Another week had passed since Alice had decided her new friend's name. Sol had become closer to her, even demanded snuggles from time to time. She had not tried to set something on fire, not even by accident, for which Alice was ever grateful.
The young woman had decided that it was time for the next step between trainer and Pokémon: training. Sol, Alice had noticed during playtime, was unsteady on her paws the moment she started running, her jumps were clumsy and she stumbles every second landing.
"No one spent much time with you, huh?"
"Nyu?"
"Heh. It's getting a little colder outside, I don't boil in the sun anymore. We should practice outside more."
Sol seemed excited, her tails were wagging and her eyes gleamed with joy. But she had to be patient, Alice wanted to surprise her with a little training path in the garden. A few small hurdles and a slalom course made with flower pots, plastic wrap that rustled softly when touched, old boxes to climb - yes, Alice had put some work into the course.
Sol was happy to jump and climb, even though she struggled at first. A new diet had helped her gain a healthy weight and her fur had become soft. The first days, when she avoided contact with Alice and generally anything and anyone, it had been hard to see how skinny and roughed up she was. Good food had helped her gain trust and weight alike, and a calm environment helped the cause.
Slalom was difficult, but a few days of training later Sol was able to run through it. The only real problem was the plastic. Sol was scared of it, refused to even go near it. No treats, no luring could convince her. She seemed to notice Alice's disappointment and grew sad.
"Hey, no problem, Sol," Alice tried to cheer her up after yet another failed attempt to lure her Pokémon to the plastic. "We all have something we don't like, sweetheart. Don't be sad, you're doing so well. And this is just the start of it all - we'll be a great team."
Sol didn't seem convinced, but wagged her tails to ensure Alice wouldn't worry.
_
Author's Note
Hello! Macu here!
I hope I can upload more often, but I also have to study for three finals (German and English will be six hour exams, biology will be a presentation. Yay.)
Please be patient with me, I will certainly not be able to upload daily.
(I'm also working on a full-blown fantasy novel, which is tons of work, as any writer will tell you. This fanfiction is more like a relaxing side project.)