FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Rescue. That's what every one wants to do, be the hero and rescue someone from a life more torturous than they could possibly deserve. We all want to be the courageous hero and prove that we're not without consious or soul, that we can elevate ourselves beyond the level of those who put themselves before the world. We all want to be the one to prove that humanity is not without its virtues, despite those who dirty the gene pool with their evil, selfish ways. Simple rules, however, always seem to be ignored by those who would do harm to others. Probably the most important one is thus: Never pick on the little guy.

He was alone, he had been alone for a few weeks now, since his parent Pokémon had died, tragically, in an accident featuring one of those large metal monsters that humans would enter and go from place to place in at high speed. He certainly didn't begrudge humans for it. It was an accident, nothing more, but that the humans never stopped to see the damage thad had been wreaked...

His golden fur no longer showed the glint that he had when he was born, covered in dirt and mud and filth. He was host to a small infestation of fleas that itched and stung his skin. Luckily he was still healthy other than this, but that could quickly change if he took a wrong turn. Even on this reasonable Autumn morning his fur didn't have the thinkness required to protect him from the cold of night. He was certain he had only just survived the last two. He was the runt of his family, not picked on because of it, but he was still too small and weak to be able to survive on his own for much longer. Winter would come soon, and with it would come the biting cold and thick, burying snow.

He turned a corner without looking and felt an intense pressure pin him to the wall. He yelped unhappily at this new predicament, now trapped behind large black boxes that were at least twice his weight.

"Well, look what we have here." A human said cruelly. "Target practice."

Norris had been having a wonderful day so far. Wonderful, as in bloody awful. First thing that had happened was the water in his pipes not heating, so he had to suffer an ice cold shower. Second thing was his companion Pokémon, a Mew named Rose, throwing up all over him because of an ear infection, which he planned to heal her of when he got to work, but this meant, of course, taking another ice cold shower. Then the power for his entire block went out, so he had to shave, not only in the dark, but also with a razor he didn't trust as far as he could launch it with a cannon. His face featured a few small cuts that stung in the cold air of the day as he took his usual walk to work.

He was a doctor, specialising in Pokémon vetinary sciences. He lived in Solaceon town, which meant that most of his time was occupied with treating either no injuries, helping a pregnant Pokémon in a particularly difficult birth, or doing practically nothing. His days had been easier since gaining Rose's companionship, having someone to talk with and teach him new psychic tricks made his days much less dreary. He rounded a corner and his eyes became as wide as his mouth, his jaw dopping.

Two men, fully grown, beating a trapped Eevee about the head. They were laughing cruelly as they did so, and Norris could see through all the blood that almost covered the poor creature's face that it was quite young.

"What the hell are you doing?" Norris asked, regaining a calm composure. The men turned to him.

"Stress relief." One said. "And you'd better clear off if you know what's good for you!" Norris chuckled.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to only pick on those of your own size?" He asked. The men laughed at his question. "Guess not." Norris mumbled. "Alright, here's the deal. You two get lost and never show yourselves to me again, or I'll have to do something that goes against my better judgement."

"What the hell do you think you are? Some kinda hero?" One of the pair asked, laughing stupidly. "Don't make me laugh!"

"I'm no hero." Norris said. "I'm a doctor, and I'd really rather not break my oath thanks."

The two men laughed, cracking their knuckles. "Boy, when we're through with you, you're going to be a pile of broken bones!"

Norris, still keeping his cool, slipped a hand into a pocket and his eyes twinkled. "I do not think so, my good man."

Blows came from nowhere, into their guts, their noses, and finally the back of their heads. They gave Norris an angry glare.

"Ghost type!" They growled. "Dirty pool!"

Norris smiled, and his eyes shone purple. One of the two men was suddenly thrown into the wall, the harsh stop knocking him out cold. "Not exactly." Norris growled as the unconsious man slumped. "I'm merely picking on the little guy!" The other man was thrown off his feet and down the road, where he slid to a stop at a Growlithe's feet. He looked up at the gently growling dog.

"What's going on?" Jenny asked.

Norris hurled the other, unconsious man toward Jenny. "I just caught these two beating on a young Pokémon, Jen." He said. "Sorry, but it was either their consiousness or its life."

"Where's your proof?!"

Norris chuckled, and the boxes slid aside on their own. He gently picked up the bleeding and beaten Eevee. "Right here." He said. "Incidentally, could your Growlithe burn this part of the street? This poor little bugger has fleas."

Jenny nodded, grabbing the two men as Norris walked past, the unconsious Eevee in his arms.

Norris walked brisquely into the Pokémon Center, putting Rose's ball on the counter as he passed.

"She has an ear infection, could you please handle it while I deal with this?" He asked Joy as he walked by.

"S-sure." She replied to his swiftly moving back. She sighed and picked up Rose's Poké Ball. She released her and looked into the floating Mew's displeased little face. "And what seems to be the trouble?" She asked, right before Rose threw up -rather explosively- all over the counter. "Oh for the love of-" Joy mumbled, putting a palm across her face.

Norris headed into his examination room and gently put the blood covered Eevee on the table. He'd not seen so much damage on such a small creature's face before; he worried that the poor little puppy wouldn't have enough strength left to survive. Without a second thought he opened a counter, never moving from the puppy's side, and a bottle of Flea killing solution floated across the room and into his open hand. He put the bottle on the top and filled a metal bowl with warm water and Antidote before dabbing some disposable cloth in the water and started to carefully clean the small Eevee's face. He winced and whined unconsiously as the cloth revealed several deep cuts, a pair of black eyes so swollen that Norris was worried about his sight, and the general injuries assosiated with severe head trauma that he commonly only saw with car accidents.

After cleaning the Eevee's wounds, he unscrewed the little bottle of flea killing agent and screwed a spray-nozzle into the bottle. Carefully he sprayed the foul smelling substance onto the fleas he found, watching the little devils shrivel up before his eyes and fall off. He rolled the puppy over and continued his administrations, making sure to spray the benchtop afterwards so that they couldn't migrate to any of his other patients. He put the bottle down, right as the poor Eevee awoke.

His eyes, for what they could, snapped open and turned to him, his face contorting into pure fear. He scrambled at the slightly slippery bench and managed to push himself off, sliding onto the lino floor with a thud. From here, he backed himself into a corner, underneath the sink bench, leaving a trail of crimson in his wake as his face's wounds let the precious life giving fluid flow freely from his body. He whined and cowered pitifully, barely able to see through the swollen flesh surrounding his eyes. He tried to bury himself deeper into the corner when Norris walked over to the counter and put his arm under, but when his clenched hand revealed a yellow Poffin, he could only stare in disbelief.

"It's yours, if you want it." Norris said calmly and politely. He'd dealt with Pokémon who were terrified of humans before, and he was well versed in helping them out of their shell. "Please come out, all I wish to do is help. Your fleas are gone, but I'm worried about your head." The young Eevee didn't move, but whined pitifully, still cowering in the corner. Norris knelt down and showed his face, full of concern and disarming worry. "Please?"

Carefully he inched his nose closer and sniffed the Poffin before taking it gingerly. It was marvellously smooth, and he ate it quickly, all the while savouring the sour taste tingling his cheeks.

"There you are." Norris said happily at a job well done, pleased that he'd gotten the little pup's inner self out to play. It was a brief encounter, however, for as soon as the Eevee finished the Poffin, the wounds across his face bled too much and he dizzily slipped back into the blissful darkness that only sleep can provide.

Norris sighed and lifted the little Eevee from the cold lino, placing him back on the bench to treat his deep wounds.

The young Eevee next woke roughly ten minutes later, after his face's wounds were stitched up. He awoke with his body surrounded by water, shallow enough for him not to be completley submerged, but deep enough for him to know it was there. He felt a pair of large hands rubbing against his fur and an odd sensation followed it. He opened his eyes, for what he could, and looked around at himself. He was covered in a light coating of bubbles that clung to his golden fur. He could see, barely, that the water had taken on a murky brown, small traces of pink from the blood that still lightly wept from his stitched up wounds.

"Ah, you're awake now I see." Norris said from above him. "I would have continued to check you out, but you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you, so instead I thought I'd give you a good bath and get you clean."

The puppy nodded weakly, closing his eyes again to avoid the pain that having them open provided. He felt a rush of water wash the soap from his body, and then the water all drained away. He felt cold momentarily before another rush of water covered him. He gave Norris as questioning a glance as his mangled face could manage.

"The water was all muddy and I didn't want it to get back into this shiny golden coat of yours." Norris said, giving his back a gentle scratch.

The Eevee felt himself be lifted and wrapped up before being put back on a bench and rubbed vigorously through the fabric. His leg kicked when Norris found a delightful place on his chest, and soon his fur was all dry again.

"Okay, hold still while I brush your fur and then we can continue with healing your wounds." Norris said, giving the pup a comforting pet. The Eevee did as he was told, and actually found the brush that started to run through his fur very comfortable. He almost dozed off again, but Norris shook him. "Hey, hey; don't fall asleep on me or you'll have to be in pain until you wake again." Norris warned. The Eevee whined a little, but did try to keep himself awake.

After the brushing, the Eevee was asked to open his eyes and look directly into a little torch that Norris held up. Norris shone the light in the golden pup's right eye, noting that it was a brilliant shade of red, despite how bloodshot it was.

"Can you see it?" Norris asked, to which the puppy nodded. Norris moved the light across to the left, and it faded from view. "Can you see the light?" He asked.

The Eevee blinked, then tried opening his left eye wider than it already was to no avail. With a wimper he shook his head.

"Are you sure you can't see it?" Norris asked, to which he nodded and started to become teary eyed. "You're... Blind on your left side." Norris mumbled sadly. "It may just be temporary, however. With as much damage as has been done to you, I wouldn't be surprised at all if your eyesight returns eventually." With a sigh, Norris held out his hand, and a Hyper Potion floated gently into his grip from the other side of the room. "Close your eyes, kiddo." He said. "This will sting quite a bit, but please bear with me."

The Eevee did as he was told, and was rewarded by being sprayed across his entire face with the Hyper Potion. He could feel it healing him, but at the same time it burned like fire, and he tried to crawl away from the pain. Norris held him on the top.

"Don't go anywhere yet, you can barely see and you may harm yourself falling off the counter." He warned. "Just let the potion work, and then I'll see about getting you an owner."

The Eevee's ears perked up, and his unseeing eyes turned to Norris.

"B-but..." He managed to stammer with his hoarse throat. "I want to stay... With you..!"

Norris stayed silent, concentrating on making an empty bowl and a bottle of water float over to the top. He pourd out the water and put the bowl in front of his current patient, deciding to distract him with a cool drink. "There's water right in front of you in a bowl, you are free to drink."

The Eevee nodded sadly, feeling as if his plea had been ignored, and moved forward to drink.

Rose popped into the room by the door feebly rubbing her throat. Throwing up is not pleasent, and her sore throat needed something to cool it down lest she go absolutley nuts next time she ate something with salt in it.

'What's a girl gotta do for some juice these days?' She asked irritably inside Norris' head.

'There is some of my special blend in my office refrigerator.' Norris replied. 'Don't make too much noise in there, Vlad's coming around today, poor Vesta's broken a tail bone and he wants me to look at her. I believe they're waiting in my office.'

Rose quietly nodded and teleported into the small office next door, but Norris didn't hear a refrigerator being opened. It was an old unit, and the door squeaked like merry hell when opened. Instead there was a muffled thumping, and then the door was slammed.

'N-NORRIS!' Rose's frantic voice called. 'HELP!'

In a flash, Norris grabbed the Eevee and dashed out the door. He saw a retreating back, and Rose's tail writhing in all directions from the person's front.

"Trainers!" He yelled. "Pokénapper! Sieze him!"

But they were too late, the fleeing man managed to escape out the doors and into the bright day.

"No! Rose!"

There was a brief, frantic barking, and then what could only be described as a blood curdling scream. The doors opened again and Vlad dawdled in holding Rose in his arms, behind him his Ninetales Tricky was dragging the man by his hair with Dove, his Absol, holding her horn to his throat. A Houndoom walked idly behind them, growling at the man with smoke rising from her maw.

"If he so much as blinks at the wrong time, girls, let it be his final breath he does it with." Vlad growled. "One less Galactic brickhead to deal with would be a good thing." Rose was frantically trying to lick his face, but he wouldn't let her rise. "Rose, don't lick me." He said. "I'm already clean."

He walked up to Norris cradling Rose in his arms and let her rise so that she was floating gently between them. She gave Norris a sheepish face.

"Are you alright Rose?" He asked, to which she nodded. "That's good." Now he turned on the Galactic thug, anger evident in his eyes. "I didn't think that Team Galactic would be so stupid as to steal from a Pokémon Center, but there we have it." He growled. "I give you a warning; if you or the rest of your team so much as breathe in Rose's direction again..!"

"What? What could you possibly do to the glory that is Galactic?" The blue haired thug snapped. He was answered by being lifted from the tiled floor without any physical touch, and if looks could kill, the stare that Norris shot his way would have vaporised him across the far wall.

"I'll render you and your pathetic team to shreds to get her back! I know where your HQ is, and mark my words, I'd tear it to the ground in my wake, not a brick left standing!" A little devie floated from the Galactic's ear, which proved to be a transmittor. "You hear me, Galactic?!" He yelled into it, before crushing it underfoot.

He straightened up his white coat and collected his nerves before trying to speak again.

"You tried to steal Rose from me." He mumbled. "And she's everything to me. Learn from this experience, never show your face around here again."

Jenny showed up almost two minutes later, and the Galactic cronie was dragged away by an Arcanine. She asked questions about Eevee, but Norris said he had everything under control now that Rose was safe again. Vlad and his little family followed Norris to his examination room, where he put Eevee back on the top to continue drinking. Vlad sent Tricky to accompany Rose to Norris' office to get a drink, and they returned soon after with a pair of bottles. Tricky had managed to open his own, and was drinking the green juice happily, but Rose couldn't manage the lid of hers. Vlad helped her open the bottle of juice before sitting back in a chair near the door.

"So how is he?" He asked, motioning to Eevee. Norris gave him a saddened look.

"He was being beaten by two men this morning, and I rescued him on my way to work. He had fleas when I brought him in, though he's safe from them now. Unfortunately, the damage that the two men brought upon him this morning has made him blind in his left eye-" Rose started to gently glow at this statement, "- and I'm hoping that he might recover from it when he heals."

'No.' Rose's voice echoed in the room. 'It won't. The damage is too severe, he is going to be permenantly blind on his left hand side.'

The Eevee looked miserable at this, his face drooping and tears welling in his closed eyes. Though the Hyper Potion had healed his wounds, and mostly removed his bruises, his black eyes were still paining him to use.

"I don't know what to do with him." Norris said. "I want to give him to a good owner, but at the same time I don't want to run the risk of some terrible menace picking him up."

'Why don't you adopt him then?' Rose asked.

"Because you're a cat." He replied. "And he's a dog. You two wouldn't exactly get along."

'Oh please.' Rose snorted. 'That's rubbish. I get along fine with Tricky and Faith, don't I?'

"I guess..."

"Please..?" The little Eevee asked.

Norris shot Rose a glance. "Stop manipulating him."

'I'm not.'

Norris sighed and looked back down at the pup. "I'd love to take you into my home and family, but I don't have any Poké Balls on me except Rose's."

Vlad chuckled and tossed Norris a red and white ball. "If that's your problem just ask." He said. "I've dozens of the damned things, Faith finds them everywhere."

The Houndoom at Vlad's feet blushed and looked away.

Norris sighed again and held the ball out to the little Eevee. "If this is really what you want."

The Eevee nodded and prodded the ball with his nose, vanishing in a bright flash of light. The ball shook in Norris' hand a little before clicking and going silent. Norris looked at the little ball almost tearfully.

"Rest up," he mumbled, "I'll protect you now, Florian."

Norris spent the next hour or so trying to give Vlad's black and white Ninetales Vesta a checkup. It took much, much longer than it should have because she wouldn't stop moving her tails, and by the time he had first discovered which one she had injured, he lost track of it again in the writhing mass of fur. She had been laughing childishly the whole time, he had not. Eventually he got fed up, and pinned her many tails to the top, warning her to stop playing or he'd tie them all together and let her suffer with the broken bone.

"Honestly, Vesta, this is serious. Your tails are the most important feature on you, if the break is serious the time you've just wasted could literally mean the difference between keeping it and losing it." Norris scolded as he ran his hand along the furry appendage. He found the break, mainly because Vesta twitched in pain when his hand moved over the bone, and he carefully felt around a little. "Seems alright." He mumbled. "Just a hairline fracture, though that on its own is impressive. A Ninetales damaging a tailbone is almost unheard of, take more care of yourself, kiddo." He took a Max Potion from one of the many, many pockets that practically made up his white coat and sprayed it onto Vesta's tail, making sure that it soaked through her skin. She gritted her teeth when the potion fizzled against her broken bone, but the pain soon faded and she smiled once again.

"Thank you, Norris." She said, leaning up to lick his face.

"Don't thank me yet, kiddo." He said, raising a finger. "I'm putting you on Calcium suppliments until your bones strengthen." She went to protest, but he tapped her nose and her sentence turned into a cute sneeze. "No buts, strong bones are important. Besides, the pills get put into your food, so I doubt you'll ever actually taste them." He pulled his perscription pad from yet another pocket and scribbled down what was being ordered before signing it and tearing it off. He handed it to Vlad, who took it politely. "Here, show this to Joy and she'll give you what you need."

"Alright." Vlad said. "Incidentally, are there any particular Evolution stones that your pharmacy lacks? I've come across a healthy supply of them lately and, well, I thought that it'd be better to give them to some people who might actually use them rather than sell them."

"Sure, ask Joy," Norris replied, "She keeps her head around the Pharmacy, I'm just the go-to guy when someone's cow breaks down."

Vlad nodded, collected Vesta off the countertop and walked out, his own private pack following him. Norris, however, wouldn't let them all leave.

'Vlad, wait.' Norris' voice called within his head. 'Bring Faith back.'

Faith was deposited on the countertop, where she sheepishly stood eyeing Norris.

"Faith, do you know why I've brought you back here?" Norris asked, to which she shook her head. "Lie down." He ordered, to which she complied. "Roll over."

She was hesitant, but when Norris clicked his fingers and Vlad ordered her to do the same, she couldn't resist.

"H-how come I have to obey his orders?" She asked irritably as Norris donned a pair of gloves and put his hands on her stomach. Rose was the one to answer.

'Poké Ball:,' she said, almost robotically, 'a small sphere used to capture Pokémon to add to a trainer's care. The Poké Ball's interior, to the one inside, is like a trance; our minds rest peacefully while the mechanics of the ball keep us in a suspended animation until we can be fully healed by our trainer or simply released. The initial capture of a Pokémon is a type of brainwashing, if the Pokémon does not go willingly then the ball implants urges into its mind that force it to obey the command of their owner. When you are fully willing to stay with Vlad of your own violition, the ball will remove the urges and you will have the choice to disobey back. F'rinstance; I went into my Poké Ball willingly, so I don't have to obey Norris' commands, I do because he asks me to do so. You, however, went into your ball begrudgingly, and you won't be able to help yourself when he orders you to do something until you accept him.'

Faith looked away from Rose miserably.

"I take it you're still unhappy with humans?" Norris asked. She nodded. "I guess I can understand." He continued. "Your entire family was stolen from you by humans, you're all alone; but you need to understand that you're in your own private family now, Faith. He'd never do anything to harm you if he could help it, surely you can see this?" She nodded again, and Norris removed his hands. "Now, I've one last thing to say to you before I let you down, and it is thus:" He grabbed her horn and shook her head irritably. "You snuck off with one of your old pack, didn't you?! Good god, what is it with your Pokémon, Vlad? You own them for a very short amount of time and they go and get themselves pregnant! Do you actively promote them mating? Is that it? God dammit, I'm going to be worrying about them every time they come in, I swear!"

After the initial fuss of Faith being pregnant was over and Vlad had left, Norris released Florian onto the countertop and made him lie down. Carefully he removed the stitching from his face before spraying another Hyper Potion on to the wounds. He healed quickly, even his black eyes fading from the restorative effects. Finally, with the swelling gone and the pain fading, he opened his eyes completley. Their brilliant red colour shone and reflected the lights, despite one of them not working. He smiled happily when he could finally see Norris without feeling searing pain.

"There you are, Florian." He said, petting the little Eevee between his ears. "All better."

Florian smiled and leapt off the counter. He hit the floor, slipped on something, and fell flat on his now glowing face. The room crackled, lightbulbs overhead shone brighter than normal and blew. Norris and Rose could feel their hairs stand on end as Florian shone ever brighter. As suddenly as it had started, however, the glow faded and the room was dark once more. Norris knelt down and lifted Florian back onto the counter, the confused Pokémon looking himself over.

"Great, now I've got to look you over again." He said with a light tone of sarcasm. "Y'know, for a Jolteon, you're a lot of trouble."

Norris let his two companions inside before closing the door behind him. He knew his parents would already be in the house, his father was never one for understanding that it is rude to barge into someone else's home, even your own son's. Sure enough, he found his father's Glaceon in the middle of the family room, sitting in her own private block of ice, most likely formed when her master poured water on her. She liked to do this on hot days, warm days... Now that he was probing his memory, he could recall her doing it during winter snowstorms too. Her eyes opened and looked at him wearily.

"Ah, hello Eira." He said. Her gaze became more penetrating, and she gave him a half accusing look. "No, no; I'm not reading you today, I've learned to control that." He walked up to her and leant down to look into her face. "Where's your pup? Come to think of it, Darkie usually protects you like you're made of gold... Where's your mate?"

He was tackled from the side by a black mass of fur that growled into his face. Yellow rings glowed on various points of the Umbreon's body.

"Ah, there you are, Darkie." Norris said, no hint of fear in his voice. He didn't even turn to look at the protective Umbreon. "Long time no see. I need to get up if you don't mind, else Rose and Florian will be without dinner."

His Jolteon's ears perked at the prospect of a meal, he'd not eaten well in a while now, and he was quite eager to get something tasty. He nudged the Umbreon off of Norris, earning himself a harsh paw across his nose. Darkie immediately saw his mistake when the younger and much, much smaller Jolteon started to cry.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..!" Darkie begun, but was shushed by Norris. He picked up Florian and carefully tried to comfort the crying green Jolteon.

"Hey, now. Don't cry, Florian; Darkie didn't mean it, he's just very protective of Eira is all. C'mon, let me have a look-see." Florian let Norris look at his maw, still lightly crying. "You're alright." Norris said. "It was just a slap is all. You do have some scarring from your earlier injuries-" he shot Darkie a cautionary look, "-but you should be fine."

"You're too gentle on your Pokémon, boy." Norris' father said from the kitchen door. "They need to buck up or shut up."

Norris shot his father an angry glare and whispered into Florian's ear. The Jolteon liiked a little shocked, but he nodded. Norris let him down, and the green electric Pokémon dawdled carefully and slowly towards the man.

"Florian was earlier injured by two men. They aimed for his face, and as such he's been left a little tender." Norris said. Florian walked right up to Norris' father, let his fur gain a static cling and stand on end, and then headbutted the large human. It was a cute little move that made the other Eeveelutions giggle until, of course, he moved forward again and bit his leg, electrocuting him with Thunder Fang. The grown man's spine snapped straight, forcing his posture to follow, and he gritted hit teeth comically at the sensation. Florian let go and walked back to Norris, a smug look on his face. "Don't tell me how to raise my Pokémon, father." Norris said, lifting Florian back into his arms. "Not until you learn how to do it yourself."

His father, when he could move again, humphed and walked back into the kitchen. Eira gave Norris an annoyed look, but it was one of quiet sarcasm moreso than anger. Norris eventually followed his father into the kitchen, where his parents were sitting at the table.

His mother had, in her arms, a small sleeping bundle of red and gold fur. Norris was slightly baffled, but he quickly brushed this off in favor of making his personal companions their dinner. He put Florian down and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a pair of small pot-roasts that he put onto the top before turning the oven on to preheat. One of the roasts was for him, and the other was to be shared between his Pokémon. Originally they were both going to be his, but he wanted to celebrate Florian's first night with him and he figured a nice marinated roast would be perfect. He turned around and his mother held out the little gold and red bundle, which slowly unfurled from itself and gave a big, deep yawn.

"Would you like to hold her?" His mother asked. Norris gently took the pup from her hands.

"Well, hello there, little one!" Norris said cheerfully, cradling the puppy in his arms. "And what're you supposed to be?"

She looked up at him with a little giggle. "I'mma Fwaweon!" She said cutely, pawing at his shirt.

"I'm sure you are." Norris said, tickling the giggling Flareon in his arms. "You want a treat?" She nodded furiously. "What colour would you like?"

She, cutely, closed her mouth and actually thought, but it seemed like it was taking it's sweet time, so Norris discreetly read her mind.

"How about a nice Green one?" He asked. He heard his father humph at how nice he was being to the little Flareon, but ignored it. She nodded again, and he opened a cupboard door, pulling out a jar and extracting a Poffin for her.

Later, after Norris had fed his Pokémon and his parents had left for their hotel, Norris sat in the family room and ran a brush through Rose's fur while Florian roamed the house to explore. She purred at his gentle touch, and her leg kicked when he found that particular spot on her spine again.

'Everything changes now, with him around.' She said, her voice echoing within Norris' own mind.

'I know.' He sent back. 'Especially for him.' His arm stopped moving and she turned around. 'He almost died this morning as an Eevee, and now that he's a Jolteon he's exploring his new home. I... Hope that he can come to accept living with us.'

'I'm sure he will.' Rose said, floating down into his arms and letting him cradle her in his lap. 'He's young, but he trusts you a lot. Well, only time will tell.' She nuzzled his shirt. 'He thinks you smell like cinnamon, too.'

Norris laughed. 'He does, does he? Well, as long as he doesn't have a problem with that.'

Rose shook her head. 'He seems to like it.' She said. 'But first things first...'

'Hm?'

'Go tell him the toilet is not a drink fountain.'