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A Winkle in Reality: Chapter 13.
🕑 Added 2025-06-09 15:00:10 +0000 UTCLast chapter of the time skip.
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“Do you think I can have one!?”
“No way, Gramps would never allow a dumbass like you to have one.”
“SCREW YOU GARY! I'M NOT STUPID, YOU'RE STUPID!”
“THE HELL YOU CALL ME, LOSER!?”
“STUPID!”
“LOSER!”
“Boys, please, shut up.”
I did my best to tune them out as I kept up my brushing. Flame flinched at the yelling, but calmed down as the brush ran through her thick fur. She had already eaten an extra-large portion of breakfast, and I decided to fuss over her a little. Lately, I only really got to see her in the morning and evening when I came with her food, and she deserved some pampering. I was extra careful to keep it gentle as I ran the grooming instrument over her swollen belly.
News of Flame’s pregnancy had spread quickly, and of course, that meant everyone wanted to come and see. The Professor had allowed our class to visit last week, though the others didn't get to come inside the oversized dog house that was attached to the side of the Lab.
Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough for everyone, which is why I found myself doing my best to ignore Gary and Ash screaming at each other once again, Green, or Gretchen, as I heard Gary call her out of spite, as always, caught in the middle, trying to settle them down.
I had to give her props on her patience, though. I could barely stand to be in the same room as them both for 10 minutes, let alone the years she’d been doing it.
“It's not your choice anyway! I'll just ask her! Flame! Flame! FLAME!”
The Arcanine flinched again at the resumed high volume, causing me to grab Ash by the collar as he tried to push past me and yank him back.
“Stop fucking screaming you idiot. She's about to burst; leave her alone. If you all can't keep it down, you can wait outside, willingly or not.”
Both Ash and Gary looked ready to protest, but the words died on their tongues when they saw the seriousness on my face. Green appeared smug at being validated.
Putting the brush back in the box of grooming supplies, I gave Flame one last scratch behind the ears, getting a sloppy lick across my face in return, and stood up. Snapping my fingers, I got the attention of the other Pokémon in the room.
“Betty, here.”
The Dragon-Type fought to escape from the huge pillows that covered most of the floor, tripping and falling over the soft piles. Eventually, she managed it, coming to my side and looking up at me with wide eyes. Not that she had to look far these days. With her roughly four feet in height, she was only a little over a foot smaller than me.
Taking a large piece of Taurus jerky from the pouch the Professor had provided, I threw it at her, her huge maw snapping it out of the air with delight.
“Good girl.” The treat strategy seemed to be working fairly well. She at least listened most of the time.
Turning to the other babies in the room, I started herding them out.
“Okay, out we go. Let's leave her alone for now, she has a lot to see too.”
“Aaawwww, but I wanted to ask for a Growlithe!”
“Ash, they're not even born yet, calm down!” Green admonished him, helping guide the brat out. Gary swaggered along with no issue, but then again, he could drop by whenever he wanted.
I closed the door behind me, Flame more than large enough to open it herself if she wanted out. I turned back to the group to find them embroiled in an argument once again.
Ash turned to me when I joined them. “Peri! Let's go to the mountain and see the Professor's Charizard! Let's go, let's go!”
I looked at him incredulously. “That's a fucking terrible idea! The Professor doesn't allow anyone to go there, hell, even he brings Pokémon with him!” It was true as well. I’d asked about the mountain multiple times over the last almost three years, and if they needed to be fed too, but I’d been told no every time.
Gary nodded superiorly. “Yeah, loser. How many times does Gramps have to tell you, the Pokémon up there are almost wild. They fucked off to the other end of the reserve for a reason, and they don't wanna be disturbed.”
“Aaaawwww, that's lame.” Ash sulked, literally kicking the ground like a child. I couldn’t help but feel a little for him, overreacting as he was.
I was getting soft.
“The Kangaskhan's eggs hatched recently, we can go have a look at them.” I gave in.
“REALLY! LET’S GOOO!” The black haired child cheered and immediately started running towards the forest. Gary cursed. “YOU DUMBASS, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!” And ran after him.
Green and I followed at a more sedate pace, almost certain to make it there first anyway. I recalled Betty as we went, to keep her out of trouble. As we walked amongst the trees in silence, I gave my companion a side eye. I didn’t actually know much about her. Ash forced everyone within a miles radius to know about him, and I'd lived with Gary for three years, yet I wasn't sure I’d ever exchanged more than a few words with her that weren't complaints about the other two.
Fuck it. I decided to start a conversation with one of the few pieces of info I had about her.
“Your parents are Researchers working for the Professor, right?”
She almost stumbled at my words, gazing at me, shell-shocked for some reason. I frowned. It wasn’t that weird for me to start a conversation, was it?
Fucking Mew, how edgy had I gotten!?
“Y-yeah, they are!” She responded, getting over her surprise and seeming quite pleased. “They've been working with Professor Oak for six years now. We moved to Pallet about the same time.”
I nodded, fumbling around for something to continue the conversation with as quiet once more fell over us. This was embarrassing.
“Uh, and are you gonna do the same? Work for the Professor, I mean. Be a Researcher, I mean.”
She hesitated. “I'm… no, probably not.” She looked over her shoulder like she was concerned about being overheard. “Don't tell my parents, but no. I love Pokémon, I really do, but I don't wanna be stuck doing research. I've seen the stuff my parents are working on, and it's cool, don't get me wrong, it's just not… what I wanna do, you know?”
I nodded in acknowledgment, mostly just relieved that she was carrying the conversation. “And what do you wanna do?”
“I think I wanna be a Gym Leader. Grass-Type Gym Leader, to be specific.”
I whistled. “Damn, you don't set your expectations low, huh?” As I thought before I even got to Pallet, Gym Leaders were the local League representative, but it was more than that. Over a thousand years ago, before the First Champion, Indigo, united Kanto into a single region, the land was divided between various Clans, many of which still ruled those areas under the League's banner. The Pebble Clan of Pewter, the Waterflowers of Cerulean, the Gardeners of Celadon. Most Kanto Gyms had been passed down through the same families for a millennium. The only ones that had changed hands recently that I was aware of were Saffron and Vermillion, and even then, Surge was distantly related to the Thundercrash clan.
For someone with presumably no noble blood, becoming Gym Leader was nigh impossible, or at least with one of the Old Eight. There were minor Gyms, but I doubted a 12-year-old would be aiming for that.
“Yeah, I know it's a long shot. It's probably even less likely than Ash becoming a Pokémon Master.” She deflated.
“I mean, weirder things have happened. You might make it.” I shrugged.
“You think so?”
“Yeah, sure. You're at the top of our class, gonna be sponsored by Professor Oak, and your parents work for him. That's a decent start. You become a Grass-Type Master on top of that, you'll have plenty of opportunities.”
"Oh. Thanks.” She turned her face away from me for some reason as we kept walking. The conversation died out again, but it wasn't awkward anymore. Soon we heard shouting again, and I sighed when I realized that it came from behind us.
“Fucking useless. OI, DIPSHITS, IT’S OVER HERE!”
“WHAT'D YOU CALL ME!?”
“YOU'RE THE DIPSHIT, DIPSHIT!”
“THAT WAS TERRIBLE, GARY!”
“SHUT UP LOSER! IT'S YOUR FAULT WE GOT LOST!”
“IS NOT!”
“IS TOO!”
I facepalmed as Green giggled. I fucking hated how much they were growing on me. Like a well-meaning fungus.
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I shifted, stealthily trying to work out the kink in my back. Not stealthy enough, though, as my movement earned me a displeased grunt and a soft slap to the shoulder. Soft for Champy, anyway. The tap almost sent me sprawling across the grass.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, recrossing my legs and placing my hands on my knees. I knew that sleeping with Flame and the pups was a mistake when I did it, but it was damn hard to resist seven pairs of puppy eyes. Eight, including Betty. Being buried in pillows and fur had left me stiff and sore, though I had no regrets. It was some of the best sleep I’d gotten as far as I remember, and I’d even managed to rope Siren into it.
The stretches and martial arts practice Champy had put me through had gotten rid of the worst of the discomfort, yet one last knot below my shoulder blade kept me from being comfortable.
I took a deep breath and put it out of my mind. The earthy scent of the warming noon soil, the light breeze that brushed through my hair, the yips and growls of Flame playing with her children, surrogate or biological. I let it all wash away and focused inwards.
In and out. Feel my lungs expand and contract. In and out. Feel the oxygen flow through my body, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and the bottom of my stomach. In and out. Feel the blood rush through my veins. In and out. Feel the energy that lurked deep within, just out of reach, yet maddeningly close.
Time slipped away as I meditated, trying to grasp the elusive power I’d been working towards for years. Champy's instructions had been invaluable, for all that our communication was limited. The fighting felt more natural and suited for me, no longer a patchwork of imitated stances designed for beings much stronger than me, but something made for me specifically. I wouldn't call myself a master, or even particularly skilled in the face of a Pokémon, but I was proud of how far I’d come. But more than that, the energy the Machamp radiated simply by existing and that he ramped up during our sessions, had been a lighthouse in the pitch black sea of fumbling for something I’d never experienced. Having that beacon helped enormously, being able to feel exactly what I was looking for. In the last month, I'm pretty sure I found it as well. In my mind's eye, there was a ball of iridescent light at the core of my being, pulsing to the beat of my heart.
If only I could fucking reach it!
My lips curled up, exposing my teeth as I held in a growl. It was so frustrating! It was right fucking there, yet it kept slipping through my metaphorical fingers! My hands curled into fists while my heart rate picked up.
Come on!
Another slap to the shoulder broke me out of it. I glared at Champy for the interruption and got a dry look in return as the mighty Machamp stood up and flexed, body rippling like water. One rough pat to my head and the Fighting-Type headed into the forest, apparently done for the day.
I slumped in disappointment. It had become a regular occurrence for our training to end that way. I just couldn't help it. Every Time I got close, every time I touched my Aura, it stayed just out of reach, and I got so angry! It was bullshit! Why wouldn't it just fucking work!?
I closed my eyes again and restarted the meditation. Another 10 minutes after Champy left allowed me to calm my emotions back down and be ready to continue my day. Or so was my thought. I'd barely gotten to my feet before a commotion in Flame’s group drew my attention.
“What's up?” I asked as I walked up. The Arcanine was scanning her group over and over again, sniffing the ground desperately and barking loudly. I looked them over myself. Six Meowths, 11 Nidorans, seven female and four male, four Poochyena, five Growlithes, three Shinxs, two-
Wait, five Growlithes. I quickly countered again and groaned.
“Where's Betty and the big one?”
Flame indicated towards the forest, spinning in circles frantically as she turned from her remaining kids and the direction of the missing ones. I gave her some pets and scratches to calm her down.
“Hey, hey, it's okay, I'll get them, okay? You keep an eye on the rest of them, I'll be right back.”
She headbutted me gently and whined, clearly worried. She could’ve reached the wayward Pokémon within minutes, at the most, but that would involve either leaving the rest alone, which was a recipe for disaster as they barely stayed in one place when she was right there, or she could take them with her into the woods, which was even worse. Thankfully, the last three years and a bit had made her trust me enough to let me take care of it.
I jogged over to the lake and quickly found Siren together with Starmie and a couple of Staryu. The purple starfish was leading them through some Water Gun drills, and I absently noted that my Feebas was outperforming the smaller brown starfish Pokémon by a decent margin, her elemental blast traveling almost a hundred feet in a couple of seconds before losing cohesion.
Normally, I’d have taken the chance to cover her in praise, but we were in a bit of a hurry.
“Sorry to interrupt, but Siren, I need you. Betty and the big one slipped into the forest, and we need to get them.”
Siren had just enough time to nod, her joy at seeing me turning into seriousness, before I scooped her into my arms. She knew the trouble those two could get into. I threw a quick nod at the other Water-Types before spinning on my heel and taking off for the forest.
The trees covered a large part of the reserve, and they could be anywhere, yet I doubted it would take long. Just had to head for the screaming and burning.
Trees and foliage passed by in a blur. The shade provided by the canopy left a chill still hanging in the air, the dirt squishing under my shoes from morning dew residue. The air was alive with Pokémon calls, every bush and shrub shaking with life, eyes peering down on us from the branches. Large, evolved Pokémon gazed at us curiously as we rushed by, unconcerned by the human activity. The outskirts of the forest were filled with those who wanted a little privacy, but still ventured out to the plains now and then, so they weren't as bothered by contact as the denizens further in.
As long as you gave them some space, I was reminded as a couple of large Beedrill buzzed threateningly at me when I got too close to a trunk full of Kukuna. I’d stocked the feeders near the edge enough that both I and the locals were familiar with the procedure. Everyone stayed to themselves, unless they approached me first.
Someone clearly didn't get that message, as a rage-filled roar shook the leaves and sent a group of Pidgey fleeing. I broke into a sprint as a loud crash sounded out further in and to the left.
My heart was pounding in my throat when I finally burst into the small glade and nearly leaped out of my mouth as I took in the situation. Betty and Growlithe were standing defiantly, dumbly, holding their ground as another tree toppled over in their direction. They dodged to either side of the plummeting trunk and, in sync, opened their mouths and sent a barrage of Embers flying at the opponent.
The small sparks splashed uselessly against white fur as the Primeape hooted and howled, smashing the ground before it into smithereens. Great chunks of earth and medium-sized dislodged rocks were hurled at the Dragon and Fire-Type Pokémon, the Fighting-Type worked into a proper rage that reminded me of the assault on the Rocket Lab on Five Island. It lashed out indiscriminately, fists flying in every direction, breaking trees and ripping up shrubbery.
What the hell had they done to piss it, her I noted in the back of my mind, off that badly!? I mean, it was a Primeape so it didn't take much to make her lose her shit, but still!
The mystery was instantly cleared up when I spotted the small Mankeys hiding amongst the top branches behind their mother. I wanted to scream. They fucking would run straight into a Primeape that just gave birth. The Fighting-Type was a nightmare to deal with normally. Add in the extra hormones, and it became impossible.
Though I had to give it a try.
“Hey!” I yelled, stepping forward and waving my free hand. I made sure to keep my eyes on the Primeape's chest, avoiding eye contact. I’d prefer not to turn into a bloody smear on the ground. Betty let out a screech of joy at seeing me, yet I ignored her.
She was in so much trouble when we got out of this.
“Hey.” I continued more softly. The Primeape howled and smashed her chest in challenge. I bowed my head even further in response, making it clear that I wasn't there for a fight. “I'm sorry. They shouldn't have disturbed you. We lost track of them and they ran off. That's our fault.” I gave the two troublemakers the worst side eye I could and indicated for them to come over behind me. Growlithe did so with a lowered head, clearly aware of his fuck up, yet Betty was as cheerful as ever, glomping onto my side. “Kids, you know? I see you have some of your own. They can be a handful, huh?”
Bringing up her children was a risk. It would either make her think of Betty and Growlithe as young and stupid, thus giving them some slack, or she would take it as a threat.
You never really knew with Primeapes. It was a species of Pokémon that could get so angry, they literally died of anger. I hadn't seen any references to it, but I knew there was a further Ghost-Type evolution where they were too angry to stay dead as well.
“I'm gonna get them out of here, and they won't bother you guys again. I promise.” Keeping my eyes low, I started backing up, taking the Pokémon with me. Primeape beat the ground again and jumped forward a little, but it was more of a dominance display than an actual attack.
My arm tightened around Betty’s neck, feeling her return challenge vibrating her throat. I gave her another yank, half carrying her as we shuffled backwards. Growlithe was fortunately smart enough, if only just, to follow along on his own. He could probably already imagine his mother's displeasure when she heard about his dumbassery.
We kept up our backtracking until both the clearing and the last of the trees that surrounded it were out of sight. Only then did I let go of Betty. She shook her head and turned to me, mouth open and anticipating a treat. I wasn't having it, though, grabbing her by the back of the neck and forcing her to look at my feet.
“What the fuck are you doing!? Are you stupid!? I've told you not to go anywhere without me!”
The four-foot-tall Bagon whined pitifully, trying to escape from my grip. Siren put a stop to that with a wide Water Gun to her face. It didn't have the force to do actual damage, but Betty had been hit with enough of them over the years that she knew an admonishment when she felt it.
Leaving my Dragon-Type to Siren's angry gurgling, I turned my attention to Growlithe. The big dog was standing completely still, head low and gaze on the ground, like I’d forget he existed if he didn't move.
“And you,” I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with sufficient force that he felt it, but without pain, “you know better than to listen to her! Being big doesn't justify being stupid! Wait till your mother gets her paws on you.”
The Fire-Type whined at me, hitting me with a Baby-Doll Eyes. I wouldn't say that it had no effect, but five months of being exposed to the move from the puppies had given me some resistance, even if he was secretly my favorite of them.
“Don't look at me like that. You fucked up and you know it. Just,” I pinched the bridge of my nose, “just head back. Flame will take care of the rest. You'll not be allowed out of her sight again until you get a Trainer.”
Growlithe deflated, slowly lumbering away back towards the Lab. Hopefully, for his sake.
I gave the dramatic dog Pokémon a quick clap on his back as I followed along, Siren still yelling at a mostly unrepentant Betty. I knew her overconfidence would get her into trouble, but I’d hoped our training would at least make her think twice. And to be fair, it had done so for a while, but after the Growlithes hatched, she formed an immediate bond with one in particular who shared her disregard for caution, believing his size made him stronger than he actually was. The two had been a terrible influence on each other.
I sighed, my eyes on the low-hanging tail of the guilty Growlithe. It wasn't like I didn't understand it. All of Flame’s offspring were bigger than the average according to the Professor, and grew fast as their species was wont to. Despite only being a little over half a year old, the pups were nearly full-grown already, standing at almost three feet tall at the shoulder.
But that one Oak had been identified as having the Alpha gene. Looking forward with his head high, Growlithe was only a little smaller than Betty, comfortably clearing three feet in height, damn near four, and over five in length. He was a massive animal, as big as the biggest dogs I remember from Earth. Maybe some could claim to be taller, yet Growlithe was stocky even for his size, an absolute tank of fur and slobber. Unfortunately, it seemed all the extra body mass had come from his brain. I’d met a decent number of Pokémon by then, of varying levels of intelligence, and Growlithe was way closer to Ra than Slowking. Fuck, there were times when I wondered if the Psyducks weren't smarter.
Though his Alpha gene wasn't the most attention-grabbing thing about Growlithe or even the rarest genetic condition, I mused as my eyes flitted across his pelt. Where the average Growlithe was orange, the big one, as I called him, was yellow. Like, bright yellow, with black tiger-like stripes along his back and legs. His tail, chest fuzziness, and little mohawk were also tinged yellow rather than the normal red hue.
A shiny Alpha Growlithe with one hell of a pedigree. I wasn't sure exactly how good a Trainer Professor Oak had been before he quit. I’d tried to look it up, but there was barely any information available to the public before he became the Professor. The only thing I’d found was a brief mention of someone who’d served in the Indigo Civil War with him. What I did know, however, was that he’d have to have been at least Master level based on his Pokémon. Everyone I’d met was an absolute beast, and there was no way an average Trainer raised monsters like that.
So yes, I understood where Growlithe's confidence came from. He’d been as blessed by nature as possible, literally born better than the rest. Hell, he was almost as rare as Betty was. But inborn skill didn’t excuse a lack of thought.
Something I knew Flame agreed with, as we broke through the outskirts of the woods and found the Arcanine half-heartedly playing with the younglings, constantly glancing towards the forest. Seeing us, her eyes widened, and her legs tensed for a second.
BOOM!
Then she was gone, vanishing right before my eyes as a huge cloud of dust erupted where she’d been standing before. I didn't even have time to blink before she reappeared by my side, a wall of air pressure sending me stumbling backwards. I would’ve fallen over if not for Betty quickly steadying me. The ear-shattering boom hit us a second later.
Did she just break the fucking sound barrier from a standstill?
The Alpha Growlithe whined and lay down on his stomach as his mother barked and growled at him, stomping her paws in what I could only describe as furious exasperation. Betty, uncaring gremlin that she was, ignored her share of the scolding and tried to tackle the much larger Arcanine. It didn't end well for her. She barely had time to move before she was on the ground, staring up at the sky as the big Fire-Type barked in her face, truly angry with the smaller dragon for the first time. The Bagon cowered, looking stunned as her ass got reamed by someone who could physically take her to task. It wasn't the first time she’d pissed off someone bigger than her, but she’d come to assume that Flame would put up with her shit.
I watched from the sidelines, arms crossed over my chest. They’d more than earned it, and it hit harder coming from someone who usually didn't take the disciplinary role.
“Getting into trouble again, huh?”
I looked to my side. I’d felt someone coming up behind me, but didn't expect the Professor, clutching his habitual cup of coffee. I nodded in both greeting and agreement.
“Yeah, they messed with some of the newly hatched Mankey, and the mother caught them. I barely got them out of there before she beat them up.”
Oak sighed. “While I would really like to just blame Betty, that Growlithe is a handful all on his own.”
“Yeah, I pity whoever is gonna be his Trainer.”
Oak laughed. “If anyone can afford him, they'll likely have the means to keep him under control.”
I cocked my head. “You're gonna sell him?” That wasn’t his normal way of doing things as far as I knew. While he didn't hand out Pokémon willy-nilly, whenever a Trainer had bonded with someone from the reserve, he'd usually allow the Trainer to catch them.
The Professor hummed in agreement. “I have to. It takes two to make a child, in case you didn't know, and the father's Trainer has an equal right to him. I'm too old, and retired besides, to raise him as he deserves, and Flint doesn't have the time to raise him either, so we've agreed to sell him should a suitable Trainer come along.”
I hummed in return, a thought occurring. It was either genius or super fucking stupid.
“How much?”
Oak let out a bark of laughter, sounding kinda like Flame, who was still reading Betty and Growlithe the riot act.
“More than you can afford, my boy, much, much more than you can afford.”
“I have money.” I returned, thinking of the backpack Slowking gave me. I still hadn't checked how much was in it. It hadn't been relevant beyond the couple of stacks I gave Oak after my first week.
“Ah, yes, your bag of ill gotten-goods. Even if you had the several million someone like Growlithe would cost, I'd still be hesitant to give him to you. Not only do you already have two Pokémon without even being a Trainer yet, but Betty is absurdly rare and valuable. There will be those who will want to take her from you, and an alternate colored, Alpha Pokémon with a lineage like his will only make you a bigger target.”
That wasn't unfair. Oak had already been kinda reluctant to allow a new Trainer to have a Titan Bagon, but I wasn’t sure the argument held up under scrutiny.
“But if I'm already a target, how much of a difference would having a second rare Pokémon make? Wouldn't having strong team members right off the bat be safer for everyone involved?”
“Don't try and argue. I'm already scurrying the line of nepotism more than I'd prefer.”
I went to continue arguing my case anyway, but a motion by my feet stopped me. Looking down, my eyes met the overly large and wet ones of Growlithe as he crept up to me, scooting on his stomach. He whined piteously, nuzzling my leg in search for forgiveness as Flame kept up her admonishment of Betty, who was still on the ground.
“Don't look at me like that, you're the one that fucked up.” I warned the dog Pokémon, pointing at him sternly. He whined again and pawed at my pant’s leg weakly. I sighed.
“I can't stay mad at you. Fine, I'll forgive you this time, but if you do it-Aaaahhh! Get off!”
Growlithe panted happily as he licked my face, paws planted on my shoulders. I backed away to try and escape from the big slopper monster, but tripped from the added weight. I landed on my back with an oomph!, closely followed by a second one as Growlithe laid down on me, taking my prone form as permission as his tongue flopped merrily.
“Get off me you fat fuck- OH MY GOD!” I groaned as Betty discovered the cuddle pile and dove on top of Growlithe. The Fire-Type panted harder, though he was kind enough to shift off my chest so I could breathe.
I groaned even more in misery as the group of younglings that had kept their distance from Flame’s anger took it as a signal to come running up. Said Arcanine collapsed next to me with a huff, giving me a side eye for my easy capitulation as the Professor laughed at my discomfort.
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Her enemy loomed over her, tall and proud in its immobility. She glared, furious at its stubbornness. Her feet dug into the soil and with a deafening warcry, she rushed forward and leaped upwards. Alas, the mighty foe defied her yet again and rebuffed her.
Bouncing off the rock, Betty tumbled down to the lakeshore. Pushing herself back up, she stomped her foot in frustration and screeched at the boulder. All the other rocks along the plains had submitted to her will, yet the big one continued to elude her.
Mother had brought them down to the lake again, to watch the fast-water-prey fight. Betty liked fighting, but the lake spoiled the fun. They kept disappearing under the surface, and she couldn't join in, though Mother wouldn't let her anyway. Betty didn't understand, but Mother brought food and warmth and comfort and safety, so she’d obey. Mostly. She thoroughly enjoyed the times she could slip away and fight to her heart's content. Many crawly-prey had fallen to her jaws.
A commotion made her turn to observe the battle. Water-Prey-Not-Prey, Mother's other child, was fighting Arrogant-Water-Prey again. Betty didn't understand why Mother hadn't pulled the prey from the lake and let them eat it yet. It was a threat to the safety of the flight. Though maybe Mother wanted Not-Prey to kill her prey herself? Betty nodded in conviction. Yes, that made sense. Mother couldn't do everything for them.
Yellow-Fire's tail slapped the grass as he barked excitedly at the spectacle, laying by Mother's feet, who watched with crossed forelimbs as big sprays of water were shot back and forth. Betty thought it was unfair. Why did Not-Prey get to fight without being shouted at? Was it because she was older?
Betty couldn't wait to be older. At night, Mother told her stories of their future. Of Betty being the mightiest Salamence the world had ever seen, bathing the world beneath her in shadow and dragon-fire. Of strong prey being crushed beneath their talons and soaring through the air together. Betty wanted it. She dreamed of it and when she woke, she wanted nothing more than to return to that dream.
Not-Prey rushed through the water to the side to avoid another spray. Betty understood. She had been sprayed a lot by Not-Prey, and it wasn't fun. The water-bound member of the flight focused, a ball of whitish-blue forming in front of her. Betty shivered as the ball turned into a beam, water freezing under it as it headed for Arrogant-Water-Prey. The prey barely managed to get out of the way, but its tail got stuck as the Ice attack created a small iceberg, over twice as big as Fire-Mother.
Betty was happy Not-Prey didn't hit her with that when she was unhappy. Betty didn't like the cold.
Arrogant-Water-Prey struggled furiously to get loose, bashing its head against the ice. Betty approved. Headbutting was a great thing to do and solved most problems. The frozen structure cracked and Not-Prey helped her prey get loose with a vicious Water Gun to the side, sending it spinning through the water. Even though she was prey shaped, Betty couldn't deny that Not-Prey was getting strong.
Arrogant-Water-Prey was not done however, resurfacing with a furious gurgle. It focused, its face horn lighting up with a blue energy. The attack was clearly draining for it, shaking as it concentrated it before finally letting it be unleashed. Blue rings of power rippled out from its horn, their very presence vibrating the air around them as they headed towards Not-Prey-
-only to dissipate as bullets of water ripped them apart, Not-Prey launching a dozen condensed water balls one after another in a flurry. It kinda reminded Betty of the Ember attack Yellow-Fire had shown her, only stupid water instead of awesome fire. The Water Barrage struck Arrogant-Water-Prey and sent it flying again.
Betty turned away. Not-Prey was clearly the superior predator and the fight was over. Betty would rejoin them when it was time to feast on the corpse. In the meantime, she had her own battle.
Narrowing her eyes, she growled at the boulder, circling it and looking for a weakness. But there was none to be found, no footholds or ledges to climb. Four tours she made around the stone and in four tours, she turned up nothing. Surely it wasn't impossible. No! Of course not! She was Betty, named Behemoth by Mother, and no stupid rock would be her end!
A scraping sound and a thump! drew her attention as a smaller rock dropped down next to her nemesis. She looked up at Mother, who had already turned back to the lake, and huffed. She didn't need the help. She could've gotten up herself.
Barely containing her excitement, she hopped up on the smaller rock, and secured her balance. With a mighty jump, she flew upwards and finally managed to get her forelimbs onto the top of the boulder. But her arms were short and lacked claws, while her body was heavy. She clawed furiously for purchase, slowly slipping downwards before finding a small outcropping. With all her strength, she pulled herself up to the top, ignoring the hand pushing on her bottom.
Finally, she stood atop her prey, victorious. Giving a roar of conquest, she surveyed her lands from her new height and saw nothing new. Eight feet higher she may have been, but the trees towered even higher. But that was fine.
She wasn't there for the view.
Taking a deep breath, she walked to the edge of the rock and savored the feeling. The anticipation of returning to her true environment. Every day spent on the ground was torture, every flight-prey that darted overhead an insult. Yet, in times like these, she got to experience her destiny.
She lept, arms out by her side. Wind blew past her as she was airborne, gravity finally bending to her will. Her heart soared even higher than her body as the feeling of weightlessness took her. This was where she belonged. This was her true nature. She flapped her forelimbs, imagining them to be mighty wings that dominated the very skies themselves. In her mind, she was already a Salamence, strong and fearsome, free to fly and fight and feed.
This was it. Her dream made manifest.
THUD!
Her skull cap impacted the ground and she was torn back to reality with heart wrenching speed. Once again her spirit dropped as her dream was revealed to be only that, a dream. Once again she was confronted with her own damnable limitations.
A hand on her head made her look up into Mother's smile. Mother nodded back to the rock, and Betty knew she was right. Her dream may have failed her that time, and may continue to do so for many days.
But the dream would be true. Betty would soar through a conquered world, Mother on her back, as all trembled in their wake.
She kicked the smaller rock out of the way, determinedly.
And it all started with the boulder.
