The Thunder Clan

by Giga Bowser NS

Roxy the Pikachu is not part of a Pokémon Trainer's team. She does not take part in Pokémon battles. No, she is happy to spend her days relaxing at home and enjoying the company of her loving human master. So when Roxy somehow ends up in the middle of the wilderness, surrounded by dangerous wild Pokémon, suffice to say her entire world is flipped upside-down.

13. Excursion

Chapter 13 - Excursion

It was astonishing.

Still, to this day, it was absolutely astonishing to Roxy. It was like living in a dream that never ended, though not one that was all bad. Three weeks had passed since the festival. Three whole weeks, and she was still here.

And she was still alive.

The sun rose, the bird Pokémon crowed, and Roxy was awake. She yawned, stretched her paws, and got out of bed, only to find that Makari had woken up earlier once again. A warm hug, a peck on the cheek, and Roxy walked over to the far side of the hut. Her collar was put on, the flower was put behind her ear, and Makari was back with breakfast.

It was so routine at this point. It felt familiar. It felt…normal.

Five minutes breakfast. That was all she could afford before Taka would be mad at her for being late. Breakfast with Makari was pleasant, and it made her smile. With food in her belly, she stepped out the door and made her way to the training area. Makari would be alongside her for today.

Roxy had done this song and dance day in and day out. It felt so normal and uneventful, almost as if she wasn't still inside a deadly forest of death. Sure there had been incidents around the village, with some of the other denizens getting injured on patrol, or the rare case of a predator breaching the outer perimeter, and it all was a stark reminder of the danger she found herself in.

Yet, right now, she was just getting ready to do what she did every day. In fact, she was starting to get good at it.

"Show me all of your mastered skills," Taka instructed, stoic as ever, and handed her a spear. She took it in her paws, immediately gripping it in the correct way without even having to think about it, and set her sights on the target.

"Go."

Roxy didn't hesitate to show off her growing skillset of spear strikes and parries. Sure, she had always been told that the spear was the easiest weapon to master, but she was proud of her accomplishments. It still wasn't something she really wanted to do, but Roxy was starting to believe that she could hold her own against a foe if she had a spear in her paws.

Minutes later, her demonstration was over. Taka counted three small errors, and Roxy took them to heart, promising to rectify them. Makari gave his congratulations from the sidelines. Taka moved almost impatiently to his next lesson, and Roxy gave him her full attention.

Just like yesterday, and the day before.

The monotony of things was only just starting to become apparent to her. She wasn't sure how it made her feel. She wasn't even sure if it was a good or bad thing. However, she had training to focus on, and so she filed her questions away in the back of her mind. Makari was a great listener after all.

The sun passed overhead. A few familiar villagers walked past the training area and bid her a quick, friendly hello. She worked hard with Taka to learn this new move, which was a sort of pole-vault technique she could use to distance herself from foes or get around obstacles. It was difficult, and she hadn't quite gotten it by the time it was noon, but she felt confident enough with it to practice it on her own.

Then it was time for a food break. More yummy berries. Sometimes there was a delicious Leppa or two, but unfortunately not today. Taka did not allow for a very long break, and soon it was back to training.

"Right," he said in that authoritative, but still somehow disinterested, voice of his, "I think it is time for you to try something new. A Thunder Clan warrior must be adept in multiple skills and be adaptable." He began to walk over to the piles of training weapons.

Roxy allowed herself a little smirk. "Does that mean I'm improving? Am I getting better? Huh?"

She yipped as Taka not-so-lightly whapped her on the back of her head with his tail. "Do not get a big head."

"Oww…" Roxy murmured softly, rubbing her head with her paw.

Taka picked something up, and soon after returned with a warped piece of wood. The ends were connected with some kind of 'string'. Roxy wasn't sure what it was made of; all she knew was that it was from a plant.

He handed it to her, and Roxy took the bow into her forepaws. She looked down at it with interest, feeling its weight and simply marveling at this example of purely Pokémon construction. She had seen a couple of warriors with bows, mostly smaller females, but they were a rarity.

"This is incredible," she said.

"As I trust you can imagine," Taka continued, handing her an arrow, "the bow requires a much different set of skills. Instead of strength and stamina, one must practice patience, focus, and accuracy."

Roxy held the arrow. It was made of wood, while the fletching was made out of colourful feathers. Where there would usually be a sharpened stone for the arrowhead, there was simply a blunt wooden block. Roxy guessed that it was another blunted tool used for training.

"Try it."

Roxy frowned. She always preferred to watch first and do afterwards. "Can't you do it first? I wanna see how it's done."

"No. Just try it," he countered.

This made her pout a little. "C'mon, Taka. I thought we were past this. I learn better this way."

"Just do it, and I will examine your form and technique."

Roxy furrowed her brow, staring up at her 'teacher'. Taka was simply staring off into the distance with an impatient look upon his face.

Suddenly, something occurred to her. In spite of herself, she couldn't help but feel a little smug. "You're not good at it, are you?" she said cheekily, "Isn't that what you said? Focus, accuracy and patience? That's not really your style, is it?"

Taka stood there silently for a moment, not moving a single muscle. Roxy was silently enjoying this one, small thing she had found in her 'perfect' superior. Perhaps it was something she could do better.

She then yelped in surprise as Taka suddenly snatched the bow and arrow right out of her paws. Without missing a single beat, he adopted the perfect pose, nocked the arrow, and drew the bowstring back. He only aimed his shot for a second before he let the arrow fly. Roxy watched, wide-eyed as the arrow zinged through the air.

It didn't hit the targets. It didn't even hit the wall behind the targets, or even any of the nearby trees. That wasn't what Taka had been aiming for. The arrow sailed perfectly through the air, slipping seamlessly past treehouses and wooden platforms, avoiding every tree, until it landed in the open clearing where the festival had taken place. Even from this distance, nearly half the village away, Roxy could see that the arrow had landed dead centre in the clearing. What's more, it was standing up, perfectly balanced on the wooden block with the fletching straight up in the air.

Taka then simply gave her a cross look before turning on his heels and storming off. She tried to call after him, but Taka was gone. Today's lesson had apparently ended early.

Roxy deflated, sitting down and frowning. She let out a sigh. Taka's attitude had shone through once again. It seemed she was no closer to his good side than she had ever been.

A pair of forelimbs belonging to a body of warm fur hugged her from behind. Makari chuckled as he rested his head on her shoulder. "That may have been a little uncalled for," he said, but it was clear from his tone of voice he was not scolding her. Roxy got the impression that Makari may have once said the same thing.

"I was just joking…" she said with a shrug.

He laughed once more. "I know, Roxy. I know."

They sat there for a moment in silence, just happy to be in each other's presence. Roxy had gotten more used to the feel of Makari's Static. She kind of liked it now. It was an exciting little tingle along her fur. Besides that, though, it was just so nice and comforting to be in his embrace. Even in the presence of no danger, she felt so safe.

"Will he come back?" she asked.

"Doubtful."

"I'll tell him I'm sorry tomorrow."

"Mm…"

Another moment of silence passed as Roxy sighed and allowed herself to relax. She was starting to get better at controlling her own anxiety and emotions. This wasn't something that could easily be taught by anyone in the village, so she had to teach herself. It was all a matter of perspective. Here in the forest, worse things could happen than a Taka temper tantrum.

"Makari?"

The bigger Pikachu shifted a little. "Hm?"

She paused for a moment and chewed her lip before asking her question. "Was he always like this?"

Makari sat up. "What do you mean?"

"Taka. You've known him since you were…well, since you were born I guess. Was he always like…this?"

Makari shifted over and sat down beside her. Roxy turned to look at him, but his gaze was drawn elsewhere, deep in contemplation.

"Yes," he replied, "…and no."

Roxy furrowed her brow in confusion, but did not interrupt.

"Taka has always been, and always will be, who he is at his core. Since cubhood, he has always had somewhat of an ego. He liked to feel superior, even in situations where he was not, and he could be boastful. At the same time, though, he has always been steadfast and loyal. On the grand scale of things, he always knew right from wrong and knew what needed to be done when it was time to act."

Makari chuckled. "We would play games when we were cubs, and he would always insist on being the keeper of the rules. His temper would flare up if anyone was not playing the way he envisioned it. He has always been extremely dedicated, and this carried over to when he began to train with weaponry. It wasn't long at all before he was our toughest warrior, nigh undefeated on the field.

"But he was not always exactly as you see him today. He used to be more upbeat and vocal, and always enjoyed moving rather than standing still. Believe it or not, Taka used to smile often. And then…he left."

Roxy gazed up at him, as if she were listening to a fairy tale. "You mean on his journey to the forest edge?"

"Indeed," Makari said with a nod, "He was starting to get restless and irritable. Though he would not break rules or disobey orders, he would often speak against the Wise Ones. Finally, he informed me one night that he was leaving. You can imagine my shock. I asked him where he would go, and he said that he did not know. He simply wanted to leave.

"I tried to dissuade him. Everyone in the village, the Wise Ones included, begged him not to go through with this foolishness. Some even offered to go with him so that he would not have to face the dangers of the forest alone. To everybody else, this was pure madness. It made no sense to anyone. Everyone was asking why and where and how, but Taka gave no answers.

"The Wise Ones ended up forbidding him to leave, and so he left in the middle of the night without saying goodbye to anyone."

Roxy gasped. "Not even to you?"

Makari just shook his head sadly. "He was gone for nearly four seasons. Everyone was worried and frustrated, all at the same time. As many moons passed, we all presumed that he was either dead, or not coming home. I had lost my brother. It was a pain I wish I could never feel again. The village mourned his passing. There was a funeral.

"And then…he came back. Suddenly, without any warning, Taka simply showed up. He seemed tired, but not hurt. There was a joyous celebration. You cannot imagine how happy I was. My brother had come back from the everafter. This was a wonderful gift that few are privilege to."

There were tears in Roxy's eyes. "Wow…" she whispered. She had never imagined that Taka's 'journey' had been anything like that, nor had she thought it had taken so long.

"But Taka had changed…" Makari continued in a quieter tone. It sounded as if Makari couldn't decide how to feel about what he was saying next. "He was much quieter. For a while he barely spoke a word, not even to me. He was calm and collected, intensely focused. This allowed his already spectacular fighting skills to excel even further.

"However, he was also aloof…distant…It was as if he were shutting himself away from the rest of the world, even from the village that was his home. It seemed like there was no more joy to be found in his eyes. We asked him where he had gone. What had he seen? Taka told us that he had walked through the forest without direction until it eventually ended. He discovered the human settlement and explored, before eventually turning around and coming back home.

"That much is all he has ever said about his journey. He refuses to say another word."

Roxy sat there in silence as she took in this new information. She stared off at nothing for a moment, trying to imagine it. What could have happened in the human world to have changed him so much?

"Over the more recent years, he has opened up a little bit more. He can speak to others, he is active in his spare time, and he no longer distances himself from others. Yet, that Pikachu is still so much different than the brother I had once known."

"Makari…" she whispered, "I had no idea. That must be so rough…I'm sorry."

He smiled and softly nuzzled her. "Do not be sorry. Whatever has changed, he is still my brother and he always will be. I love him, and I know that he loves me. Family is the hardest tie to break."

"That's good to hear," she said.

"Still, though…I worry about him. There are days where I wish, more than anything, he would just tell me what happened."

Roxy found herself gazing off in the general direction that Taka had left in. "He told me…" she said quietly, "He said there were things on that journey that he wanted to forget."

"He has told me the same. It is the most he has ever told anyone."

Silence passed as Roxy thought about the Pikachu that was her mentor. It was hard to imagine what could have happened to him. Roxy knew that cities could be a dangerous place for Pokémon, but what could have changed his whole demeanour like that? Had some evil organization like Team Rocket captured him? Had he been caught in a Poké Ball? Roxy somehow doubted the latter.

It seemed like it would remain a mystery. Whatever it was, it had turned Taka into the sourpuss that he was now.

Roxy shook her head. It wasn't fair to think of Taka in such a way. Something traumatic had obviously happened to him, and that was something Roxy could easily relate to. Whether or not he would admit it, perhaps that was something they had in common.

"Well," Makari said, changing the subject, "Would you like to learn the basics of the bow?"

Roxy tilted her head up to look at him. "Hm?"

"I could teach you."

The young Pikachu's ears perked up, and her eyes widened just slightly. Roxy enjoyed learning with Makari. He was a much more practical and direct teacher. He was certainly more…paws-on.

Roxy blushed as she started to nod enthusiastically.

---

As Makari had predicted, Taka had returned the very next day and lessons had continued. Roxy had offered him an apology, but he had pretty much ignored it. She had spent most of the previous day learning the basics of the bow and arrow, which involved a lot of arrows slipping uselessly to the ground at her paws.

It was now the following morning, and Roxy was waking up along with the rising sun. She was getting quite used to waking up at this hour.

Makari was already awake, as he usually was, but he was not getting breakfast. In fact, after yawning and rubbing her eyes, Roxy saw him walking through the hut's doorway. "Oh good. You have awoken," he said.

"Mmm…?" she muttered half-sleepily, "Wha's going on?"

"It is nothing to worry about," he reassured her as he went over and quickly picked out two Oran Berries, "The Wise Ones wish to see you."

Instantly, Roxy was wide awake. "They do?" she yelped. A spike of fear had gone through her, though she wasn't quite sure why. She had never been summoned to speak with the Wise Ones before. Was something wrong? Had she done something wrong?

"Here," Makari said as he handed over one of the Orans, "Eat this along the way."

"But…" she murmured as she clutched the fruit in her paws like a teddy bear, "Wh-what do they want? Why do they want to see me?"

Makari smiled reassuringly and shrugged. "I do not know. I will accompany you, Roxy. You have nothing to fear." He then reached out a paw towards her.

Roxy smiled bashfully and took his paw, allowing him to help her up. "I know…" she said, "I dunno why I reacted like that. It's not like they're gonna throw me out of the village, right?"

To her relief, Makari laughed at that. "Certainly not. And if that were the case, I would probably walk right out of here with you."

Makari then led her out into the village, still dim in the early hours of the morning. Villagers were waking up, warriors were getting ready for the day, and those on the night shift were yawning and returning to their homes. Roxy waved and said good morning to those she knew, but clearly there was no time to dawdle. Makari led her straight to the grove where the Wise Ones were.

She was greeted by the sight of the three Raichu sitting there on top of the small mound of earth, just as they had been when she had met them for the first time. Karizu and Ozu smiled down at her as she approached. Natoka still wore a small, hardened frown. If she didn't know any better, she would have said Natoka was Taka's father.

"Roxy! Good morning!" Karizu greeted her, "Thank you for coming."

She smiled and bowed her head slightly. "Hello to you as well."

"My, my…How long has it been since you arrived?" Ozu spoke, "It feels like a whole season has gone by."

"More or less…" Roxy replied with just a twinge of grief.

"Winter will soon be here," Natoka commented.

"Oh!" Roxy perked up, "Does it snow here?" She smiled warmly as she was hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. It hardly ever snowed back home, nor much of anywhere in Kanto. Her family was lucky to get one, maybe two, snow days a year. However, her master had taken her a few times to a ski resort in Snowpoint City. It was a veritable winter wonderland, and Roxy had many fond memories of her trips there.

"We do," Karizu replied, much to Roxy's delight, "Usually for up to a moon's length."

A whole month of snow? Roxy could hardly wait to make snow angels and have snowball fights!

"Regardless," Ozu continued, "You have been staying with us for quite some time now, and it appears that things have been going well. Would you agree?"

Roxy nodded. "Oh yes. It was tough at first, but I am starting to get more comfortable around here. Everyone has been so nice and accommodating." She glanced at Makari and blushed lightly. "Especially Makari," she added.

"And your training?" Natoka all but butted in.

She nodded again. "I can honestly say that I am doing better than I thought I would. If you had told me a month ago that I would be slowly learning how to fight, I wouldn't have believed you."

Karizu smiled. "As we have been told. Taka has said that he is impressed by your progress."

Roxy's train of thought immediately derailed. "He did?" she exclaimed. When Karizu nodded, she furrowed her brow. "Wow…He sure doesn't show it…"

Makari simply chuckled from behind her.

"According to what he has said, you have learned the basic skills of combat and have become moderately proficient with the spear."

"I…" She paused for a moment. Some traitorous part of her anxious mind was trying to come up with some reason for her to disagree. Anything to prove that she hadn't learned how to fight and defend herself. However, that evil part of her brain failed to come up with anything, which brightened her smile. "I have. Yes, I can say that I have. I…I might even feel comfortable in a battle now!"

The three Raichu all nodded in approval. "That is good to hear," Karizu continued, "And from here, your skills will only increase."

"That is why we have called you here today," Ozu added.

Roxy blinked, gazing up at them in confusion. Was she not learning fast enough or something? Were they going to give her something different to learn? A part of her brightened at the thought of them perhaps replacing Taka with another teacher. Perhaps a certain strong, brave, nice-smelling Pikachu that happened to be standing behind her.

Then, all of a sudden, she realized what the answer was before they even said it. Her blood ran cold.

"It is time to put your training to use," Natoka said, "and contribute to the tribe."

Roxy just stared up at them, suddenly feeling very small. She tried to work her tongue, move her lips, and voice any of the many protests that she wanted to express. Her body didn't respond though. She was stuck silent.

"While we do appreciate all of the help you have been providing by doing small chores around the village," Karizu said, "it is time for you to step beyond our boundaries. Taka has told us that he believes you have the skills to defend yourself."

"W-what?!" Roxy suddenly blurted out, catching even herself by surprise.

"Roxy…" Makari started to say.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" she blubbered, "I-I-I can't! I can't go out on patrol out there in the dangerous forest full of danger, and…I…I can't go on patrol! I'll be killed! I know I've gotten better, but there's no way I…I'm not ready! I-I'm not…"

"Roxy!" Makari interjected, "Calm yourself, please."

"We are not sending you on patrol," Ozu clarified, "My goodness, child, that would be cruel of us. Only trained warriors go on patrol."

Roxy blinked, and then felt quite a bit of stress thankfully melt away. "O-oh…" she stammered, feeling a little embarrassed.

"It is our request," Karizu continued, "that you join a group and collect food. Most of the berry bushes lie at the edge of our borders, and so we sometimes have to forage in enemy territory."

"Foragers travel in groups," Ozu added, "It is much safer that way."

Roxy considered this for a moment, but a shiver passed through her. This was better, but not all that much better. It would still involve her stepping out of her literal 'safe zone' and into a dangerous area. "I…I dunno…" she murmured. She had to mentally stop herself from reaching back and grabbing her tail to hug.

"Roxy," Makari said, stepping up beside her, "Everyone in this village has a role to play. In order to survive, we must all do our part and work together. After all, that food that we eat when we wake up has to come from somewhere."

"I…I know…" Roxy whispered.

"The Wise Ones wish for you to contribute to our clan, but this task is much simpler and safer than others. I will be accompanying you, Roxy, as will a couple of other warriors. Should we be attacked, then my brethren and I will defend you."

She perked up a little. Hearing that Makari would be along with her did make her feel heaps better.

"Usually, only one warrior accompanies a forage group, but since you are new to this we shall adjust," Karizu said.

"That said," Natoka spoke, "Our clan does not exist to merely cubsit you. Things may turn troublesome, and you will need to be prepared to defend yourself and others."

"I, uh…Uhh…" Roxy stammered. This was a huge bombshell to be dropped on her so suddenly. She had always been fearing in the back of her mind the day when she would be expected to join the patrols. This wasn't quite there, but it was still something where she would have to put her skills to use. Faced with this, Roxy felt all of her confidence drain away and she felt like she hadn't gained any fighting skills at all.

"You will be fine, Roxy."

She turned to look at Makari, standing next to her and giving her a reassuring smile.

"I will be there, and besides…You have gotten quite skilled at using the spear."

"I…I guess, but…" she murmured.

"Take care not to discredit yourself, Roxy. You have skills now."

Roxy gulped and forced herself to stop quivering. It's not patrol, she firmly reminded herself, It'll probably only be as dangerous as bathing in the river, and Makari will be there. Roxy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. You can do this, can't you?

"Well…" she said finally, "I guess it's only fair, right?"

"So, you agree to undertake this task?" Karizu asked.

She hesitated for a fraction of a second, but then steeled herself and nodded. She even managed to put on a little smile. "Heh…I'll do it. It's gonna be scary, but…Well, getting food is important."

"I am so glad to hear your enthusiasm, Roxy," Makari said, "It is my belief that this next step will be very important for you. For all of your future endeavours."

Roxy nodded again as she tried to quell the swirling negative emotions deep in the pit of her stomach. On paper, this was not something she wanted to do. This would be terrifying, possibly life-threatening, and maybe even too much to expect from her. Honestly, she would rather curl up in Makari's hut and sleep the day away. However, she was indebted to these Pokémon for giving her shelter for so long. It was her responsibility to contribute to the tribe however she possibly could, and these were the rules of the clan.

Beyond that, though, she could understand what Makari was silently implying. Doing this would better prepare her for her eventual trip home.

---

"Okay, I thought I could do this…"

"You can."

"I-I dunno if I can do this…I-I-I'm not ready…"

"Roxy, trust me. You will be fine. We are not even going very far."

"B-but, Makari…"

The taller Pikachu sighed and frowned, looking down at her with his forepaws on her shoulders. He was trying to reassure her, but things were not quite going as planned.

The inside of Roxy's head was a mess. She was meant to head out with the others at noon. As the hour drew closer, she began to get more and more nervous. It felt like there was a panic attack slowly stalking her, threatening to collapse onto her at any moment. Doubt after doubt filled her mind, and any confidence that she had in her own skills was long gone.

Roxy was honestly a little ashamed of herself. She had tried her best to overcome her anxiety and fears. She had pushed herself to keep going, and now it was only a few minutes before she had to leave. She was holding a brand new, finely-crafted, real spear. And yet, she was starting to panic. She was more and more starting to consider the idea of quitting and hiding in Makari's hut until spring.

"Roxy, I have been to this berry grove countless times in my life. The forest there is too sparse. There are few areas for predators to hide, so they hardly ever bother us there."

"But…They might?" she asked timidly.

"Well…" Makari hesitated and glanced away. "That is true. Nothing is certain, after all."

Roxy let out a sigh so heavy that it felt like it was hurting her heart. She clutched the spear in a rather cub-like way and warily glanced over at the other assembled villagers. They were all Pikachu, and all were armed in some way. A couple of them were actually small and nimble like she was, while there were others who looked as strong and formidable as Makari was. A few of the latter group looked like they were bored out of their minds.

In just a few minutes, she would be willingly stepping foot outside of the village borders and into the unknown. She and the group would still be within the borders of the clan, but that didn't mean very much to her.

"This is really happening, isn't it?" Roxy muttered, "This isn't a nightmare?"

Makari turned his head and gazed down at her for a few silent moments. She looked back up at him and saw the indecision in his expression. "Roxy, I…" he finally said, "I will talk to the Wise Ones if you really do not wish to go…They will not be happy, but…" He sighed as well. "I cannot in good faith force you to do something you do not want to do."

"R-really?" she asked, suddenly filled with hope. For a moment, she thought that if there was any way she could get out of this, she would take it in a heartbeat. Even if it were just a chance, she would gladly roll the dice and hope for the best.

A few moments later, she wondered why she hadn't answered yet. "I, uh…"

Roxy reflected on her situation for a few moments, and the damning reality started to dawn on her. She needed to do this. The most important thing to her was her safety, and that meant staying safe in the village. However, doing so meant abiding by the rules of the clan, which were already being stretched in her favour.

But that was secondary to what she already knew. Roxy needed to build her skills if she were to ever have a chance at getting out of this forest. Barring some random squad of rescue humans descending in a helicopter, there was no way out except to push through the wilderness. Taka was, indirectly at least, teaching her the skills she would need to accomplish that. This excursion, in a way, was just the next step in her training. It was sort of like a test.

She took in a shuddering breath. It didn't make her happy to admit, but there was no way to completely avoid danger. Even when she was able to make that journey back to the human world, there was still a sizable chance that she would simply be killed. If she wanted to make progress towards getting home, that meant that she would have to take risks.

"No," she replied, "I'll do it." It took a bit of mental convincing, but her determination was resolute. She could tell herself what needed to do, and she was able to believe it as well.

Now, if only she could overcome her anxiety regarding the matter, which was threatening to make her physically ill at this point.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said quickly, "I gotta be able to do this. I gotta take this first step." After a pause, she added, "So let's do this before I change my mind."

Makari paused for a moment, then smiled and put a paw around her shoulder. "Simply saying that is very brave of you, Roxy. I am proud of you."

She nuzzled him, partly out of affection but mostly out of a sense of security.

"I will stay beside you as much as I can. Any predators will have to go through me to get to you."

"Okay…Okay…" she said in between deep breaths, "Let's go."

Makari gave her one last proud smile before heading off to bark instructions to everyone. They were simple commands, and basically amounted to gathering the berries quickly and keeping a vigilant eye out for predators. The warriors would be there to fend off the attackers before they could reach the foragers, but the latter would still be holding weapons. Roxy nervously glanced down at the spear in her paws.

She had to admit, though, that it was fun to watch Makari take up a leadership position. It made her smile to see him stand so confidently before his brethren, looking strong and dependable. Roxy couldn't help but swoon. Just a little.

Then, before she even knew what was happening, the party was on the move. She gave a startled jump and then quickly moved to catch up with the others.

Their group consisted of four warriors and five gatherers, including her. Roxy had been told that this was an unusual size for such an outing, but it was for her protection. She was, of course, grateful for this, but some part of her was just begging for even more protection. Perhaps about ten or twenty more warriors?

As promised, Makari took up a position right next to her. It wasn't long before they had left the buildings of the village behind and were strolling out into the quiet, still forest. Roxy felt her blood run cold as she passed over the invisible barrier that marked her 'safe zone'.

The sounds of the village faded away, slowly replaced by an eerie stillness. The only sounds that could be heard, aside from her own breathing, were the sounds of their paws treading upon the slightly damp grass.

Roxy could feel her heart pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to burst right through her ribcage. She was focusing half of her energy into looking out for danger, and the other half to keep herself from panicking. It was not a very comfortable experience.

The group moved quickly but silently. The warriors tried to surround the foragers as much as they could, forming a protective ring. Compared to when she had first wandered through the wilderness, Roxy felt leagues safer with Makari so close to her. However, she was still plenty terrified. She kept jerking her head this way and that, thinking she had heard or seen something.

She was a little surprised when they reached the berry bushes. They had arrived much quicker than she had anticipated, or she hadn't realized how long they had been traveling. It was a bit of a relief to her that they had reached the berries without even seeing anything, but she knew her risky journey wasn't even half finished yet.

Roxy gulped and watched for a minute as the other Pikachu started to gather the berries into their pouches. She saw how they kept their eyes on their surroundings. They weren't even looking at the very berries they were picking. After a deep breath and a little shiver right up her spine, Roxy stepped forward and began to pick the berries as well.

Things were actually going okay. Roxy had expected to be attacked by a huge group of ravenous, wild Pokémon by this point, but no-one had even detected any foes. It was making her nervous. In her mind, things were going too well.

Roxy glanced up at Makari. She saw him standing nearby, keeping a vigilant lookout. His spear was drawn and held at the ready, and his eyes were slowly scanning their surroundings. She felt a little more secure just seeing that he was there.

Her pouch slowly filled up. Once everyone's pouches were full, then they could head back to the village. At that point, Roxy promised herself that she would run straight to Makari's hut and find a way to lock herself inside with him, after which she would snuggle him until the sun rose tomorrow.

With a jolt, Roxy suddenly realized that she was focusing on the berry bush and not paying attention to her surroundings. She quickly shot her gaze up and looked around in all directions in a near panic. Her eyes darted around, looking for the predator she'd missed that was about to maul her.

Still, there was nothing. She and her group seemed to be the only living souls for miles around.

Some more tense minutes passed, and then Roxy was surprised to see that her pouch was full. "All done? Everyone filled up?" one of the warriors asked. All of the foragers nodded, to which Roxy followed suit. "Good," he continued, "Let us head back."

Roxy let out a tense breath. That was it then, it seemed. She had made it out to the berry grove and had helped to gather food for the village. Her companions busied themselves with tying their pouches closed with vines and slinging them over their backs. Roxy had a little trouble with her vines, so one of the others had to help her. She smiled Mareepishly in return.

Finally, when everyone was packed up and ready to go, the party set out once more. Roxy had no idea how they all seemed to know which direction the village was in. Looking around, Roxy was completely lost. She could've been ten feet or ten miles from the village for all she knew. Regardless, the party was moving in one direction and so Roxy followed. Makari fell into stride next to her, and the two shared a quick smile.

Then, there was a quick flash of movement and one of the Pikachu was gone. Roxy gasped in surprise and confusion. There was a cry of pain, and everyone turned their attention to the left.

One of the warrior Pikachu had been knocked to the ground and was struggling to get back up. Standing over top of him was a growling, snarling Houndoom.

Roxy felt her heart stop for a brief, terrifying moment. When it restarted, thumping like crazy, she couldn't help but scream. Her eyes were drawn to the predator's sharp claws, which were being used to hold the Pikachu down, its massive horns, and its frighteningly sharp teeth. It was attempting to bite the Pikachu's neck, who was struggling to keep the beast from doing so.

"Roma'a!" one of the other warriors shouted, and suddenly there was a flurry of activity. All of the warriors drew their weapons and quickly advanced on the Houndoom. They quickly struck out at it fearlessly, causing it to halt its attack on Roma'a in order to defend itself. Roxy's eyes shot open wide as she watched spears and daggers penetrate the flesh of the predator without it even slowing down.

All around her, the foragers were drawing their weapons too, including one with a bow and arrow. With their burden of berries still tied around their necks, they smartly did not join the fight. Each one, though, looked ready to defend themselves should trouble come to them. Roxy knew that she was supposed to draw her weapon as well.

But she couldn't. She was frozen on the spot.

The Houndoom suddenly swung its head, bringing its horns around towards its attackers. The warriors were forced to dodge back, but one unlucky Pikachu's spear was cleaved in two by the sharp horns. He barely batted an eye, holding onto the sharp end as if it were a long knife. Not ten seconds into the fight, and sparks began to fly. Thunder attacks lanced through the air towards the Fire-type Pokémon, who did its best to dodge.

"Puny weaklings!" the Houndoom growled, reminding Roxy that predators could, indeed, speak.

The Houndoom then quickly swung its paw towards the attacker on its right, causing Roxy to scream in shock. Makari, however, quickly brought up his spear lengthwise to defy the blow and swiftly took a strategic step back. The other two standing warriors quickly moved in to counterattack.

Suddenly, the Houndoom yelped in pain. Roxy spied a small wooden arrow that had dug itself into the beast's flanks, and she looked over to see the forager with the bow. The Houndoom looked furious and ready to pounce on the easier target, but Makari and his two companions were quick to stop this. Roxy stared in a strange mix of awe and terror as Makari attacked the predator with his spear. It was like an extremely dangerous, yet oddly enticing, dance that the Pikachu was putting on. If this weren't so life-threatening, it would be beautiful to watch.

"Roxy!" someone shouted, "Draw your spear!"

The terrified little Pikachu jumped in shock, her eyes darting around wildly. She could hardly focus on anything; her mind was just pure panic and chaos. She breathed in quick gasping breaths, feeling a pain in her chest as her heart beat like wild. She was so terrified that she felt sick to her stomach and about to throw up. Draw her spear? She felt like she could barely function.

One glance over at the snarling Houndoom and his terrifying glare managed to jolt her into taking action. She reached back to pull out her spear, but her body was trembling and her paws kept fumbling with it. She glanced back to see what she was doing and was finally able to properly grasp the weapon.

"Roxy!"

She quickly snapped her head up towards Makari's sudden shout. He gave her a warning look, and she realized that she had already committed a grave error by taking her eyes off of the danger. A horrible sensation rippled through her body as she realized that she could have just died if luck hadn't been on her side.

Unfortunately, it wasn't on everyone's. Makari too had committed an error. With his attention drawn towards her, he didn't see the Houndoom's paw swinging right towards him, claws extended. Someone else shouted to him, and he barely had time at all to bring his spear up. Roxy screamed in terror as Makari was struck, the claws drawing blood, and the force sending him back through the air. He slammed back-first into a nearby tree and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Makari!" she screamed in shock.

This was bad. This was really bad. It was like a nightmare come to life. She was out in the wilderness, a heavy pouch of berries tied to her back, and faced with a predator that three warriors were having difficulty taking down. Makari and his mates had managed to subdue the Mightyena and the Zangoose without much trouble, but this beast was refusing to go down. If all of the warriors were knocked out, what possible chance would she have?

Taka's training was telling her to dive into the fray and help out, even if she couldn't do very much, but even the thought terrified her straight to the core. This was exactly what she had anticipated would happen once she had set foot outside of the village, and it was just proving her point that she wasn't ready for this. She could feel herself shutting down. The fear and the panic was just too much. Tears streamed from her eyes as she quivered on the spot like an overcharged Voltorb. She was utterly frozen with fear, unable to attack and unable to run away.

The two remaining warriors were keeping the beast at bay. There were many tiny rivers of blood from the many places their spears had penetrated flesh. Additionally, the Pikachu with the bow and arrow was still distracting it and doing some damage. The only thing Roxy could do was hope that the Houndoom would eventually give up and run away.

There was a spot of movement in the corner of her eye, and she glanced over to where Makari was laying. The Pikachu was sitting himself up and rubbing his head. Despite her fear, Roxy felt her spirits lift. He was okay!

"Gah!" one of the warriors shouted before tumbling into Roxy's field of vision and rolling haphazardly along the ground.

"Look out!" the other one shouted less than a second later, as Makari's expression turned to horror.

Time seemed to slow down as Roxy turned her attention back to the scuffle. The Houndoom had set its sights upon her, and had batted the Pikachu away with its paws. She barely had time to open her mouth to scream, as the beast was already leaping through the air directly towards her with its teeth bared.

As she stared death in the face, terror attacking every inch of her body, she did the only thing that she could. Roxy clenched her eyes shut, cowered, and let out a blood-curdling scream.

Half a second later, there was a loud high-pitched sound and she was suddenly pinned underneath a heavy weight. The wind was knocked out of her as she hit the ground hard. Her eyes were held closed, but she could feel copious amounts of a warm, sticky substance that could only be blood. In that moment, Roxy was absolutely sure that she had been killed.

A dead silence filled the area, bringing with it a strange calmness. The first indication to the contrary was that Roxy didn't feel any pain. Aside from the rather heavy thing laying on top of her, Roxy felt physically fine. Was that just because she had been killed so suddenly that she couldn't feel the pain, or something? Roxy opened her eyes cautiously, but all she saw was black. She tried to say something, but her voice came out muffled.

What was going on? Was this some kind of weird purgatory? Roxy lay there in complete confusion for a short while, finding it difficult to breathe. Panic still coursed through her veins.

Then, she heard the sound of someone grunting with exertion. The weight atop her shifted, and then it was finally lifted off of her. The world of light returned to her, bringing with it the gift of vision, and Roxy beheld the other warrior Pikachu looking down at her in concern.

"Roxy!" Makari said as he stepped towards her and immediately started to help her sit up. There was great worry in his voice, which was reflected in his expression.

Confused, dizzy, and afraid, Roxy glanced down at herself. She paled and nearly vomited when she saw that she was covered in blood. Her whole body was dripping with the vile substance, immediately bringing forth the question of how in the world she was still alive.

When she focused her attention, though, she couldn't find any actual wounds. Her body was intact, if perhaps a little bruised. She lifted her head and glanced over to the side as the realization hit her. This wasn't her blood.

Roxy's eyes opened wider than ever as she saw the Houndoom lying nearby on its side, deathly still. The corpse was covered with just as much blood as was on her, and the source was not easy to miss. Sticking out from a sickening wound in the centre of its chest was her spear, driven halfway through the Pokémon's body.

Ice coated Roxy's heart, and slowly spread through her arteries until her whole body was frozen. Her breath caught in her throat, causing her to make strange little gasping noises. Tears began to stream from her eyes, though she didn't sob. She simply stared straight ahead, unmoving and wide-eyed as she beheld what had happened. What she had done.

Someone was calling her name. "Roxy?" Makari said as he gently shook her, "Are you okay? Please, Roxy! Say something!"

Roxy blinked. She continued to stare at where the spear plunged into the body of the Houndoom, and the rivulets of blood still trickling out. It was horrifying, vile and disgusting to look at, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. She wanted to speak. She wanted to scream and never stop, but she couldn't. All she could do was stare at the dead body with her spear sticking out of it.

"Roxy!" Now Makari was starting to sound really worried. There was a hint of desperation in his voice.

Slowly, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl, she turned her head to look at him. For a minute or two, she stared just as silently at him. In her peripheral vision, she could still see the corpse. She closed her eyes for a moment, but she could still see it.

"Roxy…?" Makari asked, holding onto her shoulders with his forepaws. She had never seen him look like this before. He looked to be on the verge of tears himself.

Finally, something broke inside of her and she started to sob. Her body simply collapsed forwards, and luckily Makari was there to catch her. As if taking revenge on the silence that had ensnared her, Roxy found that she couldn't stop wailing.

"It is okay, Roxy…" Makari said, though there was a slight quiver in his voice. He gently patted her back.

Roxy hugged him tight, crying like a traumatized little cub. She wanted to close her eyes and bury her head into his warm fur, but she couldn't even do that. She simply couldn't take her eyes off of the bloody Houndoom.

"What-?" she croaked, "Wh-what did I do?!"