The Least I Can Do  

By Rapidash

     I guess that snowstorm yesterday wasn't enough to get the school to give us a day-off even though the third of the students decided to stay home...no but still, I had snow up to my knees!O.O Yeah, I know. It had been a century's time since I my last update and there are only four parts of Chosen Quest posted on right now, but I finished the whole serie in draft (including two sequels)! I think my english had improved during the past two years...at least, there is a difference between Chosen Quest and this one for sure (I had this one-shot edited several times to make sure it's presentable). Anyway, I'll stop babbling so please enjoy!

Disclamer : I know you know it but it's a custom. I do not own Pokwmon.

~ ~ ~

           There I was. Bad luck had driven me to a trainer. Why today? The first day I left the security of my clan to build my own life? And yet, I have never been trained against another pokemon, thus have no fighting experience. I know, my level was pretty low and the Bulbasaur in front of me had a glint of determined confidence in its eyes.

        While I was still pondering, the Bulbasaur tackled me with full force. I was knocked out almost instantly, being propelled off my feet to crash onto the rough bark of a tree. But before I totally black out, I felt something cold hit my side and for a second, I got that terrible feeling of getting trapped in a whirlpool…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

        I didn’t know how many hours, or even days, had passed before I finally woke up, fully energized. I stared around. Everywhere was green, green and more green. It was like being back into the forest, making me feel kind of comfortable. But something queer told me that I was not in the forest. Small windows displayed beyond the trees showed me the real outside world. The view outside the windows shifted suddenly. I felt the ground I was standing on shake and volatize and the rest happened so fast I could quite describe the situation to you, I just saw a white flash and there I am, outside. A voice came from behind me, ordering me to attack the Weedle I was facing.

        I was confused. Why should I obey to this stranger? I won’t submit to anyone except myself. It was quite funny, a part of me urged me to do as the stranger told but I knew that part wasn’t the real me. I once heard some seniors of my clan say that if you got caught in one of those balls,  it will somehow affect your mind – though I’m not sure how – to obey the ‘trainer’, I guess that’s what we call those humans that captures all those poor pokemons.

        I won’t obey. I won’t obey to someone who had just taken away my freedom. I will just stand there, get defeated by the Weedle and hope that my ‘trainer’ will get angry and release me.

        I reared up on my hind legs, exposing my most vulnerable part – my belly. As intended, the Weedle took the chance. It lunged at me, sharp sting pointed forward. I can feel the warm blood trickle down my fur as the horn pierced into my flesh. The anger caused by the pain blinded my mind, causing me to forget everything I planned. I whacked the Weedle away with my paw and charged onto it, sending it back into the forest’s undergrowth.

        I stared through the trees, panting.

        “Nice work.” said my ‘trainer’, stroking my head.

        I jerked my head away from his grip and bit his hand. He winced. I locked my jaw, I wanted to hurt him as much as I can, I wanted him to hate me as much as I hate him, I wanted him to leave me alone, I wanted him to abandon me.

        The pain in my stomach suddenly worsen and I released his hand. Good. Now he’ll leave me alone. Who would want a poisoned pokemon anyway? I’m sure that there’s a thousand more of my kind who are willing to get caught and live a comfortable life with a human, although that means that whatever dignity left in them will be gone.

        I laid on the ground, half drifting into sleep, half awake. To my surprise, I felt him pick me up in his arms. I was too weak to fight back and I felt cold even though we were in the middle of summer. Through blurry eyes, I thought I saw him carry me into a cave, where he lit up a fire to provide warmth. He cleared my cut, gave me some antidote and bandaged my wound to then take care of his own teeth-marked hand.

        “The Pokemon Center is still pretty far off.” he said to me soothingly. “You’ll need to get a bit better before we face the long journey ahead to Nurse Joy.”

        So, he’s trying to be nice. I know what he wanted and I won’t fall into his trap so easily. He wanted me to repay his favors with my obedience and let him gain control over me. Tsss! Wait till your next life ‘cause this will never happen.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

        I was healed within two days but my spirit still stood tough, in fact, it was even burning stronger than before. I bit him whenever he touched me, I ignored his commands and I did my best to behave hatefully but it never seemed to work. I’ve built up a new plan now, I’ll be training myself harder than ever. If I can’t get it the soft way, I’ll have it by the hard way. But first, I’ll need to be powerful enough to be able to blast him off effortlessly.

~ ~ ~ Months Later ~ ~ ~  

        Evolving, one of the most marvelous moments in a pokemon’s life. You feel your body growing steadily stronger, a new rush of power surging into you by the second and an ever rising confidence boosting up your self-esteem. That happened a few days ago, but I still have the thrill of the exhilaration coursing through my veins.

        Once again, there was the familiar shaking of the ground and I was sprung out of me pokeball. I was expecting an adversary pokemon but found none and I was rather facing a thick forest. Puzzled by the switch of routine, I turned around. My ‘trainer’ knelt down slowly until we were at eye level.

        “What’s wrong with you?” he asked me softly, looking me straight in the eyes. “Your behavior isn’t normal.”

        I returned the stare defiantly. What does he mean by that? He had captured me for over a year now and he still doesn’t know what I want! Talk about understanding pokemons…

        “(I want my freedom!)” I replied fiercely.

        He stared at me. I stared back. He rose his hand and stroked my now snowy white fur, I did the usual by digging my teeth into his hand. This time he smile faintly and stroked my fur with his left hand. I guess he still hadn’t understood what I just said. I was about to repeat when he cut me off.

        “Well then,” – he let a hesitant pause take place – “you’re free.”

        The obedient side of me immediately lifted as he pronounced the words. I blinked, not quite believing what I just heard. I released his hand rather slowly, back off a few pace to make sure, then turned around to hop away, the bushes’ rustlings covered the faint padding of my eager paws. The scene flashed by my mind once again and I thought I saw sorrow dull his eyes, but who cares? I considered it as an illusion. Yet, I’ve heard people say that one can become very attached to their pokemon even in a short amount of time…but how can one love a pokemon that doesn’t even return the love? Confusing…very confusing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

        I guess my life is meant to be caught or to remain caught. I few weeks after my release to freedom, I got hit by one of those pokeballs again. Hatred had took over me at first but a few days later, it had turned into fear. My new ‘trainer’ – I had never accept the fact of him being my new trainer – was cruel, evil and cold-hearted. He was a robber, he commanded his pokemons to do sinister jobs, and sometimes, he even kill innocent humans. But worst of all, this time I was forced to obey.

        When I fail the job he demanded me to heed, he usually doesn’t feed me for a couple of days or, as second option, send out another of his pokemons to give me what he calls a ‘good lesson’. And when HE fails a task for HIS boss, he always punishes me as if it was my fault (well, I think that everyone of that Team Rocket group doesn’t care much about their pokemon anyways.)

~ ~ ~ A Few Years Later ~ ~ ~

        My holder came back from a meeting, oddly excited. My colleagues and I tore ourselves away from our midday nap to crowd around him, for he seems to have something to tell us by judging the spark of anticipation in his eyes. Once we were all attentive, he began to blab so fast that I only managed to catch a few words out of what he said, although after some logical match ups, I think I get the point of it. It’s something like this – he’s been sent on an important mission involving the extermination of a powerful character. Eliminate the obstacle and grab the pokeballs, it’s always the same rule.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

        Hunger. Was what dominated my mind. I’ve been stuck in my pokeball for three whole days, he probably forgot about me as he often did. Then what I was waiting for finally came. The ground shook and I was sent into the world outside. I stretched out my sore muscles, grateful to feel the late evening breeze caress my fur once more. I opened my eyes to inspect my surrounding. What I saw wasn’t quite what I had expected. No bowl of Pokechow, but a crew of fainted pokemons. So what exactly had he call me out for? The silent alleyway suddenly looked very oppressive.

        “Attack him.”

        I turned my head around to give my master a questioning stare. Attack who? Attack what? There’s no pokemon fit to battle, so where’s the need to cause unnecessary injuries?

        “Didn’t you hear me?” barked my master. “I said attack him!”

        He was pointing at something beyond the battlefield. I followed his finger to gaze at a tall, weary figure standing at the other end of the field. Our eyes met and none of us intended to break the link.

        He was the one who once caught me, respected me, took care of me, and dare I say…loved me? I knew he recognized me for I saw his right hand twitched as he gazed intently at me. I now regret to have left him and hurt him when all he’s trying to do was to care for me.

        “What are you waiting for???” yelled my annoying owner, seeing that I wasn’t doing anything. “Kill him and I’m guaranteed to get a promotion!”

        Kill him? That was what I had wished for all those years ago, but no more. I owe him too much. I bent my limbs into a graceful bow, implying clearly that I would not hurt him and that he had gained my respect.

        “Useless beast! What are you doing?”

        I whirled around abruptly, baring my sharp teeth at that worthless Team Rocket employee in such a ferocious way that he stepped back a few paces in fright. Then I strode to stand by my true trainer’s side, head held high.

        “Based on what I see, your last pokemon had let you down.” said my trainer, gently stroking my head, an act which I did not protest anymore.

        “If that’s the case, I’ll do it myself.” With that, he brought out a metallic instrument from his vest pocket.

        I recognized it immediately. That thing meant danger to whoever it was pointing at. He had used it numerous times and each time I hear that loud explosion sound, blood would be shed.

        And now, I heard it again. In one swift movement, I pounced upward, tackling my trainer out of the way. Then, I saw blood, blood contrasting against my silvery white fur. That’s the least I could do for him.

        I hit the cold ground hard. Dirt flew up under the collision, pricking at my muzzle. I saw a pair of legs which slowly faded into the darkness. But most important of all, I heard the distant voice of my true master.

        “No! Ninetales!”

 

* ~ The End ~ *

     Not really a happy ending, yet not that dramatic either, just average if you ask me (but poor Ninetales, it's so unfair for him...). I would like to get some reviews so it would be nice of you to send comments to the e-mail below. Oh yeah, and I'll try to keep updating at a regular rate. ^^

Please review to : mewpocky@hotmail.com