Chapter 10: Orchard exploration
After breakfast and actually being dressed Alex entertained himself for a bit in his room with the suitcase like laptop Fritz constructed, already synced up to the Wi-Fi Alex got back into accounts that if they were physical they would have been covered in dust. Checking places like Teddit to catch up with events Alex lost track of time as well as his surroundings, just as he was catching up with the latest in toys for humans he felt a pair of paws loop under his shoulders then lift him up.
"I think that's enough screen time for you" Jessy said smiling whilst attempting to balance Alex on her hip with some level of success, "I was catching up with what I missed" Alex whined mentally cursing himself for sounding like a child whilst doing so. "I know but you need to come out and see some sun doctor mama's orders" Jessy said laughing at her reference to Nina.
Alex was then laid down on the changing table then found himself having his bodyglove removed, "let's see here" Jessy said hopping over to the drawers then grabbing a pair of dungarees as well as a black shirt. Despite being dressed in a bodyglove Alex was ready to draw a line under being dressed in babyish clothes as he found the shirt pulled over him as well as the dungarees pulled up with the trouser legs flopping below the knee where his legs should have been.
"hmm ah right one last thing" Jessy said with Alex rolling his eyes and folding his arms expecting the worse but he was surprised when he found the flopping parts of the legs being tied up, "that's it?" Alex said curiously getting a smile and a nod from Jessy as he was lifted feeling a surprising flutter of excitement as she said "besides why play dress up all day? Lets explore the orchards!"
Close up to Jessy Alex noticed something new about her, sure she was dressed in her usual work attire but she also had something else under the dungarees over her front that…. "oh no" Alex thought as he realized what it was an adult human sized baby carrier which he found himself strapped in dangling off her chest.
Upon exiting the house Alex took a moment to notice that all the trees around the manor were all ones that bore berries of all kinds from medicinal ones like Cheri and Pecha to ones more fit for eating like Oran and Razz. "Yea the harvest is rather nice this time of year though I am able to gather berries for up to 2 miles from here since that's what is on the deed" Jessy said looking down at Alex's open mouth closing it with a finger.
"OOP! We got a drooler" Jessy said with Alex being confused then dragging the back of his hand across his mouth and to his dismay a small amount of drool had come out, "it's ok our orchards make even the most resistant drool for a bite" Jessy cooed as she walked into the orchards waiting till they were far away enough from the house for her to get away with this.
To Alex's shock getting a minor yelp from the boy Jessy leaped up into the air grabbing a few Rawst berries before landing on the ground with a softened thump, "here have a snack" Jessy said offering a berry to Alex who happily took it consuming it like he hasn't eaten anything in a long time. The berry as expected had a cooling sweet rawsty flavour that relieved the underlying annoyances that plagued his body.
"So if I want a snack I just grab some berries?" Alex asked looking straight up at Jessy unknowingly giving the lopunny an expression that made her put her paw over her mouth, "well um… oh I can't say no to that face, ok when you got yourself some new legs you can come get a snack any time but until then just ask me ok?" Jessy said getting a nod from Alex.
They walked around for a while longer with Jessy pointing out the various species of plants and feral Pokemon that wondered through the area, Alex relaxed a sense of wonder returning to him making mental notes of the area including the plotting of routes through the area should he ever be allowed to wonder around on his own.
"ooo and this place is my favourite to just come and think" Jessy said walking into a clearing with a small pond in the centre feebas swimming under the surface, "this is… nice hmm" Alex said looking around then suddenly came a massive thump. Jessy's ears perked up staring in the direction of the noise as she unfastened the carrier, "hang on what are you doing?" Alex asked concern rising in his voice as Jessy sets him down behind a tree before whirling around to face what's coming.
Stumbling out of the tree line came a feral Grimmsnarl sniffing the air before letting out a roar screaming for food, "YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE FERAL! LEAVE MY ORCHARD!" Jessy said with a level of destain that Alex thought impossible for the usually bright and cheery Lopunny.
"SMELL HUMAN! HUNT HUMAN!" the Grimmsnarl growled out and Alex pressed his back against the tree hoping he wouldn't be noticed, "TRY AND DIE NOW LEAVE!" Jessy said getting into a battle stance.
Jessy leaped out of the way of the opening move from the grimmsnarl a low sweep that only just avoided the tree line, responding with cut Jessy landed on top of the Grimmsnarl slashing at its back. Alex rolled himself behind another tree instinct taking over keeping an eye on the fight whilst ensuring he is not in the crossfire of it.
The grimmsnarl looked sideways at him and as it was reaching a hand towards him Jessy came down with another cut, "EYES ON ME!" she shouted at it before leaping up keeping its attention. Alex felt helpless in this situation the only thing he could do was avoid the fight as the 2 Pokemon raged at each other, his breathing became unstable trying to draw in air it didn't have the capacity for with his heart trying to push around more blood than it had to legs that no longer existed. Fleeing was not an option.
Adrenaline started to flood his system fighting the ribbons of painkillers in him with his mind only doing 1 thing panic. With deep breaths only 2 words screamed from his lips "IRON TAIL!" before the grimmsnarl let out a pained howl.
Peaking from behind his hiding spot Alex saw the grimmsnarl on the floor getting back to his feet as Jessy bounced back her ears radiating with the iron tail energy, things started to resolve in Alex's head as fragments of strategies rolled through his mind "follow up with drain punch" Alex called out panic lacing his words with Jessy obeying as quick as the command was called for.
Jessy was sent flying with a counter swipe of the beasts claws drawing a scream from Alex, with a yell of rage the grimmsnarl launched itself forwards towards Alex drawing another scream of only 1 word "MAMA!"
Mid charge it was halted by roots, grass and vines that leaped up from the ground slamming the grimmsnarl down and tightening around its limbs like living nooses. "you tried to touch my baby," Jessy hissed out getting to her feet then leaping onto its back fists crackling with thunder punch "YOU TRIED TO TOUCH MY BABY!" she added bringing both of her fists above her head ready for a hammer blow.
Alex hid behind the tree again covering his ears trying to drown out the sickening sound of a crunch of bone and gun like thunderous crack that followed Jessys proclamation, all that the orchard could hear was the poor attempts to suppress sobs coming from Alex's mouth. The human could not hold back the emotions feeling the same rush of helplessness and fear as when he saw the tram again yesterday in what he now knew as a nightmare.
The flopping of a foot and a large figure gently grasping his wrists removing his hands from his ears made him look up, "it's ok baby I am here" Jessy said lifting the boy up with a look on her face that told Alex the lopunny was heart broken to of let him be anywhere near that fight. "TREE MAMA!" Alex wailed hugging onto Jessy tightly exclaiming those two words more only being silenced by a soft finger on his lips, "it's ok tree mama's here, tree mama is going to protect you but for now I think we should get out of here" Jessy said strapping the harness back on.
She took an extra moment to turn Alex around so the human was staring right into her chest rather than at the path ahead, cooing in his ear and rubbing his back the whole way home which along with the help of a few extra Rawst berries plucked from lower hanging branches for him to chew on helped bring his cries down.
Half way home they came across Scorch, Nina and Fritz sprinting ready to fight but all 3 of them stopped for a moment to fuss over Alex with Nina checking for injuries, Scorch wanting to know what happened and Fritz carrying a med kit to help tend to anything Nina found.
"Guys stop… we came across a grimmsnarl that got onto the property, it's….dead now I killed it" Jessy said her tone not her usual joy stroking the back of Alex's head both trying to keep the human calm but also herself, "get back inside and rest up with Alex we will clean up" Scorch said patting Jessy on the shoulder.
The 5 split with Jessy and Alex heading the rest of the way back to the house.
When they got back Jessy slumped down on the ground when she shut the door, "I am so-so-so sorry Alex I should have known," Jessy said thumping her head against the door "this damn area is infested with those impy little-" she added in frustration stopping herself from cursing or crying being on the verge of tears herself.
That is when she felt Alex's arms wrap around her torso and his head burying into her chest, her mind flashed back to the first hug she got from him almost a decade ago the thought of that 12 year old boy bringing down a stolen hammer onto the lock for her cage cracking it open filling her mind. "YOU PROTECTED ME! WE BEAT IT!" Alex said a bit loudly for Jessy's liking but it got the point across, "yea we sure did baby boy" she said getting up then going to the function room where she laid herself down on a sofa curling around Alex like a protective sphere making sure the human was comfy for a well deserved nap.