Tale Of The Guardian Master

Chapter 16 - Malnourished Undertaking

As he made his way quickly through the forest, thanks to Kirlia's guidance, he noticed her expression oddly turning from serious and intent on catching up to the thief, to... Something more along the lines of... Perhaps guilty? Maybe... Sorry...? It wasn't a happy expression to be sure, and as Chris looked at the ground, he noticed the trail Snivy left behind growing fresher and fresher, up to the point where they looked as if it had just taken a step where he was. "Its slowing down I think... And its tracks are looking worse and worse too... Like its stumbling and dragging its feet..." he said quietly, slowing his pace to a steady walk, looking around at the ground. "...Kind of looks like its been falling too. It seemed pretty weak when it came out of the rucksack... Its probably not good for it to use so much energy..." he told Kirlia as he squat down to look at the trails. "Thanks for the help Kirlia... Its not far from here for sure..." he muttered, standing and continuing forward. He came to a point where the foot prints stopped and a trail, seeming as if it had started dragging itself along the ground, appeared.

"...Should be just past these bushes. A clearing is right on the other side..." he told Kirlia, putting a finger over her mouth to signal her to remain silent, getting a nod in response. Slowly making his way along, he carefully pushed his face through the large brush, seeing if it was indeed on the other side, and sure enough, there it was, sitting and weakly trying to open the Pokeball, repeatedly tapping it against its head as its body shuddered from head to toe. "...What is it... Trying to do...?" he mumbled, tilting his head as the Pokemon started crying while bonking the Pokeball on its head over and over again, trying to pull it open with its small hands and teeth. It eventually stood up and let itself fall forward onto the ground, swinging the Pokeball forward and hitting it on the ground with it. As it lay clutching its stolen good, it started to let out loud yet raspy noises while sobbing, and as Kirlia listened along with Chris, she suddenly patted his shoulder she was sitting on, pointing towards the miserable Snivy, getting a nod from him in response. He carefully pushed his way through the brush and stood in plain site, putting his hands in his pockets while watching the small Pokemon start once again trying to bonk the Pokeball on its head and pull it open while laying on the ground curled up.

"...Why do you want to open it so badly? What's the point of it...?" he quietly asked, walking up to Snivy and looking down at it with a calm face, raising his eyebrow. It tried to push itself away from him, shivering all over as tears continued streaming from its eyes, and it once again started bonking itself on the head with his Pokeball. "...All that will do is make you hurt more than you already are. That is a special Pokeball... Sealed shut for a reason... And I don't appreciate you trying to force it open. Something really special to me is inside there..." he calmly told Snivy, squatting down and holding out his hand. "...It doesn't matter what you may be going through, its not alright to steal from someone, no matter the reason. Especially when you never know what the value of something as simple as that may have in the heart of the person you stole it from..." he said as Kirlia faced towards the whimpering Snivy with a sad expression. The small Pokemon shut its eyes and suddenly tried to throw it at him, only flopping it on the ground in his direction instead. "...Sure are weak, aren't you? Thanks for giving it back... Even if you meant to hit me with it..." he told Snivy while picking his special keepsake up and looking it over. "Nothing a little tlc can't buff out... And it doesn't look like it came open at all... Good..." he muttered, asking Kirlia to hold onto it for him, getting a nod in response.

"...Snivy should be right at home in these parts, with plenty of food to spare that suits their diet. Why did you let yourself get in this kind of shape when you've got nourishment all over the place?" Chris asked, sitting down with the small Pokemon as it kept its weary eyes focused on him. "To be so depressed... So run down like this... Who or what caused these things...?" he asked, reaching out to touch the terrified Pokemon. In response, the Snivy reacted in fear and it swat his hand with its tail, slightly cutting his hand in the process. "Tsssss... Asked for that one I guess..." he grumbled, rubbing the cut scowling. "...I got a feeling its more someone than something who made you this way, what do you think Kirlia...?" he asked facing her, getting a shrug then a slight nod in response. Looking back at Snivy, he saw it was having a hard time breathing normally, trying to get up as its eyes seemed as if growing heavier and heavier. Chris shook his head with a sigh, and after a moment, reached out to it and picked it up, standing as he wiped its eyes. The nervous Pokemon didn't take too kindly to being picked up by a stranger however, and started wasting more of what little energy it had by flailing, thrashing its tail around and cutting Chris's face several times as a result. He gave Kirlia a shout to do the thing she did to him, and with a nod she grabbed its tail as it smacked her in the face, suddenly making Snivy freeze wide eyed before being put under into a slight daze.