FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Get up, you drunken fool," a sinister and dry voice roused Lucario from his sleep. Something slender wrapped around his ears and pulled up his head from the crate, the pain heavily dulled by his inebriated state. Looking around to see who was being so rude, it took him a few moments to realize the Pokﾃｩmon in question was a few feet shorter than he had expected.

"I am authorized to book you for six different crimes," Snivy said as he withdrew his vines from Lucario's ears, "I am also authorized to break your legs, if you would prefer that. I know I would."

The small snake-like Pokﾃｩmon stared up at him with an ill-tempered expression. Lucario only faintly recalled their brief encounter back in Snowpoint City, and failed to be intimidated by the pint-sized Pokﾃｩmon's threats.

"... You seem grumpy..." Lucario mumbled while flashing a sardonic smile, "... You know you deserved that kick to the face, right?"

"No, I didn't," Snivy replied bluntly, "And my wife sure as hell didn't, either."

The lizard jumped up on the crate Lucario was sitting next to, leveling their eyes despite his diminished stature. Lucario got the feeling Snivy wanted to say something to him, but could not fathom what.

"What do you want?" Lucario asked grouchily, "Here to 'comfort' me like everyone else?"

"Not a chance," Snivy answered while angling his head backwards to be able to look down on the Fighting-type, "Nothing pleases me more than your miserable hide finally getting what it deserves. Like expensive wine and a good movie, it is."

He let his attention stray from the fugitive as he peered around the room, locating a semi-opened crate a few feet away. Sending out a long vine, he reached into it and pulled out a fresh new bottle of booze, opening it with a flick of a razor-sharp leaf in his hands.

"No, I have a demand," Snivy muttered as he sniffed the drink, "Tell your girlfriend to stay away from my wife."

"My girlfriend...?" Lucario repeated with confusion, "... Your wife?"

Snivy eyed him with disdain before taking a swig from the comparatively large beer.

"Tell... Zerobi..." he elaborated, mouthing the words as if he had just tasted something terrible, "Tell her that if she does not leave Eve alone, I will make life very miserable for the both of you."

"Waaay too late for that, I'm afraid," Lucario responded, not entirely sure what he was talking about, "You think I have any control over what Zerobi's up to? If you're so worried, go 'protect' your wife and leave us alone."

"... While I was away, she was ambushed by... Zerobi..." Snivy explained while once more fumbling with the name, "... And coerced into thinking they were friends once, or something... And that they would have trouble reconciling if I were there..."

Silence reigned for a few moments as Lucario successfully put two and two together.

"... They threw you out?" Lucario asked before starting to laugh, "Hahaha! You're in the doghouse, man!"

"Shut up!" Snivy warned loudly while pointing a finger at the end of Lucario's long nose, "I will not be judged by a drunkard hobo like you!"

Giving off a snarky huff, Snivy sat down on the crate Lucario was leaning up against. He muttered to himself and wondered how he had found himself in such a strange situation, trying to ask a criminal for a favor while a serial killer occupied his place at home, happily chatting with his wife.

"Eight years of therapy... Eight years of nightmares..." Snivy whispered with a harrowed expression, "And Eve just... 'Gets over it'...? Impossible..."

Thinking back to the endless misery Evolution's Gate had caused their community, there was no other way of putting it. Eve had shown time and again to be just as much of a recluse as he was, but for her to cling on to a friendship with a literal murderer was absurd.

"If so, then how come..." Snivy continued and swallowed hard, "... How come I can't get over it? My child's about to enter this world, and I am still clinging on to what happened almost a decade ago..."

"Kid's gonna turn out to be a wimp," Lucario replied, wondering how rude he could be without actually punching the police officer, "Just like his dad."

Snivy sneered in his direction, obviously not unused to insults thrown his way.

"You bark like a rabid wilder," he grumbled in response while showing enviable restraint, "I shudder to think what manner of illegal activities was wrought upon the world by you and that... Zerobi..."

They sat there together for several minutes without saying a thing, lost in their own thoughts. Snivy continued sipping his drink, swishing the bland drink around his mouth in order to detect some manner of flavor. Lucario just swept down whatever he could, finding what little he could taste to be quite disgusting. The one to finally break the silence was Lucario's stomach, once again reminding him of his inevitable starvation.

"... Women, huh?" Snivy suddenly whispered with a dreamy expression, "Mysterious and unpredictable... But spend enough time with them, and you might even come to love 'em..."

"... Mmm..." Lucario mumbled in agreement. For some reason, the vision of Mew was the first to pop into his mind.

"Sometimes, I think..." Snivy continued as his face turned sour, "... That just makes them even harder to handle."

Thoughts about the future clouded his mind as Lucario continued thinking about the past. Feeling like he had spent enough time away from the hotel he was paying for, Snivy put his empty glass down.

"So, are you ready for prison?" he asked with a surprisingly amicable tone to his voice. Lucario twitched and swallowed, realizing he was in no shape to put up a fight. Should he call for help? Who would hear him out here? Snivy examined Lucario from head to toe before sighing and shaking his head.

"No, you are not," he said bitterly, "I know that look. The way you are now, there is nothing I could do to you. You would just sit there like a zombie all day and mutter about the cold."

Lucario raised his head, then lowered it again. Why risk his freedom by saying anything in response? Snivy seemed a little disappointed, having expected some manner of reaction from the fallen Pokﾃｩmon.

"... Try mixing that with a slug of water," Snivy muttered before jumping down from the crate, "Makes it go down easier."

The small snake walked out of there without saying another word, realizing it was useless to reason with Lucario and already trying to figure out how to talk to his wife about Zerobi. Her pregnancy was supposed to be a beautiful time of their lives, not the resurgence of their most horrible trauma. As Snivy pondered his relationship and situation in life, Lucario found himself aware of the cause behind his previous hallucinations and was occupied with remembering the last time he actually had a source of clear water.

Am I still allowed to do, move and act?