Single post in Life of a trainer

Chapter 16 – The storm The dark clouds that had been accumulating started to unleash their rain. A grey curtain of water came down to the earth, bringing much wanted water to the plants, but making Pokémon and Humans alike take shelter. Under the bush the Furret was lying on the ground. Her ears were flat against her head, her tail was pushed against her body and she was shivering. Lightning lit the sky and a rolling thunder soon followed it. The Furret closed her eyes when the sound rolled over the land. The weather scared her and there were so many Humans and strange Pokémon around. Slowly she came from under the bush and looked around. No-one was outside, everyone had taken shelter from the weather. She cringed from another thunder stroke, but moved further into the garden, rain falling down on her fur. After a moment of doubt she took off, she ran to the fence and jumped over it, disappearing in the rain. In one of the wooden shacks in the garden, Bear appeared in the doorway. The Primeape had seen the Furret leave and now he stepped outside the shack he had taken shelter in. Suddenly he started running, jumped over the fence as well and followed the Furret. “Freeee!” Benny called out to Andy jumping up and down on the window sill. Andy came closer to see what is was that had his Pokémon all worked up and looked outside. He noticed Bear outside the gardens fence and he was running away. “What the… Where is Bear going all of the sudden?” Benny started talking, motioning to where the Furret had been sitting, pointing to the fence, pointing in the direction Bear had run off to, flying in circles and desperately tried to explain what had happened. “Wait, wait, wait, calm down.” Andy said to his Butterfree. “Bear left in that direction.” That was something he knew for sure. Benny nodded. That part was correct, now the guessing game would begin. “Something happened to make him do that, he’s not the one to willingly get wet fur.” Again Benny nodded and he pointed to the place where the Furret had been staying, followed by pointing in the direction Bear had left. “The Furret left and Bear went after her?” Benny nodded, flying up and down enthusiastically. Andy raised his arms in a victory sign. “Oh yeah, I’m great.” He lowered his arms again and glanced outside the window, to the wet and grey land. “I probably should…” Andy started, but Sophia interrupted him. “No, you shouldn’t go after him. Have some confidence in your Pokémon. He will return.” Andy turned around to Sophia and nodded. He didn’t like to just sit there while his Primeape was alone and getting wet, but he would have faith in Bear. He turned back to the window and looked at the abandoned and grey landscape. “Be careful, Bear.” Bear had reached the forest and looked around. The rain continued to fall down on him and the land around him, the grass and leaves seemed to be of a darker shade of green in this weather. He ventured into the forest, looking at the footprints in the mud and using his nose to check the scent, as much as it was possible with the heavy rainfall. The footprints lead to a thick bush and Bear walked over to it, shaking his body to get rid of the water in his fur. A useless action as the rain quickly replaced the water he had shaken off. “Are you there?” Bear asked, stopping just before the bush. Lightning lit up the area briefly, but Bear paid no attention to it. “P-please go away,” a soft voice said from under the bush. “Why do you hide here all alone when you had food and shelter back there?” “I don’t…” she stopped talking and cringed as thunder sounded through the forest. “Please don’t hurt me.” “You’re no match for me, it’s not worth my time,” Bear boasted, puffing out his chest. “Y-you’re strong?” “Of course! Have you seen these muscles?” Bear started to show off and made poses much like a bodybuilder would. A soft giggle came from under the bush and Bear glared at it. “S-sorry,” the Furret whispered. Bears glare remained for a moment, but he took a deep breath, shrugged and looked up at the treetops for a short moment, before looking back at the bush. He knew he was awesome, he didn’t need the Furrets conformation. “Why do you sit here alone, while you had everything you need back there?” “I…don’t like to be among so many Pokémon and Humans…I…never have. I’m much rather alone.” “I don’t believe that,” Bear bluntly said, sitting down on the wet soil. “I was alone. When I was still a Mankey my colony left me because I was too weak. There’s nothing fun about being alone and if I hadn’t met Andy, I still would be alone and weak.” “Who’s…” “The younger Human that brought your food today. He claims to be good looking, and maybe he is for Human standards, but he’s no where near as good looking as me.” He hit with his fist against his chest to emphasize his words. There was nothing but silence that came from under the bush. “Speaking of which, he brought you to that place to recover.” “That Butterfree mentioned that,” the Furret whispered. “Benny? He’s a good guy. He’s been with Andy for the longest time. He told me they met in a forest and he liked him, so he decided to go with him. He was with Andy when they found you.” Again only silence came from the bush, besides the raindrops falling on the leaves. “What happened anyway? Why were you so beat up?” “Some Human came and when he saw me he said he wanted to catch me. I always try to stay away from Humans, but this one caught me by surprise. He called a Heracross to help him and let the Heracross attack me. I got scared and tried to flee, but that Heracross was stronger then me. In the end the Human said I was to weak to be caught, but that it was a good practise for his Heracross.” “Wait till I get that trainer in my fists,” Bear growled, glaring angrily around in the hopes that the trainer was there. “I passed out,” the Furret continued with her soft voice, she remembered clearly how much her body had ached. “Then I woke up there…” “You have to admit it wasn’t bad there.” “No…but I’m just not comfortable around strange Pokémon and Humans, I never was.” The cry of a Hoothoot sounded through the forest and the Furret cringed, making a soft squeaking noise. “You’re easily scared, aren’t you?” Bear asked, looking at the bush. Water was dripping from his white fur to the ground, but he didn’t pay attention to that. “Come back with me, Andy will protect you. Feed you. You won’t have to sleep in the rain anymore. Or do you want to stay alone for the rest of your life?” “N-not really.” “Do you have a family to go back to?” “N-no.” “Then come with me,” Bear said. “You’ll have me and Benny and Andy. He’s really ok for a Human.” There came no reply from under the bush. “Well, I’ve been standing in the rain long enough,” Bear said as he got up. “You know where the place is.” Bear turned around and walked away, when the Furret cautiously came from under the bush. “You suppose he wouldn’t mind to have someone useless as me…” “I’m sure he’ll take you in.” Thunder rumbled through the sky and the Furret jumped up and presses her body against Bear, keeping her tail close to her body and making herself small. Bear sighed and started walking. “Come on, we’re wet enough.” The Furret quickly followed him, walking behind Bear on all for legs, making sure to stay close. Andy was still standing near the window, waiting for his Pokémon to return. The old day-care lady could say as many times as she wanted that Bear would return, but Andy was concerned and he couldn’t shake that feeling. And Benny was concerned as well, Andy could tell by the way Benny was looking outside with a sad face, sitting on the window sill. “Don’t worry Benny, he’ll be back soon,” Andy said, scratching Benny’s head. “Free,” Benny sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’m worried too.” Benny let out another sigh when his compound eyes noticed movement in the rain. “Free?” Then he recognized the shape of a Primeape and he flew up, all excited and happy again. “What is it?” Andy asked and he looked through the window as well. “You see him?” Benny nodded and flew towards the door. Andy quickly followed him and Sophia also got up from her seat, but calmly followed them in her own pace. Andy opened the door and walked out, into the rain. “Bear! You had me worried, where have you been?” Bear glanced aside and pointed to the wet Furret next to him. “You went to collect her?” “Primeape,” Bear said, nodding. “Good job, Bear.” Andy patted him on his wet head. “You’re the best.” He then got down on a knee so he was closer to the ground and looked at the Furret. “Why did you run off like that?” “F-furret,” the Furrest shyly said “Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you.” The Furret made a step in Andy’s direction and Andy reached out his hand, but it made her back away again. The Furret took in a deep breath and walked forward again, one careful step after another until she could almost touch the hand. She sniffed it first and Andy smiled. He placed his hand on her wet head and gently stroke it. Her first reaction was to cringe, but after the second stroke her muscles relaxed. After the third stroke she rubbed her head in his hand. “I’m not as bad as you first thought, right princess?” Andy asked the Furret as he took his hand back. Bear came next to Andy and started tapping on the pocket where he kept his Pokéballs. “What’s up? You want to go back into your Pokéball?” Bear shook his head and pointed to the Furret. “For her?” Bear nodded and Andy looked at the Furret. “Do you want to come with me?” The Furret looked at Andy, looked at Bear and then back at Andy and gave an uncertain nod. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. If you prefer to stay free…” The Furret shook her head. “Furret, furret fur.” “You don’t have anything to return to, have you?” Again the Furret shook her head. “Well then, you’re free to come with me, princess. I’m sure Bear told you everything about me, how awesome I am as trainer and just in general really.” “Ape primeape prime,” Bear said, placing his fists in his side and sticking his nose in the air. “Oh come on, you’re not half as awesome as me.” The primape puffed out his chest and hit on it with his fist. Andy got up from the ground, pointing to himself. “No way you can compete with this, mister.” “Primeape!” Bear said, as he took a defensive stance. “You’re right, this matter can only be solved by wrestling.” Benny sighed and the Furret let out a soft giggle. Sophia shook her head from the doorway. “Come now boys, it’s raining. You’ll have time to play later on. Come inside and dry up. I’ll make something warm.” “Even better idea!” Andy said and Bear nodded enthusiastically. Arm in arm the two walked towards the house and again Benny let out another sigh. The Furret cautiously followed Andy inside, shaking her fur to get rid of the water in the hallway, as Bear did as well. Sophia came with a few towels and handed them to Andy, who took them from her hands and turned to his Primeape. “Hey Bear. Catch!” As Bear looked up a towel hit his face. “Prime,” he growled, but Andy grinned. “Dry up with that, it’ll help.” He was drying his own hair as he reached out the last towel to the Furret, who stood up on her hind legs and took it, sniffed it and quizzically looked at the soft fabric in her paws. Andy laughed and placed his towel in his neck to take the other towel back. “Right, right, you’ve never seen this before. Let me help you.” With the towel Andy started to rub the Furret’s fur dry. Bear was drying himself up with the towel, dancing a bit as he was drying his back. “You’ll need a name,” Andy told the Furret as he was drying her head. “Let’s see…” He stopped for a moment to think about it. “Kim, that will be your name. How about it?” The Furret gave a happy nod and Andy continued drying her fur. “Kim it is then. Welcome to my team, Kim.”