FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Today was just meant to be a day like any other. I hadn't planned to get a Pokegirl yet. Not that I didn't want one. Most Tamer's want to just rush out to get an Alpha. Not me. I was waiting for the right choice you see, my Alpha had to be special, should be special. But so should every Pokegirl. Not one of the local species. No, I had been waiting to visit the breeding Centre. Not the local one, the big one in Headland City. My sister got her Alpha there so it just seemed right. It's a long trip unless you go by train, only an hour station to station. Beats walking a six hour round trip. Never mind the Pokegirls along the routes. So I'd been doing part time jobs, saving up all my money for months. And a few more days I would have the cash for the ticket. And I couldn't wait for that day to get here.

But that day wasn't meant to be today. Really, it was nothing special at all. I was just gonna take a stroll down Route 65, stop into the PokeMart, pick up a few things for my sister. I don't get to see her often; her training journeys keep her away for long periods. And I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible before she left again. So while she took care of some errands she had to do, I agreed to pick up what she needed for her next journey. Pokeballs, Potions, antidotes, stuff like that. At least she gets a decent salary, more so than some Leagues. The Velvet League may be new but has some powerful backers behind it.

Right now, Melanie was just enjoying the walk along the route, not too worried about encountering wild Pokegirls. You don't find many, most of the local species staying contained to Meles Forest. Zubuts come down from Mount Crystal sometimes but they normally spook if they see a person. Same for Cunnydew and Catgirls that might stray from the forest. But they can be more flighty, pretty much fleeing as soon as they see a human or domesticate Pokegirl. Makes a good place to test QuickBalls I guess. Not that I have one. I have just one Pokeball, one my sister gave me. Not that I plan to use it. It had been a gift from her before she left after getting her Pokegirl Licence. Which made her something of a rarity. We don't get many Tamer's here. Which isn't surprising, Meles Town in pretty much out of the way. Think of the smallest town you know, then something smaller and then smaller again. But its home. It's my home. And I wouldn't have it any other way. And they pretty much will try to grab a Pokegirl as soon as they see one. So can you blame them for fleeing?

Melanie had just been enjoying the sun when a sound made her stop, a rustle in the under growth. It sounded bigger than the Pokegirls she usually heard whenever she startled one. It sounded bigger, the sound unmistakably like something or someone forcing their way through the undergrowth. Then the bushes burst open suddenly and a figure emerged. Melanie couldn't believe her eyes. It was a Pokegirl, a water type if she was any judge. Yes, a Swimslut. The fins on the ears are a dead giveaway. So too is her pink skin and blue hair. Either way, she isn't local to this area. And not a Tamer's either. At least, Melanie doesn't think so.

Wild maybe. But hurt most certainly. Melanie couldn't avoid seeing that, the Pokegirl sprawled on the river bank, her clothes soaked and clinging to her body, the plain black t-shirt and shorts cupping her hips and butt. And most likely doing the same to her chest. It looked like she had tried to crawl out, the grass crushed where she had scrabbled at it. Most likely before she collapsed. She was exhausted, her chest rising and falling with laboured breathing, her skin flushed with perspiration. She didn't even have the strength to raise her head to look at Melanie. If she even knew she was there.

Melanie suddenly had the Pokeball in her hand and instinct took over. She had thrown it before she could think. If she left her here, she might die. The shot was true; striking her softly, the red beam drew her into the ball. The two halves closed, the ball rocked once, twice, three times, and then fell still. Melanie risked a quick glance and grinned, more in bemused shock than satisfaction. She'd done it. She'd caught her first Pokegirl.

The shock of that quickly evaporated being replaced by an icy block in the pit of her stomach. Voices, she heard voices. Well, one voice. And something else pushing through the bushes again, getting closer rapidly.

'She must have gone this way. Come on. We can still catch her.'

'No,.I just did.' Melanie thought, eyeing the Pokeball. 'They must mean her.' It made sense. Well, some of it. Not who would be chasing her. Or why.

'Hey. You.' Melanie snapped back to now. A few feet away stood two men maybe around her age dressed in deep blue..well..jumpsuits. Complete with sturdy boots that ran high up the leg. Their faces were hidden by the hoods pulled up around over their heads, but Melanie didn't like the way they were looking at her.She didn't wait to hear them say anything else, she just turned and ran. Ran as fast as she could. Footsteps pounded behind her but she had the advantage. For now at least. Her body pumped with enough adrenaline to kick start a car. Or it felt like it.

Melanie had lost track of how long she had run, she just ploughed on, clearing through the bushes with long sweeps of her arms. The branches and thorns scratched and clung at her clothes, but she didn't stop. She couldn't, her entire focus on getting away. And the Pokeball clutched tightly in her hand. She just did what she could, her head-long dash having brought her out of the bushes into a close group of trees. She knew where she was now, Meles Forest. She used to come here all the time. Which gave her more options. Clichéd as it may be to say she knew this place like the back of her hand, it was also true.

She couldn't outrun them. Not forever. So she had to outthink them. Which meant she needed time to think. Hoping to get that, Melanie ducked down behind the closest tree, fighting to draw in a deep breath, her body tucked as small as possible. Now that she stopped she had some time to think. She didn't know why they were looking for the Pokegirl she had caught, just like she didn't know who they were. But she did know what she was going to do.

'I'm not going to let them take you.' Melanie whispered. It might seem odd to talk to a Pokeball, to a Pokegirl that might still be unconscious. It's not like she even knew if she could hear her. It just made her feel better to talk to someone. Made her feel less alone, less scared. She would have said more, but then she heard voices behind her again. And footfalls. They certainly aren't being subtle, the heavy boots trampled through the undergrowth, the sound reached her ears easily. Gingerly Melanie risked another look and her heart leapt into her throat.

She really didn't like what she saw. The two jump suited figures had become five, and they had been joined by a woman in a matching dress that flowed around her ankles with each step. At least they didn't seem to know where she was but she had a feeling they weren't just going to give up.

'You lost her.' The woman snapped, the edge in her tone audible even to Melanie. 'You know how important that Pokegirl is to us. If you don't get her back, you are finished with Team Jade. Do I make myself clear? Now..spread out and find her. Bring that girl to me.'

Melanie didn't like the sound of that, even as the other four figures vanished into the undergrowth. She had to get away, had to find somewhere to lie low. But panic and clear thinking don't go hand in hand. If she had looked where she was going, she might have avoided trouble, rather than running into it. But she didn't. She dodged around a tree and...whooff..all the air was driven from her lungs. It was like she had hit a brick wall. Which she almost had. The impact dumped her on the ground, her head spinning. But she was still clear headed enough to make out the rock Pokegirl standing over her. Or looming might be a better word. She didn't speak which gave Melanie the time to get back to her feet, turning and breaking into a run. Not that she got far.

After one step, the once solid ground beneath her feet became anything but. With a crack, the rocks split and rose up, sending roots and grass and clumps of earth flying. And Melanie along with them. She didn't scream or cry out. Not even when she landed hard, all the breath driven from her lungs. Her head spun around her, Melanie not feeling anything until someone rolled her over onto her back. She blinked, struggling to make her gaze focus on the figure over her. Her vision slowly swam back into focus and her eyes fell on the figure in front of her. She didn't recognise it. The voice on the other hand.

'Could you be so good as to hand over that Pokeball? I do hope you will. I would much prefer things not get..unpleasant.'

Melanie met the woman's gaze with one of her own as she struggled back to her feet. 'Never. I don't know what you want with her but I won't let you hurt her again.'

'And you think we won't hurt you?' She laughed coldly. 'I do so hate violence but it can be effective. But I see no reason for that. Either hand it over or I will take it from you.' Melanie looked from the woman to the Pokegirl next to her, weighing up her chances of getting past them. Not great, she decided. She might get past one of them but not both. 'You won't get her.' Melanie snapped. 'I won't let you. You have no right to do that with her. I'm not going to let you take her.'

'You can't stop me. Or her.' The woman jerked a finger towards her Geogal then swung it back to Melanie. 'Theresa, get her.'

Melanie barely had the time to duck under the attack, the rock Pokegirl smashing her fist into the tree beside her. Ignoring the splinters that flew around her, Melanie scrambled clear. Just not fast enough. She had dodged the fist, just not the second attack. She never even saw it coming, the once solid ground under her feet not solid anymore. The ground trembled and rose, rocks and stones pushed up from below the topsoil. Her feet thrown out from under her, the movement sent her sprawling. Legs akimbo, arms outstretched. And she tried to keep hold of the Pokeball. And she nearly did..until she landed. Her outstretched hand hit a root and the pain shot down to the nerve, her hand flew open. The ball slipped from her grasp and rolled away.

With a gasp Melanie struggled to reach it as a foot pressed onto her back. That didn't stop her from fighting with all her strength even if that didn't do much. Her hands scrabbled in the dirt, the rich loamy smell filled her nose as the sense of helpless frustration. She couldn't have come so far to fail now, it wasn't fair.

That feeling just grew as the blonde reached to grab the Pokeball, her face set into a triumphant grin. That grin faded just a little when the Pokeball vibrated in her hand. Melanie could see that. Both of them were surprised by what happened next, something neither of them had expected.

The Pokeball shook once more and then, with an explosive burst of energy, opened with a flash of light. A stream of light that grew to a humanoid shape, the lithe figure of the Swimslut now revealed. The healing function of the Pokeball seemed to have done the trick, her body now restored to full health and seemingly brimming with energy. But that was nothing to the fire that burned in her eyes.

'Get out of here. Run.' Melanie shouted. Her next exclamation was more of a scream, a red haze descending over her vision. She felt nothing beyond the foot pressing on her back, agony dancing along her nerves. It consumed all she felt, washed away all sensation and lingered after it stopped. The pain so filled her mind she didn't even notice the pressure suddenly stopping. Or realise why it had.

She didn't see what happened, didn't see the Pokegirl as she leapt over her head. With a fierce yell she drove her foot into the rock Pokegirls head and used that momentum to land behind her. That only phased her but she hadn't been counting on any more than that. The kick might not have done much but the blast of water from her hands certainly did. It washed over her target, the pressure of the condensed blast knocked her clear off her feet.

'You get away from her.' The Swimslut snarled, rushing past Melanie and stopping in front of her. 'I won't let you hurt her.'

Melanie struggled to raise her head, too shocked too speak. How had the situation become reversed, with the Pokegirl defending her. She might have been held by her shock but the Swimslut wasn't.

Melanie was about to shout at her to run when she made her next attack. But not too attack or move. She sang. Melanie was instantly struck and moved by the song, her body felt full of light and energy. Shakily she stood to stand beside her. The same power seemed to fill the Swimslut if the confidant grin on her face was anything to go by. It was almost unbelievable to think she was exhausted barely an hour ago. A confidence that seemed to be well founded.

Under the orders of her Tamer, the Geogal charged back in. A very bad move. The Swimslut was ready, her hands unleashed another wave of water, driving her down to her feet. She took the blast right in her stomach and she doubled up. Which left her open to the next shot that caught her right in the head.

Her head snapped back from the force, the crack ringing out around them. And it seemed like she was trying to struggle to stay upright. A struggle she lost, her eyes rolled back into her head at the same time she slumped back to the ground. She had fainted, her body limp and splayed out. Until she was quickly called back to her Pokeball.

The Swimslut didn't lower her guard and neither did Melanie. That might not be the only Pokegirl she had. Clearly they both had expected to have to fight another. Luckily that didn't seem to be the case. The blonde grasped the Pokeball of her defeated Alpha tightly. 'Why..you..how did you..how dare you humiliate Team Jade this way.'

The look in her eyes made Melanie think she was going to try to take on the water Pokegirl by herself. She certainly seemed to be considering it. Something in the Pokegirls eyes must have made her think twice because she grabbed something from her belt, throwing it. Light flared and blinded them both. When the flash faded, she was gone.

Melanie lead the Swimslut into her house, the Pokegirl leaning on her shoulder. Seemed she hadn't been as healed as she thought. Or the battle had tired her out. She was trying to stay standing but was also having to lean on her.

'I never really said thank you.' Mellisa said as she kicked open the door to her bedroom. It seemed like the best place to take her. And not for that reason. Not that she wasn't thinking like that or about that. No, it was more that she was growing more concerned about her as she grew more tired. Or seemed too. 'Or..asked your name actually. I'm Melanie.' It sounded odd but it seemed the best way to start. How do you introduce yourself to someone who had already saved your life. It seemed to have the right effect on the Pokegirl. As much as she knew what the right effect was.

'I'm Tamika.' Melanie had nearly missed those words, Tamika's warm, subtle voice cut through the fog surrounding her mind. 'But I think I should be the one thanking you. You saved me, protected me from them. If not for you, if you hadn't caught me when you found me. they would have taken me back.'

'It wasn't anything special.' Melanie said. Leaving that hanging in the air with the last words Tamika had spoken while Melanie helped Tamika sit on the edge of the bed. She wanted to ask where they would have taken her back to. But she felt now wasn't the time to ask. Nor why they wanted her. If Tamika wanted to talk, she would listen. But she wouldn't push her on it. Right now, she was more worried about pushing Tamika too hard.

Again, it was Tamika that filled the silence that she didn't want there to be. It wasn't that she was shy around her, it was just she kinda didn't know how to say what she wanted to say, to give voice to the thought in her head. But Tamika seemed to pick up on what she felt.

'Something troubles you. You couldn't have done anything more to help me.' Tamika smiled wearily. 'You did so much already.'

'Yeah...but did I do too much? I caught you, made you mine. My Alpha. I know I didn't have much choice maybe but I don't know..was it the right thing to do?'

'I think it was.' Tamika patted the bed, holding a hand out to her. 'You are a Tamer worth being an Alpha for. I always wanted one, to be chosen by someone. A true Pokegirl Tamer, someone I could pledge myself too.'

'And you think I'm that person?' Melanie was shocked, those words having not been what she expected to hear. But she waited for her answer without pushing her.

'I do. I'm the one that owes you a debt. And I mean to repay it. I pledge myself to you. I will fight for you, protect you. Keep you safe.'

Tamika's earnest response left her flustered, not sure what to say. Not that she got the chance too. Her Alpha's eyes had been drooping with every word she said, clearly struggling to stay awake. She fought it but it was a battle she had already lost. 'I promise I will.' Tamika murmured, her eyes drifted closed. Her breathing now the soft sighs of sleep.

---