Furret and Golett

What to do? The Furret stretched as she got up from sleeping, then peered around to check her surroundings. It was a room inside a ruins, but it was surprisingly intact. On the stone walls, there were inscriptions that she couldn't read. In the middle of the room, there was a folding table and a similar chair making a workstation. The Furret's Trainer was sitting there at a computer, studying scans she had made throughout the ruins. Why now? They were supposed to be exploring around and making records to study later. That's what she'd understood. The Furret went over and rubbed her head against her Trainer's hand.

"Hi Caper," the scientist said, petting her but not looking. "Wait a bit; I'm reviewing to see where to check over again."

Wait? Caper scratched her head, not sure what to do while waiting. She wanted to be exploring. For a moment, she spent some time grooming to make sure that her long fur was straight. That took not long enough, so she wondered if she could look around on her own. Maybe if she didn't go far. This room was in a corner, so there was only one door out. In the doorway, she peered out.

Some areas of this place were in worse shape, walls that had been broken down. It was fairly clean in most places, but Caper could smell other Pokemon around. None she recognized, but with the many smells, there must have been many kinds. There was an interesting smell coming from across the hall, something she'd noticed coming in. However, that area didn't have a door that her Trainer could open yet, not even from the big room in the middle. There was a hole in the wall, but the Furret hadn't gone through there yet.

Looking over and seeing her Trainer still at work, Caper decided to check out that hole. Maybe she could find a way to open a door from inside. The scientist would appreciate that. Hoping to please her, Caper hopped away from the door and went to the hole. One of the blocks that made up the wall had crumbled here, scattering debris all over the hall. This left a hole a little over a foot high and wide. She was able to slip through and into the hidden room.

It was dark in here, away from the scientist's lantern. Caper sniffed around; the air and dust was less disturbed in here. However, there was a smell of a Pokemon close by, one that might be a Ground type. Another smell was that like the computer her Trainer used, some kind of human electronics. It was an odd contrast to the smell of the ruins, but maybe another human did work in here.

To be careful, she checked out the Pokemon smell first. It was in the far corner of the room, unmoving. Caper crept closer, watching for signs that it might pounce on her. It was bipedal, humanoid in form with a big round body. Even as she moved around, it didn't budge. When she was within a few feet of it, she could make out a smell of old clay. Maybe it wasn't a Pokemon? That, or it was asleep.

Since it might be asleep, she moved quietly to one of the doors leading out. Like the other side, it had no handle or hinges. She put her forepaws against it and pushed, finding it firmly in place. Caper went to the other door and pushed on it too, but then she felt a tingling on her spine much like when she encountered Pokemon without a solid form. Maybe a Ghost? But when she looked back around the room, there was only that clay Pokemon. It was glowing with a violet light, its eyes opening and surveying the area.

Caper bolted through the small hole, back at her Trainer's side in seconds. She coiled her long tail around the chair and kept her front near the woman's feet. What was that? She hoped it wasn't hostile, but knew that it might not like this intrusion on its territory.

"What's wrong?" her Trainer said, pausing in her work to stroke her quivering back. Then they heard a sound like moving rocks. "Oh, did one of the doors open?" Dhe picked up her light and went to the door.

Timid but not wanting to make her friend face potential danger along, Caper followed after. In the hallway, they were met with that clay Pokemon. It examined them for a second, then made a salute. Good, it wasn't hostile. But what did it want?

"Another Golett, but you're different," the scientist said, going up to it. The green-blue Pokemon stayed there, watching. "Must be an alternate coloration. Some collectors might like you, but I'm not sure if you have a purpose in being here."

Caper went closer as well, but stayed at the side of her Trainer. The odd Golett then pointed down the way it had come before heading back that way. Thankfully, her Trainer decided to go along and explore instead of doing her computer work again. In the large main room, they found that the door that had been shut tight was now open, leading to the room Caper had just been in. the Golett went straight to the panel of electronics and began making beeping noises at it.

"My goodness, what's a room like this doing in a ruins?" the woman said in awe, looking over a place that could have come from the university she worked at. "This place has been sealed off from people for thousands of years. It, it couldn't be from you Pokemon?"

There was a clicking sound that startled Caper, making her puff her fur up and crouch on the ground. But she forced herself to stay, not wanting to leave her Trainer alone in a strange room with a strange Pokemon. However, it turned out to be a device in the room, lifting a cover to reveal another device behind it. The Golett went over to it, at first beeping. Then it made a fist crackling with electricity, as if it was going to punch the device. Instead, the Golett held it inside, causing sparks to power it up.

One of the walls became bright, turning into a screen. There was a human man there, dressed in loose gray clothing. "Welcome and …, ... to the … vault," he said in a thick accent that was difficult for Caper to understand. Possibly her Trainer too. "Because of the … movement … our main location … we do not know how much longer we can hold out against the … … which destroyed our … and library … . They made it so we could not go back, but they wish to take our … back further, denying science and history. This place was … to hold and preserve … as well as warn against... … and the other Pokemon we made. The … Pokemon is an assistant and … to help whoever comes to find information stored here. We..." then the screen dimmed, the voice getting faint. There was a snap from the Golett's fist as it charged up again.

"Wait, is that power source charged with a Pokemon's electrical energy?" the scientist asked. "If it is, I have a portable generator we can use instead. Would you open your left hand for yes, and close it for now?"

The Golett looked at her a moment, then held its left hand open.

"I'll need to go put up my workstation and move it here," she said. Then she picked Caper up and hugged her. "Don't fret, Caper. This could be a monumental discovery! An archive of ancient science and history, maybe even answers to the mysteries of why humans are here." She laughed as she carried her Pokemon back to the other room. "Did you wake the Golett archivist up? I know I saw you sneaking off to look around. Thank you; you're finding your courage."

That was finding her courage? Caper didn't think she'd done anything big. But her Trainer seemed really happy, so it had definitely been a good thing.

...

Golett B2/W2 entry: Ancient science fashioned this Pokemon from clay. It's been active for thousands of years.

Emerald entry: A Furret has a very slim build. When under attack, it can squirm through narrow spaces and get away. In spite of its short limbs, it is very nimble and fleet.

For the eleventh day of Christmas... a story about courage, even if it's only a little bit.

And wow, three hundred stories now.