Forest of Secrets; A Pokemon Fanfiction

Chapter 4 Part 2

Psycho

"...and t'ere is tat beautiful river running t'rough the middle of tah meadow, splitting it into two 'alves. Pretty, pretty river, but Mommy t'inks its kind of sad. Like, tah cliff is crying. Only it's not salty, and tears taste like salt. Blech!" Miley's speech halts for a minute as she makes a silly face I must suppose is intended as an expression of disgust.

Cygnus pulls the corners of his beak up in a smile. "Wat you talk about? Salt be nice and Dry-tasting, even as wet tears. Yum."

She only makes another face on return.

"That's nice," I start, "but why does your mother say its like a river of tears in the first place?" If there's anything I have learned so far this trip, it's that the Ducklett have a hard time staying on task and on topic. A very hard time.

Cygnus gives a shrug. "I not know. Mommy says s'e will tell us wen we be older, but not yet. It be a sad story, s'e say."

Neutrally, I accept the vague answer. If they don't know, they don't know. What I'm really stressing over, is how the other forest Pokemon will take to me. Will they give me any chance? It's one thing for two young Ducklett to accept one from the mansion. After all, to them I'm more a novelty than a threat. I'm willing to bet they've never seen a Pokemon from another region before. At the least, they haven't seen a Gallade. With the grown Pokemon, it will be a different story. For whatever reason, they have this grudge against us of the house that just doesn't go away.

Vividly, I recall one incident I had while minding my own business in the forest a year back. Now usually, forest Pokemon try to steer clear of us. Once though, a Scolipede deliberately walked in front of me, and spat on the ground as he passed by. For the most part it doesn't go that far, but they never like us much in the first place.

Without me realizing, the two have picked back up into some conversation or the other. I laugh quietly and shake my head at their antics. They squawk loudly enough on a topic I don't care to pay attention to. Almost so loudly that the rustle behind me isn't heard at all. But I do hear it. Tiredly, I turn to the source of the noise. Nothing appears in the dappled shade afforded under the trees. Maybe I'm imagining things. It's quite possible, considering my current condition. Vehemently, I wish that Full Moon had given me more time for sleep. Yet again though, the rustle comes through, nearly imperceptibly.

"Hey, can you guys be silent for a minute? I thought I heard something."

Piping down, the two tilt their heads and give me a simultaneous strange look. Slowly, I turn and inspect the area.

"Wat you be-" Miley barely begins before disaster strikes with wings of gray.

"Oh my GIRATINA!" I can't help but gasp out as a little Staravia I recognize as Cosmo bursts from the leaves above and swoops haggardly at my head. Ducking clumsily, I spin on my heels and scoop up the Ducklett with my good hand. They protest, but I don't hear. But a second later, I hear the heavy swish of steel-heavy wings where I just was. Similarly to my dream, I must run. Can't stop, can't slow, can't even look back for fears that Cosmo will catch up. As before in my dream, the blood rushing in my ears pulses the the same, insane beat that my feet stamp into the ground.

Unlike my dream, I now have the image of a glassy-eyed bird diving for me. A wild fear and rage suffuses what little in his expression could be called emotion. I have to get the Ducklett away safely, as well as myself.

Miley taps my shoulder impatiently. "Listen!"

I pay some attention to her.

"Run tat way." She motions to a thicker patch of undergrowth coming up on my left.