A Same Path

An expected consequence

Until finally I ended up sitting next to the Pokémon, right in front of the little boy who had once approached me.

─ I can treat your wounds ─ I said trying to keep serious while showing kindness, but their dubious looks remained; I pulled out the spray, but this only scared them again.

I could only exhale abruptly in response, even I was exasperated that I could not give them to understand that I would not do anything to them, to which I only end up frowning in discomfort, rolling up my left arm, and then taking off one of the bandages that Hina had placed on me. I was bleeding, the medicines took away some of the pain, but having removed all those berries had caused several of my wounds to reopen.

I bit my lips, I knew it would burn, but as soon as I pulled the trigger and the liquid spread on my wound I could only close my eyes with a sharp shock, before calm returned once the painkiller that had the spray itself took effect and stopped the bleeding almost instantly.

─See? It's to cure you ─ I covered myself again with the same blindfold, before looking up at the pokémon again. A few seconds passed, before finally the little pokémon from before approached and smelled my hand even a little bit scary.

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An hour had passed... I won't comment on the bites and grunts of discomfort that were involved, but the following scene only ended up denoting all the bandaged and attended pokémon, asleep before the pertinent tiredness and the sensation of having finally found the security of not receiving a punishment or mistreatment when waking up.

The Riolu and the Buneary were the last ones, my scratched and chewed hands were the result of my eternal patience with those pokémon, while the pokémon was still asleep on one side of the Riolu while I checked it.

He didn't look at me, occasionally turning my eyes towards he, but he preferred not to pay attention to me, but sometimes he would look at the Buneary out of the corner of his eye.

─Thanks ─ I was the first to break the already uncomfortable silence that formed while the last wound of the pokémon healed, at the same time that the Riolu only began to frown with discomfort as a first response ─ I thought they were going to attack me or something at any moment ─ As I finished healing the Buneary, I now saw the first wounds I noticed on the Riolu's shoulder ─ I owe you o- ─ As soon as I got the spray close to the Riolu, it didn't take long for me to shut up all of a sudden once it hit my hand.

The can falling to one side was the least of it. I almost felt my eyes come out of their sockets once I held back with all my strength the cry born of pain at that attack; it had not been the strongest blow, but even my hand was not in a position to bear it.

─What the hell is your problem?! ─ I cried out in pain and anger, while tears welled up in my poor, sorrowful eyes, as I hugged my own hand trying to comfort my pain.

─" Don't think that to avoid being attacked you have the right to touch me... I haven't gone down so far as to be cared for by a filthy human like you" ─ My distressed face became more serious but still painful, while the voice of the Riolu came back to my mind, which did not happen long before those words discouraged me in the same way.

─" The thought that I was indebted to you disgusts me... but not anymore, so stop bothering me or I'll beat you up" ─ His rude words only made me frown with disbelief, several minutes passed in which I just remained silent.

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─ You... have been watching my thoughts all this time, haven't you? ─ I started to talk, while trying to stand up again, while the Riolu still didn't look at me, but when he frowned slightly in response it was enough of a reaction for me ─ I guess that's why you didn't stop me before... you knew that I wanted to heal his wounds and you didn't believe it yourself; that's why you looked like a fool ─ I laughed with innocence at the end, while that only made the Riolu's face wake up and raise his eyes towards me again, but I was already turning my back on him, however, it wasn't long before he stopped me again, my memories came back to dominate me at times, but the Riolu only looked at me while I slightly clenched my fist, before I went back to where my things were at the side of the campfire.

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My head kept spinning... as the minutes passed, I could only stare at the flames without being able to sleep, the cold of the night dominated more and more strongly, plus the fire next to me was enough to calm it down.

And not to mention all the sleeping pokémon that lay in a deep sleep on the other side of the fire, while on top of them was a long new blanket that I soon put on once I took pity on them.

Time went by... more than a few snores could be heard over the sound of the wood burning, bringing out a small laugh from time to time. But my face soon became more serious and discouraged as I noticed a certain detail.

It would have been out of respect, but at the point where even near the fire I began to feel the cold, that Riolu who was still at the side of the wagon continued to unsettle me.

From his perspective, he only protected the Buneary with his body, as only his trembling and the constant sound of his teeth shaking incessantly could be seen and heard from where I was.

There would not even be eyes, he squeezed all parts of his body so tightly to generate heat that even that was not allowed; however, while he still trying to keep the little pokémon at its own body temperature...

It didn't take long before the sudden change in temperature after something strange had landed on it completely exalted him; the Riolu could only open his eyes sharply, before looking at how a warm jacket and several other blankets now covered him.

He hadn't even felt my presence through his aura... his cold prevented him from doing so, but it was already late enough to show his pride and to refuse, by the time he noticed I was returning to the fire, while I, now without a jacket on, was only hugging me to keep warm, without wanting to collide with the look of the little pokémon that, I knew, was watching me.

─One day so much kindness is going to kill me... ─ I said reluctantly, while it was now me who was shaking, bringing my hands close to the fire and trying to keep it alive by putting a couple more dry branches on it.

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─Yeah... you are right ─A voice behind my back was the last thing that caused my eyes to open wide, to which I only manage to turn abruptly towards the origin of this one.

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Before a blow to my entire face was the next thing to happen.