A Close Thing | By : Mizor4 Category: +M through R > Pokemon Views: 5508 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
Simi jerked awake. Pale pre-dawn light glowed softly from the windows. Sitting on the floor had not proven terribly restful, but she barely noticed her stiff muscles and sore butt. Her eyes immediately went to the motionless lump of gray, black, and red fur, sprawled where she left him. Even so, her arm wavered slightly, imagining him waking up in a panic, but she had to check. Simi placed a hand in front of the pokemon's angular snout, and shallow breaths tickled her skin. He still lived.
Small spots of blood had soaked through the bandages overnight but not enough to worry her. What she wouldn’t give for another hour or two of sleep, in a bed, but she pushed the thought away and instead stoked the hearth to a gentle crackle and set water to boil.
She also tried not to think about what would happen when an injured pokemon, whose state of mind the creator alone knew, woke. Hopefully he'd be too weak to jump up and pull out his stitches – or attack her. After scrubbing her arms with soap and hot water, she returned to her patient's side and sat.
Simi spoke softly. "Hello?" She tried again, louder, but the pokemon didn't so much as twitch. Gently, she touched the top of his snout. Short velvety fur covered his muzzle, and small red markings she hadn't noticed the previous night ran from each nostril. Even sprawled on the floor in such a state did little to take away from the creature's majesty. He was beautiful, lithe and muscular, graceful and deadly.
"Hello?" Simi gave his snout a hesitant pat. The idea of placing her fingers closer to the pokemon's jaws made her uneasy, but he needed to at least drink something. With no response, Simi attempted to pry open his mouth. His jaws stuck, lips sticky with thirst. Simi used a strip of cloth to pull his lower jaw open rather than placing her fingers between his serrated teeth.
The bowl beside her contained cool fresh water mixed with honey. Simi soaked a cloth in it and slowly squeezed a few drops at a time into his mouth, pausing to stroke his throat until she was sure he wouldn't choke. After the first few mouthfuls, his jaws seemed to relax, and he began to swallow on his own, the first voluntary motion she'd seen from him.
It took time and patience, but Simi found the motions therapeutic, easy to let her thoughts drift and for all of this to turn out all right, for a quick recovery, and for her mother not to return and find Simi half eaten. How many humans could say they saved a wild pokemon? Surely her mother hadn't, it would have been far too interesting a story not to tell.
Simi let her cloth absorb more of the honeyed water, then turned to find a set of impossibly blue eyes staring back at her. Water dripped unnoticed onto the ground between them. The pokemon's fur raised, making him puff up slightly. She could see tension working into his weak muscles, a hint at the toned power masked by fur. His eyes never wavered, never blinked, but glimmered in the firelight.
Simi made a hushing sound and slowly placed the cloth in the bowl's edge, each motion slow and as non-threatening as she could make them. "You're okay. You were hurt. I-I helped you." She spoke slow and clear, hoping that if nothing else her voice would help calm him, show she wasn't a threat. Hesitantly, and with a hand that held far steadier than she felt, Simi reached towards him.
A low growl rumbled from the pokemon's chest and white fangs flashed between the dark fur of his muzzle, bloody red markings a grim warning. Simi tried not to flinch and didn't draw back. His eyes, for the briefest moment, flicked towards her fingers before returning to her face. She continued to extend her open palm, slowly until her hand gently rest against his cheek.
"It's okay. Try not to move your leg. It needs to heal." Simi stroked his face, and to her astonishment, he quieted, fur deflating slightly, though his eyes remained sharp and alert, ready for quick violence, the tension still held in his limbs.
"You're safe here. My name is Simi." Her hand moved from his cheek to smooth his deep red mane, slashed with black and gray accents. "I've never seen a pokemon like you before. I don't know to call you." She had no idea if he understood a word she said, but focusing on calming him helped her ignore the fact that he wouldn't need to move his leg for those finger-long claws to rip into her.
Red fur outlined his parted lips like a recent, bloody meal, but he didn't make a sound. After another minute stroking his head, his eyes drooped shut. He seemed to fight to keep them open, but they eventually slipped closed, his breath slowing as well. Simi quickly checked his bandages and rose, letting him sleep undisturbed.
Without a wild pokemon staring at her like she were a meal, her own weariness returned in earnest, but it might be a good idea to have something for the pokemon to eat when he woke again. While she had no idea what pokemon ate, his saw-blade teeth gave her a clue, and she fetched a chunk of salted beef from the cellar. Even with her mother's respectable income, meat was a luxury, but Simi desperately wanted to avoid finding herself as a hungry pokemon's meal.
Some hours later, fading twilight replaced a pleasantly clear day Simi hadn't more than glimpsed through the window. Simi had cleaned up a good deal of the mess from last night, though the front steps still needed a good scrub. A hearty stew simmered at the edge of the hearth, filling the small house with a warm and savory aroma. She dipped a spoon into the bubbling pot to taste it when a rasping voice broke the silence.
"Human."
Simi jumped, the spoon in her hand falling into the pot, softly clinking off the rim. She spun to find the pokemon's cold blue eyes watching her intently. Of course pokemon in stories could always talk, but she never expected it to be true.
Zoroark whined almost too soft to hear. "Water?" It wasn't quite a question, more a quiet plea. Simi filled a small wooden bowl before she could worry about the proximity to his large blood-red claws.
"Don't move your leg," she instructed, "but can you sit up?" Simi placed a hand gently under his shoulder and helped him rise up onto an elbow. A pained growl rumbled through his grit teeth from the effort.
Simi held the bowl out, and the pokemon lapped voraciously at the cool water, spilling almost as much as he drank. Water dripped from his snout, and he panted heavily after nearly emptying the bowl.
Simi placed the bowl aside. "Do you have a name?" The pokemon studied her face, and Simi didn't push him while he caught his breath.
Firelight danced in his large glossy eyes. "Zoroark do not have names." Despite his obvious exhaustion and gravely voice, he spoke clearly enough that Simi easily understood him.
"Zoroark," Simi repeated to herself. She had never heard of such a pokemon before, not even by description. "Do you think you can move? The bed will be more comfortable. I can help you up." She tentatively offered her hand. While Zoroark didn't take any initiative, he didn't protest when Simi moved closer.
"Keep your injured leg straight, if you can. Try not to use it." Simi placed one hand under his arm and used the other to support his back.
Despite a powerfully lithe appearance, it took a concerted effort to get Zoroark to his feet. The angled set of his legs made it awkward to lift him off his back, and his movements felt weak, wavering once they stood and almost bringing the pair of them to the ground. He snapped his teeth at her from the jolt, but Simi held firm, and they managed the three paces to Simi's bed.
"Are you hungry?" Simi asked once she settled Zoroark onto the mattress, his back propped against the wall. He gave her a searching look before nodding sheepishly, an eager hunger plain in his eyes.
Simi returned to the kitchen and prepared two bowls of stew, lightly seasoned as she had no idea what a pokemon would find palatable. The small cubes of meat nearly fell apart when she tested one with the edge of a spoon.
Either Zoroark was starving or didn't care what he ate, because Simi barely handed him the bowl before thick gravy covered his chin. He swallowed the meat and diced root vegetables, barely slowing to chew or breathe.
Simi couldn't help but smile at his sudden enthusiasm, despite a slight worry he might choke. Hunger was a good sign in a patient, and though her own stomach rumbled, Simi barely managed more than a few bites before Zoroark licked at the bottom of a nearly clean bowl with a long thin tongue that rasped softly against the wood. At least pokemon enjoyed her cooking.
"More?" Simi asked.
Zoroark gave the bowl few more licks before hesitantly offering it up. He attacked his seconds with nearly the same ferocity.
Simi found herself transfixed by the surreal sight of watching a pokemon eat from a bowl inside her home. Every now and again his eye would flick towards her, possibly to make sure she didn't try anything nefarious, or maybe just to reassure himself she hadn't disappeared. And hopefully not as desert.
Eventually the two of them finished up their quiet meal. Zoroark attempted to lick the thick broth from his lips and snout with questionable success.
Simi giggled. "Let me help." She waited for Zoroark to turn to her, still wary of those glistening fangs, before wetting a clean cloth and wiping stew remnants from his velvety fur. It took a bit of work to get everything that had soaked down to his hide, but he held reasonably still and didn't try to bite her.
"I'm going to have to change your bandages. It might hurt." It would definitely hurt. She hadn't managed to clean all the blood last night, and she didn't look forward to untangling his matted, gory fur. Zoroark didn't say anything and simply watched, large blue eyes following her about as she gathered supplies.
The first few layers peeled away easily enough, but those beneath tugged and caught. Simi worked meticulously, careful not to reopen any of his wounds, of which he had plenty. The worst of it required her mother's surgical knife, a slim blade honed to a razor edge. She'd have to resharpen it later, but it easily cut through the worst of matted fur and bandage, though she worked slow as it would cut through even Zoroark's thick hide just as easily.
A range of low rumbles vibrated from Zoroark's chest, deep and menacing, though he remained still, and Simi made soft hushing noises while she worked, almost as much for her own sake as his. While it still looked bad, shiny new flesh filled in all of the lesser wounds, and even some of the deeper tears looked well on their way to healing. She couldn't find any sign of infection, and while he felt warm, his leg didn't feel feverish, not that she had any real reference. It would scar, badly, but no human would dare hope for such a quick recovery.
Zoroark spoke, initiating conversation for the first time, his voice low and as if he rarely spoke. He almost seemed hesitant. "Why did you save me?"
Simi didn't look up. She could feel his eyes on her. Her hands spread a stinging ointment over his wounds with a gentle, practiced efficiency.
"I couldn't watch you die when I could help. I honestly didn't think you'd make it." Simi began rewinding bandages around the entire lower half of his leg to the ankle. He had a few superficial scratches on his foot but those didn't need her attention.
"How did you know to come here? I can't imagine many pokemon know my mother."
Zoroark shrugged. "Humans do strange things. I didn't want to die." He stared at his leg as Simi finished her work, a question clearly perched on the tip of his tongue. Simi waited, but Zoroark never voiced the thought.
"What happened?" Simi asked.
Zoroark rubbed the thigh of his injured leg, letting large claws furrow his gray coat. "Something human – great metal jaws. They weren't alive, but they attacked. I don't know."
Simi almost inquired further, but she didn't like the dark expression growing in his eyes. A surprisingly human demeanor made it easy to forget his angular, predatory features and large claws that clearly weren't meant for foraging, and a deadly grace only slightly overshadowed by vulnerability.
"You've spent time around humans?"
"Some." Zoroark glanced towards the two empty bowls. "Humans often leave food about."
Simi somehow doubted people just left food lying around, even in the larger cities, but she didn't argue. Zoroark's wide mouth stretched in a fearsome yawn that displayed a full count of razor-like fangs, and Simi could feel her full belly beckoning for sleep as well.
She reached a hand towards him, and Zoroark's full attention snapped to her. Simi faltered only a moment, reassuring herself he wouldn't tear her arm off, probably, and lay her palm gently on the top of his snout, giving him an affection rub.
"Get some rest," she said. Zoroark's eyes closed for a brief moment. The small gesture felt surprisingly friendly, like he started to trust her. Or maybe her tired mind wanted to think that, knowing she would be sleeping one room away from a wild pokemon. Zoroark said nothing more, and Simi retreated to her mother's soft bed to finally get some real sleep.
While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
All works displayed here, whether pictorial or literary, are the property of their owners and not Adult-FanFiction.org. Opinions stated in profiles of users may not reflect the opinions or views of Adult-FanFiction.org or any of its owners, agents, or related entities.
Website Domain ©2002-2017 by Apollo. PHP scripting, CSS style sheets, Database layout & Original artwork ©2005-2017 C. Kennington. Restructured Database & Forum skins ©2007-2017 J. Salva. Images, coding, and any other potentially liftable content may not be used without express written permission from their respective creator(s). Thank you for visiting!
Powered by Fiction Portal 2.0
Modifications © Manta2g, DemonGoddess
Site Owner - Apollo