Ekans are nasty creatures, snaking through fields and forests, silently and indiscriminately stalking their prey. While not the epitome of poisonous strength, they have a powerful venom and sharp fangs perfectly capable of bringing down a child or young adult. They are viciously territorial and will attack intruders on sight, which is the reason worrisome mothers always warn their children to be careful of where they step while outside. Everyone has heard these warnings, avoiding these nests is a bit of common knowledge.

So you can imagine her surprise when she stepped directly on the snake's nest.

The girl screamed and fell backwards, landing on her rear. The purple snake in question, stunned for a moment, sensed the girl as a threat and bared its fangs, ready to strike. The girl tried in vain to scoot away from the dangerous creature, but she was rooted to the ground in fear.

"HELP!" the girl cried with desperation. Maybe if she was lucky, someone else would happen to be passing by. But it was still early in the morning; the likelihood of someone else being up and about was virtually nil. But as luck would have it, at that very moment a small, long-eared creature came bounding to her master's call. She saw her master sneaking out of the house that morning and decided to follow. She stayed hidden through the fields by the tall grass, and came running when she heard the screams.

She went to her masters' side, nudging her with her nose. The young girl, surprised, jumped a little at the nudge, but relaxed a little when she saw it was merely her Pokemon. Then, she was concerned again.

"Cassie?" the girl squeaked, "What are you doing here?" The Pokemon coked her head, still blissfully unaware of the dangerous situation. Meanwhile, the snake took in this new arrival with little interest. The white creature did not seem to be a threat; it was small, and seemed to prefer walking on all fours though its back legs were designed for bipedalty. The snake was about to dismiss the creature before he saw the creature's markings; its solid white coat was broken by a jagged stripe of red across its face and belly.

Oho, how deceptive of this seemingly innocent creature! But the snake knew from experience: a Pokemon did not have markings like that unless they were warning others of a threat. Suddenly, the snake was filled with fear. He would have to strike first.

A sudden hiss made Cassie jump. She hadn't noticed the snake until now, but seeing it sent a shiver down her spine. Now traditionally her species, the zangoose, are well-suited for combat against snakes, having a resistance to their poison and furious claws to shred their foes. However, Cassie was, like many Pokemon with the sole purpose of being pets, declawed and therefore useless against the ekans.

"Cassie, run!" the girl cried. But the zangoose was rooted to the ground, trapped in the snake's hypnotic stare. The girl could only watch, helpless, as the snake inched closer and closer to her Pokemon, fangs bared. Even with its immunity to poison, the zangoose would not stand a chance against the full-grown snake without any means of self-defense.

"Hey!" A new, strange voice startled the ekans, as well as its victims. The zangoose and girl searched for the origin of the voice; they found it when a young boy crashed his way through the thick brush. "Hello!?"

Where the snake saw a potential new threat, the girl saw an opportunity. "Hey, over here!" she cried, finding the willpower to wave her arms, "Help us!" The boy noticed them, waving an arm to show he heard. He ran towards them, a small long-eared Pokemon running alongside him.

"What's going on-" The boy paused midsentence, noticing the snake. "Oh." He stood there dumbly for a moment then turned to his Pokemon. "Kain, horn attack!"

The long-eared Pokemon lowered its head, aiming a sharp, stubby horn at the ekans. In return the snake, sensing this new threat, turned towards its attack with its fangs bared, only to be met in a head-on collision. The boy's Pokemon, Kain, plowed the snake away, breaking the snake's hypnotic spell on the girl and her zangoose. After a moment, the girl gave a sigh of relief. The boy held out a hand; the girl took it, standing up with the boys' help.

"Thank you," she said, brushing herself off. She looked up at the boy. "Thanks for saving us. I'm Anna." She held out her hand. The boy shook it, smiling.

"It was no problem. You're lucky that we were walking through here." As if on cue, the boy's Pokemon jumped into his arms. "I'm Robert and this is Kain." Anna took a closer look at the boy's Pokemon and stifled a giggle. "What's so funny?" Robert asked.

"He. . . he's pink!" Anna laughed, pointing at Kain. Robert scowled, setting his Pokemon down.

"Yeah, well. . . one day he's gonna be a big strong Nidoking! Just you wait!" Robert folded his arms. "What about you? Is this your Pokemon?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, this is Cassie." Anna picked the Pokemon up, holding her out to Robert. "She's a zangoose." Robert took the zangoose, holding her up to his face,

He can't be more than a year older than Anna, Cassie thought, he's maybe eleven or twelve.

"Well, she's okay," Robert said, setting Cassie down beside his own Pokemon. "But Kain's gonna be a great Pokemon champion someday! I'm gonna be a Pokemon master!"

Kain shook his head at his master's brashness. Cassie smiled at him.

"Thank you for saving us," the zangoose said. "I can't believe I froze up like that. . ."

Kain grinned broadly. "Don't worry, I'm glad to help." He shrugged. "Robert's intent on training me as hard as he can, so it was easy. Are you okay?"

Cassie nodded. "Just fine, thanks to you." The two Pokemon looked up; their owners were shaking hands once again. "I owe you now."

Kain shrugged again. "No, it was really no problem."

But Cassie shook her head. "I won't take no for an answer. I will pay you back someday, deal?"

"Deal." The two smiled and, when they realized they couldn't physically shake on their deal, just decided to remember it always.

----------

Cassie awoke to a single beam of sunlight warming her face. She sighed contentedly and rolled over in her bed, welcoming the warm embrace of the day. She had dreamt of that day again, almost ten years ago. It had been the day when the new friendship had been founded. It started with that snake, and when Anna and Robert discovered they were neighbors, the friendship was made solid. Cassie secretly wished she was still asleep, but no such luck would come. Her dreams would have to wait for another time.

She heard voices from downstairs; angry voices, shouting loudly. Right on schedule, Cassie thought resignedly, standing up and stretching out her legs. She noticed the larger bed beside hers. Apparently he had had the same idea as she.

Cassie pushed the door open with her nose, stepping out into the hallway. She listened intently; the argument was louder now. She walked down the hall slowly, standing up on her hind legs once she reached a railing overlooking the living room. The coast was clear, but she took a step back and waited, just to be sure. She didn't want to be noticed sneaking out, especially when they were like this. On the wall, pictures from happier times looked down upon her, grinning with joy. The nostalgia they brought back hung thick in the air, bringing a tear to Cassie's eye. Those days are gone now, she thought sadly.

She ventured down the stairs; the voices were coming from the kitchen, she judged, so she would have to sneak through to get to the door. Cassie turned the corner carefully so to not be heard.

". . . and we're leaving today." Anna was buzzing around the kitchen. She walked right past Cassie, but didn't notice her own zangoose. Not surprising, I guess.

"Oh, Anna-" Robert was cut off when Anna stuck a finger in his face.

"Don't you even," she hissed. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be, Robert. This is long overdue."

Cassie sighed and made her way out the door, away from the sorry state of affairs. It was a sad story: Robert and Anna had grown up friends their whole life, and even moved in together after they started dating! And now. . . this. They fought all the time, barely remembering why they had been such great friends in the first place. That first meting had long been forgotten.

By the human masters, at least.

Cassie passed behind the house, heading through those same fields of grass. To Cassie's dismay, he wasn't there. In the forest, maybe?

She navigated her way through the tall grass, this time intently looking out for snake nests. She had decided to play it safe rather than sorry ever since she stumbled upon a nest again. But this time, the snake was of a bit larger species: dark black with terrifying red fangs and a scythe-like tail blade. A Seviper.

That was pretty scary, Cassie thought. To that day she was not sure why she decided to wander around there that day. Maybe subconsciously she wanted to atone for being unable to defeat the ekans. Maybe she wanted to prove she didn't need Kain to protect her. Hah, look how well that turned out. Kain had ended up saving her from the Seviper, too. I could fight if I only had my claws. . .

The transition to the forest was very quick; a sudden mass of trees appeared around Cassie, making her feel warm and safe. She like the forest. It was her first hideaway when Robert and Anna were arguing. She and Kain came here often as they were growing up; maybe that's why she felt so comfortable here. Why did we stop coming here? It was so much fun when we were younger, chasing each other through the trees. . .

Cassie sighed. Another wave of nostalgia made her feel even worse. And now Anna is leaving today. . . how could this possibly get worse?

Luckily, Cassie found Kain before to long in a big clearing, resting in the crook of a tree. She stood up on her back legs, waving to him. Kain smiled and jumped down from the tree.

While Cassie had only grown since that first fateful encounter, Kain had changed completely, evolving from the small, long-eared Nidoran to a powerful, horn-and-scale Nidoking. He's much more intimidating now that he's not pink, Cassie chuckled silently to herself. But she knew inside that, despite how ferocious Kain may have seemed, he was still just a big teddy bear. In fact, his unwillingness (along with a desire to stay with Anna) is what kept Robert from fulfilling his dreams of being a Pokemon master.

"Hello, Cassie," Kain said solemnly. He must know, Cassie thought. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mm-hm," Cassie nodded. The two sat in awkward silence for a moment. "You know, Anna's made plan for us to leave tonight. . ."

Kain sighed, plopping down against a tree. "So I heard." Cassie joined him beside the tree. The two sat there together, taking in the smells and the sounds of the forest. It was just like old times.

"Do you think there's anything we can do?" Cassie asked. Kain just shook his head.

"Love's a hard thing to mend, Cassie. It's very complicated sometimes." He turned to her. "But. . . it doesn't we can't have fun, right?"

Cassie took in his words slowly. Kain always had a knack for that quiet wisdom. Cassie nodded, standing up.

"Well. . . would you like to play a game, then?"

Kain stood up, stretching his arms. "What did you have in mind, my lady?"

Cassie tapped her chin. "Hmm. . . we haven't played a game in these woods in a long time, have we?" She thought for a moment. "How about a game of hide and seek?" Cassie held out a hand.

Kain smiled and held out his own. "Sounds like a plan. Where do we begin?"

Cassie grinned evilly. "Now!" She smacked Kain's hand and ran off, first to hide. Kain was struck in place for a moment.

"Hey!" he shouted, but then laughed. He sat back down at his tree and began to count.

Meanwhile, Cassie ran. She chuckled to herself about her own brightness. She didn't like seeking; despite his size, Kain was a very good hider.

She came to a clearing, looking around for a good place to hide. She could climb a tree, but he would think to look there first. It would have to be something he wouldn't think about. . .

Aha! Cassie cheered inwardly, having found a large bush big enough to hide her. With a bound, she jumped into the bush, moving about until she was comfortable. He'll never think to look here, Cassie thought, he'll be too busy looking into the trees. Cassie had to stifle a giggle because she heard Kain's footsteps coming in her direction.

Kain was taking the search slowly, making sure not to miss anything. Cassie was being unusually quiet; either she wasn't here or she had finally wizened up to the point of the game. There were not any footprints to go by, either, and none of the trees seemed to have been climbed into. She had hidden very well this time!

Kain stopped to ponder. Where could she be? he thought, scratching his head.

Cassie watched him stop through the branches of the bush. She had to stifle a giggle. He couldn't find her! This was definitely a first for the books. Cassie, slowly, took a step back so she could jump out at Kain from her hiding spot. But, in doing so, she accidentally stepped on a stick, making a loud SNAP!

Kain definitely heard the noise, but he was still unsure. He turned slowly, taking a single step at a time towards the source of the noise. Cassie paicked- it would have to be now or never.

"Yah!" Cassie jumped from her hiding spot, crashing headfirst into Kain's chest, sending them both into a wild tailspin through the trees. They tumbled until a tree brought them to an abrupt stop, with Cassie laying on Kain's chest, gazing into his eyes. The two of them laughed, trying to catch their breaths.

As they did, though, their eyes met. Cassie looked into Kain's and saw a great friend- a warm protector, always at her side when she needed him. Whether she was in trouble, or sad, or even when she was happy, he was there. And she appreciated him like no other for this- it was devastating to know that she would be separated from him in just a few hours.

In Cassie's eyes Kain saw a fire that was so familiar to him- he saw it in her actions every day. She was bold and powerful in everything she did, and it was his absolute pleasure to be there to discover share adventures with her. She was what he could never be- off the wall, impulsive, rash. Bit she had fun, and it was an experience in itself just being along for the ride.

The duo realized they were staring and both looked away as quickly as they could, blushing. Cassie chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. She sat up on Kain's chest, still grinning at their foolishness. It was this that made their childhood so endearing and fun; it would be horrible to lose all this.

Cassie opened her eyes and smiled at Kain, but he wasn't smiling back. Just the opposite, in fact; his eyes were wide with a fear she had never before seen in him, looking over her shoulder. What was it- an enemy, a poacher? Or worse? Whatever it was, it must have been horrible to be able to frighten even Kain!

Slowly, Cassie turned around to face their foe. But what she saw made her completely understand; there was no dangerous Pokemon behind them, and no human poacher.

It was a belonging of Kain's, standing fully erect. Cassie blushed even more at this new development, wanting to look away but finding that, with all her might, she couldn't.

Kain is. . . hard? Cassie thought with a small gasp. She turned back to face Kain, one paw poised to strike him, but his face made her stop. Kain was looking away, his face bright red, hot and ashamed. He covered his face with his hands, not wanting to see Cassie's face. He obviously was sorry about it, Cassie figured. But. . . did he really need to be?

After all, it's not really his fault, Cassie thought. The poor guy deserves a break. After all, he had been there for her all those times. Maybe. . . he deserved this. She did owe him, after all. The words they exchanged so long ago echoed through Cassie's head, 'I won't take no for an answer. I will pay you back someday, deal?'

Alright, Cassie decided. I'll do it. This is for Kain. Cassie smiled softly at Kain, moving his hands away from his face. Kain cracked an eye open in surprise, then opened both when he saw she was not angry with him.

"Cassie, I-" His words were cut short by Cassie planting a kiss upon his lips; a deep kiss, a meaningful one. Kain's eyes went wide with shock, but he relaxed, pressing into the kiss himself. It was obvious to Cassie how much he wanted this. That was all the convincing she needed. She would help him- just this once.

Cassie pushed her tongue past Kain's lips and into his mouth, running her tongue over his pointed teeth. Kain followed suit, coiling his tongue with her own, returning the passion tenfold. Cassie was the first to break away, a strand of saliva still connecting the two. Kain smiled without opening his eyes, drinking in the moment.

"Cassie, I don't understand-" He was silenced once again when Cassie pushed a finger to his lips.

"I owe you, remember?" Cassie grinned. "I figure you deserve some help with. . . this. So, are you going to question it or just enjoy?" Kain frowned a bit, a little indecisive with this new revelation. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her reasoning. But still, he nodded, resting his head back against the tree.

Cassie gave him a wink then turned around on his chest, facing the opposite way. Before her, standing proudly, was the epitome of Kain's malehood: the phallus. Cassie had been with Anna through her brooding, horny teenager phase, so she knew a thing or two about the birds and the beedrills. She hoped it would be enough for now.

Cassie took a deep breath, calming her nerves, then lowered her head towards Kain's member, giving it a single lick. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her; so far, so good. She slid her tongue slowly along Kain's length, making sure to be thorough from the base to the tip, where she lingered a moment. She sat back up, looking over her shoulder at Kain; his eyes were squeezed tightly in pure bliss, his breaths were becoming ragged and heavy.

Time to step it up, Cassie thought. She took her hands and wrapped the carefully around his member, hesitating for a moment before taking the tip into her mouth. She worked slowly, moving her head to engulf more, running her tongue all along Kain's length. She sped her movements, working in rhythm to Kain's gasps and soft, helpless moans. His excitement got the best of him, causing his climax to build. Cassie sensed this and redoubled her efforts, bobbing her head rapidly and playing his member until she emerged with a gasp as Kain reached his peak and spilled his seed out over her face.

Cassie smiled and began wiping her face clean. Kain, his breath returning, cracked his eyes open and immediately turned red. In front of him, inches from his face, was Cassie's rear, swaying slightly from her cleaning. What surprised him most, though, was that she herself was wet- her own activities had excited her. Kain sensed his opportunity and sat up on his elbows, staring directly at the entrance to Cassie's womanhood. He leaned forward and gave her an experimental lick.

Cassie gasped and almost fell over; her legs had gone weak from just the single contact. Still grasping Kain's member with one hand, Cassie looked over her shoulder at him. He was smiling a bit; it made him happy to see he could have such an effect on her. Kain stuck his tongue out teasingly, then drew it again over Cassie's folds. She gave another gasp and collapsed onto his chest. Kain ran his tongue along the outside of her entrance, attempting to mimic what Cassie had done for him. He could taste her fluids matting the fur around the outside of her lips; a taste that was surprisingly sweet to the nidoking. Kain grinned and forged on ahead, plunging his tongue briefly into Cassie's entrance, teasing her. He felt her walls constrict his tongue; he took it as a sign to speed up his efforts.

Cassie was very audibly moaning and gasping now; her initial plan her gone completely out the window. The two of them were in this to the end now. Cassie could feel her fluids building within her, ready to burst forth. Kain played seamlessly along her womanhood, causing her to cry out from the intense pleasure. The nidoking plunged his tongue into her entrance one last time before feeling her walls squeeze him tight and she climaxed onto his face.

Cassie collapsed onto Kain's chest once more, breathing hard. She turned around to face him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Kain, you- how- Kain, when did you. . .?" Cassie struggled to find words. Kain just smiled, sitting up.

"Y'know, Cassie, I really like you," Kain whispered to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "And. . . this is our last day together, so I wanted you to know how I felt. I hope you don't think I sound silly. . ."

Cassie chuckled. "How could you think I'd think you are silly after a display like that?" She smiled, brushing Kain's face with hr hand. "And there is one thing I'd like to ask you, before I have to leave." Cassie stepped down from Kain's stomach, sitting down on the soft grass beside him.

"Yes?" Kain asked, eager to help. "What is it, Cassie?"

Cassie grinned slyly, leaning in close. "Kain. . . I want you to take me." She sat back, watching Kain's expression. He was speechless at first, then bemused, before finally settling for being happy. He smiled.

"Of course, my lady." Cassie returned his grin, then got down on all fours, beckoning him over. Kain stood over the zangoose, positioning him so. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Of course," Cassie said, bracing herself. Kain wrapped an arm around her waist, helping calm her. Cassie gave a happy little sigh and squeezed her eyes shut.

Kain slid into her slowly, making sure to be gentle. Cassie whimpered slightly as he proceeded, pushing his length into her until he was halted; Cassie's barrier impeded his progress. "Cassie, may I. . .?"

Cassie gave a weak nod, bracing herself for pain. She trusted Kain to be gentle; after all, he was her big teddy bear. This thought reassured her, and she relaxed. Slightly.

Kain pushed against her barrier, causing it to bend in staunch resistance, until finally it tore and gave way. Cassie screamed in pain, clenching Kain's grounded hand. The nidoking tightened his grip around Cassie, whispering assurances into her ear.

"If you want me to stop now, Cassie, I will. . ." His blind care for her gave Cassie heart, though. The pain quickly subsided to a dull ache; Cassie shook her head.

"No, Kain. . . I meant what I said. I want to feel everything with you." This gave Kain new heart; he began once again with his trusts, drawing his length out then thrusting back in slowly. Cassie moaned with each new thrust, encouraging Kain to pick up speed. With each passing moment, Cassie's walls became wetter and Kain's thrusts became quicker until even Cassie was rocking her hips in rhythm to her new lover. Kain felt her juices begin to leak through, running down her thighs. Kain could feel Cassie's climax building along with his own- but he was determined to make her come first. Their hips thrust madly, each accentuated with a loud moan from both parties. Kain, in the midst of his wild movements, drew back his member and gave one last, valiant thrust. Cassie's walls clenched tightly, her orgasm exploding onto his length, coating his lap with her fluids. And, in the spirit of their friendship, Kain followed soon after.

----------

"I can't believe this. I'm going to miss the train," Anna grumbled. She and Robert had noticed their Pokemon were missing.

"Hey, don't blame me," Robert said, brushing away some tree branches. "Look, I can almost guarantee that they'll be here."

"That sounds reassuring."

There was a pause, and then, "Anna, you don't to leave, you know."

Anna sighed. "We've been over this, Robert. I have to take this job. It's what's best for me."

Robert stopped and frowned at her. "But what about us? What about them?" He gestured towards the forest, to indicate the missing Cassie and Kain.

"What was between us died long ago, Robert," Anna said solemnly. "And I will feel sorry for the Pokemon, but they will get over it, right?" The two trekked through the woods, calling out their Pokemons' names, until at last they arrived at a clearing.

"Anna. . . look. . ." Cassie and Kain were sleeping in the middle of the clearing, Kain leaning against a tree and Cassie laying against his chest. The two looked like angels, with one exception- the evidence of their activities was very clear in their surroundings. There was no guessing what had gone on there. Robert look at Anna and shrugged.

"We can't separate them now," he pointed out. Anna sighed.

"I'll go unpack. . ." She turned and began to head back, with Robert at her heels.

And though they were unaware of it at the time, Cassie and Kain, in doing what they did, saved their owners' relationship; the pair would live on for years to come and eventually marry. Cassie and Kain would always remain together, bonded by their friendship and their love for each other. But none of that would matter to them now. Because for now, they slept, and they dreamt.Chapter End Notes:Like I said, I may continue this if requested. This story was actually requested by a few friends of mine, who then posted this elsewhere on the internet against my wishes. But if people show interest, I may pick up this story again.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended, and is applicable for all consecutive chapters that follow.