FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Guardian Without Direction Chapter 3: Wednesday Madness

Wet.

The first rational thought that came to my mind. I was feeling wet.

I couldn't really see or hear anything.

All I could feel besides the wetness on my face was a dull, throbbing pain in the back of my head.

Guess I must have passed out.

Slowly, my brain seemed to collect the scattered fragments of my consciousness, stitching them together again.

Wet.

That thought again. Why did I felt wet?

Am I going crazy?

It seemed that my brain had begun to restore some his functionality, because I suddenly remembered why I had passed out in the first place.

It all came back to me like some bad movie you are forced to watch in a fast-forwarding pace.

My walk to the Bus Stop,

the Commercial District,

the pack of wild Pokemon...

...And the Typhlosion.

It was, as if something had just clicked in my head. I remembered everything!

This probably is not the time to be lying around. Right now I need to get up as fast as I can! I thought to myself. But I could already feel myself slipping away gain, fading into a surprisingly pleasant nothingness...

Wet.

Either, my dazed is mind is just going crazy at the moment, or someone was doing something to my face.

I also noticed, that this someone was smelling like an overfilled garbage can.

Wait...

What?!

I abruptly opened my eyes, only to be greeted by a pink, saliva coated monster tongue that was assaulting my lower face with a barrage of wet, sloppy licks. The smell of garbage that I recognized before, only continued to grew in intensity.

The sloppy sound the Pokemon's tongue made as it came into contact with my skin was echoing in the street around me, was making me cringe in disgust.

Then the licking stopped. I suppose that someone had realized that my consciousness had been returned.

Slowly, I moved my eyes upwards, stopping as I met the face of my sloppy attacker.

The slightly open jaw I saw belonged, like I feard, the very Typhlosion that I practically „saved" from a pack of hungry street Pokemon.

I continued to look upwards. Nearly Ignoring the row of sharp, jagged, white teeth in front of my nose in the process. My eyes came to a stop as our stares met one another. I was looking right in his mesmerizing eyes...

...and he was looking in mine,

literally.

He had small, black pupils that were typical for his species. His large iris was giving a fiery warm, yet also soothing and calming aura. He also bore a strained appearance. The small bags under his eyes indicated that he had been sleep deprived for some time now.

I doubted that my eyes would look any better at the moment. Given that I had hardly slept in the past twenty four hours.

Nevertheless. It didn't look like the Typhlosion was going to attack me, which was giving my mind his much needed relief.

I relaxed myself on the floor and took a deep breath of fresh air. Filling my lungs to his fullest while tying to calm my racing heart.

Silence.

Neither of us made a sound for what felt like minutes to me. It seems that a look really can say more than a thousand words. I took my time to loose myself in his mesmerizing eyes. At the same time, my heart began to grow heavy with remorse for letting the situation escalating to such a degree. Especially since this ragged Typhlosion had the saddest eyes that I had seen in a long time.

I need to break this bloody silence.

„Well... um.. you kind of smell,... like a trash can."I uttered

Way to go moron!

My mind practically facepalmed.

The Typhlosion first made a perplexed look. Then silently closed its muzzle, turned his head and silently sniffed at himself, as if to verify my statement.

After flaring his nostrils a few times, he winced and shaked his head. It looked almost as if he was trying to get rid of the smell in his nostrils.

With an almost apologetic look on his face, he finally broke the silence and answered.

„I am sorry, I guess?"

Silence. Again.

He began to sulk. I wasn't expecting that.

„I believe a person like you should be able to empathize with my current predicament.

As you can probably imagine, finding a proper hygienic facility in this very area is not an easy task. And I have searched for quite some time now, that much I can assure you!"

To say that I was surprised by the language ability he seemed to possess would be an understatement. I've had seen a good deal of Pokemon with the ability to talk. But never had I witnessed a talent like that before.

The minds of Pokemon normally work in very different ways than those of humans.

That means, that even if a Pokemon can fully master the human language, speaking with a pokemon is usually nothing more than a simple exchange of the „want's and need's" between the talking Pokemon and its human partner.

I recoiled. Trying to find a suitable reply.

"I am sorry. I didn't meant to embarrass you, for I am not used to talking Pokemon" I simply lied. „Let's start all over again. My name is Alexander, or Alex, if you prefer."

While I was giving him my hasty introduction, I tried to get up from the pavement I was still resting on, as well as freeing my cheeks, mouth and nose from the remains of his salvia. By the time I was getting on my knees, my lower back suddenly decided to tell me that it wouldn't take my abuse of him any longer. Giving me the most annoying flares of back pain I had for quite some time.

The Typhlosion, seeing my demise. Came closer to me and presented his left shoulder to me while standing on all of his legs. Immediately I began to abuse his shoulder as a support to get myself up agian. While I was half standing, half leaning onto the furry, funny smelling shoulder, straining by back with the aim of poping the joints of my lower spine back into their original position, my furred damsel in distress began to introduce himself.

„Your back does not look very well to me. I am certain use a warm compress could help.

Anyways, my name is Cyn. Number One Resort Staff Pokemon. Happy to please you."

I could swear the last part of his introduction had an almost melancholic undertone.

He continued: „Thank you for saving me from those pesky creatures. It seemed that I was crossing their domain without permission."

Did he just call his attackers pesky creatures?!

I let go of his shoulder and stretched myself and Cyn lowered his shoulder again. His scapular bone was still at the height of my hip. I was again how large the Typhlosion was, compared to other Pokemon of his species. Maybe he was a new sort of breed?

Tearing my glance away from Cyn, I took a look at my wristwatch, groaning after seeing the position the clock hands had already moved to. It was past midnight.

Wednesday was normally the only day of the week, were neither a boring lecture, nor my shitty paid job would make me force to leave my home. My only day off.

My mind was already working on finding the fastest way home.

By making a fast pace, I could be at home in twenty minutes, if I don't run into another bloody Pokemon adventure.

Then, there was Cyn.

I couldn't bring myself to let that strange, domesticated Pokemon die and rot on these decaying streets. His behavior clearly showed, that the chances of him surviving on his own in the old streets of the Goldenroad Commercial District are just a few single digits above zero.

Furthermore, his breed had aroused my interest.

He was clearly used as a staff Pokemon. That much I could tell from the ragged, skirt adored, silly looking staff dress he was wearing. His build however, inclined that he was clearly breed for battle. Even trough his backside and his belly still looked like they could loose some pounds (to put it nicely), his size and wide frame alone made him look like a battle hungry Pokemon.

I wanted answers.

Time to come up with a plan how to lure Cyn with me!

Hmm,... lets see if I can carefully persuade him to come along with me.

„Hey Cyn. Say, do you want to follow me home?" I blankly asked.

Cyn looked at me. I could practically hear the gears grinding in his head.

„At First I thought it was over for me, you know. Surrounded by those creatures, no way to run... Then, you suddenly came around and saved me, just like that! I've never met a person as nice and brave as you. So, yeah. I'm in. Show me the way" He replied with a smile on his face.

I blushed at his comment. It would probably be better to tell him that I am actually not a very brave person after all. Or even a nice one, for that matter.

Time to head home, followed by my new companion

---

Following the decaying main street, Cyn and I quickly left the commercial district without further incidents. I had thanked Arceus that the streets where completely devoid of life. If someone had seen me walking home with a crossdressed Typhlosion at my side, me and my companion would have been the top topic for gossip in south-eastern Goldenroad for weeks to come.

In the better illuminated areas of south eastern Goldenroad City, I could made out some additional details regarding Cyn and the attire he was wearing, which I had failed to perceive in the dark streets of the Commercial District.

For example, the logo that adored back of his washed out uniform was a rose-colored red star with round with five round edges. It was surrounded by a writing that bore the same friendly color then the star shaped logo. Even trough the text was had to decipher, considering the state his dress was in, I was able to read the bold printed words aht the bottom of the logo.

„Lake Star Retirement Resort".

Cyn must had worked there.

What kind of moronic manager would choose a __n intimidating looking Typhlosion_ like Cyn_ to work a __s s_ taff Pokemon_ for his Retirement resort _?_ The only job_ that I could imagine him doing_ there would be givingout heart attacks to elderly people.

The other detail I noticed was Cyn itself. Or rather, his changed behavior. Since I told him to follow me, he had changed his rather depressed looking expression into a more cheerful one. Sometimes he was even skipping his steps and cooing happily. I assumed that he was far more desperate for my human companionship than I was for his.

He is a domesticated staff Pokemon, after all.

We walked in silence. Me, because I was lazily studying the Cyn`s features. And Cyn because... well,... he looked like he had completely zoomed out. Maybe he was already imagine himself in a nice shower or something? But I just was to tired to care about things like that at this point. I just wanted this longer-than-necessary-day to finally end.

Cyn and me were finally approaching the building where I currently residing in. The medium sized, six story tall building had been build just over two decades ago. And in addition to that, it had received a complete overhaul just a few years back, making the modern looking house-front stand out in the rows of the other, not so well maintained, half empty buildings along the rest of the street.

The Building was originally designed with the special needs of disabled and retired people in mind. The entrance area was wide hallway and supported an elevator for people that were either tied to a wheelchair, or had other issues that prevented them from using the stairs.

Sadly, the elevator itself had been out of order since I moved in here a few years ago. But considering the facts, that the rent here is laughable cheap and that I have the whole second floor in this near modern building to myself, I have no problems in sticking to stair climbing.

Finally reaching the second floor, I took the left most apartment door, swiped my keycard trough the electric lock and opened the door.

I was immediately greeted with the smell of unclean dishes and dirty laundry. In favor of disabled people, the apartment was lacking a foyer, thus giving Cyn a wide view of my unkempt single household I was living in.

the spacious living room was sparsely furnished. A Cheap looking couch, adored with a cheap looking coffee table, where my leaning tower of piled laundry currently resided, was placed in front of a small, old looking TV in the middle of the room. A small kitchen, some chairs and a small, but overfilled bookshelf was also present in the corners of my livingroom.

While I undressed myself from my streetwear, I watched Cyn from the corner of my eyes as he was exploring my apartment. Taking notice of my laundry pile, he took a few careful sniffs before looking at me with a small frown.

„Your clothes smell worse than me." He stated, turning his head back to me, making a sour face „And you compared me to a trash can. This pile reeks as if it was lying here for a week!"

I chuckled.

If he only knew that it was „weeks", instead of „week".

Cyn continued to make similar remarks to the piling dishes in the kitchen, the dirty coffee table, the unkempt floor and of course, he was also displeased to spot thick layers of dust on all the surfaces I hadn't used in a while. Which were quite a lot.

I suddenly felt like a child whose mother complained about the chaos he made in his room.

Feigning a guilty look, I told Cyn that I was going to take care of the mess tomorrow. That seemed to do the trick and Cyn finally stopped act like my mother.

As if I am going to waste my only day off tomorrow by cleaning my apartment! What kind of Wednesday Madness would that be?

Looking back at my still skirt wearing guest, i remembered the reason I brought him with me.

„I know it is late. But I think i would be unwise for both of us if you were to sleep in your ragged uniform. Smelling like trash and dirt." I said to him.

„Of course I mean no offense by that" I quickly added.

„None taken." Cyn said while sniffing on himself again. „Guess you are right. Do you have a cleaning facility I could use?"

I frowned.

Did that Pokemon just proposed to clean himself in a human bathroom? All by himself?

That Typhlosion was starting to look more and more like a person to me. In a way. Cyn was the most bizarre Pokemon I had ever laid my eyes on. Typhlosion are usually known to be one of the more aggressive and hostile Pokemon species. Even trough their pre-evolution, Cyndaquil, is one of the most picked starter Pokemon by young trainers, a fully grown Typhlosion is rarely seen in higher ranked Pokemon battles.

The aggressive temperament that a Typhlosion holds, tends to make it sometimes deaf for battle orders.

The possible risk of loosing the control of your own pokemon during a critical battle is enough to discourage most of the ace- and veteran- trainers from using a Typhlosion.

And don't even let me get started about the challenge of successfully breeding battle experienced Typhlosion. I have seen my fair share of breeders and Pokemon caretakers receiving scorched eyebrows and small degree burns in the process of ensuring a successful mating on my fathers ranch.

Cyn is unique in every way imaginable. I wonder why he was dumped.

„Excuse me?" I heard a voice. It was Cyn`s voice.

„Like I said before, do you have a cleaning facility I could use?"

Seems that I had zoomed out. Recollecting myself, I came up with a witty plan to study his body in detail.

„I do have a bathroom, yes. But it is intended to be used by humans, not by Pokemon." I replied. „So I suppose I have to clean you. While I am on it, I might as well can take a closer look at your body. I mean, for.. ahem... finding possible injuries, infections or parasites." I finished.

Close call.

Cyn looked at me a large smile formed on his muzzle. „ I appreciate your offer. I really do. This is more than I had hoped for. I just can`t wait to be clean again. Tyyyyph..." He nearly squealed at me.

It Seems to me that he is finally coming out of his character. Good. The opportunist in me delightfully noted.

Maybe now is the best of chances to find out who and what you are, Cyn. And I wonder how many more surprises you are still holding up your sleeve.

It was time for some severe late night clean-up.