Burying Bones Chapter 4: The Caves

Story by WhiteWolfMoonHowl on SoFurry

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#4 of Burying Bones: A CPT Side story (WIP)

My mate was the one who designed Jeovi and Nameless, so have fun knowing their insanity wasn't written by only me. ^_^


Sunlight streams through the windows of the house, waking Saki and Alex. The two sisters turn towards their bedmates and wake them. Alex watches as Arkanon yawns and stretches, the newly evolved Legendary Pokémon is reluctant to rise as usual. Alex smiles at him, proud of her Arcanine mate. He had decided to evolve so he could better protect her, even allowing her to ride on his back when they went out. Saki turns toward Jade, kissing the Embrace Pokémon on the lips, earning a giggle in return. The two rise out of bed and head towards Alex and Arkanon's room, surprised to see them awake for once. As the four walk into the kitchen for breakfast, Saki is amazed to see Alex's belly has gotten larger. She immediately guesses that her sister may be pregnant, and worries, but seeing Arkanon's eyes and how he watches her like a large, canine hawk, she's happy for her.

Jade grabs a bowl of berries, slicing them artfully with her psychic attacks and begins creating a pie out of them. Arkanon uses a controlled fire blast to bake the pie quickly, and the girls and their Pokémon sit down to eat. Alex motions to the four packs in the corner, her favorite backpack traded for a larger one.

"So, are we going to go to the forest today? You know we need to look for a few more Pokémon if we're going to go to one of the other regions. Two Pokémon each is just not enough." Alex comments, knowing the cave system near the house has rare Pokémon from other regions, at decent levels. Saki nods, knowing her sister has been aching to go exploring for almost a year. Saki makes a mental note to buy a pregnancy test for her sister if they go to the Pokémart today, and grabs the icy blue backpack with all of her stuff in it. She hands Jade her old backpack and watches as Alex puts the Pokémon equivalent of a saddlebag on Arkanon, the Arcanine seeming almost proud to wear his pack.

As the sisters exit towards the caves, Saki is aware of a feeling of being watched. She grabs the portable TV out of her pack and turns on the news.

"New Information on the Hybrid Murders. Hybrids everywhere are in danger as the mysterious serial killer has struck again. This time the victims are reported to be three members of the Kyrian family. The family has been targeted before as Kaitlin Kyrian was found to have a child with her loyal Lucario. Their daughter has been found dead in a field. The Lucario father was killed a few months later. As before, anybody with information on this gruesome crime, please call local authorities at once."

Saki shuts off the TV, suddenly afraid for her sister. She notices Alex rubbing her stomach gently and talking to Arkanon, the Pokémon proudly showing off a studded Translating Collar, bought for him with Alex's savings from her gym battles. Saki is suddenly on guard, running to catch up to her sister, gently holding her.

"Saki, what are you doing?" Alex asks, her eyes scanning her sister's face for any sign of emotion. Saki just holds her tighter.

"Alex, you know I don't judge anybody for any reason, that being said, I'm worried about you. You've mated Ark, and while you two are happy as a Grumpig in shit here, I keep seeing reports of hybrids and their parents being slaughtered like cattle. I'm terrified that something will happen to you, sis. Please, just be careful." Saki tells Alex, her eyes filling with tears. The auburn haired woman looks up at her sister, fear in her eyes.

"Saki, I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid to. I'm pregnant, Arkanon is the father. My pups are going to be hybrids, and honestly I'm scared too. That's why Arkanon wanted to evolve, so he could protect me. I saw the news reports and he saw how worried I was, so he agreed to evolve for me so I wouldn't be scared." Alex replies, her eyes shedding tears that make Saki feel a surge of protective energy for her sister. Saki hugs her sister, holding her close and kissing the top of her head repeatedly as they walk deeper into the forest, Jade and Arkanon following close behind.

A rustling in the grass tells them they've entered the domain of the bug and grass types, the various species of Pokémon watching them from the trees and bushes with interest. None of them dare to attack with a vicious looking fire type and a powerful psychic type so close. As Alex and Saki head towards the mouth of the cave, an ominous darkness closes in on them, making the sisters instantly fear the darkness. Arkanon uses Flash, the one useful attack Alex taught him for this exact situation, illuminating the cave. The girls find themselves face to face with a snarling, enraged Steelix, the Iron Snake blinded by the light of the Flash, yet still able to sense the intruders. Alex picks up her Pokédex and aims it at the beast.

"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokémon, It chews its way through boulders with its sturdy jaws. Its eyes can see in the darkness underground. This Pokémon is level 76, male, and wild. This Steelix has a Rash Nature." Alex's Pokédex comments, earning a challenging growl from Arkanon as he offers to take it out for them. Alex shakes her head, earning a questioning glance from Jade and Saki.

"I'm gonna catch it. Let's go Arkanon, attack it with Fire blast!" Alex commands, her mate stepping forward and snarling a challenge at the Pokémon. Arkanon fires the X blast of flame at the steel and ground type, earning a shriek of pain as Steelix is badly burned. With his body glowing like embers, Steelix slams against the wall, bringing down part of the roof of the cave onto Arkanon, the fire dog snarling in pain as his tail is slammed by boulders. Arkanon rakes his claws down Steelix's body, the screech making the iron snake howl in pain. Arkanon stuns the Pokémon with a bite, making it flinch as his fangs manage to crack through the softer underside of Steelix's neck. Alex throws a Pokéball at the Steelix, the ball shaking violently before stopping and clicking shut.

Alex walks back towards Saki, Arkanon shaking dust off his tail as Saki sprays him with Potion, cleaning and healing his wounds before she smacks her sister across the back of her head.

"What the hell was that? You could have been killed." Saki snarls, causing both Arkanon and Jade to jump in surprise. Alex sheepishly grins and holds up the Pokéball.

"I caught him though. Aren't ya proud of me for that sis?" Alex replies, earning a sadistic glare from Saki. The older girl captures her sister's lips in a bruising kiss before pulling away with a smirk.

"Yeah, I'm proud of you. You're still a great trainer." Saki sighs, feeling butterflies in her stomach after that kiss. Alex is smiling like an idiot when Saki looks over to her, the kiss apparently having rendered the girl somewhat senseless. A rumbling noise in the floor makes them both snap back to the task at hand. As Saki looks up, she notices the source of the snarling. A Garchomp is clinging to the ceiling, staring at them while its body protects a small group of Gible hiding in a small crevice in the wall. Saki smiles at Jade, signaling for her to draw the Garchomp away.

"Saki, that Garchomp is their mother; you don't want to mess with her." Jade replies, picking up mental threats from the snarling dragon. Saki curses but continues walking, deciding not to try to capture the mother Pokémon. As the two walk away a sound like clanging metal draws them down a small pathway into a cavern where two Pokémon are locked in battle. Saki picks up her Pokédex and aims it at the pair.

"Kabutops, the Shellfish Pokémon, Kabutops swam underwater to hunt for its prey in ancient times. The Pokémon was apparently evolving from being a water-dweller to living on land as evident from the beginnings of change in its gills and legs. This Pokémon is a wild male, level 50. Kabutops engage in battle over a mate with any other males during breeding season. The loser will forfeit his life to the victor." Saki gasps at the Pokémon entry. Alex points hers at the different looking challenger to Kabutops.

"Armaldo, the Plate Pokémon, Armaldo is a Pokémon species that became extinct in prehistoric times. This Pokémon is said to have walked on its hind legs, which would have been more convenient for life on land. This Pokémon is a wild male at level 50. Armaldo engages in fierce battles with rival males during breeding season. Armaldo's claws can pierce through solid steel." Alex nods, watching the fight. The sisters debate whether or not to capture the two fighting males, since Thunderbuzz, Steelix, and Jade could easily damage them. They decide to risk it and as they step into the cavern, the rival males turn and glare at the intruders. Wordlessly the sisters send out their Pokémon. Jade glares at Armaldo, choosing him as her target while Thunderbuzz smiles at Kabutops, electricity already permeating the air. The Gardevoir silently lets loose a Psybeam, hitting Armaldo in the middle of his head, causing some damage while making the living fossil dizzy. Kabutops slashes Thunderbuzz across his chest, marking his fur with a line of blood. Thunderbuzz returns with a massive Thundershock, paralyzing Kabutops where he stands. Armaldo regains his senses and attacks Jade, using Fury Cutter. Jade dodges the first two slashes, but the remaining two hit, causing Jade massive damage. As she staggers backward with a large slice across her chest, she glares at the Pokémon and unleashes a massive Psywave. Armaldo is thrown backward, knocking himself out as he hits a rock. Saki throws a Pokéball and watches as it shakes three times and then clicks shut.

Thunderbuzz snarls as he unleashes a Thunder attack, badly damaging Kabutops. The Shellfish immediately sprays water at Thunderbuzz, making his own electricity zap him a little before he manages to electrocute Kabutops into a faint. As Thunderbuzz cries his victory, Alex tosses the Pokéball, capturing the incapacitated Pokémon.

The two girls continue walking through the cave, noticing how the deeper they get, the colder the cave feels. As they slide down a ledge, they realize why. A field of ice lies before them. They walk quickly, but carefully to avoid slipping in the cavern, and as they reach a wall, they understand why the cavern is filled with ice. A Massive blue shape sits on a small ledge, and immediately Saki recognizes the Pokémon as the legendary bird Articuno. As she tries to approach, the ice bird lets out a melodic screech and unfurls its wings, the feathers shining like ice. As the girls watch in awe, the bird flies from its perch, revealing an empty nest with a bunch of crushed eggshells where it sat. As Saki looks at the nest, she can see something shining in the bottom of it. Reaching in, she pulls out a shining blue feather from Articuno. Saki slips the feather in her bag and the girls continue on. As Alex spots a stream, the girls follow it for a ways, before Alex announces she needs to pee. Saki smirks at her sister and begins making fun of her small bladder before Alex smacks her and runs off to find a place to use as a toilet.

As Alex finishes, she hears a noise from the near tunnel. Wondering what kind of creature she'll encounter, Alex continues walking, forgetting that she left her Pokéballs and pack with Saki. As Alex continues on, she spots a pair of glowing blue eyes in the darkness and follows them. The eyes appear to continue retreating and as Alex continues walking, she spots a strange sight. A Ninetales is sitting on a rock, looking to all the world as if she's nursing a litter of pups, but as Alex gets closer, she can see the Ninetales has a grouping of reddish colored boulders nestled up to her. As Alex continues walking closer, the Pokémon appears to be crying. Surprisingly, Alex can understand her somewhat, and what she hears makes her wonder what happened to this creature.

"My babies, my poor babies. Don't worry my sweet ones; I'll never let them hurt you again. I promise they won't hurt you again. My poor, defenseless babies." The Ninetales continues talking to the stones, nuzzling them repeatedly as though they are her pups. Alex walks closer, her hand on her belly protectively. As the Ninetales spots her, her lips pull back into a menacing snarl and she screams at the pregnant trainer.

"Stay away from my babies!" The shriek of rage from the mother Ninetales makes Alex pause, but as if she can smell no threat coming from the girl, the Ninetales suddenly sighs and rests her head on her paws, continuing to mutter about her babies. Alex walks up to her and gently rubs the fox's head, earning a soft murr of pleasure.

"Ninetales, what happened to you?" Alex asks, half to herself, half to the Pokémon beside her. The Ninetales lifts her head up, looking the trainer in the eye.

"My name is Jeovi. I once had a trainer. I once had a best friend, or so I thought. We were wild together, he and I. But I got captured after telling him to run. He escaped, but I was caught by a nice trainer. He became my mate. I had a litter of pups, my sweet babies. I was so happy. But then he found us, that demon Zoroark. He murdered my babies; he murdered them as I watched. There was so much blood. Then he killed my trainer, my mate right in front of me, cut him like butter. My teammates too, they didn't stand a chance. Then he came for me. I wanted to die; I wanted to be with my mate and pups again. I asked him why, and he beat me. Broke bones and cut through flesh, then he left. That stupid Nameless." The Ninetales sobs, as Alex remembers the news report. She looks down at the broken fox lying next to her and wonders if this half-mad creature could possibly be the same Jeovi from the report. Alex decides to find out.

"Jeovi, would you be willing to come with me? I'm here with my sister and our Pokémon, and I'd like them to meet you if it isn't too much trouble. We also brought food with us, and I think it might be good if you ate something." Alex offers, earning a drooling look from Jeovi. The Ninetales sits back down though, a glare in her eyes.

"You're trying to take me from my babies aren't you?" She comments, earning a strange look from Alex.

"I'd never do that, Jeovi. If you allow me, I can bring them with us." She replies, moving towards the group of stones on the ledge. Jeovi snarls, not trusting the human to do anything to her "babies" and glares at her.

"They should be fine while I'm gone. I don't trust you to carry them though." Jeovi replies, walking calmly with the auburn haired girl.

As they walk, Alex talks about how she can't wait for Jeovi to meet Arkanon, and as Jeovi learns about Arkanon's breed, she boldly turns to Alex.

"He's the father, isn't he?" She comments, causing Alex to stop walking. As Jeovi turns around and looks at her, the mad fox smiles.

"You can understand me as if I were speaking human language, dear. It's something that only those who are mother to a litter of hybrids can do. Your body forces you to speak both in order to care for your babies." She comments as they continue walking. As they reach Saki and Arkanon, the raven haired elder sister looks down at the babbling Ninetales. Jade and Thunderbuzz had been recalled into their balls in order to keep them pain free until they can be healed. Saki questions her sister's sanity as the Ninetales looks completely lost in her own world.

"Where did you pick her up from sis?" Saki comments, noticing that the Ninetales is a little off. Alex shakes her head and makes a motion not to mention the insanity.

"This is Jeovi, Saki. She's the Ninetales we saw on that report, about the hybrids. I followed a set of glowing blue eyes and it led me to her. I found her in the caves when I went off to pee. That Zoroark killed her babies, her trainer, and his other Pokémon. We can't leave her here, sis, she was mothering a pile of rocks and talking to them. She needs food, and help." Alex comments, her maternal instinct kicking in as her sister stares at her with a strange expression.

"You mean you understand her? How? All I hear is a bunch of randomly strung parts of her name." Saki replies, her voice getting harsher. Alex glares at her sister.

"Hybrid mothers learn to understand Pokémon and Human Language in order to care for their babies better." Alex replies dismissively. Saki sighs, knowing she's lost the argument.

"Alright sis, let's take our new friend to the Pokémon Center then. I guess we're done hunting new Pokémon for today." Saki replies, walking with Arkanon, Jeovi, and Alex to the Pokémon Center.

The trio walks in silence to the Center, the road seeming endless as Jeovi silently pads her way along. Arkanon watches Jeovi, not trusting her near his mate while she carries his pups within her. The Ninetales is deep in thought, her mind shattered, her body crying in pain with every step, and her stomach snarling with a vengeance Alex walks silently beside Jeovi, her eyes locked on the Pokémon as her hand wanders to her stomach. As the group enters the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy looks up from the desk and immediately summons a group of Chansey to care for Jeovi as she collapses from exhaustion. Alex runs to her side and follows the group of Pokémon as they wheel the gurney containing Jeovi into the intensive care room. Nurse Joy turns to Saki and looks at her, a furious glare in her eyes.

"I can't believe you would do something so cruel to that poor Ninetales. I've never seen such an emaciated Pokémon! You heartless monster! Explain yourself RIGHT NOW!" Nurse Joy snarls as the doors slam shut. Saki pales and shivers as Nurse Joy continues glaring.

"We haven't even caught her. Her name is Jeovi; she belonged to a trainer named Conan. A Zoroark hybrid killed him and his team, and executed her pups. My sister found her in a cave, nursing a group of rocks, thinking they were her pups. She agreed to walk with us back here since we didn't want to capture her. Her mental state is almost nonexistent, and I can't blame her for that." Saki comments, her eyes dark with pain and hatred, her voice monotone with the attempt to keep from crying in the Ninetales' pain. Nurse Joy's eyes soften, then widen as she remembers the news reports.

"You mean to tell me this Ninetales is the one from the news report massacre?!" Nurse Joy gasps as she looks towards the door of the ICU. Saki nods, feeling physically ill as she thinks of what it would be like to watch her family and her team slaughtered in front of her. Saki's body shakes with rage as she sits down to wait for her sister and Jeovi to return.

Alex stands over Jeovi as the Chansey work on healing her. The repeated healing moves making the broken and scarred body glow with a faint light, Jeovi whimpers in pain as she feels her body returning to full strength. Alex gags as she watches the matted fur on Jeovi's tails splitting to reveal bone poking through the skin where the tail was ripped off. As it regenerates, Alex turns to the trash can and vomits noisily, the disgust of the injury and stench of rotted flesh too much for the pregnant female. A Chansey looks at Alex and chatters to her, instead of a string of its name repeated over and over, Alex hears the exact meaning of her words.

"Silly human, you shouldn't be back here with our patient, you're going to make a mess here. Pregnant as well, no wonder. I assume your children aren't fully human, well, don't let our boss find out, she hates hybrids." The Chansey comments, half to herself, half to Alex. Alex looks down at her and nods before asking the question on her mind.

"What would she do if she found out? My sister knows they're hybrids, and is talking to her about Jeovi. This Ninetales had hybrid pups before she was attacked." Alex questions, looking around and lowering her voice in case a surveillance system is online here. The Chansey shakes her head, fear in her eyes.

"You don't want to know, Miss. I'll save you the knowledge of what would happen and only tell you that there are never any hybrids brought into this place unless they're already too far gone to save." She replies, her eyes dropping to the floor. Unknown to Alex, this Chansey has a young Happiny in her room to care for, her second child as the first never lived very long. Turning to Jeovi, the Chansey uses Healing Wish in order to help Jeovi fully recover, passing out on the floor. Alex watches in shock as another Chansey grabs a Pokéball from the wall and quickly recalls the fainted one, putting her ball into the healing machine before letting her out again. Jeovi sits up on the gurney, pain flowing through her mind as she can feel her body repairing all the damage and her mental state calming to a less frenzied paranoia. She looks at the Chansey responsible and gently jumps onto the floor, walking up to the Egg Pokémon and licking her cheek in thanks. The Chansey smiles and gently pats Jeovi's head.

"You can take her now, she's fully healed, but she shouldn't battle for a while. She was pretty badly beaten, the sick creature that got to her almost killed her, and she may have some Post Traumatic Stress issues to deal with that may remain for years. In addition, she'll never breed again, her body was mutilated in a way not even we can heal, and we had to take out what was left of her reproductive organs." Chansey comments, her eyes never leaving the floor as she speaks to Alex before motioning for her to walk out with Jeovi. The fox is smiling, not completely happy, but feeling better than she has in years as Alex walks with her to the lobby. The Chansey's warning to her about Nurse Joy lingers in her mind and as she looks at her sister, she can tell her secret is safe. Nurse Joy hands Saki a Pokéball and tells her to capture the Ninetales so the Trainer's Insurance can cover the medical procedure. Jeovi is caught and registered along with the other Pokémon the girls captured in the cave and as the trio walks home, Alex and Jeovi both feel happier.