Mega Ruse
(or, Chronicles of Freakin' Huge Ruse Foxes) Written by Anonymous for /Ruse/day
Calendar
Winter.
Your second favorite season out of the four.
That time of year when the sights of green fields lush with grass and other foliage take the back seat for about 3 months to allow blankets of snow to give a total makeover of scenery.
With the change comes a sudden calm in everyone's mood; whereas Summer is all about outdoor activities and what-have-you, Winter has people staying inside where it's warm and toasty.
It's also considered "The Most Wonderful" time of the year, due to the Christmas season and other holidays in December.
So why is it only your second favorite season?
Well... every season has its flaws, and Winter?
Oh ho, MAN does it have some serious downers.
Having to shovel driveways, stampedes of last-minute Xmas shoppers, and freezing temperatures to name a few.
Well, at least it's not as bland as Fall.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
Your usual evening of playing the vidya is interrupted for a brief moment as the phone in your pocket starts making noise and vibrating like a motherfucker.
Pausing your game, you pull out your phone - turning off the ringer so you can read its message without forsaking your eardrums.
"WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY"
"BLIZZARD + LIGHTNING FROM 7:30 P.M. TO 8:30 A.M. IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS..."
Your area is included.
Great.
Just what you needed: more shitty weather, but with being unable to sleep tonight as a bonus.
"Anon?" A voice calls from the other room.
"Are you ok?"
Well, at least you won't be stuck getting cabin fever alone, since you're a trainer with a pokemon to keep you company outside of battles: a Zoroark.
"Is everything alright? I heard a-" bump "Ow!"
A Zoroark that is unusually twice her normal size.
And who just bumped her head on the door frame to the living room to check on you.
"You alright there, Z?"
She inhales through gritted teeth as she rubs her bumped head with the tip of her claw.
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
It's already been pointed out that the recorded height of Zoroarks in pokedexes from Unova to Galar should be a bit taller since they're always hunched over in pictures and renders, but your Zork is clearly much bigger than one should be.
Whether it's from exposure to radioactive waste, magic, the work of some evil organization, or maybe her being a totem pokemon all this time is unknown.
At the end of the day, however, she's still your Zork and you've got to deal with her size-related shenanigans.
"You've lived with me here for... how long now?"
"Two years?"
"...And you still bump your head everywhere?"
"Well, I'm sorry for wanting to stretch out!"
"You should've gotten a bigger house had you known that I would be this freakishly huge after evolving!"
"Oh, so I'm supposed to be a mathematician around here, huh?"
"...What the hell's that word even mean?"
"Forget about it."
Zoroark crouches under the door, makes her way over to the couch, and sits down next to you; her long legs almost going past the coffee table and her arm reaching all the way to the other side on the back.
Conversations like these are normal for the two of you; they never really go past the point of nagging at one another and thank Arceus they don't with her size and strength.
"They're calling for a blizzard tonight, in case you're wondering."
"Again?"
"But we just had one last month!"
"Hey, I don't make the rules around here."
"Well you should."
"Pfft, yeah?"
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Walk to Spear Pillar through the snow, wind, and lightning to tell Arceus to fuck off?
"Uhh, yeah?"
"...Smartass"
"Says you."
Right as you finish your friendly conversation, the entire house goes dark and quiet.
The TV, every light in the house, your console; off.
And among them - worst of all - your heating.
5 seconds later, the sound of thunder outside reveals the culprit, the first bolt of lightning in the storm.
And It just so happened to be the one that would cut the power to your house.
"Oh great," the two of you say, simultaneously.
And for about a few seconds, the two of you just sat there in the dark wondering, "what to do now?"
...
"Did you save?"
"Shut up."
Judging by that remark, she snickers at your misfortune.
"What're you so worried about?"
"I've lived in the wild, I'm used to the dark and having nothing."
"You'll be fine."
"Oh, ok then," you say with utmost sarcasm.
Now while Zoroark complained about the house not being tall, you at least knew to get a house spacious enough to buy a bed of her size: an Alaskan King size bed.
108" by 108".
Expensive?
Hell yeah, but trainers like you make bank from battling so who cares?
Surprisingly, there's just enough room for you to sleep with her still.
You bought the whole bed, so damn right you're using the whole bed.
You couldn't find blankets big enough for it so you just borrow a blanket from the living room while she has her fur alone to keep her warm.
With the heater out and all that lightning, though, getting some actual sleep is more difficult than it should.
You're half-asleep, tossing and turning from trying to get comfortable.
And right when you're about to slip away into full sleep; boom, lightning.
Meanwhile, your Zork who's totally for battling and not your gf is already comfortable, but your squirming is making it hard on her to catch some Zs herself.
"Dude..." she mumbles, her back facing you.
"Just hold still..."
You continue moving until you feel your blanket suddenly become more affected by gravity than usual, and then...
Flump
Now your only source of warmth is on the floor, and not in your hands.
You should get out of bed to pick it up, but you're too tired to do that.
So, you do what any self-sufficient man would do in this situation: reach for the nearest alternative.
You start moving some more, arms reaching to find a pillow or something, anything, to keep yourself warm.
For about 10 seconds, no dice...
...until your fingertips rub against something.
It's soft as fuck, so soft that your hand just goes right through it like magic.
And its warmth?
Better than any blanket the nearest dept. store could provide!
Too tired to bring this miracle blanket closer to you, you just roll right in it like second nature.
Comfort at last, and about time too.
"..."
"...What."
"Are you doing?"
Suddenly, some mysterious entity asks you some question, which finally has you stop and consider what it is you're actually doing.
And then, the thought finally hits you like a brass knuckle-punch to the face.
That "entity" is your Zoroark, and this "miracle blanket" is her fucking hair.
Oh shit.
"Are you seriously sleeping in my hair?"
You froze in place and did not answer.
She laughed for a second.
"Oh you bet your ass I am never going to live this down!"
Oh she isn't, is she?
"We'll see about that," you think to yourself as you reach over with your hand.
"Yeah, the next time I see your family, I'm just going to let them know how much of a weirdo you ar-"
She cuts off her own sentence with a small shriek as your ice cube of a hand is pressed against her back.
"What the hell?!"
"Are you really that cold?!"
"Are you really that warm?" you ask in retaliation.
She pauses for a second to process what you just said.
Then, she takes a deep breath in, and sighs putting a red-clawed-hand on her forehead.
"Alright."
"You better enjoy this tonight, wise guy, because it's absolutely NOT happening again."
"Fair enough."
A few minutes pass by and you're enjoying her to a T.
No tossing or turning, warmth at last.
But now it's Zoroark who's squirming now.
"You ok over there?"
"Me?"
"Oh, I'm fine; it's just that I'm just itchy from having some smartass sleeping in my hair.
"Sounds like a real problem."
"No. Shit."
"Here, I'll solve it for you."
You reach your hand over to her back again.
"Don't you dare put your hand on me again!"
You put her hand on her again.
"Why you...! you... ...ya..."
Almost immediately, her anger completely trails off as you scratch up and down her back.
Looks like she really needed this.
"Unh..."
It's like she's trying to say something snarky, but her words just melt before they can leave her mouth.
Now you've got something YOU'LL never live down.
(You) 1, Zork 1, it's even now.
"...mmmh..."
As you keep scratching, she keeps making noises.
"...rrrrrrr..."
Noises that are now starting to become more and more animalistic in tone.
2 minutes into her back scratches and now she's purring as you're falling back asleep.
Isn't she a ruse FOX though?
How is she purring like a cat?
Your ponders are then immediately cast aside as she suddenly turns over in bed.
And almost pushing you right off the side onto the floor.
Well, at least the blanket will be there to cushion you.
You try to reach back onto the bed, but suddenly, she grabs your hand and back with her arms.
"Oh, thanks, Zoroa-"
And then pulls you closer to herself against your will.
Now you're right up against her.
Her voluminous hair has enveloped both of you in its warmth, but now she's holding you close like a mother and her newborn.
Now who's the weirdo here? Both of you.
Although your face is up against her breast, you look up and see she's out cold.
Another bolt of lightning cracks outside, but she doesn't so much as twitch from your house shaking from the thunder.
As much as you'd want to try to pry yourself out of her death grip, you're getting tired yourself.
"Oh well," you suppose as you wrap your free arm around her and fall asleep with her.
In the morning, you're the first to wake up, still in the same position as last night.
Trying to stretch, you pull your free arm off of Zoroark's back after forgetting why it's there while your captive arm pushes back on Zoroark, waking her up by accident.
"...wha...?"
"Oh..., morning, Anon," she groggily said before going back to sleep for a full 2 seconds before realizing what she's doing.
"Anon?!"
She quickly gets right up on her knees, knocking you off the bed by accident; luckily, the blanket finally does break your fall.
Zoroark wasn't so lucky as she bumps her head on the ceiling in a hilarious case of deja vu.
Bending down from the impact, she rubs her head, looking at you as you pick yourself up off the floor.
"Why the hell were you... why were you... wait..."
Both of you were confused about what was going on, until both of you remembered what went on last night.
You had the biggest, stupidest grin on your face while hers was one of confusion mixed with embarrassment.
"What... happened last night?"
The following morning was a mix between positive and awkward as the two of you processed the sudden quantum-leap up the steps of a relationship in a single night, although both of you perceived this differently.
You thought of it as the best damn night in your life, but your 10' tall red-haired fox refused to acknowledge it happened - a futile effort, no doubt.
The power still hadn't switched on yet so there was nothing better for the two of you to do other than lie on the bed and just go over what happened.
"...and all because you couldn't find bed sheets for this stupid bed?"
"The bed sheets that DID come when I ordered online were fucking twin-sized for some stupid reason, so it's the shipper's fault you went all lovey-dovey on me."
Zoroark put her hands on her face, groaning.
"And now there's probably some poor soul with Alaskan sheets for a twin-sized bed."
"Don't say those words again: 'lovey-dovey,' it's stupid."
"Nah, I'll exercise my rights anyway I please, Z."
"And I did not purr, like honest-to-God purr."
"Oh you didn't, did you?"
You then quickly put your hands on her stomach this time and start scratching again before she can react.
"Let's test that theory, shall we?"
"No- ahh...!"
Her eyes roll back in sudden pleasure and she's back to acting like an animal again.
"S- mmmh... Sto...p!"
Although this time, she's more resistant now that she's wide awake.
"C'mon, lemme hear you purr."
"Hngh, gah!"
Any minute now.
She tries squirming again, but you double down on the hand speed.
"rrrrrr RRGH damnit... hah..."
"There's my sweetheart!"
"That's... mmf, th-"
You continue scratching against her resistance just to see how far you can take this, only for your wrists to finally be grabbed by her giant claws and raised off her stomach.
That... is... well enough..., man," she said, panting.
"Oh come on, I thought you were enjoying this!"
I...!"
It sounded like she was trying to say "I am," but stopped herself before she enabled you any further.
Coming in clutch to save her from this tortuous conversation is the sound of every light in the house turning back on, plus the heater.
"Oh, frigging finally!" She said in relief as she got up to go to the kitchen and find breakfast.
Before she left the room, however, she paused with her claws on the doorknob.
Then, she turned her head to face you, her ears on the back of her skull.
She just couldn't stop thinking about the way she acted towards you.
Finally, she took another deep breath as her annoyed stare turned in to an apologetic one and walked back over to you.
"Look, I'm sorry, ok?"
"What're you being sorry for?"
"You didn't hurt me or anything."
"I know I didn't, but I feel like I'm not taking this whole thing the way I should be."
"Z, what are you talking about?"
"Did I mess something up in that head of yours?"
"Anon, please!"
"I'm actually being serious with you for once, so just listen!"
That shut you up, finally.
sigh "Ok, maybe not that serious, but still."
"I just don't think it looks right for a Zoroark as big as I am to act like... such an animal like last night."
"Really? I thought you were being cute during it all."
"I know it's 'cute,' it just doesn't feel right to me; I look like I'd be better suited for battling for you and I've tried to act tough the whole time I've been with you."
"I just don't think I'd be able to live with myself knowing that at the end of the day, I'd just curl up in a ball like some pet.
"Zoroark, I had no idea."
"Well... would you like me to stop doing what we did last night if it makes you feel better?"
It was the most difficult question Zoroark would ever dread to answer.
Either she throws all tenderness aside and maintains her self-image as the strongest ruse fox in the world.
Or, she gives in to her instincts and emotions and stops being the back-talking fox you've known all your time together.
"I think... I'll..." She began, but went back into thinking before finally speaking up.
"I'll be fine without it!" She said quickly.
"Are you sure? You can always cha-"
"I'm fine!"
From how frantically she answered back, you're not sure if its final; but, an answer's an answer, you won't say anything else.
"Alright, that's it then."
You get up off your bed and start walking to the kitchen to fix breakfast for yourselves.
"If it'll help get your mind off of it, we can go look for some trainers after lunch if that's alright."
"Sure!"
"That's...!"
"Umm... that would be... great."
Thankfully, everything in the fridge stays cold while the power was out, so you took out 3 hot pockets and heated them up in the microwave for the two of you (Zoroark has to eat 2 because of her size, obviously).
As the two of you sat on the couch watching the daily news, you were eating yours just fine, but Zoroark barely made progress on her first pocket.
The meat inside was untouched; she was just picking off the bread, piece by piece, and just eating it like it's finger food.
"You ok?"
"Huh?"
"Uhh, y-yeah, I'm fine!"
You returned to eating and she returned to "eating."
Finally, you swallow what's in your mouth and put your plate on the coffee table.
"You need some scratches?"
Without talking or hesitation, Zoroark puts her plate on the table and rests her back on your lap, her arms and legs extending over the couch armrests on either side as you gave her some ill-needed scratches.
"Rrrrr."
She was purring instantly.
"I was wondering when you'd finally let me do this."
You decided to cancel every plan you had after breakfast.
Since then, Winter has finally taken up the slot of #1 season in your book.
Freezing pipes, frostbite, and any other problems weren't a problem as long as you and Zoroark had each other.
You don't really use her hair as a blanket anymore, you prefer to be embraced tight against her warm body as the two of you pass out in each other's arms.
Sometimes, you even turn off the heat until morning to recreate that first night you two had together.
Battling has become less of a focus with her so you could do other things together, like watching movies or just working your magic with your hands.
Although, some things haven't changed.
"Where the fuck is that remote?"
"I'm looking as much as you are!"
"Why did you buy a TV with no buttons on the TV itself, you idiot?!"
"How about you take that up to the manufacturer, then?"
"Tell them how you really feel!"
"Oh yeah?"
"I can keep an illusion, but they'll still ask 'hey why is that totally normal human girl causing the tops of door frames to break as she walks through them?'"
"Well, maybe don't be so freakishly huge then?"
"Oh, don't start THAT conversation again!"
"Ugh, I'm taking this thing off."
Zoroark slides the turquoise bauble off of her hair, and with it comes a thunk sound as the remote falls onto the rug.
"Don't. Even."
"You were sitting on it."
"Damnit."
Finally you shut off the TV and both of you head for bed.
"Remember last Winter when you scratched my back and I felt like my whole world changed?"
"That's gotta be a trick question; of course I do!"
"Well, you know... I feel like I deserve delivering some payback for that stunt you pulled in bed."
"Oh yeah?"
"How're you gonna do that?"
"Scratch my back?"
"No..."
Zoroark then rolled over in bed until her head was close to yours.
"This is what I'll do."
She gets as close as she can get and kisses you on the cheek before holding you to her chest like usual.
"Good night, Anon."
Well, then.
This may be the most sudden relationship you've ever had.
And with a whole other species to boot.
In less than a year, you've gone from partners, to lovers all from a cold Winter's night.
You're as starstruck as she was the morning after.
But, you take it a whole lot better.
Worming your way out of her grip, you get to her head level.
"Good night, smartass."
That got a good chuckle out of the both of you as the moonlight creeped through the window, letting both of you see into each other's eyes.
And next thing you know, you meet both of your lips together for a good while before going to sleep in each other's arms.
You wonder what tomorrow's talk during breakfast will be like.
Spring.
Ranking 3rd in your tier list of seasons; a whopping 4 of them.
With Winter gone and the snow with it, Spring is like a reset - a return to normalcy in the yearly cycle.
Not too hot, not too cold.
No snow, no heat waves, no leaves everywhere.
Just plain old... normal.
But even normal has its problems.
"ACHOO!"
Mainly pollen, which you're allergic to.
"Guessin' dite."
"sniff What?"
"Uhh, 'guessin' dite'? Like, 'God bless you?'"
"It's pronounced 'Gesundheit'."
"And I believe it's pronounced 'Thank you very much, Zoroark!'"
"...Screw you."
"Anytime."
Luckily for you, you're managing to beat the pollen outside by walking to your parents' place to clean up their attic.
They're looking to downsize to a smaller home and just need to get rid of some things they won't need for the move.
Now, regarding your acquaintance with Zoroark moving up last season, you don't even want to know what your parents would think about your girlfriend being your giant death fox.
As far as they know, your relationship is strictly professional.
That, and the only word in her lexicon being "Zoroark" in between her natural noises.
"Well, we're coming up on them now, so I guess 'anytime' will have to wait.
You pat your great ball on your belt, meaning its time to go back inside.
Having your "trained animal" take up space in their home while you do all the lifting would be rude anyway.
"sigh Suuuure..."
You look towards Zoroark making a pouty expression.
Reaching your hand up, you grasp her claws in your fingers and rub your thumb on her palm like the degenerate you are.
"Don't worry, it won't be forever."
Zoroark looks down in relief, breaking away from her playful crudeness for a fleeting moment.
"And, hey, maybe I'll clean it up enough for you to at least be able to lay down in the attic."
"How does that sound?"
"That sounds... nice, actually."
Zoroark bends her head down to your level for you to cup the side of her cheek with your other hand.
"Ah, there she is."
Zoroark snickers at that last remark and lightly punches you on the shoulder.
Taking your great ball out, you press it against her chest, and she disappears inside it as red energy.
Holstering your girlfriend on your belt, you knock on the door.
The door opens up and you're greeted by your mother, who unrelentingly barrages you with kisses on every square inch of your face and hugs that even a Navy SEAL couldn't get out of.
As she continues to coddle you like you're still 5 years old, you feel your pokeball on your hip shuffle around with a rhythm that feels like a belly laugh.
A jostle of the capsule disguised as readjusting your belt puts a stop to that.
Once your mother finally goes out of your hair, you hear your father's footsteps as he comes down the attic.
"Hey, Anon!"
"Hi, Dad!"
"Any more boxes to move out for ya?"
"Actually, the movers were just here before you came around and helped out with the last few while they were here."
"Oh, so that's it then?"
"Weellll... not yet."
"We told them to leave a couple boxes up there for you because we wanted you to take them."
"Oh, really?"
"Yep!"
"They're right up there waiting for ya!"
"Alright, I'll go up and take a look."
You walk past your dad, and head up into the attic.
Walking up the attic, you're suddenly hit with a blast of heat.
The temperature outside is in the mid-70s, but no air-conditioning up there - combined with it just not being hot enough for the attic fan to turn on - makes it feel like a heat wave.
Sure enough, those movers went to work; the attic is nigh empty, save for a group of boxes by the window which you assume are the ones Dad meant.
And it looks like someone else noticed the extra space, too, as you hear the sound of your pokeball opening on its own.
"Well, 'anytime' came quicker than I thought!" Zoroark said, already with her back sprawled on the wooden floor immediately out of the ball.
"Oh, shut up, we just got lucky."
You walk over to the pile and start off with the topmost box to go through.
"Aren't you going to get hot up here?"
"Well I can just go back in your ball whenever I want, right?" Still lying on the floor, Zoroark tilts her head up to look at you upside down.
"Heh, like there's even AC in that thing."
Blowing and brushing off the box labeled "Anon stuff" you unfold the flaps and go through it.
Inside are very dusty, but still present and intact mementos of your past.
You think to yourself "oh my God, it's still here" as you peruse through it all.
Old pictures of you wearing cute (but embarrassing today) halloween costumes, clothes that you haven't worn in maybe 20 years, stuffed animals plus other old toys, and pretty much anything you can remember; even some things you've forgotten.
And just like that, the box is done.
So, you move it aside and start off with the next one.
And the next one.
And the next next one.
As expected, you easily get lost in your own nostalgia going through everything your parents kept with them from your past; it pretty much makes you forget about the 10' tall canine illusionist in the room.
"PFFFT HA! You actually used to wear this?! Voltorb PAJAMAS?!"
Of course, that still doesn't mean she isn't actually there, and also going through the boxes you set aside.
You're lucky she's scream-whispering, lest your parents investigate the giant fox in the attic.
"What, are you jealous I had something else to sleep in besides your hair?"
"Maybe I should find a new pair my size, how does that sound?"
Zoroark looked like she nearly gagged while choking on laughter at the same time.
"Oh. My God."
"Don't even make me imagine you wearing shit like that."
"Well, you're free to stop going through my old stuff whenever you feel like it."
Zoroark snickered and layed down on her stomach.
You continue.
"Aaaand that's that."
Zoroark groaned in relief.
"Ugh, finally! This heat was starting to get to me!"
"Yeah, sorry. I guess the attic fan's actually brok-"
"Wait."
"I thought you said you could go back in the ball whenever."
"!"
"Uhhhhhh..."
"You just couldn't do without me this time, huh?"
"...Yeah."
You walk over and run your fingers through her hair, scratching the top of her head.
Her eyes close and she purrs in pleasure; lifting the mood for the both of you.
"Busted."
You refold the last box's flaps and put it by the steps to take down with the others.
"Besides..." Zoroark began.
You turn back around, and suddenly you see a small animate pokeball with your partner's eyes.
"How could I ever miss meeting the president of the Voltorb fan club?" it spoke.
"You're not letting this one go either, I'm assuming?"
Zoroark undoes her illusion.
"Oh, could I be anymore obvious?"
One big sigh later, you walk over to the boxes to start taking them down.
Most of the stuff in them you're probably not going to keep, but you may be able to either donate or sell online for easy money.
"Alright, let me jus- AGH!"
Walking over to the pile, you nearly trip on an uneven floorboard; spinning around to try and maintain balance with a heavy box in both arms, but to no avail.
You fall backwards, but you're saved by something soft and dark.
As your panicked breathing calms down, you look behind you to find what saved you.
It's Zoroark's palm.
"Oh."
"You're welcome."
"Uh... yeah, th-thanks, Z."
"Anytime."
Standing up, you immediately spot the floorboard you somehow didn't notice.
"The hell is that?"
You put the box down and walk over to the problematic floorboard to investigate.
Prying your fingers underneath it, you lift it up and remove it, only to find the culprit underneath the insulation.
"Hey, Z?"
"I think I need those claws again."
"Aww, too scared of a wittle fwuff?"
"Oh, knock it off."
"And that's not 'fluff', it's fiberglass."
"So?"
"As in... uh..." snap snap
"Stealth Rock!"
"But for... humans!"
"But with those Excavalier lances for claws you've got, you might as well not even touch it."
"..."
"Alright," she sighed, "here I go saving the day again."
Zoroark crawls over a smidge (relatively speaking for her size), reaches over, and pinches the insulation edge with her claws, making no contact with her skin like an excavator.
That stuff would burn either of your hands like hell, but her claws should be fine; hundreds of successful Night Slashes you've watched ensures it.
Eventually, the insulation is raised up, and you can see the problem, to both of your confusion.
"Is that... a pokeball?"
"Maybe?"
"Bring it up."
Not touching it to avoid any lingering fiberglass, Zoroark carefully scoops it in her claws and cranes it over to you.
It looks like a pokeball, but with a more "handcrafted" design of wood and what looks like a briefcase latch instead of a recall button.
"Well then."
"I knew this house was old, but not THIS old!"
"And what kind of dumbass contractor puts insulation over this?"
"Someone who definitely needed money."
"Well he should've taken it and become a fucking trainer, then."
Your mom's voice starts calling up.
"Anon?"
"Are you coming down soon?"
"Yeah! I'll be right down with the boxes!"
You lean over to whisper to your partner.
"(As soon as I open the front door, walk out with the ball and wait for me.)"
"(How am I supposed to do that?)"
You raise an eyebrow.
"(...Oh.)"
Zoroark and the pokeball turn invisible before you, and you hear the sounds of creaking move to the attic steps.
Once you hear them stop, you pick up a box, and walk down.
Opening up the front door, you feign stretching your back to move away from the doorway.
You then hear very fast footsteps run out towards the front lawn, and see large footprints moving towards the tree by the sidewalk.
Mission complete.
"Alright, so you'll drop these off at my house at around 3?"
You just finish loading the last box into your Dad's truck.
"Yep!"
"I still have some stuff of mine I want to load back in the house; just wanna make sure I know where they are in case the moving van does some rough riding."
"I'll drop your stuff off first, and then head to the new place."
"Ok!"
"I'm gonna start walking and get out of this pollen."
"Maybe you can have that big ol' Zoroark of yours to ride home with!"
"You'll get home much faster that way!"
Now that's a thought.
You have a good chuckle at that one, but you have the faintest feeling of a nearby facepalm.
"Yeah, haha! Maybe I should!"
"Alright! Be careful on the walk home!"
"Thanks, Dad! I will!"
Your father goes back in the door, and you start walking.
As you pass the tree, another pair of footsteps join you.
"The answer is 'no', just in case you ask," a disembodied voice says.
"Wasn't going to, Z."
"You have the ball?"
After you're past sight of your parent's old home, she reappears, tossing the ball in the air and catching it.
"Rubbed off the fibercrap in the grass for you."
She hands you the "decontaminated" ball so you can get a better look at it.
You're surprised the wood is in such good condition after being in a dusty old attic after so long.
The latch, unfortunately, hasn't seen such preservation, it's rusted shut and can't be opened up.
You think there's "nothing a little WD-40 can't fix" as your walk home goes into the forest.
Walking in the thick of the forest trail, your thoughts continue to dwell on the ball.
"You think there might be a pokemon inside?"
"In that thing for God knows HOW long it's been up there?"
"I'm hoping there isn't."
You occasionally rub your thumb on the rusted latch like the pin of what possibly might as well be a grenade.
"Yeah, I'd hate to be woken up 300 or so years in the future."
"...Oh God, would they be conscious the entire time?"
"Again, I fucking hope not," Zoroark nervously laughed near the end of her sentence.
You continue to roll the ball in your hand, carelessly.
"Heh, yeah I don't know what I would've- OW!"
Turns out the apricot underside wasn't as polished as you thought, as a splinter is driven into your thumb.
It recoils back, sacrificing your grip on the pokeball.
"Whup!"
"Dude!"
Quickly, you move your other hand to catch the free-falling ball.
But it's too low.
Your hand misses and instead pushes against the ball, accelerating it.
Now the ball is now falling FASTER, and with the rusted latch directly at the bottom.
Unavoidably it crashes into the pavement.
"..."
"..."
Time and the earth stood still as the both of you beheld the capsule lying face-down on the stone-paved path, eyes sunken in each others' sockets and all other sounds blocked out.
Zoroark was the first to break the silence.
"...How."
"I... I don't even-"
"HOW?!"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW HOW!"
"I RUBBED THAT PINK SHIT OFF FROM THE ATTIC FOR YOU!"
"SO WHAT. HAPPENED?!"
"...Uh-"
"WHAT?!"
"...a splinter."
Zoroark couldn't believe her ears.
"...What?!"
"There was a FUCKING splinter!"
"You-! Oh my-! URGGH!"
Zoroark put both her hand over her head and through her hair, turning away from you.
Her eyes closed, she takes a deep breath.
Then another, and turns back to you to take this all in more calmly.
"How, do you fuck up, on this astroNOMICAL, of a level?"
"I... can't even come up with anything."
RATTLE
"!"
"!"
Both of you are cut off by the sound of the ball rolling on the pavement on its own.
Both of your trains of thought brake to a halt as you look down at the ball, still face down, moving.
Time slows again as the latch starts to come into view.
There, on the ground.
The latch is broken off.
And the ball is partially open.
"..."
"..."
"... Oh SHI-"
"..."
"...Oww..."
"...Damn it...!"
You open your eyes.
The sight of dead trees surround you as they point up towards a dark gray sky.
No outlines of clouds are in sight, and you can't find any silhouette of the sun; just a solid tone of gray.
You tilt your head up to start getting off the ground, and are immediately met with total pain.
It feels like it's been a year since you moved your neck.
Looking at the ground level of the forest, it looks different.
Transformed.
The ground is covered with a layer of powdery snow.
There's no gusts of wind, no sounds of wild pokemon, or even the sounds of the "trees" swaying.
"(What the hell...?)"
"...non?"
A familiar voice grabs your attention.
"Anon?"
"Zoroark?"
There she is.
"Over here!"
Zoroark runs over to you.
You continue to struggle into an upright position.
You manage to at least get into a kneeling position as Zoroark stands over you.
"Z, what the hell happened?"
"All I remember was that ball opening up and then... something knocked me out.."
"..."
"...Zoroark?"
You glance up at your partner.
"Are you...?" she spoke.
"What?"
She leans uncomfortably close to you, as if to track something on you.
"Master?" she said again, in an accent totally unlike her.
Your memory finally pieces itself back together and you remember the ancient pokeball too late.
This is a Zoroark.
But it's not Z.
The thought of a wild Zoroark toying with you like this sets off every alarm bell in your mind.
However, it thinks of you as her master for some reason.
Not wanting to bring out whatever ire she may have stored for centuries, you try to play along.
"Y-yes?"
"I'm... I'm your master."
The Zoroark's movements stop, and she stares into your eyes.
You dreaded whatever could come from her mouth.
And then, she opened it.
"No."
She isn't buying it.
You're about to fruitlessly try to continue your ruse (on a ruse fox, too, no doubt), but she drops hers.
Her hair uncoils itself from its bauble like smoke trails from a candle.
Her body shifts to a dead light-gray.
Her irises shrink into yellow sclera, and her pupils glow a hazardous red.
Staring into your very soul with something indescribable.
But something similar to malice and spite.
"You are not."
The doppelganger of your partner - horrifyingly, equal in size - steps forth with her gaze locked onto you.
Gasping for air, your fight-or-flight kicks in; all energy directed towards the latter.
You try to stand up, but - not having stretched out your lower legs yet - fall right on your back again.
With nothing else as this demon continues her approach you, you scuttle backwards in the snow with your arms.
"Z!"
"Z!!"
You call out to your real partner, desperately hoping she'll hear you in the total silence.
Again, you make another attempt to stand up and run.
The monster lunges forth, and takes a slash at your leg.
It just barely scratches you to inflict a wound, but just enough to trip you up again.
"No no no NO!"
Eventually, you finally rise all the way up and go into a full sprint.
Panting, you call out again.
"Z!!!"
Still no answer.
You look around for anything that can help you.
Her, the path out, some other person, even another wild pokemon.
You build up the courage to look behind you at your pursuer, and you wish you hadn't.
Before you can react, a dark cloud at blistering speeds overtakes you and knocks you off your feet.
The cloud reassembles back into the white Zoroark, and she readies her arm to slash you with black claws.
"NO!"
You instinctively raise your arm.
Impact.
Sent on your back from the uppercut slash, you feel its pain working through your arm.
The chill of the snow meeting the gash biting away at it with immense pain.
Trying to move your affected arm, you learn you can't.
It feels frozen solid and the frostbite stings like a razor.
Unable to get up fast enough, your undertaker stands on top of you with resentment.
Emotionless, she readies another attack.
Nothing left to do, you scream, closing your eyes until its all over.
SLASH
Suddenly, you hear an impact, but not one made on you.
Followed by a pained snarl from the white Zoroark.
And then, you hear a familiar voice.
"Get. Away. From him."
"Z... Zoroark?"
Your real Zoroark turns her head, claws still glowing with a night's aura.
She winces slightly at the sight of your frostbitten arm, but defaults to a look that looks glad you're still alive.
Eventually, you manage to stand back up with one good arm and walk behind her.
"Will that... keep her down?"
The beast begins moving again.
"No."
She raises her head.
"So... about your dad."
"Yeah?"
"I just changed my mind."
The other Zoroark opens her eyes.
The rage within them is uncountable.
Z grabs onto you and mounts you on her back.
"Hold on!"
You unhesitatingly follow her order, and just like that, she takes off.
The other Zoroark unleashes an ungodly cross between a howl and a roar, and follows suit; running on all fours with rabid vigor.
"I told you that opening that ball was a fuck-horrible idea!"
"It was a goddamn ACCIDENT!"
"Well that 'ACCIDENT' might just get us KILLED!!"
Suddenly, the approaching footsteps of the enemy Zoroark break up the argument.
She knows Agility.
Figures.
"She's catching up!"
With no choice, Z turns on her heel, and readies her Fury Swipes.
"Then get down!"
You jump off her back on the ground, push yourself up, and run towards a tree.
Z charges at your pursuer, and tries to make the first swipe.
But it phases right through her without effect.
"What?!"
The other Zoroark's own claws start to protrude an ethereal aura of their own - Shadow Claw, unmistakably.
Doesn't she know Z's a Dark Type from the Night Slash earlier?
The other Zoroark attacks anyway regardless.
Z braces for impact of a not-very-effective move.
But the attack comes out with such a strength that it knocks her off her feet!
And it was a critical hit, too.
Z rolls in the snow as the other prepares her own Scratch, but she evades successfully.
"Ghost type, huh?"
Z grins as she prepares another Night Slash.
"My specialty."
How the hell did this entire thing go unnoticed by your parents?!
The brawl continues with each fox trading blows on levels physical and special.
You watch as the other kicks snow in Z's face as it readies another strengthened Shadow Claw.
Through the mist of the snow, however, a blast of flames penetrates through it and scorches the wispy mane of the other.
As it clears, you see Z making good use of that Flamethrower TM from a year ago.
However, you also don't see a sign of the other.
"Oh no."
"Anon, get close to me!"
You run towards Zoroark and look around for the rogue illusionist around you.
The absence is overwhelming.
SNAP
A tree branch breaks above you; all eyes dart up at attention.
SNAP another.
SNAP and another.
FWUMP
Something hits the ground in front of you.
STEP STEP STEP and slowly approaches.
Z looks around, and sees 10 disembodied tree branches.
Sharpened, and ready to be thrown.
"Get DOWN!"
The first 5 come at you like bullets, which you dodge in just enough time by crouching.
Z gets away by hopping and clinging to a tree, but right in the other's trap
The next 5 come and the center 3 strike her in the chest, sending her to the forest floor.
"...Z?"
"Enough."
You jump when she speaks again.
"I have had quite enough of these interruptions, human."
The other Zoroark manifests and resumes her approach.
You look back at Z, but she's gone, too.
"Where... is... my master?"
"I... I don't-"
"Why have you taken me from him?!"
"I don't know anything! I swear! I found you in an attic, and-"
SLICE
The sound of a Night Slash rings through again, grabbing everyone's attention again.
But nothing's changed.
The other Zoroark continues.
"TELL ME WHERE MY MASTER IS OR-"
CREAK
"?!"
The sound of a tree falling is heard, and both of you look up.
There you see one of the tree's illusions is fading, showing it cut in half from the top.
Then, you see the top half uncloaking.
And falling directly towards the white Zoroark.
"TIMBER!!!"
And with Z riding on top of it!
"Wh- WHAT IN THE-"
Caught off guard, the other Zoroark braces for impact, and...
CRASH
... is pulverized into the snow.
And just like that, it's over.
Z hops off the log as it comes to a rest on its side, panting and bruised like hell.
"How do YOU like it, huh?! Welcome to the future!"
You... give her time to calm down and let the adrenaline rush fade.
As you do, you watch as the other Zoroark's illusion fades before your very eyes.
The snow fades to reveal the green grass and foliage, trees regain their leaves, the sounds of native pokemon return, and the sun returns to the sky.
"...ngh..."
You and Z turn back around at your oppressor who's more than met her match.
"What, back for more?!" Z asked with fury.
"W-wait! Cease!" she pleaded, as she limped back up as best she could.
Her voice was now freed from malice, and with a tone of voice that felt fittingly old-fashioned for a pokemon like herself, almost Victorian.
"You... found me in an... attic?"
Confused but still on your guard, you obliged.
"Um... yes?"
The other Zoroark whispers to herself, you can't make out what she says, but she seems worried somehow.
Suddenly you knew where she was going with this, and braced for what you know she was about to ask.
"How long... was I in there?"
It felt like your heart strings were pulled into a knot.
Z mouthed an "oh shit" as her claws faded to normal.
The other Zoroark asked again, slamming her fist on the ground desperately.
"How long?!"
What could either of you say?
You wouldn't even know the exact answer.
The other Zoroark only sat there waiting for an answer.
"Tell me!"
Somehow, she knew from their silence it wasn't going to be good; she didn't want to accept it.
And then reality hit her as her face changed to morbid shock.
She cupped her mouth in what little disbelief remained.
Whatever it was, it was too long.
"...I..." She began.
"I... need to go."
Her body turns transparent, and she disappears from sight.
"H-hey! Wait!"
You start to go after her, but a familiar hand grabs your shoulder.
"She... can handle herself; let's leave it at that."
"Besides, we got our own crap to deal with after that, like getting you to a doctor, and me to a pokemon center."
You look back at where she ran off to, then realize it's no longer your business.
You sigh, and agree.
"Yeah."
"I guess."
"Let's go."
You and your partner begin the trek to the nearest town.
Your thoughts on that Zoroark remain uncertain.
You hope she's doing okay.
Cinco de Mayo.
A holiday you're not even sure how it managed to be widely celebrated north of the border.
The most you bothered to look up about it was that it's a commemoration for some military battle in a war that you guess had some significance for the victor.
Then somewhere down the line it transformed into "National Promotions and Deals for Tacos, Tequila, Et Cetera Day".
Not that you really can't complain; sales are sales.
And this one happened to come in clutch the day after a near-death experience for the both of you.
Beyond that, you don't really have any other relation to it.
You scratch the large bandage covering your frostbitten slash wound on your right bicep as your order is processed at the Taco Chimecho drive thru.
You know that stuff is crap to eat, but after yesterday, you just don't fucking care at the moment.
"Okay... uhhh... lemme just go through the list..."
The guy on the speaker could not talk any slower.
"So you wanted: ..."
"The meal box with 1 taco, nachos..., and queso."
"Yep."
"...A medium cola..."
"Uh-huh."
"And then... uh..."
Come on, man, just read through it and get this over with.
"3... soft shell tacos..."
"Uh, 3 wraps..."
"and 2... uh, 2... burritos?"
"Uh, yep! That's it."
You can do it, man, just wrap up the order and get it done.
You swear to God he must be high or hungover.
"...Allllright."
"Just pull on over to the next window, and your order will be there shortly!"
"Thank you!"
You drive forward, and out of range from the microphone.
"(Asshole.)"
The window comes into view.
...There's no one there.
Of goddamn course.
Maybe you're just impatient, brought on by the tensity of yesterday, but you swear this is all somehow the universe toying with you for no reason.
Finally, someone slowly waddles up to the window and slides it open.
"Cash or credit?"
"Credit."
You hand the lady your card and wait for her to process your order.
"Do you want the receipt?"
"Sure."
The receipt prints out, and she hands it to you with your card back.
"Okay just pull up to the next window."
"Thanks."
You drive up to the next window.
You wait.
...
You hear some kind of yelling going on in the kitchen.
With your current luck so far, it's likely something to do with your giant order.
Not your fault you've got a giant mouth to feed.
But could this wait until AFTER you've gotten your fucking food?!
...
You hear a pan being slammed.
You take a deep breath in.
This could be a while.
About 10 grueling seconds later, someone finally comes out with your order, separated in 2 bags.
His expression is deadpan.
So is yours, as best as you're trying to hide it.
"Here's your order."
"The meal box, 3 soft tacos, 3 wraps, and 2 burritos?"
"..."
His expression somehow sours even more.
"Uh... hold on."
Wrong order; figures.
Frustrated, you throw your hand up after he leaves and let it fall on your lap.
In the kitchen, you hear another conversation.
You could swear you heard the guy say "Yo, where the FUCK are the burritos?!"
You're tempted to just jump in there and ask that question yourself.
Finally, he comes back holding 3 bags this time.
Guess they had to make room for the extra sauce packets you know they had to give you now.
He doesn't say anything as he gives you your excruciatingly overdue grub.
Setting them on your lap, you look through all of them.
1 box, 3 tacos, 3 wraps...
and 2 burritos.
Friggin' finally.
"Thanks."
The guy goes back inside, and you drive off.
"(Fucking dopes.)"
You're not going back to that location again.
Once you get back on the main road, you put the bag with your box on the passenger seat floor for later.
You grab the other bags and reach towards the backseat.
"Rise and shine, Z."
You drop the bags on the backseat floor.
"Lunch."
Coming to a red light, you look behind you.
All the seats in your SUV's backseat (save for the one on the passenger side) have been folded down, and the extra ones all the way in the back have been removed.
"Ugh... finally."
Z remanifests, her head laying on the one open seat and the rest of her body in a pseudo-fetal position while on her side to fit in your car.
You know for damn sure it isn't totally comfortable like that, even with all seats removed.
That's not something she cares about right now.
What matters is that it's chow time.
"The hell was happening with them?"
"Beats me."
"Maybe we came too close to the end of breakfast or something."
"I don't know."
Z lifts her head and near rips a bag in half as she goes for a burrito.
Trying her best to eat over the bag, she puts the entire thing in her mouth.
"Thish shi' shucksh..."
She swallows.
"... but it beats those stupid oversized beans."
"You're still salty about those damn things?"
"We only had them, what, the first day in Alola? Not even?"
Z unpacks the other burrito.
"I ate so much of them that I got sick of their taste!"
She chomps down.
"Thoshe 'Malasadas' or shomething were good, though."
"Again, it's not my fault you're the biggest Zoroark on earth!"
She comes back into your mind again.
"Uh... one of the biggest Zoroarks."
There were a few seconds of silence from her after that.
"You're thinking of her again, aren't you?"
You sigh.
"Can you blame me?"
"After all THAT yesterday?"
"And the way she just..."
Before you continue, Z stops your train of thought.
"And that's why I told you she could handle herself."
Z grabs a soft taco.
"What could we even do to- squirtle."
"Squirtle!"
"SQUIRTLE!!"
Snapping back to the road, you see a squirtle in the middle trying to cross it.
Directly in the path of your left tires.
"SHIT!!"
You grab the wheel in a stranglehold and turn it a perfect 90° to the right.
Your tires skid as your car veers into the next right lane.
"Woah woa-AH!"
THUD
Z slides over in the car and slams into the other side, taco still in claw miraculously.
But, it's not over yet.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
Behind you is the car you just cut off, right on your bumper by a thread, and laying on the horn.
"GAAAAH!!"
Thinking quickly, with your adrenaline on full force, you turn the wheel again and go back in your original lane.
"aaaAAAAH!"
Z starts sliding again, she puts her palm against the roof of your car for dear life, but it's not enough.
THUD
SMACK
She slams into her side, and loses her grip on the taco.
"Oh, COME ON!"
Its innards splatter over her fur, the car seat, the floor, and the window.
The situation has now reached a calm.
The road ahead is clear of hazards, other cars in the lane are far ahead, and you don't have to turn for another few minutes.
You are now going perfectly straight on the road, and exactly the speed limit.
Your death grip on the wheel starts to loosen up; imprints of the wheel's leather stitching are visible under your knuckles.
Your eyes are locked on the road and open wide.
Finally, your breathing slows to a more healthy level.
"uuuuUUUUUUUGH!"
Eyes unbroken from the road, you make a loud, zombie-like sigh as relief sets in now that the rush is over.
Your arms melt like jelly, and you forget your arm even has a gash from yesterday.
"Why...?"
Z groans as she fruitlessly tries wiping the sour cream off her fur with a miniscule napkin.
"Why is it so... fffFFFUCKING hard... to just..."
"Just..."
"Gah."
Z couldn't come up with anything to say as she throws the napkin in one of the bags.
But her attitude got the point across: why can't you just have a normal, easygoing day after yesterday?
Even though it's only been two days in particular, but god damn it feels like two eternities.
"I don't... know, Z."
"But we... are going... to go home."
"Lay on our bed...."
"And just shut ourselves in for... I don't know."
Sounds like a plan as you turn into your neighborhood.
"After I get this crap out of my fur."
("You didn't even ask for sour cream, either)."
"Terrorists win."
Defeated, you close your game and shut your PC down as you come to bed.
And just in time, too, as Z comes out of your bathroom, not a spec of taco to be seen on her hair and fur.
"Next time, I think I'll just stay in the ball."
"Yeah, that sounds good."
"Wouldn't want to damage precious cargo."
"Okay, 'speed demon', it's time for a 'sigh-sta'."
"'Siesta'."
"Whatever."
Both of you crawl to the back of the homestead for a bed and pull up the covers.
Now the proper size after you found some online that match the rest of the sheets.
Turning off the lamp, you nestle in for the night.
...
"Y'know, I did wash my hair."
"Do you still want to-"
"Absolutely."
Exhaling in satisfaction, Z obliges as she undoes her bauble, lays towards you, and drapes you in her soft hair.
"Should I even ask anymore at this point?"
Enveloped by Z's volume, it's time to hit the hay.
"Night, Z."
"Night, Anon."
Summer.
Your original favorite season until this past Winter for... well, you know.
But in the court of public opinion, Summer stands supreme among mostly everybody.
It's the perfect time of year for getting outside and doing something.
Running, biking, walking around through town...
And since you have the best career in the world: a trainer...
"Night Slash, Z!"
"Finish 'em!"
You're getting a hell of a lot of battles in.
Z looks back with determination before she pounces towards the opposing Espeon.
The poor thing, with its lesser speed stat, can only watch in dread as the canine undertaker charged forth with claws ready to slash into it.
Desperate, it tried to jump away, but...
SLICE
The claws make impact and knock it back towards its trainer, fainted.
"Espy, no!"
Espy's trainer yells out as he runs to collect his last pokemon.
The battle's over.
"And that's the game!"
You celebrate to yourself as you claim your 8th victory in one day, all thanks only to Z.
"A single, giant Zoroark," your opposing trainer begins.
"Can't say I've ever heard of anything like that!"
"You usually only hear of these kinds of solo runs done with Charizards, Torterras, and such."
Z crosses her arms, her expression beaming with pride at the compliment.
"How the heck is she even that big?"
You look at Z for a second before retorting back.
"I honestly still don't know, but I don't know where I'd be without her."
"Right, Z?"
Z responds back with a proud "Zor!".
BEE-BEE-BEEP BEE-BEE-BEEP
Your victory is cut short by your poketch's alarm.
"Ope, guess that's enough battling for the day."
"Alright, man, good battle."
"Seeya 'round!"
"Hey, good luck on your next one and have a good night!"
The other trainer returns his Espeon to his pokeball, and heads out.
Your pokemon on the other hand walks home with you as always.
"'Finish 'em'..., when did you become a commentator?"
"You did finish 'em though, right?"
"...Hm. Touche."
Z reaches up and stretches her arms.
"Man! I'm ready for kicking back after kicking ass."
"You?"
"Right behind ya Z."
You reach your arm up high to her back, giving it your trademark scritches.
Her head shakes in relief as her shoulders relax to your touch.
"You're getting too good at this, man."
"It's actually freaky."
"Oh, THAT's freaky now?"
"Who am I talking to right now?"
"The giant illusionist fox you sleep with every night."
"Freak."
"...And don't you forget it."
Z groaned at that response as your house comes into view.
Click KRSHT
Click KRSHT
"Dude."
Click KRSHT
"Just put something on already."
"I'm trying, Z."
"Most of the good shows are now on streaming instead of cable."
Click KRSHT
"Then get one of them!"
"I'm not paying for that shit!"
"Why not?!"
"There's too damn many of them!"
"It's too much money!"
Click KRSHT
"Then buy only the ones you need!"
"I'm not buying them, period."
"I have standards about these things."
Z sat there confused before throwing her head back on her pillow.
"Well, I guess we'll be doing this all night then 'cause someone is a cheapskate who can't make up their mind."
"Oh, come on!"
"It's not abou-"
Knock Knock Knock
"-t... that..."
"..."
Knock Knock Knock
"Did you... order anything at all?"
"No, no I did not..."
Knock Knock Knock
"Shit."
"Watch my back."
Z goes invisible and rises out of bed.
BUMP
You hear the sound of impact and Z's cloak falters for a moment, revealing the silhouette of a very annoyed Zoroark.
"GOD-!"
She stops herself mid-swear after bumping her head once again, and quiets back down.
Some covert operator she is.
Refocusing, you swing out of bed, and walk carefully towards the front door.
Not only did you not order anything, but it's a Sunday night - deliveries don't even come on this day of the week.
Possibilities race through your head as you try to imagine what could be at your door.
A disgruntled battler who couldn't take a fair loss?
A burglar?
Some wild pokemon?
Any pokemon?
Even...?
The Hisuian Zoroark that nearly killed you comes back into your mind when you wish it wouldn't.
That fake forest, with the gray sky and dead trees, and the savagery she showed to the both of you was unlike anything you'd ever seen before; anyone who'd never saw either form of Zoroark before would think she was a legendary pokemon, if not the devil itself.
But then, how it all just suddenly ended.
With how she broke down afterwards, can she be helped?
Can she be trusted?
Knock Knock Knock
You're at the front door.
Putting your thoughts aside, you brace yourself and open the door.
...
But nobody's there, much to your confusion.
You squint into the darkness to see if anything's hiding and start looking around.
There's a tattered note on the floor.
You pick it up.
"IT IS ME"
"DO NOT BE ALARMED"
"I DO NOT WISH TO HURT YOU"
A slight chill goes down your spine, and you look behind you.
"Z?"
"I'm right here."
Her voice reassures you.
Somewhat.
You look back at the note.
...It's changed.
"LOOK IN FRONT OF YOU"
Your heart skips a beat.
Then, in your very hands, the "note" evaporates.
Your arms are frozen in position as you force your eyes to look up and forward, your head follows suit afterward.
It's her.
Standing before you in the yard where she wasn't before you looked up, is the other Zoroark.
Last Spring you were a hair's length from disembowlment at the hands of a reawoken, very disoriented beast.
And now she stands before you once again.
Your eyes adjust to the darkness and grant you a better look at her white, ethereal figure, and you notice her body language and demeanor portrays something completely different from that beast.
Her stance is a little awkward, and she's looking away in a different direction.
You judge that she knows what she did that day, and she's trying her best to look nonthreatening.
Nudging underneath your caution is the odd sense that you feel sorry for her.
With how she ran off that day, it's easy to feel that way.
Finally, she breaks the silence.
"Hello, ... Anon."
"That... is your name, is it not?"
"...Yes...?"
"Oh, good. I thought I remembered hearing it in the middle of... um..."
Her sentence broke apart, and she changed the subject.
Her awkward stance intensified.
"Anyway, I have been... b-busy making my way across this land, and... I was wondering if-"
She gulped.
"If I could... have... your hospitality?"
"Just for a little while?"
Your eyebrows raise as you try to process what this old timer said just now.
Hospitality?
As in, staying with you and Z?
Before your train of thought reaches its station, Z's comes in ahead of schedule.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute."
Z re-manifests and ducks out the front door.
"Am I hearing this right that you want to stay here?"
Z's face is incredulous as hell and her stance is slightly defensive.
"Yes, something like that."
"After that entire show you threw for us?"
The other Zoroark began cringing at herself.
"And how you tried to attack him?"
"Y-yes, I know I-"
"I'm not finished yet."
"You also tried to cut me down, too!"
Z pressed on, the other Zoroark became visibly apprehensive.
"I had to drop a whole TREE on you before you finally talk!"
"Z, wait!"
"So what brought you back here!?"
"Huh?!"
Z finally finished, and waited for a response.
"Because...!"
The other Zoroark choked on her words, but finally found it within herself get the point across.
"I... I have nowhere else to go!" she shouts.
"Alright?!"
The other Zoroark pauses to catch her breath in distress.
Even Z's expression softens at the response, but her stance remains firm.
The rogue Zoroark breathes in, and exhales loudly.
"I have nowhere to go," she repeats calmer.
She then begins to recount the past events.
"For the past few months since I was finally released from that pokeball, I was completely lost, and in a region I no longer recognized."
"Large tracts of open land now have these... these towering, thick glass pillars."
"Or these endless rows of houses that seem to go over and over until you get lost in them."
"All this time I was looking, desperately, for anything I could trace back to some semblance of what I used to know, but to no avail."
The Hisuian pauses for a moment.
"Though I knew it was fruitless, I even tried to search for... my original trainer."
"I returned to the house we used to live in, but it was empty."
"I searched in all the rooms, looked in every corner..."
"...I even called his name outright."
"...Nothing."
The other Zoroark stood dejected.
You and Z could only stand there with a horrible feeling in your guts.
One worse than when she realized how long she was in that pokeball for.
Z looked like she wanted to say something, but with how she went after her earlier, she couldn't find the right words.
She begins again.
"I know I have absolutely no right to be here before the both of you after our last encounter."
"But you're the only ones I feel I can ask you this."
She remorsefully looks up, and pleads to you.
"Please."
"Could I remain with you?"
You and Z both look at each other with indecision.
The battle against her is still ripe in your minds.
There could be a million ways this can go wrong, and that's just with the other Zoroark's bare claws.
But now, things have changed.
Where else would she go in this unfamiliar world she's woken up in?
Z sighs, and nods in allowance.
"OK, Anon. She can... come with us."
You look towards the other Zoroark.
"Of course."
"You... do you mean it?"
"You don't have anywhere else to go, right?"
"Well, I've already been dealing with one big Zoroark for some time now, I guess two can't hurt."
"Really? Even after-"
Z jumped in.
"Sure, girl."
"With what you just went through, it's water under the bridge."
"Hmm?"
"Uhh... that means it doesn't matter anymore."
The other Zoroark perked up.
"Well, why don't we come inside, and we can figure out where to go from here in the morning?"
"Are... are you still sure?" she asks, walking over to you.
"Of course we are, uhhh..."
Suddenly, it just occurred to you that you never knew if the other Zoroark had a name.
"Sorry for asking this suddenly, but do you have something we can call you by?"
"Oh, right, of course!"
"My trainer was... well, he was not quite the best at giving names."
You've been there before, "Z" can vouch for that.
"But the name he did give me, I never minded it."
"Anon, Z, you can call me H".
H.
Definitely an odd name, at least for a Hisuian Zoroark of her origin, but somehow you feel like she'll fit right in with you and Z.
Z and H, quite a combo.
"Alright then; H, let's get you settled in for the night."
"It's dark as hel-, er, HECK out here anyway,
You and Z head back inside, and H follows behind.
("Anon, I'm really still not sure about this.")
("Well we can't just let her sleep on the couch tonight!")
("Not after all she's been through!")
("She's as big as you, too!")
("She'll never fit on it!")
("Well I'm not sleeping on the couch either!")
("I know you're not sleeping on the couch either!")
("Why doesn't it have a pull-out bed anyway?")
("Because I didn't think people would mind the cushions and a blanket!")
("Ok, ok, sure.")
("But we have a freaking psycho-turned-VIP here, who I'm actually feeling bad for!")
Knock knock
"Anon?"
"Z?"
"Are you both alright?"
"W-we'll be right out!"
("God, I don't know, Z.")
("Like, what?")
("Is she going to have to sleep in our own bed or some...")
Z's eyes widened at the thought
("...Wait.")
Too late.
That idea has already begun manifesting.
("Anon? Please tell me you're not thinking about that.")
("I'm hating my own self for it, but fuck, it might be our only option.")
("Ugh! Anon!")
("Where else in the house is it big enough for her to sleep?")
("A pullout wouldn't have even worked anyway.")
Knock knock knock
("Z...")
("We have to do something.")
Z continued to think of different ideas in futility.
But it doesn't seem like there's anything else that would work.
And so, she sighs, and relents.
("Alright, Anon.")
("What choice do the three of us have?")
You open your bedroom door.
Behind it is a white phantasm waiting patiently in the hallway, her back leaned against the wall.
"Uh, hey."
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to... uh."
"Would you be okay with..."
H tilts her head.
"...Sleeping with us?"
"Together?"
"With you and her?"
"Look, we only have one bed, so it can just be temporary until later."
"I..."
"Well, I suppose It'll have to do."
You lead H into your room, and show her the Alaskan King bed.
"Oh, goodness!"
"I never knew they made them this size!"
"Well, if there's trainers who sleep with Tyranitars for some reason, you gotta make something for em!" Z joked back.
"Why, this may work out better than I thought!"
As H continued to fawn over her new sleeping conditions, Z gets up and allows you to get in the middle.
"Well, why don't we try to get some amount of rest for the morning?"
As you nestle in the covers, Z gets on your side again.
Opposite to her, you now have H, who gently gets in on the other side.
Now, there you are, completely surrounded on both ends by two ruse foxes of unusual size.
One of each flavor, too.
Lucky you.
Reaching your hand over, you scratch the underside of Z's chin.
"'Night again, Z."
"Good night, Anon."
You turn to H.
"Anon?"
"Before I forget to say this in the morning, thank you."
"Thank you, so much, for your hospitality."
"Ah, it's nothing, H."
"We just couldn't imagine you handling yourself out there, alone."
H looks to you and gives you a heartfelt smile from her ghastly face.
"It means more to me than you can imagine."
"I am... sorry for the way I acted towards you when I was released."
H reaches her hand on your shoulder.
"I will make it up to you and protect you to the best of my abilities."
From hearing that sentence, feeling her touch, and the look on her face, any fear you may have had of H was completely washed away.
Then, you feel another, more familiar hand touch hers.
"Glad you finally came around, H," Z said in approval.
"Welcome to the family."
"I am glad to be a part of one again."
The two Zoroarks removed their hands, and began resting their eyes after a very long night.
"Good night, Anon, Z."
As you fall asleep, you wonder if you can make her purr as well.