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Chapter 4 - The Way It Fell Apart

"It should be coming up shortly..." the Breloom said aloud over his shoulder. Samantha groaned inwardly.....that was the fifth time he had something like that since they had started their travel, and yet they were still walking fast towards Arceus knows where. She had been quiet for most of the journey, only letting out a few irritated sighs or the occasional chuckle when she stepped through tall grass that tickled her underbelly. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if what little satisfaction she had gained from those berries hadn't worn off, leaving her stomach to remind her of her hunger every few moments. She desperately needed something to distract her from her discomfort, so after debating it inside her head for a moment, she cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Breloom? Or...I'm sorry, what's your name again?" Samantha asked, having forgotten it from earlier.

"Flowen." he said. "My name's Flowen."

"Flowen." she repeated, letting it roll off her tongue. "Huh, that's a...that's unique."

Flowen snorted. "Yeah, and little else. It's supposed to be a combination of flower and Owen, or something like that. Don't really know what my trainer was thinking behind that; I don't even know what an Owen is." the Breloom explained.

"Wait, you have a trainer?" Samantha said, surprised at this revelation.

"Used to." Flowen corrected. "We had a falling out a couple years ago."

"Why?" Samantha asked, curious about his story.

Flowen abruptly stopped walking, causing Samantha to bump against his backside. He was quiet for a moment, looking over his shoulder at the Bulbasaur before letting out a deep breath. "I'd...really rather not talk about it." he said.

"It's alright." Samantha said.

Flowen started walking again, and there was an awkward silence between the two. Then Samantha's stomach growled again, and she blushed as the Breloom pointed his flashlight behind her, a scared look on his face as he looked for where the growl had come from.

"Sorry, that's just my stomach." she said, embarrassed.

"Oh...ok..." he said, turning back around and continuing his walk. Samantha heard him mutter "Scared me half to death" under his breath, but she decided not to press him on it.

A few moments passed where neither said anything to the other. Then Samantha's stomach rumbled quietly, reminding her of why she had wanted to talk in the first place. "So, how much farther is this place?" she asked.

"We should be hitting it any minute now. Sorry, I didn't think it'd be this far." he said. Then he peered into the darkness, and Samantha saw his head jerk back. "Oh wait, I see it!" he said, running ahead. Samantha gasped and ran after him. It didn't take long before she entered a clearing, where the Breloom stood...in front of a extremely large boulder, which stood almost as tall at the trees.

"Hah, I knew I'd find it eventually!" he said, looking quite proud of himself. "Home sweet home." He turned to the Bulbasuar behind him, who was staring at the boulder with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "What do you think?" he asked, planting his pincers at his sides, chest puffed out.

"Um...well, it's a...big rock." Samantha said, more than a little disappointedly. The Breloom's shoulders drooped...then he suddenly rolled his eyes and smacked himself on the head.

"Silly me, I'm showing you the wrong angle." he said. Then he signaled for her to follow him, and Samantha saw it; a large opening burrowed into the side of the rock, a couple feet in height and about the same in width. Flowen shined his flashlight into it, showing that it was a few feet deep.

"Are you sure it's safe to be in there?" Samantha said, nervous from just looking at the small cave.

"Don't worry." Flowen reassured her. He went over and tapped the boulder with his claws. "This things stabler than a Blaziken's sex life."

Samantha paused at the strange analogy the Breloom had made, but nonetheless didn't say anything as he walked inside and set his satchel down, rubbing his aching shoulder. He turned to see her still standing outside, wary of the boulder.

"I promise, I've been in this thing for months now." he said. "Come on in."

Samantha slowly walked inside, eventually setting down across from Flowen. At first, she leaned back against the wall, but found that it simply wasn't comfortable due to the bulb on her back preventing her from bending as far as she wanted to. She gave up trying to after a moment and settled for laying on her front, with her tired legs tucked underneath her. It was surprisingly comfortable, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she grimaced as hunger ran through her again, her stomach's growl echoing off the walls.

"Oh, wait." Flowen said, getting up from his spot. He got his flashlight and pointed it all around the cave. "Should be around here somewhere...ah, here it is!" he said, pulling a rock aside and revealing a smaller hole. He reached inside with his claw and, after searching for a moment, pulled out a bag of food. He tore it open and gave it to Samantha, who took it gratefully and settled it open in front of her, that way she could bend down and eat it. Her paws certainly weren't made for grabbing, so she figured this to be the best way.

"Thanks." she said.

"No problem." Flowen said, sitting down next to her. He watched her eat quietly, occasionally looking around the cave to not seem like he was focusing on her entirely, not that it mattered so much, since it was pretty dark inside the cave. It was quiet for awhile, with the only sound being crickets chirping outside and Samantha's munching. The Breloom leaned back against the cave, finally relaxing now that he was back home.

Some time passed before Samantha finished eating, and she laid the bag aside, her stomach finally satisfied. She sighed in contentment and laid upon the soft dirt, tucking her limbs underneath herself before closing her eyes and settling down to sleep.

...

"Should I ask or should you?"

"I'm not asking anything."

"Oh, come on, you're in the zone! She totally wants you."

"Shut up, she's done nothing to indicate that."

"You shut up."

"No, you."

Samantha awakened to the sound of the Breloom's voice going up and down in pitch, almost as if he was arguing with himself. She opened one eye a little, trying to remain still and discreet. Though her vision remained blurry with how little she had opened her eye, she could see that Flowen was still sitting across from her, looking awkward and rubbing the back of his head nervously. His eyes were closed, and he was facing down towards the ground.

"Look, either I ask or you do, simple as that."

"How about we don't ask at all?"

"Pfft, are you seriously that much of a coward?"

"No, I'm just tactful."

"Ha! Don't make me laugh."

"Who are you talking to?" a soft voice called out.

Flowen's eyes shot open at this unexpected question, and he laid them on Samantha, who was now wide awake and looking at him. He stared at her, unsure of what to say.

"Well, I...er...I wasn't..."

"Yes you were." Samantha said, a little accusingly. She frowned and stood up, taking a step towards him. "Just tell me."

"I...I..." Flowen said, sighing and rubbing his face with his pincer for a moment before continuing. "...look, I talk to myself sometimes, ok?"

Samantha stared at him, cocking her head confusedly. "Why?" she asked.

"It's just a habit that I developed." he explained, cheeks turning a little red. "I know, it's unhealthy and you probably think I'm crazy now, don't you?"

Samantha paused, then shook her head. Now it was Flowen's turn to look confused as he watched her smile.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" he asked.

"Not in the slightest." Samantha answered.

The Breloom was quite taken aback by her answer, and he coughed embarrassedly, looking as though he wanted nothing more than to burrow into the ground and plant himself there. Samantha chuckled and walked over to him, settling down beside him.

"What happened to bring this up? You get a little lonely?" she asked teasingly.

"Yeah." the Breloom replied rather bluntly.

Samantha did a small gasp, then gave a small expression of sympathy. Her first instinct was to hug him, but she didn't know how to in her Pokemon body. So instead, she dug her head underneath his arm so it went around her neck. It felt like the most natural thing to do.

Flowen's eyes widened at her action, and he grinned appreciatively. He stroked the top of the Bulbasaur's head, careful not to let the tip of his pincer touch her. Samantha jumped a little at the unfamiliar sensation at first, but then she purred as his soft touch went over her head and down her neck. She didn't know that running something hard down her scalp could feel so good. His pincer stopped as it reached the bulb on her back, and Flowen cursed inwardly at this small obstacle for stopping him from going as far as he had wanted to. He brought his arm back around, petting the dinosaur gently again and again, while Samantha closed her eyes and enjoyed it.

It was quite a bit of time before either of them said anything, and it probably would have gone longer had it not been for the sun rising up enough to start shining into the cave a little. It barely reached up to Samantha, who was closer to the entrance than Flowen, but as soon as she felt the rays of light touching her bulb, she suddenly felt better than ever. She stood up without warning and headed outside, letting the sun hit her full on. She breathed deeply, feeling her heart beating faster, and she could also feel her bulb opening up slightly to get more of the sun. It was invigorating, being in the sun.

Meanwhile, Flowen watched her from the cave, eying the female Pokemon with renewed interest. He didn't need to see her face to tell that she was loving the sunlight, which was understandable; tired grass Pokemon were always more appreciative of a good batch of sun than anyone else. But it was Samantha's rump that caught his eye. He had a full view of it from where he was sitting, and damn it to Arceus if that Bulbasaur didn't have an enticing figure. His eyes traveled all the way from her pulsing bulb to her small tail to the tiny untouched slit between her legs, which was barely visible if not for the slight tinge of pink that stood out from the rest of her green body. His pincers clicked hard together, feeling a little jealous at the thought of someone else having already taken her as theirs.

Samantha felt a pair of eyes on her, and she turned her head slightly to see Flowen staring at her, a strange look on his face. It didn't take her long to realize that it was the same look Bulbasaur used to give her when she thought he wasn't looking...although she had been human at the time, and as a Pokemon, she now felt rather vulnerable knowing that Breloom could see everything she had to offer.

Samantha sighed as she was again reminded that her friend was still out there. Unlike before, when she had been practically panicking at the thought of what had happened to him, she was smart enough to know that only two things were possible. Either he was dead, and they would find a corpse, or he was alive, but Arceus knows where. She had no idea how far the river went, or even if Bulbasaur had managed to find a way out and was now looking for her.

"Everything ok?" a voice said, and Samantha was torn from her thoughts as she looked up at Flowen, who was now standing next to her, looking concerned. "You looked a little put out for a minute there." He raised an eyebrow. "Is it your mate?"

Samantha smiled at the Breloom's correct guess, and she nodded. Flowen returned her look of sympathy from earlier, and patted her on the head. "It's alright, I'm sure he's fine. Any male worth his balls would fight to stay alive for you." he said. Samantha blushed a little at his words.

"Thanks. No one's ever told me that before." she said, looking up at the Breloom. It hadn't hit her before just how strange it was to have to look up at everything now, being so small. It made her like everything was towering over her, but it was hard to feel scared when she had the two things that comforted her most; the sun and Flowen.

"So...what happened?" Flowen suddenly asked. "How'd you two get separated?"

Samantha froze. She hadn't for him to ask that so soon, and she considered telling him she'd prefer not to talk about it. But one look at his curious face convinced her that he genuinely cared about her story, and she mulled over where to begin.

"Um...I have something I should tell you first." Samantha said, her throat feeling a little dry.

"What is it?" Flowen asked.

Samantha took a deep breath. "I...wasn't always a Bulbasaur." she said.

Flowen cocked his head at her, looking even more confused than before. Samantha breathed again, her heart pounding in her chest.

"I was a human." she said. "A Pokemon trainer."

Flowen's eyes furrowed.

"I'm not lying." she said, sensing his disbelief.

"No no no, I...I believe you." Flowen said reassuredly, although everything about his body language told her that he, in fact, did not believe her.

"I swear I'm telling the truth." she said again. Flowen didn't answer, instead looking a little lost for words. Samantha turned towards him, trying to think of some way to prove her story. "Remember last night, when we met? That was the first time I had woken up like this." she explained. "That's why I was so out of it, and stumbling all over the place."

"But...then why were you so happy?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?" Samantha's asked back, unsure of what he was referring to,

"I remember you were all scared of me at first, then you were all 'I'm a Bulbasaur!'" he said, mimicking when she had hugged herself. "What's up with that? And how did it happen anyways?"

Samantha shook her head, realizing this wasn't going to be as simple as she had hoped. "I had actually wished for this." she said.

"Wished? What, you got ahold of Jirachi?" he said, looking a little impressed.

"No, it was a Ninetales." she said, a twinge of anger going through her at the thought of that stupid fox. Flowen gaped at her.

"Seriously? A Ninetales?" he said, looking completely dumbfounded. Then a look of realization came over him. "Let me guess, you grabbed his tail." he said, eye's drooping.

"Two of 'em." Samantha corrected. "One wish for each one grabbed, as far as I know."

Flowen sighed to himself. "That's not really how it works."

"Oh? Then explain it to me." she said, a little defensively.

"Relax, don't blame yourself. No one really knows how those tails work, but wishes?" He shook his head. "Not likely."

"But...but that's what I heard in the stories." Samantha stuttered, although she wasn't so sure now.

"Who told you these?" Flowen asked.

"My mom." she answered. Flowen scoffed and crossed his arms. "Dang humans." he muttered to himself.

"Hey, I was one!" Samantha yelled indignantly.

"Whoa, slow down! I wasn't referring to your mother, more like human culture in general." he said. Samantha humphed, still a little offended.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked.

"It's just..." he paused, trying to find the best way to explain it. "...sometimes they sugarcoat stuff that shouldn't be."

"Like what?"

"Like the tales of...well, Ninetales." he said. "We Pokemon know better than to go messing with those things. They're dangerous."

"Why?"

"I was getting to that." he said, more than a little flustered. "That's the thing, nobody really knows what they do." Flowen explained. "Most Pokemon don't stick around long enough to test it and say what happens, and those foxes certainly aren't telling anyone."

"But then...why did he grant my wish then? I wanted to be a Bulbasaur." Samantha said.

Flowen opened his mouth to answer, then he closed it and brought his pincer to his chin, thinking hard about that fact for a moment. "I don't know." he finally admitted. "I don't know why they would do that, especially after you grabbed two of their tails. One would piss them off just fine, but two? I would reckon you're kinda lucky to be here at all."

Samantha gulped, considering the Breloom's words. Then she jumped back in surprise as Flowen suddenly smacked himself across the face, leaving a large red mark across his cheek.

"Are you ok?" she said, following him back into the cave, where he dig through his satchel. "What'd you do that for?"

"I wanted to make sure I wasn't having a nightmare." he said bluntly, sounding disappointed that he wasn't. He pulled out a healing spray and put some on his cheek.

"Oh, so me having been a human is a nightmare." Samantha growled.

Flowen looked at her, rubbing the liquid on his face. "I didn't mean it that way." he said, trying to look ad sound reassuring. Samantha humphed, then turned and walked out of the cave, chin held high.

"Hey, come on, don't be like that!" Flowen said, running over and leaping in front of her. "I swear, it's just...I wasn't expecting something like this to crop up. Wouldn't you be a bit unsure if someone you knew came up and told you something like this?"

"You don't know me." Samantha muttered. "We barely met yesterday."

"I...ok, I'll admit that. We don't know each other that well." he said. "But we can, you know, talk and work this out."

"Work what out? Saying 'I'm a human and I'm looking for my friend' wasn't enough for you?" Samantha answered, walking past him. Flowen sighed behind her, then turned to face her.

"You know what? Go ahead and leave then!" he called out behind her. Samantha stopped in her tracks and turned around, shocked at what he had said. "You wanna be difficult?! Fine, go somewhere else. Here I am, letting you sleep in my house, trying to help you out make sense of your stupid decisions, but no. You just wanna be a total bitch."

"WHAT?!" Samantha screamed.

"You heard me." Flowen said, smiling at her reaction. Samantha gritted her teeth, wanting nothing more than to run back and rip the Breloom's mushroom right off his head. But she didn't for two reasons; one, she had never fought as a Bulbasaur before, and those pincers looked painful, and two, she had more important things to do than worry about him. So rather than respond, she just turned and continued on walking.

"Yeah, that's right. Keep on walking!" Flowen shouted behind her, but Samantha ignored him, which was much easier now that the distance between them was growing. She entered the dense forest, only pausing for a moment when she entered the shade and felt the comfort of the sun leave her, sending a chill down her back. But she got over it and persevered, leaving the Breloom behind her as she headed back off to search for Bulbasaur.

Flowen was proud of himself for having managed to send that stupid dinosaur away. He turned around to head back into the safety of his cave. As soon as reached the entrance though, he saw the empty bag that Samantha had eaten last night. He picked it up, opening it to see that it was licked clean. He looked over his shoulder at the forest she had disappeared into, and sighed. She would be fine on her own...right?

"She can take care of herself." he said, throwing the bag out of the cave and frowning. "I mean, if she really needed me, she would've come back."

"She is stubborn." he answered, and for the first time in his life, Flowen couldn't tell what he meant by something he himself had said.