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Rok trotted alongside the river, occasionally glancing up at the sun. It was creeping ever closer to midday now. If he didn't reach the village soon, he might have to spend the night out here. And he still hadn't eaten. He was really starting to get hungry now, and he hadn't seen that many berry trees and bushes since that pecha berry tree.
What if he'd picked the wrong river? How would he even know that it was the wrong one. He wasn't sure how long it would take to get back home on foot. Would he end up walking through the night and into the next day? When should he turn back and try the other river?
Worse yet, what if something found him before he found his village?
Rok fiercely shook his head. Nope, he wasn't going to think that way. Besides, he was fast, and he was far from helpless in battle. And he'd learned all about which berries are good for healing, it was really just the simple matter of finding them.
He took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly to ease his frantic thoughts. He'll be fine. He just needed to calm down, and think about this rationally for a second. If the river is the wrong one, he'll probably come across a waterfall or something. And at that point, he'll just turn back.
Light shone through a gap in the trees ahead, for once unhindered by the shadows of surrounding trunks, stinging Rok's eyes and snapping him from his circling thoughts.
Rok's ears perked up. No trees shadowing the light meant that there must be a clearing of some sort, and a pretty big one too. And that meant…
He was almost home!
With renewed excitement, Rok bounded forward, hurtling towards the clearing as fast as his new long legs could carry him. Finally, he'll get answers. The elders will put him right! He'll be a leafeon, and have fun with Silvo, and get his own house to live in and-
He sprinted past the trees, and came to a stumbling halt at the sight that lay before him.
This clearing was massive, bigger than any he'd ever seen before. There wasn't a single tree for as far as Rok could see. And ahead of him, at the foot of the hill he found himself standing on, there was a village.
But it was not his village.
The village was huge, much bigger than Rok's, and the houses were taller than trees. He could just make out the figures of pokémon roaming the pathways, some of which were like the creatures Rok learned about that roamed the forest, and some looked totally unfamiliar.
He hunched in on himself, fear making his heart thunder. This was wrong. He should go, he knew where home was, all he had to do was backtrack and find the right river, then follow that and he'd be set. Arceus knows what the pokémon in that strange, giant village were like. It wasn't safe. He should just turn around right now.
A low rumbling noise made Rok jolt with fright, looking around frantically before he noticed the gnawing pain in his stomach.
Right, right. He still hadn't eaten.
He glanced up at the sun again. It was definitely midday now. Arceus knows how long it will take him to get back to the pecha berry tree, let alone then back home. He'll almost certainly have to spend the night out in the trees, where there was any number of hostile wild pokémon looking to catch him unawares.
And down there was a village, probably with food and maybe some empty beds where he could spend the night. And whatever the pokémon down there were like, Rok knew the ones outside this clearing were hostile.
Heaving a great sigh, he started down the hill, towards the giant village.
The first thing Rok noticed upon entering the village was that it was very loud. Pokémon were running up and down the walkways, and shouting to each other across houses and dens. It was much louder than the village, and he absolutely didn't like it, pressing his ears to his head to try and block some of it out.
The second thing he noticed was the variety of pokémon living here. Far more than in his village. There were even pokémon he thought were wild living here, chatting pleasantly to the other inhabitants. Swellow and butterfree flying overhead, rattata laughing as they ran about and got underfoot, even a couple beedrill buzzing about, carrying bags and waving pleasantly to the pokémon passing by.
Was this where all the wild pokémon really lived? Here, in the comforts of this giant village?
The third thing he noticed was the smell of baking bread.
Rok followed the scent to a good-sized house, filled to the brim with pokémon munching happily on pastries. A smile spread across his face. It looked like they were giving out food here! Thank Arceus he wouldn't have to go hungry!
He stepped inside the house, studying the strange pokémon all around him. There was one at the back of the room, standing behind a big table where numerous pastries were on display.
They were a strange-looking creature, pink, with a giant udder and hooved hands and feet, unlike anything Rok had seen before. They seemed to be the one giving out the pastries though, so he walked forward, giving the friendliest smile he could muster.
The creature still scowled at him in suspicion as he approached, so he smiled a little wider. "Hello! How are you today?"
"Fine." The creature said shortly. Ah, she was a female. Good to know.
"May I please have a pastry Ma'am?" He asked, politely as he could.
The creature narrowed her eyes. "Let's see your money first."
Rok cocked his head to one side, frowning slightly in confusion. "What's money?"
Rather than explain, the creature snorted, a light smirk playing on her lips. "Nice try Dark Type. Move along and try to swindle somebody else out of their hard work?"
Rok blinked. Dark Type? Is that what he was? And what was this "money"? Was it a type of berry he'd never heard of? And why did this woman want it? Was it rare?
"Please Ma'am, I'm really hungry. Can you tell me what money is so I can get you some?" Rok tried again, a hint of desperation and confusion creeping into his voice.
The creature sneered. "Are you still trying that? You can't fool me Dark Type. Now get out of my shop. Now!"
In a panic, Rok turned tail and hurried out the door, feeling the glares of all the pokémon in the house at his back. Why wouldn't she give him something to eat? She was perfectly happy to give food to everybody else. Did he say something wrong? Did he offend her in some way? What did he do?
"That was pretty stupid of you." A sharp voice said somewhere to his left.
Rok turned to face them, and ask what in the world he did wrong, but the words got stuck in his throat, fading into non-existence.
The creature standing before him was unlike anything he'd ever seen. She was a bit taller than him, thick, soft white fur covering every inch of her besides her face and tail. Her skin was blue, as were her long, curved claws, and her eyes gleamed a striking red. A blue scythe grew long and sharp from the side of her head, and the fur on her forehead was long and silken, framing her face perfectly.
She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.
She was looking at him, waiting for a…a response, yes, that is something he should give. Just as soon as he remembered how to string words together in a sentence.
"I, um, I-I was just-" he stuttered, thoughts grinding to a halt as soon as they started.
The girl jerked her head towards the house. "Maud always assumes we Dark Types are up to something. You'll have more success asking a slowpoke to multiply two and two."
"Dark…Types?" Rok asked, finally managing to bring a couple thoughts together.
The girl raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Rok shook his head. "I-I was just hoping to get some food, and maybe find someplace to stay the night."
"And that's all you're after here? Not money, valuables, medicine? Just food and a place to sleep." She asked suspiciously
Rok nodded eagerly.
The girl sighed. "Well, I suppose I can at least help with that so you don't go getting yourself kicked out of any more shops." She jerked her head to the side. "Come on then. Let's get going before Maud starts shaking her rolling pin at us for loitering."
Rok perked up happily and bounded forward so he was walking alongside her. "I'm Rok." He said cheerfully.
"And I didn't ask." She said, growled really, in reply. But she gave him a quick glance with those gleaming red eyes, and said, sharp and short, "You can call me Reaper."
A/N: Chapter 3 is up!
I had a lot of fun writing Rok's confusion here. My sweet summer child has absolutely no idea of how the world works and its adorable. Now if only the world would stop punishing him for no reason…
And Reaper's here! I'm really excited for her, I just love overly sarcastic and rough characters. They are so much fun to write and I'm very excited to see her cynicism clash with Rok's naïveté! Or anybody really.
Please review!