Pokémon: Leah's Journey {Rewrite}

Chapter 24: You're Not For The Streets, Cuddletails

Why did Mrs. Cuddletails agree to Lady Lemeow's idea to explore Shalour City? Why didn't she just stay with Leah where everything was fine and dandy? The Vulpix was having regrets with leaving the backyard with the group of Pokemon she considers friends, but she was the only one who knew Shalour City relatively well and could get the group back if necessary. Passersby looked at the group of Pokemon walking in the streets. The confusion showed in people's faces. This was not a common occurrence and Mrs. Cuddletails hoped this would be the last time that something like this occurs.

The area they were going to wasn't unfamiliar to Leah and the Growlithes can easily track them down if anything happened. There was nothing to worry about. While most of this particular area felt like a blur in Mrs. Cuddletails' memory due to how young she was and what bleeding out does to an individual, she faintly remembers where Leah went to take her to seek Gurkinn in order to heal her. The scent of blood had long since faded after thirteen years. The place came into view and for the first time in thirteen years, Mrs. Cuddletails remembered something about her past. It mostly came in flashes, but she could vaguely recall the feeling of being lightheaded and being cradled in a young girl's arms. The Vulpix whined, but figured they should keep going in their adventure.

Mrs. Cuddletails walked through the bush that has been untouched for years and allowed her friends to follow her. The forest they found themselves in was dark and impressive. There were tracks of a vehicle in the undergrowth, tracks that were nearly as old as the Vulpix. It had no scent, the only indication that the tracks were there was due to how they dug into the dirt. Another memory returned to Mrs. Cuddletails. The little Vulpix ran as fast as its little legs could carry it before colliding headfirst on the body of a young girl... She's starting to think that she may be leading her friends to their doom, but they want to keep going. Mrs. Cuddletails sighed and kept walking towards the building. It looked abandoned, windows were shattered, plant life was reclaiming the building, and the metal was rusted.

They walked inside the building and what they saw was horrible. Mrs. Cuddletails' ears were pinned to her head and her tails were snug between her legs. Lady Lemeow's tail dropped, Freki was shaking, even Níðhöggr was frightened. There were bones littered everywhere. Vulpix and Ninetales bones alike. There was a knife covered in old blood just laying on the floor. Mrs. Cuddletails was careful to avoid touching the bones, but with the way her tails dragged on the floor, no such avoidance could be done. Freki found himself funny and tried to wear the skull of a random Ninetales to ease the tension, but Níðhöggr creeped up behind the Electric type and scared him shitless. It made the little group laugh, even Freki, who was laying on his back on the cold, hard floor, joined in.

There were only a few pens that lacked bodies and that was the nursery pens. The entire area was dark, the only source of light was the now setting sun. Mrs. Cuddletails walked in the nursery pen and sat down on the floor to take a breather. Her friends followed suit. They all huddled up to her and she figured a quick nap wouldn't hurt.

Mrs. Cuddletails woke up in the nursery pen, but she was alone. Kind of. Instead of being surrounded by her friends, she was with other Vulpixes and a Ninetales who looked at the little ones in adoration. Mrs. Cuddletails felt like she was smaller, younger even. Examining herself, she saw only one snow-white tail rather than her signature six tails. This was weird. The Ninetales huffed, making a noise similar to a laugh and picked her up from the scruff of her neck. She had come to the realization that this Ninetales was her mother.

The Vulpix stood on the Ninetales' paws and rubbed her head on the golden-furred Pokemon. The moment was short lived as a woman picked her up from her mother's embrace. The Ninetales responded defensively, an attack was forming, but she was immediately stopped by a man who looked rather apologetic. Mrs. Cuddletails whined, but her fate was sealed. Whining was a lost cause. A sharp knife was stabbed into her shoulder and with a sharp cry, the Vulpix gathered whatever strength she had in her little body and a second tail grew.

Without the white tail the bad woman sought out, she was deemed worthless. They dropped her on the floor and removed the knife from her shoulder, should she bleed out and die, they'd get the rest of her fur to sell. The moment the man and woman left the room, Mrs. Cuddletails made a run for it. She ran through the undergrowth of the forest as fast as her little legs could carry her until she saw light. She leapt through the bush and landed on another human. A young girl who couldn't look any younger than six years old. Her face was blurred in the Vulpix's view and any other discernible features seemed to be mashed together. She picked the Vulpix up in her arms. Mrs. Cuddletails thrashed about in a panic, but the young girl didn't seem to mind the injuries that she was giving her. The girl brought her to another human, a much elderly man who had healed her wound. Next thing she knew, she was permanently living with the young girl. She looked a lot like... Leah!

Mrs. Cuddletails woke up with a start, the sound of her trainer calling her name, but as much as she wanted to return to her trainer, her friends were still sleeping. Officer Jenny, Leah, Adeline, Zayn, Mildred, Sophie, and Leah's father walked in the building. Everyone's eyes widened in horror at what they saw. Leah put some gloves on, grabbed the knife and placed it in an evidence bag before handing it to Officer Jenny. This entire place was a crime scene. Skalli stood in front of Leah while Officer Jenny offered the little Growlithe a treat for her impressive work. Níðhöggr, Lady Lemeow and Freki also woke up and ran up to their trainers gleefully. Leah picked Mrs. Cuddletails up, "You little shit, don't scare me like that again."

"They reek, we'll have to give them a bath." Mildred stated.

Zayn picked up a Ninetales and a Vulpix skull, "These look so cool."

"There was a poacher operation here, Ranger." Officer Jenny stated plainly, "You may take these samples, but next time do consider the sensibility of this situation."

Zayn nodded, Leah grabbed a flashlight and tried to analyze Mrs. Cuddletails' scar she had on the shoulder. She had a feeling that whatever happened to her partner thirteen years ago would come to confront her very soon. This time, Mrs. Cuddletails isn't going to face it alone.