PPX: Zuma's First Month

Episode four: Zuma's Speech is Nothing to Pweach


It was the fifth day of Zuma's life in Adventure Bay, and he was currently hanging out with Rocky at his house. The two of them were currently in Mayor Goodway's garden playing hide and seek with Zuma as the counter, and as he Rocky signaled him to turn around from nearby, he did so and started counting. "One, two, thwee..." Zuma then gave a cheeky grin with Rocky finding his hiding place just in time. "Skip a few; twenty." Zuma then turned around with Rocky shown hiding inside of a trash can. "Ready or not Wocky; hewe I come!"

Rocky gave a silent laugh as he realized that Zuma'd cheated. There's no way he counted to twenty out loud that quickly. Zuma looked around for Rocky, wondering where he could be as he went near the trash can, but didn't see Rocky through the hole he was peeking out of. "If I were Wocky, where would I hide?" Zuma looked up at a tree that was right beside the trash can Rocky was in, and he sighed when he didn't spot him up there. "Nope." Just then, from the trash can echoed a loud squeak...

PFFT

Zuma flinched and turned to the trash can and Rocky started blushing as he realized what just slipped out of his butt. Zuma turned around and saw a yellow green cloud of rotten eggs coming out of the trash can, and he gave a sly grin as he walked on over. He moved the trash and saw Rocky, who was blushing a bright red as Zuma gave him a cheeky smile in response. "Sowwy Wocky. Can't hide fwom me for too long."

Rocky laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head, and then he flinched when he realized what was going to happen. He got an idea, and decided to get Zuma engaged with what he had in mind as he told him about it, while thankfully being honest with him. "Did I mention Richie lets me drive his car so long as I'm careful with it?"


Rocky and Zuma were in Rocky's car as they headed out of Adventure Bay and into a town close to it (Not Foggybottom to avoid confusion). Rocky then started explaining to Zuma why he offered to drive him around, knowing that the suddenness of it must have confused him. "I hate baths, and I didn't think that hiding spot through. This way, I can at least find another method of smelling better."

"Just twy not to fawt as much as Chase does." Zuma playfully teased, making Rocky blush a bit as Zuma then got the urge to drive. "Hey; can I dwive?"

Rocky wasn't sure if he should let Zuma at the wheel, since he knew Richie would suspend his car riding privileges if he crashed it. "I don't know Zuma. I doubt Richie would want me to inconvenience him by causing any damage to his car."

"I won't cwash it; twust me." Zuma assured Rocky, letting him know about how well he drove Chase's car yesterday. "When I stole Chase's caw yesterday to get PupDonald's, I didn't hit anything. Which is good, because I imagine if I did, Chase would've totally pounded me."

Rocky felt it wouldn't hurt all that much to let Zuma drive for a little bit. He knew he was telling the truth, since he didn't see any damage done to Chase's car. After sighing, he stopped the car in a safe place, which was thankfully in a parking lot in the town they were in, and swapped spots with Zuma. "It's certainly convenient that we did this by the Calm-Ten mall parking lot. Just try not to crash into any cars here. This lot is big, but you still have to be careful when traversing through it."

Zuma nodded in response and hi fived Rocky right as he hit the gas pedal, only to accidentally hit someone almost instantly, causing the two to flinch. After the thud, Rocky was quick to clarify one thing that might've caused the accident to happen. "Yeah, we probably should've hi fived BEFORE we swapped seats."

Rocky and Zuma hopped out of the car to check and see if the body they hit was okay, and to their relief, the person they hit was alive; hurt, but alive. The person they hit was a white male human with black hair, and he was wearing a news anchor outfit. Zuma felt awful for hitting him, hoping that he didn't do too much damage to him. "I'm so sowwy dude! We were just swapping places and I wasn't paying attention and I accidentally hit the gas pedal and please tell me you can still move!"

"I should be able to." The man assured Zuma, and then he looked at him as he asked about his speech impediment. "Not to sound rude, but you wouldn't happen to be... facing challenges, right?"

Zuma was confused by this question. He wasn't upset, since he knew the man wasn't trying to be mean. He decided to give the best answer he could. "Well if all the stuff I went thwough before I met my fwiends in Adventuwe Bay would count as challenges, then yeah; I guess I could be."

The man was relieved to see Zuma taking this so well, and Rocky then pointed out what he thought had the guy's attention. "Not to undermine what you endured Zuma, but I think he was referring to your speech impediment."

"I was." The man chimed in, assuring Zuma that he was in the clear. "I suppose it's alright then. No need to press charges."

Zuma was surprised by this and couldn't believe what he just heard come from the human's mouth. "Wait. You mean you're not even gonna call the cops? I mean, we're fwiends with a cop so that'd be pwetty stupid, but still." The man nodded his head yes in response, and Zuma suddenly gained a mischievous grin. Could he actually get away with stuff like this if people thought he was mentally challenged because of the way he talked? He had to test this out to make sure.


Rocky and Zuma were in the Calm-Ten mall as they walked up to the bathrooms with Zuma holding an excited smile. Rocky wasn't sure what he was planning, and instantly went in to ask concernedly when he went for the women's room. "Zuma, what're you doing?"

"Just watch. Or, in this case, listen." Zuma started snickering as he opened up the door and hoped the ladies using the stalls were stupid enough to leave the doors unlocked. "This is gonna be so cathawtic." Rocky was worried about what was about to happen with Zuma walking up to the first stall and holding a mischievous grin as he kicked it open. This caused the girl to shriek, and based on what he heard, Rocky could tell what was happening. "Sowwy; wetawded."

"Oh, that's okay then." Rocky couldn't help but be baffled by this, and this continued when Zuma kicked open the second stall, and the same thing happened.

"Don't know any bettew."

"Oh, you're so cute."

And then Zuma kicked open the last stall and pretended to be annoyed when the girl shrieked. "Didn't you hear me like thwee seconds ago? I'm wetawded."

"Oh, you're just curious." Rocky was looking confused outside as the lady then made an offer. "Any chance you're a midget?"

Zuma then burst out of the bathroom and grabbed Rocky's paw as he ran off. "Nope; nope; no way! We gotta bail!"


Rocky and Zuma were now at the food court with Rocky being shocked by what Zuma had just told him. "You didn't seriously do that! Do you have any idea how perverted that is!?"

"If it helps, I wasn't into any of them. That's why I bailed." Zuma informed Rocky, and Zuma told him something that he didn't really tell anyone else. "Actually, for some weason, I've never weally been into giwls."

Rocky could relate to that one, but he was still quick to inform Zuma that this was wrong. "Romantic preferences aside Zuma, this is wrong. You can't exploit the ignorance of others for your personal gain."

"Oh, I'm sowwy. Did I not just get away with being a peeping Tom?" Zuma pointed out, not understanding what Rocky actually meant as he then lamented on how he felt about his speech impediment. "You don't get it Wocky. I spent most of my life after my pawents were taken dealing with jewks who kept mocking me for my speech impediment. Now I can finally use it for benefits wather than dealing with people making fun of it."

"Except the others and I DON'T make fun of it." Rocky reminded Zuma, unable to get behind what exactly he was trying to do here. "And this isn't to say you should've been forced to endure what you went through, but it's no excuse to attack those who didn't have anything to do with it."

Zuma smirked and showed his devious side, making Rocky flinch as he then went on about how good this felt. "Even if it fills me with the satisfaction that I never knew I needed befowe now?" Jazz music suddenly started playing, making Rocky look around and question where it was coming from as Zuma brought something else up. "And the world had more to do with it than you think. What was the world busy with when my pawents were taken fwom me? Or when the owphanage sucked up to Mawley? All that and more, is what's leading to my comeback!"

Zuma suddenly hopped out of his seat and started cutting the line as he began singing A Benefit At Last. "My whole life I've dealt with jewks and bullies, telling me what I'm gonna be for the way I talk; (Points to what he wants at the front of the line) I gwew tiwed of it quick, and it makes me sick, (Zuma looks back at the people complaining behind him) and away, sometimes I'd wanna walk." Zuma grabbed his food and told the same lie regarding his speech impediment. "Sowwy dudes. Don't know any better."

The patrons all let Zuma get away with his scheme after that and Zuma continued singing and walking with Rocky watching in disgust. "And don't even twy to tell me you'd think diffewent, if people were so wude you'd always wanna thwow a fit; (Rocky starts following Zuma as he leaves the food court) at least twy to get why, I'm doing this to get by, and give my speech a little benefit."

Rocky did understand where Zuma was coming from, but he still didn't like him toying around with the town's ignorance. "It's not my fault they make it so easy; making them suck up is a bweeze." Zuma then hopped onto the rail on the second floor as he proudly announced his relief in his plan. "For once I can use my speech to get what I pleeeeease!" Luckily for him, cartoon logic allowed him to sing without anyone else being able to hear him.

Rocky jumped down from the rail, shocking Zuma as the Chocolate Labrador continued singing while landing on some balloons and taking one to float down with. "Yeah; I know my speech is nothin' to pweach, but that's what makes it so good! (Let's go of the balloon as he saunters off) My speech makes these goons tweat me good instead of bad, and they don't even look under the hood!"

Rocky was running after Zuma, spotting him peeing in a mall plant nearby and making the nearby patrons watch in disgust. "It's not like they even mind it. They'we too busy being ignowant to cawe." Zuma turns around and tells them he doesn't know any better, which makes them all laugh at the 'cuteness'. "It's like a bweak fwom the towment my speech caused waiting, so taking it is only faiw."

Rocky ran up to Zuma, who was now gleefully eating a stolen hot dog from another patron. "Sowwy. Wetawded." The patron walked off after that with Zuma gleefully telling Rocky how much fun he was having with this. "It's like the stwings are being handed to me, just waiting for me to take contwol. (Gets up and grabs Rocky's paw) It's like the moment's been waiting for me, and the visible payoff is on a woll!"

Zuma ran off while holding Rocky's paw as he showed off all of the stuff he could do now. "It's not my fault this town's full of people, who'we so dumb, now is it Wocky?" Zuma then demonstrated what he meant as he pushed a business worker into the mall fountain and also flipped off a nearby patron, both of whom let him off the hook. "I can get violent or be wude with no chawge, it's like taking candy fwom a baby!" A baby was then shown with his mother as he licked a lollipop with Zuma assuring Rocky otherwise. "Okay, I'm not actually gonna do that last one, but I think you get it."

Rocky sighed in annoyance as Zuma then grabbing Rocky's shoulders as he reminded him of everything he went through. "The owphanage ignowed it. Paleclaw's gang was all about that. This is my chance for a bweak. Pulled out of a neawby haaaat." Zuma then started signing about how great this was again. "I'm finally fwee. To do what I want with my speech that is, I don't need bullying anymoooowe! I can finally choose how they tweat me, because these people are so dumb. And with how easy this has been, I'm kinda suwpwised they haven't all gone numb!"

Zuma then wrapped up his song by pointing how what he really wanted from all of this as he went over to the mall fountain. "I know it doesn't make me look the best, but I'm still having a blast! It's not like I even know them, and even then..." Zuma sits down by the fountain as he sings proudly and loudly about his benefit. "I found a benefit at laaaaaaaast!" Zuma then gave a cheeky grin to the camera when the song was up, being sure that his plan was a success. "That's wight, I found a benefit at last."

The jazz music ended then and there with Rocky walking up to Zuma as he pointed out how wrong this was. "This is extortion Zuma. And I know you're better than that, even with the benefit of getting some good out of what happened to you." Rocky then turned around and put his paws on his hips as he announced what he was about to do. "If you think I'm just gonna keep this from the others then you can forget it!" Zuma shrugged with Rocky's butt then being shown in his face, not that Rocky planned for that, as what slipped out of Rocky's butt next was...

BLLLLLAAAAARRRRRP

...a loud and bassy three second fart that reeked of spoiled meat, making his butt vibrate as Rocky flinched and looked back, realizing the green cloud was surrounding Zuma's coughing face. As Zuma wafted the fart away Rocky quickly apologized for what he did as he turned back around. "I'm so sorry Zuma! I don't know why I'm so gassy today! I'm usually not like that!" Zuma snickered a bit, showing that he didn't care with Rocky then grabbing his paw and getting down to business. "We're gonna wash you off, and then you're gonna tell the others what you got up to today.


Rocky was washing his fart scent off of Zuma at home with Richie helping him as he asked about what happened at the Calm-Ten Mall. "So basically, Zuma realized that a good chunk of the people in Calm-Ten Town are idiots, so he decided to use his speech impediment to get positive attention, thanks to the negative attention it gave to him before he arrived in Adventure Bay. Did I get all that?"

"On point Wichie." Zuma admitted, still not seeing exactly what he did wrong. Yeah; he still had a lot to learn about how right and wrong worked in it's entirety. "How is that a bad thing anyway? God owes me after all the cwap he let my speech impediment give me befowe."

Rocky sighed in annoyance before explaining to Zuma exactly what he was doing. "You were using their ignorance to get something you wanted Zuma. That's essentially manipulating them." Zuma flinched upon hearing the word manipulation, since he'd just dealt with that the day before. "And I know you're better than using people."

"We all do. Otherwise, who knows what would've happened after we saved you?" Richie chimed in, and then when he finished washing Zuma off, he gave Rocky a sly grin as he pointed out something he skipped on. "Now that that's done, I don't think there's anymore running from YOUR bath mister." Rocky gulped and thought quickly, making a run for the window after throwing a bar of soap at Richie, who caught it and got Rocky right before he could jump out of the window. He then laughed a bit as he pointed out his flaw there. "Did you really think that'd stop me?"

"No, but it was worth a shot." Rocky admitted, leaving Zuma to snicker a bit at Rocky's persistence when it came to avoiding baths.


Rocky and Zuma had just arrived at the Paw Patrol lookout with Rocky having finished his explanation to Zuma on why he hates baths. "And it also doesn't help that the soap can get into your eyes whenever it wants if you're not careful."

Zuma made his response to that as he and Rocky went into the lookout. "Well you're pwetty caweful with just about evewything, so I don't think you have to worry about that." Rocky and Zuma then saw Chase and Skye on the couch watching Tv, leaving Zuma to nervously ask what was going on. "H-h-hey guys. You do anything cool today yet?"

"Just sitting here watching Tv." Chase admitted, unable to find anything good to watch. "I can't find out what I wanna watch today and it's my turn to pick."

Chase decided to just stop on the news, making Zuma panic with Rocky stopping him from doing anything rash as the reporter spoke up. "And so, the Chocolate Labrador who claims to be 'retarded' makes a lot of faces that would suggest otherwise. (Zuma starts sweating) Could he truly be the way he claims to be with his speech impediment? Or is he secretly much smarter and more manipulative than most children today?" Zuma gulped upon hearing the word 'manipulative', starting to remember how much he was used when he was on the run, and with Nicky.

Chase turned the Tv off when he saw that Zuma was getting sweaty. He gave a stern look as well, already having an idea as to what was going on. "Care to explain Zuma?"

"No, not weally." Zuma admitted, worried about how the others would take it with Skye then chiming in.

"Well if there's one good thing to say from this right off the bat, it's that you were on Tv!" Skye exclaimed, leaving Zuma to raise an eyebrow with confusion while giving a confused bark. He didn't exactly get the benefit of being on Tv for everyone to see him.


Zuma was explaining the situation to Chase and Skye, hoping that the two of them would understand why he did what he did. "I didn't even think about how bad it actually was until Wocky specified it as manipulation. I just thought it was me finally getting some positive tweatment wegawding my speech impediment wather than negative."

Chase was more understanding to this than Zuma thought he'd be, knowing that he was merely acting upon his instincts from his past. But he still couldn't let him believe that this was something worth praising. "I get that Zuma. But you have to understand that no matter who it happens to, or who does it, it's still manipulation. And that's one of the reasons Rocky left Nicky."

Zuma looked at Rocky with immense guilt, and despite Rocky nodding his head yes, he put a paw on Zuma's shoulder for comfort. Skye then gave her own two cents, reminding Zuma that the people he messed with were as human as the rest of them. "And even though they aren't the brightest, the people in Calm-Ten are still human. They're still living, breathing beings like the rest of us and deserve to be treated with respect."

Zuma couldn't help but feel awful for what he was doing now. He didn't even think about the negative side of him getting the negative treatment for his speech balanced out; ironically. Rocky quickly realized that Zuma didn't know what to say in this regard, so he decided to speak up. "I think this is when he's incapable of knowing what to say."

Zuma then then remembered the news broadcast and started to panic. As he grabbed his right arm tightly, he asked loudly what was going to happen. "Am I gonna become famous for being a manipulative scumbag!?"

Rocky was quick to assure Zuma that he wasn't in dead meat yet, knowing there was still time. "That's not gonna happen Zuma. The situation's still fresh, and there's still time to make it right. But we DO have to make this right." Zuma nodded in response, hoping he was ready for whatever it was he had to do to make up for this.


The next day in Calm-Ten, Zuma was behind a curtain near a stage, and almost everyone from the town was there waiting for him as he peeked through. He wasn't sure if he could do this, and all of his friends were there with him as he expressed how nervous he was to them. "I think it's pwetty obvious, but I'm nowhere neaw ready for my fiwst gig."

Ryder knelt down to Zuma and knew that he needed some comfort, despite the event that got them there in the first place. "Just try not to think too hard about it Zuma. The people here aren't gonna berate you for what happened yesterday. They just wanna hear what you have to say."

Zuma did feel calmer after that, and Rocky then gave him another tip that he felt would help Zuma with speaking to a crowd. "And if it's stage fright that's the issue, then just picture all the humans in town in their underwear!"

Zuma burst out laughing after hearing that, but stopped quickly while still snorting at the idea of everyone in their underwear. "Wemind me; is this is supposed to be a comedy show or a meeting where I tell evewyone I'm not actually mentally challanged?" Zuma looked out through the curtain again and saw everyone waiting patiently. He breathed in through his nose, and out from his mouth, thinking about how this would go. 'Okay Zuma. You can do this. Heck, you HAVE to do this. Just don't panic, and tell them exactly what they need to hear. And then, they won't hate you. Hopefully."

Zuma went out onto the stage with Rocky silently wishing him good luck, leaving Zuma to walk up to the podium and onto the stool that helped him get to the microphone. He was still nervous, but he knew he couldn't back out of this. He was just glad his friends were being supportive and not demanding. "Um... hi evewyone." The people of Calm-Ten were waiting patiently for Zuma to speak up, and what he said next shocked them. "About yestewday. While the speech impediment I have is real, it... doesn't mean anything about my smawts. I'm not wetawded."

The people of Calm-Ten became shocked with some of them gasping, and others started whispering to each other about what happened. Zuma then spoke up about why he was doing what he did. "I know it's not an excuse, at least after my fwiends told me about what exactly I was doing, but I was on the wun for thwee years before awwiving in Adventuwe Bay, the town a couple miles fwom here. And duwing that time, I got bullied for my speech impediment a lot."

Some of the people started to feel bad for Zuma, and others were still shocked that a little kid could do something like this. Zuma saw the different kinds of expressions people had on them and continued to explain himself. "I wish I'd wealized that I was doing to you what others did to me at the time. And seeing as none of you started thwowing stuff at me, I can tell you're good people, and that you didn't deserve that. I wish I could take it back." Zuma held back any sad emotions he was feeling in that moment in an attempt to avoid too much sympathy. "I'm sowwy."

Zuma walked off the stage to avoid getting any more sympathy than he felt he deserved. The people of Calm-Ten were left talking about what they just got hit with as he did. When he went backstage, Rocky was the first to assure Zuma that he did the right thing by apologizing. "What you did just now took guts Zuma."

"I guess." Zuma replied, but he had to admit that he still didn't feel right about what he did yesterday. "I just wish I could take what happened yestewday back and weplace it with another day of me hanging out with you and the others." Zuma felt he needed some time to himself and walked off as he spoke up about it. "I think I need a few minutes to myself, if that's okay."

The others let Zuma walk off as Richie commented on what Zuma needing time to himself. "He'll be fine. But just in case, we should make sure to be there for him."

"Heh. Tell us something we DON'T know." Ryder rhetorically requested with a confident smile on his face, proving that he was ready to help Zuma when he needed it.


Later that day, Zuma was in the living room with Rocky as the two of them tried to look for something to watch. Zuma was still contemplating what he did to the people of Calm-Ten, unable to shake off what he did to them. Did he really exploit their ignorance to give himself the positive attention he wanted, or was it all just a bad dream that he was waiting to wake up from? As Zuma thought about this, he suddenly heard a squeaky...

pffffft

...three second fart and looked to the right, where Rocky was sheepishly wafting away a green cloud that reeked of spicy chicken. He then chuckled nervously as he apologized for the outburst. "Sorry. I've really gotta start watching what I eat."

"Eh. I don't cawe." Zuma admitted, and then he opened up to Rocky about how he was feeling in regards to what recently happened. "And even if I did, I can't stop thinking about what I did to the people of Calm-Ten anyway. I still can't believe I did something so awful to them. And they didn't even insult me as I walked off the stage."

Rocky scooted closer to Zuma, making sure he smelt good before he did, and he made sure to let him know that this wouldn't linger. "This won't last forever Zuma. You saw it yourself; the people of Calm-Ten are very forgiving."

"But do I weally desewve it?" Zuma asked, surprising Rocky as Zuma then expressed how he saw himself in regards to what he thought about the situation. "Here I am, having been adopted by Wyder and have five of the best fwiends I could've asked for, and I spend an entire hour of my time with that making what feels like an entire town of people think I'm mentally challenged, when in reality, I was just bullied by people who were cwuel enough to make jokes about that at my expense."

Rocky wasn't sure what to say about that with Zuma then expressing to him what he saw in himself. "Am I... as bad of a canine as the ones who picked on me?"

Rocky was quick to assure Zuma that him being a bad canine wasn't the case. He was just a good kid who made a mistake that he clearly regretted, and him thinking otherwise baffled him. "Of course not! The fact that you regret what you did shows me that you're a good canine. Or at least you're willing to become one." Rocky then told Zuma that while what he was feeling was okay, he shouldn't let him corrupt him. "Guilt is natural, but you should use it to feel this way about yourself. Don't define yourself over one moment. Especially when you atoned for it."

Zuma looked at Rocky and saw that he was genuinely trying to help him. Along with Chase, Skye, Ryder, and Richie, he wasn't sure if he deserved the friends he's made in Adventure Bay. He did his best to hide this feeling from Rocky however. He knew that if he told him that he felt he didn't deserve his new friends, he would talk to Richie about it, which would in turn lead to Ryder hearing about it. And the last thing he wanted was to make everyone else take too much pity on him. "I guess. I just wish I knew what to do about it though."

"Just look onward and make the right choices in the future." Rocky advised Zuma happily, and Zuma felt that made sense. If only Rocky knew what Zuma was starting to interpret with that knowledge. He wasn't entirely sure if he should go through with it yet, but he did know that as he thought about it, it sounded like a decision that had it's benefits, and it's downfalls.


Rocky and Zuma were saying goodbye to each other, and as Zuma went inside, Ryder was coming out of the kitchen with a hot dog as he noticed Zuma looking despondent. Feeling that he knew what this was about, he walked up to Zuma and attempted to strike a conversation. "You still feeling bad about the Calm-Ten thing?"

Zuma nodded his head yes, and explained why he still felt that way so Ryder would know why. "I just can't believe I did that to such nice people. I ended up doing the exact same thing that the owphanage and Bloodfweak's gang did to me."

Ryder rubbed Zuma's head, letting him know that it would all be okay. "You won't have to worry Zuma. I talked to the mayor of Calm-Ten, and no one's judging you because they saw how bad you felt about the situation." Zuma looked up at Ryder, who gave him a reassuring look as he tried to make him feel better. "Maybe you could use these feelings to motivate yourself in the future. Some people say emotions like sadness and anger are bad. I see it as they aren't ideal, but still important to have, and should be used in healthy, and sometimes even helpful, manners."

Zuma thought about those words for a moment and came to a decision that he was contemplating earlier. If only Ryder knew what he was planning now, and he responded while hoping he wouldn't see past it. "Okay. Thanks Wyder." Ryder rubbed Zuma's head and went into the elevator to finish eating his hot dog. Zuma then gave a look of remorse, as he felt awful for his plan, and what was about to happen once it commenced.


It was late at night on the sixth day Zuma's been in Adventure Bay for, and he opened the garage to get his guitar, making sure he was quiet enough to avoid anyone detecting him. He then went over to the coffee table, where he'd already set down a pen and paper, and got ready to start writing. He started thinking about whether or not he should add his speech impediment into the letter, and then he decided to do so, since that was the only way the pups would guarantee this was from him. He got to writing, and this is what he had to say in the letter.

"To Wocky, Chase, Skye, Wyder, and Wichie. Thank you for being able to tolewate me for almost a week so far. I'm sowwy to have to leave you like this, and I hope you can undewstand my decision. These past couple days, I've been inconveniencing you in ways that I never wanted to do to any of my fwiends, if I could make any. Or anyone in my life. I think it's safe to assume that I'm just not good with humans, or dogs, or anyone for that matter, after evewything I've been thwough."

I feel I've spent too much time on the wun by this point, and that I'm now incapable of being able to hold a bond with anyone. My pawents got taken away fwom me, and that led to me being bullied at the owphanage and wunning way fwom the only fwiend I made there, then I got kicked out of Paleclaw's gang for twying to save an ally's life, and now I'm making your guys lives hawder by having to deal with me. I'm heading on the west side exit of Adventuwe Bay for my twavels. Maybe we'll meet up again, but I think I'm bettew on my own... where I can't be a buwden.

Sincewely... Zuma Alex Thowne.

P.S. I wecently wemembered my middle name."

Zuma set his pen and paper down, and picked up his guitar as he got ready to leave for good. He wished he could stay, but he found himself to be too much of a burden to risk living with the Paw Patrol, or living in Adventure Bay. All he could do was more forward, and hope to make better decisions in the future. The irony from Rocky's and Ryder's well meaning advice and that it led to Zuma making this decision was something he knew they wouldn't expect. He didn't put that in the letter though, because he knew it would've made them look bad if he were to include it in there.

He left the lookout quietly, and he looked back one last time before heading off for good. He didn't have any belongings other than his guitar, and he knew he probably wouldn't be able to get far that night before he started traveling for real. He wiped a tear he noticed coming down from his eye as he got ready to move on with his life. As he kept walking from the lookout, he didn't look back again, feeling that he would be able to stop being a burden to the others once he was out of Adventure Bay.