Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey Onward ❯ Chapter Eight: The Dark Side of Mt. Moon (Part Two) ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Eight: The Dark Side of Mt. Moon (Part Two)

 

 

 

Krissy yawned, stretching out. She felt refreshed and energized for some reason but couldn't recall lying down to take a nap. Standing, she looked around her. Rachel was still snoozing and for some strange reason all the Pokémon were out of their pokéballs.

 

“Char?” Pyro moved towards her, his tail wagging, the flame dancing merrily.

 

“Pyro, where's Kathryn?”

 

The Charmander tilted his head, giving a soft, “Chhar?”

 

“You know, the crazy one.”

 

“Char!” He instantly pointed towards the tunnel that Kathryn had taken. “Char-char-mander!”

 

Krissy bit down on her lip to keep from screaming, her fists clenched at her sides till she couldn't keep it in any longer and finally exploded, “How the hell are we going to protect her if all she does is go traipsing off!”

 

Her yelling woke up Rachel, the girl covering her mouth to stifle a yawn when she caught sight of Krissy's face and began laughing.

 

“What?”

 

“You've-you've got…” Rachel dissolved back into giggles.

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“M-marker… all over…”

 

Krissy stood there gapping before running over to her bag and flinging object after object out of it till she retrieved her mirror. Staring at her reflection she tried to rub the marker away with her fingers only to find that it wasn't coming off.

 

“Shit!”

 

Rachel kept her mouth covered, trying to stifle her laughter.

 

“Oh yeah? Why don't you take a look at your own face!”

 

Rachel immediately stopped laughing. “What do you mean?”

 

“Take a look!”

 

Rachel reluctantly moved over to take a look in Krissy's mirror, half certain the other girl was playing a joke on her. However, the marker on her face didn't lie.

 

“Who did this?!”

 

“Kathryn wouldn't be this juvenile, would she?”

 

Both girls frantically rubbed their faces, licking their fingers and trying to rub off the stains with little success.

 

“How do we get it off!” Rachel's voice had a particularly shrill tone.

 

“I don't know!”

 

“Oddish?” Flora watched the two girls, having trouble understanding what they were saying. Something to do with the black marks on their face, she supposed. Flora found them odd but sort of pretty.

 

“D-dile?” Chomper had finally awoken. Glancing around, he tried to figure out what had happened.

 

“We need some water to get this off!” Rachel moaned, still desperately rubbing at her skin with some dismal hope that if she kept trying it would finally work.

 

“Toto-toto-dile!” Water! Now that was something he understood. “Toto…DILE!”

 

Both girls screeched as the cold water slammed into them, totally soaking them. The water splashing them sloshed onto Nashley, Briar, and the baby Kangaskhan, waking them all up. The Ponytas reared, panicking and whinnying for Chomper to stop as they dashed to the far end of the cave. Chomper's geyser came to an abrupt halt, oblivious to the chaos he caused.

 

“Dile?”

 

The baby Kangaskhan burbled happily, arms waving in the air. Nashley snarled, taking great displeasure in her wet fur. With a shake, she turned to Chomper, preparing to snap at him when she noticed that Kathryn was gone. Again.

 

The Houndour gave a helpless moan. Why me?

 

 

 

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What is this? Urusaiwan's ears flicked as she bent her head down, taking a whiff. The scent was… puzzling. Light. A gentle fragrance, flowers? No… this thing moved. Alive, not a simple plant...

 

Slinking, keeping her body low to the ground, Urusaiwan crept outside of Blaze's light range, stalking whatever made the scent.

 

Kathryn gave a bemused smile as she watched her Meowth, her hand resting on Blaze's shoulder as they kept moving deeper into the mountain. She hadn't found any water sources yet… but there had to be one somewhere.

 

A frantic squeal and cries of a struggle had Kathryn lose the smile in place of a scowl. “Urusaiwan! Drop it!” Kathryn gently tugged on Blaze's mane. “Turn on the brights, would you?”

 

Blaze nudged Kathryn's shoulder, eagerly obeying, her flames shooting upward, lighting up the whole cave. There, by some odd shaped rock formations, was Urusaiwan, holding down her squirming prey.

 

“Urusaiwan!”

 

Urusaiwan's head jerked up at Kathryn's stern tone. But-

 

“Drop it!”

 

Urusaiwan grudgingly obeyed, her ears lowered in a sulking manner as she backed off. The thing on the ground remained still and Kathryn was worried that Urusaiwan might have killed it. Stepping closer, she noticed the wings on the creature's back twitched at the sound of her footstep.

 

At least it wasn't dead…

 

Surfer climbed a little higher, having been riding on Kathryn's back the whole time. He peered his head over her shoulder, casting a wary glance at the Pokémon lying on the floor.

 

What is it?

 

“…I think it's a Clefairy.”

 

Hearing awe in her voice, he continued to stare at the Pokémon but gave up after a few minutes. What's so great about that?

 

Kathryn lightly tapped his head with her index finger. “Be nice.” Moving closer to the Clefairy, she crouched on the ground, leaning a little closer to it, uncertain if it would run away or not. Heck… she didn't know if it could run away after what Urusaiwan did…

 

“Hey, are you alright?”

 

The Clefairy's ears twitched and it slowly began to pull itself up into a sitting position. That really hurt… It brushed at its arms, trying to get the dirt off of its fur.

 

“Sorry about that…” Kathryn shot a look at Urusaiwan who was licking her paw with little visible remorse. “Aren't we, Urusaiwan?”

 

The Meowth almost rolled her eyes but thought the gesture was beneath her. Noticing Kathryn still glaring at her, Urusaiwan huffed. Sorry…

 

Oh, don't worry about it. The Clefairy stood up, her wings fluttering as she gave a smile, not noticing the sarcasm. The smile was so adorable Kathryn just wanted to snatch it up and cuddle it but she was certain that any sudden movement on her part would send it running.

 

Recalling her reason for leaving the camp, Kathryn decided to try asking the Clefairy, “Do you know, is there a pool or stream somewhere nearby? I need to wash up.”

 

Water? The Clefairy put a finger to her lips before smiling and jumping in the air. I know a great spot! This way!

 

With a joyful chortle, the Clefairy bounced away, leaving Kathryn and company to follow.

 

 

 

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After drying themselves off, Krissy and Rachel tried to figure out what to do. They couldn't just go after Kathryn, as much as Krissy and Nashley wanted to. The Kangaskhan mother had yet to awake and dividing up again would be too risky, both for those left at the cavern with the slumbering mother and those who led the search party for Kathryn. So, in the end, they decided to stay put.

 

“How is it that we always get left behind?” Krissy gripped as Rachel checked over the Kangaskhan mother. “What if something happens?”

 

“Short of tying her to a rock I don't think there's much we can do.” Rachel removed one of the bandages that had been bled through, cleaning the wound again and rewrapping it. “If the Rockets didn't scare her out of it I doubt we can nag her to stop.”

 

“What if she gets kidnapped again?!”

 

“We'll save her.” Rachel stroked the mother's back, giving a sigh. “At least she took more than just Surfer with her this time.”

 

Agitated that Rachel wouldn't share in her ire, Krissy decided to mentally elaborate on Rachel's suggestion of tying Kathryn to a rock.

 

 

 

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“How big is Mt. Moon anyway?” Kathryn asked aloud, keeping close to Blaze as her Ponyta confidently followed the Clefairy. Surfer still clung to her back while Urusaiwan strode along Kathryn's other side, eying the Clefairy in front of them.

 

I don't think anyone really knows that, even those of us who live here. There always seems to be some new cavern to explore.

 

“Someone could get lost in here.”

 

It's very possible.

 

The next corner they turned opened up into a large cavern. Dripping could be heard as water trickled from the stalagmites down to the stone floor. A large pool of water reflected Blaze's light back, ripples pulsing the water, skimming outward till it touched the shore of rock.

 

“There aren't any water Pokémon in there… right?” Kathryn felt very hesitant to take a swim, images of Gyarados splashing around in her mind.

 

Clefairy shook its head. Not that I know of.

 

Kathryn patted Blaze's muzzle. “Blaze, you stay on shore… not that I really have to tell you that. Urusaiwan, you need to clean the marker off our face, Surfer, it's up to you if you want to swim or not.”

 

The little spider looked out at the large expansion of water and gave a tiny shudder. I'll stay with Blaze.

 

Surfer crawled down Kathryn's back and moved beside Blaze. Urusaiwan, meanwhile, had her fur puffed up and was spitting up a storm.

 

Marker?! Who DARED?!

 

“Clam down, it'll wash right out.” I hope.

 

Picking up the sputtering Meowth, she carried her out to the water's edge. “Come on, I'll help.”

 

I don't wanna bath.

 

“Stop sulking, you just need the marker off.” Cupping some water in her hands, Kathryn gently rubbed at the markings, the ink blurring and soon fading. “See? Now, I'm going to swim.”

 

That's not a good idea, Urusaiwan protested, frantically mewing as Kathryn slowly stripped off her shirt.

 

“I'll be quick, don't worry so much.” Kathryn tossed her shirt aside and worked on her bra, struggling with the clasps. Gleefully, she rid herself of the cloth and slid off her pants and underwear in the same stroke, gently tossing her glasses and hair-tie on top of the discarded clothing. “Besides, there's no one around but us.”

 

Urusaiwan gave a loud groan of disapproval as Kathryn dipped her toes into the water. Surprisingly, it wasn't as cold as she thought it would be. Walking in till the water reached her waist, she threw herself forward, letting the water envelop her. A quick kick of her legs propelled her further into the depths, her eyes opening halfway, giving her a blurred image of shadows dancing in the water, reflections from Blaze's flames. When she couldn't hold her breath any longer, she emerged, her head popping out of the water as she kept afloat. Odd… something about this place seemed familiar…

 

Hurry up! Urusaiwan yowled, pacing at the lake's edge, not daring to put a paw in. The others will be worried!

 

Kathryn sank beneath the water so that only her eyes were above the water. She blew bubbles in exasperation, wanting to stay longer but knew arguing was pointless. The feline wouldn't stop complaining and meowing till she got out.

 

“Okay, Urusaiwan, you win…”

 

Reluctantly, Kathryn swam back, pulling herself out of the water.

 

The others are probably awake! Urusaiwan grumbled, lashing her tail from side to side in annoyance. Let's goalready.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.”

 

As Kathryn began to wonder how she was going to dry off, Blaze nickered and moved closer to her, the heat from the Ponyta's body slowly drying her.

 

With a grin, Kathryn stood and patted Blaze's muzzle bending to pick up her abandoned garments and putting them back on, placing. She gave a momentary frown at the wrappings on her arms, still wet, but chose to ignore them rather than strip them off.

 

Kathryn looked around the cavern, giving a nervous laugh. “Uh, so, which way?”

 

Urusaiwan rolled her eyes. How am Isuppose to know?

 

I can get you there! Clefairy piped up, immediately hopping off, cheerfully exclaiming, This way!

 

“H-hey! Wait up!”

 

 

 

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“Toto Dile!” Chomper exclaimed, dancing about.

 

Krissy frowned, looking up from her bag. She'd yet to find some rope to tie Kathryn up with and was now trying to find something of the same equivalent. Unfortunately, they didn't have chains or shackles and the turtleneck in her hands was hardly worthy of the task. Krissy finally had to give a defeated sigh, turning her attention to Chomper.

 

“Where do you get all your energy?”

 

“Dile!”

 

Krissy rolled her eyes, she should have known better than to have expected an answer, or at least one she could have understood.

 

Rachel was, once again, hovering over the Kangaskhan mother whom she had fondly dubbed Kanga, after the Kangaskhan from the children's story “Teddy the Teddiursa.” The mother seemed to be doing much better at the moment and once Kanga got some food into her, she'd probably improve a lot more…

 

Hopefully, the group would be out of Mt. Moon by then.

 

Seeing how protective the mother was half dead, Rachel had no urge to see her in her prime. Khanie, whom she dubbed the little Kangaskhan, didn't seem too worried about anything. She was happily irritating Nashley, tugging on her ears and squawking little baby sounds. The Houndour was silently taking the abuse, giving a low growl when Totodile started laughing at her.

 

“Why don't you play with the baby?” Rachel asked sweetly, eliciting a look of dread from Chomper and one of glee from Nashley before the Houndour suddenly gave a bark of greeting.

 

Looking up, everyone saw as a little pink creature emerged, followed closely by Kathryn and her Pokémon. Rachel raised her Pokédex to take a look at the cotton candy colored Pokémon.

 

“Clefairy, the Fairy type Pokémon. This Pokémon is sought after for its cute looks and playfulness. Though rarely seen, groups of these Pokémon are thought to come out on the night of a full moon. When morning comes, they return to their homes and go to sleep, nestled together. It is rumored that they can store moonlight in their wings, using it to float in midair.”

 

“Well, it is adorable,” Rachel conceded, putting her Pokédex away.

 

“Clefa!” The Pokémon seemed very happy at the praise. She turned to look at Kathryn, speaking softly and in a rush. When it finished, the Clefairy floated on its merry way, vanishing behind some rocks.

 

“Aren't you going to catch it?” Krissy exclaimed, not understanding why her friend let such a rare Pokémon get away. Krissy might have caught it herself… if it was a rare fighting Pokémon, that was.

 

Krissy thought she saw a pained look cross Kathryn's features but Kathryn shook her head and Krissy couldn't be certain. Kathryn paused in her petting of Nashley's head, the Houndour taking this time to inspect her mistress for wounds.

 

“It wouldn't have been right,” Kathryn finally answered. “She didn't want to leave her home.” Kathryn threw a grin Rachel's way, subtly changing the topic. “How's the patient, doc?”

 

Rachel moved toward Kathryn, still keeping the Kangaskhan mother in sight. “She'll live, but she's going to be really weak for a while.”

 

Khanie wobbled over to Rachel and tugged on her pant leg, demanding loudly for attention. She hurriedly picked up the Kangaskhan toddler and hushed her, hefting the baby up to rock her. “Be a good girl, Khanie… No waking up mommy just yet…”

 

Kathryn arched an eyebrow, her grin widening. “Khanie, huh?”

 

“Well, it just made sense to name them,” Rachel replied huffily, bouncing Khanie as she chattered happily.

 

Kathryn's smile dimmed a little when Rachel wasn't looking. The problem is, when you name them, you want to keep them. Are you planning on keeping them, Rach? Kathryn cleared her throat. “Well, you two might not be tired but I'm ready to turn in.” She returned all her Pokémon, save Nashley, and slid into her sleeping bag. “Night.”

 

“Hey, Kathryn, where did you end up going anyway?”

 

Krissy never got her answer, Kathryn was already asleep with a smile on her lips.

 

 

 

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The next morning, or at least, Kathryn thought it was morning (the cave was dark so she was unsure about what time it was) she awoke with a sudden tightening sensation in her chest, that something was misplaced. She groped around blindly, looking for her flashlight or Pokégear. She could hear Krissy and Rachel sleeping and assumed they had returned their Ponytas before bed. Her hand finally touched on her Pokégear and she opened it, the screen lighting up. Seven a.m.? What the heck am I doing awake this early in the morning?

 

Heavy breathing made her squint through the darkness. It sounded like Krissy or Rachel had a cold or something. Sitting up, Kathryn persisted in looking for her flashlight. A low grumble made her hand pause, her fingertips just touching the cool metal of the flashlight casing.

 

I'd rather if you wouldn't do that… A grating voice rumbled from nearby.

 

Kathryn quickly pulled her hand away, sensing something large moving beside her. She felt a warm breath slide along her skin and trembled.

 

Now…where is my baby? The growl from the large Pokémon made the air vibrate.

 

“Y-you're baby? Khanie's with Rachel, sleeping.”

 

Kathryn felt the Kangaskhan shift away from her, could hear the Pokémon's tail and feet as it dragged its way over to where it's baby lay. A light nudge to her side made her realize that Nashley was awaiting orders to attack. Kathryn placed her hand on her friend's head, not willing to give the signal yet.

 

The Kangaskhan lowered her head, observing as her young lay snuggled close to Rachel. Sniffing around them, she was assured her youngster was safe. After gently nudging Khanie once or twice, the mother turned and lumbered back over to Kathryn.

 

Who…? Kangaskhan held up her bandaged arms, letting the silent question hang.

 

“Rachel, mostly.” Kathryn could just make out the Kangaskhan's large form, the white bandages a dull gray in the darkness. She kept still, not wanting to take a chance and provoke the large creature. “Krissy and I, we helped too.

 

Kangaskhan seemed to mull this over, taking her time. Shifting her weight around, the mother made herself comfortable, settling down to sit next to her. Kathryn softly inhaled, her body tensed to spring.

 

Relax… Kangaskhan could smell the tint of fear that mingled with the girl's scent. Her head ached but not nearly as much as her body. She had awoken, sore and smelling awful. It had taken a while for the Pokémon to move, to figure some of what had happened. The only thing she couldn't figure out was why she wasn't in a Pokéball at that very moment.

 

The gentle tone of the Pokémon set Kathryn at ease. She didn't think that Kanga was planning on attacking her. They had helped her and her little one so that placed them in good standing, or at least she hoped. From past experience, Kathryn knew mothers to be temperamental at best, especially when their young were involved. She would have to keep on her toes, just incase.

 

Why?

 

“Huh?” Kathryn looked up, wondering if she had missed something.

 

Kanga tapped her bandages again with her hands. Why help us? We are not…one of yours.

 

“Doesn't matter, does it?” Kathryn glanced toward Kanga. “You needed help.”

 

Just because you helped us, doesn't mean we're going with you. This was stated coolly, as though that was the whole reason they had helped her. My cub and I will be leaving, now.

 

Hold your Ponytas, Nashley moved closer along side Kathryn, her actions both protective and aggressive. You are in no condition to be going anywhere.

 

You have no choice in the matter!

 

The Kangaskhan was growing hostile, reacting to Nashley's stance and tone. If Kathryn couldn't defuse the situation, there would be a fight of titanic proportions going on.

 

“That's enough!” Kathryn rose to her feet, her sudden action making Nashley lower herself to her belly in an apologetic manner. The Kangaskhan, however, stood, its actions showing that it was still irritated. “You and your cub are free to leave at any time.” The Kangaskhan shifted a bit, unbelieving. “We're not holding you here, if you really want to leave then go!”

 

“Kathryn, what are you yelling about?”

 

Rachel's quiet voice made all three stop. A moment later, light filled the cavern as Rachel's Ponyta was released from the Pokéball. The unexpected flare of light temporarily blinded Kathryn, Nashley, and Kanga. When their eyes had adjusted, they saw Rachel hugging the little Kangaskhan to her. The cub clung tight to her pajamas, groggy and fussy at having been awakened.

 

“What's going on?”

 

Kathryn cringed at the reproach in Rachel's voice. She opened her mouth to speak when Rachel noticed the mother up and about. “What the hell is going on?!” Rachel turned on Kathryn, thinking her responsible. “You know that she needs to be resting.”

 

“Rachel-”

 

“Don't `Rachel' me!” Rising, still holding the baby in her arms, Rachel continued her rant. “If she doesn't keep still, she's not going to get better!”

 

“God, what time is it…?” Krissy mumbled, awakened by the voices.

 

“It's not my fault!” Kathryn backed away from the steadily approaching Rachel. “It's not like I can tell her what to do!”

 

Kanga watched, fascinated by the humans' behavior. It seemed as though the owner of the Houndour was not the herd leader, as she had originally thought. She was puzzled by this, even more so by the behavior of her cub, who seemed at ease with the humans. Instead of crying at being awoken, it was happily laughing as Rachel began throwing things at Kathryn with her free hand.

 

“Krisssy!!” Kathryn wailed, scurrying to avoid being hit. “Make her stop!”

 

Krissy sat up, her eyes still closed. Slowly, they opened and Kathryn froze when the Krissy Special Glare O' Doom stared her down. Kathryn cowered and sat down with a plop, twiddling her fingers. “I'll be good.”

 

The glare moved to catch Rachel, making the other girl pause in mid-throw. Slowly, Rachel lowered her arm, sighing. “Fine. I won't kill her…yet.”

 

Her part done to restore peace, Krissy promptly went back to sleep. Rachel and Kathryn's eyes met and they shared a smile. Khanie still clung to Rachel but upon seeing her mother, the little Kangaskhan demanded to be put down. When she was set down, Khanie quickly toddled over to her mother. Placing a paw on her mother's leg, the little Kangaskhan began conversing in baby. It had been too long since the mother had seen her child this happy. Casting a glance upward, she saw the awake humans laughing and hugging each other. There was an energy in the air that she found pleasing, a smile slowly creeping onto her face. Despite her wounds, she was relatively…happy.

 

They are much different from your previous owner, aren't they?

 

Kangaskhan looked down at the Nashley, the smile dispersing almost as quickly as it had formed. So, I've hit a nerve… Calmly, Nashley turned her attention to Kathryn and Rachel, still conversing with Kanga. Those wounds… they weren't some accident or random trainer. Someone knew exactlyhow to hurt you, what couldhurt you.

 

The Kanga growled a warning at her, picking up her cub and putting Khanie inside her pouch. We're free, that's all that matters.

 

For how long? Nashley idly scratched an itch behind her ear. You are nota wild Pokémon.

 

Oh?

 

You're scent, it doesn't smell like a wild Pokémon. You have that ownedsmell. It's strong too, I don't think you've ever been wild. Nashley finished off her itch, turning to look back up at Kangaskhan. It's a hard life out there, especially for one with a cub. The Pokémon out there don't have trainers that call them off, they fight to the death. You know that, right?

 

The Kangaskhan moved a little, shifting its weight around. A low groan rumbled and Nashley smelled blood. You shouldn't move around too much, you'll reopen what wounds have healed. If you're planning on staying in the wild, the first thing you should know is to cover up the scent of blood. Any predator who smells blood will be on you, ready to gobble you and your cub up.

 

They'd have to fight me first! Anger burned in the Kangaskhan's eyes, making Nashley hide back a smile. If she pushed a couple more buttons, she might be able to get “Kanga” to reconsider its current course, if only for its cub.

 

Some hunt in packs, my siblings and I could easily take you down. Nashley slowly circled around the Kangaskhan, perhaps enjoying the larger one's discomfort a little too much. All we'd have to do… is go after your cub.

 

Nashley almost missed the telltale sign as the Kangaskhan tried to Mega Punch her but because she was looking for it she was able to dodge the attempt, the fist plowing into the rocky surface instead of her body. Kathryn and Rachel's shouts barely registered in her mind as she gnashed her teeth at the Pokémon, fur bristling.

 

It's the truth, your attack just now proved it! Reconsider. There are worse master's than the one you had, some wouldn't have left you alive. If you have to have a master, at least have a choice! Nashley sensed Kathryn coming up behind her and knew what was coming for her provoking the Kangaskhan. Speak with Urusaiwan about the wild if you don't believe me!

 

Kathryn aimed the beam, hitting Nashley and returning her. Attaching the Pokéball to her belt, she tried to figure out what Nashley had been speaking to Kangaskhan on that upset the mother so. Rachel was by Kanga's side, checking over the wounds, not even bothering to think that the clearly agitated Pokémon might attack her. Kathryn kept her hand on Nashley's ball… just in case. Her fears were put to ease when Kanga actually relaxed at Rachel's administrations. When Kanga looked towards her, Kathryn slowly dropped her hand, not wanting to seem like a threat.

 

“Kaaaangas-khan.”

 

Odd…for a moment… it almost sounded like… No, her head was playing tricks with her. “Kaaaangas-khan” didn't sound anything like “Urusaiwan.” Though, the Kangaskhan was looking at her expectantly… Well, having Urusaiwan out might be a good thing if the Kangaskhan decided to become violent. Releasing the Meowth, Kathryn watched and listened to the exchange. Rachel went on with her tending, oblivious to the conversation.

 

Urusaiwan licked her paw, trying to hide her unease. Unlike Nashley, she wasn't too confident about her ability to take down such a big opponent. Despite this, she kept her cool and politely greeted the Kangaskhan. What happened next shocked her.

 

Tell me about the wild.

 

Urusaiwan didn't appreciate the demand but wasn't going to start lecturing manners to such a big creature.

 

Survival is everything. If you show weakness, if you show emotions, you are done. The only things that rule are strength and instincts. I… Urusaiwan paused, struggling for a moment before continuing. I had to learn the hard way about existing in the wild. Thankfully, I was still near human civilization. There were no large foes and as I grew older, I began to hunt better. Kathryn, she adopted me. It was easier for me to survive and I didn't have to worry so much about food. Living near her home, I didn't have any problems besides her Houndours. I'm very lucky that she wanted me. Urusaiwan smiled at Kathryn, purring softly. Very lucky indeed.

 

Kangaskhan looked from owner to Pokémon, curious about the bond they shared. It seemed that both the feline and the mutt had a strong connection to their owner, one not based on fear. Could she have a bond like that with a human? All this time she had thought the fault was hers, that she wasn't strong enough, good enough. That's what her master had yelled at her, beat into her. Now though, she was wondering if the fault was not with herself but with her previous human. This idea left her stunned. The idea that her human had been wrong hadn't occurred to her. Now that it had entered her mind, she became certain that he was. Well, she would show him that she wasn't useless, that she could be strong!

 

I want to go too!

 

Wh-what?

 

I want to go with you and your humans! She ignored the Meowth's startled face and thumped her tail hard on the ground, making the area nearest to her quake. Her arms rose and fell, getting worked up at the idea. Rachel moved away from the excited Kangaskhan, not wanting to be hit. Seeing the girl paling, Kangaskhan tried to still herself. She pointed a clawed finger towards Kathryn. I want that one.

 

“Wait a moment! You're not dragging me into this!” Kathryn waved her hands in front of her. She pointed to Rachel, who looked very baffled by all that was going on. “She helped you and Khanie seems to like her a lot.”

 

Khanie?

 

“Rachel picked that name for your cub…” When she noticed that the Pokémon seemed more pleased by the name than prone to violence, Kathryn timidly spoke up. “She named you Kanga.”

 

Kanga… It seemed as though the giant rather liked the names chosen. Turning to look at Rachel, the Kangaskhan pointed to itself, then to Rachel.

 

“Kathryn… what does she want?”

 

“She wants you to be her trainer.” Kathryn grinned then added. “She's also impressed with your mothering skills and thinks you'd make a great babysitter for when she goes to the bars at night.”

 

“Kathryn! Not funny!”

 

Kathryn laughed. “Well, the first bit's true at least.”

 

Kanga moved over to Rachel, craning down its head. Inhaling the girl's scent, the Pokémon waited. Rachel reached her hands out and stroked along Kanga's face. Kanga gave a pleased rumble, Khanie offering her own grated whine. From where Kathryn stood, it looked to be a good start. After a while, she believed that Kanga would be glad with her choice. As nice as it would have been to have a Kangaskhan, Rachel was more deserving and had the kindness Kanga and Khanie needed now. Besides, the choice was made in haste. If the Kangaskhan had been thinking clearly, she would have chosen Rachel without a thought as to her.

 

You would have been good for her…

 

“Maybe…” Kathryn looked down at Urusaiwan and smiled. “But how on earth would I have been able to feed something that big?”

 

Urusaiwan kept her face neutral, Kathryn's words having been spoken with the utmost seriousness. Of course that wasn't the reason that Kathryn didn't accept the Kangaskhan. The feline wasn't quite sure why Kathryn did what she did, but she assumed that Kathryn felt Rachel would be better for some reason. Urusaiwan couldn't see the reason but felt she was biased on such a matter. Either way, she was glad that Kathryn was cheerful.

 

“Now that happy hour is over and I'm apparently not getting any more sleep, let's get out of this stupid mountain, shall we?”

 

Kathryn grinned at Krissy and kneeled down beside her. “You sound like you need a friend… Want me to get Surfer out?”

 

The pillow imbedded in her face was taken as a resounding `NO!'