Chapter Text
You actually owned something. Something that belonged to you…or whoever you were.
A cheap Navy Backpack with a smaller zipper on the front and the bigger main one, that even though damaged somehow still clung to my shoulder in a loose but firm grip despite the few tears it had.
You; who was in the middle of nowhere, lost, alone, admittedly terrified and unable to recall even a single meaningful memory nor, much less, his own name, owned something to your name.
Even if it was cheap looking, dirtied and damaged I couldn’t take my gaze off of it.
This is my backpack.
It was such insignificant detail in the grand scheme of things. I had to worry so many things currently like food, water, shelter, my current location any possible family members searching for me…but this cheap looking,Navy Backpack strapped on my back…meant the world to me.
It gave me hope.
Hope that there truly was someone hidden from deep within me. Someone with an identity, hopes, dreams and people who might love and miss him dearly…someone real.
More importantly, it gave me direction. I wasn’t just some poor amnesiac that was just- spawned from trees, I had a life buried deep within me…and I would dig him out no matter how long it took.
With my path set in stone I decide that my best course of action would be to check every tool at my disposal and that started to check my backpack but climbing out of the crater and placing it down brought out some much expected noises and others…not so much.
Inside you could hear sliding and smaller pieces colliding with each other. It most likely a Collage or School backpack. Opening it up proved my point.
Notebooks, Pens and-
…
Holy shit.
BINGO!
Gauzes, Bandages, Hand sanitizer, Stethoscope?,Scissors and Shears??, a fucking Penlight?!-
OH MY GOD!!! Are those SNACKS IN THERE!?
If being diligent is simply in my nature then I’m loving myself already.
Never judge a book by it’s cover’ has never had live examples like this one. So what if it looks like it came straight from a negative dollar tree, it has gold inside so who cares.
But the last one was such a boon compared to the others that I couldn’t help but let noises of giddiness escape my lips.
The weird noises didn’t quite make sense, but looking at everything else it made you pray you were right. One word came to mind to best describe this sound that was sending butterflies in your stomach and that word was-
Sloshing.
Oh yeah, it’s all coming together.
In my haste I had singled my gaze at the main pocket and forgot to look at the entire thing and boy what a beautiful mistake that was. Though the front pocket is still unattended it wasn’t my current interest, my interest was on the side mesh pocket carrying a water canteen.
I still don’t even know if I even was a religious man but- god BLESS!!
It might not have been in pristine thanks to all those scratches and dents but it didn’t discourage me in the slightest.
Ripping it off and taking big gulps to dampen my dry throat after the coughing fit. After clenching my throat, I felt like new person.
Sure, I may be lost, alone and memory-less but with this backpack by my side I was unstoppable.
… Is what I would say if I didn’t find myself currently surrounded by the wildlife.
Yeah they think their slick. There was even one hiding on a bush that I could just… tell without properly seeing it. As for the ones in front of me, well,-
“Grrrr”
-they weren’t exactly hiding their hostility towards me.
In front of me but outside the radius of the little hole I came out were what I could best describe as pack of six little pups.
Four in the front with black faces, red pupils, shaggy fur and huge sharp fangs to match their glares aimed towards me.
Two at the opposite sides with black fur, red underbelly’s and nuzzles and foreheads that looked oddly similar like skulls.
If they were less rabid I would almost dare to call them somewhat cute, whether or not the opinion was due to the ache in my head just from seeing them I was left unsure.
Let’s test the waters here before getting physical. Closing my water canteen I open my mouth and lower canteen to the ground to look less imposing.
Deep breath…
“Good evening”
In response to my greeting their growing intensify and limbs. How rude, even when I went through the trouble of taking the fear out of my voice and a nice smile despite this. Getting physical was getting a little more tempting but I didn’t want to catch whatever sickness they have by aggravating them.
Good grief, chosen to be a pack’s next meal in the middle of a forest, what a day.
“Look I really~ don’t want any trouble here. I already have to many things in my plate, so how about a trade. Some snacks from me and you all give right of passage, so, how about it?”
I didn’t actually want to part with my snacks but in the chance I could leave without a fight I’d take it. Sadly it seemed to have opposite effect if by the way on of them seemed to spring forward cutting distance could indicate, but thankfully, I wasn’t unarmed.
As the mutt is lunging towards my body steels itself for combat on instinct and snatches the canteen from the ground into my right hand with a grip of steel.
With no wasted movement I hastily yoink the flask back to hand, rotate my hip to the left side carrying the rest of my arm along with my right hand armed with the flask, directly into the dogs jaw.
A disgusting ‘CLINK’ rings out in the forest that came from the mix between the canteen getting a new battle scar and the poor puppy getting manhandled by the flask and sent him flying.
The poor puppy didn’t get far though as he crashes into a nearby tree with a ‘Crack’ and tumbles back down with a sad ‘thump’. Wether the crack came from the tree or the pup itself I didn’t know.
I mechanically steadied my breath as I try processing those few seconds. The fight all happened so fast and barely lasted seconds, still… I felt perfectly fine.
In fact, at a glance the canteen was probably worse off then me. I felt slightly winded sure, but still relatively fine, relaxed even. No aching muscles, cramping or anything of the sort. As soon as the rush of adrenaline poured out it just as easily dissipated and my body was still capable of keeping on swinging.
Either I severely underestimated my strength and reaction time…or I was stronger than what should be normal, but the again, it worked in my favor so I wouldn’t complain.
Still, SHIT I JUST KILLED THAT DOG!!!
No wait- I hid the shock in my face as it shakily stands up again and rejoins the pack with a limp to his stride. What tough mutt, to take a direct hit to the jaw from metal, at the speed it got and not even bleed is nothing short of insane durability.
Unfortunately for them, I seemed more than capable of doing it again.
So I had decided that I would.
My body firms itself and my breathing steadily evens out.
In…and out…
“I’m sorry, but I really~ don’t want to die.”
As if on cue, two of the gray dogs rush while the fresh one and the not so fresh stick behind their formation, from different side and the two black ones also stay behind but start-
Are those flames in their snouts?!?!
I realized i didn’t want to find out. My body carrying out a vague plan that I couldn’t help but balk at the absurdity yet carry on nonetheless.
I place the left foot firmly in front of me and the canteen to the right side of my face at eye level above the shoulder. With my footing in place I fling the flask like a javelin and nail the black dog from the right and earning myself a whimper that I don’t even bother glancing at.
The grey hounds approaching stop to look back towards their whimpering comrade, seizing the opportunity to exploit I press forward.
In their confusion I rush towards the gray pup that was also on the right side as kicking him hard as I could muster sending hurling towards a different tree just like his companion.
The other snaps back on in flash proceeds bite into my left leg with its teeth shrouded in a ominous black cloud with a sharp burst of speed. Before I could respond it’s teeth sink my left ankle drawing some blood and making me stumble… but oddly enough it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would.
Before the mutt could sink it’s teeth deeper I spun with my right heel and lashed out towards a nearby tree crushing the hound with the ankle of my left foot and the tree earning me another ‘crack’ from the tree and a whimper from the unlucky victim as he slid off defeated.
Before I could access the damage I shoved left hand behind my back on foreign instincts and get bitten in the wrist instead. Compared to the on in my ankle, this one was scorching hot agony.
His fang flaring in red and burning my flesh in front of my eyes and raising the temperature from the wrist and the air itself. Pain and fear mixed and a grunt escapes me in my desperation and agony.
This was definitely leaving a mark.
Despite my growing desperation, my eyesight could still catch the left black dog from the back doing the same trick with the snout once more.
With sense of urgency I grip the top of its snout, making it flinch at just my bare touch, and forcing it open feeling as the strength of my muscles travels to my hands and making let go.
But before it could ran off, I grab it by its tail and hurling it toward his black furred sibling. As the poor soul hurled toward his brethren, the brethren’s snout had already began to lighten up.
From its snout flames poured out from the sides of his molars. And as his Grey comrade grew to close he had already opened his mouth and in a beautiful yet powerful display-
Swallowed it comrade in a sea of fire his and detonating a small scale explosion scatter dust around the entire forest forcing me to cover my eyes with my eyes with right arm.
However that had been a grave mistake that left my left side wide open.
As the explosion finally passed the curtain of smoke and fog hadn’t, marking an opportunity for one eager ankle bitter to jump in and take.
The last remaining gray dog that was unscathed umped towards my face as I was distracted and watch as it-
gets hurled backwards by someone smashing it with at a downward descent of weapon shining in a pretty light luster gray.
While all of this was happening, he felt as if something was watching from behind and assumed it was another ankle biter, but he was proven wrong it seemed.
A different looking mammalian dog that didn’t look like the other ones jumped in front of him and sent the last Grey mutt out of bounds by hitting the rapid animal with down crescent of its own tail directly at poor things skull with enough force to several yards away.
It stood on four legs, his savior had brown colored fur, rabbit like ears that were adorably twitching in focus, a beautiful cream tailed that would put the entire mammalian lineage to shame and, as if it weren’t enough cuteness to give him diabetes, it had the privilege of wearing a cream mane that allowed mortals to gawk at this divine figure of cuteness.
Many feelings and urges surged at seeing his savior alongside a small headache, to loudly singing it praises to all those peasants present, asking if he could perhaps pet it, to call out its name that was at the tip of his tongue, and most notably-
To cry.
??? POV
Humans were weak. It’s a fact that could never be denied no matter what and the reason they needed protection from Pokemon themselves.
Pokemon were far stronger, faster and deceptively smarter than humans gave them credit for in their ignorance.
Yet they were considered as almost sacred figures amongst most species to show respect and restraint when interacting with said humans.
She wasn’t as naive as most of her fellow kits and cups from the Daycare by virtue of being slightly older than the rest of its residents. Yet despite this it didn’t make her all knowing. Through her entire existence there has one question has plagued her mind for years on end by not being capable of answering it herself.
Why would Pokemon decide to place their faith, loyalty and even their own lives towards humans?
If she could just find the answer to this one query then life wouldn’t feel as heavy and confusing as it does know. All questions she has ever asked will be answered and life would surely make sense.
Like why father choose to leave with a trainer after mother passed instead of staying with her.
Why other young kits and cubs dreamed of going outside with a trainer by their sides when they had the potential of carving their paths on their own she couldn’t quite comprehend.
Perhaps even why that nuisance always looked at her in pity of all thing when I voiced my grievances still irritated me to no end.
Why that red haired couple chose to adopt in bulk today she also didn’t know. But she also didn’t want to find out, so she ran.
She ran like she always does.
She runs away from old wounds by ignoring them entirely.
She runs away from possible treatments by not doing anything.
She runs away from answers due to being afraid of what she might hear.
She runs away from others by being aloof.
And like always, she ran way from humans again, because she doesn’t want to be someone’s attack dog.
She would rather die.
Why fight? Why struggle? Why try? Why awake?Why doubt? Why grow? Why learn?Why look?Why feel?
Why love?…
…
Why…
Why live?
Because she’s scared of dying.
So, while running on without a more layed out plan instead of just ‘Grab Pokeball from storage and leave’ wasn’t exactly smart-
Ha! See Loin, I could admit it
-but desperate times called for desperate measures.
She wasn’t proud of it. After all,she was currently being hunted down by her short sightedness.
After leaving the daycare with her own Pokeball to guarantee her escape, some canines were following her by scent.
She tried shaking them off by running, the black hounds were faster and shot embers directly at her.
Fend them off directly, Gray hounds tried surrounding her to little success.
Even if she was stronger then each individually, they fighting as if they had trained for ambushes like this, so she couldn’t brute force her way out.
She was also faster than all of them but they seemed more conditioned to keeping up the same pace for miles…and she was getting tired.
So that was it. Her new life free from humans, taken by Pokemon that were human followers, how ironic.
For the first she had decided to take charge of herself, it got squashed by others who cared not for her wellbeing but her value as a potential asset.
How pathetic. How truly pathetic.
To think she thought she could make a change a thing, she shouldn’t have even bothered.
Why was she so desperate and angry? Didn’t she just say she would rather die than be caught? Why was she trying to achieve here? There was nothing to prove to anyone anywhere. No one would care anyway…
No one ever has…
…
I just wish…
I just wish I could understand…what everyone but her saw as obvious when searching for a…’partner’ be it human…or Pokemon. Something beyond just themselves? Purpose? Company? Strength in numbers?
What is the reason…
To love someone other than yourself-
Boom
From behind something exploded launching me to the sky and halting my flight with a tree knocking the air out of my body.
She almost wanted to laugh at the insanity of it all, but didn’t have air to do so.
Dust and rubble rained around but with the air knocked out of her she chooses to hid behind a bush and catch her breath.
Looking behind her, a large crater, that wasn’t there before, stood.
The hounds seemed to have frozen as well and hadn’t bothered looking for her so she decided to use this reprieve to ambush the hounds when she was ready to go.
But the next few events were not ones she thought she would ever witness in her lifetime.
Out from the crater, something alive came out from the crater. It started coughing, which is understandable, falling from such a height whatever it was should be dead.
Then, the boulders started to shake, afterwards they began falling off to the sides, and out from the rubbles…
Was a human?!?!
How?!?! Had it been a Pokemon from that height, it would’ve been a miracle to survive.
But a human?!?!
How was that even possible? Was is it even human?! It certainly smelled like one!
But that’s not where the insanity stopped. No, it kept getting more insane.
The human male climbs out after being buried in rubble, with a backpack still clinging.
How was it still there, she had no clue anymore.
From inside it however, she did notice the human drinking water from a metallic container.
She could steel the container after he died.
Unnfortunatly for the male, he was going to die surrounded by six trained Pokemon.
How unlucky, she actually pitied a human for once in her life. He had a good run surviving the fall and having his last drink.
On the plus side, it was good news for her. Him dropping by had given her time to access and new opportunities to take.
She could take the man’s water and take out the dogs in a sneak attack if she was quick enough.
So a new plan was formed. First she would wait for the hound to attack the man and expand themselves. Then, after the human had long died, she would jump in and defeat the black hound first and then take out the gray ones one by on.
The black hounds were generally faster than the Gray ones from the back. They also had greater range than the gray ones so it was definitely the right choice.
While the gray ones seemed more physically capable they were much much slower and not very agile compared to her. Afterwards she would drink whatever was left and then search again for the next water source.
Yes, something was finally going her way.
But again, the human male’s clown show was not over.
As the human sets his container down in a placating manner the hounds patience runs out and springs foward-
and gets launched towards a nearby tree cracking the bark (yes,of a tree) and the hounds mouth and it’s front right paw.
They weren’t broken though, the hound was a Poochyena, a trained one at that. A Pokemon, even in it’s infancy wouldn’t die so easily much less get injured by a human… but for a trained one at that, get their mouth injured to this degree.
Madness, that what it was. She had no other clue on what else to call this.
To add fuel even further, the monster disguised as man, starts apologizing of all things, to the hunting pack.
She’s has run out of things to add, this was insane and she knew it would get worse.
The male throwing the container and nailing a black hound’s snout with pin point accuracy?
Sure, she could…dismiss it, she supposed.
The human kicking a Poochyena into a tree.
Yes, makes sense, the Poochyena’s are tinier than a male human.
But opening a Poochyena’s mouth while in the process of biting through flesh with fire fang?
Poochyena, the one described as bite Pokemon from the little she’s overheard from Daycare.
No, just, no.
Haah…Wake her up from this Nightmare already.
…But perhaps, this was simply another opportunity disguised as trouble.
Yes, if the human was capable of fending off some Pokemon in the wild and buying her seconds if needed. A human, yet deceptively durable, meat shield.
If she were to have the human at her debt she could have act as shield and maintain him nearby to steal from his water supply.
Alright, I can do this.
With a plan set and a proper rest, I jump into the fray for the sake of my own life and save the human from the a hounds approaching bite he wouldn’t be able to dodge.