay there? Greg? Wake up, this isn't the time to joke around! ... Greg?"
The Pokémon Center let up on our temporary ban to treat Greg for the poison. The stupid Nidoran had actually forgotten to put away his horns so, of course...
"That Nidoran should wear a warning sign. Danger! Hugging may cause death!"
"Shut up..."
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Jack's POV
"Nhhn... The humans got us kicked out of the Pokémon Center."
"Yep."
"And then they let them back in because the rabbit thing poisoned whitey."
"Yep."
"And I was asleep for all of this?"
"Uh huh."
"Damn, I'm always asleep for all the best stuff," I sighed a little after hearing the explanation from Mudkip, but at the same time I couldn't help but grin. Just when I thought things were going to be dull, something like this happened. Trust me, it was moments like this that made travelling with humans worth my time. That and Girlia bashing, but we won't go there right now.
It'll come later, promise. I'll never get tired of bastardizing that frilly little thing he wears. I don't care if he says it's part of his skin, it looks like a skirt and I'm going to beat the hell out of the joke until-
Hm, wait, would there ever be a reason to stop?
"Hey, Snuggles is coming over. I guess we can-" Mudkip paused when the other pokémon walked straight past her and sat down in front of me, looking up at me with big, red eyes. Why the bloody hell was it staring at me? Did it think it was part of the poképolice interrogation squad?
I made that up just now. Clever, no?
"Can I help you with something?" Finally I asked the other a question, if for no other reason than to break the silence. Unfortunately, the pokémon didn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'ice breaker'. It just kept staring, and staring, and staring, and – okay I think you get the idea at this point. Either way, it was getting, for lack of better terms, creepy.
"Is there anyone home in that empty head of yours?"
"No one lives in my head!"
"Oh-kay..." Well, that was a weird response. I think the joke actually flew right over this pokémon's... Waitaminute, I knew there was something strange about this pokémon. What the hell kind of idiot pokémon would walk right into a Pokémon Center full of greedy trainers when it damned well knew it was different from all the others?
"Mudkip... I think we have a retard on our hands."
"Jack, why would you-"
"I'm not trying to insult him, don't you start," I hissed at Mudkip when it seemed like she was going to tell me off, I had enough of the lectures for one day, "Oiy, uhm… Snuggles, was it? Do you want to go flying?"
"Do I ever!" The rabbit pokémon started bouncing excitedly on the spot, wide-eyed and anticipating the feeling of flight. Mudkip just stared at me in disbelief, but I would prove that this thing was a retard yet. Really, if she didn't know how stupid this thing was then she was just as stupid as Snuggles. And, trust me, I didn't want that to happen, or the only intelligent life I would have to communicate with would be Girlia.
And, trust me, that scenario is a lot worse than it sounds.
"Okay Snuggles, stand on your head! If you do that long enough, wings will grow out of your back and you'll be able to fly!"
"Right!" Without a second thought Snuggles was standing on his head, Mudkip now staring at him before looking back to me.
"Wow... You're right."
"Aren't I always?" I smirked a little before looking at Snuggles again, "Snuggles the Retardoran. Well, this journey just got a lot more interesting."
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Sorry that this update took so long! I can't go into it but a lot of stuff has been going on (including the possibility of me playing as Pika in the upcoming Tales of Flame Audio Drama! Check out Buwaro's profile for more details), and that hasn't left me with time, energy or inspiration to write. Mainly inspiration. Yeah, I suck, but as you read this I'm already working on a chapter 25 for Hoenn Chronicles, so stay tuned! I am going to end this writer's block even if it kills me! ... Which it just might, but you never know. Toodles!