Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 5: Jacob

It's been a week since then, I'm living in the forest, sleeping in trees, I moved quietly, getting good at that took a while, but now I could travel undetected most of the time and I was getting better at using this Eevee body and its moves.

Throughout the day, I foraged, eating berries and drinking from streams, the first time I drank was awkward and I fell into the stream... I'm glad no-one had seen that. The only other Pokémon I'd seen were the crazy ones, and sometimes Pixie, when I did run into her, she didn't acknowledge me, just ran on by, I suppose that's for the best though, I don't want to hurt anyone when I leave.

Not that I know how to leave! I'd been looking for some Pokémon who could help me, just tell me a little more than I already knew, I could finally start getting somewhere but nothing! I suppose I'll go to the stream, surely some Pokémon must go there to drink, I saw the wild Pokémon run past there earlier, but they're long gone now.

I really need a better name for them, just calling them wild Pokémon could get confusing, maybe 'shadows', you know because they're 'shadows' of their former selves, that's stupid.

I had been following the trickling of the stream for a while now, but a new noise broke my concentration, it sounded like talking, hushed whispers. The stream was just through the bushes ahead.

Lying low on all fours, I pushed myself into a bush and peered through the branches into the clearing around the stream. There was a Pokémon, purple, with a tongue hanging out its mouth, kinda silly looking, a Gligar.

"What do we do with her?"

She's a girl, I wasn't sure who she was asking but as she moved I could see an unconscious form by her feet. It was Pixie.

The Gligar said something, but I missed it, she lowered her claw to Pixie's head and I was leaping from the bushes stopping feet short from where the surprised Gligar was standing.

"Don't touch her."

I surprised myself with the venom in my voice and the violent glare on my face, the Gligar didn't look impressed. She lifted her claws in innocence.

"We come in peace, do you?"

"Don't give me that crap, what did you do to Pixie?"

She gestured at the Vulpix.

"You mean her? I didn't do that! We found her like this and are just trying to help."

"Who's we?"

"That's Tertle, standing next to you."

"Hi there."

Yelping I jumped backwards, away from the Tirtouga, when did he get there and what was with the dopey yet knowing smile on his face?

He studied me a second before seeming to decide.

"Okay, you - he pointed a fin at me (fin?) - Pick up the Vulpix and follow us, Glair we're heading back."

With that he turned and made his way into the water, swam a way upstream before turning back to me.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

"I am!"

That was the Gligar, I hate her already, but this Tirtouga, this Tertle... I don't know, they don't seem like the shadows I've seen before, (Yeah, 'Shadows' is dumb) I'm probably going to regret this.

"Okay."

I walked towards Pixie, he told me to carry her, but, how? Uh, I guess, I lowered my nose to the ground and tried to push my head under her stomach. I got part way but ended up eating dirt, I struggled for a little while and could hear Glair and Tertle chuckling, I was getting annoyed now.

"Glair."

"On it."

At Tertle's instruction Glair ran over, she tripped on her tail once or twice, but I was grateful for the help, she was very careful in lifting Pixie making sure not to cut her in half with those mean claws, and then she dropped her on my back, like a sack of potatoes.

I grunted and Tertle sighed, he shook his head at the Gligar.

"Glair, gently next time."

"Oh, yeah."

"Okay, let's go."

I expected to be struggling after the pair, Pixie lying lengthways on my back was awkward not to mention her weight, but I barely noticed her. I looked back at her and now realised how skinny she was, her fur, though well-kept was thin and bare, I could easily feel her ribs on my back. I was wrong she isn't a sack of potatoes, she's a bag of bones.