Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Team Eve - Book One

Chapter 14: Stray kin

Leaves rustled at the Riolu's passing, he bounded through the trees leaving no trace of his presence. Tears clouded the stray's eyes, his master had abandoned him, the only one he trusted, other than that Torchic. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about Kira... it was familiar.

Kin leapt from one branch to another, his foot slipped, he came crashing to the ground, he rolled into a clearing, around him were burnt trees and a broken town. Instinctively he had run home, he had returned to Tranquil Town. The town was a ruin, the ash had cleared and revealed that which was previously hidden, but still charcoal littered the clearing. Kin looked at it with a sense of nostalgia, then his eyes fell upon a charred lump. It was a Pokémon. He'd known her, but he couldn't remember where from, perhaps his other half knew, but he wasn't talking, he had thrown up walls and hidden behind them. Kin growled at himself, at the noise the burned wreck stirred, she opened an eye and lifted her weak head.

"Kin... is that you?"

Who was she? He knew her, he was sure of it, but how? How did he know her?

"Kin, where... where's Sewaddle?"

A lump rose in the Riolu's throat, the name smashed a hole through the fortress of his mind.

"Se- Sewaddle?" Kin choked on the word.

Leavanny looked at him with wet eyes.

"Sewaddle. You saved her once before, you and Evie. Did you do it again? Did you save my baby?"

The beast that lived inside the Riolu melted away, the darkness crept backwards, it retreated into its den and Kin was kicked out. He remembered everything that had happened and found his teary eyes staring into Leavanny's.

"My baby is she safe? Kin, please tell me, what has become of my precious girl?"

"She, she's okay, she's safe, but she's lonely, she needs... you."

Kin wasn't talking about Sewaddle, in that moment he understood everything he had put Evie through, and it broke his heart. He'd been so selfish. 'What have I done?' he thought to himself. Leavanny's crying broke Kin's train of thought, the grass and bug-type was bawling.

"I'm glad, I'm so glad she's safe."

Kin thought a moment about Leavanny, her tears of joy... they were so pure and selfless and... perfect. Kin smiled at Leavanny.

"Come on, Sewaddle's safe, but she needs her mother."

Kin began pulling Leavanny from the rubble, he toppled charred logs and broken stalls from her. She was badly injured. Her chest was crushed, her breathing was laboured, one of her legs was twisted at an unnatural angle, her right arm had been seared off. Kin didn't know how to take care of grass-types, he needed to get to someone who did. Kin ran through town looking for something he could use to get Leavanny to Mistveil city. He found an old cart, it had two poles coming from the front so that a Pokémon could drag it. The wagon's bottom was burnt, it was covered in holes and missing a wheel. He spotted the wheel laying a few meters away, it was charred and looked like it would break apart any minute. Kin dragged the cart to Leavanny and held the wheel in front of her.

"Leavanny, I need you to spit some sticky-string onto this wheel to stop it from breaking." Kin pleaded with the wounded bug. Leavanny breathed deeply and coughed a mess of string onto the wheel. Kin wiped it around the wheel and reattached it to the cart. He tested it gently, it held together. Kin knelt beside Leavanny and spoke calmly. "Leavanny, I'm going to pick you up and place you on this cart, then I'm going to take you to Mistveil city. This might hurt, are you ready?"

Leavanny laughed bitterly, "I'll do anything to get back to Sewaddle. Kin, thank-you."

Kin smiled and placed his paws under her, he lifted and she screamed loudly, he blocked his ears to her cries and placed her in the wagon. He stepped back in front and gripped the crossbeam, he pulled it up and began walking to Mistveil city.