18 New World, New Friends 1/2 (1/2)

So I have decided to follow the Liepard to find food, she obviously knows her way around the city. I also get the feeling that my chances of being spotted will shrink drastically.

”Alright, so you are hungry like me, right? Are you ok with finding something to eat first and talk then? Or on the way?” - the Liepard asks that but already turned towards the city, only looking back at me.

”I'am fine with that. Hey, by the way, my name is Karl, can I ask what yours is? I don't want to call you Liepard or something.” - just as I ask that I realize I might have stepped into a landmine with my question.

[I'am certain she had a hurtful past life, asking for her name might lead to her recalling some bad memories,...]

”My name? ... My name is... Cate that's my name.” - She says while looking up for a second and the straight head, seemingly to avoid looking into my eyes.

[I guess that's a lie? Or she just thought of that name herself? Well it's to soon to ask for information that is to private.]

”It's nice to meet you Cate, good to meet somebody I can talk to, who can't cage me into a Pokèball.

So what's the plan? Where do you plan on getting the food now?” - I really am curious, mostly because my stomach is already making weird noises

„Well I checked some trash bins where sometimes really good stuff is thrown away, the only places left are trash containers behind Restaurants. Most of them get emptied in the morning so we got enough time to check them.” - she sounds relaxed but disappointed to not find anything good in the ”good” trash bins.

We arrive at the first big buildings. And what seems to be the main road. The two lanes are separated by a traffic Island with bushes, gra.s.s and some smaller and bigger trees. Even though it is a ”main road” it doesn't seem too big, maybe there just isn't that much traffic?

I think for a moment.

Well obviously, when there are Pokémon on which you can fly nearly anywhere, you wouldn't need a lot of big roads. And Bicycles or Pokémon that are ridable don't need so much s.p.a.ce either.

We jog into the bushes between the roads. As we walk in the shadow of the plants I notice that the side roads and alleys are way wider then they need to be, around 4-5 times as wide. Maybe so that you have more s.p.a.ce as a pedestrian? Maybe to make room for bigger Pokémon and their trainers? Would make sense, a café, for example, would need more room if trainers eat there together with their Pokémon. Not only that there seem to be a lot of small parks, ... small in this world I mean, we are talking about football field size here ((soccer field, or am. Football, pick what you want doesn't make much difference)).

We took a right and came towards one of these big parks, this one is mostly paved with many smaller islands filled with neatly trimmed gra.s.s and some bushes and trees that give you the shadow you need on sunny days. Some flowers here and there are giving the park the colors it needs.

The park looks good, I see enough benches for friends, families and elderly couples to sit on and even more important to hide behind in case you are in danger of getting spotted. The bushes and trees also help with that of course.

Not that it would matter right now the city is pretty empty at this hour. Other then a few people there is nearly n.o.body you have to hide from. We stride through the park, I wanted to look at some of the shops now that I have the chance but it seems Cate is even hungrier then I'am. I guess she has looked at most of the shops already and decided that she can't use them for anything anyway.

„Hey, how long till we are there? Are any of these shops interesting?” - I just ask her because there is nothing else to do aside from walking. And this silence is killing me, to be honest. I like silence don't get me wrong, but only if it's with people I know. The silence between almost strangers is just kinda awkward.

„Most of them sell clothing for humans other stuff, a lot of stores in this area sell accessories for Pokémon Contests because the stadium is only a few blocks away from here. Other shops are restaurants and Cafés. But getting Food from there is to difficult so I don't bother.” - she tells me with an expression, that either seems bored or sad, I can't read her that well it seems.

”Oh Pokémon Contests? Do they have a GYM here, too?” *I think about what to say next, I don't want to say something dumb, or offend her but I don't want to dodge the topic much longer either* ”So I guess you know about the Pokémon Contests because they are the talk of the town I guess?”

At this point I'am walking next to her, checking her expression to make sure I don't step on a landmine. She stops walking and closes her eyes for a moment. Ok, seems like I didn't ask anything too bad.

„Well yeah, I wanted to do contests once but my chances to do that are pretty much Zero now that I look like this.” - she replies in a tone that lets me guess that I hit a nerve after all.

„Sorry I didn't want to ask an annoying question. But aren't there different kinds of categories? I don't see why your scar should be able to stop you from partic.i.p.ating?”

”No, it's ok. It's about time that I talk about that stuff. You think so? ” - She replies calmly.

Oof, that went better than expected.

She continues: ”I have been living in the wild for years, let me tell you after a while it gets monotone. Wake up, search and hunt for food, maybe travel around a bit, but mostly you want to stay in your territory. And that's pretty much it, sure the freedom you enjoy over Trainer Pokémon ist huge, but at least they experience different things. So I got excited about being trained by a human. Mostly because of Pokémon Contests, they seem to be fun from what I have heard, but I also wanted to be strong enough to battle in GYMs because I didn't know what my future Trainer preferred. I just kind of hoped she or he would like to take part in Contests.”

She takes a deep breath before continuing: ”So this one day about,... I guess it's been 5 years by now, I see this girl fight off a bunch of Durants with his Pokémon, I think it was a Ratatta. Don't ask me with those kids always try to go on a journey with a bunch of Ratattas. Anyway, the Ratatta lost, so I jump in trying to help her, *it's a girl, so chances being she would do a contest sooner or later* or so I thought. So I jump in between the Durants and her and her Ratatta.

Turns out that girl really was stupid.

So the Durants react all surprised, but rather then run that girl just sits there crying about her Rattata that she lost.

I was already a bit trained at that point, but there was no way I could defeat 6 of those Durants alone, so I thought after she picked up her Rattata that she would either call a new one to fight the durants together or would use the chance to run away, so I can buy a bit of time and the follow suit.

Turns out the choice was to sit there and watch me in panic after getting her Ratatta return into her Pokéball.

I couldn't talk human back then yet so I couldn't tell her to run.”

At this point we sat down in one of the larger bushes in the park to talk and then continue walking after she finishes her story, so I sit there with her and nod here and there to show her that I'am indeed listening to her.

”Well, things took a turn for worse and after defending for a while, one of the Durants get me bad and I collapse. Seems like that scared the girl s.h.i.+tless, so bad in fact that she got her brain working again and ran away. I was only an armlength away to grab and much much smaller than now but she just left me. Luckily I survived that because the Durant ran after the girl before coming back to me.

I managed to crawl my way out of there before they came back for me.”

”So you got that Scar because n.o.body treated that wound? Did the girl come back to get you after she calmed down? I mean you did same her life, right?” - after she finishes her story surprisingly calm I manage to say something as well.

”Yeah, I sure did but she didn't come back. So everything I did was for nothing and I barely escaped death after that. I still don't know how someone can survive a wound that deep. After I crawled for a few minutes I became unconscious.”

”Well, but you did save her, so even though she didn't take you with her she is alive because of you.”

- I try to make her see that although she didn't gain anything from her action, she did save a life.

”Maybe she even came back after getting a clear state of mind and just didn't find you? You'll never know I guess...” - I think I might have said something wrong here, I hope she doesn't take this comment the wrong way.

”hmm...” a few seconds of thought seem to go by before she continues with: ”I guess you are right, I thought about that in the beginning as well but dismissed it very soon, don't ask me why I just seemed to think that the abandoned Idea made more sense for a human...”

”I wouldn't say that every human would act that way. Sure many would but there are good ones out there.” - one of the most stereotypical lines out there, wow I really just said that.

”Well, and how do you know that?” - Cate asks tilts her head and lifts an Eyebrow in doubt and to question me, obviously, how should I a wild Wolf-Like Pokémon know that?

s.h.i.+t, what now... oh.

”Well, before coming here I barely escaped death, and the ones who helped me were a Grothlith and her trainer, they got along great and they seemed to really care for each other. And then there even were those guys of Pokémon Wildlife. They travel everywhere to safe Pokémon who need help and a.s.sistance. So yeah, I'am pretty sure there are good humans out there, pretty sure there is one for you as well.” - I reply I have to say I'am pretty happy with how I answered that question.

”Oh. Ehm. Well, ... I guess you are right then. Now that I think about it,... I never really tried speaking to them, even though I learned their language to come closer to them. The times I did were at night so with my size, I guess I scared most of them pretty badly.” - she continues while visibly sinking into thought.