Chapter 64 – Those Lovesick Growlithe Blues…
We continued ahead, following Route 8, to Saffron City. Fierymane was no worse off for her experience – in fact, she seemed even stronger! I remember the same thing happened to Tauros after his initial fight with my Onix – after being severely wounded, he came back even stronger than ever! I guess that having the crap beat out of them by an Onix did something to bring out greater strength in these large quadruped Pokemon. Anyway, I was looking forward to Route 8 with great anticipation. Much like Routes 36 and 37 in Johto, Route 8 was home to wild Vulpixes and Growlithes. When we passed through Routes 36 and 37, I remember Flamefox and Firestorm did encounter some wild Vulpixes and played with them for a while, but we didn't stick around long enough to get a better look and see if there were any wild Growlithes. This time, I hoped we would. I would especially like it if we encountered another Vulpix elder – I hoped that since I was already friends with the Brushfire Woods elder, and that since I had such a rapport with vulpine Pokemon, they wouldn't be as afraid of me. But, I also knew this was a long shot.
We set up camp for the night in the middle of the woods en route. I was lost in thought when May asked, "What's on your mind, Joe?" I answered, "I was just thinking of how we might find the local Vulpix elder. It would be interesting to compare his personality to the one from Brushfire Woods." May said, "I wouldn't get my hopes set too high! You know it's rare enough to see a wild Vulpix, much less, the Vulpix elder! I'm sure this woods could be loaded with them, but they're not likely to come out while humans are around." I knew she was right, of course – the entire reason Vulpixes are classified as "rare" is not because there aren't a lot of them, but rather because the likelihood of seeing one, much less capturng one, is not good – they are just too crafty and elusive for most trainers. But I still hoped that my rapport with Vulpixes, and the fact that we each had our own Vulpix, might increase our chances of seeing some. However, we saw nothing that evening.
After we ate, I crept into my sleeping bag, and Flamefox curled up on my chest. Tauros and Firestorm lay down next to me. May drifted off to sleep with Amber curled up on her chest, Redfur and Inferno next to her, and Fierymane behind her. We were all sleeping soundly when suddenly, in the middle of the night, we jolted awake! There was a hissing sound, and the sounds of twigs snapping in the woods! "What was that?" May asked. I answered, "I don't know." The woods were dark and creepy. With my slight psychic ability, I felt as if we were being watched again – but it wasn't by Vulpixes or Growlithes. The impression I felt was human. May said, "I'm scared, Joe!" I said, "Relax! Our Pokemon will help protect us!" although I was also afraid. We didn't hear anything after a while, and so we went to check things out. The fire foxes and Redfur led the way, sniffing the ground, as we shone our flashlights ahead. "Look!" I exclaimed. May and I saw Pokemon footprints on the ground. "Those look like… Sneasel tracks! And that hissing we heard before – that sounded like Sneasel hissing, didn't it?" I asked May. May said, "But there are no Sneasels in Kanto." I said, "Well, none that we know of yet, anyway. But even so, they're native to icy areas. I sure wouldn't expect to see wild Sneasels in a woods that abounds with fire types." Then May said, "Look at this!" There were also human footprints! "Someone's been here!" I said. I thought for a minute and said, "Hmmm… first Sneasel tracks, then human tracks. It couldn't be… Martin?" May replied, "Don't be ridiculous! Why would Martin be out here, in Kanto, walking around in the dark woods at night?" I said, "You're right. Well, whoever it was, they're gone now. Let's go back to camp. We'll have the Pokemon take turns standing guard." May agreed, and we did so. I could still feel the impression of being watched, but it was much more distant now. Unbeknownst to both of us, further off in the woods, a figure with a hat and spiky hair was telling 2 Sneasels, "That was too close! From now on, we keep a further distance. They can't find out we're here."
The next day, we continued on. There were no more strange noises during the night, but my slight psychic ability told me we were still being watched. Whether or not it was a mysterious person with Sneasels, I did not know, but it was kind of freaking me out. Anyway, as we went ahead, Redfur started barking, "Grrr owlithe!" and ran off! "Redfur, wait!" May shouted, getting Fierymane to shift direction and follow him. I got Tauros to follow, as well. Up ahead, there was another Growlithe, a female! Redfur went running up to her, but she ran off! He playfully chased after her, continuing to bark, and we followed him. Redfur had almost caught up to her, when 2 large Arcanines leapt out from the bushes in front of him and he slid to a stop! May and I also stopped our riding Pokemon. The 2 Arcanines growled at Redfur, and he cowered back, with his tail between his legs. Tauros took an attack ready stance, as did Fierymane. I said, "Steady, boy! Wait a second." The 2 Arcanines slowly approached the cowering Redfur, still growling at him. Just then, Flamefox leapt out of my lap, and Amber leapt out of May's lap, and the 2 of them, along with Firestorm and Inferno, got in between the Arcanines and Redfur. They began to speak to the Arcanines, each in their own native tongue, on Redfur's behalf. I could actually kind of feel what they were saying – they said that Redfur didn't mean any harm and was only trying to play with her. The Arcanines stopped their growling and were listening attentively. I said, "May, this is amazing! I can feel what they're saying!" She replied, "Really? What is it?" I answered, "I can't say exactly, but the impression I'm getting is that they're explaining to the Arcanines that Redfur meant no harm. The Arcanines understand and are sorry about the misunderstanding." The female Growlithe came from in between the 2 Arcanines, followed by another Growlithe, 3 Vulpixes, and a gorgeous female Ninetales. Her fur glistened a silvery golden white, and she looked to be about 400 years old. I said, "She's the elder! I can feel it!" May looked and said, "But I thought all Vulpix elders were male – and Vulpixes. I thought the whole idea was that the elder was unaffected by a fire stone." I said, "That's true, but I'm telling you, she must be the elder. I don't know – maybe its just because she's the oldest member of this clan. Or maybe their rules are different since this clan is comprised of Vulpixes and Growlithes." I knew May had a point – from what little was known of the Vulpix social structure, the elder was the oldest male Vulpix, and was unaffected by a fire stone. But maybe that was just in the case of the Brushfire Woods clan, and this clan was different. It didn't matter to me. I dismounted from Tauros and began to approach her. She shot me a glance, and one of the Arcanines turned to me and growled! I said, "It's okay. I know who you are." She gazed at me with her deep red eyes, walked past the Arcanine, and stood before me. I knelt down to run my hands through her soft, but aged, fur. The female Growlithe sat down next to her, and was soon joined by the other Growlithe and 3 Vulpixes. I asked her, "There are your children?" She nodded. Then she let out a call, and soon, other Vulpixes, Growlithes, Ninetales, and Arcanines, of all different ages and genders, came out of hiding. Some were couples – Vulpix couples, Growlithe couples, Ninetales couples, and Arcanine couples -–but there were also mixed Vulpix/Growlithe, Ninetales/Arcanine couples. Clearly, the social structure of the clan here was entirely different from the Brushfire Woods Vulpixes. Here, it seemed, the Vulpixes, Growlithes, Ninetales, and Arcanines lived together harmoniously, whereas Brushfire Woods contains no Growlithes and thus, no Arcanines. May said, "This is amazing. We're really lucky to be here to see this!" I said, "Indeed we are!" and the elder smiled and nodded. Redfur approached the female Growlithe and attempted to lick her face, when another male Growlithe shoved him aside and nuzzled her. I said, "Uh oh. Looks like Redfur's fallen for someone who's already taken." Redfur looked dazed for a second, watching the 2 of them cuddle, but something told me he wasn't about to give up so easily.
We spent that night in the heart of the forest with the wild Vulpixes, Growlithes, Ninetales, and Arcanines. Our own Vulpixes, as well as Firestorm and Inferno, had a lot of fun with the locals. Redfur, meanwhile, continued to try to steal the elder's daughter from her other suitor. He brought her a bouquet of flowers he picked with his mouth, which she gratefully accepted! The other male Growlithe, upon seeing this, ran off and he picked her an even bigger bouquet! May and I sat by the Ninetales elder and May commented, "Poor Redfur. He's in love, but your daughter must be already mated to that other Growlithe." The elder shook her head, indicating that her daughter was not yet committed to a mate. I asked, "Really? Then there's still a chance she'll choose him?" The elder smiled and nodded. May said, "That would be some party, huh? Two Vulpixes, two Growlithes, a Ninetales, and a Flareon walking everywhere with us!" The elder stood up, shook her head, and stared at us angrily! "Whoa, what did I say?" May asked. The elder glared at us with her deep red eyes. I said, "I think I understand." Then I asked the elder, "You don't want your daughter to leave here, do you?" She nodded. I replied, "I see. So if she chooses Redfur, he'd have to stay here." She again nodded. I looked at May. May said, "I don't want Redfur to have to stay here. I want him with me. But, if he's happier here, then… I don't know." The elder, and both of us, watched as Redfur and the other Growlithe competed for her daughter's affection. May walked over to Redfur and said, "I need to talk to you." He walked with her, but kept looking back at the elder's daughter and the other male Growlithe. She said to him, "If she chooses you for a mate, you'll have to stay here. I'll miss you a great deal, Redfur, but I want you to be happy. I'll respect whatever you decide to do." He leapt into her arms and licked her face. "Thank you, Redfur!" she said. He leapt back onto the ground and ran back over to the elder's daughter, continuing to try to sway her back in his favor. The courting competition continued on into the night, with each of the males trying to impress her with fiery displays in the air, using their flame attacks. Redfur won in this department, since he was so much more experienced that the wild Growlithe. It looked, for now, as if she'd chosen Redfur, and the two of them lay down with each other for the night. Unfortunately, the wild Growlithe looked heartbroken. As I lay down with Flamefox curled up on my chest and Firestorm next to me, I commented, "I kinda feel sorry for that wild Growlithe, but I'm happy for Redfur. I hope that wild Growlithe doesn't take the rejection too hard. But I also hope that May won't be too upset having to leave Redfur behind." I drifted off to sleep, warm from the fire foxes sleeping in such close proximity. Tonight, I felt like we were being watched once again – not by a human presence, but rather so many Arcanine and Ninetales who guarded and protected the clan. It was a content feeling, and I drifted peacefully into sleep. Meanwhile, May was lying down with Amber and Inferno, and she commented, "Redfur sure seems happy with her. I'm really going to miss him if he stays behind." Amber proceeded to lick her face. "Thanks, Amber" she said.
The next morning, after we woke up, we had something to eat. Our fire foxes and Inferno were all close by, as were the elder and many other Vulpixes, Growlithes, Ninetales, and Arcanines. Redfur and the elder's daughter had gone off on a stroll. No one had seen the other male Growlithe since last night, though, which seemed to worry the elder a bit. I told her, "I'm sorry. I feel like this is our fault. We'll help you look for him." In the meantime, Redfur and the elder's daughter were strolling through the woods. He picked her some flowers, and put one on her ear. They had a romantic little walk, until they started to stroll near a brook, just outside the clan's home ground. A Tentacool came up from the water, then another, and each one grabbed a Growlithe! They each yelled out a loud bark, which we heard from far off in the woods, and we began to run in their direction, accompanied by hordes of Vulpixes, Growlithes, Arcanines, and Ninetales. In the meantime, the other male Growlithe had shown up at the brook and ran alongside the Tentacools, attempting to hit them with flamethrowers, while they tried to hit him with water guns. Meanwhile, Redfur used his bite on the Tentacool that had him, and managed to get it to loosen its grip on him. He launched a flamethrower at the one who had the elder's daughter. But as he did this, the Tentacool gripped him with its other tentacle. The wild male Growlithe picked up speed and ran at the Tentacool that had the elder's daughter, which he leapt at and used take down! He hit the Tentacool hard, and it loosened its grip on the elder's daughter, allowing her to fall into the water! He swam after her. Meanwhile, Redfur bit at the Tentacool that had him, and got it to release him. He hit it with a body slam! The other Tentacool, the one that had the elder's daughter, came to the aid of this Tentacool, and hit Redfur with a water gun, knocking him down! Undaunted, he stood back up and used a take down on this Tentacool, knocking it backwards into the water. We got there just as he launched a powerful flamethrower into the water beneath them, really heating them up! This was too much for them, and they swam off, quickly! He then turned to find the elder's daughter, and his expression quickly turned from joy to sadness. There was the elder's daughter, lying on the bank of the brook, with the other male Growlithe, and they were licking each other and cuddling. He sank to the ground and lowered his head. The elder frowned and lowered her head – I think she secretly hoped her daughter would choose Redfur. May walked over to Redfur and said, "I'm sorry, Redfur. I guess it just wasn't meant to be." And she held him and petted him. She said, "Don't worry. You'll find someone one day. I promise." He smiled slightly, and licked May's face. May said, "Besides, I'd miss you so much if you stayed behind."
We all returned to the home grounds of the Vulpix/Growlithe clan of Route 8, and May and I, and our Pokemon, prepared to leave. The elder licked Redfur, in thanks for his part in saving her daughter's life. I told the elder, "Thank you for welcoming us. I really enjoyed our time together." She smiled and nodded, then nuzzled me. I then asked May, "Are you ready?" She was watching Redfur, who was watching the elder's daughter and her suitor, who were lying down and cuddling each other. I walked over to May, put my arm around her and said, "He'll be all right. Time heals all wounds, even a broken heart." She said, "I know. And I suppose I should be happy, in a way, because he'll still be with me. But I still feel bad for him." I said, "So do I." May then said, "Come on, Redfur. It's time to go." Redfur turned to look at May, then stood up and looked back at the seemingly happy couple once more, before starting to walk up to May. The elder's daughter looked up, stood up, and ran over to Redfur. She ran in front of him and said, "Growlithe!" before licking him in the face. The other wild male Growlithe looked confused, as did the elder. She barked over to them and I could feel what she was saying - that she decided she wanted to be with Redfur, wherever he goes. Her mother seemed angry at first, not wanting her daughter to leave the clan homegrounds, but she was resilient! Her mother finally realized that her daughter was truly in love, and she had to let her go. Her prospective wild Growlithe mate seemed upset, but also understood. I told May what I was picking up from them in my thoughts, and the elder's daughter walked up to May, who said, "Welcome to our party!" The Growlithe barked, "Growlithe!" Then May said, "We need a name for you..." to which I replied, "Fiona." May looked at me, and I said, "It just... came to me." I looked at the elder, who smiled and nodded. Fiona ran back to her mother, who gave her a final lick goodbye. I then said, "Come on, Flamefox and Firestorm! We're going!" They said their goodbyes to their newfound friends, and ran over to me. I released Tauros and May released Fierymane, and we each mounted onto our riding Pokemon, with Flamefox in my lap, and Amber in May's lap, with Firestorm, Inferno, Redfur, and Fiona all accompanying us. Our large Pokemon then galloped us ahead, and for a while, we were also accompanied by some of the younger Vulpixes and Growlithes, until we were out of their home grounds. Looking back, I could see the elder watching us, seeing off her daughter. She wasn't happy about Fiona leaving, but she was happy for Fiona. Redfur I think was the happiest one of all!
Anyway, we continued ahead to Saffron City. The further we got from the Route 8 Vulpix/Growlithe clan and the closer we got to Saffron, the more eerily I felt we were being watched. This time, the impression was human again. I tried to dismiss it as well as I could, so as not to freak out May, and in a couple days, we had arrived at Saffron City.