Patrat, Numel, and Hippopotas

The Patrat guard came alert, her ears holding still and her tail puffing up. There was a sound nearby... grumbling, kicking at the ground, complaining about a stubbed toe. From underground, coming up the tunnel. She relaxed, realizing who that was. But why him? It could be good... it could be bad.

Another Patrat popped up out of the hole near her. "Stupid rock. What right does it have to hurt me? Ah, there you are." He hopped out and bowed. "I'm taking over guard duty."

Wary, she listened in case anyone else come up the tunnel. "Are you? I thought you'd been forbidden to, after last time."

"Yeah, well," he rubbed one of his ears.

"You broke out into a musical number including an elaborate solo dance, attracting predators instead of watching out for them," she said. "We had to block up that hole and reroute a great many tunnels."

"I promised no more musical numbers while on guard duty," he said. "I talked them into letting me back up here."

More like he pestered the leaders into letting him be a guard again. But that was fine; she didn't like guard duty, as it was the most exposed position. She saluted. "Okay then. Changing of the guards, offered."

He saluted with an audible smack on his head, somehow not hurting himself. "Changing of the guards, accepted!" He stood up tall and began looking around.

"Um, you're supposed to ask for a report?"

"Don't need one."

"But it's tradition..."

The male Patrat groaned. "Okay, okay. What's going on, cute cheeks?"

That wasn't how it was supposed to go, but she didn't feel like arguing it with him any further. "Report as follows: Sand is blowing strongly from the desert across the wind, so it must be a desert Pokemon: danger level unknown. A predatory Pokemon passed through the grasses below this hill some time ago and may return: danger level moderate because it didn't look at me. A strange Pokemon has started climbing the hill: danger level moderate because I don't know what it is. That concludes the security report."

"Gotcha. You can go now."

"Please keep focused so we can be safe," the female Patrat said, then headed back into the underground tunnel network.

"Whatever," he said, then waited a few minutes. When he was sure he was alone, he pumped a fisted paw in the air. "Yeah, in the great outdoors at last! I was seriously going to go stir crazy if I had to spend any more town down in those stifling cramped tunnels. Maybe it's good for the rest of you, but I'm an outdoors 'mon. I need to feel the fresh wind on my fur, the warm sun on my head. I need to be able to see the stars and smell the grass." He paused a moment, the coughed some grit out of his mouth. "Bah, but I can do without the sand. Yeah, you heard me, desert! Keep your gritty sand to yourself!"

The desert didn't respond. This hole was an outpost of his group's tunnel network, the one furthest from the main hub. Here, the prairie gave way to a desert. The grasses grew less thick and strong, until they reached the land where water rarely came. The plants here were different than around any other tunnel exit, including a few that gave prized fruits. In order to have access to those rare treats, the colony kept up this hole even as very few lived or wanted to go this far. Today, the desert couldn't be seen well due to a small sandstorm. While its center appeared not that far from the hill the Patrat guard stood on, he could see clear air from his vantage point.

"Not that there's much to do out here," he said. "But being bored outside is better than digging inside the tunnels. That much is certain." He looked aside and saw the strange Pokemon the other guard had mentioned. "Hey, watch yourself! I'm a mighty Patrat guard, and trespassing on our grounds is not taken lightly!" At least, by himself. With any other Patrat, they'd duck back into the hole and watch until the Pokemon was gone.

The strange Pokemon didn't seem to pay him head, keeping his black eyes ahead towards whatever goal he had. He had a yellow-tan and green body that looked quite hefty. In contrast, his legs were short and stubby, leading him to crawl by at a quick steady pace.

"You better not be here to make trouble, or steal our food," the Patrat said, putting up a fist. "I warn you, I know kung-foo! Hi-yah!" He punched the air with his other fist, then kicked a leg out in a way that would have made any Fighting Pokemon roll its eyes or slap their forehead. For a little while, he kept demonstrating his imaginary skills. It did not stop the stranger, nor did the increasing amount of sand in the air. "Hey, hey! I'm not letting you get away without a word!" He ran after him and stopped in front of his tracks.

Finally noticing, the stranger raised his head up by stretching his long neck back. "Oh? Hello."

"Don't 'oh hello' me," the Patrat said, holding a paw to his face to keep the heavy sand out of his nose and mouth. "What are you? What is your purpose here? What kind of trouble are you plotting?"

The stranger tilted his head. "Ummmm, hmmm. I am Numel. My purpose? um..."

"You must have some purpose here. And it can only be trouble if you're lurking by our den! Hi-yah!" He kicked one of the Numel's forelegs.

And the Numel hardly seemed to notice. "My purpose... hmmm..."

"Quit stalling and confess already," the Patrat insisted, shaking a fist at him.

A stream of sand suddenly hit him from behind. When he turned around, he finally realized that a Hippopotas had come to the base of the hill. From its darker colors, it had to be a female. "You're wasting your time trying to get answers out of him," she said. "They're so slow about everything, even noticing that they're not clean."

The Patrat hopped around to face her. "That's no reason to go blasting me with sand, you jerk! Are you freaks still trying to make the desert overtake the prairie? Well we're not going to allow it!"

Snorting, the Hippopotas replied, "Well aren't you a feisty one. Maybe you might fight back, but I doubt any of the rest of your kin will. Even so, you cowards will find a better life in the desert than in the gross prairies. There's so many germs hiding in all those plants and trees, waiting for the right moment to sicken and kill all Pokemon. It all needs to be scrubbed and polished clean with sand."

He put his fists up. "You're just making excuses cause you're embarrassed that you move slower than this fool thinks when there isn't sand everywhere."

"Purpose?" the Numel said. "I'm hungry." He then lowed his head to devour the grasses around him, not even minding the sandy grit.

"I'd say it's more embarrassing that you so-called 'watchmen' can be fooled just by having someone sneak up on your back," the Hippopotas said.

"Why you... you jerk!" The Patrat punched at the air and kicked. "Come on up here and fight like a real 'mon."

"Nah," she said, sending another blast of sand at him. It wasn't even a damaging move, he realized. Just one to obscure his vision and irritate him into a rage. So he tumbled aside, out of the way.

That made the sand attack strike the Numel instead. He tensed at that, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm eating!" he shouted, causing smoke to appear from the top of his hump back. Then a stream of molten rock blasted into the Hippopotas.

"Ow, that stung," she said, shaking bits of the magma off her. "I'll leave you be for now, but I'll be back, you unclean furballs." The Hippopotas than lumbered off to find sand she could swim in. The sandstorm went with her.

The Patrat stood up and shook himself off, then tried to brush sand out of his fur. However, it was never easy. Once he got a decent amount off, he trotted back over to the Numel's side. "Hey, that was pretty cool," he said. "You might not be so bright, but you're pretty strong. Hey, I know!" He snapped his fingers and grinned. "I've been thinking for a long while about ditching my colony. They're a bunch of loser tunnel-lovers who are terrified of the outdoors, but I love it out here. Even though that should earn me a permanent guard position, they're idiots who thought they could keep me underground as punishment. I'm just about fed up with them. So how about it? You and me, out exploring the great wide world, away from jerks like that Hippopotas... or maybe going around getting the best of such jerks."

The Numel brought his head up, chewing on the grasses. The Patrat watched him until he swallowed. Then, the Numel said, "ism going somewhere. I'll know when I get there. That's my purpose."

"So, can I go with you?" he asked, hopeful.

"Mmm... you must think quick. That would help. Okay." The Numel smiled.

And thus their great journey together began, Numel and Patrat, exploring the wide world.

"So, ah, where are we going?" the Patrat asked.

"I'll know when I get there," the Numel repeated.

"Which way do we go?"

The Numel thought on it a long time, going back to chewing on grasses while he did. Then he replied, "I don't know."

Slapping his forehead, the Patrat asked, "You don't know? How can you...? Oh, never mind. Let's just go explore."

…

Patrat B2/W2 entry: Extremely cautious, one of them will always be on the lookout, but it won't notice a foe coming from behind.

Ruby entry: Numel is extremely dull-witted – it doesn't notice being hit. However, it can't stand hunger for even a second. This Pokemon's body is a seething cauldron of boiling magma.

Hippopotas HG/SS entry: It shrouds itself in sand to ward off germs. It travels easily through the sands of the desert.

It's been a long time since I updated this! I've been focusing a lot on other stories, since I was really inspired. But, now Sinnoh is done!

This story is based a little on The Lion King 1 1/2 movie. It's awesomely funny.