"I'm sure she was over here, I'm sure of it."
I was hidden at the old oak tree's very top, cursing those Mightyena for betraying me (though I hadn't told them not to, I was sure they wouldn't give me up to a human), and vowing to assert my dominance once this whole fiasco was over.
The tame Blaziken was, very oddly, on his own, but still paying attention, still nodding, still looking up at the tree, knowing I was up there. I knew he could tell from my scent, though I had been certain I had lost him with the river trick.
"Thank you for your time," he growled, and the Mightyena slinked away. A thought hit me: What if they had led the Blaziken here, guessing the cause of my discomfort?? After that thought, I was certain I would rid the pack of their Alpha pair to show dominance, and for what they had done. Whether they did it or not, a tiny part of my brain said to me, bringing me back down to Hoenn.
The Blaziken was still looking up at the tree, and had apparently noticed me, because he started climbing up.
I revealed myself, knowing he could see. I snarled a challenge.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said calmly. "I just want to talk."
"I know what you're here for, you worthless excuse for a Blaziken, and I don't want to talk!!" I shouted back, growling a bit to get my point across.
"Well, if you knew, you wouldn't be hiding," he said, still calm and unfazed.
The 'calm and unfazed' part was starting to get on my nerves. "Leave me alone!!" I shouted, climbing a bit farther up the tree. "I do know, and that's why I'm hiding!!! I live here, and I'm never leaving!!! I'll never be caught and be a tame excuse-for-a-Pokemon like you!!!"
"I'm not a tame Pokemon," he said suddenly, and that brought me back down a bit, but only because I was starting to slip. "My parents were killed and the humans took me in. I didn't like it any more than you ever will. They're trying to release me 'back into the wild', as though I have no instincts. If that's why you're running away, get over yourself."
"I don't care!!" I shouted desperately, starting to lose it, my grip and my sanity. I hated being pressured. "Get out of my territory!!! I am Alpha, I am dominant, I rule this part of the wild, from the edge of the mountains in the North to where the rivers cross in the South to the swamp lands in the East to the desert in the West, now go away!!!"
"Can't you tolerate another Blaziken in this area, at least for a short amount of time??" he demanded. When I didn't answer (only because I now had to grab onto a branch with my beak to stay put), he continued, "I live far away from here, but the humans only brought me here because you're here!! I have a very long trip, and I'd like to have at least a couple days' rest before setting off across the desert to my inherited territory!!!"
I sighed. "Okay, fine, but only for a few nights," I admitted, trying to climb higher but aware that if I did so I would fall out of the tree. He was now in the spot I had been in before I went to sleep last night, and I had to admit, up at the top wasn't nearly as comfortable. Still, I had to get down, at least to the nearest den. Maybe a nearby tree, there was one about half a mile from here that had three comfortable spots, but I would be intruding on Cepti's territory, if only for a half-week.
He looked around, and looked at me. "You're going to fall off and break your neck if you stay up there."
I sighed and came down. Within five feet was as close to a male Blaziken as I had ever been in my life without starting a fight, and it was hard not to. I slipped past him and walked calmly over to the den, now aware that my feet were the sorest they've ever been and I couldn't walk half a mile to get to that tree. The den was a well-rounded place, going about three feet down past ground surface, while the ceiling stayed in the same place, making it wider. I saw that the Mightyena had left their pups in here and realized I would have a fight on my claws with the local pack for entering their current residence unaccompanied, whether I wanted one or not. But right now, by Hoenn, I wanted one badly, to teach them not to give me away to visiting Blaziken. So, I passed my claws over the walls and pet each of the pups gently, knowing that they could sniff out even the lightest of scents. If they didn't fight me they'd be accepting my dominance, and I knew the current Alpha pair of this particular pack wouldn't back down from a fight no matter what, whatever the consequences and reasons of the fight.
Leaving the den, I saw that the Blaziken had come down and was waiting patiently.
"What do you want?" I asked rudely, wanting to show him he was not welcome here.
"Whose is that?" he asked, pointing, ignoring my question. The next moment a loud howl filled the quiet air and scared many a flock into flight, except the Taillow. Many howls answered it, telling me that the Mightyena pack was returning.
"Never mind, just get back up into that tree!!" I said hurriedly. He did so, just as the pack came around. I blocked the way in.
"Get out of our way," the Alpha female, Yena, growled at me.
"I don't think so," I retorted. "You didn't submit to my dominance, I won't submit to yours. That's assuming you have any."
Yena rushed at me, but I caught her by the muzzle and threw her. The Alpha male, Ight, a bit less of an airhead and a Mightyena who had been around longer than Yena and knew who was boss, slowly walked up to me. Instead of forcing his way past or insulting me, both of which I knew Yena would have done if I had thrown Ight, he simply asked, "What have we done that has offended you?"
"You know perfectly well what," I hissed. "You know I don't tolerate other Blaziken in my territory, let alone within hearing distance, and yet you led him right to me despite seeing me go through the trouble of pulling off that river trick to throw him off, to get away."
"I did see you," the Mightyena admitted, "but I did not lead him to you. I had noticed him however, and he noticed me. He approached and demanded to know where you were, and I knew that my pups and pack would be killed if I did not answer truthfully, so I had to tell him."
"You admit rebelling against my dominance?" I implied, realizing that there was more behind this than usual.
"Given the circumstances, I thought you would understand…" He let himself trail off and lowered his head submissively before starting up again, "But word has been going round that you intended to fight him so you could kick him and the human out and display your dominance over this large area of territory."
I became filled with a sudden, uncontrollable rage. Ight, thinking that this was directed at him, heeled and whined, but was corrected when I hissed angrily, "How dare he threaten anyone in my territory!! I assure you, if he kills a single one of you, despite the circumstances of murder, I will assure him a slow, painful death. How dare he threaten you!!!"
The pack howled agreement, and I suddenly remembered what I had done to their den. "If you can catch my scent in your den, I was guarding it from him," I lied, thinking that it was worth it. No one threatens anyone in my territory, no one but me. And I will gladly oblige to a fight. All trust for him was instantly lost. So he had been lying!!! And this 'few days' rest' nonsense was only so that he could befriend me!!! He will pay dearly, I thought. Starting with no place to sleep but open ground, and then a confrontation and perhaps a beating, and finally eviction. He will never again set foot on my land without a tremendous battle.