FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Things settled down a bit in the village after that. The challenges receded to a more manageable level as it sank in that Drez hadn't suddenly developed some weakness that could be exploited, although he still got snipes here and there from some of the Charmeleons over what had happened. He didn't react as strongly to it anymore, though, which sort of made it a less attractive slight. His days went back to more of the routine, a challenge here and there, someone wanting his dick, strutting his stuff with some rumble-seekers from the grasslands, and that was that.

Of course that wasn't that. That was just what he wanted everyone there to think.

His excuses were fairly simple. Exploring for good foraging spots. Wanting a brief break from arguments from some of his fellows. Just being bored. And, here and there, suggesting that he wanted to make sure there weren't other mons hanging around that could be a threat, like the Hydreigon. And as the strongest one in the village, who else would be better to be proactive about it? His excursions, coming every couple of days, most likely weren't getting totally ignored, but no one was calling him on them, and that was all that mattered at the moment. He left alone, away from the prying eyes of his comrades, and into the waiting arms of Villo, who was eager to greet him with a hug every time he came around now.

And if you saw him there, you'd never know it was the same Charmeleon that was regarded as the biggest, toughest, feistiest, rawest volcano of all the Charmeleons. A thought that was, slowly but surely, making him less and less nervous every time he thought about it.

Everything he did with Villo was cutesy and gentle. Flower crafts, like the wreaths but not limited to those; Drez didn't really know what to do to make them, but he helped get the flowers and played whatever role Villo needed him to. Herb hunting, finding different plants that Villo used to make teas and other drinks; Drez had needed some time, but he was getting better at identifying the herbs and telling them apart from the poisonous plants he definitely didn't want to touch. On some days Villo would give him massages, relaxing aching muscles and making him feel amazing; he'd offered to do the same, but Villo never seemed to need them, and he doubted his rough hands and claws were as effective anyway. On others they'd just lightly play around, doing some active but relaxed activities like throwing things around, along with some light teasing between them that Drez got more and more comfortable with, though he never was able to rein in the blush he got from compliments Villo gave him. Everything they did was out of his element, and yet it all made him unusually happy.

And more and more, he was realizing that a lot of it was Villo. He'd never met anyone like Villo before, so happy and peaceful, able to get along with everyone, there didn't seem to be any edge to him at all. Everyone seemed to think of him as a friend, and he was friendly to everyone, though there were a few he was closer to than others he was always so quick to give a warm smile to anyone, whether he knew them or not. It didn't really hit Drez how extreme this was until he saw Villo giving a friendly greeting and a head pat to a Seviper. Who gave a most pleasant smile back. That was when he truly realized how different, how special Villo was among Pokémon.

And he'd been captivated as well, without a doubt. The gentle Zangoose was what made everything he normally wouldn't have given a second thought feel so much better than what he normally did. Seeing that smile on his face did things to Drez's chest, his scent was so pleasing and alluring to the Charmeleon's nose, his voice lingered in Drez's ear and lightened his soul...Drez didn't really understand all these feelings, he didn't know what to make of them, all he knew was that he wanted to feel more of them. And that kept him coming back over and over, no matter what the risks were.

On this day, he was holding a wicker basket of berries as they walked back to Villo's den. The Zangoose had one too, though it was somewhat smaller; he couldn't usually carry the large one, but it was no problem for Drez, who had ample strength. They'd spent a good bit of time picking up nice, ripe berries, teasing each other and eating a couple of them along the way, and the Charmeleon was smiling so bright it might have turned his face into a new sun. And to think, he'd thought the idea of going out picking berries had always sounded so boring and dull...this had been an absolute joy, he wished he could have been out there longer.

Once inside Villo's den, Drez helped sort and organize the berries while Villo got to work with some of them, squeezing some of the juices into a larger stone bowl. This had been the goal of their harvest for the most part - Villo was making some fresh juices for himself and some friends. Drez had gotten a bit more familiar with Villo by now, enough to know that the Zangoose just loved making things for people to enjoy, but particularly drinks. He was only just getting into this side of things, but the couple of teas that Villo had made for him were simply divine, there was nothing that tasted like that in his village - their mildly sulfuric water was not exactly tasty, but it had a kick that was meant to show their toughness. He'd never minded that before, but he'd've taken the tea any day over it now.

Today, though, he also had something else on his mind, something that he'd been thinking about for a while. "Hey, Villo? If you don't mind me asking...how did you come here?"

"Hm?" Villo paused, looking back at Drez curiously. "You mean, to this area?"

"Yeah. I don't think I've seen any Zangoose living around here, otherwise it wouldn't seem so unusual. But you, uh, you don't strike me as the traveling type. So, I was curious...I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but..."

"Ah, no, it's okay. It's not the happiest story, but it's not, uh, it's not a really tragic one, either." Still, Villo dried his paws and the two sat down together, suggesting to Drez that there was definitely a bit of weight to it. "It's true, I'm not from around here, not really anywhere close by. I don't really know exactly where I was from, not from here...I had just sort of said farewell to my parents and I was looking to make a den of my own...and then I was captured. Caught in a Poké Ball, and taken somewhere I didn't know...then sent through a machine, to pop out somewhere I knew even less. And to a trainer who wanted me for...well, battle."

There was nothing Drez could imagine less than Villo in a fight. "That can't have been easy for you."

"It wasn't. He was...very cold, and very cruel. He didn't want to hear than I didn't want to fight. I never did like fighting...I mean, me myself, I don't...it's not so bad to see other mons battling, because it's usually not so serious and they're not out trying to hurt each other. But I never felt good about it...I never felt that urge to battle like other mons do, I guess, I hear them saying that if they don't battle now and then they start getting that itch, but I never did." Villo gave a slightly nervous giggle as he looked up at Drez awkwardly. "Though...I guess you probably can't relate."

"I dunno, I don't think I ever stopped battling long enough to find out," replied Drez, feeling the heat rise to his face. He'd just always fought, never really thought much of it...it was definitely unusual to hear of a mon who didn't want to battle ever, but he'd known enough of Villo to believe it entirely.

"My trainer thought I was soft. Thought he could break me out of that. He...he wanted me to fight, and not just fight, but hurt my opponents. Whether they were wild mons or trained, he wanted me to be savage, thinking that he could fire up some kind of...bloodlust or something in me if he just got me used to it." Villo sniffled a bit, and Drez put an arm around him in an effort to comfort him - something he'd picked up on, it seemed to make Villo feel better when he did that. "I couldn't do it, and every time I didn't, he got angrier at me...I was scared, so I ran away. I ran and ran and ran...I'm not sure he ever cared enough to try to follow me, but I didn't want to take the chance. I just kept going until I didn't feel afraid of him anymore...and it wasn't much farther before I found this place, and it felt nice. Happy, calm, quiet. And I guess it's a haven for mons who used to be trained, so there's other people here who can relate to me a little. I guess some of them are, uh, rowdier than others, but no one's tried to battle me..."

"Huh? Not even that Hydreigon?"

"...He was just a bully. Wanted to make me cry." Villo sniffled again. "But he left. I heard someone say he got embarrassed that you were able to make him back off. Not sure if that's the reason or not, but no one's seen him around, so I think he really did leave."

"Well, that's good to know." Yet Drez doubted he'd be passing that information along - not when it was his best excuse to get back out here. "I'm sorry that you had to go through those things...you're such a nice person, it seems so awful that someone would force that on you."

"Thanks...I guess it's just part of life, though. Not everyone's gonna be nice, and sometimes things happen than you aren't ready for...I'm glad I was able to find a place where I can be happy. And I met you, so it's definitely not all bad."

Drez flushed deeper. "Ah...th-thank you...I don't think I'm all that impressive, though..."

"Really? You always seem like you do...around them, anyway."

Drez caught himself, suddenly sweating as he realized how right Villo was. Yes, he always DID think that, put himself at the top of the village, held up his powerful reputation, boasted of his pride, his strength, his superiority. Why was it he dismissed all that when he was talking with Villo? Surely he didn't think that little of himself when he was with the Zangoose, did he? Or maybe...was he...putting Villo above him?

Villo giggled, booping his nose. "You're so cute when you get flustered, Drez."

"Ah...it's...not something that happens usually. It's just...you. Something...I don't really know what it is, I just feel weird inside. It's not a bad feeling, but it's...I don't know, it's not something I really ever feel, like ever, except when I'm around you."

"Oh? Hee hee...maybe it's love!"

Drez looked at Villo blankly. "Love?"

"Yes! It's a very special feeling that happens between Pokémon-"

"I-I know what love is!" Drez huffed a bit, the red deepening more and steam rising from his face as Villo got more giggles. "I just...I don't...I don't really know what it's supposed to feel like. It can't...can that really be it?"

"Well...I don't really know, either," admitted Villo. "But I feel some really nice feelings around you, too...I always have, a little, but they got stronger when you started spending more time with me. It could be that, maybe, but it could be something else I don't know. But...whatever it is, I'm glad I make you feel good."

"Er...yeah, I...I'm glad I make you feel good too, Villo." Drez pulled the Zangoose close and hugged him...it took a beat for Villo to return the embrace, perhaps a bit unexpected because it was the first time Drez had initiated contact like that. Villo was usually the one doing that...but, Drez felt like it felt right. He'd brought up some somewhat unpleasant memories for the Zangoose, he wanted to make him feel better. And he knew Villo liked hugs, so...that just seemed natural.

"Thank you, Drez..." The two pulled apart, but they both were wearing contented smiles again. "Should we get back to the juicing?"

"Yeah. I kinda wanna watch, too."

"Oh, sure! I'd be happy to show you!" Villo eagerly popped up and brought him over, and Drez spent the next bit of time, he wasn't sure how long since it was easy to lose track, watching what he was doing and even trying a bit of it himself. Sure, he was a bit awkward and clumsy at it, but...he felt happy while he was trying it. And he felt happy sharing the moment with Villo.

I don't know if this is love...but whether it is or not, I like it.

---

And so things continued in that vein, for weeks. Drez would find excuses to go out and meet with Villo in secrecy, while doing his best to maintain the semblance of normalcy when he was in his village. And while he was sure he was putting up a pretty good front, it didn't escape him that more and more he was focused on the times that he could get away and spend more time with the Zangoose. It started to dawn on him that in the village, he didn't really DO anything - beyond fighting and fucking and shooting the shit with others, there just wasn't really much of anything to do. He didn't really have any hobbies or anything, none of them really did, not that they really cared about, so there wasn't that much to fill the time when he wasn't dealing with challenges or getting serviced.

The former of which was starting to become annoyingly prevalent again.

"C'mon. Fight me, you wuss."

"Pacon, I've dueled you three times in four days. Fuck off already."

"Hey, I won the first of those three!"

"Barely. And I won the next two. And the fifteen before that. When are you gonna wake up and realize that you're not getting the better of me?"

Pacon snorted grouchily. "C'mon! What the hell else are you going to do? Don't tell me you're gonna go walking off on the other side again! You're always doing that these days!"

"I'm not 'always' doing that, clearly, since you keep having opportunities to bother me. And I can do whatever the hell I want to do, and I don't need your permission."

"You're spending an awful lot of time over there, to be sure." Drez groaned a bit, hearing Greton's voice behind him. Sure enough, he was walking up with Nino. The three of them seemed to love trying to badger him as a group these days, it was getting irritating. "I don't think it's unusual to be suspicious of that."

"I don't harass you about what you guys do, why're you so obsessed with doing that to me? You want me getting all up in your business constantly, bothering you about what you're doing?"

"I think I know what he's doing over there," snickered Nino. "He's probably going to frolic around with that pansy Zangoose."

Drez rolled his eyes - maybe a bit exaggerated, but it was better than erupting defensively, which would very easily give things away. "I've been up front about what I'm doing over there. I'm trying to protect our village. You never know when that Hydreigon might get feisty again."

"Is that so?" replied Greton, in a tone that Drez immediately didn't like. "Interesting. Because I've heard that that Hydreigon is long gone."

"...What would make you think that?"

"The foragers have talked to some of the mons around there about it. Funny that you couldn't seem to come up with that simple method of gathering information."

"I don't have time to talk to people. I'm actually hunting around and keeping my eyes out! Even if the Hydreigon might be gone, I've seen some mons that could be trouble hanging around here and there!"

"Yeah? Name one." Nino grinned as Drez cursed inwardly. He should've known they'd push the issue eventually...he didn't exactly have a great response at the ready, but he managed to scramble his wits to come up with something.

"An Aggron that moved in recently. I've seen him stomping around in the more hilly areas. He's, uh, he was apparently released by a pretty high-level trainer for having attitude problems...and to hear them say it, he's got a real fuckin' chip on his shoulder, and a pretty big hate-on for Fire-types because he was replaced by one."

"Oh, sure, right." Nino didn't sound like he believed it. It wasn't exactly untrue, an unruly Aggron HAD moved in over there and HAD been rumored to have an intense dislike for Fire-types, but there was no indication yet that he had any interest in causing any trouble for anyone. "And we're just supposed to take you at your word?"

"Well, you're welcome to go hunting him down yourself. You wanna face up against eight hundred pounds of angry fuckin' mountain? All on your own? 'Cuz I sure as hell ain't gonna rile him up and make myself a target. I'll take him on if I have to, but if I don't, that would be stupid. He wouldn't just stop at giving me a headache. That's why I'm trying to make sure I know what we have to worry about beforehand."

"You're just trying to avoid getting your ass kicked by me," groused Pacon.

"You should be thanking me, bitch, people are starting to laugh at you for how often you get thumped by me. Maybe you win one here and there but you're about to beat Nino for most times anyone's lost to me." Drez started walking off, not wanting to be prodded any more. "You three really should spend more time on your own shit. I know I'm a whole lotta 'meleon, but you don't HAVE to be obsessed with me. You'll live if you start trying to actually work on your weaknesses rather than getting pissy over me not involving you in every single second of my life."

"Try not to fuck your little flower boy too hard!" Nino hissed after him. "If you're not the one taking it, that is!"

Drez just raised the finger up behind him, not even looking back.

---

He was trying not to let it bug him. But it was clearly affecting him during his help with herb harvesting, and even Villo could tell. "Are they making things difficult for you again?"

"It's just a few of them. They're just really persistent." Drez sighed as he leaned down to examine a plant, then pulled back as he recognized signs that it was toxic. "I think they're just trying to make themselves look better at my expense. They don't like that I'm coming over here so much, and I think they might try to use that against me to make me look bad."

"Oh...is it a problem that you're over here?"

"It shouldn't be. Other Chars come over here too, no one's ever gotten on their case over it. But these guys..." Drez shook his head. "They just...they won't let it go. They want to take me down. I don't think they like that I'm so well-regarded in the village. So they want to try to make a whole story out of me going over here, rather than accept what I tell them."

"Do you..." Villo paused. "Do you tell them you're coming to see me?"

Drez was dreading that question. He didn't want to lie to Villo, nor did he want the Zangoose to feel like he was ashamed of being around him. It was bound to come up sometime, though...he'd been trying to go over an answer in his head, hoping that it would come off how he wanted it to. "I don't tell them about you. I...honestly worry that they might treat you poorly. They...they don't really think very highly of people who are...gentle, like you are. And I'm worried that that bunch, if they thought they could get at me through you...I don't think that they'd think twice about it. And I don't want to put you in that kind of danger."

The Zangoose's ears drooped a bit. "But...that means I might be putting you in danger as well..."

"Don't worry about me, Villo. I can handle them. They're pests, but that's all they are to me. Only one of them can actually even rarely beat me, and they're getting their own less-than-great reputation for how they're acting. I just want to be sure that I can keep you safe while also getting to enjoy being around you."

"I understand." Villo walked over and put a hand on Drez's arm, smiling but also looking a bit down. "But I worry about you...I know you're so big and strong, but even big and strong people can be hurt..."

Drez patted Villo, then drew him into a hug. "Thank you, Villo...I'll be careful. I don't want anyone to hurt you, and if hurting me would hurt you, then I'll just have to make sure they don't hurt me, either."

"Mmm...okay, I trust you, Drez." Villo hummed happily, then looked up at Drez. "You're so comfy...I love how warm you are."

Warm. That word. From any of his compatriots, he would nearly exploded at them, made them pay for it. But...from Villo, that word was so graceful, so kind, so complimentary...funny how the same word could seem so much better from one mouth than another. "And I love how fuzzy you are. Though I don't envy all the work it must take to keep your fur nice."

"Aww..." Villo blushed, turning away slightly as he made to look like he was gathering more herbs. "It's not really that nice. It's a lot harder to keep groomed out in the wild...I just do what I can with it."

"One advantage of scales, I guess. Easy to wipe just about anything off, nothing gets stuck to you, nothing really gets mussed up or anything. Though it's a lot less insulation...doesn't really matter so much for us, but non-Fire-types don't have the same natural resistance to the elements. Sucks to be them, I guess."

"Ah! Hee hee, that's kinda mean!"

"Oh, I can be a lot meaner," Drez teased, sticking his tongue out at the Zangoose. He was about to follow that up with something, but was interrupted by a thick drop of water splashing on his snout. "Uh?" He glanced up, and his stomach lurched a bit - the clouds overhead were frighteningly dark and he could see flashes even through the trees.

"Ah! That looks like a big storm!" Villo had noticed, too, and was looking nervous. "Ah...one element my fur doesn't like is the water..."

"Same with my scales...shit, there's no way I'm gonna be able to outrun this back to home."

"You can stay in my den! It'll be dry!"

Drez hesitated only a moment. There was no telling when the rain would subside...he might be spending the night there, something he hadn't done before. There would no doubt be chatter back at the village about his extended absence, and he wouldn't be able to quell much of that - had he been doing what he said he was doing, he would have noticed the clouds and hightailed it back well before anything came of it. But it wasn't really a difficult decision - he had either a long trudge back in heavy rain or a dry refuge with someone he cared for deeply. "Okay. Let's hurry, I don't think it'll be long!"

Villo nodded, and they took hands and hurried with their limited herb bounty back towards Villo's den, the sound of the rain starting to plap down on the trees much harder. And the deep and loud rumbles of thunder were making clear how lucky they were they caught on when they did, because it was going to be a wild one...