Story Notes:
No sex within the first chapter, but it will be included as the tales evolve. Plus, I am a paramedic in reality and there are some terms from paramedicine used. If you have questions about the field or terms let me know.
Chapter 1
Five miles. Five miles separated me from a warm bed, a hot meal, and a long shower. And yet currently I was trapped by the torrential downpour of a summertime thunderstorm.
I cursed my damnable luck. "Five fucking miles," I shivered and spat, "to go".
I trudged onward, longing for the comfort that was so close, yet so far away.
Minutes past as I crawled along, observing as I stared at my feet the interesting phenomenon of jumping mud sparked into life by the assault of rather thick raindrops.
I felt lost in my mind as the rhythmic sounds of the storm and my transfixed gaze dampened my senses. And I soon would've been totally consumed by the weather, had the sounds of scuffling and whining not interrupted the metronome of the storm.
I stopped my trek and listened more astutely. Breaking, I heard vegetation breaking, and cries, very frantic cries, and a yelp, a piercing sound that was suddenly cut short.
My brow furrowed as my curiosity peaked. "What the hell?" I thought to myself as I cautiously walked to the scene. And what I saw a few moments later greatly discouraged me.
From the vantage point of a rather thick laurel bush I observed three figures, two of which were standing, one face-down in the mud, and it looked as though it was injured.
The two standing figures slowly made their way to the downed one, their teeth somehow visible through the torrent of rain, their lips curled in some twisted smile.
They knelt next to the poor creature and began manhandling it, grabbing it roughly by the neck and viciously shaking it. It weakly cried out to which they simply slapped her, once each between them.
"Quit your bitching!" The man currently holding the creature shouted. "Ain't nobody gonna here ya out here!" He cackled and struck the creature again.
"Thank goodness he was wrong." I thought to myself. As for how much I could do to aid the poor creature, however, was a different story all together.
As a paramedic, I had agreed to do no harm to another being while in uniform. And as fate would have it I was currently in uniform, having foolishly decided to walk home from the station that evening. It seemed like a good idea at the time; the sun was shining, and the storm looked a good distance off as I left for home.
"So much for that." My thoughts scolded me.
The man threw the creature back into the mud and it suddenly lie still.
"Fuck it!" I yelled as I left my oath behind the bush, and charged forward.
Now as the world would have it, there is nothing better and more pleasing than the look of surprise on someone's face when they're caught doing something they'd rather the world not know about. And needless to say the two men were quite surprised at my sudden appearance. They sat slack-jawed and eyed me cautiously.
I watched their actions carefully, ensuring my safety should they rush me. Fortunately they were too stunned by my intervention to move.
I upped the ante a bit. "That's enough you two." I made my voice as threatening as I could, despite my own anxiety. Thankfully, just as I spoke, a flash of lightening suddenly exploded within the torrential skies, illuminating my figure, as well as the figures of the creature's attackers.
I grinned wickedly. The men were both extremely thin; between them I doubted they could measure my own diameter. Granted I was a fairly large man both broad and, in all honesty, a bit more heavy set than not. My rather average stature didn't due me much justice to my girth either.
Despite all this, however, I was bigger than the two men and they seemed to realize this as they both fled, kicking up mud as they distance themselves from me.
I stood quite pleased with myself. I scared away a couple of would be killers and saved the life of something I had never seen before! Well, I'd at least accomplished the former half of all that.
With some realization of the creature actually needing my aid to survive I went to its side. A brief examination revealed both the extent of the creature's injuries, and just what kind of creature I was dealing with.
I sighed as understanding swept over me. While the two men's actions were unjustifiable, I at least knew why they attacked this poor creature. From its outer skeletal ribs and the small boney plate covering its head to its midnight black coat and blood red eyes, the creature appeared as an abomination to the Holy faith. Yet all of its appearances belied its gentle and ultimately caring nature for other creatures of the world, humans included.
I concluded my examination and after ensuring the Houndoom would remain unconscious and as pain free as possible, I gently lifted its body in my arms and continued to my home, redoubling my efforts for the life on the line that now rested in my hands.
Sadly it took me longer than I would have liked to be at my front door; but, twenty minutes later found us within the warm confines of my house.
With caution I lay the Houndoom on the living room floor, taking care to avoid touching its more injured areas. Laying it there provided a hard surface on which treating it would be made simpler; additionally, if it bled excessively, the floor was far easier to clean than the furniture. Not entirely venerable, I knew, but hey, some of my furniture was expensive.
Removing my wet clothing I went to my bedroom, grabbing a dry pair of underpants and a clean pair of jeans, as well as my personal medical kit, and returned to the Houndoom.
I set the kit down and took out the necessary supplies to treat its injuries and joined it on the floor.
"Well sweetie," I spoke to the unconscious creature, "here we go!"
I spent hours mending the damage the two men had done. Its body had been torn, riddled with abrasions and lacerations, I even found an avulsion of the tissue around its neck which I carefully sterilized and sutured back together.
Wiping my brow clear of sweat I performed my final assessment of the Houndoom, ensuring that I had covered and managed all of its external wounds and that my bandages were effectively controlling any bleeding. As I neared the end of my examination I realized I had left out a crucial part of its anatomy and verbally cursed myself for doing do.
"Fuck!" I uttered as I warily lifted the Houndoom's left flank, exposing its genitalia to my medical, and albeit curious, eye. I quickly noted that the creature was female. Delicately I palpated her perineum, taking note of any deformities or abnormalities that were present. Thankfully, and with much relief on my part as caring for the female genitalia was rather difficult, I found little out of the ordinary. Aside from a little mud in places it didn't belong, her sex was in healthy condition.
With my assessment finally complete and all of the Houndoom's wounds cared for, I once again moved her, taking her from the hard and uncomfortable floor to the soft and cozy warmth of my bed.
I smiled to myself as I laid her upon the sheets and ensured her comfort and safety by surrounding her with firm pillows. Apparently, there happened to be a bit more venerability in my being than I had thought.
I took my own rest that night on the couch after cleaning the mess my care had created. It was a light and somewhat uneasy sleep that took me, my concern for the Houndoom taking more precedence in my thoughts than naughty dreams and ultimately keeping me semi aware of the environment.
When morning finally came around I was more weary than I was too start with. But, never being one to sleep through much of the day, I rolled off the couch and was soon reminded that I hadn't slept in a bed that last evening.
The floor and I made easy friends as my face was the first to come in contact with it. Close behind me was the rest of my body which did its best to take out the lamp upon the end table near the left arm of the couch.
As it shattered, I let go of a few minor frustration. "Fuck life!" I yelled and hastily stood to my feet, taking hold of the first object I could find, which happened to be a couch cushion, with the intend of hurtling it across the room. With the cushion held high above my head I made to throw it, but immediately stopped. It wasn't that I was afraid to break anything further; on the contrary, that was my intent. But as I brought it down a shadowy figure caught the periphery of my eye.
I cocked my head to take a look at whatever shadow had interrupted my rage and was honestly surprised to find a body to it. There, in the nook of the hallway, all bandaged up and looking fearful, was the Houndoom. Her uneasy eyes studied my persona as to establish me as hostile or friendly.
I prayed she would find me friendly, despite my outwardly aggressive outburst just moments prior. And thankfully that reminded me that I was still holding the cushion just above my head, ultimately making me seem more intimidating than I would have liked.
"Nice one dumbass!" I inwardly cursed and slowly, almost painfully so, placed the cushion back in place.
The Houndoom never moved, only observed. Her piercing red eyes looked over every inch of me, watching attentively to every muscle that moved within my body.
My aggression steadily ebbed away and in its place was apprehension. Perhaps it was I that should have feared her. She was, after all, far more capable of inflicting injury to me than I was to her. Mother Nature had graciously bestowed upon her large canine teeth with which she could tear flesh asunder. I was given molars with which I could devour vegetation without a problem. Where she had claws that could disembowel prey, I had nails, which were pretty good for taking care of a few itches here and there. Of course, where she could breathe fire, I could vomit or spit mucous, which was little more than a disgusting agitation.
With this in consideration, I found it in my better interest to become a bit less threatening without appearing weak. Weak would indicate prey, and that was something I did not want to become, less the gruesome images in my head become reality.
Cautiously, I took a knee, kneeling so that my height matched hers.
She watched this action more intently; her ears swiveled towards me, undoubtedly listening to my every breath, gauging my actions with further scrutiny.
I had to end the tension; it was killing me! Well, not yet, but if it continued, something sure would be!
I cleared my throat, and summoned up every ounce of courage I could to utter something; anything would do, anything to break the ice as it were.
"Um, hey there." Yes, that was it, and it was delivered with a wave and a smile.
The Houndoom's glare continued.
I sighed. "What the hell can I do to set her at ease?" I said aloud.
I searched the floor as if it offered some hope to my predicament. Sadly, it didn't, it just seemed to mock me further.
Another sigh brought me to the end of nowhere. Without anything else to think of and completely out of options, I felt hopeless.
I looked up to see if she was still there, staring me down as some horrid beast, or possibly next meal.
Instead, I was given the shock of my life as I found myself nose-to-nose with the Houndoom, her cool nose pad pressed lightly against the tip of my fleshy nose.
I immediately went cold, frozen with fear. My instincts told me run, but my mind knew I couldn't outrun her. As far as my thoughts were concerned, it was over. There wasn't a damn thing I could do to save myself.
The Houndoom's eyes locked with mine and the chill intensified. I tried to look away, but every time I did so, I found her maw, which was thankfully closed. I knew, however, that it was lined with razor-sharp teeth that would soon be inside my throat, tearing away at the sensitive veins and arteries within and ultimately killing me.
She suddenly craned her neck so that we were again eye-to-eye. Her gaze was unbelievably unnerving. It was inquisitive, yet dangerous, like a predator scouting for its prey. Yet, intertwined with that, it was oddly warm, creating a most uncomfortable feeling of serenity. I pictured a snake hypnotizing a rodent before taking its life in a fury of poisonous bites and crushing squeezes.
I was so lost in my self inflicted torment that I almost missed the Houndoom rub her cheek against my own. Fortunately my senses weren't completely incapacitated and managed to feel her exceptionally soft fur against my flesh.
For the third time that morning I found myself at a loss. Where was the horrible, gruesome mauling? Where was the bloodshed? Where were all my expectations?
Instead of indescribable horror, I had found peace.
I laughed inwardly. She found me friendly after all!
"H-hey t-there s-sweetie." I stumbled through my words as I placed a gentle hand along her back, careful to avoid her injuries.
The Houndoom responded by giving a weak wag of her tail.
"I, huh," I tried to collect my thoughts before continuing, but my mouth was too far ahead of me. "I'm Henry." I was doing well so far. "I'm the one who helped ya out last night." Man I was floundering. "But, I guess ya already knew that, eh?" The Houndoom gave a nod and rubbed my cheek again. "Well, good to know we're friends then!"
I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I suddenly put my arms around her and embraced her as friends would, still mindful of her injuries.
She didn't seem to mind all too much thankfully and actually returned the gesture in her own way.
I'll admit it did feel nice to be held, even if it was from a Pokémon.
Reluctantly I back away from her so that we were again eye-to-eye. I found her eyes much softer than before, and had little trouble keeping contact.
The Houndoom suddenly seemed to smile, an odd sort of thing that brought the corners of her lips a bit higher and showed off a few of her teeth. Unusual though it was it was still a nice gesture.
"F-friends." A soft female voice said.
My brow furrowed as for the fourth time that morning I was awestruck. I looked behind me to find the source of the voice, but instead found nothing.
It's an odd feeling to realize what cannot be actually is. I'm not sure which philosopher said it, but once you have eliminated the obvious, whatever was left, no matter how impractical, must be the truth. And the truth left for me was that the voice belonged to the Houndoom.
I eyed the Houndoom curiously. "D-did you just say 'friends'"? I asked.
She nodded. "I sure did!" She exclaimed and suddenly jumped upon me, rubbing her cheek against mine as she had earlier.
I laughed and rubbed her ears a bit before seeking further insight.
"Hey listen," I said and pushed her off of me, "How did you learn to speak? I mean, I'm aware Pokémon can say their names, but I had no idea they could articulate words like you obviously can!"
She seemed to think a moment before she spoke, something I wished I could do. "Well, I don't think many Pokémon can. But some learn in order to communicate better with humans ."
I nodded as the simplicity of her answer made a world of sense to me. After all, good communication was key to the survival of any species.
"Well," I began, "That's good enough for me!" Hey, I was a simple man.
Maybe too simple as a thought dawned on me. "Say," I said, "Do you have a name? I can't just call ya Houndoom all the damn time!"
She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry to say. My species identifies others by scent rather than names. Names are a human custom."
I frowned. "Hmm, that ain't gonna work, my sense of smell ain't that good." I placed a hand between her ears and ruffled them slightly, making her smile. "Would ya mind if I gave ya a name? For my sake at least."
She nodded. "I'd love one!" She said exuberantly.
I smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "How do you like Kahlua?" Kahlua happened to be my favorite alcoholic beverage and would be easy to remember. But the name also carried an intimate value to me as the name of someone I had once cared for.
Her odd smile returned. "It's wonderful, thank you." She answered as if she had no intention of denying any name I suggested.
"You're welcome." I said.
I stood up and walked past her, down the hallway and to my left. "You should lie down for just a few more minutes!" I shouted from my restroom. "I'm gonna clean up and we'll see about going out for a bit and treating those wounds at a proper center!"
"Very well!" She returned.
I threw my muddied cloths in a hapless pile in a corner and washed as quickly as I dared; fast enough to ensure timeliness yet slow enough to clean the dried blood off of me. It was a process that took all of ten minutes and soon I was dried and dressed, wearing a simple red collared shirt and a pair of ragged blue jeans that I'd had for a number of years.
I laced up my sneakers and returned to the living room. Kahlua was relaxing upon a rather large pillow of my sofa, her forepaws wrapped about it in a way that looked like an awkward hug. Upon noticing me she looked up.
I smiled. "Ready to go?" I asked pulling my keys out of my pocket.
She yawned and nodded, cautiously moving from the couch to the floor so as not to aggravate her undoubtedly smarting wounds.
"Yes I'm ready, master." Kahlua answered.
A part of me cringed suddenly as we left and as I started my truck and drove down the road I turned to Kahlua. "Hun," I started, garnering her attention. "My name ain't master, never has been, never will be. My name is Henry and that's what I want to be called, got it?"
I'm sure I came off a bit more stern than necessary, but master wasn't going to cut it.
Thankfully Kahlua seemed to understand and flashed me a smile that made the other part of me melt. "Understood, Henry." She said sweetly.
"Good." I said and gave her ears a quick ruffle.
Our trip was a short one as the Pokémon medical facility was less than a mile from my house. If only the same could be said about the Emergency Services station!
I pulled up to the emergency room entrance and turned on my emergency lights. One of the few pleasures of working as a paramedic was the availability of a personal response vehicle. Needless to say, I owned one, the reflective Paramedic and Emergency nine-one-one decaled on the sides and tailgate.
I opened the door and helped Kahlua to the ground.
"Henry?" A concerned Kahlua started.
"Yes dear?" I asked.
"Why did you turn those red and blue lights on? Isn't that for an emergency?"
She was sharp, I had to give her that considering she was a Pokémon and shouldn't necessarily know that red and blue lights signaled an emergency vehicle.
"Well," I began, "This way no one is tempted to mess with my truck. And with the lights running the crew inside may be a bit more concerned about you and want to see you treated right away."
"I see." Kahlua answered.
I entered the building with Kahlua at my side.
Almost immediately, as I'd predicted, three nurses and the ever infamous Nurse Joy surrounded us. For some reason Joy often made me uneasy. How could the same woman be in every city at once? Sure there was the rumor of all the Joy's being cousins, but I wasn't going to buy into that for a minute! It was some kind of conspiracy, I was sure of it! That or my paranoia was getting to me!
"Excuse me," Joy began, dismissing her associates. "What seems to be the emergency?"
I put up my best façade and began to explain the previous night's events. All that had transpired since encountering the injured Houndoom to bandaging her wounds, even her unique understanding of the English language, I advised her of everything.
"Oh my." She said as I finished. "Those horrible scoundrels! I'll have her fixed up in no time, Henry! You can wait in the lobby." Apparently I had told her my name at some point in the conversation, though I couldn't honestly recall.
Joy took Kahlua to the Emergency Room and I did as I was told and took a seat in the lobby. I quickly made myself at home as I found the remote to the wall mounted television and began cycling through a few channels. I eventually settled on the sports network and spent the better part of an hour watching a rerun of the Monday night football game.
At about the third interception thrown by the Packers, Joy returned, a rather well looking Kahlua at her side. I hadn't the time the day before to look at Kahlua's body in depth; however, without the bleeding wounds and matted fur she looked rather stunning.
"Well hey there gorgeous!" I said to Kahlua as I walked over to her.
She blushed, which was again odd to me as I didn't know a Pokémon could do so. I still found it cute and she flashed me her smile.
"Hello Henry!" She answered cheerily.
Nurse Joy suddenly waved over my attention. "Well," She began, "I've treated all of her wounds that you bandaged, and even a few that you missed!" She smirked as I scowled. I was a good medic, I just didn't have the supplies to take care of all of her injuries! "In any case," she continued, "She should be right as rain now, you're free to go!"
I smiled as the best news I'd had all week was delivered to my ears and made haste back to my truck with Kahlua on my heals.
Once she and I were settled I put the truck in drive, turned off the emergency lights, and gunned it away from the Center.
Kahlua looked to me inquisitively.
"What's wrong, Henry?" She asked.
I chuckled and ruffled her ears.
"It's nothing," I told her, "Joy just freaks me out."
She laughed. "Why's that?"
I shrugged. "Dunno, she just does I suppose."
She nodded and seemed to except my response, much to my gratification. I didn't want to frighten her into thinking I was insane with my conspiracy theory.
I drove on and took a quick look around the town and thought of few things I may be missing around the house. I couldn't think of a thing, however, my eyes suddenly settled upon the Pokemart and a thought crossed my mind.
I pulled into the parking lot and killed the truck.
Kahlua pawed at my arm lightly and I turned my attention to her.
"Why are we here?" She asked with a slight bit of what I thought was fret in her voice.
"Well," I started, opening the door, "I'm picking up a Pokeball, I assumed you would be staying with me."
She violently shook her head and I felt a tad bit discouraged. After all I'd done, she was just going to walk out on me. Then again, every other woman in my life had done that, might as well be Pokémon woman too.
"No!" She shouted. "No balls! I'll stay with you, but I don't won't to be trapped in one of those contraptions! I'm afraid of them!"
She visibly shook as she finished and I closed the door and pulled away from the mart.
"Alright then!" I said with a bit of excitement in knowing she was going to stay with me. "No ball!"
Her tail wagged and she barked her excitement. "Thank you!"
Soon I had the two of us back in the cozy confines of my house.
Kahlua found herself a comfortable spot on my sofa and after mixing a drink I joined her. I took the remote off of the end table and began cycling the television channels. At random I stopped and used the television as a bit of a filler.
"So then," I started and placed a hand upon Kahlua's flank and gently massaged, "Tell me about yourself."
Kahlua cooed at my idle massaging. "Odd topic of conversation, don't you think Henry?" She asked.
I smiled. "No, I just like to know who I'm living with, that's all." I answered.
"Alright then," she started, "What would you like to know?"
My smile only broadened. "Everything!"
And so she told me everything about her. When she was born, who her parents were, her first hunt, her friends, her family, when she evolved, and even what trouble she got into along the way. Her life was filled with adventure, even when it was as simple as gathering food with her pack. My life was filled with one boring chore after the next up until I became a Paramedic. However, I doubted she would want to hear upon injured and ill people, some of which had actually died in my hands.
As she finished, I laughed. "Well hun, that's one hell of a life you've had!"
Kahlua smiled. "Thanks! Hopefully it will get better now that I'm with you!"
The last of those words hung in my ears a bit longer after they had left her lips. 'With me' she had said in such a manner that dictated honest excitement and happiness. She had only known me a day or so and already she was comfortable with me. I hadn't had that peaceful company in so long it warmed every fiber of my being.
"I hope so!" I suddenly exclaimed and massaged Kahlua with a bit more fervor.
She moaned and cooed a bit louder and the air became filled with a light musky aroma. I inhaled and tried to analyze where it was coming from; however, before I could find the source, something on the television garnered my attention.
"In local news," the overly painted newswoman began, "officials are still in search of two men charged with theft and abuse of local Pokémon. These men are reportedly part of a large international trading ring and have allegedly sold trainer's stolen Pokémon to collectors the world over. Now the target of these crimes seems to be trainers or wild Pokémon with unusual characteristics or rarity. If you have any information, please call, toll free, at..." She gave a number, but had long lost my attention.
It irked me, to the core of my being, that these two men were harming innocent creatures. To make it worse, I'd had the opportunity to stop them, but instead watched them flee.
My agitation had not gone unnoticed.
"Henry?" Kahlua's voice stirred me from my stupor, "Is something the matter?"
I frowned slightly. "No," I began, "It just bothers me that these two men are out there right now possibly hurting others. Ain't something I take too well to."
Kahlua shifted slightly so that I was massaging a bit lower and nodded.
"Those were the same two men that were after me last night." She started and sounded a bit winded, though it could have been my imagination. "T-they found me at the river and lunged at me before I even knew they were there. One man held me down by the small of my back while the other tried to muzzle me. But before he could, I bit him, and as he recoiled in pain I fled. Sadly, they weren't as detoured as I'd hoped, and managed to run me down and beat me." I small tear formed in her eye and her voice wavered slightly. But with some courage, she continued. "They whispered horrible things to me and told me I'd become a brood hound for a wealthy man. I didn't want that, so I screamed." She looked at me with a look that tore at me. "And that's when you came along Henry. The last thing I remember that night was hearing the frantic breathing of two men as they fled, and being cradled in someone's arms."
She nuzzled the arm on her lower thigh in a tender way which diluted the rising anger within me.
"Glad I could help." I told her.
We spent the rest of the evening on the couch. I was thrilled to simply have Kahlua's company, and she seemed thrilled to have mine, if not a bit excited for the massage I was giving her. And even though the unusual aroma still permeated the air, I had never felt so relaxed.
I cursed my damnable luck. "Five fucking miles," I shivered and spat, "to go".
I trudged onward, longing for the comfort that was so close, yet so far away.
Minutes past as I crawled along, observing as I stared at my feet the interesting phenomenon of jumping mud sparked into life by the assault of rather thick raindrops.
I felt lost in my mind as the rhythmic sounds of the storm and my transfixed gaze dampened my senses. And I soon would've been totally consumed by the weather, had the sounds of scuffling and whining not interrupted the metronome of the storm.
I stopped my trek and listened more astutely. Breaking, I heard vegetation breaking, and cries, very frantic cries, and a yelp, a piercing sound that was suddenly cut short.
My brow furrowed as my curiosity peaked. "What the hell?" I thought to myself as I cautiously walked to the scene. And what I saw a few moments later greatly discouraged me.
From the vantage point of a rather thick laurel bush I observed three figures, two of which were standing, one face-down in the mud, and it looked as though it was injured.
The two standing figures slowly made their way to the downed one, their teeth somehow visible through the torrent of rain, their lips curled in some twisted smile.
They knelt next to the poor creature and began manhandling it, grabbing it roughly by the neck and viciously shaking it. It weakly cried out to which they simply slapped her, once each between them.
"Quit your bitching!" The man currently holding the creature shouted. "Ain't nobody gonna here ya out here!" He cackled and struck the creature again.
"Thank goodness he was wrong." I thought to myself. As for how much I could do to aid the poor creature, however, was a different story all together.
As a paramedic, I had agreed to do no harm to another being while in uniform. And as fate would have it I was currently in uniform, having foolishly decided to walk home from the station that evening. It seemed like a good idea at the time; the sun was shining, and the storm looked a good distance off as I left for home.
"So much for that." My thoughts scolded me.
The man threw the creature back into the mud and it suddenly lie still.
"Fuck it!" I yelled as I left my oath behind the bush, and charged forward.
Now as the world would have it, there is nothing better and more pleasing than the look of surprise on someone's face when they're caught doing something they'd rather the world not know about. And needless to say the two men were quite surprised at my sudden appearance. They sat slack-jawed and eyed me cautiously.
I watched their actions carefully, ensuring my safety should they rush me. Fortunately they were too stunned by my intervention to move.
I upped the ante a bit. "That's enough you two." I made my voice as threatening as I could, despite my own anxiety. Thankfully, just as I spoke, a flash of lightening suddenly exploded within the torrential skies, illuminating my figure, as well as the figures of the creature's attackers.
I grinned wickedly. The men were both extremely thin; between them I doubted they could measure my own diameter. Granted I was a fairly large man both broad and, in all honesty, a bit more heavy set than not. My rather average stature didn't due me much justice to my girth either.
Despite all this, however, I was bigger than the two men and they seemed to realize this as they both fled, kicking up mud as they distance themselves from me.
I stood quite pleased with myself. I scared away a couple of would be killers and saved the life of something I had never seen before! Well, I'd at least accomplished the former half of all that.
With some realization of the creature actually needing my aid to survive I went to its side. A brief examination revealed both the extent of the creature's injuries, and just what kind of creature I was dealing with.
I sighed as understanding swept over me. While the two men's actions were unjustifiable, I at least knew why they attacked this poor creature. From its outer skeletal ribs and the small boney plate covering its head to its midnight black coat and blood red eyes, the creature appeared as an abomination to the Holy faith. Yet all of its appearances belied its gentle and ultimately caring nature for other creatures of the world, humans included.
I concluded my examination and after ensuring the Houndoom would remain unconscious and as pain free as possible, I gently lifted its body in my arms and continued to my home, redoubling my efforts for the life on the line that now rested in my hands.
Sadly it took me longer than I would have liked to be at my front door; but, twenty minutes later found us within the warm confines of my house.
With caution I lay the Houndoom on the living room floor, taking care to avoid touching its more injured areas. Laying it there provided a hard surface on which treating it would be made simpler; additionally, if it bled excessively, the floor was far easier to clean than the furniture. Not entirely venerable, I knew, but hey, some of my furniture was expensive.
Removing my wet clothing I went to my bedroom, grabbing a dry pair of underpants and a clean pair of jeans, as well as my personal medical kit, and returned to the Houndoom.
I set the kit down and took out the necessary supplies to treat its injuries and joined it on the floor.
"Well sweetie," I spoke to the unconscious creature, "here we go!"
I spent hours mending the damage the two men had done. Its body had been torn, riddled with abrasions and lacerations, I even found an avulsion of the tissue around its neck which I carefully sterilized and sutured back together.
Wiping my brow clear of sweat I performed my final assessment of the Houndoom, ensuring that I had covered and managed all of its external wounds and that my bandages were effectively controlling any bleeding. As I neared the end of my examination I realized I had left out a crucial part of its anatomy and verbally cursed myself for doing do.
"Fuck!" I uttered as I warily lifted the Houndoom's left flank, exposing its genitalia to my medical, and albeit curious, eye. I quickly noted that the creature was female. Delicately I palpated her perineum, taking note of any deformities or abnormalities that were present. Thankfully, and with much relief on my part as caring for the female genitalia was rather difficult, I found little out of the ordinary. Aside from a little mud in places it didn't belong, her sex was in healthy condition.
With my assessment finally complete and all of the Houndoom's wounds cared for, I once again moved her, taking her from the hard and uncomfortable floor to the soft and cozy warmth of my bed.
I smiled to myself as I laid her upon the sheets and ensured her comfort and safety by surrounding her with firm pillows. Apparently, there happened to be a bit more venerability in my being than I had thought.
I took my own rest that night on the couch after cleaning the mess my care had created. It was a light and somewhat uneasy sleep that took me, my concern for the Houndoom taking more precedence in my thoughts than naughty dreams and ultimately keeping me semi aware of the environment.
When morning finally came around I was more weary than I was too start with. But, never being one to sleep through much of the day, I rolled off the couch and was soon reminded that I hadn't slept in a bed that last evening.
The floor and I made easy friends as my face was the first to come in contact with it. Close behind me was the rest of my body which did its best to take out the lamp upon the end table near the left arm of the couch.
As it shattered, I let go of a few minor frustration. "Fuck life!" I yelled and hastily stood to my feet, taking hold of the first object I could find, which happened to be a couch cushion, with the intend of hurtling it across the room. With the cushion held high above my head I made to throw it, but immediately stopped. It wasn't that I was afraid to break anything further; on the contrary, that was my intent. But as I brought it down a shadowy figure caught the periphery of my eye.
I cocked my head to take a look at whatever shadow had interrupted my rage and was honestly surprised to find a body to it. There, in the nook of the hallway, all bandaged up and looking fearful, was the Houndoom. Her uneasy eyes studied my persona as to establish me as hostile or friendly.
I prayed she would find me friendly, despite my outwardly aggressive outburst just moments prior. And thankfully that reminded me that I was still holding the cushion just above my head, ultimately making me seem more intimidating than I would have liked.
"Nice one dumbass!" I inwardly cursed and slowly, almost painfully so, placed the cushion back in place.
The Houndoom never moved, only observed. Her piercing red eyes looked over every inch of me, watching attentively to every muscle that moved within my body.
My aggression steadily ebbed away and in its place was apprehension. Perhaps it was I that should have feared her. She was, after all, far more capable of inflicting injury to me than I was to her. Mother Nature had graciously bestowed upon her large canine teeth with which she could tear flesh asunder. I was given molars with which I could devour vegetation without a problem. Where she had claws that could disembowel prey, I had nails, which were pretty good for taking care of a few itches here and there. Of course, where she could breathe fire, I could vomit or spit mucous, which was little more than a disgusting agitation.
With this in consideration, I found it in my better interest to become a bit less threatening without appearing weak. Weak would indicate prey, and that was something I did not want to become, less the gruesome images in my head become reality.
Cautiously, I took a knee, kneeling so that my height matched hers.
She watched this action more intently; her ears swiveled towards me, undoubtedly listening to my every breath, gauging my actions with further scrutiny.
I had to end the tension; it was killing me! Well, not yet, but if it continued, something sure would be!
I cleared my throat, and summoned up every ounce of courage I could to utter something; anything would do, anything to break the ice as it were.
"Um, hey there." Yes, that was it, and it was delivered with a wave and a smile.
The Houndoom's glare continued.
I sighed. "What the hell can I do to set her at ease?" I said aloud.
I searched the floor as if it offered some hope to my predicament. Sadly, it didn't, it just seemed to mock me further.
Another sigh brought me to the end of nowhere. Without anything else to think of and completely out of options, I felt hopeless.
I looked up to see if she was still there, staring me down as some horrid beast, or possibly next meal.
Instead, I was given the shock of my life as I found myself nose-to-nose with the Houndoom, her cool nose pad pressed lightly against the tip of my fleshy nose.
I immediately went cold, frozen with fear. My instincts told me run, but my mind knew I couldn't outrun her. As far as my thoughts were concerned, it was over. There wasn't a damn thing I could do to save myself.
The Houndoom's eyes locked with mine and the chill intensified. I tried to look away, but every time I did so, I found her maw, which was thankfully closed. I knew, however, that it was lined with razor-sharp teeth that would soon be inside my throat, tearing away at the sensitive veins and arteries within and ultimately killing me.
She suddenly craned her neck so that we were again eye-to-eye. Her gaze was unbelievably unnerving. It was inquisitive, yet dangerous, like a predator scouting for its prey. Yet, intertwined with that, it was oddly warm, creating a most uncomfortable feeling of serenity. I pictured a snake hypnotizing a rodent before taking its life in a fury of poisonous bites and crushing squeezes.
I was so lost in my self inflicted torment that I almost missed the Houndoom rub her cheek against my own. Fortunately my senses weren't completely incapacitated and managed to feel her exceptionally soft fur against my flesh.
For the third time that morning I found myself at a loss. Where was the horrible, gruesome mauling? Where was the bloodshed? Where were all my expectations?
Instead of indescribable horror, I had found peace.
I laughed inwardly. She found me friendly after all!
"H-hey t-there s-sweetie." I stumbled through my words as I placed a gentle hand along her back, careful to avoid her injuries.
The Houndoom responded by giving a weak wag of her tail.
"I, huh," I tried to collect my thoughts before continuing, but my mouth was too far ahead of me. "I'm Henry." I was doing well so far. "I'm the one who helped ya out last night." Man I was floundering. "But, I guess ya already knew that, eh?" The Houndoom gave a nod and rubbed my cheek again. "Well, good to know we're friends then!"
I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but I suddenly put my arms around her and embraced her as friends would, still mindful of her injuries.
She didn't seem to mind all too much thankfully and actually returned the gesture in her own way.
I'll admit it did feel nice to be held, even if it was from a Pokémon.
Reluctantly I back away from her so that we were again eye-to-eye. I found her eyes much softer than before, and had little trouble keeping contact.
The Houndoom suddenly seemed to smile, an odd sort of thing that brought the corners of her lips a bit higher and showed off a few of her teeth. Unusual though it was it was still a nice gesture.
"F-friends." A soft female voice said.
My brow furrowed as for the fourth time that morning I was awestruck. I looked behind me to find the source of the voice, but instead found nothing.
It's an odd feeling to realize what cannot be actually is. I'm not sure which philosopher said it, but once you have eliminated the obvious, whatever was left, no matter how impractical, must be the truth. And the truth left for me was that the voice belonged to the Houndoom.
I eyed the Houndoom curiously. "D-did you just say 'friends'"? I asked.
She nodded. "I sure did!" She exclaimed and suddenly jumped upon me, rubbing her cheek against mine as she had earlier.
I laughed and rubbed her ears a bit before seeking further insight.
"Hey listen," I said and pushed her off of me, "How did you learn to speak? I mean, I'm aware Pokémon can say their names, but I had no idea they could articulate words like you obviously can!"
She seemed to think a moment before she spoke, something I wished I could do. "Well, I don't think many Pokémon can. But some learn in order to communicate better with humans ."
I nodded as the simplicity of her answer made a world of sense to me. After all, good communication was key to the survival of any species.
"Well," I began, "That's good enough for me!" Hey, I was a simple man.
Maybe too simple as a thought dawned on me. "Say," I said, "Do you have a name? I can't just call ya Houndoom all the damn time!"
She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry to say. My species identifies others by scent rather than names. Names are a human custom."
I frowned. "Hmm, that ain't gonna work, my sense of smell ain't that good." I placed a hand between her ears and ruffled them slightly, making her smile. "Would ya mind if I gave ya a name? For my sake at least."
She nodded. "I'd love one!" She said exuberantly.
I smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "How do you like Kahlua?" Kahlua happened to be my favorite alcoholic beverage and would be easy to remember. But the name also carried an intimate value to me as the name of someone I had once cared for.
Her odd smile returned. "It's wonderful, thank you." She answered as if she had no intention of denying any name I suggested.
"You're welcome." I said.
I stood up and walked past her, down the hallway and to my left. "You should lie down for just a few more minutes!" I shouted from my restroom. "I'm gonna clean up and we'll see about going out for a bit and treating those wounds at a proper center!"
"Very well!" She returned.
I threw my muddied cloths in a hapless pile in a corner and washed as quickly as I dared; fast enough to ensure timeliness yet slow enough to clean the dried blood off of me. It was a process that took all of ten minutes and soon I was dried and dressed, wearing a simple red collared shirt and a pair of ragged blue jeans that I'd had for a number of years.
I laced up my sneakers and returned to the living room. Kahlua was relaxing upon a rather large pillow of my sofa, her forepaws wrapped about it in a way that looked like an awkward hug. Upon noticing me she looked up.
I smiled. "Ready to go?" I asked pulling my keys out of my pocket.
She yawned and nodded, cautiously moving from the couch to the floor so as not to aggravate her undoubtedly smarting wounds.
"Yes I'm ready, master." Kahlua answered.
A part of me cringed suddenly as we left and as I started my truck and drove down the road I turned to Kahlua. "Hun," I started, garnering her attention. "My name ain't master, never has been, never will be. My name is Henry and that's what I want to be called, got it?"
I'm sure I came off a bit more stern than necessary, but master wasn't going to cut it.
Thankfully Kahlua seemed to understand and flashed me a smile that made the other part of me melt. "Understood, Henry." She said sweetly.
"Good." I said and gave her ears a quick ruffle.
Our trip was a short one as the Pokémon medical facility was less than a mile from my house. If only the same could be said about the Emergency Services station!
I pulled up to the emergency room entrance and turned on my emergency lights. One of the few pleasures of working as a paramedic was the availability of a personal response vehicle. Needless to say, I owned one, the reflective Paramedic and Emergency nine-one-one decaled on the sides and tailgate.
I opened the door and helped Kahlua to the ground.
"Henry?" A concerned Kahlua started.
"Yes dear?" I asked.
"Why did you turn those red and blue lights on? Isn't that for an emergency?"
She was sharp, I had to give her that considering she was a Pokémon and shouldn't necessarily know that red and blue lights signaled an emergency vehicle.
"Well," I began, "This way no one is tempted to mess with my truck. And with the lights running the crew inside may be a bit more concerned about you and want to see you treated right away."
"I see." Kahlua answered.
I entered the building with Kahlua at my side.
Almost immediately, as I'd predicted, three nurses and the ever infamous Nurse Joy surrounded us. For some reason Joy often made me uneasy. How could the same woman be in every city at once? Sure there was the rumor of all the Joy's being cousins, but I wasn't going to buy into that for a minute! It was some kind of conspiracy, I was sure of it! That or my paranoia was getting to me!
"Excuse me," Joy began, dismissing her associates. "What seems to be the emergency?"
I put up my best façade and began to explain the previous night's events. All that had transpired since encountering the injured Houndoom to bandaging her wounds, even her unique understanding of the English language, I advised her of everything.
"Oh my." She said as I finished. "Those horrible scoundrels! I'll have her fixed up in no time, Henry! You can wait in the lobby." Apparently I had told her my name at some point in the conversation, though I couldn't honestly recall.
Joy took Kahlua to the Emergency Room and I did as I was told and took a seat in the lobby. I quickly made myself at home as I found the remote to the wall mounted television and began cycling through a few channels. I eventually settled on the sports network and spent the better part of an hour watching a rerun of the Monday night football game.
At about the third interception thrown by the Packers, Joy returned, a rather well looking Kahlua at her side. I hadn't the time the day before to look at Kahlua's body in depth; however, without the bleeding wounds and matted fur she looked rather stunning.
"Well hey there gorgeous!" I said to Kahlua as I walked over to her.
She blushed, which was again odd to me as I didn't know a Pokémon could do so. I still found it cute and she flashed me her smile.
"Hello Henry!" She answered cheerily.
Nurse Joy suddenly waved over my attention. "Well," She began, "I've treated all of her wounds that you bandaged, and even a few that you missed!" She smirked as I scowled. I was a good medic, I just didn't have the supplies to take care of all of her injuries! "In any case," she continued, "She should be right as rain now, you're free to go!"
I smiled as the best news I'd had all week was delivered to my ears and made haste back to my truck with Kahlua on my heals.
Once she and I were settled I put the truck in drive, turned off the emergency lights, and gunned it away from the Center.
Kahlua looked to me inquisitively.
"What's wrong, Henry?" She asked.
I chuckled and ruffled her ears.
"It's nothing," I told her, "Joy just freaks me out."
She laughed. "Why's that?"
I shrugged. "Dunno, she just does I suppose."
She nodded and seemed to except my response, much to my gratification. I didn't want to frighten her into thinking I was insane with my conspiracy theory.
I drove on and took a quick look around the town and thought of few things I may be missing around the house. I couldn't think of a thing, however, my eyes suddenly settled upon the Pokemart and a thought crossed my mind.
I pulled into the parking lot and killed the truck.
Kahlua pawed at my arm lightly and I turned my attention to her.
"Why are we here?" She asked with a slight bit of what I thought was fret in her voice.
"Well," I started, opening the door, "I'm picking up a Pokeball, I assumed you would be staying with me."
She violently shook her head and I felt a tad bit discouraged. After all I'd done, she was just going to walk out on me. Then again, every other woman in my life had done that, might as well be Pokémon woman too.
"No!" She shouted. "No balls! I'll stay with you, but I don't won't to be trapped in one of those contraptions! I'm afraid of them!"
She visibly shook as she finished and I closed the door and pulled away from the mart.
"Alright then!" I said with a bit of excitement in knowing she was going to stay with me. "No ball!"
Her tail wagged and she barked her excitement. "Thank you!"
Soon I had the two of us back in the cozy confines of my house.
Kahlua found herself a comfortable spot on my sofa and after mixing a drink I joined her. I took the remote off of the end table and began cycling the television channels. At random I stopped and used the television as a bit of a filler.
"So then," I started and placed a hand upon Kahlua's flank and gently massaged, "Tell me about yourself."
Kahlua cooed at my idle massaging. "Odd topic of conversation, don't you think Henry?" She asked.
I smiled. "No, I just like to know who I'm living with, that's all." I answered.
"Alright then," she started, "What would you like to know?"
My smile only broadened. "Everything!"
And so she told me everything about her. When she was born, who her parents were, her first hunt, her friends, her family, when she evolved, and even what trouble she got into along the way. Her life was filled with adventure, even when it was as simple as gathering food with her pack. My life was filled with one boring chore after the next up until I became a Paramedic. However, I doubted she would want to hear upon injured and ill people, some of which had actually died in my hands.
As she finished, I laughed. "Well hun, that's one hell of a life you've had!"
Kahlua smiled. "Thanks! Hopefully it will get better now that I'm with you!"
The last of those words hung in my ears a bit longer after they had left her lips. 'With me' she had said in such a manner that dictated honest excitement and happiness. She had only known me a day or so and already she was comfortable with me. I hadn't had that peaceful company in so long it warmed every fiber of my being.
"I hope so!" I suddenly exclaimed and massaged Kahlua with a bit more fervor.
She moaned and cooed a bit louder and the air became filled with a light musky aroma. I inhaled and tried to analyze where it was coming from; however, before I could find the source, something on the television garnered my attention.
"In local news," the overly painted newswoman began, "officials are still in search of two men charged with theft and abuse of local Pokémon. These men are reportedly part of a large international trading ring and have allegedly sold trainer's stolen Pokémon to collectors the world over. Now the target of these crimes seems to be trainers or wild Pokémon with unusual characteristics or rarity. If you have any information, please call, toll free, at..." She gave a number, but had long lost my attention.
It irked me, to the core of my being, that these two men were harming innocent creatures. To make it worse, I'd had the opportunity to stop them, but instead watched them flee.
My agitation had not gone unnoticed.
"Henry?" Kahlua's voice stirred me from my stupor, "Is something the matter?"
I frowned slightly. "No," I began, "It just bothers me that these two men are out there right now possibly hurting others. Ain't something I take too well to."
Kahlua shifted slightly so that I was massaging a bit lower and nodded.
"Those were the same two men that were after me last night." She started and sounded a bit winded, though it could have been my imagination. "T-they found me at the river and lunged at me before I even knew they were there. One man held me down by the small of my back while the other tried to muzzle me. But before he could, I bit him, and as he recoiled in pain I fled. Sadly, they weren't as detoured as I'd hoped, and managed to run me down and beat me." I small tear formed in her eye and her voice wavered slightly. But with some courage, she continued. "They whispered horrible things to me and told me I'd become a brood hound for a wealthy man. I didn't want that, so I screamed." She looked at me with a look that tore at me. "And that's when you came along Henry. The last thing I remember that night was hearing the frantic breathing of two men as they fled, and being cradled in someone's arms."
She nuzzled the arm on her lower thigh in a tender way which diluted the rising anger within me.
"Glad I could help." I told her.
We spent the rest of the evening on the couch. I was thrilled to simply have Kahlua's company, and she seemed thrilled to have mine, if not a bit excited for the massage I was giving her. And even though the unusual aroma still permeated the air, I had never felt so relaxed.