FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

He was panting for breath as he strode through the buildings to the center of town from which a column of black smoke rose high into the sky, accompanied by thousands of embers, the light of fires bathing the night sky in a red hue. Spurred on by desperation, he ran faster than he ever had in his entire life, dodging fallen debris before rounding a corner to the town square, where horror beyond his wildest nightmare awaited him.

Pokémon were lying everywhere, their unconscious or even dead bodies littering the streets all around him. His eyes widened in horror, feeling a twist in his stomach, sightless eyes of the very townsfolk he was sworn to protect staring up at him as he stood frozen among them, feeling them cursing him from beyond the grave for his failure to defend them from this terror...

He doubled over, falling to his hands and knees, and retched, spilling the contents of his stomach over the pavement followed by a wet cough. Tears streamed from his eyes, flowing down his beak to splash into the sludge that had pooled beneath him, feeling the pain of guilt filling his chest as he wept, begging the townsfolk for forgiveness at his failure to arrive in time...

He heard a crash; his head shot up as he saw the wall of a building explode, a Watchog flying through the air along with the broken timbers and hitting the ground some ten feet away from where the wall of the house had once been. He did not move after landing.

But it was who followed him out that drew the attention of the town's defender; a tall, slender, white and green figure walking out from the destroyed house to stand tall over his fallen adversary. There was no look of triumph on his face, nor even a look of maniacal glee at the destruction he wrought. The face of the Gallade was emotionless, without feeling for what he had done.

That lack of emotion made his blood boil...

He attacked, the edges of his sight darkening as he rushed the Gallade. He attacked without reason, driven only by rage; words were exchanged, but he barely heard them, his only focus on making the scum suffer for what he had done. They clashed; fists and legs swinging and striking out, but neither one gained an edge over the other until the Gallade suddenly disappeared in a flash of light -a teleport!

His back exploded with searing-hot pain.

He fell...

~~~~~

The Port Town of Azure at twilight, when the sea was at its most beautiful as it reflected the light of the setting sun was barely into the process of settling down for the evening. Various species of Pokémon who lived there were on their way home from their daytime jobs, countless boats were moving to return to harbour or drifting by as the owners of them enjoyed the evening out on the water to savor the dusk as the other residents did.

Others, such as the Lucario named Luke, who was on the docks at that moment, going about his day after recently finishing a mission with his rescue team. He had just finished shopping for ingredients to make his supper that night, purchasing most of the goods from one of the kiosks near the dock. Holding his bag of seafood in his paw, he took a moment to glance over at the setting sun over the distance.

Smiling softly, he took in a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill his lungs and relax him. He stared out at that sunset for a while before he adjusted his navy blue tattered scarf on his neck, and then continued up the docks, wondering what else he could find that interested him before he headed back home again.

As he wandered up the dock, his ears caught the chiming calls of a young stall clerk along the dock. "Free samples of my special frozen yogurt!" The chubchoo that ran the stall called out to passersby. "Try one, and I'll give you a full order ten percent off!"

Luke looked over toward the stall, his ear twitching as the thought of sampling a potentially new flavour of yogurt catching his interest. He turned on his heel and walked back over toward the kiosk. "I'll take a sample, please."

"You bet!" The chubchoo bade him, reaching under the counter into a mini freezer where he brought out a sample cup of the cold dessert. "Banana flavoured, filled with chocolate chips. Can't go wrong with that combination."

"Certainly sounds good." Luke admitted as he put his bag down and took the sample in his paws. He gave it a quick inspection before scooping up a bit on a spoon and trying it. "Mmhh... good combination of flavours." He said. "Rich, creamy...The chocolate is a nice touch."

"I'm glad you like it," the chubchoo bade. "Would you be interested in a full order?"

"Sure, I'll take one." Luke said with a nod and a smile.

"Coming right up!" The little ice bear replied before ducking back behind the counter once more, pulling out a bucket and popping open the lid, filled with more of the dessert. He scooped out a full serving, placing it in a foam bowl and topping it with a strawberry. "The berry is complimentary," he said before he slid it across the counter to Luke. "Four Pokédollars please," he said as he returned the bucket to the freezer.

While Luke reached for his coinpurse and counted out the money, the Chubchoo studied him very closely. "Say... haven't I see you around before?" He asked.

Luke paused in his counting, looking back at the Chubchoo inquisitively. "Uhm...I don't think we have met, no." He returned.

"Well no, not directly..." The bear Pokemon patted his chin in thought, before he suddenly seemed to remember. "Oh right! The doctor in training; I saw you here the other day... no wait; you had glasses then, didn't you?"

Luke almost laughed as he realized the Chubchoo had actually mistaken him for his elder brother, Mikhail. Luke gave a warm smile and shook his head. "No I'm afraid you have it wrong. That would be my elder brother, Mikhail." Luke returned.

"Oooh..." The bear flushed a blue. "Um... awkward. Sorry."

"It's alright." He assured him. "If it helps, there's actually three of us. I'm the youngest."

"Ah. Alright, I'll try to remember that from here on," the Chubchoo replied. "Please, enjoy the dessert."

I shall, thank you." Luke returned with a nod, eating the dessert as he went on his way.

Heading to the end of the dock he settled down to enjoy his frozen yogurt, legs hanging over the water and absently kicking as he ate one little spoonful after another. Luke normally did not prefer to have dessert before dinner, but he decided to make an exception this time, as it was such a beautiful day and he wanted to stay outside and enjoy it a little longer. He went back to gazing out to sea, letting his mind wander as the sun set in the distance, bathing the sea in a bright orange as he enjoyed the calmest time of day.

His work as leader of a Rescue Team often left moments like this few and far between for him; moments where he could relax, think back on his life, and plan for his own future as well as that of his team, staring out at the red-hued sea, watching the boats go by... at times he forgot that his days could be as simple as this.

While lost in his melancholic train of thought, a familiar voice greeted him. "Salutations." They said, making him turn about to his left to see a rather large Samurott approaching him, clothed in a deep blue traditional kimono and walking on all fours.

Luke smiled and nodded to the Samurott as he recognized it as his team's heavy hitting warrior, Katsumoto, sometimes called the 'Mighty Glacier' of Team Valiant. "Evening, Katsu." He returned in a friendly manner. "Heading on home are you?"

The samurott nodded back. "Indeed. I was just gathering some food for tonight," he said, gesturing to a burlap sack he was carrying on his back, tied around his middle. "Our last mission did leave me rather ravenous."

Luke chuckled. "I guess great minds do think alike. I just came from buying some seafood myself for tonight." He said, and then held up his dessert. "There's a kiosk offering these as samples by a Chubchoo. Perhaps you'd like to swing by and try some for yourself?"

Katsu gave the yogurt a glance before rubbing his long, white whiskers. "Hmm...It does look tasty...I'll consider it." He returned with a nod. "Regardless, do not let me keep you, Luke. I'm sure you're just as hungry as I am right now."

"Yea. That last mission really worked up an appetite." Luke admitted. "Still, it was worth it. That rogue team would have caused a lot of trouble had we not gotten involved." Luke stated. "Anyway, I'm just going to stay here a little longer, finish this and then start for home. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course. Good tidings, Luke; give my regards to your family." The Samurott said with a small bow, slowly turning away and leaving Luke to finish his frozen yogurt.

The Lucario watched him leave for a few seconds before turning his gaze back out to the sea, noticing another boat had arrived in the harbour; it wasn't one he recalled seeing before, but it was not uncommon for travellers to tie their boats in Azure and stay overnight, rather than sail in the dark. As he slurped down the last of his yogurt, he stood up, depositing the form cup and spoon into a litter bin before he started to leave the docks and head hom.

Just as he stepped off the wooden pier, however, he heard someone commenting nearby. "Hey, that boat out there... isn't it coming kind of fast?"

When he turned to the voice, he saw some younger Pokémon on the beach, pointing out to sea, and proceeded follow where they were looking. He saw indeed there was a wooden, long-cabin motorboat approaching the shore, engines on full throttle as it headed for the beach. Others were watching the boat with curiosity, exchanging looks and questions as they wondered who it belonged to. However, to Luke, it was becoming increasingly apparent something was wrong... the boat wasn't turning or even slowing down. He used his Aura Sense, peering at the boat and finding it had only one occupant, but its aura was weak.

Whoever it was on board was in the cabin, and was scrambling for the front; they were undoubtedly aware now of their situation and were trying to solve it, but even as Luke heard the throttle lessening the boat carried forward with its own momentum; it was going to run aground!

Immediately the Lucario dropped his things and ran down to the end of the dock, shouting to the people on the beach at the top of his lungs. "Everyone clear out now!!" He called out. "Clear out before it impacts!!"

"I think he's right; move!" One of the Pokémon on the beach called, ushering everyone to get away from the shore. Most of the crowd panicked, scattering away as the boat began to elevate as it reached the shallows of the beach, causing wet sand to splatter all over the hull, until it left the water, instead sending plumes of dry sand in all directions, and kept going until the hull struck a boulder, stopping dead in its tracks and punching a hole through the wooden body of the vessel.

The window of the boat's bridge shattered, as a body went soaring through head first; Luke watched in shock as the figure flew through the glass, tumbling through the air before landing in the sand and skidding along the beach, sending Pokémon scattering to avoid them until they finally came to a stop. They lay there, unmoving, soundless... they looked dead, even.

The Pokémon on the beach approached the red-feathered form cautiously, staring at the stranger. "A Blaziken?" One said, observing the figure in detail.

"Geez, is he okay?"

"Was he drunk or what? Why didn't he turn away?"

"Well don't just let him lie there! Someone help him; come on!"

Luke was already rushing to help, gently pushing his way through the crowd and repeatedly excusing himself before he finally made it through them and into the clearing they had formed around the Blaziken. He stopped, horrified by what he saw; by Arceus, had they been through an ordeal... beyond the obvious scratches on his head and body caused by the window, which were other fresh cuts through his feathers, along with bruises that had long flowered and showed even through his feathers...

Luke shook off his initial hesitation and dropped to the Blaziken's side, putting his ear to his chest and listening. To his relief, they were indeed alive; their heart was still beating, and their beak hanging open while it elicited the sound of raspy breathing.

All of the commotion had brought Katsu running back, who had apparently had still been near enough to hear the boat when it crashed into the shore, finding the crowd and running over with all due haste. "What happened?!" He demanded as he approached the scene. It was not long before he noticed the wounded Blaziken lying below the pier, with his team leader crouched over them. "Is that one alright?" He asked.

"He's alive, but judging from these wounds, he's in serious trouble." Luke returned, checking the severity of the Blaziken's injuries, avoiding the urge to try and move them in case of a neck injury. Up close, he was able to see the length of the downward V-shaped crest growing from the back of the Blaziken's head, both lengths of feathers, sprawled across the sand, longer than his arm. "A male," he thought aloud in a low whisper, recognizing the signature crest; females had shorter crests and were thinner, but this one was big and had the long crest.

The bruises were fresh, likely no more than a day old. The fresh cuts he found across their body were obviously from the broken window, but aside from those there were other cuts that had already scabbed over and sealed, but the crash had opened some of them again; this poor Pokemon had already been wounded long before crashing, and doing so had only made his already serious injuries worse. The Blaziken was in urgent need of medical attention.

He was about to speak to Katsu and tell him to go find help when the Blaziken suddenly moved, letting out a pained moan, their eyes opening half-lidded and shakily, struggling to stay awake as they found Luke and stared up at him.

Luke gently pressed his paws down on the Blaziken's shoulders to keep him still as he came to, worried he might try to sit up. "Easy..." He said softly. "You're going to be alright."

The Blaziken let out a weak gasp in reply, trying to speak and raising his arm slightly, before his eyes rolled back in his head and he went limp in Luke's grasp, his hand falling across Luke's closest arm after losing consciousness again, continuing to draw in laboured breaths. Luke sighed when he was out once more, gently touching the Blaziken's hand with his paw before he looked up to Katsu. "Go find Mikhail. Tell him to meet me at my place." He said as he gently began to lift the Blaziken up in his arms, taking care not to aggravate his wounds as he picked him up.

"It shall be done." Katsu returned, quickly turning about and heading off to find Luke's brother, while Luke began carrying the injured Blaziken away.

The crowd parted as he carried the stranger away, some of them even ushering others aside who were frozen in place by the spectacle. The people were left wondering, no doubt, the same kind of question that was on Luke's mind. Who was this Blaziken and where had he come from? And what had happened to leave him injured in such a way? Although some of the injuries were obviously caused by the crash, several of his wounds looked like they were already in the process of closing but were torn open again by his crash.

Luke would have to wait until the Blaziken had recovered from his wounds before he could ask questions. For now, his health was priority number one. He trotted through town until he had made his way inland into a more forested part of the area. From there, he entered a clearing with an indent in the grass, given away by a small latch leading into a mound

Luke knelt down and pulled at the latch, opening it up and doing his best to carry the Blaziken down without hurting him; the doorway wasn't exactly meant for two. They stepped inside to a rather quaint underground home, complete with a dining and living room, and a couple of bedrooms as well; a rather comfortable home for someone who required little in his life. Luke was not one for spending his money on making a fancy home for himself; just enough to make it feel like a home, and not a hole in the ground.

Luke carried the Blaziken into the living room and gently laid him down on the sofa, leaving briefly to grab a blanket from the spare bedroom to cover him up with, to try to keep him warm and comfortable, then knelt at his side, watching over him carefully until help would come.

Shortly, Luke's brother and the large Samurott arrived at the house, entering quickly through the same trap door Luke had used to enter his home. Mikhail was roughly the same height as Luke, only slightly leaner and wore a pair of glasses over his snout, and not quite as fit-looking as Luke, clearly the more scholarly of the two. He brought along with him a large medical book and some medicinal supplies as well, laying them out on the table in front of the couch without so much as a hello to his brother, focused entirely on his new patient.

Mikhail knelt next to the Blaziken and studied his wounds carefully, humming as he spoke lowly to himself in analysis of his patient's condition. "Many bruises; unknown cause, some lacerations -not too deep, but they risk infection if not sealed." He said as he opened his bag of supplies. "Looks like some of these cuts were already healing too; these ones did not happen today."

"I noticed that too," Luke informed his brother.

He looked to Luke. "Katsumoto tells me you found him on the beach after a boat crashed into the docks?"

Luke nodded. "Very odd if you ask me... He came right from the bridge as well, so that must mean he was guiding the ship."

"Not necessarily. Don't jump to conclusions yet." Mikhail stated as he began cleaning and dressing the Blaziken's many wounds, staunching the bleeding before he could lose anymore of the precious life fluid, as Mikhail had determined partway that the Blaziken was already in a dangerous situation from his many wounds -including a rather grotesque one across his back that Luke hadn't seen before, but was horrendous enough that he cringed at the sight of it. It was a miracle that this cut had not found the poor Blaziken's spine, for it looked as though someone had tried to slice him right in half, but either their swing was ill-timed or the Blaziken tried to get out of the way, resulting instead in a shallow but severe laceration across his back.

The moment Mikhail found that horrible cut, he instructed Katsu to fetch a pail of hot, clean water and some rags. Katsu complied, dashing into the kitchen and pouring some water from the faucet into a kettle before putting it onto the stove and setting it while Luke, coming in to help him search for rags. When the water was boiling, the returned to the living room, bringing Mikhail the requested items. Luke assisted him in wiping up excess water with a second rag as the doctor-in-training wrung out one of the rags into the Blaziken's wound to flush out some of the sand before he began to wipe around it, cleaning the blood and sand from his body.

When everything was properly disinfected and covered, the older Lucario hummed as he considered how to treat the wound. "It's going to need many stitches," he said. "Or, maybe I can close it with Heal Pulse."

Deciding to try the latter first, he cupped his paws around the gash on his patient's back and began sealing it up by concentrating his Aura into his paws for a Heal Pulse. It closed most of the way, healing as much as would normally take a week to do so and thus ensuring it would not be opened again as long as it was not over-stressed if he tried to move too soon.

When he was finished, he turned the Blaziken onto his back once more to address the less severe injuries on the front, wringing out a fresh, clean rag to clean them as he had the first. The process took a couple of hours, all the while Luke and Mikhail watching and helping where needed. When finally he was finished and all of the wounds were dressed, he examined his work a second time to make sure he had not missed anything, even leaning down and putting an ear to the Blaziken's chest to check his breathing and heartrate, affirming that they were still steady.

"He'll be alright, now," the scholarly Lucario stated as he pulled back his head and used his Aura sense to see the Blaziken had gained some strength from his Heal Pulses as well, "He just needs some rest and..."

Suddenly, the Blaziken jolted awake, rising up so quickly he actually scared poor Mikhail into falling backward. Luke instinctively caught him from behind, stopping him from falling to the floor where he might hit his head. But the act of getting up so fast caused the injured Blaziken to swoon, eyes going crossed before he fell back on the sofa again. The Blaziken groaned, shifting uncomfortably as hugging his body tightly with his arms. "Wha...?"

Recovering from the initial jumpscare of the Blaziken's rather violent awakening, Mikhail readjusted his glasses as Luke released him. "Well that was quite the awakening."

The Blaziken tried to move again, only to cringe as his whole body exploded with pain. "Ah! What's going on?!" He demanded, sitting up again despite the agony it caused him and looking around in a panicked manner, before his eyes fixed on the two Lucario and the Samurott. "Who the hell are you?!" He demanded, confused and reacting poorly to his first sightings; if he did not calm down he would surely do himself more harm.

"Calm down!" Luke stated in a commanding tone that made the Blaziken freeze, putting up his paws in a peaceful manner to show they meant no harm. "Relax. You're safe. You were gravely injured, but my brother was treating your wounds before you well... suddenly gave him a fright."

The Blaziken was about to speak, instead cringing again. "Agh... why am I..." He lifted his hand from where he'd held it on his arm, only for his eyes to widen in shock as he saw blood -his blood, pouring out of a wound that his sudden jolt had stressed back open, and he went completely still as he stared at the red substance on his talon. "...What is going on?" He asked, his eyes searching the room. "What... is this place and..." He put his other hand on his head. "Ah my head..."

Luke dared to move closer, placed a reassuring paw on the Blaziken's chest, trying to comfort him. "You were injured. You're in my home now." He answered. "Nothing's going to happen to you, alright? Just lay back and let my brother finish treating your wounds."

"Uh... Okay," the Blaziken replied, slowly laying back on the sofa and staring at the ceiling. "I... How did I get here?"

"I was hoping you'd be able to tell me." Luke returned as he stepped aside to let Mikhail return and begin to seal up the Blaziken's wounds once more, starting with those that his rude awakening had opened again. "From what I saw, you ran a boat at full speed into the docks."

"A... boat?" He asked, confused. "What was I doing on a... boat?" He put his hand to his head again, trying to think back, until he gave Luke the most horrified look he'd seen on the fire-type's face yet -not to mention the Blaziken proceeded to ask a question he had not been ready for. "Can... any of you... tell me who I am?"

Luke, Mikhail and Katsu looked down at the Blaziken in bewilderment, stunned. "You...don't know your own name?" Katsu asked.

"I... I don't," he replied, before that look of shock returned. "I-I can't remember anything."

Mikhail hummed in thought, rubbing his chin as he examined the signs of head trauma the Blaziken had clearly suffered from the crash, particularly a blood-stained spot atop his cranium behind the V-shaped crown growing from his forehead. "Amnesia, perhaps caused by the cranial trauma." he suggested. "You can't remember anything? Not even before the crash?"

"I crashed?" The Blaziken asked, not even remembering that far back.

Mikhail then adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Oh dear; this could prove to be a problem." He said, beginning to pack his items as he confirmed that he was finished; obviously the patient was stable, as he had regained consciousness already and was able to stay awake. "I'd recommend some rest before you start hurting yourself trying to remember anything. I'll stop by again tomorrow morning to check on you and administer more healing, but don't do anything strenuous until then, understand?"

"O-okay," the Blaziken replied timidly, laying back on the couch again and staring at the ceiling, mumbling lowly to himself.

Luke looked to Katsu and Mikhail. "Thank you for your help. I'll take it from here." Luke said, to which both of them nodded. He embraced his brother gratuitously before Mikhail left the house first, with Katsu following behind and shutting the door on his way out.

Once they were gone, Luke returned to the Blaziken and knelt down next to him, putting on a friendly face to ensure that his guest did not feel worried. "Is there anything you require? Food, drink? I can make you something."

The Blaziken barely even acknowledged his presence at first, until the mention of the word food. At that, he shifted slightly. "I... guess I do feel kind of hungry," he said, blinking.

Luke nodded. "I'll make you something real quick." He said, gently patting his chest before standing up and heading to the kitchen to make something for the recovering Blaziken.

He began to think over what a Fire/Fighting-type like Blaziken would enjoy; he certainly wouldn't eat any kind of Poultry but would definitely still have a protein-rich diet. Unfortunately, Luke didn't have much in that category, so he resorted instead to the seafood he had purchased earlier that day, preparing it while fighting back the questions in his own mind to this stranger's predicament. To be injured so extensively _before_running a boat aground told Luke that his guest had been fighting -and losing- before coming to Azure.

And Luke knew he wasn't from Azure; there was only one Blaziken that lived there as coastal towns were not an ideal place for them. The one who excepted that general idea was the girlfriend of Luke's eldest brother, Rigel; she was the only Blaziken living in Port Azure, but this stranger that had crash landed there was unlikely to be any sort of relative to her; he did not resemble her in any way, either in body or even in Aura.

Although he was worried for the well-being of the Blaziken, part of him wondered just what could do so much harm to a Blaziken, Pokémon known for being incredible fighters -this one even looked like a fighter. He had seen it when Mikhail had examined him; calloused hands and knuckle-bones, dense leg musculature and a strong upper body. This one was a warrior, and had apparently lost whatever battle he'd been fighting recently.

When Luke returned with some food in hand -a platter of fresh fish and corn, he looked at his guest and found the Blaziken's cheeks were stained with tears, but his eyes were still staring at the ceiling as he had been when Luke left him.

"H-Hey, you alright?" Luke asked, setting the food down on the table nearby and kneeling down next to him once more, touching his cheek lightly. "...You're crying."

"I..." The Blaziken blinked again. "I'm just... so confused; why can't I remember anything; what happened to me?" His eyes fell half-lidded. "It's like... when I woke up, I felt as though I were... in danger, but I only found you three." He shuddered. "And I have this sense of dread in my heart, but I don't know what's causing it."

Luke sighed a little. "...I don't know what kind of dread you must be feeling right now, but I can promise you that you're safe here. I'll look after you at least until you're able to get back up on your own feet." He offered.

The Blaziken turned to look at Luke, staring at him long and hard for a moment, before he asked. "Something... about you. Have we met before?" He asked, sounding almost desperate.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of his question. "You wouldn't be the first to ask me that today, but no we haven't." He said, then slid his paw off the Blaziken's cheek and held it in front of him. "My name's Luke."

The Blaziken looked down at Luke's paw, blinking several times before his hand started to move towards it, until he grasped it firmly. "...What am I doing?" He asked. "Somehow this feels right but... what's this called?" It seemed he physically remembered the act of a hand/paw shake, but not the actual name of the gesture itself.

Luke snickered a little. "I should hope it feels right." He commented. "It's a handshake, or in my case, a _paw_shake." He explained. "It's used as a way of greeting others, or showing respect or gratitude to another."

The Blaziken nodded in understanding. "Okay..." He gave Luke a weak smile, and when they parted their hands, he sat up and accepted the plate of food from Luke, staring at it until another nagging question left his beak. "Do you think when I'm healed a little, we can go have a look at this... boat I arrived in?" He asked

Luke nodded. "Of course. I was thinking of checking it out tomorrow. If you're able to stand by then, you can join me. Perhaps... maybe we can find some answers for you."

The Blaziken nodded, and proceeded to take his first bite of Luke's cooking, choosing to start with some fish, biting a piece of it off with his beak and tilting his head back to taste it, eyes widening slightly. "Mmm... that's good," he said.

Luke chuckled and placed his paw on his own chest. "I'm glad you like it. I am a self-taught cook." He said with some pride. "Everything I know about culinary arts is my own hard work and determination."

"It shows," the Blaziken said, proceeding to enjoy more of the meal, his mood seeming to lift a little with Luke's cooking. In practically no time at all he had cleared the plate as though he had been starving, looking a little calmer now with a full belly as he passed the plate back to Luke. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome." Luke returned as he took the plate, marvelling at how barely even a speck remained on it. "Damn...you must have been ravenous. You downed all that in record time."

"It would seem I have not eaten in a while," the Blaziken commented, rubbing his stomach as the food settled. "I wonder how long I was at sea?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I wasn't on that boat." Luke returned before excusing himself to take the dishes into the kitchen returning to Volcan's side moments later, staying at his side so that his guest would not feel so afraid.

"I ran it into the shore... I must've been unconscious or something," the Blaziken went on. "I may not remember anything about myself but I feel that I would not do something so reckless as running a boat aground deliberately."

"Somehow, I don't believe you would either." Luke returned, touching the Blaziken's shoulder once more. "Regardless, we'll get to the bottom of this. For now, you can call this place home. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

The Blaziken eyed Luke with some reluctance. "Are you... sure that's okay? I mean, even I don't remember who I am; how do we know I'm not..." He paused, grimacing as his gaze fell away from Luke. "That I'm not some rogue, or a thief that was running from authorities? If even I can't recall how can you be sure I can be trusted?"

Luke scooted a little closer, now touching his cheek to silence him. "Relax, alright? So far you've done nothing to prove you're of the sort...and judging from your aura, I can tell you're a good natured Blaziken. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt."

The Blaziken allowed himself a somewhat better smile this time, meeting Luke's gaze and nodding to him. "For both our sakes, I hope it's not misplaced." he said, before his eyes narrowed slightly and he yawned. "Mm... I think I may need some of that rest your... brother? Was that your brother?" When Luke nodded, he continued. "That he suggested, now."

Luke nodded again, then walked over to the guest room down the hall to grab a second blanket for the Blaziken, taking off the now bloodied and dirty one before gently draping this new clean one over his body. When his guest was comfortable, Luke once more knelt beside him, patting his shoulder again. "If you need anything, just holler, alright?"

He nodded again. "Thank you for your kindness, Luke... I hope one day I can return the favor," he said before he laid down on the couch, shifting slightly as his eyes shut, and he became quiet...

Luke smiled when the Blaziken was sound asleep, slowly standing up and heading back to the kitchen to make a meal for himself. His smile faded as he prepped his meal, replaying the events of the day over in his mind again, just unable to not think about it. "There's something amiss..." He muttered to himself as he kept on pondering the event in his mind.

Hopefully, on the morrow, they would find their answers. Whoever this stranger from another land was, they had clearly been caught in something bigger than he had been able to handle. Blaziken were among some of the fiercest Pokemon in the world, on account of their warrior nature being Fire/Fighting types -anyone who could do this much damage to one, covering them in defensive wounds and sending them fleeing across an entire sea for their very lives, was not someone they would be able to take lightly.

After Luke finished his supper, he took one more glance at the sleeping Blaziken on the sofa before he figured it was time to turn in for the night. He would need to be at a hundred percent if he was going to solve this new conundrum that hit his town...

~~~~~

So much pain...

His back was utterly burning with agony as he struggled to get bac to his feet, knowing that if did not get back on his feet immediately, he would die. But he only made it halfway before a kick to his eye socket sent him to the ground again, holding his eye in pain and blinking away tears that formed.

He thrashed on the ground, looking up in horror as the tall, thin, white figure stalked towards him, extending a pair of blades from its elbows and staring down at him emotionlessly as it drew back its blades to strike...

~~~~~

Luke awoke to noises in the night, jolting awake from his sleep as he thought he heard someone calling out or help. He listened for a moment, and could hear sounds coming from his living room, of mumbled words and pained cries. But it was the sound of the body hitting the floor that really set him off; it sounded as though his guest were being attacked!

Luke was on high alert, quickly springing out of his bed and rushing through to the living room, his mind racing as to what could have been the disturbance. There was no one other than the Blaziken himself in the roon when he arrived, the former struggling against unknown enemies, rolling about on the floor and getting himself tangled in his own blanket as he thrashed about in what could only have been an intensive nightmare.

Luke immediately ran over to the Blaziken's side, quickly yanking the blanket off of him to prevent smothering himself during his scuffle. "Hey! Hey take it easy! Calm down!" Luke commanded him, trying to restrain him.

Suddenly, the Blaziken jolted awake, and let out a furious holler as he turned on Luke, raising his fist and swinging it towards him, but he stopped, just inches from the tip of Luke's nose as the figure managed to come to his senses and stop himself in the nick of time, blinking his eyes several times and drawing in no breath as he stared back at Luke as if trying to identify him, his pupils contracted to the size of beads as he stared at him, lost in rage...

Luke flinched, staying completely still as they stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity. Finally Luke spoke. "...Are you alright?" He asked in a soft tone to the Blaziken.

The Blaziken's blinked his eyes again, slower this time, and the pupils dilated to their proper size. He stared at Luke, seeing him only inches away and the way he looked at him, and then rolled his eyes to the side to see his upraised arm...

"What...?" He began.

His expression shifted to one of horror, finally drawing in a breath to gasp sharply as he then hurled himself back from the Lucario, scrambling away from him as he looked around the room for a moment, getting his bearings before looking at Luke again. "Arceus almighty, I almost...!" He said, horrified by the fact he had nearly struck Luke.

"It's alright. Calm down." Luke returned, speaking in a commanding tone once more. "You must have been having one hell of a nightmare."

"I... I saw... flames," he said. "Buildings on fire, Pokemon caught in the infernos, others running to escape it... and a... a being." He shook his head harshly, grabbing it with his talons before he let out a wail of anguish. "Damn it why can't I remember?!"

"Calm... down," Luke said softly yet firmly to him, moving closer to try and give him a comforting touch. The instant Luke placed his paw upon his shoulder though, the Blaziken tensed and scurried away again until he hit the corner of the living room.

"No, no... Don't come near me," he said, tears streaming down his face as he stared desperately back at Luke. "I'm not safe. I'm not-" He trailed off, choking as he huddled into the corner and curling himself up into a fetal position. "I'm sorry." He said, repeating those words several times as he buried his face into his knees and began to sob.

Luke sighed; seeing the Blaziken so distraught made his heart twist in his chest. Slowly he got closer to him, stepping to the Blaziken's left side him before kneeling down and gently embracing him from the side. "It's alright. You are safe here, I promise." He whispered in caring tone to him.

Eventually, the Blaziken mustered the courage to look up at Luke with a guilt-trodden face, cheeks stained with tears. He sniffed once, repeating his apology again several times as, slowly, he put his own arms around Luke, holding him tightly as though he had known him for years, just wanting someone near him while he continued to bawl his eyes out, dampening Luke's torso with his tears as he buried his face into his stomach.

Whatever this Blaziken had been through, it had truly traumatized him, but since he had arrived on that boat all alone, he had no one else to turn to but this kindly Lucario who had taken him in. Though just as much a stranger to him as the Blaziken himself was to Luke, he still felt safer held in his arms, and after a few hard sobs eventually started to calm down, the tension easing away slowly.

Luke started to rub his back slowly, rocking him back and forth in a comforting manner, even nuzzling his cheek a little to help calm the Blaziken down. "Everything will be fine. I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of everything." He said, pulling back and looking him square in the eye. "You have my word."

The Blaziken blinked at him, eyeing him with some confusion. "Why...? Why are you doing all of this for me?" He asked. "You only met me a few hours ago."

Luke gave him a determined look as he answered. "I shouldn't need a reason to want to help someone in need." Luke stated firmly to him. "Right now,you are someone in need, and it would go against my morale compass to deny you the aid you require."

The Blaziken blinked some more tears from his eyes, and nodded weakly to Luke, shakily releasing a sigh from his beak. "Okay," he said, barely audible, once more leaning into him.

Luke continued to hold onto the Blaziken gently. "Maybe if you stayed in the presence of another, it might help you sleep a little better." Luke offered. "Would you like me to stay around? At least until you're alright to sleep on your own?"

"I couldn't ask that of you..." The Blaziken replied.

"You're not asking it of me. I'm offering it to you." He stated. "There's a difference, my friend." The Lucario pulled back from the Blaziken, standing up and holding out his paw to him. "Besides...I'm sure a bed would be more comfortable for you than a couch." He said with a small chuckle as the Blaziken finally managed to grasp his paw and be helped to his feet.

From there, Luke guided the Blaziken from the living room, making their way to the bedrooms and opening the door to his own room. The Blaziken had stepped inside and, noticing the unmade double-bed, realized that they were actually in Luke's room. "A-Are you sure this is okay?" He asked. "Sharing a bed is kind of... intimate, don't you think?"

"Only if you allow it to be." Luke pointed out. "Like I said, I don't need a reason to help you out. And if sharing a room is what it takes, then I'll put my needs aside for that." He added as he walked around the reluctant Blaziken, pulling open the covers of the bed for him to crawl in first.

The Blaziken swallowed nervously, but eventually he crossed the room climbed into bed, slowly and carefully, lying down with his back facing the side Luke would be sleeping on. Luke could see in his eyes he still did not feel right about doing this, but neither one said any more about it. Luke walked around to the other side and crawled in as well, pulling the covers with him so they were both snug under them, but he remained sitting upright as he glanced over at his new guest. "Better?" He asked.

"Y-Yes..." the Blaziken said, shakily. "It's... very comfortable..."

Luke nodded, gently patting the Blaziken's trembling shoulder. "Just relax alright?" He said softly to him. "You just focus on getting a good night's rest." He assured the Blaziken before he turned over and laid down himself. "Now, you go to sleep. I'll be right here if you need anything."

"Okay," the Blaziken returned, timidly as he pressed his face into his pillow, letting out a sigh. In a short while, he began to drift off back to sleep.

Luke sat up again when he was sure that the Blaziken was no longer awake, and watched him for a while, to see if he would suffer anymore unpleasant dreams, but other than a few occassional shifts in how he was lying, the Blaziken remained quiet, and Luke was certain his dreams were not as terrifying this time.

He smiled as he was certain his guest was at peace, and carefully laid back down again, rolling over onto his side and letting his eyes close until he too was claimed by the world of dreams, leaving the room in silence as the two of them slept through what remained of the night...