The Buneary & the Beartic (A Pokémon short story)

Part one ❄️ Chosen

"Take Minny, no one wants her. She has no family or friends to grieve for her. No gain, no loss." An old Bibarel shouted, pointing over at the scared little Bunneary, quivering on a rock at the back of the crowd.

Minny's eyes widened in fear as she looked to the forests elder, an old and wise Ursaring. He stared down at Minny with dull eyes as she was taken from her spot at the back of the crowd and lead forward by the part in the crowd on trembling feet she froze before the platform to which Ursaring sat.

"Come here child." The Hibinator Pokémon told her, as emotionless as he was every month. He no longer felt pain towards Pokémon he didn't know as the monthly ritual had forced more and more young Pokémon to the sacrifice of the village tyrant.

Gulping hard, Minny stepped forward on timid feet. This was the day she'd always feared would come, the day that tormented her nightmare and haunted her ever waking moment. The day she became old enough to be chosen as an offering. Both her ears were scrunched up with fear and she held both her paws tightly across her chest, trying to stop them from shaking while making herself seem as small as possible.

She felt Ursaring's claw lightly brush her cheek and delicately lifted up her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Her liquid brown eyes met his coal black ones. The thin dark scar that ran over his face, from his right eye to his chin, made standing under his gaze all the more intimidating as the small Pokémon stiffened on an impulse, silently begging to be refused. Small tears gathered in her eyes as his claws left her chin. He spent a second looking down at her as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, begging for mercy with ever fibre of her being. This would be the only time in Minny's life where rejection was sometime get she would accept openly, to be pushed aside and told she was not good enough would be the greatest blessing of all for anyone in Minny's fur.

Please please no. She begged within her head, her heart beat increasing a million miles a second as she though of herself being the one left outside Beartic's cave, herself to be the one to be... eaten as this months sacrifice.

After what felt like an eternity Ursaring nodded his head. "She will do."

Minny felt her heart hit the floor beneath her as she fell to her knees in a fit of  sobs and pleas. Ragged gasps of air replaced her breathing, as a steady stream of tears steamed freely from her eyes. Tomorrow she would be left to die, eaten by the beast of a Bearic that lived at the top of the mountain that bordered her forest home.

"Take her back to her burrow and then we shale escort her to Beartic's mountain in the morning." Ursaring said, turning to his lead guard, a Drapion.

The claw of the duel Poison/Dark type clamped down around her arml not tight enough to hurt the Buneary but tight enough to stop any chance of escape as he lightly tugged her to her feet. With much reluctance, Minny stood up and stumbled through the crowd, Drapion never letting go of her arm which was an open thought to her as without the support, she'd surely collapse.

"Minny was actually chosen." A Chatot whispered to his neighbour, a Gulpin.

"It was going to happen sooner or later." The Gulpin whispered back.

A Chansy shook her head watching Minny struggle past. "Poor little thing. Doesn't deserve it I say."

"So Minny will suffer the same fate as her parents, shame all their work to protect their daughter ended up in vain." A Scoutland said to his partner.

Minny hid her face from the other Pokémon as they whispered things about herself and her parents. Her father was once the leader of the village, the strongest Pokémon around. But that was before Beartic came. He destroyed homes and killed Pokémon who dare attack or defy him. He killed her mother and father when they were trying to protect Minny as a baby, leaving the baby orphaned with no one willing to take her in.