Chapter #5Ninetales by: Unknown You realized you were suddenly face-to-face with a Ninetales, who looked just as surprised as you did that you ran into eachother. She was about a foot taller than you, and looked old enough to be your mother. It was obvious she had been surviving in the wilderness for quite a long time; her back was covered in scars from previous battles, and her fur was dirty and ragged, though she did look oddly well-fed. Most notably, she was wearing a long, thick red band as a blindfold of some sort. While she couldn’t see you, she could definitely hear you coming, and tensed up. “W-who are you?” You ask, curiously, a little startled by her sudden appearance from the trees. All of a sudden, she lunged forward, pouncing at you and sending you flying back through the air, pinning you against the ground beneath some thick bushes. “Mph!”
“Keep... quiet...” She whispered harshly, practically burying you between her body, holding you tightly against the ground.
“What the hell? Get off m-” You say, starting to struggle against her.
“Shut up!” She hissed quietly. You were about to fight back, until you heard another sound in the distance; the stomping of some immense Pokemon, kicking up dirt and pushing over trees with its every step. You freeze up, suddenly unwilling to make a single sound as the two of you hid in the bushes, hearing the monumental creature draw closer. Eventually, it pushes the trees aside as it steps into the open field, and you finally get a good look at the ninetale’s pursuer. A huge scolipede loomed over you, bigger than any Pokemon you’ve ever seen in person, her head looming over many of the smaller trees. She was probably about four times your size!
“I heard something over here! Weren’t you known as the most silent Pokemon in this forest? You’ve really lost your touch, haven’t you?” The scolipede cackled, in a booming, deep voice, taunting the hiding ninetales. You don’t even blink as the scolipede walks by, the sounds of her heavy steps ringing in your ears. The ninetales on top of you had gone completely still, like a statue. You were pretty sure she wasn’t even breathing. “You’re getting old, little fox. Can’t hide like you used to. You’ll slip up eventually...” Figuring the ninetales would never stay in one place for too long, the scolipede continued through the wilderness, disappearing back into the overgrowth.
The ninetales stays hidden with you, remaining completely still, able to easily judge the scolipede’s distance with her acute sense of hearing. You find it slightly awkward to be pressed up so close against her for so long, but still, you try to keep quiet. Eventually, she seems certain that the scolipede had left, and sits up. “Hmph,” she says, in a low, frustrated tone as she climbs off you. “Word of advice, kid. Out in the wild, there’s no reason to ever be so damn loud.” Just like that, she pads away, as if nothing had ever happened… leaving you there, confused.
As you stand on wobbly legs, it occurs to you that the ninetales had probably just saved your life. You wished she would stick around to explain, but it seemed she had places to be. You sighed, returning to your task of tracking down your parents… only to realize that their scent led you in exactly the same direction the ninetales was walking. You investigated, only to find a small dirt path winding through the woods. Your parent’s pawprints were still evident in the mud. They’d been through here recently. Seems like you and the ninetales were heading the same way after all.
You walk down the path, trekking behind the ninetales, sniffing the air and keeping an eye out for pawprints, trying to make it obvious you’re not just following her. Unfortunately, you fail. “Why are you following me?” She asks, not even bothering to look over her shoulder at you.
“Uh… w-we’re actually heading in the same direction...”You stuttered.
“... sure,” she replied, her tone unreadable. The two of you walk in silence for a while, with you growing increasingly embarrassed.
“Yeeaah…” You say uncomfortably, staring at the ground. You were still bursting with adrenaline after the brush with the scolipede, and desperately wanted to talk about it with someone. You had never been so close to a hostile predator, after all. Unfortunately, you had no friends, and your parents were nowhere to be found, so this random ninetales was the only Pokemon you could discuss it with. “So, uh, heh, that whole thing was pretty intense, right? What was that all about?”
“Why are you asking?” She asks, still hardly acknowledging your presence.
“Just… m-making conversation,” you say, a little taken back by the question. It seems she wasn’t a big fan of talking, but you were still feeling desperate to save face. “I mean, heh, I haven’t really talked to many Pokemon before. Besides my folks.” You chuckle awkwardly, your face flushed. “Who I’m… sort of looking for. You haven’t happened to see a Zoroark around here, have you?”
“No,” she replied, simply.
“Ah,” you nodded, and the two of you walked silently for a few minutes more. The ninetales was kind of attractive, you noticed, in a rugged, creepy sort of way. It didn’t help that she was so tall you were about eye-level with her shapely ass, which swayed in front of your face as she walked, beneath her gorgeous tails. You tried not to stare. “So… is that a blindfold you’re wearing?” You ask, trying to divert your attention to something else.
“Yes,” she said, giving brief, one-word answers, as if she doesn’t want to spare the energy to even speak with you.
“How do you see?”
“... I don’t,” she replied. It was kind of a dumb question, you suppose, but it was apparently dumb enough for the ninetales to stop in her tracks completely. She turned to face you, and you realize you’ve probably just been pissing her off this entire time. “You’re not very bright, are you?” She growled.
“Uh... I guess not,” you reply, backing away as she loomed over you. “I mean… this is kind of my first day out here, so I don’t really know what I’m doing…”
She stands there for a few moments. You’d almost think she was staring at you, if it wasn’t for the blindfold. Eventually, she sighed, letting her anger and frustration melt away. “Listen, kid. I’ve pissed off some seriously bad Pokemon, so forgive me if I’m a little paranoid,” she said, trying her best to act rational. “But if you’re telling the truth, your parents are probably in the next town, just a few miles up. Once we get there, I want you to buzz off, okay? I don’t want to see you around me again.”
“T-there’s a…?” You had no idea there was a town nearby. Your father told you there was only empty wilderness for miles and miles around here. Then again, he wasn’t a very reliable source. Deciding not to question her further, you nod. “Okay.”
“Alright. You walk in front,” she says, standing there, leaving you to reluctantly walk ahead. You couldn’t hear her, though, so after a while you were afraid she might’ve just ditched you -- but when you eventually glanced over your shoulder, sure enough, she was there. Her footsteps simply didn’t make a sound. Her movements were almost eerily quiet, the ninetales practically gliding along the ground with an almost robotic rhythm. She definitely lived up to her reputation. You tried to pretend she wasn’t even there, opting to just stare at the ground and contemplate the situation.
Eventually, the two of you came upon a...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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