FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Is there anything more wretched than the sun's light in the morning? Barnaby was hard pressed to imagine there could be. He buttoned his suit jacket patiently in front of his bathroom mirror, just wrapping up his morning routine in his newly acquired home. Which had been beautifully decorated and with a modern theme. A similar design had been used throughout the entire penthouse. The whole place was quite large. Large enough that he had been losing track of Jack very often. This morning he hadn't even seen him. So it looked like he would be out of luck for a good breakfast. Barnaby grabbed his cane and walked to his kitchen. He prepared himself a bowl of cereal and turned to the living room. The couch had enough space to seat seven people in a row. The television stretched across the far wall, it had to be nearly a 76" screen. It's a monstrosity, much too large for his tastes. Though it was a part of all the other wonderful things around the penthouse. He supposed there could be worse things in the world. As soon as he flipped on the television it was on a national news station. Covering the conflict between the Assembly and the Parlal. "... along with these seemingly unconnected creatures. The Parlal has been pushing back the Assembly very effectively." an older gentleman said. His face wrinkled and hardened like an old military man. His eyes were sharply defined and had clearly seen death. "Doesn't it seem odd to you that the Parlal has seen these thing's literally run away from them?" The newscaster nodded. "It is pretty strange. However, it's worth noting that the Parlal itself has also lost quite a bit of territory to these... Ghouls, as people have taken to calling them and let me remind you again that there has been talk that this is all connected to Malevolence. Which means this is a product of the Assembly." The guest raised his hand defensively shaking his head. "This can't be the case. We had protocol to assure that Malevolence was ended securely." his tone steadily getting more aggressive. "Our people sacrificed themselves to make sure it wasn't released! The Assembly has been nothing but forthcoming and cooperative with the Convine in the matters concerning our project. These Ghouls are something Initiate Julias Urov has no prior knowledge of. The reports never describe creatures like these. I believe these things are Parlal weapons! Weapons they don't fully control! The Convine hasn't even discussed this possibility!" Barnaby chortled as he scooped a spoonful of his sugary blend of oats and marshmallow to his mouth. The Initiate knows full well the situation. He's trying to shift the blame before the mud started to fling in his direction. Although he did agree with him on one point, it was odd that the Parlal lines haven't seen much action for the past weeks. From what he understood the Assembly lines had nearly been pushed so far back that an evacuation of their entire side of the island was being discussed. Putting them back on the mainland. By which point, he guessed he would find out if his effort to reinforce the seaside cities would be worth the time and money he invested. It was possible the beasts could swim but there was no way to be sure until they tried. He didn't want to leave themselves open to flanking if that turned out to be the case. He continued to watch the interview as it progressed with no new or meaningful information. His bowl slowly emptying over time. The morning sun shining through the windows warming the room comfortably. Throughout the penthouse there was silence save for his television and the footsteps of someone coming through. "I was wondering when you would show back up, Jack!" Barnaby said over his shoulder. "What were you off doing this time you old coot?" he teased with a grin. He received no answer after a short pause. Barnaby sighed and set his bowl aside, grabbing his cane. "I'm pretty sure you're the third to try when he's not around." he stood up and turned to face the intruder. Surprised to see it wasn't an assassin this time around. Rather it was the Pokemon Mewtwo, the Minds Eye. A bipedal psychic type created by genetic manipulation. With pale white skin and a purple coloring along it's abdomen and extending down over it's oddly shaped tail. Didn't look quite like he was expecting but he supposed most of the quirks came from being raised in a tube. It had nearly slipped his mind that he would show up. It was rude of him to show up in his home unannounced, but he was inclined to let it slide... This time. "You wanted to see me." Mewtwo said, his voice sounded underused and out of tone. "I did." Barnaby replied, walking around the couch to approach the creature. "Still do." Mewtwo kept his gaze hard over Barnaby. "Close enough, human." Barnaby stopped and frowned. Offended by his mistrust. "Would you care to sit?" He motioned to his table across the room. "No." Mewtwo stated simply. "Why did you want to see me?" He had heard this creature was strictly a psychic type. He had never felt the fingers of another creature in his mind. He wondered if Mewtwo was so powerful that he could read his mind without his knowing. "Simply to gain a bit more knowledge about this situation. Get an outsiders view. Also I would like to know if you would care to join us here." His gaze didn't soften. "I would never join humanity." "So I've heard." Barnaby scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Though I'm sure you know what's been going on here." "The evil creation is taking lives." Evil? Now that was interesting description. "Not just human lives either. I know you keep a keen eye over your clones. But how do you feel about the slaughter of the wild Pokemon?" "Not so well. But humanity brought this about. Much like they brought me about. This Monster is tearing everything apart. It is human essence." Barnaby had no interest in pursuing that topic, he moved on. "You are a hard Pokemon to get a hold of and even harder to trace. The only proof of you that exists is an old journal I found. Though I wonder what exactly it is that happened to you?" He didn't think it possible but Mewtwo's gaze hardened further. "What is it you wanted?!" Not one for much dialog. Best just to be out with it. "I want Pokemon support on our lines." he said, delivering his ultimatum before he had a chance to warm him to the idea. The tall Pokemon sneered and turned from Barnaby, but paused halfway. As if a glimmer of a thought passed through his mind. "Even had I the power to deliver that. Why do you think I would?" "I never think about that kind of thing." Barnaby waved off the question. "I always just kind of assume things will work out to my favor." Mewtwo looked intrigued at his reply. "Yet you hold no power over me." "I've gathered." "Your mind is difficult to describe." The creature said after a pause. "Dangerous." he added, looking perplexed. "So you have been trying to read my thoughts. I was wondering." Barnaby smiled at the attempt. "No, your mind is locked. Your actions tell much." So even this creature, noted for it's psychic prowess couldn't read his mind. An interesting discovery and a bit worrying. "I estimate within a year. If my hypothesis is correct. That Zatsule and his friends will have dominated half the planet. Most likely more if he's got more power than he shows." Mewtwo appeared unmoved by that. "What do you base that on?" "Whether or not they can move through water." he replied with a shrug. "Not exactly solid reasoning yet I'm afraid. If it does happen though. That will have massive body counts, for humans and Pokemon alike." "Striking thoughts." The psychic noted. Offering nothing more. "So I would like to offer you the chance to stand with the Parlal and myself in securing this small area. You won't find more Pokemon friendly humans anywhere else in the world." Barnaby paused to allow him to speak but he didn't seem interested in contributing. "We need the help and we'll need your help more as time goes on. Food will get scarce, medicine will be inaccessible and humans will blame you for all their misfortune. But we need more soldiers and workers. We need more people. I will gladly force this to happen on the human side if I need to. Pokemon however will need a strong leader who can hold his own against the more rowdy population. I think you are perfect for the job." Now he was taken aback. His eyes widened at the boldness of the statement. "Do you understand what it is you offer?" "I do." Barnaby replied coolly. Mewtwo gathered himself. "What you say is absurd. These promises of power cannot give me what I do not already have." "Of course they could!" Barnaby motioned to the table and chairs once more. Having captured the interest of the Pokemon he reluctantly nodded and made his way into a seat. Barnaby joined him and took a seat across the table. "I have been backing a project for quite some time now. Titled the Governance project. Allowing Pokemon to have a minor role in the Parlal as a whole." he explained. "Long story short it has been successful, so far. An associate of mine had a direct line to the leader, a Lucario by the name of Isis. She actively heads a small council that works for the benefit of Pokemon that happen to exist alongside Humanity in society. Once based in Unity but after the initial attacks have been reinstated in Sedra. Not exactly open to the idea there as a backward town, it will just have to do for now." Mewtwo listened to him but didn't show any surprise. He must have already known all that. "The project is doomed. Without Unity to nourish it it cannot be sustained. I must admit I did have hopes for the project when I caught wind of it. However, I had known it to be an unstable idea. Barnaby nodded. "I agree." "But you still paid for it? That was an unwise choice." Barnaby laughed in response to that. "If I'm sure of anything it's that I'm prone to stupid ideas!" That much was true. "At any rate. The only thing the project needs to continue is a spine. Someone who refuses to accept human superiority and pushes his Poke' brethren to unseen heights. They need you." Barnaby pointed to him with a surefire grin. Putting on a facade of assurance. If the Pokemon had him as a leader, their equality was all but certain. Although it was equally likely they would rebel, he felt pretty safe with his odds. The Psychic mulled over his thoughts. What was it this man was really after? Surely the human knew the risk he was taking by offering such a position. Now more than ever he wanted to pick his mind but there was something actively resisting him. Something Mewtwo couldn't comprehend even with all his power and knowledge. "Is this what you brought me here for?" "Yes." Barnaby replied fiddling with his cane. "Is this Isis unable to gain what you seek?" Barnaby shook his head with a frown. "I don't have a direct line to her anymore. My contact has gone missing and I assume he has been eliminated. For his sake I hope not. But he didn't return from a rescue he was sent on weeks ago. He was the only one left behind." Mewtwo saw his eyes dim as he mentioned the man. Must have been close to the heart. "From what I've heard, Isis didn't take it so well. Her work has been suffering since the news reached her. They were good friends." "I'm sorry to hear that." Mewtwo said, trying to sound sympathetic. "But I don't understand why you think I would work there seeing as how you would still be running the show. These Pokemon are within the Parlal's power. Nothing you say can change that fact. I would rather not lead them to violence. Seeing how that can't be avoided in these circumstances I must decline." He didn't trust himself to be able to lead such Pokemon peacefully. There were too many reasons to free them from human control altogether. Barnaby's smile quickly returned. "There are a lot of things I could say, Mewtwo. Soon I will be hosting a party with the most powerful people in the world. After the meeting I plan to have during the occasion. I guarantee I will hold all the legislative power in the land. When that happens, I plan to make Pokemon full and equal partners. With their own separate government they will have power fully equal to that of the Human councilors. If you choose to join. You and I will work together to defend the lines from the beasts. I give you my word that all this will happen regardless of your acceptance. I ask you to trust me because all of this will be far easier with your support." Mewtwo remained silent and very keenly aware of the situation. "Most Pokemon will not recognize me as one of them." He chuckled at that. "Well you're certainly not human. What do you think they'll consider you?" "A clone." Mewtwo replied, his tone meager. Barnaby considered that thought for a moment. "No need to worry, Isis isn't the type to carry prejudices. The trick will be overcoming that title yourself." He paused for a moment. "You know, we're a lot alike in some respects." Mewtwo gave him a questioning glance. "I use to have a title placed on me. In fact I have more titles now than I've ever had but the first I was given was Idealist. I don't care for that much. Fool is another one. Truer than most, that one will stick with me for all my days. Another likeness we share is that neither of us should rightly exist." "Are you saying you are a clone too?" Mewtwo puzzled. Unsure of what to make of that revelation. "No, nothing like that." Barnaby said, amused by the thought. "Would you believe me if I told you I'm immortal?" They met each others gazes in the silence that followed. Mewtwo looked deep into his eyes and saw something that wasn't quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "No." he answered. "You wouldn't be the first." he said plainly. "Let me just say this before we wrap things up here." Barnaby produced an envelope from his jacket and pushed it across the table to Mewtwo. "That's an invite to the party I'll be hosting. It explains the address and the activities. Though the only one you need attend is the meeting. Feel free to show up and witness my resolve to the defense. I have to warn you though, things may get a little treasonous." he laughed at his last words. "But before that date I would like you to at least meet with Isis." Mewtwo took the note into his three digit hand and considered it a moment. "What would talking with Isis do for me?" "For you? Depends on what she tells you. For me though it could do a great deal. I don't expect you to take this offer with just my word on it. My former contact and herself, like I said before, were very close friends. I assure you Isis was never captured. She joined up willingly. Feel free to ask her yourself." He leaned back in his chair and relaxed. Finally breathing a sigh of relief. He felt delighted that things are going so smoothly. This whole meeting had plenty of potential to turn into an outright disaster at any time. If nothing else he at least got his point across. He and the psychic Pokemon locked gazes. "This is an interesting offer, Mr. Williams. Very revealing." Mewtwo sat up aggressively but made no threatening movements. "Is it right for you to be making such plans without people by your side?" Barnaby continued to sit back nonchalantly. "That is what I'm trying to do right now. I realize it won't be easy." He tapped his cane on the floor a couple times before continuing. "I will be making great sacrifices soon. My status as a sultry businessman will be changed to tyrannical maniac. Attempts on my life will undoubtedly rise. But I believe this is the only way to go." "Your beliefs don't concern me." Mewtwo set the envelope down to the table. "Your plans speak volumes. I will speak with Isis. However, I will withhold my final decision until you follow through with this treasonous ploy. If all goes well I will talk with you again regarding my acceptance or denial. I will give you a good reason for my denial should it come to pass. Until then I will not contact you and please, do not try to find me." Barnaby chuckled at the request. "Much like you, I'll be keeping my options open but I'll do my best to keep you undisturbed until then." The Pokemon once again sized the man up in the entirety of what he now knew. This human was blunt in private but on a public stage he was calculating and decisive. Mewtwo had observed both sides now and couldn't decide if he wanted to trust him. His blunt nature was a draw for him. Something about that is natural and pure. Probably one of the first traits he developed. His objective was now clear. If nothing else Isis could tell him about Barnaby's contact and maybe even track down the contact. Perhaps they were friends on some level. "I appreciate your telling me all this." Mewtwo stood from the chair. "I wish you the best." He stood and slowly walked to the door. Barnaby watched the Pokemon shut the door behind him as he left. Silence overcame the room as he sat alone. His whole plan now rested in a mind other than his own. It was unlikely Mewtwo would reveal anything to another human. The risk was definitely still there though. Barnaby stood up and turned to go to his study but was abruptly halted by his stealthy and solid butler. Hitting his face against Jacks stomach. "Damn it, Jack!" Barnaby cursed as he stumbled back. "Pardon sir." Jack said flatly. "It wasn't my intention to startle you. It appeared you were thinking so I waited for you to regard me." Barnaby met eyes with his tall and frail butler. Jack had been pretty dodgy lately. He barely saw him around anymore. He waved off the old man with an exasperated sigh and walked around him. "What's been getting into you lately?" Jack followed his master diligently with a blank expression. "I don't take your meaning." "My meaning is that I never see you around anymore." They entered the study and Barnaby crossed the crimson carpet to his plush living chair. He picked up a book that lay on the cushion and took its place. He thumbed through it absently as he waited for Jacks reply. "Please bear with me. Things are a lot busier than I'm used to. Even Fansua didn't plan things so recklessly." Jack never offered much in the way of opinions. That much had always been true especially when it came to his previous master. Barnaby ran his hand through what was left of his hair. "You're telling me that your absence is my fault." "Partially, sir..." Jack replied disarmingly. "Mostly though I've been keeping an eye on our invited guests. The General Keisnam has been quite secretive. I believe he is up to something. Along with a couple others. I believe it warrants the meeting we have planned." "Well, I'm glad the plan lines up with your moral compass." Barnaby said sarcastically. "Not so much that either. I think it helps you more than me." His master glanced up at him questioningly. "I am very in tune with human minds. Especially one such as yourself. Fansua realized this when he released me to you. I can offer helpful advice on this plan of yours." "I appreciate it. I really do. However, the reason I wanted you here in the first place was so I could get good home service." Jack had always been keenly aware of Barnaby's pride since he first met him. Even though he was no fool he still seemed prone to say foolish things. "When it comes down to it I will stand firmly by your side. Whether or not you seek my advice or humble services. This plan will succeed based solely on your ability to distinguish the next course of action." A twisted grin matched his response. "God help everyone if this is the best plan. A meeting? What kind of plan is that?" "The one you came up with, sir." Jack stated. Barnaby stayed quiet as he began to read his book. "It's a decent one." he finished, moving from the room to begin preparing lunch. He knew Barnaby well enough to know that he was doubting himself. Jack could only help him so much. The meeting would either go as planned or they both would be executed for treason. The odds were firmly in their favor due to the revelation of the Assembly's true intentions. General Allen was not as disconnected from the Initiate as he would have everyone believe. Truth was he is a direct threat to the Parlal's independence. All that would be revealed, then they would watch the leaders of the world react.

Sledge had lived with Ian for many years. Long enough so that he lost count. After the hard fought championship it all sort of blended together. Lavae and Fretters had been around almost as long as himself. The rest departed to pursue different lives. Not a day went by that he didn't miss them but the two that stayed with him are more than a handful. Especially Lavae, unfortunately she didn't get along with Teya so well. Fretters did what he could whenever they started arguing but eventually Sledge would have to get involved. He had a way with words that Fretters lacked. Ian had left earlier in the morning after a quick breakfast. Rarely a day went by he didn't work from morning to night. Sledge typically liked to work the garden during the daylight hours. He had been trying to keep his distance from Teya since she arrived. He didn't know her situation and whenever Ian had talked to him about her he ignored it. He had no interest in dealing with newcomers. Too many times before he thought he had friends and each one chose to leave. Their group of an original 54 reduced to a meager three. A loss which he had never seen other trainers endure. Teya though, she seemed a special case. Ian had never adopted new Pokemon ever since the end of the world tournament. Then suddenly out of nowhere a Charmeleon is a part of their family. Sledge could barely stand to see Ian put himself out like that after being hurt so brutally by the group he had gathered before. All Sledge wanted to do was make sure that Teya wouldn't take advantage of his kindness. This morning was no different from the rest. Except that he will take initiative to speak with Teya today. She slept on the couch peacefully with a fire retardant cover. He noticed she had a lot of trouble sleeping when she arrived and several days after. Now she slept regularly. He approached the living room and heard the television on. She must be awake now, he rounded the corner and saw her sitting on the couch. Her arms wrapped around her stomach and tail curled around to her front. He could see her gaze was distant and hadn't noticed his entrance yet. Honestly he has never seen many Char before but she looked sickly almost. Red skin paled and life-flame merely half normal burn. She hadn't been eating much, he was sure that had a lot to do with it. He gathered his courage. "Teya..." his throat caused his voice to come out raspy and weak. He cleared it determinedly. "Teya, are you feeling alright today?" Sounding a lot more like his normal self. She looked to him startled at first, then quickly recovered. Her blue eyes lively despite her sickly appearance. "Oh... I'm fine." she said, clearly nervous about talking with him. That he figured was due to his demeanor toward her up until now. "Good." he said, getting closer to her. "Mind if I sit next to you?" She paused and shook her head, unsure of how to react to his desire to be close to her. They both sat quietly for several minutes as the TV droned on. Awkwardly the silence dragged on with neither one of them coming up with a way to start a conversation. Teya grew bold first. "Not much of a talker?" He gave her a sideways glance. "I'm awful at making new friends..." he said. Not a smooth talker certainly. She smiled sweetly, making visible effort to engage with him. "Must be rough to be so shy." He blushed but thankfully his face hid from her clear view. "I'm not shy..." he said with a pitifully meager voice. She giggled lightly at that. "Then why avoid me for so long?" she asked. Because he was shy. Though he didn't like to be made to admit it. "I'm just slow to accept change." he said as if that justified it. "I don't much trust you to be honest." he said. Her smile died and she looked back to the floor. "Sorry." she said in a somber tone. "I wouldn't be here if I had a choice." Sledge eyes widened having realized his offense. "No wait! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that! What I meant is that you're new here andidon'tknowwhyIsaysomestuffsometimes." he finished hurriedly not wanting to embarrass himself further. He looked away and wished dearly he wasn't so terrible at this whole making conversation thing while he idly fiddled with his bone. "It's alright. I know what you mean." she replied. He felt relieved he didn't butcher his entire first impression. Even if it has been a rocky start he could recover if he were more careful. "I've seen a lot of Pokemon on my travels with Ian... Not all of them have been very kind. I guess my mistrust still kind of carries over even today." Teya looked back at him. "Why did you go with him?" Sledge met her gaze. "Didn't you want to be free?" A fair question from a Wilder, most could probably sympathize with that position. "Yes." he answered plainly. "I had good times before I met Ian. I also had plenty of bad times. One thing I've come to accept in my life is that things won't always go well no matter where you are. In the mountains where I used to live I was very small. It was a constant knowledge that at any moment I could be lunch for a bigger Pokemon. I was orphaned early in my life." Teya looked apologetic at that but let him continue. "I had to fight daily, for my food, for my lairs, for my own survival. Even before Ian knew I existed I was a fighter. Ian was just a means to an end when I first saw him. He had food and I knocked him out to get it." he found himself smiling at the memory. "Tracked me down when he finally woke up. When he found me I had already eaten half of his food. He fought me with his bare hands for the rest. Somehow he managed to get my bone from me, he finished me quick with one good hit to the head." Sledge knocked on his skull. "Even with this on it knocked the senses out of me. The difference with him though is that he stayed by my side until I came to. He was eating one of his snacks and shared a piece with me. He told me if I wanted some food all I had to do was ask." Teya was intrigued. "Didn't he catch you with a Pokeball?" "No. He didn't have any at the time. Spent all the money he had on food just to get to the next town." he paused and fiddled with his bone absently, recalling the journey. "The food he had was good. Which was enough for me to follow behind him a ways. He knew I tailed him and invited me to join him. He even offered to share his food if I did. I accepted, thinking that I wouldn't be around him for long. I'm glad I was wrong about that." Teya smiled at him, finding the story cute. "So you just befriended each other?" "Yeah. It wasn't very easy in the beginning though. We ran out of food early on, that was mostly my fault so I let it slide." She was taken by the thought that they got along at all. When so many Pokemon considered that all humans aggressively capture them it was hard to think any could just genuinely get along so well that they willingly engage in battle. He did have a fair point that free Pokemon usually battled anyway but for entirely different reasons. "What made you want to fight for him?" Sledge had barely noticed until now but he missed the feeling of welcoming another new Pokemon into their family. As weird as it had been living with Teya so far at least she hadn't been going out of her way to make them all uncomfortable. She had good sense about her. "Nobody ever got anything without a little sweat." he said with a cocky tone. "Ian and I ran into another trainer before we reached the town. We were both hungry, sluggish. Still, the trainer challenged him thinking I was his Pokemon. I had no interest in the idea at first. Until Ian pulled me aside and told me if I fought and won he would treat me to all I can eat. That set a fire in my eyes, I won before the other guy could even land a hit!" he chuckled through a pause. "Turned out I could eat an awful lot. Hell, even Ian got to join me for the feast. Turned out the kid we fought was impressed enough to give us a bonus." They both sat quietly reflecting on the story. Sledge watched her process it and read her expression. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. A good enough start he supposed. He was sure he could do better. She had been inside the house ever since she arrived and he realized he hadn't asked if she cared to visit with him in the yard. "I'm going to go check on the garden out back. Care to join me?" Teya felt touched by the offer and felt compelled to accept. "Sure, a little change of pace sounds good." They both jumped down from the couch. She followed him outside. The weather is an unpleasant overcast as it had been for the last couple days. Cold, gray and dry not exactly being beautiful. She looked over the garden she had seen once before. Teya hadn't seen gardens other than this one but the plants looked near wilted. With all the noise and traffic on the street she could understand why. Plants are sensitive beings, that much she knew for sure. Sledge knelt near one of the greens and cradled a leaf, running his thumb delicately over the surface. "It's been dry lately." he noted with a scowl. "Barely any rain since we got here." "What kind of plants are these?" Teya asked. "Peas, lettuce and some onions over there." he said with a vague gesture. "This stuff usually does pretty good, even with colder weather like we've been getting. No rain means we have to water it ourselves. The only problem with that is that there's water restrictions in place. So we can only use minimal amounts for the garden." "Water restrictions? What are those?" Sledge smiled at her naivete toward the human society. "It means there's not enough water to go around for everyone so we can only use so much as a result. Meaning the garden suffers." he explained. Teya figured that made some sense. "Will they be able to grow like that?" "They'll grow but not properly. We won't be able to get edible food from them I'm sure." he finished with a piteous sigh. "Is there a way I can help? I'll admit I don't know anything about growing plants. If you need help just tell me what to do." Her kind offer lifted his spirits. Probably wouldn't do much for the garden but what harm could it do? Everything is barely staying alive as it is. "Thanks Teya. All we've been able to do is keep the weeds out and the bugs from chewing on them. It's not much but it helps." She looked around the garden bed and spotted a few errant plants. Looking different than the ordered and tended ones. The weeds were small and must have sprouted overnight, they look just as dry as all the others. "The trick with the weeds is to get in under the roots." he explained plainly. "Otherwise they just keep on growing. These one are small though, a little pull on the stem and they'll come right out." She delicately gripped the stem and plucked it out easily. She looked over it in her claw for a moment before she tossed it back to the yard, continuing to work on another. Sledge watched her work for a few minutes. He felt relieved to see her adapting well enough. Char weren't the type to do such work. Planting and growing took time and a fair amount of patience. Which they seemed to lack in his experience. She wasn't a normal Charmeleon it seemed. Either that or she's been alienated from everything she knew. He would guess the latter. After a while of watching her work he realized he was staring. He pulled his gaze from her and focused on what work he could do. She didn't seem to notice and he sighed in relief. "So how did you end up out here? I know you are a wilder but you're a long way from the reserve." Teya began to warm up to him. The way he attempted to connect is pleasant. He speaks softly, letting her slowly become comfortable with his company. He let her work with him even if it was just in a garden. "I was from the reserve." she said plainly. "But I'm glad I'm not there anymore. The Crater was absolutely empty the last time I went through." "Sorry." he replied sympathetically. She smiled sweetly, comforting him. "Not everything about it has been bad... It's just that I miss my family." There was distaste in that last word. "The people I knew. It's natural to look back on it all so favorably. When I was there though, things weren't so great." "It's still home though. Few things are perfect." Sledge shrugged. "I still miss the mountains I grew up in. It wasn't so great there either!" "Looks like we're just a couple of homesick saps then." she said through lightened laughter. "Maybe we miss the days we were unhappy?" "I don't think so." he said as he looked over some shriveled lettuce leaves. "We just miss the few good things we left behind." Teya marveled at the thought. Such a simple suggestion she never realized before. "I miss the freedom I had when I lived up there. Sometimes I like to entertain the idea of going back and starting over." he paused, yanking a decidedly difficult weed. "Why don't you?" "Ian's a good friend. So are Fretters and Lavae. I couldn't imagine life without them anymore. I love them." Teya stared at him, understanding to some how he felt. She felt the same about Qagan until he disappeared. "Is this really better than what you had before?" She gestured around at the brown lawn and the city on the other side of the fence. He looked around and felt unmoved. "Certainly! My friends are dear to me, Teya. Everything here pales in comparison. They're my family now." She smiled and continued about with her work. Their conversation finished in a pleasant way, Sledge felt compelled to let it go. She would talk with him more when she was ready. It surprised him to see how used to meeting new Pokemon he still is. She seemed to be settling in pretty well now. Her life-flame looked a little healthier too.

Nurse Joy made her way to the egg room. Walking through the long hall she checked her medical sheet. All the eggs status were normal and hatching regularly. Save for one, the mother is a Charmeleon. Birthing difficulties were noted by her cousin. It was several days past it's expected hatch date. She entered the room and went straight to the egg in question. Every time she checked it it displayed a few more cracks. The Char within had weak life signs, it's heartbeat barely even registered on the equipment but it continued nonetheless. The shell couldn't hold much longer. She watched it carefully as a large crack cut down the side. In no way did the creature inside assist the hatching process. It hadn't shown a single sign of consciousness since it had been under observation. The rest of the shell quickly followed suit and webbed in cracks before giving way entirely. The small Charmander immediately laying flat into the warm padding. Eyes closed and life-flame flickering pitifully. Joy could only watch as it struggled quietly for it's first breath, not quite able get it. The flame slowly got dim before snuffing out entirely. It's chest heaved in a sudden spasm and the mouth parted lifelessly. Joy scowled at the display. There was nothing that could be done. It simply didn't have the strength to maintain itself. She began to write the death report before the creature let loose a rasping gasp as fire engulfed it's entire body. Joy jumped back in surprise and tried to see through the flames that shattered through the protective glass. The fire shrank as quickly as it started. The Charmander's life-flame snuffed out again but it was breathing normally as far as she could see. The small chamber was charred black and shards of glass were strewn across the floor. Wisps of smoke curled through the room dispersing in a gray haze. She would need help with this, she ran from the room to get Ian. The baby Charmander flicked its eyes open for the first time. Darkness was all its clouded piercing blue eyes could see.