Brace For A Break-In

Adam jumped at the countertop once again, barely too short to reach the apples. After his thirtieth attempt, his legs were starting to hurt, as did Chary’s ears from listening to him.

“Hey there little guy! Are you having some trouble reaching the high countertops?” Chary entered the room, making sure to emphasize the “little guy” part.

Adam grunted, making another attempt. “Not my fault-” Giving it one last try, he came up an inch too short. “-These counters were designed for you!” Adam looked up at Chary, who only grinned in response.

“Eh. You’ll grow into them eventually. You’re an Eevee, you’ll evolve once you have enough life experience to do so!”

“Are these countertops helpful to my character development then?”

Chary shrugged, leaning on the counter. “Sure, why not? Maybe they’ll inspire you to evolve into a Sylveon – those long ribbons could come in handy for grabbing things. I evolved into an Umbreon because I wanted good hearing and vision.”

“Sylveon, huh?” A vivid image of a pink, white, and blue Pokemon formed in Adam’s mind. He thought about how helpful the ribbons would be, but he couldn’t get his mind off of the idea of how annoyingly grabby they might be.

Chary stared directly at Adam, pulling him back to reality. “Well, unless you plan on teaching me how to evolve right here in your living room, we are going to need an alternative solution,” Adam said with a snarky tone.

Just then, Concord walked in. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“We’re talking about how short Adam is,” Chary said immediately, nodding back to him.

“Hey!” Adam yelled out in instinctual reaction, then he sighed. “Yes… I just found out I can’t reach the countertops.”

“Well that just won’t stand! We need to find a way for him to be taller!”

“Yeah!” Chary cheered on. “That’s what I’m saying! How else can he help me cook?!”

Concord and Chary got to brainstorming about how to fix the issue while Adam idly watched on in confusion.

“Maybe a large step stool?” Concord suggested.

Chary shook his head. “No, it would be in the way. What about renovating the whole kitchen? I mean, we’ve been talking about it for a while.”

Concord grimaced at the thought. “That would cost a lot, and it’s not a long-term solution, given that he’ll evolve eventually.”

Concord paused, and Adam could see an idea forming in her eyes. “Wait! Remember that Flareon we met when we were kids?”

Chary’s eyes widened as he remembered. “Oh, right! I can’t recall exactly what we were talking about, but he did mention something about walking on two legs with a leg brace when he was younger.”

“That’s it!” Concord exclaimed. “Adam could use something like that to get taller.”

Adam finally spoke up. “So, we just go ask him for it?”

“Are you kidding?! Of course not! Don’t you remember what we told you?”

“Don’t need to say it twice.” Adam frowned as he thought back to their creepy unified warning.

Concord clasped her hands together. “There’s only one solution now! …Stealing!” She said with unexpected excitement.

“Concord no!” Chary gasped, but it was already too late.

However, the topic of stealing did bring an idea to his mind…

---

Concord was fairly certain this was where their target lived. She looked him up in the guild database, and while he had moved a few times, it wasn’t too complicated to track him down. The house they were now spying on was significantly larger than their own, both wider taller, and longer. The walls were a light blue, and the windows were blacked out to keep unwanted guests (like them) from looking inside.

“Alright, Adam. I’ve got a plan. You distract him at the front, while I make my way in from the back,” Concord whispered.

Adam was surprised but relieved that he didn’t have to enter the house himself. “Okay, but can we get out of this bush first? We’re not exactly covert right now.”

The bright orange buizel might as well have been wearing a visibility vest until she stood up.

Adam approached the front door and knocked, waiting anxiously for a response, while Concord stealthily moved through thick and thorny bushes to reach the back entrance.

---

She had to pluck a few spines off her fur, but once she was through, it was worth it. The windows at the back weren’t blacked out, and she could see inside. To get a better view, she stepped onto a two story deck, which was held together with some remarkably good architecture.

‘Perfect, a back door!’ Concord thought, trying the door handle. Miraculously, it was unlocked.

Giving one final look through the window to make sure nobody saw her, she moved inside.

The door she went in from led to the dining room, and the kitchen to the left clearly had someone, or some people inside from the sound of it.

The house being much larger than hers was good, as it was easier to sneak around with more places to hide.

The dining room had paintings on each of the walls, some of which she recognized as ones that went missing about a year ago. At the table’s center was some sort of machine, mostly black and filled with holes between all the cogs and gears. It and the tools surrounding it occupied the entire table.

Footsteps approached her, so she was forced to make her move. Dodging past the open doorway, past the living room, and to the front, she found herself cornered. From the other side, someone else approached. In one last desperate move, she tried to retreat up the stairs, but after the third step they were far too creaky. The Buizel found herself still as a rock, watching a Flareon from above as he opened the door.

“Hello there!” the Flareon spoke first. Concord realized he was talking to Adam, and Adam had no idea what he was doing.

“Hi- I- I heard you had a leg brace when you were young, and I was… wondering if I could borrow it?” Adam stammered.

‘Oh shit, he just blew it! There’s no way!’ Concord watched on in horror while she waited for the Flareon’s response.

“Sure thing! I do believe I have it downstairs, so just stay here while I grab it.” They answered casually much to her relief, but also disbelief at Adam’s plan actually working. Just as she moved to escape, a shrill voice above her sent shivers down her spine.

“Hey! What are you doing down here?” The Buizel froze in place. Anxiously, she turned around, only to come face to face with a Butterfree flying a few steps above her. Concord was at a loss for words.

“Uh, I’m- I was-” She fumbled trying to find an explanation.

Before she could finish, the Butterfree provided an explanation of her own. “Oh, you were trying to sneak out, weren’t you? I must say, Floatzel has been getting more and more bit-“

“She’s not mine.” A Floatzel from the top interrupted.

“Oh- um. I’m someone elses’…?” Concord tried to explain.

“Impossible. I know Drowzee and Alakazam are too ugly, I’m pretty sure he’s gay,” the Floatzel pointed at the Flareon returning with the leg brace. “Mankey already has a girlfriend, and Butterfree? I mean just look at her! No way that would work!”

“Hey, hang on, what’s going on here?” the Flareon spoke up, and the room fell to silence.

“I’m- I mean, I was trying to sneak out, but I don’t think it went according to plan.” Concord chuckled.

“No, that part was obvious. I mean the other part. What made you think I was gay?” The Flareon rose his arms up in confusion.

“I don’t know! Just the way that you walk, I guess?” The Floatzel shrugged, a desperate and confused look strewn across his face.

“I walk like that because-!” The Flareon cut himself off. “Speaking of which, I do believe this brace is yours now, little guy.” He crouched down to Adam’s level, clearly wanting it out of his paws.

“Wait, is that Eevee gay too?” The Floatzel gasped.

“NO!”

Tony shook his head. “So what is she doing here?”

“She was trying to sneak out!” the Butterfree flapped her wings.

“Really?” It was hard to make out, but Concord could see him smiling.

“YES! Have you not been listening?”

Adam spoke up. “Concord and I; we’ll just… go now.”

“Alright, have fun out there- wait, how do you know her name?” the Flareon stared at her, and she went pale.

“Ummm- uhhh…” Adam ran out of the door, ditching Concord.

“Get her!” The Butterfree yelled, and Concord rose her arms up in surrender.

---

Chary was sure this would be his big break. It was an idea that Concord and Adam gave him; just catch a thief, and get famous. Easy as that. No complications needed. He paced back and forth, just not knowing where to start. He thought about what Ninetails would do, when he was struck with inspiration.

“I’m sure you’ll come up with something.”

Following their words, Chary charged outside and looked for something to do.

‘I need to take the initiative,’ he thought, moving quickly toward the town.

The Umbreon looked around for anything happening, but there was nothing. The center was unusually quiet. Still, he climbed his way up onto a building and perched himself to keep watch for a while.

Only the occasional person walked through the area, as the shopkeepers absent-mindedly waited. Wind howled in his ear, and Chary nearly fell asleep out of boredom.

Deciding that not enough was happening, he got back down from his roof to begin patrolling the local area. Still, there wasn’t much happening, not until he caught his first case.

“Get that thief!” A voice around the corner yelled, as a stampede of footsteps approached.

Without thinking, Chary dove out to grab the suspect and pinned them to the ground.

He turned their face toward him, expecting to see a hardened criminal, but instead came face to face with Adam. The group chasing him stopped. Looking at them, Chary knew he stood no chance at winning a fight, so he pretended to not know the Eevee.

“Hey, what’s going on here?!” He held out his hand in a commanding way, holding back the group.

“He ran away with our stuff! He’s a thief!”

“Really?” Chary asked, “Where’s the stuff he stole?” Chary looked at them disapprovingly.

“Well uh- he-” A Butterfree at the front spoke first.

“I dropped it.” Adam interrupted.

‘God DAMN IT Adam, you’re not supposed to say that!’ Chary wanted to yell at him, but he just played along.

“Well, I’ll take this little scamp to the guild prison. I’m with them, you know.”

“Really? Where’s your guild badge?” A Flareon questioned.

“Wait, they- we have badges? I’m new to it all.” They stared at him suspiciously, but then shrugged and walked away.

Adam nervously followed Chary, genuinely believing himself to be prison-bound. The Umbreon stayed quiet the entire journey, as Adam’s mind paced trying to find a way out. However, the door opened, and he found himself back home. As soon as Chary shut the door, he nearly screamed.

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!”

Adam stepped back. “I’m sorry Chary, I messed up.” Adam paused, nervously looking around. “If you hadn’t been there, and you hadn’t handled it so well, I would be in prison right now.”

`You have no idea how much I want to punch you right now. -I mean, who the hell says ‘I dropped it’ when I’m trying to bail you out?!”

“That would be me!” Adam tried to lighten the mood.

“Just… never do that again.”

“Despite it, I still think you did a good job getting me out.”

“Why thank you!” Chary began to calm down.

“I mean really, thank you!” While Adam did genuinely mean it, it also had the neat side effect of making Chary forget what he’d done.

“Well, uh, Adam, are you hungry?”

“Yeah, what do we have?”

“We can have soup for dinner, but you’re gonna have to help me make it. …Oh right, you can’t!” Chary smugly smiled at Adam.

“YOU FUCKING-“

---

“Mmm, this is good soup!” Adam said after taking only one bite. Chary smiled at the pot, having made it all by himself.

“You want some seconds?” Chary held up the remaining soup.

“Later,” Adam mumbled. There was a pause in the room. “Well, what now?”

“We finish eating! Oh, if only Concord were here to enjoy this. …WAIT SHIT-” Chary sprinted out the door, leaving Adam all alone.

Having no clue where the hell Chary was going, Adam spent the next twenty minutes or so looking around. It was the first good look at the base he had since he got here. The cupboard held dozens of pots, pans, and trays, the books were unreadable, and the glassware was fancy.

All of that was unimportant to one thing in particular though: the beds.

Sitting on top of Chary’s bed filled him with jealousy; it was obvious he was geting the short end of the stick here. The couch was stiff, rigid, and had a weird texture, but his bed was fluffy, soft, and felt amazing.

Chary returned with Concord, and they were both panting as they closed the door behind them.

“Oh, you broke her out?” Adam was half-joking, but he was seriously wondering how the hell she got out.

“Yeah, I did. I just walked in, unlocked the cell door with a key on the wall, and let her out.”

“Wouldn’t they notice?” Adam pondered the obvious.

“Nahhhh, the guild’s prison is an absolute joke. It’s really funny how I could just walk in there and take her out.” Chary laughed.

“Wait, didn’t they introduce a written record a few years ago?” Concord’s face went pale.

“Yeah, they did. But ink is too expensive for them, so they had a pencil there instead. I just erased what they put down and replaced it with the species of a bum just outside, they’ll never notice.” Chary dismissed any notion of him getting caught.

“And to think, we went through all of that trouble for nothing!” Concord facepalmed, and Chary tried to look at the positive side of things.

“No we didn’t! I think we all had a great trust-building exercise here.”

“Well, yes- but I mean nothing material.” Concord corrected herself.

“I also left the leg brace hidden in a bush while I ran away, I can go get it tomorrow.” Adam interrupted, leaving the three to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.