FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ayame stood in front of her mirror while running a brush down her hair at 9 a.m. She couldn't keep her mind off of Friday. She'd be inducted by her father, its founder, into Unovanish in three days once she turned eighteen. It's a company that keeps Unova clean-- more so the streets of Castelia City, where she resided.

How is this done, however? To Ayame, in an inhumane manner. Her father signed a contract a decade ago with its mayor to establish headquarters and rid of wild pokémon occupying the massive metropolis they'd lived in for countless years. Ayame realized the pokémon got out of control prior to Unovanish when some began damaging property and stealing items, among other things, but the majority of pokémon co-existed. Not to mention the corruption and heartbreaking practices taking place the longer Unovanish stayed in power. With the majority of citizens standing with the company, they could get away with more without notice or significant pushback.

She set her brush down and heard a knock at her door. Ayame left the restroom and entered her room, jogging to her dresser to throw on a gray tee that matched her shorts. She lived at headquarters amid Castelia and had the best room in it. Her room consisted of a white canopy bed, a spacious walk-in closet, and a fancy TV hanging on her wall. She also had a mini-fridge and kitchen on her room's right side. Ayame knew she was spoiled, but she tried her hardest not to let it get to her head.

She walked to her door and looked through its hole. "Mhm." Ayame knew it was Katie. She opened it and went to the other side of the room to brush aside the transparent white curtains blocking her window. She lived on the fourth floor, so she got a decent view of the city.

Katie closed the door behind her and went to sit on the bed. She was in a white jacket and jeans. Katie usually sported urban wear while Ayame took a cute and casual approach. "Ready to start bagging pokémon?" Katie was typically fit, slim, although toned, while Ayame was thin but frailer in comparison.

Ayame rolled her eyes. Katie was never supposed to be involved in this line of work. Ayame's father told her she had to stop hanging around Katie at fifteen out of fear since Katie started getting curious about the side she felt Ayame hid from her.

Katie accidentally found out about Ayame's ties to Unovanish a year afterward when following her to headquarters because Ayame always wanted to walk home alone. The operation was a front. A high-class restaurant was present before the headquarters' lobby to shield its location from the general public, although Kado revealed Unovanish's location two years after founding it for transparency and when he felt it was safe to do so. Katie saw Ayame walk through the restaurant's kitchen one evening and was met with an ultimatum soon after. Katie could either work for Unovanish in secret-- contract and all or be silenced permanently. So, you know, it wasn't really an ultimatum.

Ayame turned around. "I guess." Katie had worked here for two years and was one of the only people allowed around Ayame by her father for safety reasons. Katie also had impressive results on the field. Ayame saw a rank-up coming her way soon enough.

"What? Nothing to be nervous about. You've spent years in training for this day."

"I'm not nervous." She went and sat beside her. "I'm hesitant, but it isn't up to me."

"What for? It's not like we murder em'." She lay back.

Ayame wasn't sure how to approach this. She couldn't be herself around Katie sometimes. "Just... How things are done now. The way we capture and how we send pokémon to other habitats or regions entirely. We tranq and separate them from their families with no care. It wasn't always run like this."

Katie eyed her, slightly smirking. "Soft..."

"What?"

"You're soft."

This was why she couldn't talk to Katie. Ayame shook her head and started getting up but felt Katie grab her wrist.

She sat up, her eyes holding regret. "...Sorry." Katie didn't realize it was affecting her so deeply. Ayame hadn't brought up this subject in such detail before. "But it's difficult for you to feel this way when so much is expected of you, you know?"

Ayame sat again. "Of course I do." She did have a sweet spot for pokémon. "The last straw was when we forced certain pokémon to work under us or else they were threatened to get sent to a region they'd never stepped foot in."

Katie kept silent. Ayame had a point, but this job paid well, and Katie tended to ignore its negative aspects. Maybe she shouldn't.

"Do you enjoy doing this?"

"I enjoy the money, and it's not like I have a choice. I barely talk to my parents now because of this." Katie stood from the bed and checked the white watch on her right wrist for the time. "Why don't we take a walk? This is depressing."

Ayame nodded. "Sure." She changed into a casual black skirt that cut off at her knees and put on black running shoes, following Katie out the door after grabbing her key off her dresser. The door locked automatically. Ayame stayed in room 420, a corner one. Nineteen more doors lined the marbled gray path west toward the elevator.

Katie went and looked over the railing down at the open lobby, busy with human and pokémon employees alike. Armed security wearing black outfits patrolled the perimeter in shifts. As it stood, pokémon weren't eligible to work security. There were three more floors with rooms beneath them and another four across from them on the north end. The lobby's design resembled that of an open mall. Unovanish worked at night, so everyone was dressed in their choice of clothing at the time. There was a specialized outfit every employee wore while on active duty.

She jogged and caught up with Ayame, who was halfway at the elevator.

"Where exactly are we going?" Ayame called the elevator via its button. Its walls were transparent.

"We could grab breakfast somewhere."

"That works."

They took the elevator and stepped into the lobby in less than a minute. The entrance to the restaurant's kitchen was ahead down a long flight of stairs.

"Feels freeing when I'm away," said Ayame while walking down the steps.

"Damn, might just want to ditch for your birthday, then."

She grinned. "And leave you? It's kind of my fault you're stuck here." Ayame opened the door to the kitchen and walked through the hot environment. The smell of cooking food reminded her she had an appetite.

Katie followed and took a side door to the left with her, which led to more stairs leading into a short and dark hall to not potentially alert dining customers of anyone going back and forth. During the night, employees tended to use more secretive exits. Though Unovanish's location was well known, employees still had to use safety measures so no one could scout exits. The restaurant closed at 7 p.m. to reduce traffic surrounding the area. "Running away does sound exhilarating, though."

"You're trouble, Katie." Ayame took more stairs up to the end of the hall and through another door locked from the outside requiring a four-digit code, stepping into an empty alley. It was closed in by walls on all sides, so no one walking by could see them exit initially. An employee had to slip past the northern wall into civilization. She looked up at what would be a sunny day if gray clouds weren't blocking a heavy amount of sunlight. Castelia was usually a bright and happy place.

They were encompassed by people, owned pokémon, shops, and skyscrapers in every direction once they exited the alley. Unovanish headquarters was in the midst of its central business district.

"This way." Katie grabbed her wrist and started south.

"Where to?" Ayame briefly stumbled against her pull and walked with her past a few crowds.

Katie grinned back at her. "I was thinking we could revisit some years ago. It's been a while, and it could take your mind off of Friday for a bit."

Ayame knew what she was referring to. They used to use Café Sonata as a hangout spot. It was one of Castelia's central cafés. "Hopefully."

--

"Two small coffees and two watmel muffins, please," Katie said to the employee behind the counter. She glanced to the left at Ayame sitting at a table to save a spot for them. Only a few tables were taken though. The café wasn't packed. Being here always calmed Katie, and with Ayame more so. The red carpeting and dim lighting made the environment feel cozy. She paid for their order and went to sit with Ayame. "Got us coffee and muffins."

"Thanks, I remember you used to get two just for you."

"Hey, I stopped eating more than I should years ago." Katie still felt terrible about her comment towards Ayame. "I know I said it already, but I'm really sorry I called you soft earlier. It was offensive, and I should try to see things from other people's views and not only mine... Especially my closest friend's."

"Yurusareta... Forgiven." Ayame grinned. Everyone has bad habits to work on.

A female employee brought their order on a tray just after that, which they thanked her for.

"You're growing up so fast. I can't believe you'll be eighteen." Katie smirked and took three sugar packets from the container on the table, tearing one open to sweeten her coffee. She handed Ayame one.

Ayame giggled and took it. "Shut up. You're only one year older than me."

"Really, though, like how's it gonna be a few years from now?" Katie took a sip of her coffee.

She shrugged. "We'll still be friends. That's what will matter most, right?"

"Mhm."