Post by kenren on Aug 15, 2017 1:25:00 GMT
'i've got to break away' Minske was kind of ashamed to admit it, but he was completely unprepared for this entire endeavor. Not as far as supplies and the like went - he had food, water, a backpack full of various items - but in terms of physicality and stamina, he was lacking. Going for the occasional run between his schoolwork apparently hadn't made him as physically ready as he'd assumed he was, but of course he'd never looked at the whole thing very closely before he took the leap. None of this had been planned. It wasn't the path he'd chosen for himself. Or, well, it was - just not the one he'd cultivated for his entire life. His hands were filthy, his legs had bruises, and his feet were already beginning to hurt after only a few hours of walking. It was just something he needed to grow into and get used to, he told himself. There was no easy fix, no new pair of shoes or super-food that he could buy to make himself and his feet feel better. Like a boxer's jaw had to take hundred of hard hits to become strong, he needed to callous his body to this new lifestyle. He might not be a trainer by training, but he would become a Ranger through perseverance. He'd started this thing, and he would take it as far as he could. The physical aspect was only part of it, of course. The other half was the fact that for the first time in his life, he had his hands full with taking care of lives that weren't his. He adored his Phanpy, more than he'd thought he possibly could after knowing someone for so little time. He'd named the little elephant Kanna, after a medicinal plant that was once used as a cure for depression and unhappiness. At least he was using his medical knowledge for something. And if he was anything, he was that. Because even when Minske felt like shit, Kanna was able to lift his spirits and show him the beauty in the world around him. And he wasn't the only one. Before even starting on the route, Minske had adopted a Sandshrew for no other reason than the fact she was so brightly curious about the world around her. Maybe he'd taken pity, knowing that she hadn't seen the world outside of the place where she was born. It was a refreshing perspective change from he, who had seen too much of it after spending his life on the move. She he called Ginkgo, a plant used to treat asthma, bronchitis, fatigue... because she had no trouble talking, and often. Where Kanna struggled in verbal communication, the Sandshrew excelled. < How does the water not all sink into the ground? > was her first question upon seeing Cygnus Lake, hanging close to Minske's side while Kanna ran ahead. His happy trumpeting and shout of < Swim! > before the splashing noises told the boy that his Pokemon had found the water's edge. Ginkgo was a little more timid still, not used to the great open expanse around her. She was so fascinated though, and was apt to take him by the hand and pull him to whatever she wanted to explore. If he was a glorified safety blanket, he was okay with that. It was worth it to see how happy she was. "I don't know exactly, but I think it has to do with how much water the soil lets through. I think lakes form when there's rock to keep the water from draining." He racked his brain back to his geography classes, but that was all he could come up with. He'd decided early on that he wouldn't lie to the 'shrew, or make things up to be an all-knowing encyclopedia for her, so he was honest in his lack of knowledge about a lot of things. She didn't seem to mind, though. And he was okay with it, because he was looking at the world in a different way. Like through the eyes of a child. < Oooh, I wonder what kind of rocks? Would they be pretty rocks? Oh, probably not, because they'd be all gross and covered with dirt being down there. > Minske shrugged, walking with her toward the shore of the lake. "I don't know about that, they might be. All of the pretty gems like diamonds and rubies are formed underground after they're there for a long, long time. Not that that's probably under the lake, but you never know." Whatever Ginkgo may have been about to say next was interrupted as they reached the edge of the lake by a spray of water, sudden and causing them both to shield their faces. Spattered with wetness, Minske lowered his arm and raised an eyebrow at the Phanpy, whose trunk was the obvious culprit. < Bath! > he demanded gleefully, stomping his feet in the water and flapping his ears to create a spray. Ginkgo giggled, jumping in place, but looked up at Minske before following her teammate. "Go on, you can both have a bath. I'll wash my hands, but my clothes won't dry off as quickly as you will. No bath for me." He held his dirty hands up as evidence, and moved a few feet down as Ginkgo splashed into the water with Kanna. While he knelt down and rinsed his hands in the water, he smiled over at the two of them. There was something heartwarming about the two of them playing together. Or, well, Kanna probably didn't see it as playing, but they were both happy and got along. The elephant sucked water up into his trunk and sprayed it straight up, washing the two of them in the mild heat. Ginkgo giggled, chattering away as Kanna did his work. The Phanpy rarely responded, but Ginkgo didn't seem to mind. It was enough for her that the Phanpy watched her with attention when she spoke, and Minske had the feeling Kanna was learning from her every day. Standing, Minske pulled off his boots and socks and walked over to the edge where his Pokemon were. "Don't spray me," he cautioned, then sat on the small ledge of grass at the water's edge with his legs submerged up to the calf. The cool water was nice on his aching feet. He pulled the Sandshrew back toward him, her back to him, and started scrubbing at her hide with his hands. She giggled. < It tickles, it tickles! > she squealed, splashing her feet in the shallow water. Minske smiled as Kanna joined in, scrubbing her head with his trunk. "Before you ask, I'm pretty sure tickling has something to do with nerves close to the surface or something," he said with a laugh. "And don't you go anywhere Kanna, your stinky butt is next."   Word Count; 1,136 Tag; @staffersort Notes; I'm 100% Dratini hunting and willing to work for it! But I'm cool with whatever I get <3 |
MADE BY VEL OF GS
