Chapter -18: Chance

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Many Years Ago…

It had been nearly three months since the test and I finally decided to roam free. Zarude had a nervous look as I left, and I don’t blame him for it. I know he was just worried for me, but I recall myself groaning at the thought of him accompanying me on the way out. I remembered thinking, (“Wasn’t this why the test happened, so Zarude’s constant watching didn’t happen? Why suddenly think of going back on that?”) Nevertheless, he backed off after I reminded him.

Bidding farewell to Zarude for now, I worked my way out of the jungle in record time, reaching that old familiar road. To think Patra and I would end up here with that mystery metal mishap.

After a couple of glances at the landscape, I decided to go around the mountain this time. Sure, it took longer than the dungeon route technically, but there were two reasons. One: If I tried using that path, I would have put myself in needless danger. Plus, using it over time would have tipped Zarude off a bit, making him wonder why I would go that way so often. Two: I honestly didn’t feel like going through there again.

In hindsight, perhaps using that route would have been the better option. I didn’t think Zarude would ever follow me out of the jungle. He trusted me to stay within the boundaries, especially after that incident.

---

Altern Village:

With a nice and easy jog, I found Altern Village yet again, making sure no one, not even Flying Types, saw me. I blazed my own trail until I eventually returned to the spot where I first saw the village with Patra.

The area looked as beautiful as ever, albeit in a brighter light. Several pokemon were roaming about, minding their own business without too much of a care. The abodes stood low, but strongly from the hills. Some even wore the ground as their own personal cloak. 

Running river or not, I could have sworn the area was a bit more lush than before. Then again, it was the farming season for these pokemon. Unlike the jungle, the trees surrounded everything. Sunlight just poured into the town. It probably would have been a natural garden if it weren’t for…well, the common Pokemon. Looking at it again, I pondered why Zarude didn’t claim this instead.

…I was ignorant of the obvious, but a child’s complaint didn’t need a reason to be said.

 

So for what purpose would a young kitten like me go against his own guardian’s word and wander to a village behind his back? Simple: Find Patra. Surely, I’d think Patra would at least respect my word and not tell anyone anything about what she did that day. I was fairly certain of that.

I don’t believe it was for affection, far from it. Way too young to be that way. Way way waaaaaaay too young. If anything, I was just curious about what else she could show me. She seemed like a great guide, I thought. I bet she had plenty of wonderful places to show me.

The problem was…how was I gonna find her? That question only sunk in after several long moments of just staring at the village. Admittedly, I half expected her to just be there.What a foolish expectation that was. I just kept looking at the same sights, over and over again, eager to see some sign. That sign never came.

As one could most easily guess, I grew bored from waiting. “If Patra wasn’t coming to me, I may as well come to her,” was my immediate thought. This had to change. So I took a chance.

 

Once there was a clear opening, I sneaked over to one of the village-bound bushes and hid within it. My heart pounded through the experience. One wrong move and I would be in big trouble, obviously.

I would be lying if I said I had no trouble. Oh no! There was trouble. In fact, I was the Corvisquire to an unsuspecting Tinkatuff. 

Hearing her roam along on the road in song, I leaped into the nearest hiding spot, which turned out to be a very thorny bush.

And yes, you could imagine how noisy and uncomfortable that experience was. Everything from branches to leaves had a point poking at something. No amount of fur and hair could protect me from that. It was a wonder how I sat still through all that.

An even bigger wonder is how this child didn’t see through it all.

Well…now that I think about it, she did look in there. Curious and ruthless blue eyes ready to strike against their prey.

The fairy-type kept chuckling at my spiky misfortune as I tried to make some very poor attempts at bargaining. Hide and seek came to mind. That was one of the ideas at least.

But I may have insulted her accent a bit, which led to her making a very unpleasant proposition.

“I always wanted to try my hammer on something,” she said.

My eyes widened. The next few moments were a blur, but I recall my body rushing forward into the pokemon as well as my own panicked scream.

I feel pity for the poor girl. She had no idea who she was aiming at and I still ended up tackling her away. I think that’s what happened. How else did I see a spot of pink tumbling into another bush?

 

The next thing I knew, I was running down the road as quickly as I could. There was no method or direction. I simply had to get away.

Inevitably, the poking pain of all those thorns finally caught up. Every step stung with the force of a spike, which eventually caused me to trip. I was lucky that no Pokemon were around, but I wasted no time to find out. So I aggressively pulled out all the thorns I could and continued onward, albeit with sore steps at first.

 

The next thing I knew, I was running down the road as quickly as I could. There was no method or direction. I simply had to get away.

Inevitably, the poking pain of all those thorns finally caught up. Every step stung with the force of a spike, which eventually caused me to trip. I was lucky that no Pokemon were around, but I wasted no time to find out. So I aggressively pulled out all the thorns I could and continued onward, albeit with sore steps at first.

---

With no idea about the destination, I sneaked through the streets blindly. Roads curved in circles for a few minutes until I somehow ended up in one of the busiest streets in town, the market. Berry and fruit stands were laid out forward, bearing the luxuries of plenty. 

It was also here I realized I was hungry and hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. To make matters worse, I had no idea what money was. Oh how my blissful ignorance of youth was…something to behold. Yes, I will admit it. I attempted thievery and didn’t even realize it.

My mouth began to water from all the berries in those crates. They looked ripe and ready to munch on. What else was I gonna do? Waste them? (“No!”) I thought, (“I shall save them the trouble of worrying. I’ll save the day. I’m sure they won’t miss a few.”)

 

So I slipped behind one of the stands, avoiding the gaze of a Pangoro. I took an apple and went away.

How the shopkeeper didn’t see me is a mystery to be honest. I don’t remember going that slow, but it’s hard to recall. Maybe he was dozing off? Struck with boredom?

Why did I write that?

Either way! I took my first bite of food when I heard stomping. That might have been the shopkeeper rapidly approaching my location.

A growling hum reached my ears, forcing my spine to shiver ceaselessly.

Luckily, I was behind some crates at the time, but still, there were no other good hiding spots.

My eyes noticed a large cloth. Using that to hide? That would be foolish! But what else could I do? The Pangoro was nearly here!

 

What followed was a quick and frightened panic, I tossed the cloth over the top of my hiding spot.

From the muffled sounds, my toss managed to cover the shopkeeper’s gaze completely. That masked my rushed escape on all fours.

I heard crashes on the way out, but I didn’t bother looking back.

I had no idea how no one saw me when I ran. Maybe I ran fast enough or the noise was what had everyone’s attention…Hard to say.

---

After more aimless running, I finally found something of note! A big looking house near the edge of town. I was pretty much desperate for any helpful sign. And that was one such sight I could appreciate.

It was a house built around a tree, as in the tree shot up from the center of the structure. Yep, it was just like home.

The home surrounded itself with a big grass field and a wooden fence. Several broken boulders were also scattered about, along with big piles of hay.

I muttered to myself. “Could it be…?”

Before long, I heard some familiar stomping coming from around the corner.

 

With no other choice, I hopped over the fence and leapt into a pile of hay near the house.

However, staying still quickly became a nightmare! The hay stuck and poked into my fur, creating this itchy feeling I could barely fight against. All the while the stomping grew louder with each passing moment.

Fierce stomps pound against the ground with thunderous force. Whoever they were, they must have been angry at something. Why else would there be so many harsh steps? 

In fact, wood suddenly snapped, much to the frustration of a familiar-sounding voice.

“Gah! Darn it all! She has to be here…” they bitterly remarked to the air.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.*  

After some very loud knocking, someone does answer the door.

“Yes?” a lady said with some restraint. “Can I help you?”

“Where’s that kitten of yours?” the visitor asked promptly. He sounded like that shopkeeper I eluded earlier.

The lady was taken aback by the sudden question. “Patra you mean? Why-”

“I believe she happened to pay a visit to my shop today, and very recently too.”

What luck! What were the odds? I found Patra’s house after all!

But at the same time…Was she actually there, at that market back there?

I pondered and concluded, (“No, that couldn’t be possible. I would have saw here, right?”).

My brief question was answered further by the lady. “…I think you’re mistaken, she’s been in her room this whole time.”

“Then explain this little bite right here…” Wood collided just after.

The lady stammered, “W-Wait, what? H-Hey!”

 

I stayed still for a few moments after that, trying to figure out what I just heard. As tempting as it was to just leave, that concerning conversation in Patra’s supposed home did make me a bit curious.

With that thought in mind, I slowly emerged from the haystack, with the biggest problem now being an all-encompassing itch. 

I had to see more of this, so I looked for a window I could peer through.

 

While I did this, a heated conversation started. It was certainly loud enough to blast through the walls.

“Oi! Where is she?”

“Patra, dear.”

“…Uhhh…what?” a familiar voice called.

“One of the shop keeps is here and-”

“And you stole from me! Bit into one of my apples just a short while ago. You’re going to have to pay for that!”

“What? No! I didn’t do that!”

“Sir! My daughter may be a handful, but I don’t believe she’s a thief.”

“Oh really? She’s a handful alright. How about you explain what I saw?”

I blinked, glancing at the wall for a moment.

The lady spoke again. “What? That bite? It certainly looks similar, but it’s not the same.”

My ears twitched. Thinking back, I dropped my apple in a panic when I ran. The keeper must have found it afterwards.

 

After finding a window, heavy steps loomed into the room I was watching.

A Nidoking towered over the Pangoro shopkeeper in stature to my surprise. Nearby was a Luxray, Patra’s mother.

“Goro, what is the meaning of this?” the Nidoking asked irritably. His voice was stern and loud enough to shut every noise up. I could feel the sudden terror and tension introduced to the room.

It was a familiar feeling, but unlike before, this Pokemon seemed different somehow. I couldn’t understand why, but something about him felt unnerving.

And that feeling certainly affected the formerly angry Pangoro as he cleared his throat with a cold sweat. “F-For your information, that wild daughter of yours stole from me.”

 

The Nidoking turned around in a furious fashion, glaring up the tree.

“Ram!” Patra’s mother called to the Nidoking.

But he wouldn’t listen. “Patra!”

The groan that came afterwards was loud enough to be clear.

Patra presumably tried to explain, “But I-!”

“Room, now!”

“I already am!” Patra shouted back.

The loud door slam that followed made me flinch.

The mother glared back, almost hissing. “Ram!”

The Nidoking glared back, “Honey, don’t you be defending her behavior. Especially after what happened three months ago.”

“I know! It left us both worried and sick. We put the whole village in an uproar! And yet, she returned as if nothing happened.”

This Ram fellow pointed back at his mate. “That nothing was anything but nothing! Her games are getting worse. If she can’t restrain herself, it’ll be on m- our heads!” 

“She’s just a kitten, Ram! A smart girl and-” With a loud groan, the mother stormed off toward the room I was looking at. 

I immediately ducked under the window as she came in. Hopefully she didn’t see me, but… I was more worried about that whole exchange. It made me grit my teeth. The loudness of it, the harsh tone, it all felt wrong.

 

Because it was wrong! Truly a marvel of the times we lived in now.

 

As much as I hated it, the conversation continued to blaze its trail.

I finally looked back through the window, where the grown ups were already seated and focused on each other…

The Nidoking, Ram, patted the Luxray’s back, poorly trying to hold some form of restraint. “Mai, you know how she’s been…rebellious.”

“Your mate has a point,” Goro piped up.

The Luxray glared back at the Pangoro. “And what other proof do you have?”

To which, the Pangoro tapped on the side of his head with a finger. “I saw the thief run off after she blinded me.”

Ram cleared his throat upon hearing that, taking on a more calm demeanor. “Ahem, I don’t mean to be doubtful but, that’s hardly proof. You better not be wasting our time with this.”

 

Goro grumbled at the remark, but contained that anger somehow. With a long sigh, he says, “…Let me say it again, the thief threw a table cloth at my face before I got a good glimpse. They got away real quick by the time I got it off, but I know I saw someone there. Regardless, that little sneak knew how to run. Wind blasted and everything.”

Mai gave the shopkeeper a narrowed side glance. “That’s still pretty vague. Most any mon could toss a cloth in that case. So, how do you know it’s her then?”

“Because I saw yellow.” the keeper said. “A yellow tail. As yellow as yours as she ran around the corner. Pretty pointy too.”

I shuffled to the side and turned around. Glancing at my tail, I listened in.

The Pangoro continued, “Look, I don’t know how it all happened so fast, but you can’t ignore that there was a thief. And I know I saw the angled tail. And guess who else has a rebellious streak here? Your daughter. Coincidence? I think not!”

Silence…nothing. I was tempted to check the window again, but I would risk getting seen, so I proceeded to the back of the establishment instead.

 

The roof was even more tempting, but it would be a noisy approach. So I opted for a quieter solution.

I saw the open backdoor, my guide to the inside.

 

The conversation continued as I stepped through the doorway.

“What?” the shopkeeper asked.

More silence ensued until the mother spoke up once more. “I….You sure that’s not a Raichu you’re talking about, or at least a Pikachu?”

I continued to crawl slowly through the hallway, as the mother continued. “

Uhhh…Goro, was it?” she asked.

“I know what I saw!” The Fighting-Type stated.

Chairs toppled over, prompting me to slip into a nearby room.

 

In mere moments, I watched as the mother unexpectedly pushed the Pangoro out of the house’s front door, much to her mate’s shouts.

The most I remember of that conversation, apart from more yelling, was this distinct exchange.

“Alright,” the mother said, pushing Goro along. “We’ve all had our stressful days, we’ll get you some poke for damages by the end of the day. So you just sit tight at your stand, okay?”

“You’re letting her go again?” the Pangoro said hysterically. “She’s guilty. You know I am right! You can’t defend her actions forever, and you know it!”

*BHH! CHNK!*

The mother sighed in relief as the shopkeeper stomped off the premises.

 

The father meanwhile loomed over the Luxray, blocking her view and giving me an opportunity to slowly tiptoe to the center tree.

Ram spoke first, “…I wouldn’t put it past her yet considering-”

“Ram!” the mother hissed, showing her own glare.

But the Nidoking continued to speak nonchalantly, unphased by the hiss. “You know she’s been disobedient lately. Just…crazy ideas out of nowhere.”

“Kids are like that.” Mai said. “Besides, she was in her room and around the house the whole time. We both know it! So how could she have been in two places at once?”

I reached the back side of the tree when the father crossed his arms.

“Double Team and Substitute exist you know,” he said.

“Oh for Thunder’s sake!” the mother exclaimed. “We definitely know she doesn’t have either of those moves. We would have known otherwise.”

The Nidoking sighed, holding his head up.

The Luxray continued, “I wonder, do you think a criminal made their way here?”

Ram shook his head. “I don’t know, I’ll have to ask around and see. It might just be another pain in the-”

“Okay fine! We’ll just- hah…We’re gonna just walk through this and we’ll see…”

The Luxray walked away to another room after saying this, leaving the Nidoking alone.

“Oh we’ll see alright!” Ram remarked, “One way or another, we’ll see.” He grumbled and shook his head. “What an bothersome day…”

 

Even though he stared into another room, I couldn’t help, but notice a darkness in Ram’s eyes. It wasn’t like Uncle Zarude’s stare at all. There was…nothing welcoming about that darkness of his.

I stood low and hid behind the wide tree as the Nidoking stomped through the room toward the hall I just left. It was a commanding stride whose tremors told all whose domain it really was. 

Thanks to some slow and subtle movements, he didn’t even notice I was there. Though the loud stomps and muttering most certainly did not sound pleasant, nor did they help ease my worries.

 

With neither member of the pair present, I took the opportunity to climb the tree. I managed to reach the very top of the building itself which was towered around the tree in a spiral stair pattern.

I briefly wondered to myself if Patra was a little farther down. I only heard her after all, though she was audible.

Regardless of the hesitation, I carefully stepped onto the roof, slowly crawling down toward the side. To my surprise, there was no ground or branches to stand on below! Seeing the distant dirt so far away, made me dizzy.

 

Eventually, I did see a window. So I went over and checked it, hanging on the side and using my wrist vines as a tied-down rope. Nope. It was just some hallway.

With a scoff, I pulled myself up and kept looking. On the second window, I saw an actual room. Not just that, but Patra too. She seemed to be staring at the ceiling for some odd reason.

So once more I tried climbing back up onto the roof, only to see something I didn’t notice before, a square outline on the roof. Too bad it was only a mere second until I realized something else, the vine on my left wrist was not as sturdy as I expected.

I yelped as I slipped. “Yipe!”

I slid off the roof and found myself hanging off the edge with my claws.

 

Soon after, the window opened itself and Patra peeked her head out. She looked around, saw me and then shrugged. She was about to head back in when she doubled back with a “Giaaah! What the?!?”

I stuttered awkwardly as I glanced toward the Shinx, “H-H-Hey P-Patra.”

Seeing me was the absolute last thing she expected, let alone me hanging the side of her roof. “How did you- What? What are you doing up here?”

“I- I- I kind of wanted to come back and uh. I didn’t know where you were and there was a thing and a Pangoro and–”

She pointed a paw toward the ceiling. “Th- Gah! There was a hatch! Didn’t you see it?”

“I uh, No?” As I said this the vine on my left wrist slipped off and fell to the ground below. My teeth started chattering as I looked down. “…P-Please let me in,” I pleaded hastily.

Patra’s mouth went agape in disbelief. “…Uh-….Ummm…Yeah!”

I wasted no time slinging a vine to the Shinx. “Catch this and tie it to something heavy.”

Patra grabbed the vine and retreated into her room with it. After a moment or two, I felt a tug. I tried to direct the vine around whatever Patra tied the vine to and tightened the knot.

The Shinx went over to the window once she was done. “Okay, go.”

I slipped down at once, plummeting a bit abruptly before stopping.

Patra let out a frightened breath before hurrying to the window again. “Oh gosh…”

I heard a crashing noise as I climbed up to the window. There were a couple of moments where I made no progress, but I did eventually make my way into the window.

 

There, I saw Patra aggressively sitting on top of some furniture, gesturing with her head. “Get in! Get in!” she directed with gritted teeth.

Once I was inside the room, the Shinx slammed the window hastily and stumbled to the floor.

We both sighed in relief…for a few moments.

“Patra?” the mother called out. She seemed to be coming to the room.

The Shinx eyes widened and frantically looked at the mess we made. “Ohhh nooo…” she muttered.

I glanced around as well. Aside from the hay bed and night desk, there was a big mess of objects on the floor. It was especially apparent near the window I used. A slotted storage box overturned and half opened.

“Patra.” the mother called with more urgency. The steps grew louder and faster.

 

In the split-second, Patra’s frantic searching sped up. “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” 

She then glanced at my tail and directed me to her bed. “Bed now! Stay down and quiet!” she harshly whispered before pushing me along.

I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Before I realized what was happening, I suddenly found myself in a rather awkward and sloppily-made hiding spot. My legs and face were all buried in my wrists and the hay all around me. 

All the while, Patra sat on top of me. She hastily tried wrapping my tail around her neck with little degree of success.

The steps came closer as we bickered. “Just- Let me- Ghi- grr- gwaah!” “Stophhh- What are you- Mrrrpphhh”

 

Right as the door slammed open, Patra barely finished wrapping my tail around her neck.

“Ahh! Mom!” the Shinx said in a “startled” and panicked voice.

“Patra, what are you-” The mother likely saw the mess at that point. “What happened here?”

“Well uhh…”

“Patra…”

“Mmmm…I uhhh…” the Shinx sighed.

For a moment, I almost thought the mother was about to find out when Patra said this instead.

“I was…practicing Strength.” Patra sighed again afterwards, trying to sound embarrassed.

Silence. I couldn’t see, I couldn’t move. All I could do was keep still and pray she didn’t notice my tail.

The mother eventually followed up. “…We…have the rocks outside. Why did you mess with the drawer box?”

Patra gulped nervously. “I…I…”

“Patra, dear.” 

“I got bored of rocks, okay?”

 

Ram’s voice roared through the house. “Mai! What happened now?”

The mother stepped out of the room for a moment. “Nothing! I’m handling it!”

“It better be nothing!” I even heard the loud groan in the Nidoking’s voice.  

I bit my lip, unsure of how to comprehend the conversation I was listening to. I wanted to look up and see for myself when Patra tapped my head with her tail.

“N-No..don’t…” she whispered. She kept shivering. Ram coming back was the last thing she needed right now, especially right now.

I returned to my hiding posture just as the mother returned with a defeated sigh.

 

More silence. Patra shifted her position a bit.

The mother spoke once more, “Patra, what’s with the fur?”

“Ohh…uhhh. This thing…uhhh…”

“Hmmm?”

“It’s uh…it’s a scarf. A fur scarf.”

“…Really now?”

“Yeah…Uhhh…Am I in trouble?”

“…N-No, no…you’re not but I do have to ask, where did you get that?”

Patra went quiet for a moment until… “I…I found it.”

“You just found it…doesn’t look like any scarf I’ve seen.”

“I…made it myself actually.”

The mother stepped over with a curious look. “…..I can see that. Erm, mind if I have a look?”

“Uhhhhh…I uhhh…no? I mean yes? Uhh…”

The mother stepped back. “…Alright, if it’s embarrassing to you, I’ll let you be for now. But please…don’t make more noise like this. You know how your father gets.”

“…I know…I know…” Patra trailed off.

“We’ll be back to clean this up later.”

And so, the mother left the room, closing the door.

 

Silence.

“…Why me?…” Patra muttered under her breath.

More silence. I was getting sick of being a cat-sized chair and so began to squirm. “Mmmrrr- Crrrn you-”

“Shhhh..” Patra shushed.

Quiet steps started moving away until neither me or Patra could hear them.

“…We’re in the clear, but quiet.” With that, the Shinx stepped off the bed.

I unwound my tail as I rose up. Hay was on my nose, which caused me to sneeze as I shook my head. “Bwachoo!” Afterwards, I stared at Patra with an annoyed look before whispering. “Excuse me? A scarf?”

Patra gave back a side glance as she turned around. “Isn’t that what it is? But I didn’t expect it to be attached to you.”

“That’s because it’s my tail!”

The Shinx blinked and stared at the tail again. That, a tail? There was no way. That doubtful expression again. She pointed at it. “Uh, no! That’s clearly a fur scarf and an ugly one at that.”

I scratched my head. “What’s the difference?”

Patra came very close to screaming out, “What’s the diff-?!?” She pointed to her own tail before gesturing to mine again. “Tails point out the butt! That thing is near your neck!”

“…” I glanced at my tail for a moment and then back to Patra. “Uhhhh…isn’t that the same thing?”

She couldn’t believe what she heard…again. Patra buried her face in her paws and let out a muffled shout. “Nrrrrrroh!”

“Uh, Patra?”

She glared back at me. “Gah! We’ll talk about this later, okay? Just- ghh! Gah! Follow my lead and shut it!”

 

And that’s what I did. I slowly followed Patra out of her now messy room. My eyes immediately magnetized themselves to the tree, when Patra patted on my wrist.

I looked over to see Patra shaking her head and gesturing me to the nearby stairs.

My belly growled at that moment.

Patra gave me a dull and deadpan stare upon hearing that.

I nervously chuckled and shrugged. It was clear Patra figured out what happened and I was not proud of it by any stretch. Or…at least I hope I wasn’t. No matter.

 

And that’s what I did. I slowly followed Patra out of her now messy room. My eyes immediately magnetized themselves to the tree, when Patra patted on my wrist.

I looked over to see Patra shaking her head and gesturing me to the nearby stairs.

My belly growled at that moment.

Patra gave me a dull and deadpan stare upon hearing that.

I nervously chuckled and shrugged. It was clear Patra figured out what happened.

 

Unbelievable, that’s what that day was.

 

Patra and I slowly, emphasis on slowly, climbed down the stairs. I gazed at the tree on occasion, seeing it as a shortcut. But each time I reach out, my wrist gets slapped by Patra’s tail.

She scowled at me with firm urgency to not mess things up yet again. The more I tried, the more annoyed and visibly scared she got.

I wasn’t sure why, but I felt the need to stop after a while.

By the time we got to the bottom, I heard Mai humming from somewhere.

“Back door, run to the beach,” Patra whispered.

“Where?” I responded.

Patra stepped back and pointed with a paw.

Following the direction, it was the same route I went through earlier.

I was about to make a sprint, when Patra stepped in front of me, causing me to nearly trip.

I saved myself and landed on a foot. Unfortunately that also caused the wood floor to creak.

Patra winced and gritted her teeth at the sound.

The mother’s humming stopped.

 

I had never seen a Shinx’s glance shift so fast between two places since that moment. She immediately bolted for another room to my left, nearly tripping in the process.

It wasn’t until I heard the mother’s voice again when I figured it out. Her mother had fairly good hearing.

“Oh Patra!” she said. “What was that racket just now?”

“Got a little excited and pounced,” the Shinx replied, giving me a brief and worried side glance. 

For a moment, I wasn’t sure what she was doing, but she did stop her mother in her tracks. I was however, plenty sure I didn’t want to stick around for much longer. So I decided to continue the escape on my own.

“Well you do know that floor creaks a lot if you jump around like that, right?” the mother said.

“Well, yeah of course! Especially if someone is not taking their time, moving through the house and out, it’s kind of annoying, right?” Patra replied promptly with a smile, hoping that her idiot friend would take the hint and move!

“I suppose so…”

 

I made my way to the hallway, quickly seeing the floor for what it was…a sound trap. I gulped at the prospect and continued on my slow and miserable task of getting out. Each step felt like an unholy agony of fear shooting through like a tossed Silver Spike.

While all of this was happening, Patra and her mother were just having a nice and lovely conversation. Although, she was probably just as anxious as I was. Not that I could see her at the time.

“So what happened?” the mother inquired. “Weren’t you working on that odd scarf.”

“Yeah I was…” the Shinx replied, “but it was just ugly and long and it just didn’t look right.”

I grumbled under my breath. “You’re so doing that on purpose.”

“…Are you sure? I think it looks fine.”

Patra went quiet for a moment before continuing. “…Ummm… it kind of looked…umm…uneven? I don’t think that’s right.”

The mother sighed. “I…I wouldn’t say that it’s ugly, but…yes, I do believe it has some…quirks to fix up.”

Patra nervously chuckled before asking “Say Mom, where’s Dad?”

“He went out while you and I were discussing the mess.”

“Oh.”

“He’s gonna pay for that apple Goro mentioned.”

“I didn’t do it.”

“I know sweetie, I know. But the town seems to think otherwise.”

“But I’ve been good. It’s not fair.” She tapped a paw on an empty part of the wall.

“I know.”

“What do I even do?”

“Sweetie, I don’t know. The world’s complicated. Far more than you think. The best we can all do is just…do our best. Make the best of it.”

“……I…well…”

“You’ll understand someday, for now just…cherish your time.”

“Cherish?”

“Like protect or care…or hold close to your heart.”

“Uh huh…”

 

Once I came close to the back room, I noticed the way out was blocked by a closed door.

My brow furrowed at the sight. In my panic, I saw a handle and started pulling on it, but the door didn’t budge.

After a few moments of fiddling with it, I prepared to pull with all my might. I wind up for the pull and push forward, but then the door suddenly opens.

The door squealed open as I tripped and fell on my nose. “Ugh, who designs a gate like that?” I muttered.

“Hey! Who’s there?” the mother called out in a threatening tone.

“Sh-Shoot!” I quickly made a dash past the nearest hay pile as fast as I could.

I wasn’t sure what happened after that, but the guilt of running away ate at my being. To leave Patra behind to explain all that happened.

I shook my head and continued to run.

---

Freedom Coast:

I ran and ran until my feet touched water. Upon doing so, I reeled myself until I was back on dry sand far from the water. With strained breath, I laid on the sand, wincing from the exhaustion.

The salty smell of the sea and the sound of rolling waves were the only things that remained somewhat pleasant. The blue sky above, along with the clouds, moved at a boring pace. My blinks slowed just from staring at that bothersome blue.

One would think I would simply doze off from the sight, but no. I just frowned. My breaths sharpened, leaving an ache in my chest. The thought of what I ran from and then what I did with Zarude. I really wanted to run again, just to get away. Alas, my limbs were too heavy to lift.

So, I remained where I was. Each blink, the clouds moved quicker and quicker. The weariness never left. Perhaps it was my hunger? Maybe. I had no desire to move and just accepted where I was.

 

I hardly realized the sky turned to Dusk. My belly growled again, reminding me of the lack of a prominent lunch. I really regretted not taking my bag with me today.

Then I heard small steps on the sand. Someone was coming, but I just didn’t have the strength to bother. I just waited until the source came into view.

The face of a Shinx. “Hey you,” she spoke.

It was Patra alright, acting like nothing happened. No sign of sadness or fright, just a small hint of annoyance if anything.

 

My mouth opened up in disbelief and I sat up.

She placed a bag on the sand and started rummaging through it.

I stared at her, stammering like some clueless Chatot. “…Wha-…I…What happened?” 

But Patra hardly flinched regardless. Instead, she nonchalantly spoke. “Sorry for the wait. Mom was being a worry bag and Dad…put the whole town in a slight worry.” With a sigh, she then handed an apple to me. “Here, and you now officially owe me fifty Poke.”

I groaned as I took the apple. “What’s Poke and why?” 

Patra took a sharp breath before starting. “Well for starters, Poke is money and you use that money to trade for things. Annnd err, Money’s got value. Have a lot of money and you can basically get what you want. Food, items, and even ask for favors and stuff…It’s kind of more effective offering an item as a reward..sort of-”

By the time Patra even finished her explanation, I…was likely too busy savoring the apple’s flavor.

Patra frowned at the sight and irritably asked, “Hey! Are you listening?” 

I cluelessly blinked. “Huh? Uhhh…I’m thirsty?”

“….” Patra pulled out a small water sack and handed it to me.

“As I was saying…Money has value. Items have value. Treasure has value. And when something is priced with Poke, that means a shop will only accept that item. Buying with something else is…hard. And just taking the item without giving something back is just stealing. And stealing is bad and not respectful…” She glanced at me once more, noticing how light-headed I was after chugging down the water.

Patra sighed. “You didn’t listen again, did you?”

I made some awkward glances at my surroundings. No one else to back me up. “Uhhhh…listen to what?”

Patra winced and shook her head. “Aaaagh! Poke. Money. We trade for stuff. Don’t take other folks’ things without paying. That’s stealing! And stealing is bad! Does any of that ring a bell?”

I still didn’t understand what she meant for a bit until I figured it out. Trade. “Ohhh Trade! Riiiight. Exchanging gifts and all that. …That trade?”

“No!” Her head tilted a bit with thought. “I mean, yes. Kind of. But way more often!”

I scratched my head, unsure of how to take this oddly irritable explanation. “Uhhhh, this is confusing. Who uses this money anyway?”

The Shinx’s mouth went agape for a moment. “Everyone! Everyone uses money! How is this even confusing? How do you even live?”

My confidence came back upon being asked a simple question like that. “Oh that’s easy! I live.”

 

The Shinx rolled her eyes, drove her nose into the sand, and groaned loudly.

Or…I thought that was an easy question. I bit my lip and tried to grab her head by the tuft. “Hey, Patra? I don’t think that’s how living works?”

The Shinx rose up and spat out some sand. “Don’t you talk to me about living! You don’t even know what money is, let alone how to lie.”

Patra batted my paw away as I spoke back, “I can lie! I can totally do that!” I blinked after saying that.

The young Electric-Type stared at me. “Uh huh…”

“W-Well it’s true…kind of?” I said, grabbing my arm out of nervousness.

“Did you?”

“Ummm…yes?”

The Shinx chuckled. “Hehehe…you don’t need to worry. I won’t tell. You can trust me. I did so for you, right?”

 

I awkwardly glanced away, noticing the dwindling light. “I guess you’re right.”

Patra also commented on this. “…Yeah, pretty sunset, right?”

The whole look almost made me forget everything that burdened me in that short moment. “Honestly, I meant to find you sooner.”

“Why?” Patra asked, glancing back at me.

I just shrugged in response. “I dunno, just… I dunno…” I wanted to. Even now, I’m not exactly sure why either, dreams or not. I just couldn’t find the words though.

“Well, if you want to do that, just…come here instead, not the village.”

I glanced back at Patra, tilting my head for a moment. “Wait why-…Ohhhhh, ohhhhhhh.”

Patra didn’t quite catch my realization though and she continued to listen to her own voice. “Seriously? You can’t add things up in your head? You got me in trouble today.”

I stood up at that moment, about to make an excuse until I thought back. My gaze simply dropped after remembering. “…Oh…right…”

The Shinx frowned. “Well? Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Agggh!” I shook my head and started pacing around. This back and forth was more or less starting to grind on my nerves at that point. “Just- …Fine! Okay, I’m sorry! Alright? I didn’t know what to do.”

Patra nods to that. “Good, good. That’s somewhat better at least. We’ll work on that part a little later…maybe…”

I grumbled a bit before asking, “Alright so, when do you want to meet up?”

Patra was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. “Wha- But, You- Uh…” She made several different expressions before finally sighing in surrender. “I dunno. You decide.”

I took a moment to think about it. Too soon would have given me more attention, too much later would have made me forget. But it had to be a decent time somehow. So I thought of the best time frame, what I thought was fairly short and not too long either.

I answered, “How about…uh, a year?”

 

Patra’s jaw dropped for a brief minute. She could hardly fathom the idea.

I tilted my head in confusion. “What?”

“A year?!?” the Shinx said in an outburst. “That’s like forever!”

“Ummm, it’s not?”

“Oh what do you know? Huh?”

“No, seriously, it’s not that long.”

“It is so!”

“No, it’s not!”

“It’s just forever, okay? I’d die of old age before that point!” The Shinx groaned, falling on her side. “How can I wait that long?”

After a couple of awkward glances, I made a hesitant answer. “Uhhh, count the nights?”

 

Patra grumbled to herself.

I messed it up again. Biting my lip from impulse made that all too clear. “Uhhh, fine. How about a month then? Yeah…and then we can figure something else out.”

The Shinx gave me a stern side-glance as I said this.

I explained further, “Think about it. If we meet any sooner, our caretakers will find us out. S-So, if we live through the time. They won’t know any better. Then it’s a matter of being quiet about it.” I made a nervous smile, though deep down the idea of just not telling anyone was already eating at me.

Patra continued to stare. “…….Go on…”

I got annoyed at this attitude and frowned. “I’m just saying, our caretakers like to keep seeing us and if we wander too much. Won’t they get worried? And then if they start looking, then what? At least with a decent gap of time, they won’t think much of it, I think.”

I pressed a paw against my head with a scoff. “I just don’t want Uncle Zarude to worry, you know?”

 

The kitten rolled over. “Gaben, was it?”

“Galvan.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” She waved me off. “That’s…not too bad of an idea.”

I blinked at the sudden compliment. “Huh?”

The Shinx gestured to me. “I mean you’re pretty dumb, but that was kind of a genius idea, even if a month is still a bit long. You do know what that means at least, right? Please tell me you do.”

“N-No, I mean, Yes! Yes. I do know what genius means. Very smart, yeah?”

Patra sighed in relief. “…Close enough, Fine. I see what you mean. We’ll give it a shot.” She then gave me a stern stare. “Twenty days. Be here, before noon, with your own lunch. You better be counting too, or I’ll drag you here myself.”

 

I was relieved and nervous at the same time. “I’ll uhh, get to it. So uh-”

“Yes, yes. Go. I sneaked out of the house for you, so move, please. Go.” To further encourage this, she shooed me away with a wave.

I waved back before running off. “See you then I guess! ”I didn’t hear another response afterwards, but we at least had a good time to remember, and that was something I could appreciate.

---

---

---

Fragment of Knowledge:

Poke and Commerce:

Poke, like Mystery Metal, is a type of material that is capable of withstanding the frequent changes and shifts in Mystery Dungeon. Unlike Mystery Metal, it seems to hold a type of defined value for commoners, particularly those that value trade. Poke seems to be composed of varying levels of precious metals such as gold and silver; though it’s typically seen in the form of a golden color. As some may say, Poke is fool’s gold made into a currency of trade.

The exact amount of Poke in the world is currently undefined, even after all the years this archive has researched the common world. The first recorded use of Poke was supposedly a few centuries ago when a traveler mistook it for gold. The exact origin of this finding and why it happened is currently noted in classified documents by the higher-ups due to the materialistic nature of its use.

Regardless of the circumstances, Poke is now a more modern currency for commoner trade and commerce. Many folks across developed continents now use Poke as the primary means for trade. However, Poke’s value in the eyes of commoners pale in comparison to actual gold and silver. It is a curious observation, but perhaps the now-apparent common appearance and abundance of Poke makes the resource seem less precious, much like how most see the many leaves of a single tree.