Summary[]
Blitz, a Ninetails, has lived a life of pain and loss, and has been living with the guilt of the death of his trainer, Cody, for months. Now he has just finished dealing with two Pokemon of his past, hoping that the confrontation would rid him of the demons in his head. However, he knows deep within himself that there is no easy way to get rid of the awful memories that lurk inside his mind.
But he now has a new part of his life: Pixie, the Alolan Vulpix, who was the reason for his evolution. He feels as though she gives him purpose, and hopes the two can remain close friends. But he knows she longs to find her trainer, Emily. He also worries that if she leaves he might never recover from his inner demons.
Prologue[]
An Arcanine sat beside a dead middle aged man with his head bowed. He threw back his head and let out a howl of grief, which echoed through the small forest clearing they were in. Blood tickled from the corners of the dead man's mouth, and his eyes were glazed and half-closed.
"I-I can't believe he's dead!" Wailed a Seadra, which was balanced on her tail beside Arcanine. "I can't believe he was never able to finish his experiments...Oh, why did he have to go and try capturing legendary Pokemon without the completion of the experiments?"
"Because, Seadra." A cool voice put in. "The most important Pokemon in the process destroyed his laboratory door and escaped. She didn't even think of what trouble her actions would cause." A Scyther glared at the dead human and scowled. "If that stupid ice Vulpix had never ran off, Lewis would still be alive."
The Arcanine didn't say anything more. He didn't know what to say, and hardly knew how to feel as well. He whimpered and began to pace beside Lewis's dead body.
"We should've killed her." A Pikachu said from behind Scyther. His long black-tipped ears were twitching. "I always knew she would fail our master."
"Yeah." An angry female voice growled as a Flareon stepped forward to stand beside Arcanine. She stood so close to the other fire type Pokemon that her fur brushed against his. "She was showing signs of being a weak and pathetic coward." More softly, she added to Arcanine, "And I know she was going to be the partner you would've had children with. Lewis had made that very clear from the start. I'm sorry for your loss."
Arcanine slowly turned to look at the Flareon. She had been the most supportive of him, and had been the second Pokemon the scientist had received for his experiments. Flareon was certainly a good friend to him...
"Well, he's dead now." Arcanine sighed, tears running down his cheeks. He growled softly, pain and rage threatening to take over. He turned and pressed his muzzle into the thick fur around Flareon's chest and neck, sobbing. "It's my fault, Flareon! Pixie should've stayed! I-I tried getting her to stay, but she wouldn't listen! I've failed our master!"
"No." Flareon said softly, leaning to nuzzle her friend. "Pixie's the one that failed him. Whatever we do, we must make sure she's sorry for what she's done."
"Yeah!" Pikachu piped up loudly, making Arcanine jerk his head back up, blinking a fresh wave of tears from his eyes.
"Maybe we'll need to capture her..." Scyther mused. "Then maybe we'll be able to fulfill our master's dying wish of catching a legendary Pokemon. Maybe we should try forcing Pixie into helping us catch Articuno, just like our master died trying to accomplish."
"Yes." Arcanine growled softly. "We'll make her do what she was destined to do. It was clear from the start that she was meant to be part of the team. We must do whatever it takes to finish Lewis's goals, or die trying." He whimpered softly and glanced at his former owner's corpse. "Just as he had."
Chapter 1[]
Blitz lay curled beside his friend Pixie, watching the gentle rise and fall of her flank. She twitched and whimpered slightly in her sleep, and he leaned over to lick her ear, knowing she was too far deep into sleep to wake up from it. He looked outside of the den with a soft sigh. It was a dark and stormy night, but he wanted to go get oran berries for his injured friend. She had been injured in a fight a few hours earlier with two of Blitz's former companions, a Venausaur named Vincent and a Vaporeon named Aqua.
She will have a lot of questions for me when she wakes up, that's for sure. Blitz thought. He leaned over to sniff a small cut on Pixie's shoulder. He knew she was in need of help, and that he would have to go out to gather oran berries for her to eat whenever she woke up. He debated whether to go out into the storm or not, and was going to decide against it because he knew the storm would weaken him since he was a fire type Pokemon, but another thought forced its way into his mind.
I don't want to be responsible for the death of another friend ever again. Blitz remembered Cody, the boy who had been his trainer a few months earlier. Cody had always been a bright boy with lots of energy and enthusiasm, and Blitz had been close to him. But he had made a mistake that had gotten him killed...
I mustn't think like that anymore! Blitz thought sharply, with a glance down at his injured friend. I know it was an accident, even if it was my fault. I've established that...but if I let Pixie die it will be because I made a poor choice. He flicked the tip of one of his nine tails. I'll go fetch her an oran berry. She deserves it.
Making sure she was safe and sleeping, Blitz carefully and quietly made his way out of the den. It was the den he had built in the base of a tree and resided in for six months, ever since Cody's death. He had dragged a bush in front of the gap in order to block predators or intruders from ever trying to harm him without him knowing, as well as to keep himself safe and hidden.
Rain pelted Blitz as he walked in the direction of where a small cluster of low-growing oran berry trees grew. His ears were flat against his skull as rain poured mercilessly onto him. He winced, hating the feeling of water drenching his farm silky fur. Gritting his teeth, he eventually made it to the spot where the oran berries were. The branches drooped low enough for him to stretch up with his neck and bite the branches, using his teeth to snap them in half. He collected two short branches that each had four oran berries on the ends of them, and took them back to his den, where he sat down beside Pixie and waited for her to wake up.
It may still be a while. Blitz thought, wincing as he looked at the damage Aqua and Vincent had caused to her. Their attacks were quite brutal...
His thoughts darkened as he curled up next to his injured friend and rested his head on his paws, closing his eyes. I just hope she survives this...for her sake, and for my own.
Chapter 2[]
Blitz watched in horror as a Rhyhorn advanced on Cody. There was a vicious gleam in the wild Pokemon's eyes, and he knew that he was up to no good. Cody had thrown out his Poke Ball to battle, but he was well aware that he was weak against his opponent. He wasn't sure there was anything he could do to stop the Rhyhorn from doing what he wanted.
I have to try. Blitz thought. Cody's too scared to even move, let alone call out Vincent or Aqua to fight...I'll have to take this Pokemon on myself. He licked his chops, determined to protect his trainer. Then he used the move Ember on the bulky Pokemon, but his opponent hardly flinched as he advanced on Cody. Then he charged.
"Blitz! Blitz, wake up!" The Ninetails opened his eyes to see Pixie standing beside him with one front paw gently rested on his shoulder. Her touch with soft and cold, and he thought it was interesting how different the ice type Vulpix were from fire type.
"Are you feeling better?" Blitz asked softly, looking around to see that the oran berries were no longer there. Now there were just a couple of skeletal sticks lying on the den floor without any berries on them anymore. He was glad to see that she had eaten the berries which would help her recover much of her strength, and even heal her faster.
"A bit!" Pixie replied cheerfully. "I ate the berries you left for me." She paused for a moment, then asked, "You did leave them for me...right?"
"Of course I did." Blitz replied with a smile. "You were quite injured after that fight."
Pixie nodded, then tipped her head to one side. "How did the fight end anyway? I was knocked out, after all, so I missed it."
Blitz closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered how the battle against his two former companions had ended. He had certainly given Vincent some burns to think about, but then he had been attacked from behind by Aqua. However, Blitz had been so full of newfound strength from his evolution into a Ninetails that he had managed to actually pin her to the ground. Vincent had fainted by that point, so it was just Blitz and Aqua on the battlefield.
"It's your fault Cody is dead!" Aqua had snarled, squirming underneath Blitz's tight grasp to no avail now that he had evolved and was even bigger than she was. "If you hadn't been such a lazy fool he'd have survived, and that Rhyhorn wouldn't have killed him! But it was like you wanted him to die."
"No!" Blitz had shouted, his eyes watering. "I...I hadn't intended for it to happen like that, Aqua! I was frozen in fear because I didn't know what to do. None of my attacks were working on the Rhyhorn. I tried to fight it off but it was no use. Aqua, I would've never stayed still like that if I had known that was going to happen. I'd have risked my life for Cody. You should know that."
Aqua had lain beneath him, breathless for a moment. Tears had started to well up in her eyes, and her voice had come out in a softer and higher pitch than it had been for the entire duration of the fight. "I'm sorry, Blitz, but I can't forgive you. I-" Her voice had hitched. "I would've killed that Rhyhorn if I'd had been thrown out to fight!"
"I was weak against it." Blitz had repeated, his voice softer this time. He had seen that Aqua was still grieving for their lost trainer, and had known deep within himself that she really didn't want to kill him. She was just driven mad by her grief, and he understood why. "I didn't allow him to die on purpose, Aqua, and I didn't just let the Rhyhorn get to Cody...I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."
"I...I don't know what to say either." Aqua had choked out. She had stopped squirming and looked absolutely mortified, her face twisted in agony. "Oh, Blitz, I wish that we could just go back to the way things were before Cody died! A-a lot has happened since his death, and that has only made Vincent and I bitter over it...He evolved fighting off some crazy bird Pokemon you know? We nearly starved, though, and...I didn't know what to do."
Blitz had gently reached down to touch his nose to her own. "I forgive you for hurting Pixie and I." He told her softly. "I know you're grieving. I don't blame you for attacking me...But please, Aqua, go take care of Vincent. Get as far away from here as you can. We aren't too far from the site of where Cody died, and you won't be able to heal if you don't start fresh."
"You're right..." Aqua had seemed reluctant, her face still showing her pain. "I'm sorry...I truly am. I know that revenge won't bring Cody back, and I see now that Cody wouldn't want us to have ever killed you." Blitz smiled warmly yet sadly and took a few steps back to let his former friend stand. She gave him a grateful look and asked, "W-will you consider coming to travel with Vincent and I? We'll make a new life somewhere else."
Blitz had shook his head and gave her a gentle nudge. "No. At least not now. I...I have a friend to take care of." He had glanced over his shoulder at Pixie, who had been lying at the foot of the tree she had been thrown at, lying so still that Blitz had almost thought she had been killed. "Besides, I think you and Vincent need some time to cool off and get over Cody's death in your own way. I'll heal myself in the way I think it's best possible...and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to travel together again."
"Blitz? How did the fight end?" Pixie repeated. She looked concerned. "Is something wrong? Did something bad happen?"
Chuckling, Blitz nuzzled Pixie's flank. "Nothing went wrong. Just the opposite, in fact. I made peace with them, Pixie. They won't bother us anymore."
Pixie stared up at him, her eyes widening. Then she closed them and cheerfully yipped. "Oh, that's great! You made peace! How?"
Blitz sighed. "Well, I suppose I'd better tell you now. Hope you're comfortable because this is going to be a long story."
Chapter 3[]
"Cody was killed when a wild Rhyhorn had charged at him. I don't exactly know what had made the Rhyhorn so angry, but it just was. Anyway, Cody had sent me out to attack the Rhyhorn, but I hadn't a hot clue what to do. It was strong against my type, and none of my attacks seemed to even faze it." Blitz nearly scowled at the memory of the overpowered seeming Pokemon, as well as his own weakness. "Eventually the Rhyhorn managed to attack Cody. He...well, tackled him and used Horn Attack, and then even used Stomp directly on his neck, which killed him instantly." Blitz trembled at the memory of his trainer, lying there dead on the ground. "I was frozen in place...I didn't know what else to do! I guess I thought Cody would eventually snap out of it and send Aqua or Vincent out to fight, but he didn't." He sighed, and there was something that made him feel oddly better about telling his story to Pixie.
"And Aqua blamed you for his death?" Pixie's gaze was sympathetic, and she reached out to rest one of her front paws on his own. "It's not your fault, Blitz. There's nothing you could've done against a Pokemon who was that much stronger than you."
Blitz smiled down at his friend. It felt odd to be so much bigger now that he was a Ninetails and no longer a Vulpix, and it almost made him feel like his own den was smaller, rather than just him being bigger. Pixie was small enough to ride on his back, which was odd, yet it comforted him to know that she could ride him if she ever got too injured to walk.
Why am I thinking like this? I'm acting like she's going to stay here forever! Blitz thought, scolding himself inwardly. Pixie made it very clear that her intentions are to go find her previous trainer. He thought with a pang of guilt about how he had told her that her trainer didn't want her anymore. He partially had said that because he didn't want her to wander off and get lost or in danger, but there had been another part of him that really wanted Pixie to stay...
"Then what?" Pixie prompted, her eyes glittering with curiosity.
"Well, Aqua and Vincent swore revenge against me, saying that if they ever found me again they would avenge Cody's death. I guess they found me, and they must've been watching me for the past few days long enough to know that you and I are friends." Blitz smiled down at Pixie, realizing how happy he was that she was awake and healthy. "But we talked things out after you went unconcious, and Aqua and Vincent no longer have any desire to harm us."
"That's great!" Pixie said, closing her eyes and smiling cheerfully. "Well, I'm glad to hear that you are on good terms with your former companions now!"
"Thanks." Blitz replied warmly. He gazed down at his white-furred companion, wondering when she would try leaving again to go search for Emily. He was tempted to ask, but held his tongue. He was afraid she would want to leave again, and he just wanted a friend to talk to. Then he winced as he remembered how he had shouted at her and told her that Emily wouldn't want her back. "I'm so sorry about what I said to you!" He blurted.
"Huh?" Pixie opened her eyes again and stared up at Blitz in confusion. "What do you mean?" Before he could respond, she perked her ears up. "Oh! Are you talking about how you said Emily won't want me back? I'm fine, really. I forgive you, especially after you came to rescue me."
"R-really?" Blitz stammered, blinking. He hadn't expected his friend to forgive him so fast. In his opinion, what he had done was awful, and he deserved to get a tongue lashing. Especially after she helped me to evolve...I didn't deserve it...
"I guess I'll wait a while to look for her, anyway." Pixie said with a yawn. "I'll need to rest and plan things out. I know I'm in a completely different region, so I really need to think things through unless I want to get myself lost." She reached up with her hind leg to scratch one of her ears.
"Yeah." Blitz said, holding back a sigh. There was a part of him that just wished she would decide to stay with him for good. He needed a friend right now. "Good idea."
Chapter 4[]
Blitz sat beside the river that ran through the woods. Pixie was standing in the shallows of the river, which reached up to her shoulders. Two days had passed since the confrontation with Vincent and Aqua, and things had been peaceful ever since. The two Pokemon had eaten berries, gone for walks, and rested by the river. There had been a lot of talking and getting to know each other as well.
Pixie had told Blitz that she really enjoyed oran berries, and that they were her favorite kind of berry. He also learned that she really hated hot days, and cooled herself off by crystallizing bits of ice in her tails, or by breathing her ice cold breath on herself. In fact, Blitz had taken her to the river because it was a hot day, and she had also mentioned that she liked to go for a swim when it was hot.
I hope she's happy here. Blitz thought, watching as his friend splashed herself in the face with some of the river water. She looked at peace, that was for sure. But he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that in her mind she was already planning on how she would leave and find Emily. Then he would be left alone.
"What's wrong?" Pixie asked, climbing out of the water and giving her snowy white fur a shake. "You look a bit sad."
"It's nothing." Blitz lied, looking warmly at his friend. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
"Sure!" Pixie said cheerfully. She paused for a moment, then added with a grin, "Oh wow, I'm still not used to you being so big!" Blitz chucked and gave her a nudge with his muzzle, then the two Pokemon went for a walk in the quiet woods.
***
Things were peaceful during the walk. Pixie chattered on about how beautiful the forest was, saying that she was still used to the more tropical region of the islands of Alola. She talked about how she and Emily had been in jungles and even rode on water type Pokemon or boats in the large open ocean. Blitz was unnerved by the thought of huge bodies of water, though, since he was a fire type Pokemon. He didn't know how to swim, and the thought of drowning horrified him.
"What kind of Pokemon did you encounter in the wild out there?" Blitz asked as the two of them walked through the quiet woods.
"Well...there were a lot of Wingull and Pelipper out there, especially on beaches and flying out above the ocean." She paused, then looked up at Blitz. "Uh...you know what those are, right?"
Blitz thought for a moment. He had certainly fought many Pokemon with Cody, but he couldn't remember fighting any Pokemon who weren't native to Kanto. Although he had been told a lot about Pokemon in other regions, the only one he really thought to remember was the Alolan Vulpix, since he had always found it interesting that there was an ice type Vulpix. "No." He replied at last. "Sorry. I really don't." He grinned sheepishly.
"Oh. Wingull and Pelipper are a water-and-flying type Pokemon who often live on beaches, or just anywhere near oceans. Sometimes they live in cities." Pixie explained, looking happy to have informed him of something.
"Those kinda remind me of Pidgey out here." Blitz said with a smirk. "Being in cities, I mean."
"Ah. Yeah I've seen Pidgeys before. They can be quite annoying." Pixie commented.
"Agreed." Blitz thought, still smirking. He thought of how loud Pidgeys could get, especially when they were in a flock. Sometimes Pidgeys would even pick on small and weak Pokemon if they were bored, though that was something Spearow did more.
"Have you always traveled with a trainer?" Blitz asked. "Were you born with your trainer? Or were you a wild Pokemon at some point?" He knew he had told her about how he and Cody had met: he had hatched with him, and had lived with him for the first seven months of his life until his trainer died. But he hadn't yet asked Pixie about how she met her own trainer.
"Oh, I was a wild Pokemon once." Pixie said with a small sigh. "It has been so long since then, but I used to live on a cold mountain called Mount Lanakila. Emily caught me there when I had been looking for something to eat. I hadn't enjoyed living in the wild much, really, anyway. Felt like I was meant to live with someone to care for, you know?
"You didn't live with anyone before that?" Blitz asked, surprised. "Like any parents or group or anything, I mean?"
Pixie shook her head, looking down sadly. "No...I always survived on my own until Emily caught me. I never felt like I belonged out in the wild."
Blitz once again felt guilty for how he had told her that Emily wouldn't want her anymore. He knew how close she had been to her trainer, and it must've been upsetting for her to hear that. Pixie's life had recently gone through big changes, and he knew that telling her that must've been the opposite of comforting. Then he felt a familiar tug at his heart. She said she never felt like she belonged in the wild...is she going to leave me as soon as possible to look for Emily? Or maybe even find any human to take care of her?
"What's wrong?" Pixie asked. Blitz hadn't realized he was showing any of his doubts, but he knew the look on his face must've given it away.
"It's nothing." Blitz replied with a small shake of his head. "Let's go back to the den."
Chapter 5[]
Blitz was curled around Pixie, watching as her flanks rose and fell as she slept. She was so...fragile. At least that's certainly what it seemed like now that he was a Ninetails, and she was just a small ice type Vulpix.
She looks so peaceful... Blitz thought, listening as she snored softly in her sleep. I really hope she decides to stay for a long time...
Blitz's desire for his friend to stay caught him off guard. He'd had other Pokemon stay with him for short amounts of time before, but the thought of them leaving hadn't affected him as much as this. The first of them had been a Drowsee who had broken its arm during a fall of a cliff. Blitz had found him and guided him to his den, where he took care of the psychic type Pokemon. But the Drowsee had left the moment he had healed, saying that he was trying to evolve into a Hypno. Even though that Pokemon had been the very first Pokemon Blitz had ever been friends with after the incident causing Cody's death, it still hadn't hurt as much as the thought of Pixie leaving him. He didn't understand why.
Maybe it's because I know it's nearly impossible for her to find her trainer. Blitz thought sadly as he gazed at his snowy white companion. I wouldn't want her to get hurt or lost out there...The world is so big, and she may never find her own way to Alola.
Blitz closed his eyes and rested his head on his front paws, attempting to sleep. But after a long time of just lying there, he was unable to fall asleep. He felt almost uncomfortably big in his den now that he was a Ninetails, but there was something else that was bothering him as well. He glanced at Pixie to make sure she was still asleep before slipping silently out of his den and walking through the forest. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he just knew he had to go for a walk by himself for a bit.
The night was quiet and still as Blitz quietly walked through the woods. His golden-white fur tugged against the branches of bushes, and he realized he was still not entirely used to being a Ninetails yet. But he enjoyed the strength he had now, as well as being able to carry smaller Pokemon. He knew he would be more helpful to injured Pokemon if he could carry them. Especially Pixie... He thought, then startled himself by thinking that. But before he could dwell on thoughts of his small friend, he felt the familiar feeling of guilt as he thought about Aqua, Vincent, and Cody's death.
I know I told Aqua it wasn't my fault that stupid Rhyhorn killed Cody, but I don't believe that myself. Blitz thought guiltily, his stomach churning. He sighed and stopped walking for a moment, closing his eyes. Why did I do that? I deserved whatever Aqua would have done to me... Then he remembered the reason for his desperate attempt to convince Aqua that it wasn't his fault their trainer died: Pixie. He hadn't wanted Aqua and Vincent to harm her. She was innocent. She didn't deserve to be hurt by them...
He flicked the tips of two of his nine tails, startled by how he felt about Aqua. He was quite protective of his friend, and he knew he wouldn't allow anything bad to happen to her. Pixie deserved to be protected and free from harm. But he didn't know what it was about her that made him feel like that. They hadn't known each other that long.
The sudden sound of twigs snapping made Blitz twitch his ears and open his eyes, whipping his head around. At first he half expected to see Pixie, but instead he saw something else: a Flareon. He blinked in surprise as he stared at the fire type Pokemon. There was something odd about the way she was just standing there staring at him.
"Uh..." Blitz blinked in confusion. "Hello?"
"Ah, hello." The Flareon said, smiling at him. But it wasn't the kind of warm smile he'd expect to normally see. There was something...strange about her smile. Something that seemed unnerving to him. "I'm Flareon. Who are you?"
"My name's Blitz." He replied, somewhat warily. It was a strange feeling, something he hadn't felt for a long time...but he felt as though this Pokemon was up to something, and had ulterior motives, almost as though she had intentionally sought him out. "What do you want?" He asked, trying not to sound too suspicious.
"Oh...nothing." Flareon replied in an almost silky tone. She sat down and tipped her head to one side, giving Blitz a look that seemed to chill him. "Just passing through." She twitched one of her long ears and stood up again. "Well, I have to go now." She chuckled a little and grinned. "Goodbye!" She turned and gracefully trotted off, disappearing into the depths of the shadowy woods.
"Huh." Blitz muttered to himself out loud with a twitch of his left ear. "That was...different." He had certainly encountered dozens of Pokemon before, but something about that interaction seemed quite off. He shook himself, trying to convince himself that it was just that she maybe had a strange personality, or had been tired or something. But somehow he wasn't too sure.
I should go back to the den. Blitz thought, a feeling of sudden fearful intuition making him alert. He turned and hurried off through the forest back to his den to make sure Pixie was alright. To his utter horror, the bush that had been pulled in front of his den for cover had been destroyed completely, and the scent of blood made the air reek. Dread piercing his chest, he slunk closer to his den, looking around wildly for any sign of danger. He poked his head into his den and let out a horrified gasp when he saw that Pixie wasn't in there anymore. He saw droplets of her cold blue blood scattered across the floor, as well as red blood from another Pokemon.
No...NO! This can't be happening... Blitz thought, letting out a cry of despair. Someone has broken into my den and kidnapped Pixie!
Chapter 6[]
Blitz stood, frozen, as he stared at his empty den. Fear stabbed at his chest. He had no idea who, or what, had taken his friend. Next he felt a stab of guilt. He had left Pixie there alone, and she had been kidnapped when he wasn't looking. Then he felt rage swell up in his chest. She didn't deserve to be kidnapped like that. Trembling, he stepped out of his den and looked around frantically, his nostrils flaring.
This can't be happening! Why would someone kidnap Pixie? Blitz wondered. His mind spun as he tried to figure out why anyone would've taken Pixie. Nobody had any reason to hate her, as far as he knew. Was it Aqua and Vincent? He wondered, his heart pounding. He scraped at the ground with his front paws. Probably not. They're not on bad terms with me anymore at all. He gritted his teeth and started to pace, hot tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't lose another friend.
"And I won't." He growled aloud, stomping one of his back paws against the ground. "I will find whoever took my friend, and I will make them pay." He was startled at his own words. Rarely had Blitz ever felt angry, nor had he really ever had the urge to fight out of rage. But now...now someone had kidnapped his friend. No matter what the reason was, he had to figure out why.
Could it have been that scientist human? Blitz wondered. He recalled how Pixie had told him that she had been a lab Pokemon for a short time before fleeing because she didn't want anything to do with the scientist's plans. If it was...well, I'll have to save her from him. She didn't want any quality of life he had to give her...he would've made her into a fire type Pokemon if I remember correctly. When Blitz had first heard that, he had wondered why on earth a Pokemon wouldn't want to be a fire type. He loved being a fire type, and couldn't imagine living as any other type of Pokemon. But now he realized that Pixie wouldn't be herself if she wasn't an ice type. It seemed to suit her.
Blitz leaned down to sniff the ground near his den, breathing hard as he struggled to keep calm. He could smell Pixie, though his nose wasn't as strong as some Pokemon's. But he could also smell another Pokemon...It smelled of smoke and fire, and he knew at once it was a fire type. But it was hard to discern what type it was, exactly. I can tell by its scent that it's a male though, whatever it may be.
Lifting his head, Blitz looked around. He knew his tracking skills weren't the greatest, but he would have to try his best and use them to find Pixie. She was important to him, and he couldn't bear to lose her, though he wasn't quite sure why he was so attached to her compared to other Pokemon. After all, he hadn't known her that long.
A piercing cry echoed through the forest, and Blitz jerked his head in the direction of the sound. He pricked his ears alertly and took a few steps forward, feeling as though his heart was in his throat. The scream was familiar, and it no doubt belonged to Pixie.
I must get to her! He thought, charging in the direction of the sound. He swerved around trees and bushes and hopped over logs as he ran as fast as he could toward where he had heard his friend's scream. He remembered what it sounded like from the fight against Aqua and Vincent.
Suddenly a heavy weight slammed into Blitz, throwing him against a tree. His shoulder slammed into the trunk of a tree and he let out a pained yelp. Confused, he looked up and saw the Flareon from before. She had just tackled him, he realized, and was marching over to him with a pleased look on her face.
Blitz growled. "What was that for? I'm in a hurry! I don't have time to fight anyone!" He could fear the heat of flames within his chest. If Pixie was in danger, he needed to be there in time to help her. He couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her...
"What? Are you too dense to even figure it out?" The Flareon looked smug. She twitched one of her long ears and grinned at him in the same creepy manner as she had before. There seemed to be a wicked glow in her eyes as well. Then it clicked.
"You must've helped whoever kidnapped Pixie!" Blitz gasped. He clenched his jaw and glared at the Flareon. If she had any part in the kidnapping of his friend, he would have to fight her.
"Of course!" The Flareon said with a snort, sitting back on her haunches with her eyes fixed on him. "We've been watching you for two days now. We were waiting for a chance for you to leave Pixie on her own. And you did." She chuckled. "Must say it's a pity on your behalf that you didn't notice a bunch of Pokemon hiding in the trees watching your every move."
Blitz's lips curled in the beginnings of a snarl. He lunged forward and used Tackle on the Flareon, knocking her to the ground. Then he slammed his paws onto her and leaned into her face, growling.
"What are you doing with my friend?" He demanded, his voice low and menacing. Desperation made him angrier. He had to to whatever it took to help Pixie.
"Oh, just giving her the destiny she was always meant to have." The Flareon said, seemingly unfazed by the fact she had just been pinned down.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blitz snapped. He resisted the urge to use Ember on the Flareon's eyes. The smug look she was giving him was infuriating, especially since he had just tackled her and pinned her to the ground.
"Oh? She didn't tell you that she was meant to help take over the world?" The Flareon said. She chuckled. "Figures. She was always so whiny and ungrateful. She didn't want to accept the destiny that her new owner, Lewis, had planned out for her. He was going to take over Kanto, you know?"
"Oh, I know." Blitz growled, meeting her gaze with his own angry eyes. His lips twitched. He wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into this Pokemon's scruff and shake her around to shove some fear into her. But he didn't. "She had no wish to do what Lewis wanted!" He snapped. "She didn't want to be forced to be into a fire type Pokemon. She just wants to find her old trainer!"
"How naive of her." Flareon said, her voice sounding almost like a purr. She seemed amused as she continued to speak. "Doesn't she know that she was traded for a reason? Her trainer obviously didn't want her at that point."
Blitz growled softly, but felt guilt bite into his chest as he remembered how he had told Pixie the exact same thing. Yet her determination and love for her trainer was something that was so powerful that there was no way she would accept it. He even wondered if her trainer would actually be thrilled to see her. By what Pixie had told him, her trainer wouldn't have given her up if she had known that Lewis had planned to use her to capture Legendary Pokemon to take over Kanto.
"Stay out of my way!" Blitz snapped, losing his patience at the Flareon. "I have to save Pixie, whether you like it or not. She doesn't want any part of Lewis's plans to take over the region." He released her and bolted into the direction he had heard his friend's screams before, not turning to see if the Flareon had followed. He wasn't sure what he would have to face to get his friend back, but he knew he was willing to do it, whatever it took.
Another scream pierced the air, and Blitz knew once again that it was definitely Pixie's voice. He skidded to a halt at the edge of a cliff, gasping in horror as he realized he had nearly fallen off it. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he started to shake as he peered down. The cliff was overlooking a very large clearing. Then he saw what was in the clearing and he froze.
Pixie was being pinned to the ground by an Arcanine, who must've been the fiery Pokemon Blitz had scented by his den. A Scyther had its scythes close to her, looking as though it would slice her if she dared try to fight back. And a Pikachu was sitting beside them, on top of something.
As Blitz squinted, her felt his stomach churn at the sight of what the Pikachu was sitting on: It was the dead body of a human.
Chapter 7[]
Blitz stared at the sight below him, his eyes wide with horror. He took a step away from the edge of the cliff, feeling sick. The ground seemed to waver before him, and he had to sit down and take a deep breath. The sound of paw steps coming from behind made him jerk his head around, and he saw the Flareon bolt out of the line of trees that ended a short distance away from the cliff.
"W-what is that?" Was all he managed to sputter before closing his mouth and letting out a small whimper. He didn't understand what was going on, and he just wanted it to stop.
"We brought Pixie here to see what she's done to us." The Flareon said, swiping her tongue over her jaws as though what she was saying made her hungry for some reason. "She was responsible for the death of Lewis. He needs to be avenged." Her eyes took on a dark tone.
"H-how is she responsible for that?" Blitz stammered. Pixie had said nothing about the scientist dying. Then again, he hadn't mentioned anything about Cody's death either.
"After she ran away like a coward, Lewis tried evolving some of us into our normal forms and brought us out to hunt Legendary Pokemon." She flicked the fluffy tip of her tail and narrowed her eyes. "He died falling off this very cliff when he thought he saw a Zapdos."
Blitz swallowed, unsure of what to say. He felt the crushing guilt of his own trainer's death once more. He knew that it wasn't Pixie's fault in this case- the scientist, Lewis, sounded like he was insane. It wouldn't be fair for Pixie to be punished for his death, nor would it be fair for her to have to live with any sort of guilt over it. If anything, it had been his own insanity that had caused him to die.
Turning his head, Blitz spotted a spot where the cliff sloped more, which wasn't too steep. He guessed he would be able to make his way to the clearing by going down there. What will I do about Flareon? He wondered for a moment, frowning at the red-orange Pokemon who stood in front of him with that creepy expression on her face. Then he knew what he would do. I'll have to battle her and make her faint. Hopefully her friends down there won't notice, though... He didn't want to bring their attention to him, since he was planning on quickly taking Pixie away from the others.
He used Quick Attack on the Flareon, knocking her away from the cliff's edge. Although he was furious with the Pokemon, he knew deep within him that he didn't want to kill her. He wanted to avoid killing anyone if he could. I'm not the kind of Pokemon who would be able to kill anyone and live with it. And he still felt responsible for Cody's death.
The Flareon gasped as she stumbled and fell onto her side, and Blitz used Ember on her, sending a flame hurtling into her face. She yowled with pain, but he slammed his paws down onto her throat to get her to be quiet, hoping none of her companions had heard. He bared his teeth and leaned over, his snout close to her face. Then he whispered, "I suggest you run away. Don't get yourself involved in this. I don't want to kill you, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure Pixie doesn't end up stuck in a situation she doesn't want to be in." He was startled at the cool collective way he was speaking to the opposing Pokemon. He had never sounded so formal or brave in his entire life.
"I..." The Flareon was choking now, her throat still being pressed by Blitz's heavy paws. He released the pressure a bit, just enough for her to breathe more so she could speak. "I will. I promise."
Maybe I don't have to knock her out after all. Blitz thought, feeling a sense of relief. "Fine." He growled, releasing the pressure off her neck. "Now run!" He watched, pleased with himself, as the Flareon leaped to her feet and bounded back into the treeline. He gave a nod of satisfaction then went back and peered over the edge of the cliff once more. To his horror, there was now another Pokemon perched on its tail beside the dead human: it was a Seadra. Her face was pointed toward Pixie, as though she were preparing to let out a water attack on the little Vulpix. Dread bit into Blitz's chest like fangs. What am I going to do now?
Just then, the Arcanine leaned down to whisper something into Pixie's ear, and she let out a shrill scream. Blitz tensed for a moment, then growled softly. Whatever the massive fire type Pokemon had said to her had not been good. He only wished he wasn't on the top of the cliff so that he could hear what was going on other than Pixie's occasional wails. He went over to where the cliff sloped more and began carefully making his way down, sliding his paws cautiously in front of each other. It took only a minute or so before he reached the bottom and was thankfully unnoticed by the other Pokemon. When he got to the bottom of the cliff, he simply sat down and stared, now able to better hear what was being said. He knew he had to come up with a plan to save his friend, but he had to grasp a better understanding of what was going on before he did anything.
"I don't want to be a fire type!" Pixie snarled, her voice full of rage. Blitz couldn't see her because the Arcanine was blocking his view, but he felt a pang of pity for his friend. It wasn't fair that she had to deal with Pokemon she thought she had left behind for the greater good, and it was even less so now that they were trying to force her to become a fire type once again.
"Silence!" Spat the Pikachu who was still perched on the human. His view was also blocked from Blitz's angle, but he guessed his stance was probably hostile by the tone of his voice. "It was you who is responsible for the death of Lewis! His dying wish was to alter us and make us stronger...and you ruined it!"
"No. He was planning on taking over Kanto!" Pixie spat. "His plans weren't morally correct, and anyone with a brain knows it."
"Oh? You're saying you wouldn't have wanted and appreciated a life with a human who had the entire region in his hands? He could've given us anything!" It was the Seadra who spoke now, and Blitz couldn't see her either. He knew he would have to move soon if he wanted to get a better viewpoint.
"Not by the means he was going to take to achieve his goal." Pixie growled, her voice menacing. But Blitz guessed she was probably horrified. He would be in that position. "Besides," The Vulpix said, her tone almost smug now. "How do you think you're going to make me evolve, huh? Only Lewis was the one with the means of ever doing that, and he's dead."
"We'll do whatever it takes to achieve his goals or we'll die trying!" The Arcanine finally barked. Blitz flinched at the tone in his voice. He sounded very authoritative.
I need to do something now! Blitz thought. He bunched his muscles, preparing to launch himself at the Arcanine by using Tackle, but suddenly a voice from the cliff above let out a call.
"Arcanine! Watch out! The Ninetails who is friends with Pixie is watching you from behind!"
The Arcanine's head whipped around, and he spotted Blitz at once. His eyes seemed to darken with rage, and Blitz met his gaze, his heart leaping into his throat. The voice who had called from above was the Flareon. Shame made Blitz furious with himself. I should've known she would come back! I was naive to have let her escape without knocking her out.
"Blitz!" Pixie cried, squirming beneath Arcanine's grasp. "You should get out of here! It's dangerous for you! Y-you could get hurt!"
"QUIET!" Arcanine bellowed, briefly whipping his head around to snap his jaws near Pixie's face. He then turned and snapped to his companions, "Go take care of that Ninetails! I'll keep Pixie here."
The Pikachu darted around Arcanine and used Quick Attack, slamming into Blitz's chest so hard that he slammed into the cliff behind him. Then the Pikachu used Thunder, causing lightning to strike Blitz. Pain shot through his entire body, and he gritted his teeth from the shock. Then he used Ember, hitting the Pikachu in the stomach, before turning and using Tackle on the Seadra, who had come forward and was preparing to attack.
The Scyther suddenly flew over and used Fury Cutter on Blitz, slashing at him furiously with his scythes. Blitz yelped, though he was strong against the attack because it was a bug type move. Then he turned and used Ember on the Scyther, managing to hit him directly in the face between the eyes. The Scyther cried out with pain and fell to the ground with a loud thud, just behind the Seadra, who had managed to get upright again. She turned and used Bubble on Blitz, which he dodged with ease before using Tackle on the Seadra again.
A sudden bold of electricity hit Blitz hard and painfully, and he let out a snarl of pain as he stumbled away from the Seadra. Barely managing to stay on his paws, he whirled around and saw that the Pikachu was standing behind him, and had just used an electric type attack of some sort on him. Blitz bared his teeth and used Flamethrower on the Pikachu. Then he used Quick Attack before the Pikachu get get back onto his feet, knocking him into the side of the cliff. The Pikachu let out a yelp which was cut off, and Blitz knew at once he had caused his enemy to faint. Pleased with himself, he turned to face the Seadra and Scyther once more.
The Scyther used Double Team, to Blitz's alarm, and he froze, unsure of which of the duplicates to attack. They all began fluttering around him, and he crouched low to the ground, preparing to leap at whichever one proved to be the real enemy. Then one suddenly lashed out, using Slash on Blitz's shoulder. He let out a yowl of pain as he felt the scythe cut into his flesh. Then he twisted his head around with a screech and used Flamethrower on the Scyther who had attacked him. The Scyther fell to the ground again, his duplicates vanishing, but the Seadra used Hydro Pump, blasting Blitz into the air. His back slammed against the cliff behind him and he slid down to the ground again.
Groaning softly, Blitz forced himself to stand up, his legs trembling beneath him. I cannot lose! If I do...well, who knows what will happen to Pixie? He used Quick Attack to hurl himself at his opponent, knocking her to the ground. Then he slammed his paws down onto her body, pinning her, and used Ember on her face. Then he used Flamethrower. He knew the attacks were weak against a water type Pokemon like Seadra, but he knew they would at least hurt her to an extent. His own body still ached from the Hydro Pump move, but he refused to give up. He continued blasting his enemy with fire type attacks, then backed away when he realized that she wasn't even conscious. He wasn't even sure if she was breathing.
He growled and stepped back, whipping his head around to face whoever else came to attack him, and was startled to realize that Scyther, Seadra, and Pikachu were all lying on the ground. He looked up at the top of the cliff to see that the Flareon wasn't there anymore. He wondered if she fled, but he didn't think more of it. It was time for him to rescue Pixie from Arcanine.
He turned to face the other fire type Pokemon and let out three menacing words: "Let. Pixie. Go."
Chapter 8[]
Arcanine was watching him with one paw pinning Pixie to the ground. Now Blitz finally had a good view of his friend, and what saw him made his blood boil with rage. Pixie was lying on her back with her underbelly exposed, while Arcanine had his paw pressed down near her throat, pinning her. But the worst part was that Pixie was terribly wounded. Ice blue blood oozed from scratches all over her, and she was breathing heavily. Blitz's lips curled into a snarl, and he knew then and there that he would kill this Pokemon if he had to in order to save his friend, despite his earlier thoughts. This Pokemon was a monster.
"Ha! You really think I would do such a thing?" Arcanine said in a strangely calm tone. "She's responsible for the death of Lewis, our beloved trainer and scientist. He was going to make us into the strongest Pokemon ever." His voice deepened into a growl. "When she left, Lewis went out to catch a legendary Pokemon and fell off the cliff that's right behind you. He broke his neck in the process." A chuckle rumbled in the other fire type Pokemon's throat. "And...well...we were hoping you would run off the cliff and break your neck." He snorted. "Oh well. I guess I'll just have to do with getting rid of you myself." He looked down at Pixie, who was still struggling beneath his paw. Then he took one of his paws and clouted her sharply on the side of her head. "If you try and escape, I will get you and I will blind you, got that?" Arcanine snarled.
Blitz couldn't take it anymore. He shrieked with rage and used Quick Attack, hurling himself at Arcanine and throwing him away from Pixie. Then he slammed his paws into Arcanine's flank and held him to the ground, snarling angrily.
"I will make you regret ever hurting my friend." Blitz whispered into Arcanine's ear. Suddenly Arcanine's body snapped up and he threw Blitz away. He nearly landed on Pixie, but he regained his footing just in time to avoid it. He stood protectively in front of his friend and flinched as he saw the human corpse out of the corner of his eye. It was ominous to have a dead human lying there...
Arcanine stood up straight and faced Blitz, showing his teeth. Rage shone in his eyes, and he growled furiously. "You don't understand, Ninetails! By leaving, she ruined Lewis's lifelong dream of ruling Kanto and capturing legendary Pokemon someday." He shook his massive head, snarling. Spittle flew from his jaws as he continued to speak. "It's only fair that she helps us fulfill his wish for him." He launched himself at Blitz and used Bite, clamping his jaws swiftly around his throat. Blitz struggled helplessly as sharp teeth sunk into his flesh. Suddenly he heard a shriek, and then Arcanine released his grip on him. He turned to see that it had been Pixie who had shrieked, and she had used Ice Beam on Arcanine's side, despite it being weak against him.
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY DOWN!" Arcanine roared, using one paw to swipe her flank, bowling her across the ground. He shoved her aside with his paw, growling. "You will never be any use to us if you can't obey simple orders." He flared his nostrils.
"That's enough!" Blitz snarled, shooting a blast of fire at his enemy as he used the move Flamethrower on him. The fire hit Arcanine's thick fur, though, and barely seemed to have any effect. Arcanine grinned in a malicious way, showing all his sharp teeth.
"Think you can beat me, Ninetails?" Arcanine jeered. He leaped toward Blitz but he dodged quickly, using Tackle to knock Arcanine off his feet.
"My name is Blitz." He growled coolly, slamming his paws down onto Arcanine's side. He winced as he felt the pain of the slash he had received from the Scyther earlier. It stung his shoulder, and he clenched his teeth because of the pain. Then he snarled and used Flamethrower, aiming it directly into Arcanine's eyes. The other fire type Pokemon howled in agony and threw Blitz off him, but he lay on the ground writhing in pain and pawing at his face.
"Arcanine!" A voice cried, shrill with panic. Blitz looked around and spotted the Flareon crouched at the edge of the treeline surrounding the clearing. He wondered how and when the Flareon had came down. She hurried over to Arcanine's side and put one paw on his shoulder, leaning down to whisper something in his ears. But he was crying out with pain, and he barely seemed to notice his companion.
A low whimper made Blitz whip his head around. Pixie! He turned and crouched down beside her, pressing his cheek against her side.
"Thank you for helping me, Blitz." Pixie said weakly. He lifted his head again and winced as he saw how injured his friend was. She was still bleeding from some cuts, and her eyes seemed dull. One of them was quite swollen. He felt sick at the sight of her injuries.
"Oh, Pixie..." Blitz murmured, his voice catching in his throat. He felt the familiar stab of guilt when he remembered that all this had happened because he had left her alone in his den to go for a walk. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault."
"No it isn't." Pixie said said softly, her voice seeming to break. "It's mine." Her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side. Blitz gasped and nosed her, and she lifted her head weakly and continued to talk. "I feel so weak, Blitz..."
What can I do to help her? Blitz wondered desperately. He realized he was on the verge of having a breakdown. She was so weak, and he would not lose her. He licked her nose before looking around wildly, wondering what he could possibly do to help her. Then he spotted the dead man, Lewis, once again a few feet away. The sight was chilling, to say the least, but Blitz realized he knew what to do now, and he would have to go near the body in order to do it.
"I'll be right back." He said softly to Pixie, walking around her to look at Lewis. He curled his lip in disgust. Lewis had clearly been dead for a few days. Shaking himself to clear the thoughts, he focused his gaze on a bag that lay beside the scientist. It was swollen with items, and Blitz was positive that he could find something in the bag that would help his wounded friend. He took the bag in his teeth and shook it, sending various items tumbling across the grass. He froze as he spotted a piercingly ice blue stone, and remembered how he had evolved in battle.
I'll use this stone to help her! Blitz thought. He knew it was an ice stone, and that it would make her evolve into an Alolan Ninetails. He took the stone in his mouth and walked back over to Pixie, gently setting the stone down in front of her.
"Touch this stone." He murmured to her, gently nudging her with his snout. "You'll evolve and regain strength, I promise."
Pixie opened her eyes and smiled at him. They widened when they saw the stone and her expression was full of wonder. She leaned forward to touch her nose to the stone, and her body began to glow a blazing white that was so bright Blitz had to avert his eyes. When he turned back, the light faded, and standing in front of him was a slender white Ninetails with ice blue eyes. She looked so...beautiful. There were no wounds on her anymore, and her eyes had a bright glow to them.
"Wow." Blitz breathed.
"Well, I guess we should go now." Pixie said, stepping forward to give Blitz a friendly nudge. She was smiling, and she looked happier than he had ever seen her before. "Before anyone wakes up and notices." Her gaze darkened and she shot a glance past Blitz. He followed her gaze. She was looking at the Flareon, who was crouched over Arcanine, murmuring something into his ear.
"You're right." Blitz said, a deep sense of relief making him quiver. Then he realized why he had been so determined to save Pixie, and why he didn't want her to ever leave him.
He truly loved the beautiful Alolan Pokemon.
Chapter 9[]
Blitz and Pixie ran through the woods away from the clearing. It was in the opposite direction of Blitz's den, but they didn't dare stick around and struggle to climb the sloped cliff. They eventually came to a stop when his shoulder started to hurt too much to continue.
"Sorry." Blitz huffed, sitting down heavily. "I guess I'm slowing you down, huh?"
"Of course you're not!" Pixie said cheerfully, sitting down beside him. He blinked, still not used to her as a Ninetails. Now that she was nearly as big as him, he could no longer carry her on his back if she was injured. "Now, why don't we rest for a bit?"
"Are...are we far enough away to rest yet?" Blitz glanced over his shoulder nervously. "What if Arcanine and his friends follow us?" He swallowed, knowing very well he couldn't fight if they pursued. I can't let Pixie see that. She needs to think I'm not a coward!
Pixie sighed and looked at the ground. "I'm not really sure...Arcanine has a pretty good sense of smell." She stood up again and shook herself, and Blitz could feel the spray of ice. He knew that she could make ice crystals break in her tail and spray the air around her to cool herself down."Although you got him pretty good back there. I don't think he or any of his followers are in any shape to follow us. Well...maybe Flareon, I guess."
Blitz nodded, casting another glance over his shoulder. "Yeah...I hope she doesn't decide to follow us."
Pixie nodded and shifted her feet nervously. "I hope she doesn't." She agreed. "But she really hates me...I don't know why..." She sighed. "Never mind. I suppose I do know why. It's my fault Lewis died." She gave her head a small shake then turned to look at Blitz again. "Hmm..I guess I should look for something to strengthen you up."
"No...It's fine. You shouldn't be wandering around alone." Blitz said quickly. He didn't want to know what Flareon would do if she caught Pixie, and his stomach churned at the thought.
"Nonsense!" Pixie scoffed with a dismissive flick of one of her nine tails. "I know I'll be okay. I'm not as weak as I was before I evolved." She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment and paused. "Besides, it's me who should be worrying about you. You're the injured one after all." Before Blitz could even open his mouth to object she said in a stern voice, "Don't argue with me! I'll be back as soon as I find something to help you. Stay where you are." She turned and bounded gracefully into the trees. Blitz sighed as he watched her go, her white fur soon vanishing as she was obscured by trees and bushes.
Oh no...She really thinks it's her fault Lewis died. Blitz thought sadly. He knew that in his own case, it really was his fault, despite having told Aqua otherwise. He had been a coward by not telling her that he, indeed, gave up. Although he had attempted to fight off Rhyhorn, he should've tried harder. Even though none of his attacks had worked, he should've saved Cody or died trying. But instead he had just sat back and watched, mortified, after realizing his attacks didn't have much affect.
A long while later Blitz wondered if Pixie was lost or hurt, and he felt panic settle in. She had been gone for quite some time, and he had done exactly what she told him to. His injuries were certainly bothersome, but his constant worry for Pixie was worse. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her...
"I'm back!" A slightly muffled voice called. Blitz looked around to see Pixie striding toward him with something in her jaws: it was a branch with oran berries on it. She set them down in front of Blaze. "Here. Eat these. It will help. Then we should look for a place to rest for a while."
Blitz leaned down and quickly ate up the oran berries. When he sat up, he swiped his tongue across his jaws before leaning in to give his friend a gentle lick on the long tuft of fur on the top of her head. "Thank you, Pixie. I really appreciate you helping me."
"It's the least I can do after all you did for me!" Pixie said brightly. She gave him a friendly nudge, and Blitz's mouth curled up in a slight grin at the feeling of her cool paw touching his warm fur. "You saved me from Arcanine, after all."
Blitz felt his fur grow warm with affection for Pixie, and he smiled. "Well of course! I had to."
"Oh?" Pixie said, grinning as she tilt her head to one side. "Why is that?"
"Because..." Blitz started to say, then paused. "Because you're my friend, of course! And I owe it to you to protect you."
"Oh. Um. About that." Pixie looked at her paws and scuffed them against the ground, clearly feeling embarrassed. "Would you, uh, mind teaching me how to fight, perhaps? I should learn how to fight in case anything like this were to happen to me again."
"Of course I'll teach you how to fight." Blitz said. He stood up, wincing as pain shot through his injured shoulder. Although the oran berries had helped with much of the other pain he felt, the gash on his shoulder was far too deep to have healed that quickly. "Well...as soon as I recover." He grinned sheepishly at Pixie.
"Oh..." Pixie's eyes began to water, and she looked away from him.
He frowned. "What's wrong?"
She looked up at him, her eyes still watering. "This is all my fault! I should've just stayed at the lab where Emily had left me." She whimpered, her head lowering in shame. "A-arcanine is right. It was selfish and stupid of me to have left the laboratory!" Her face contorted and she looked agonized. "I left without even caring about what would happen to any of the others...I caused Lewis to die, and the rest of his Pokemon to be upset. And now..." She sobbed. "Now you got hurt because of it!"
Blitz gently pressed his nose against her cheek. "No. It wasn't your fault. Lewis was insane. You were right to leave him when you did. His Pokemon are also insane, Pixie, and maybe you wouldn't be sane either if you had stayed there with him. You wouldn't be you."
Pixie sniffled. Blitz stepped back and she turned her head to look at him. "Really? You think?"
"I know it." Blitz said firmly. Then he sighed. "I know what it feels like to be guilty. You don't deserve to feel that way." He nudged her playfully. "Now come on! Let's look for a place to make into out den!" He frowned, then added, "Because I guess it's no longer safe to stay in mine. Not with those crazy Pokemon knowing where it is."
Pixie nodded in agreement, and the two slowly made their way through the woods as they looked for another place to make a den.
Eventually, after walking for a while, they finally found their new den. It was a spot underneath a pile of fallen trees, and Blitz guessed it had once been the den of another Pokemon. But there was nothing that showed that another Pokemon was still living there, and Blitz and Pixie decided to live there. The two Pokemon were far too tired to do anything else that day, and decided to go to sleep. Blitz lay down on his side, surprised when Pixie came and curled up beside him, so close that her snowy fur brushed against his own warm body, causing his nerves to tingle. It was an odd sensation, really, but Blitz smiled at the feeling.
"You want to sleep next to me?" He asked the alolan Ninetales, surprised.
"Of course." Pixie said, looking into his eyes. "Unless...you don't want me to?" She shifted awkwardly and added, "I mean...I know I must be freezing with me next to you, and I'm not a huge fan of fiery heat myself, but I...I just feel so safe next to you."
Blitz licked her ear, feeling as though he'd explode with joy. He didn't know if Pixie cared for him in the same way that he cared for her, but it was certainly a start. He'd won over her friendship. Now he vowed to protect her with his life.
Chapter 10[]
The next few days were busy. Blitz and Pixie had spent most of their time training to fight and looking or food, as well as making sure no potential foes came near their new den. Now the two Ninetales were relaxing near a shallow pool of water with reeds that surrounded it. They had just finished a day of vigorous battle training, and both Pokemon were extremely exhausted. Blitz was personally surprised at how well his friend was faring. After all, she hadn't really fought much before they met, and she had seemed opposed to it. But now she seemed completely comfortable with it, and she fought better than he had ever expected.
Now, as the two Pokemon sat beside the pool of water, Blitz couldn't help but to shoot the beautiful Ninetales a swift glance. Her fur glimmered like ice as sunlight shone onto her, and her eyes shone like two tiny glaciers as she gazed into the pool of water, clearly deep in thought.Then she spoke.
"Blitz?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet. She didn't look up from the pool.
"Yeah?" Blitz asked, twitching one of his ears. "What's up?"
Pixie looked up from where her eyes had been fixed on the pool. Sadness glimmered within the icy depths of her gaze. "Those Pokemon who attacked us the other day..." She swallowed and looked at the pool again, averting her gaze from Blitz's.
"What about them?" He asked, rising to his paws. Flicking the tip of one of his nine tails, he stepped closer to the ice type Ninetales.
"I..." She swallowed, scraping the ground with one of her front paws. "I used to be friends with Arcanine... H-he wanted to be my mate."
Blitz swallowed, looking away. He held back a growl of rage, knowing it wouldn't be of any comfort to Pixie. "Oh?" He replied instead, his voice quiet.
"H-he used to be different. Or at least I thought." Pixie whimpered, flattening her ears. She stood up and turned away from Blitz. "I liked him as a friend. I never wanted to be his mate, Blitz."
A wave of relief swept over Blitz. He was grateful that she hadn't ever reciprocated that crazy Pokemon's feelings. There was something evil and menacing about the Arcanine. Perhaps he was insane without his trainer.
"I know I've known you only for a short time..." Pixie turned to look at him again, her head lowered. She had a sheepish look on her face. "But...I-I think I like you Blitz. I mean I think I have a crush on you."
Blitz felt his heart soar. He trotted over to Pixie and licked her nose. "I feel the same way about you." He murmured, forcing himself now to bellow with joy. Instead, he lifted his head and forced himself to look mature. "Are you saying that you would like to be my mate, Pixie?"
"I'm not sure yet." Pixie admitted. The sad look returned to her face and she averted her gaze again. "I know I like you, but we've just met. And I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to find Emily again..."
Blitz felt as though she had stabbed his chest with an icicle, though she was right. "I understand." He said simply.
Pixie looked at him again and smiled. "Do you think, for now at least, we can just be friends? We can train together as we have for the past five days, and just live together. Maybe we can be mates soon, if things stay the same."
Smiling, Blitz brushed his muzzle against Pixie's cheek. "Of course." He murmured.
***
The two Ninetales trained every day for two weeks. They also went to collect berries together and patrolled to make sure no foe was after them. During that time, the two had bonded together even more. They stayed up at night talking, napped in the woods, and gazed up at the sunset each day. There was something truly special between them, and Blitz hoped that Pixie would decide to be his mate.
Now it was sunset. The two Pokemon were sitting on top of a hill that was about six minutes from their den, gazing up at the sky. That was when Pixie turned to Blitz with a look full of love and wonder on her face.
"The world out there is so big..." She murmured softly. "I can't believe I ended up here all the way from Alola."
"Me neither." Blitz agreed. "But I'm glad I met you." He hesitated. "But I am sorry that we had to meet in such circumstances..." He winced as he remembered his own guilt over his dead trainer, and how Pixie had been escaping a scientist.
"I do miss Emily." Pixie admitted, letting out a sigh. "But I think you and I were meant to meet." She looked into his eyes. "Blitz...I-I may want to go look for Emily one day, but for now I think I want to remain here with you. You've done so much to help me...I've been thinking about what I said a while ago." She licked Blitz's cheek. "I think I love you, Blitz. Do you still want to be my mate?"
Blitz's heart swelled with love for his companion. "Of course I do." He whispered.
Epilogue[]
More coming soon!