Random lil three-shot. I had written a little bit of this a good while ago, but never finished it. So I finished it up all nice-like because I got the writing bug. I woulda started re-writing Enigmatic Star, but I'm saving that for January. (I'mma make my own NaNoWriMo! Ha!) And RQO needs lots more work before I consider even posting it up, and I'm still kinda burned out from it, sooooo something else. Hope you guys won't mind.
Note: I believe that Entei, like the other two runners, is a dog. Don't like it being called a dog? Too bad, that's what I believe and what I'm posting here ;D
Another Note: There's no set region where this takes place. I had none really in mind when writing this.
Final Note: Yum, angsty. Because it's so heavy on the angst, I'll call it PG-13 if that's okay with you guyz. That and there is some swearing, if that's okay by the mods. (I still laugh hard how c rap gets picked by the word filter. HA!)
Author’s Request: If anyone reads this and decides to comment on this, PLEASE DO NOT PICK OUT GRAMMATICAL OR SPELLING ERRORS. It’s not the point of this three-shot…it’s to improve on my tragedy skills, as I’m going to incorporate a lot more of tragic things into my old fanfic I’m sorta rewriting right now, Rose Quartz and Onyx. So, I wanna aim for being more emotional than anything else. I hope you understand.
Uhhhh…that being said, I’m not too good with writing what’s deemed as ‘short stories’ or ‘one/two/three-shots’, so bear with me on the lack of skill there. I write novels, kay? That’s my thing. But this is an experiment.
Deal with it. I don't wanna drag it out too long, but I want to force in some emotional attachments to the characters before what’s done is done, you know? Well, here’s to hoping the Fanfic sharks here can help me out, yesh? Without further ado…
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
=============================
Sulfur comfortably filled the air as the massive brown creature yawned, forcing out small licks of flames from his throat. Soon thereafter he rested his majestic head back down upon powerful, colossal paws, lightly running his somewhat rough tongue over his threatening teeth. Lethal claws lazily extended, not to lash out on the unsuspecting family of Zigzagoon that had lost their way on Mt. Phoenix, but rather to merely feel the igneous rocks beneath foot, and how easily they broke under such little pressure. It made things far too simple a life, to be this powerful…
But then, a scent beyond the typical Pokemon foraging the barren mountainside and the smell of rocks burning and turning into lava caught Yainei’s attention. Curiously, though still lethargic, he rose his head once more, soft breast fur nearly tickling his forelegs as he did so. With amber eyes, he gazed off down the mountain side. Nothing. As though to see if his nose was working correctly, he sniffed with the small yet powerful olfactory organ hidden beneath his masked face once more. Yes, there it was; two foreign, woods like scents lingered down the mountain somewhere, masked by the various poisonous gases looming in the air. His interest piqued, he rose his head off his paws and clambered to a more suitable sitting position, so as to gather more information than he could when lying down. Still nothing in sight. Was the heat causing a mirage that there was nothing there? No, he decided, I am of the volcano itself. Why would I not see past the mirage? This puzzles me.
Soon footsteps greeted his ears hidden underneath the thick fur surrounding his head like a mane. The sound fit in with what his sense of smell had decided. Two living creatures climbed up the mountain. One was a quadruped and light on foot, but the other was heavy, staggering about on just two feet. Was the two-legger wounded? What of the four-legger? Was it attacking it? No, it didn’t sound that way. If anything, it seemed to be chaperoning the two-legger up the mountain. Still, this is very interesting…why would something that was wounded be taken up here?
Yainei had forgotten the intensity of his abilities after his new life began as this new majestic lifeform. Finally, behind the curtain of shimmering heat, he made out the two in question. Sure enough, one was staggering about, appearing close to collapsing. It was a meek figure, smaller than himself, though that wasn’t of any surprise. Privately he held a second of a chuckle, remembering how he towered over his comrades in his past life, and even now still did. Regardless, his thoughts of laughter fumbled as he made out the figure more clearly as it inched forward. It’s…a human? He blinked, as though to see if his eyes weren’t correct, but they were. The figure of a meek human was stumbling about.
But then there was the matter of the creature beside the human. It was definitely a Pokemon, and though it dashed about, nervously, it seemed to always stop in front of the hominid, appearing concerned at the least. Yainei squinted his eyes, cursing their slow ascent to his nest. Oh, how my glasses would be amazing right now…but, no, Pokemon don’t wear glasses… he scoffed at the thought, deciding it would be stupid. But then, ah, he finally figured out the species, merely from the sharpening, beige color of the creature, the nature it frolicked along, and a quick shine from its forehead. Definitely a Meowth…what are a human and a Meowth doing in these parts of the mountain, though? These conditions are far too hazardous for them. The human seems affected more than the Meowth, though…
And, all other thoughts ended for him as he finally made out the figure of the human as it pushed on faster, eager to reach the summit. His eyes widened as the figure of a young girl became clear. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine, the way her body was still growing. Her hair, a rich brown to turn near black when she was older, was pulled back into a tight bun where only a few deliberate strands escaped and trailed down to just past her shoulder blades. Even within the distance he was in, Yainei made out a trail of sweat, grime and tears down her face and body. Her dress, ragged with holes though elegant in its tailoring, occasionally caused her to trip lightly, in which case the Meowth companion would hesitate, jump to her side, and question how she was doing. She then would appreciatively gaze at the animal, pet him with a quivering hand, and push on.
Memories flooded back dangerously for the majestic fire type sitting on the peak of his new home. The slings and arrows of his own child and wife he had to leave behind so long ago clouded his vision. He’d never touch his love or his baby girl, his cherished life he helped create, again. The way she smiled was the sun’s rays bursting through a particularly violent storm, encompassing all with her warmth and love. But, soon the clouds swallowed up the sun with death. He had done his duty, and now had to live with his sacrifice that he and his two other comrades made so long ago in the mine. He shook his head, as though to deprive himself of the depressing thoughts. This was no time for being sorry on himself. There were visitors; he had to at least greet them, and see if there wasn’t anything he could do for them.
The girl’s figure inched ever so nearer, and perhaps seeing through the volcanic fog and making out his image, she quickened her pace. His ears finally heard her voice, riddled with coughs and labored breathing. Swiftly, and feeling quite concerned as a past father, he fully rose to his feet. The wind caused by the heat clashing with cooler air down the mountain combed through his fur, over his back particularly. The fur on his back, protected by jagged plates that symbolized the mountainside he slept upon, was pure white like the smoke caused by water meeting a fire. Even moreso did she press on, staggering more and more. Her breathing problems became heavier a burden on her. The Meowth mewed and yowled in discontent of her pushing herself so heavily, but now instead of trying to comfort the cat, she ignored him and pushed on with her tired steps.
Finally, she was before him. Somberly he gazed down upon her, locking eyes. Her gentle yet determined orbs of a brilliant gold within a shell of emerald seemed endlessly relieved at the sight of Yainei. Bags underneath the lively eyes spoke of sickness, and her eyelids threatened to slam shut at any moment. Her pale lips curled up into a pure, unbelievably pleasant smile, despite the pain she seemed to be in. She choked on the oxygen-deprived air, but still held her grin, before she spoke so quietly.
“Entei…I’ve finally…got…to meet you…”
Exhausted by happiness and the trip, she hastily tumbled over herself, but Yainei saw what was coming. With such ease he leapt speedily to her side, flattening the gray plates of his back so that she would fall safely upon his back. Feather-light to his frame, she took to her sickbed gently, happily falling within the water-smoke fur. Soon, though, all that concerned Yainei was the creature cussing before him.
“You son of an ugly Camerupt! What the hell do you think you’re doing with my young lady?! Put her down at this instant! I’ll have your jugular vein with my claws otherwise!” the Meowth hissed violently. Sharp claws surfaced from his paws threateningly as he bore sharp felines. Yainei knew all too well of the possessive kind some Pokemon tended to be with their human companions. He too shared that bond once with his Pokemon when he was human. Calmly, he gazed down.
“…she’s ill, though, and you couldn’t carry her down the mountain to wherever she belongs on your own.”
Deaf of hearing to his words of wisdom, the alley cat pursued, well-groomed fur bristling with every second.
“Don’t even try that bull on me, Mr. I’m-So-Majestic! It’s your fault she’s even so badly ill in the first place, wanting to see you so badly! Unhand her, I say! I’ll find some more capable, more reliable Pokemon to carry her down rather than something that has his own power barred!”
With his last point, he pointed with his lethal, natural claw at the Entei’s legs. Yainei didn’t need to look down at himself to know the eight metal cuffs resting in pairs on all four appendages. Four are to come off, four are to stay on forever, but only when the time comes will you know to take off the unnecessary pair that weighs you down, so he was told by his reviver. Still keeping more than his head, he returned to the Meowth, “If you care for your Mistress’s health so much, you will allow me to help her. You know I’m capable of so, far more than any Pokemon that may live on this mountain.”
“I don’t trust any creature I don’t know and never seen before except in mythology books! Release her!” the normal-type’s voice turned raspy, and he was clearly turning delusional himself from the air.
“I want to help. Please, Meowth. I just want to help her. She will die otherwise if she continues to breathe in these gases. You, too, will die with her if you stay much longer…”
At that, the cat paused, trying to find some sort of comeback for his plea. Common sense was far too much for him, though, and that angered him as he leapt up onto the fire creature’s back with a demeaning scowl. “Fine, fine! Take her home, dammit! But go too fast, threaten to drop her once, and your blood is mine, you hear?”
Yainei heard. He didn’t care of the last. The thought of this young lady, with parents waiting so worriedly for her back home…it forced the thoughts of his own child back into mind. He knew they’d be worried. He would be. He bellowed into the air with his bark, and he watched as the critters below scampered about, clearing a path for him. The Meowth quickly silenced his mouth, clinging stubbornly to his fur, and once he was certain that the young girl was tightly wrapped within his cloud on his back and wouldn’t fall, he dashed straight down the mountainside.
Images blurred past, rocks forming small bushes, occasional trees, and then an entire forest. He knew just how to control his body so he missed each and every hazard within his way. It almost seemed that the forest bent and swayed to his command, afraid of being touched by him and his fiery aura. But, no, the forest was far too beautiful for him to harm, so intertwined with life. True, he was in a mild rush, but a forest fire was the least of what he needed. Cautiously as he danced this way in that on his paws that turned on a dime, he questioned to the Meowth, “Where precisely is her home?”
“Ah, ah, mew, further down at the very foot of the, meow, mountainside…” he hesitantly responded, still clinging on for dear life. The sheer speed must have been amazing for such a common Pokemon such as himself, and Yainei grinned lightly at that. The thrill of moving so quickly…it wasn’t so foreign an idea to him before he was born as a Pokemon. He attempted to remember the warm days he sat bareback upon his Rapidash and Arcanine, watching the landscape scroll by at a dizzying pace, but he had to concentrate. One wrong move, one moment of letting his guard down, and Yainei, along with his foreign passengers, were in for a nasty inelastic collision. It was getting harder for him to move as well; the cuffs on his legs- not of bone but of metal- were rubbing and irritating his skin and muscles.
Soon, the mountain appeared just a mirage as the legendary beast slowed with his movement to concentrate on the scenery. Clearings became more frequent. More earthy and windy Pokemon gathered at the mountain’s stream, though brought their heads up from their drinks to gaze at the awe-causing spectacle before them. Houses soon developed, and with the Pokemon so did the humans turn to glance twice at the fire type that never should have existed. Yainei heard babbles of their gasps, but it didn’t matter.
“Where’s her house?” he coolly questioned the Meowth again, and at that he snapped out of his frightened stupor to look around briefly.
“…it’s a little more past here. You’ll know it when you see it,” the response seemed hesitant, though still riddled with a hint of possessiveness for his mistress. I’ll know it when I see it…? All of these houses, though different, look similar enough. What are the chances I should find the right one…? His maw lowering in a slight look of displeasure, he pressed on. He felt the harsh metal bonds finally severing the skin so much as to cause a warm, painful liquid to start leaking out. It had been the longest time he had run before in his new life, with such cargo to carry as he did, and his body did not withstand the abuse well.
Yainei finally set his eyes upon the obvious house of the young lady. He stopped abruptly and smoothly, held out by a twenty foot high gate.
The house was…breathtaking. It wasn’t far from a mansion, but it was still on the small side to be deemed as such. The lawn was well taken care of, and the pebble road was lined with famous sculptures of rare and powerful creatures of different mythologies. More than likely the statues were various regions, Yainei decided, still gazing in astonishment. Why would someone this rich want their child so unprotected if they were to have let her out in the first place, as ill as she is? As though to baffle him further, the young brunette rolled over in his thick fur, emitting another weak cough. He pawed at the ground somewhat nervously.
“Well, what’re you waiting for?!” the Meowth suddenly tugged at his fur harshly. “Go on, jump the gate, Mr. Powerful Creature of Great Speed!” Still with his hairs in hand, the cat waved his hands about mockingly. More than annoyed now by the lady’s companion, he backed up a few paces, once again checking on the security of the girl. She was still deep within his fur. That was plenty good for him. So, crouching only momentarily, he released an extraordinary power within his limbs, sending him skyward easily. Up, up, up…he didn’t just clear the gate. He flew clean over it. Similar to a cat, he prepared himself for the landing, muscles relaxing like a set of elastic bands. The impact wasn’t anything of pain except for the metal rings; he cursed under his heated breath as they painfully dug into new skin and drew new blood with the landing. I won’t be able to run up the mountain for a while like this…
A piercing sound threw itself into Yainei’s ears, and he nearly doubled over at that. It was a screech not of Pokemon nature, but of something else; it was something far worse, of rubbing metals that fractured noisily underneath each other’s touch. He barked in defiance at the sound, but not before several black-wearing men and fierce fighting types circled widely around the Entei and his temporary companions. He growled, lowering his body slightly as he backed up. There were too many. He could only flee if he tried. However, a bodyguard from the side strolled up, despite Yainei’s snarl, blue-skinned body-building Pokemon dangerously flexing its four arms by his side.
“…Lady Diana…?” the man firmly questioned, and at that, the fire type relaxed. They were just there to bring the child in, to protect the property like any other Pokemon would its territory to protect their family. Cautiously he knelt down, making sure to prove he was no threat to them, before he uncurled the thick fur from her body gently holding her in place. Immediately the Meowth hopped off (And good riddance, Yainei thought at that) and attempted to sign and speak wildly with the bodyguards.
“It’s all his fault! He tried to kidnap her up the mountain! It was only by my heroic efforts that I managed to tame the beast and-”
Gag him, someone, please, the Entei groaned to himself, still kneeling as the female was quickly removed from his fur by a cautious Machoke. The tension in the air was thick enough to breath, without his egotistical, fantastical bragging. Still, the team of convoys seemed disinterested as Diana begun to sickly awaken.
“…huh? Mr. William?”
“Lady Diana, are you of good health?” the Machamp’s owner immediately questioned, bowing in her service.
“I had a wonderful dream, Mr. William…I met an Entei. He was so nice and warm, and treated me like Mom and Dad would have…” she sighed. “Did I fall unconscious in the garden again?”
At that, the party gazed back at the legendary beast accusingly. He daren’t move an inch, less he felt the wrath of several Dynamic Punches raining down on his pelt.
“Lady Diana, you weren’t in the garden when it came time for your morning tea. We’ve been frantically looking for you since then, and only now have we found you…”
Nearly dreaming at first, but becoming more and more aware of what happened when she was in the garden, Diana’s eyes widened. Those curious hazel eyes attempted to take in the whole scene, trying to sit up from the careful arms of the fighting type, but she went into a fit of hysterical chokes instead.
“Lady Diana! Fetch her doctor…”
“I’m…I’m fine, Mr. William…was…was it real? Where’s the Entei? Who…took me home? Where’s…Felix?” the young girl weakly wretched as she attempted to catch her breath and question her bodyguard urgently. All attention seemed to focus off the majestic beast and instead turned to panic once again. A Hitmontop violently spun off, trainer not too far off in tow, in search of the doctor that resided in the manor. Testing his luck, Yainei tested one of his paws. Pain shot through his leg. Blast…Hisui didn’t even tell me how to get these things off, he thought to himself disdainfully. William’s Machamp glowered over at the movement, and to show he meant no harm, the legendary began cleaning his wound with a small, puppy-like wimper. The Superpower Pokemon was not impressed.
“Don’t you dare think you’re outta this so easily, punk? You know what they’re gonna do to you? Huh? They’re gonna pummel you until you turn so blue they’ll think you’re a big ol’ Purugly!” Felix, the Meowth, pointed his claw dangerously at the wounded dog, before leaping over to Diana’s side. “It’s okay, my Mistress! That beast that got you in all of this trouble ain’t gonna cause any more trouble for you-”
“Where is that doctor?!” William bit his bitter words back.
“Mr. William…where’s the…Entei?” Diana whispered. The Machoke grimaced and spoke to its evolution in a worried tone. In one short, yet gentle motion, the elder fighting type felt her forehead. The look on his face told all.
“She’s burning up…” he warned his trainer.
“I’m well aware that Lady Diana’s in dire straits right now, Bruce,” he grumbled. “We can’t do anything until the doctor gets here…!”
“En…Entei…”
At last, it seemed, the bodyguard and his spinning Pokemon came back. Yainei rose his head higher. He could smell the increasing panic of the situation. And it worried him.
“He’s gone,” panted the two in unison.
“What do you mean, he’s gone?!” the butler hissed in a dangerous tone.
“We…we tried calling to him everywhere, but he couldn’t be found. He wasn’t in the dining hall, nor in his quarters, or anywhere in the estate. …I’m sorry, sir…”
William faced away. The Entei wasn’t dumb. He knew he was cursing the doctor silently to Hell, back to Earth and then back to Hell again for playing hooky.
“What are we going to do, sir?” the breathless guardian couldn’t even look to the girl. Yainei could, though. Her breath was shallowing, her heart beating weaker and weaker… “The nearest doctor’s as far away as-”
“I know how far they are away! We just have to try and drive her there!”
“Sir, we’ll never make it in time…! It’s a few miles away!”
“Then let me do it.”
The servants of the girl stared at the majestic dog as he got to his feet. The metal rings pulled and tugged terribly on his legs, but that didn’t matter. A life was at stake. The fighting types took offensive positions.
“…are you truly an Entei?” the head butler’s voice quivered. Surely getting back to his height of nearly seven feet made the man uneasy.
“An?” Yainei queried dumbly. “I am the only one I know of my….” He hesitated. The word was still foreign in his mind, regardless of being reborn for nearly a century now. It all seemed like yesterday he was adjusting to his new Pokemon body, born of the fire that caused the mining cave’s collapse… “…species.”
“Then you must go.”
“Sir!” Several men gasped as he gravely made the order. He held up his hand. Diana weakly gazed over, and once again, even though in terrible pain, she held that beautiful smile up on her face. Her eyes struck Yainei’s heart. They were so similar to his child’s eyes…
“They say Entei is a creature that can run with the Southern winds. With, my boys. And, Diana seems so intent on staying with it.” At his words, the child fell unconscious. The butler’s eyes narrowed in pain at the sight. “…if you are Entei, then consider it your responsibility to take hold of this girl that has been so desperate to see you, and go to the south of here. You’ll see a villa at the foot of the ocean. There is a doctor there living at the edge of the town. Go to him as fast as your feet will carry you.”
“Understood,” Yainei barked lowly.
“I will call and let them know you are coming. We’ll be there some time after you will be.”
At that, William nodded to the Machoke. After some protective hesitation, it gently replaced the now sleeping girl into his fur again.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! Get this guy!” Felix howled. “He’s the one responsible for getting her this way!”
“I am responsible for her in that sense…that’s why I will try and remedy the situation by saving her,” the Entei growled. Once again, the cat was left without words to make a comeback. The wind rustled through his fur as he took a step forward. The smell of the volcano lingered in the air from the west. As soon as he caught scent of the ocean towards the south, he leapt over the fence and took off.
Note: I believe that Entei, like the other two runners, is a dog. Don't like it being called a dog? Too bad, that's what I believe and what I'm posting here ;D
Another Note: There's no set region where this takes place. I had none really in mind when writing this.
Final Note: Yum, angsty. Because it's so heavy on the angst, I'll call it PG-13 if that's okay with you guyz. That and there is some swearing, if that's okay by the mods. (I still laugh hard how c rap gets picked by the word filter. HA!)
Author’s Request: If anyone reads this and decides to comment on this, PLEASE DO NOT PICK OUT GRAMMATICAL OR SPELLING ERRORS. It’s not the point of this three-shot…it’s to improve on my tragedy skills, as I’m going to incorporate a lot more of tragic things into my old fanfic I’m sorta rewriting right now, Rose Quartz and Onyx. So, I wanna aim for being more emotional than anything else. I hope you understand.
Uhhhh…that being said, I’m not too good with writing what’s deemed as ‘short stories’ or ‘one/two/three-shots’, so bear with me on the lack of skill there. I write novels, kay? That’s my thing. But this is an experiment.
Deal with it. I don't wanna drag it out too long, but I want to force in some emotional attachments to the characters before what’s done is done, you know? Well, here’s to hoping the Fanfic sharks here can help me out, yesh? Without further ado…Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
=============================
Sulfur comfortably filled the air as the massive brown creature yawned, forcing out small licks of flames from his throat. Soon thereafter he rested his majestic head back down upon powerful, colossal paws, lightly running his somewhat rough tongue over his threatening teeth. Lethal claws lazily extended, not to lash out on the unsuspecting family of Zigzagoon that had lost their way on Mt. Phoenix, but rather to merely feel the igneous rocks beneath foot, and how easily they broke under such little pressure. It made things far too simple a life, to be this powerful…
But then, a scent beyond the typical Pokemon foraging the barren mountainside and the smell of rocks burning and turning into lava caught Yainei’s attention. Curiously, though still lethargic, he rose his head once more, soft breast fur nearly tickling his forelegs as he did so. With amber eyes, he gazed off down the mountain side. Nothing. As though to see if his nose was working correctly, he sniffed with the small yet powerful olfactory organ hidden beneath his masked face once more. Yes, there it was; two foreign, woods like scents lingered down the mountain somewhere, masked by the various poisonous gases looming in the air. His interest piqued, he rose his head off his paws and clambered to a more suitable sitting position, so as to gather more information than he could when lying down. Still nothing in sight. Was the heat causing a mirage that there was nothing there? No, he decided, I am of the volcano itself. Why would I not see past the mirage? This puzzles me.
Soon footsteps greeted his ears hidden underneath the thick fur surrounding his head like a mane. The sound fit in with what his sense of smell had decided. Two living creatures climbed up the mountain. One was a quadruped and light on foot, but the other was heavy, staggering about on just two feet. Was the two-legger wounded? What of the four-legger? Was it attacking it? No, it didn’t sound that way. If anything, it seemed to be chaperoning the two-legger up the mountain. Still, this is very interesting…why would something that was wounded be taken up here?
Yainei had forgotten the intensity of his abilities after his new life began as this new majestic lifeform. Finally, behind the curtain of shimmering heat, he made out the two in question. Sure enough, one was staggering about, appearing close to collapsing. It was a meek figure, smaller than himself, though that wasn’t of any surprise. Privately he held a second of a chuckle, remembering how he towered over his comrades in his past life, and even now still did. Regardless, his thoughts of laughter fumbled as he made out the figure more clearly as it inched forward. It’s…a human? He blinked, as though to see if his eyes weren’t correct, but they were. The figure of a meek human was stumbling about.
But then there was the matter of the creature beside the human. It was definitely a Pokemon, and though it dashed about, nervously, it seemed to always stop in front of the hominid, appearing concerned at the least. Yainei squinted his eyes, cursing their slow ascent to his nest. Oh, how my glasses would be amazing right now…but, no, Pokemon don’t wear glasses… he scoffed at the thought, deciding it would be stupid. But then, ah, he finally figured out the species, merely from the sharpening, beige color of the creature, the nature it frolicked along, and a quick shine from its forehead. Definitely a Meowth…what are a human and a Meowth doing in these parts of the mountain, though? These conditions are far too hazardous for them. The human seems affected more than the Meowth, though…
And, all other thoughts ended for him as he finally made out the figure of the human as it pushed on faster, eager to reach the summit. His eyes widened as the figure of a young girl became clear. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine, the way her body was still growing. Her hair, a rich brown to turn near black when she was older, was pulled back into a tight bun where only a few deliberate strands escaped and trailed down to just past her shoulder blades. Even within the distance he was in, Yainei made out a trail of sweat, grime and tears down her face and body. Her dress, ragged with holes though elegant in its tailoring, occasionally caused her to trip lightly, in which case the Meowth companion would hesitate, jump to her side, and question how she was doing. She then would appreciatively gaze at the animal, pet him with a quivering hand, and push on.
Memories flooded back dangerously for the majestic fire type sitting on the peak of his new home. The slings and arrows of his own child and wife he had to leave behind so long ago clouded his vision. He’d never touch his love or his baby girl, his cherished life he helped create, again. The way she smiled was the sun’s rays bursting through a particularly violent storm, encompassing all with her warmth and love. But, soon the clouds swallowed up the sun with death. He had done his duty, and now had to live with his sacrifice that he and his two other comrades made so long ago in the mine. He shook his head, as though to deprive himself of the depressing thoughts. This was no time for being sorry on himself. There were visitors; he had to at least greet them, and see if there wasn’t anything he could do for them.
The girl’s figure inched ever so nearer, and perhaps seeing through the volcanic fog and making out his image, she quickened her pace. His ears finally heard her voice, riddled with coughs and labored breathing. Swiftly, and feeling quite concerned as a past father, he fully rose to his feet. The wind caused by the heat clashing with cooler air down the mountain combed through his fur, over his back particularly. The fur on his back, protected by jagged plates that symbolized the mountainside he slept upon, was pure white like the smoke caused by water meeting a fire. Even moreso did she press on, staggering more and more. Her breathing problems became heavier a burden on her. The Meowth mewed and yowled in discontent of her pushing herself so heavily, but now instead of trying to comfort the cat, she ignored him and pushed on with her tired steps.
Finally, she was before him. Somberly he gazed down upon her, locking eyes. Her gentle yet determined orbs of a brilliant gold within a shell of emerald seemed endlessly relieved at the sight of Yainei. Bags underneath the lively eyes spoke of sickness, and her eyelids threatened to slam shut at any moment. Her pale lips curled up into a pure, unbelievably pleasant smile, despite the pain she seemed to be in. She choked on the oxygen-deprived air, but still held her grin, before she spoke so quietly.
“Entei…I’ve finally…got…to meet you…”
Exhausted by happiness and the trip, she hastily tumbled over herself, but Yainei saw what was coming. With such ease he leapt speedily to her side, flattening the gray plates of his back so that she would fall safely upon his back. Feather-light to his frame, she took to her sickbed gently, happily falling within the water-smoke fur. Soon, though, all that concerned Yainei was the creature cussing before him.
“You son of an ugly Camerupt! What the hell do you think you’re doing with my young lady?! Put her down at this instant! I’ll have your jugular vein with my claws otherwise!” the Meowth hissed violently. Sharp claws surfaced from his paws threateningly as he bore sharp felines. Yainei knew all too well of the possessive kind some Pokemon tended to be with their human companions. He too shared that bond once with his Pokemon when he was human. Calmly, he gazed down.
“…she’s ill, though, and you couldn’t carry her down the mountain to wherever she belongs on your own.”
Deaf of hearing to his words of wisdom, the alley cat pursued, well-groomed fur bristling with every second.
“Don’t even try that bull on me, Mr. I’m-So-Majestic! It’s your fault she’s even so badly ill in the first place, wanting to see you so badly! Unhand her, I say! I’ll find some more capable, more reliable Pokemon to carry her down rather than something that has his own power barred!”
With his last point, he pointed with his lethal, natural claw at the Entei’s legs. Yainei didn’t need to look down at himself to know the eight metal cuffs resting in pairs on all four appendages. Four are to come off, four are to stay on forever, but only when the time comes will you know to take off the unnecessary pair that weighs you down, so he was told by his reviver. Still keeping more than his head, he returned to the Meowth, “If you care for your Mistress’s health so much, you will allow me to help her. You know I’m capable of so, far more than any Pokemon that may live on this mountain.”
“I don’t trust any creature I don’t know and never seen before except in mythology books! Release her!” the normal-type’s voice turned raspy, and he was clearly turning delusional himself from the air.
“I want to help. Please, Meowth. I just want to help her. She will die otherwise if she continues to breathe in these gases. You, too, will die with her if you stay much longer…”
At that, the cat paused, trying to find some sort of comeback for his plea. Common sense was far too much for him, though, and that angered him as he leapt up onto the fire creature’s back with a demeaning scowl. “Fine, fine! Take her home, dammit! But go too fast, threaten to drop her once, and your blood is mine, you hear?”
Yainei heard. He didn’t care of the last. The thought of this young lady, with parents waiting so worriedly for her back home…it forced the thoughts of his own child back into mind. He knew they’d be worried. He would be. He bellowed into the air with his bark, and he watched as the critters below scampered about, clearing a path for him. The Meowth quickly silenced his mouth, clinging stubbornly to his fur, and once he was certain that the young girl was tightly wrapped within his cloud on his back and wouldn’t fall, he dashed straight down the mountainside.
Images blurred past, rocks forming small bushes, occasional trees, and then an entire forest. He knew just how to control his body so he missed each and every hazard within his way. It almost seemed that the forest bent and swayed to his command, afraid of being touched by him and his fiery aura. But, no, the forest was far too beautiful for him to harm, so intertwined with life. True, he was in a mild rush, but a forest fire was the least of what he needed. Cautiously as he danced this way in that on his paws that turned on a dime, he questioned to the Meowth, “Where precisely is her home?”
“Ah, ah, mew, further down at the very foot of the, meow, mountainside…” he hesitantly responded, still clinging on for dear life. The sheer speed must have been amazing for such a common Pokemon such as himself, and Yainei grinned lightly at that. The thrill of moving so quickly…it wasn’t so foreign an idea to him before he was born as a Pokemon. He attempted to remember the warm days he sat bareback upon his Rapidash and Arcanine, watching the landscape scroll by at a dizzying pace, but he had to concentrate. One wrong move, one moment of letting his guard down, and Yainei, along with his foreign passengers, were in for a nasty inelastic collision. It was getting harder for him to move as well; the cuffs on his legs- not of bone but of metal- were rubbing and irritating his skin and muscles.
Soon, the mountain appeared just a mirage as the legendary beast slowed with his movement to concentrate on the scenery. Clearings became more frequent. More earthy and windy Pokemon gathered at the mountain’s stream, though brought their heads up from their drinks to gaze at the awe-causing spectacle before them. Houses soon developed, and with the Pokemon so did the humans turn to glance twice at the fire type that never should have existed. Yainei heard babbles of their gasps, but it didn’t matter.
“Where’s her house?” he coolly questioned the Meowth again, and at that he snapped out of his frightened stupor to look around briefly.
“…it’s a little more past here. You’ll know it when you see it,” the response seemed hesitant, though still riddled with a hint of possessiveness for his mistress. I’ll know it when I see it…? All of these houses, though different, look similar enough. What are the chances I should find the right one…? His maw lowering in a slight look of displeasure, he pressed on. He felt the harsh metal bonds finally severing the skin so much as to cause a warm, painful liquid to start leaking out. It had been the longest time he had run before in his new life, with such cargo to carry as he did, and his body did not withstand the abuse well.
Yainei finally set his eyes upon the obvious house of the young lady. He stopped abruptly and smoothly, held out by a twenty foot high gate.
The house was…breathtaking. It wasn’t far from a mansion, but it was still on the small side to be deemed as such. The lawn was well taken care of, and the pebble road was lined with famous sculptures of rare and powerful creatures of different mythologies. More than likely the statues were various regions, Yainei decided, still gazing in astonishment. Why would someone this rich want their child so unprotected if they were to have let her out in the first place, as ill as she is? As though to baffle him further, the young brunette rolled over in his thick fur, emitting another weak cough. He pawed at the ground somewhat nervously.
“Well, what’re you waiting for?!” the Meowth suddenly tugged at his fur harshly. “Go on, jump the gate, Mr. Powerful Creature of Great Speed!” Still with his hairs in hand, the cat waved his hands about mockingly. More than annoyed now by the lady’s companion, he backed up a few paces, once again checking on the security of the girl. She was still deep within his fur. That was plenty good for him. So, crouching only momentarily, he released an extraordinary power within his limbs, sending him skyward easily. Up, up, up…he didn’t just clear the gate. He flew clean over it. Similar to a cat, he prepared himself for the landing, muscles relaxing like a set of elastic bands. The impact wasn’t anything of pain except for the metal rings; he cursed under his heated breath as they painfully dug into new skin and drew new blood with the landing. I won’t be able to run up the mountain for a while like this…
A piercing sound threw itself into Yainei’s ears, and he nearly doubled over at that. It was a screech not of Pokemon nature, but of something else; it was something far worse, of rubbing metals that fractured noisily underneath each other’s touch. He barked in defiance at the sound, but not before several black-wearing men and fierce fighting types circled widely around the Entei and his temporary companions. He growled, lowering his body slightly as he backed up. There were too many. He could only flee if he tried. However, a bodyguard from the side strolled up, despite Yainei’s snarl, blue-skinned body-building Pokemon dangerously flexing its four arms by his side.
“…Lady Diana…?” the man firmly questioned, and at that, the fire type relaxed. They were just there to bring the child in, to protect the property like any other Pokemon would its territory to protect their family. Cautiously he knelt down, making sure to prove he was no threat to them, before he uncurled the thick fur from her body gently holding her in place. Immediately the Meowth hopped off (And good riddance, Yainei thought at that) and attempted to sign and speak wildly with the bodyguards.
“It’s all his fault! He tried to kidnap her up the mountain! It was only by my heroic efforts that I managed to tame the beast and-”
Gag him, someone, please, the Entei groaned to himself, still kneeling as the female was quickly removed from his fur by a cautious Machoke. The tension in the air was thick enough to breath, without his egotistical, fantastical bragging. Still, the team of convoys seemed disinterested as Diana begun to sickly awaken.
“…huh? Mr. William?”
“Lady Diana, are you of good health?” the Machamp’s owner immediately questioned, bowing in her service.
“I had a wonderful dream, Mr. William…I met an Entei. He was so nice and warm, and treated me like Mom and Dad would have…” she sighed. “Did I fall unconscious in the garden again?”
At that, the party gazed back at the legendary beast accusingly. He daren’t move an inch, less he felt the wrath of several Dynamic Punches raining down on his pelt.
“Lady Diana, you weren’t in the garden when it came time for your morning tea. We’ve been frantically looking for you since then, and only now have we found you…”
Nearly dreaming at first, but becoming more and more aware of what happened when she was in the garden, Diana’s eyes widened. Those curious hazel eyes attempted to take in the whole scene, trying to sit up from the careful arms of the fighting type, but she went into a fit of hysterical chokes instead.
“Lady Diana! Fetch her doctor…”
“I’m…I’m fine, Mr. William…was…was it real? Where’s the Entei? Who…took me home? Where’s…Felix?” the young girl weakly wretched as she attempted to catch her breath and question her bodyguard urgently. All attention seemed to focus off the majestic beast and instead turned to panic once again. A Hitmontop violently spun off, trainer not too far off in tow, in search of the doctor that resided in the manor. Testing his luck, Yainei tested one of his paws. Pain shot through his leg. Blast…Hisui didn’t even tell me how to get these things off, he thought to himself disdainfully. William’s Machamp glowered over at the movement, and to show he meant no harm, the legendary began cleaning his wound with a small, puppy-like wimper. The Superpower Pokemon was not impressed.
“Don’t you dare think you’re outta this so easily, punk? You know what they’re gonna do to you? Huh? They’re gonna pummel you until you turn so blue they’ll think you’re a big ol’ Purugly!” Felix, the Meowth, pointed his claw dangerously at the wounded dog, before leaping over to Diana’s side. “It’s okay, my Mistress! That beast that got you in all of this trouble ain’t gonna cause any more trouble for you-”
“Where is that doctor?!” William bit his bitter words back.
“Mr. William…where’s the…Entei?” Diana whispered. The Machoke grimaced and spoke to its evolution in a worried tone. In one short, yet gentle motion, the elder fighting type felt her forehead. The look on his face told all.
“She’s burning up…” he warned his trainer.
“I’m well aware that Lady Diana’s in dire straits right now, Bruce,” he grumbled. “We can’t do anything until the doctor gets here…!”
“En…Entei…”
At last, it seemed, the bodyguard and his spinning Pokemon came back. Yainei rose his head higher. He could smell the increasing panic of the situation. And it worried him.
“He’s gone,” panted the two in unison.
“What do you mean, he’s gone?!” the butler hissed in a dangerous tone.
“We…we tried calling to him everywhere, but he couldn’t be found. He wasn’t in the dining hall, nor in his quarters, or anywhere in the estate. …I’m sorry, sir…”
William faced away. The Entei wasn’t dumb. He knew he was cursing the doctor silently to Hell, back to Earth and then back to Hell again for playing hooky.
“What are we going to do, sir?” the breathless guardian couldn’t even look to the girl. Yainei could, though. Her breath was shallowing, her heart beating weaker and weaker… “The nearest doctor’s as far away as-”
“I know how far they are away! We just have to try and drive her there!”
“Sir, we’ll never make it in time…! It’s a few miles away!”
“Then let me do it.”
The servants of the girl stared at the majestic dog as he got to his feet. The metal rings pulled and tugged terribly on his legs, but that didn’t matter. A life was at stake. The fighting types took offensive positions.
“…are you truly an Entei?” the head butler’s voice quivered. Surely getting back to his height of nearly seven feet made the man uneasy.
“An?” Yainei queried dumbly. “I am the only one I know of my….” He hesitated. The word was still foreign in his mind, regardless of being reborn for nearly a century now. It all seemed like yesterday he was adjusting to his new Pokemon body, born of the fire that caused the mining cave’s collapse… “…species.”
“Then you must go.”
“Sir!” Several men gasped as he gravely made the order. He held up his hand. Diana weakly gazed over, and once again, even though in terrible pain, she held that beautiful smile up on her face. Her eyes struck Yainei’s heart. They were so similar to his child’s eyes…
“They say Entei is a creature that can run with the Southern winds. With, my boys. And, Diana seems so intent on staying with it.” At his words, the child fell unconscious. The butler’s eyes narrowed in pain at the sight. “…if you are Entei, then consider it your responsibility to take hold of this girl that has been so desperate to see you, and go to the south of here. You’ll see a villa at the foot of the ocean. There is a doctor there living at the edge of the town. Go to him as fast as your feet will carry you.”
“Understood,” Yainei barked lowly.
“I will call and let them know you are coming. We’ll be there some time after you will be.”
At that, William nodded to the Machoke. After some protective hesitation, it gently replaced the now sleeping girl into his fur again.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! Get this guy!” Felix howled. “He’s the one responsible for getting her this way!”
“I am responsible for her in that sense…that’s why I will try and remedy the situation by saving her,” the Entei growled. Once again, the cat was left without words to make a comeback. The wind rustled through his fur as he took a step forward. The smell of the volcano lingered in the air from the west. As soon as he caught scent of the ocean towards the south, he leapt over the fence and took off.
