Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 16: Pixie

"It's too hot!" Jacob complained

"Ugh, seriously? Last night you were saying it was too cold!" This Eevee is starting to get on my nerves.

"That was last night, now it's too freaking hot!"

I couldn't help groaning, "Buck up Ace, the day's young yet." He looked confused.

"Fine, but answer me this, what's with that nickname 'Ace', where'd that come from?"

"When I no longer need to call you it then you can know."

"Right, well, when you call someone 'Ace' it's the same as calling them #1 right? Don't let Archie hear you calling me that."

I growled in response to his teasing, eliciting a chuckle from him, Tertle and Glair.

Whatever. We approached the crest of the ridge which we had slept on, reaching it I found myself staring out at a sea of sand, in the centre stood a large temple. Jacob let out a low whistle.

"What is that place?" he asked no-one in particular, but trust Tertle to have all the answers.

"That is sundown temple. It was built centuries ago by a prince who lived in the village, he built it to honour his father, the King of Ardua but it has long lain sealed and empty."

Jacob spoke up again.

"Anything special about it?"

"It's a memorial, I don't know any more than that." Maybe not all the answers.

"Oh, okay." Weird Jacob sounded, disheartened. He must have been really hoping to find something.

*****

We had been searching for nearly an hour when I heard Jacob's scream. Running towards its source I found him, slowly, slowly being dragged downwards in a sand-trap, towards the hungry Trapinch that lay at the bottom.

No hesitation, I jumped high above the pit and blew a plume of fire onto the Trapinch below, next I came down hard with a Tail Slap attack. (It's a thing, look it up.)

The Trapinch fled into the sand and I was left standing before a terrified Eevee, he gulped.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side."

We spent the rest of the day searching the desert and the outside of the temple, trying to discover a way in.

It was all for nought, we found nothing and wearily returned to our campsite of the night before and repeated our routine. I was looking for twigs to start a fire with, what I found could have stayed hidden for all I cared.

"Ahh!" A small boy wearing long desert robes had seen me, I was on the edge of the village, people were well within earshot and they came running. Upon seeing me a few Pokémon we're called out, they must think I'm one of those savage Pokémon or something.

But I'm not and whilst I may be deceptively strong I didn't like my chances against a Starmie and a Cloyster.

I turned and ran, the villager's angry shouts chased me, and water-type attacks clipped my heels. I turned and jumped up the ridge, only to see a Bubblebeam, it was too late to dodge. A Shadow
Ball intercepted the beam and I looked up, Jacob was standing there on the ridge above me. His fur was whipped about by the wind and the sun shone behind him, he was... glowing. Jacob. Stupid, stupid Jacob.

"Run!"

He didn't need to tell me twice, I ran. Climbing the hill, I arrived next to him and we ran, side by side until we came across our campsite. Tertle and Glair looked panicked when they noticed us. The humans were still chasing us, a desperate cry escaped my lips.

"Run! Go! Go!"

We all ran, away from the desert and the village until we arrived at the edge of the forest which we had had to pass through to reach what was once our destination. Silently we gathered twigs and a few berries, now using a buddy system, just in case. Glair and I found berries while Jacob and Tertle collected firewood.

Later we sat around a fire nibbling on berries again until Glair decided to lighten the mood.

"Humans a pain in the butt! They're annoying, smelly, they're killing the planet and they're ugly!"

I rolled my eyes but laughed despite myself. Tertle chuckled and Jacob laughed uneasily. Glair continued like this, making jokes about humans and making everyone feel a bit better, except maybe Jacob. Why did he look so uncomfortable? He is one strange Eevee.

Shortly after, Tertle said goodnight and extinguished the fire as he'd done before. A breeze brought a slight chill to the night air, it was nice and cool, to me anyway.

I was just dozing off when I realised someone was in front of me, they whispered.

"Hey Pix, you awake?"

It was Jacob. I yawned in annoyance. "I am now."

"U-um, I was wondering..."

I could see him awkwardly shuffling from foot to foot his head was turning in every direction but my mine. Oh.

"Yeah fine, come on over."

He sighed and nestled himself against me, he may have felt cold, but he was so warm. And comfortable. If he's using me as a blanket, then I'm using him as a pillow. I turned so I was snuggling into him and lay my head on his neck.

This strange furball, he's starting to grow on me, except for...

I sighed and went to sleep.