p style="-original-color: #000000; -original-background-color: #ffffff;"We were back home after stopping at a fast-food restaurant in town, ironic considering what we were just , I hated the gym; designed to wear you out and shame humans so they'd keep coming back for more. Jake was simply another victim of their cruel system in my time was wasted getting to the living room and taking my spot on the sofa. There was a spot where Jake had thrown water on me yesterday, taking its place with the rest of them. Despite the wear and tear, it sat just as well as the day it came popped in and picked up the remote. "What channel do you want?" he asked."The one with the documentaries," I moments, he had the channel on, though it was on commercial at the moment. Jake liked documentaries, so it was only fair that he got what he'd want after I chose set the remote on the coffee table and jogged upstairs. I assumed he was using the bathroom or taking another shower after the gym visit, so I kept watching as the program came back documentary was about what life was like in the nation when settlers first came from a fuedal region now called Kanto, then working back in time. Apparently, the nation was under imperial rule, completely cut off from the rest of the world until like 50 years ago when diplomacy began minutes and another commercial break later, Jake still was not could he be? I climbed the stairs to investigate. When I found him, he was in his room, absorbed in his laptop."What's the deal? You said we were going to watch TV," I gave a cursory glance over his shoulder before going back to his work. "I know, but I want to get as much of this assignment done today as possible."I wandered close and sat on the ground beside him, my head cocked. "Why? You said you would do it tomorrow. I'm exhausted, let's watch some TV.""No time for that. I made different plans for tomorrow; going back to talk with our neighbor. I went earlier when you were asleep to get Dad's package," he ears perked. He couldn't be talking about "Which neighbor?" I pointed out the window. "Across the plot.""No, you shouldn't go over there, Jake," I said was taken off-guard at my serious tone. he turned his desk chair to face me. "Why not?""Because he's , Jake. Creepy old house, bushes so tall you can't see the backyard, and do you know how often he even that house? Rarely ever!"Jake shook his head. "Scorch, you can't make judgments on someone you don't know. He's a guy with an old house. It's quite nice on the inside, actually, and the backyard is the nicest garden you've ever seen-""Why do you want to go over there?" I asked."He seems very knowledgeable, and I was wondering if he knew anything about those people we saw," he said 's where this was going; he wanted to go sleuthing. "Jake, you shouldn't stick your head in stuff that isn't your business."He seemed to get offended, becoming stern. "What's up with you? You're acting like I'm about to get myself killed. I spoke to him today. He's a nice man, and maybe he knows something."My throat rumbled with a growl. "Nothing good can come from this; either you come home disappointed or with something that very well kill you.""Dude, you need to chill out," he said, returning to his work.I only growled louder as I felt my fur standing. Was he really looking past the fact that I've ensured his safety for years?I tried dragging him back into the conversation, but he was thoroughly Jake hearing things he didn't want to as this interaction was, there was no use trying for a different result. "Whatever, but you're taking me with you," I said, leaving with a huff of smoke.I paced for a while and drank plenty of water to calm myself. I'd learned how easy it was to set things on fire while upset when just a pup; obviously not ideal for house took about ten minutes, but I was able to regain some stability before jumping back on the couch. There was a new show on; this one featuring 'the great die-off.' From what I knew, it was something coined for the disappearance of wild pokémon in the nation and was highly debated.I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. The topic made me uneasy, but not being able to use the remote properly, I was stuck with it. With nothing better to do, I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore it.I was running harder than I'd ever run in my life. A strong sense of panic coursed through me, but no matter how much I ran, my paws weren't taking me anywhere fast. It felt like I was trying to run through water; my efforts resisted and sluggish. There was a gentle breeze that didn't shake the or why I was running wasn't apparent. The buildings told me this was some town, but I didn't recognize it. I would've tried to ask someone if there was anyone out on the street, but it was eerily came into view far ahead of me. It wasn't distinguishable past a speck in the distance, but something inside me knew that's where I was going. My legs frantically tried to go faster in any way they could.I wished that the distance would close, that the speck would come to me… Maybe I was beyond , as my slow pace continued, the thing began to come closer to . It was close enough now that shapes began to gain definition… and that there were things ahead of me. One was standing tall, the other lying flat on the couldn't have been more agonizingly slow, but finally, I was there. The wind picked up and began tossing leaves standing figure was a man in pure black attire. His hair was short and unkempt and was otherwise generally nondescript. He had a gun in his hand and looked down upon the other person past the smoke from the downed person was more recognizable; it was Jake… it Jake. He was as I remembered him, apart from the bullet wound in his chest and the lifelessness in his , I didn't have it in me to cry. I looked up at the man, who said nothing. He merely shook his head without expression before I was now wind whipped, my fur pulling at my skin from its intensity.I curled up next to Jake's body, trying to keep from leaving the ground. I yelled as I felt my body get picked up by the eyes shot open in panic, struggling against something restraining me. Though instead of a hazy place I'd already forgotten, I was in a dark room being held tightly and carried. I tried using my legs to get some leverage, but whomever it was had a firm grasp."Scorch! Are you okay!? What's wrong?"Hearing that voice, I stopped flailing. "Jake…" He didn't let up on his embrace; I nuzzled into him. "I'm okay; just a bad dream and a rude awakening."He rubbed my fur as I heard our parents running down the hall. We talked and deemed everything was alright before going back to bed. When my eyes opened again, it was bright outside.I kept thinking back to the hours prior, trying to recall the dream, but I couldn't dig it back up beyond the feeling of . It wasn't an emotion that was familiar, but that was it, surely. Was someone trying to tell me something? Was something going to happen to Jake, or perhaps I working myself up to the point of nightmares?My eyes left my paws and found Jake, eyes closed beside me, trying to get back to sleep. Yes, what happened yesterday was very frustrating, but…I huffed. Whatever he decided to do, he couldn't be stopped. I just had to remember what was important. No matter what he said and how unlikely the circumstance, his safety would be clock's alarm blared, startling me and rousing Jake. He never set the alarm, being able to rise without silenced the clock and hopped out of bed, taking a stretch. "Ah, so much better than the desk chair," he said. "Sorry for waking you up so early, Scorch.""You didn't; I've been awake for a little."He looked at me, a touch of concern on his face. "You didn't have another nightmare, did you?" he asked. I shook my apparently had some questions. "What was it about?"My head shook again. "Can't remember." Jake stared at me."I seriously can't remember any specifics. Just that I was there, you were there, and this horrible fear," I explained."Is this about going next door today?" he asked.I sighed. "Probably.""You're blowing this out of proportion. I just want to go over there and talk to the guy. You're welcome to come with if you want," he adamant."I'm still not sure about this," I hopped off the bed and pulled out a shirt from the dresser. "C'mon, Scorch, Smith is very kind, and so are his pokémon." He scratched his head. "Well, enough of them are.""My feelings about the situation are not going to stop you from going, so what are you trying to convince me of?" I looked offended. "Scorch, you woke up in the middle of the night flailing and crying; you don't think I care about you enough to know what that was about? All I'm asking is that you give him a chance and not run on what you think he is right now."He sat there staring momentarily, waiting for me to reply, but I had nothing to say. He relented and finished getting dressed for the day. "There's a lot I've learned about him yesterday; he's a good guy. Now c'mon, I bet you're hungry. Let's get some breakfast."I barked involuntarily at his idea. After a morning like this one, food sounded great. Jake felt like eggs today, so he cracked two and fried some bacon on the side. When he had a moment, he scooped some kibble from a container and poured it into a bowl for me. The cubes of "food" were dry but weren't the worst thing I've tasted, so I didn't complain… that, and Jake was frying much more bacon than he could conceivably went back and forth, discussing the day ahead while we had our breakfast. "Man, it's looking like rain out there," Jake complained. Looking out the window, I saw what he was talking about; the sky was a solid enough, when we were done, rain began tapping on the window. Jake and I leaned on the sill, watching it come. "Unless this rain lets up quick, the garden will have to wait," Jake said.I didn't notice he had the phone until he began dialing on the keypad and raised it to his ear."Hey, Mr. Smith, wanted to see if Scorch and I could come over for another visit… That's okay. Take all the time you need… Don't worry about that; we're prepared."I turned my attention back outside. Dissatisfied with the way the conversation seemed to be going."Sounds great; see you very soon," Jake said and hung up the phone. "We'll leave in an hour. He wants time to tidy up a little."We stayed inside and watched TV while we waited. The forecast said the rain was here to stay until late tonight, leaving me content. It was a strong argument to stay it was time to go, Jake slipped on his shoes and a windbreaker."Want your umbrella vest?" he asked me, holding the article. It was a small umbrella, but it was attached to a strip of material that strapped around my body, allowing me to use it without having to hold it… not like I could do so anyway."No," I said, shaking my head. "It's not that bad outside, and we're just going next door, so I'll be fine."Jake shrugged and tossed the item back into the closet. "Suit yourself," he said. "Or don't."Stepping outside, we were met with the gloomy sky and steady rainfall. The raindrops were uncomfortable but no worse than getting a we passed our ball field, I looked past the forming mud puddles to see the Spearow that Jake had such an interest in. It sat there without a care in the world, the rain not bothering it in the least—quite the weird thoughts were brewing as the building seemed to grow taller at our approach, but Jake put one foot before the other with no intention of turning back, so I padded right along beside house may have been gigantic from the street, but standing just outside, it was . It felt threatening as Jake pounded the door with some kind of intricate metal didn't have to wait long, thankfully. The door opened, and an older man appeared."Wasn't expecting to have you back so soon, but good to see you, son," the man said, extending a took his hand and shook it, some human gesture of respect. "Thanks for having me; I brought Scorch this time," he said, stepping to the side. I hadn't realized I was positioned behind him until he did 'Smith' looked like a typical aging human in all respects. Graying hair that used to be brown. Tall, somewhat lanky, and wrinkling in the face and hands. His attire was simple, a t-shirt and jeans. Overall, he seemed unassuming up man stared at me, a hearty smile on his face. A growl died in my throat; there was no need for that yet."Hello," I barked the lack of enthusiasm, he turned back to Jake. "Well, why don't we get you both out of the rain?"Jake smiled and thanked him, stepping into the menacing building. I hopped in after him. The inside was surprisingly cozy, as far as human buildings go, nice as it was, I was focused on what couldn't be seen; the scents of the place were far more interesting. Various species of pokémon smells were identified, and among those scents… humans?"So what brings you?" Smith asked, pouring a cup of coffee from a percolator and offering it to me.I shook my head, watching Scorch wander the house with his nose to the ground. Smith didn't seem to mind, so I let him do his Growlithe things as we spoke. "There's some stuff that I've been noticing, and I wanted to talk to you about it."The older man took a sip from his steaming mug. He apparently liked his coffee black. "Maybe I got answers for you. Let's go somewhere more comfortable," he said, directing me down the came to the living room; it was much the same from when I saw it the first time, except the old television was on, and a Sandslash was sitting in the recliner in the center of the room, sleeping.I was confused at first before remembering Smith mentioning having a Sandslash yesterday. From what I got from a first impression, it reminded me of a certain pokémon I turned a knob on the TV, lowering the volume.I was intrigued by the antique. "Why keep that old TV instead of getting a flatscreen?" I took a seat on a nice leather sofa. It looked much newer than everything else but still fit the aesthetic well. "I suppose I just like living in the past," he said, gazing at the ceiling. "It's a funny thing. When you get older, you start appreciating things more, especially the things that we used to have.""I guess I could see that," I mused, though not really getting what he was trying to say. "But that thing doesn't even do color, though."Smith shrugged. "Back in the day, son, this was thing to have. Before then, you had radio," he said. "Yes, things are all 'hi-tech' and fancy now, but there's a certain charm about how things were.""Right," I mumbled. Remembering we were here for a reason, I wracked my brain for how to go about it. "So anyway, there are these people that have been going into the forest recently, driving a van with no markings on it at all, and they have all this specialty equipment, sometimes pokémon, too," I explained. "I haven't seen them doing anything, but they just rub me the wrong way; they're trying to find something."Smith took another sip of his morning beverage. "I can't rightfully say who these people are, but…" He scratched his head, thinking something over. "but I suppose I just don't see what the problem is that you see," he said."I guess it might not be a problem necessarily, but they just look really suspicious, and I was hoping you had an answer for me," I admitted."Look, son," Smith said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad you could come to me to discuss your troubles, but... what makes you sure?""I…" I said, but couldn't give a conclusive answer."You'll find trouble when you look for it. You'd be wise not to make snap judgments of people; breeds contempt. What if -for example- these people are enjoying a hobby?" he words were familiar. They were a lot like the words I'd spoken to Scorch this morning. His worries were baseless, constructed from judgment. The fact that they were now coming my way made me think. My claims were much the same as Scorch's. Without knowing the truth, it could be literally anything.I slowly nodded my head. "You're right; I'm not sure. The only way to know for certain is to investigate. Sorry for bothering you."Smith hardly waited for me to finish before speaking up. "You think these people are dangerous, and you want to go investigate?" He shook his head. "Not advisable, son. Part of growing up is learning to keep your nose from where it shouldn't be.""That's what I was saying!" Scorch called from another room, apparently close enough to listen to the eyebrow raised. Was he giving me two different arguments now? This one also didn't make any sense."I'm not convinced those people aren't up to no good. Who needs to carry stun guns into the forest?" I asked, hoping to get a different 's face was unreadable past simply 'unconcerned.' "I'm sure this is nothing to get worked up over. You say you see them often?" he asked. I nodded. "If you say they come here often, then they would've been caught already if they were doing bad, you think? They should be more discreet if they had no business being here."My eyes found the floor again. It felt like he didn't want to talk about the if reading my thoughts, Smith speaks up again. "If it really bothers you, I'd suggest taking it to the police. Perhaps your father would even take the report for you," he mentioned before taking a sip from his attention turned forward when a soft was heard. Smith's Sandslash was now awake and hopped off its chair."Well, good morning, sunshine," Smith said merrily. "Glad you could join us. Jake, this is Warren, the resident digger and the pokémon you didn't meet yesterday.""Good day, Human," he said, a drowsy undertone present in his voice.I raised my hand in greeting, sensing the old conversation was over. "And uh, good day to you."The pokémon seemed interested for a moment but said nothing more as he waddled out of the room toward the kitchen."Bah, rude thing," Smith tutted. "Sorry, son, he's his own pokémon. Don't let it bother you.""How can I when my own is wandering your house?" I asked genuinely. I wondered if I should go get him. A commotion in the kitchen confirmed that pretty moments, we were there. Warren had his claws poised, and Scorch was baring his teeth, snarling. They both looked ready for a real fight."S'pose we should've mentioned something about one another," Smith was right; I felt like an idiot not telling Scorch about the resident pokémon, especially when he was already on edge about coming in the first moved to calm his pokémon. I did the same, going over and picking up Scorch. He turned his growling fit toward me, two rows of sharp canine teeth on display in front of my face."Your breath reeks," I said, scrunching my nose."This one's with our guest, Warren. You can put those claws away," Smith stood down, his stance replaced with a much less threatening one. "Apologies, master," he said before turning our way. "And apologies, human."I dismissed the fact that he apologized to me and not Scorch. With the situation defused, Smith had to feed Warren and gestured for us to wait for him in the living room.I sat Scorch on my lap. The look he gave me said he didn't want to be here."Give it a rest and talk with us for a while," I said sternly. "It's not right letting you wander someone else's house anyway.""You came here for one thing, and you got it. Can we get going soon?" Scorch practically begged. I raised an eyebrow."You were fine on the way here. What's the problem now?" I shuffled uncomfortably. "There are other people and pokémon in the house, or at least there were."My hands moved to scratch his ears. "He has more pokémon around here somewhere, and many different wild species wander the garden; I wouldn't think it'd be weird that some got to come in here sometimes."Though he accepted the scratches, his demeanor didn't change. "That's not it, though."Our talk was cut short by footsteps coming down the hall. "Apologies again, fellas. Warren is a little high-maintenance when it comes to food," Smith said and took his seat on the couch.I offered a smile. "I know how that is sometimes." I expected some rebuttal from Scorch, but he stayed silent and stiff as a older man must've taken notice. "Your friend doing alright there?" he asked."Yeah, he's fine," I replied, giving Scorch more rubs. "He just doesn't get out much, is all."Smith's face suggested he didn't accept that but said nothing more."So," I continued. "Where are Sickle and Ava? Haven't seen them at all yet."He thrust a finger to the ceiling. "Sickle is upstairs. What he's doing, I don't know." His finger shifted to the back door. "And Ava is out there in her perch. She doesn't like coming in the house, so she stays there.""Makes sense, not much room to fly indoors," I commented.I lost track of time as we made small talk; how his garden was doing, wishing for the rain to stop, and what my family was up to. The rain pounded the windows behind us without sign of letting up anytime soon."Yeesh, is Kyogre of legend paying us a visit or something? You can hardly see a hundred yards out there."Smith nodded. "You said it, son. It's looking like monsoon season up there in-"A sharp ringing cut him off. Everyone turned to view an old-timey phone with an actual dial mounted on the wall."Ah, shoot. I got to take this, fellas. Excuse me," he he got up and answered the phone, I tried diverting my attention to the old TV to give him privacy, but it only worked to capture my eyes."Hello? Yes, what is it?"I couldn't pick up on the other side of the conversation; the phone's audio was so poor Smith needed to press the handset to his ear."I'm sorry?" he pause, longer this time. It was hard to tell if the other side was still talking or if he was just silent. I tried to tear myself from eavesdropping, but it wasn't easy when he was the most interesting thing in the heaved a sigh and looked our way. I couldn't gauge his expression. "I know... alright, alright, I'll be right down."He placed the handset back on the hook and returned to us. "Well, I'm sorry you two, but something important just came up, and I need to be there."I nodded. "Understood, no need to apologize."Smith nodded back and looked outside. "Looks like it's still coming down out there. Need an umbrella?" he and I looked out the back door and saw the rain sheeting across his garden. I was not looking forward to that, and Scorch definitely felt that tenfold."I offered Scorch one before we came, and he didn't want it." I said; Scorch glared at me."Hmm," Smith pondered. "I don't think an umbrella's going to do much out there anymore, thinking about it, but I think I have something for you and your pal. Wait here."The man disappeared down the hallway. The sound of an opening door and rummaging was heard until he returned with a big piece of plastic, translucent material."Here you are. Try these on," he said, handing me the material.I wasn't sure of what it was until half of it dropped to the floor and unfolded in the shape of a jacket."Oh, ponchos," I said, looking them over. They looked my size, so I picked the one up off the floor and slid it over my sweatshirt, throwing the hood up."Alright, a perfect fit on me," I said approvingly before pointing at Scorch. "But how do we get it on him?""I'll try lifting him up, and you put it over his head," Smith said. As he extended his hand to Scorch, he growled. "Don't touch me."The message came through clearly to the man, who retracted his arms. "How about I lift him up," I said, wrapping my hands around his torso and hoisting his front half up. Smith took the other raincoat and threw it over his head. I had to move his front legs around to get them into the sleeves, but it was simple enough. Then, I placed him back down and used the bottom part of the article to cover his bushy tail. Finally, I picked him up fully and tucked what remained under his rear and up to his chest, effectively encasing him in a waterproof sack."Well, that'll work just fine," Smith said, watching as I pulled the hood over Scorch's ushered us to the front door. "I know you couldn't stay long, but please come again soon," he said looked up at me. I sighed indignantly; I knew what he wanted"Can he have one of those poffins, too?"The man nodded and opened a breadbox, revealing the desired pastries and placing one in Scorch's maw. After saying our goodbyes, I ran out in the rain. Fortunately, the wind let up a bit for our trip back."One of these days, you're gonna make up for me carrying you everywhere!" I yelled over the rain.I was trying to listen for a reply, at least until a white van started up right beside were traveling the sidewalk between our two houses. They came here? Why? Through the rain-splattered windshield, multiple people could be seen scrambling about going. Don't the remaining sidewalk and through our front gate we went. Thanks to the ponchos Smith gave us, the run home was much drier than it would've been. The only things that got wet were my legs, socks, and shoes, completely waterlogged from running through puddles formed on the the front door, I removed our rain gear and my wet footwear before we went inside. The first thing Scorch did was drop his poffin on the floor to address me. "I know what you're thinking, and I want you to stop it," he said."Why are they here? I don't like it," I shot back."It's not your place to worry about it, so could you please go?""Scorch, what if they're-""It's not your problem.""What if something's going to-""Not your problem."I gave him an annoyed look. One that he returned. "What's gotten into you the past couple days? You're acting like an overprotective parent."He looked at me momentarily like he had something to say but didn't."Going and talking to our neighbor is fine. I'll admit he was a nice enough guy, but please don't go chasing those people. You're going to end up getting hurt or worse," he said.I was getting a little tired of him trying to order me around. "That's great, but that doesn't answer my question."Scorch broke eye contact. "Because," he said after a 's it? Just because? I was about to speak, but he did first."Because of the dream I had last night," he said. I piped up, silently encouraging him to continue."I still don't remember it well, but I do remember you being there, some other person dressed in black, and feeling terrified. I feel like we can piece it together from there," he explained. "And before you write me off again, I want you to know if something ever happened to you… I don't know what I'd do. You're my family, and my purpose is to keep you safe, even from yourself."So there it was. I didn't know what to say; he hadn't shared anything like this before. Did Scorch see me like that? Like something he needed to protect?A choice between my gut and Scorch's well-being. Why this was such a hard decision to make was strange and, quite frankly, must've seen my lack of immediate response as a bad thing. He turned and walked out, leaving his poffin sitting on the floor.I sighed, putting it in my pocket and going after him. He'd already made his way up the stairs and into my room, lying on the glanced at me as I entered, forlorn. I knew what he needed. I opened my arms and waited for didn't seem like he would accept at first, but then he stood up and took a mighty leap into my stayed like that for a while, just holding each other; the dull roar of rain pouring on the roof. I expressed my apology by rubbing his back, and he accepted by nuzzling my shoulder.I grabbed the remote for the television in my room and lay on the bed. Our favorite movie channel was already tuned in; good enough for us.I reached into my pocket and produced the poffin. The pastry was strangely oval-shaped and had a nice light blue color. "I always wondered what these tasted like," I said."Try it; it's good," Scorch the end off the pastry, regret came immediately. The poffin was dry and overwhelmingly bitter. It took willpower to swallow."Ugh, that's awful!" I asserted. Scorch snickered."I guess it's an acquired taste," he said, happily taking the rest of the poffin from turned back to the TV, Scorch munching on the pastry and me trying to forget it. We'd seen the current movie countless times, but it allowed us to just relax in each other's presence. The rain, though expected to be around all day, decided to stop nearing the end of the movie; the sun even prying its way through the dark clouds now and my surprise, Henry appeared at the door, knocking for courtesy. "Aww, isn't that cute?" he asked adoringly."When did you get here?" I asked, never hearing the car or the front door."Not five minutes ago," he said and looked at me; a request was obviously on his mind."Hey, can I bug you with something?"There it was. "What's up?""Could you run to the store and get some milk? I ah, forgot. I think it's done raining, so you'll be dry," he tilted his head, probably thinking the same thing I was. "Why can't you do it? You can drive there."Henry scratched his head. "Well, I gotta get things ready for dinner before your mom gets back, which I don't know when that is. Could you do this for me? I'll let you keep the change~!" he offer wasn't very enticing, but we weren't doing much anyway. "Fine, we'll go," I climbed off me and made a circle on the bed before settling on it. He gave a yawn and closed his eyes.I cleared my throat. "What I meant to say was go."Henry looked pleased. "Thanks, champ. Here's a twenty; get yourself whatever you like.""Now we're talking," I said jokingly, pocketing the that, I slipped on my backup pair of shoes since the other pair was still drying and headed out the door.I walked down the sidewalk toward the forest. Cutting through might be muddy, but it'd still be the fastest route to the to where the van was parked, I stopped, looking behind me to ensure no one was there. What were they doing here? They always seemed interested in the forest, so I turned my attention there to look for clues. I didn't expect to find anything, but find something I did, or rather "Oh," I said, staring at the tree where a pokémon normally sat./p
