To Heal a Heart [Solo/Complete]

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“NO! Nonono! Please no!”

To call it a dark and stormy night would be the understatement of the century. Rain lashed down upon the earth in a curtain of white, drenching the earth in a torrential waterfall straight from the roiling black clouds that blotted out moon and sky alike. The only light came from lightning darting through the water fattened underbellies of said clouds, setting them momentarily aglow in hues of violet and barely there blue. Every so often the bottled up electricity leapt free of the sky to lance its way down to the ground, cracking a branching pattern in the dark that painted everything as bright as noon for just a blink before vanishing with a roar that shook everything for miles. The wind ripped and raced and screamed, swallowing up the pleadings and prayers of those foolish enough to stand their ground in its wake.

Not that anyone or anything but the storm was listening to the desperate mews of a single unfortunate soul that braved the wrath of the heavens. It was the kind of night that made one question the existence of gods—part in utter awe of nature’s capacity to wreak havoc upon the innocent without intervention, and in part wary of what blasphemy they must have committed to enrage some greater power. Litten, however, was too preoccupied by a deafening panic to contemplate the philosophical. All other pokemon in the area had long since taken shelter, back when the breezes started to stink of rain and ozone. But the little fire type could not escape. Not yet.

Not when it had a promise to keep. A promise to protect.

The little feline was beyond drenched, its fur so sodden that it clung to its skin like an oil slick, heavy and painfully tugging despite being short. The wind tossed it about, making it nigh impossible to stay upright, even as it kept its belly low to the ground, ears flat, always moving at a crawl. Its eyes remained fixated on its singular goal, invisible to even its keen gaze until lightning lit the sky for another heartbeat. It reached out a paw towards its destination, letting out another yowl into the roar of the storm, lost to any ear that could possibly hear it and come to offer salvation.

Flash. BOOM!

The litten lunged forth as a green stalk, half stripped of its leaves, was ripped from the mud, roots laid bare. By some miracle, it managed to pounce upon the plant and keep the water from washing it away into the darkness. With clumsy, numb from the cold paws, litten tried to return the roots to the soil, to repair what was broken, but the dirt kept getting washed away. There was another flash and it watched a couple smaller plants get swept away, just out of reach of rescue.

“I’m sorry,” Litten meowed softly to itself, crawling further to lay on top of a cluster of knocked over plants that had yet to be ripped completely free of the earth. It trembled, breathing unsteady, though whether from strain or emotion, even the litten did not know.

And there it remained, curled up in an inch of rushing water, refusing to take shelter under the nearby porch or even flee towards higher ground.

Morning felt like a lifetime away.

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WORDS: 557

SPOILER: Click to show

◓ Something is jeopardizing the survival of a particular garden bed Litten is protecting...
REQUIREMENTS
- Resolve the problem(s) without Litten being too forthcoming or cooperative
- Earn Litten's trust by helping it protect the garden until its peak (ie: in full bloom)

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Dawn broke with a watercolor sky and the chirping of starly.

Marci poked her head out of the stable, ears twitching, her tail flicking. The young mudbray recently hatched here on Healing Hearts Ranch and had never seen rain before. The other pokemon in the stables talked late into the evening about how this was the worst storm they had ever seen and some fretted about the structural integrity of their shelter. But it held, much to their relief. With morning here, it was time to access the damage. Marci’s neighbor in the stalls was a ponyta named Malurt, who snorted and thrashed his head in annoyance upon stepping into the mud.

“I am NOT going to walk around in this. I’ll slip and break my leg,” the ponyta complained, retreating back into the dry warmth of the shelter. She could hear the tauros’ grumbling none too far away. Their heavy, plodding steps were accompanied by squelches and burbles as they trod through puddles and muck towards the taller grasses. Marci didn’t think the mud sounded all that bad. She trotted out of the stable and tested the ground with curious hooves, finding the texture of the ground actually quite enjoyable! With a delighted bray, she started to prance about, head high, even as the ponyta scolded her for making a mess of herself.

“Maybe I wanna make a mess!” Marci laughed, dashing a puddle with her front hooves before running through it.

Malurt snorted, head held primly, “If you break something, child, do not come wailing your woes to me!”

Marci scampered off to look for her friends, leaving mister grumpy hooves behind with his no-fun attitude and perfectly spotless hide. She didn’t see the issue. Today was beautiful! Absolutely perfect! And she planned to enjoy it to its absolute fullest!

She raced past a lechonk and a donphan that were rolling about in their pen—also enjoying the post-storm weather—up towards the main house. Marci didn’t see any of the felines lounging on the porch like they usually did, likely staying indoors to avoid the wet. She did spy the yamper at the bottommost step, pawing at the mud with a whine, not liking the way the mud on its paws.

At the back door, standing in the open frame and looking around, was Adrian, her trainer. He was rumpled from sleep and rubbing his face in that tired way that she knew meant he was stressed. The man mumbled something under his breath about ‘mess’ and ‘repairs’ before slipping back inside, the door left ajar behind him.

“Marci! You’re all dirty!” bleated a familiar voice.

“Skipper! Hi!” The mudbray whirled and saw the skiddo standing with their other friend Fluffy, a wooloo, and a friendly mareep that watched over their flock like a maternal ewe. “And Fluffy! You wanna play?”

The pair shook their heads, quite content to not dance in the muck, “We’re going to graze with the tauros’. You should join us.”

“But I wanna plaaaaaay.” Her whine found no sympathy.

Alas. Today she would need to play alone.

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WORDS: 513

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Skidding through the mud until she ended up tumbling into the tall grass became the game of choice.

Marci squealed as she started a new round, running as fast as she could to build up momentum before trying to ‘stop’. She slid on her rear (or belly, or back, or however she felt like) right into a soft, harmless clump of tall grass that slowed her down and kept her from breaking anything (take that you stuff ponyta). Then she was up on her hooves, ready to repeat the process over again. It had been less than an hour since she woke and she was thoroughly coated in mud and bits of leaves.

Idly, she took a bite out of a tall stem, crunching down on that tasty green goodness. A snack was due. Playing was hard work for a newly hatched pokemon! After snagging a few more tasty crunchies, she turned to return to her muddy playground, but in her distraction, she failed to notice a wild pokemon approaching. Their eyes met and Marci froze. Uh oh. That. That was an oddish. A really big, scary oddish. The biggest, scariest oddish Marci had ever seen! (Not that oddish were in reality all that large, but fear certainly could distort one’s own reality in their moment of panic.) She backed up slowly, limbs heavy and weighed down by clots of dense mud. She didn’t even notice before…it had felt so light.

Her back legs touched a rock and she startled, bucking to kick it out of the way.

Marci’s sharp movement in turn spooked the oddish, who bristled and started to quiver its leaves, like it was going to attack.

“L-leave me alone! I’m super tough!” she brayed, whirling to sling mud into the oddish’s face. The weak attack didn’t make the grass-type budge. It instead thrashed its head, throwing a cloud of noxious, purple spores into the air. Marci tried to avoid the cloud but inhaled a lungful instead. More anxiety seized her, and Marci did the only thing she could do. She fled. On leaden, trembling legs she ran. Her head swam and her gut sloshed. She was too ill from those spores to think straight. She wanted to go home where her trainer could heal her, but the journey felt like it was taking forever. Grass kept smacking her in the face. Please. Someone. Help.

Her silent plea went unanswered.

After what felt like literal eons, she spotted a building. Her vision was blurry and rapidly growing dark as the poison ravaged her healthy. She didn’t even consider the fact she had to squeeze through a gap in the fence to reach the house. Marci just wanted to be home. Home with her friends and her human. She would be safe. All would be well. Just a little further…she stumbled and bumbled until those porch steps were under her hooves…and then her legs gave out.

She hit those creaky planks and knew only the dark, comforting bliss of a dreamless sleep.

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Sweet.

Why was she smelling sweetness? Did her trainer bake a delightful treat? Oh, maybe he harvested some fresh fruit from the garden. Specifically berries—Marci’s eyes cracked open—or perhaps more accurately, a pecha berry. It was shiny and a little bloated in that way berries got when overripe, the scent pungent and syrupy sweet. The pale skin of the berry was dented and bruised, as if dropped from a significant height.

“Eat it,” came a gruff growl outside of her line of sight. A silent beat passed. “Or don’t and continue to suffer. I don’t care.” She shifted a bit to peer where the voice came from and spotted a black-and-red furred feline. A litten. It was ruffled and filthy, fur sticking out at odd angles, as it delicately groomed a paw in an attempt to maintain some semblance of dignity despite its grubby state. There were feathers scattered around it, not yet blown away by an errant breeze. Amber eyes narrowed and it paused its grooming, noticing Marci’s gaze. It huffed. “One of those foolish birdbrains dropped it. So. Eat. It. Before I change my mind about letting you have it.”

Marci sat up slowly, still weak, and gingerly lowered her head to scoop up the berry between her teeth. Instantly, she felt better, the berry working the poison out of her system. How long had she been unconscious? Minutes? Hours? The sun was higher in the sky and blissfully warm against her face. The lull is shattered by the litten padding by and growling, “Now go home.”

“But, I just got here. And you helped me. What’s your name? Where am I? This doesn’t look like the ranch… I must have ran really far after the oddish—”

“I said GO HOME!” the litten snapped. “I don’t have time for you and your yammering.”

The mudbray pushed to her feet and wobbled after the litten, “But I haven’t thanked you properly for helping me yet! Because, like, thank you. So much. You’re the best and I totally think we should be friends but—”

“Are you deaf or just stupid?!” snarled the litten, lashing out with a paw and swatting the mudbray’s snout.

Marci nickered and blinked widely, ears twitching upright, “Oh! Is this a game? Some of the felines back home play like that. If you wanna play, that’s cool. I mean, we are friends now, after all.” She trotted down the stairs and started to run about, “Catch me if you can~!”

The litten did chase, but not in a fun way. It was puffed up with genuine ire and struck her flank with sharp claws, leaving a gash. Marci staggered, more startled than hurt.

“Get out of my garden!” Those amber eyes were near pupiless and the litten’s chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths. “You’re ruining everything!”

“Ruining…?” she looked down. Her hooves left prints in the soil, and there were crushed plants where she had trod. “Oh. I’m sorry, I—” The litten hurried over to try to fix the plants that were crushed, ears flat. “Can…can I help? I can make this right.”

“You can make it right by leaving!”

Marci snorted and braced herself, standing her ground, her own ears going flat as she stared the litten down. She wasn’t going to leave right now when she had made a mess of things! The feline hissed but instead of telling her to leave again, went back to tending the plants.

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Something was deeply wrong here.

Something beyond trampled flowers.

The litten was so invested in righting the plants, getting filthy as it helplessly tried to get the plants to stand upright again. Every time Marci tried to come closer, the feline spat and snarled, defending the greenery like its life depended on the garden growing. Not only were cats not known for their gardening expertise, but most were fastidious, refusing to have a spec of dirt on them. She watched the litten shiver as a light breeze drifted past, its fur clearly damp, like it had been caught out in the rain last night and had yet to dry off.

When another attempt at propping up a plant failed, Marci stepped in, ignoring the hissing to carefully compact the dirt around the base of the plant step so that the weakened flower could stay upright. There was a long, tense silence before the litten sighed, “Fine. If you’re going to be a nuisance and refuse to go home. You can at least make yourself useful.”

Marci nickered excitedly, and earned a glower.

Right. Gotta stay calm.

Don’t ruffle the angry cat’s fur. Make amends by being useful!

The litten walked away for a moment, returning with a few recently uprooted plants in its teeth. There were more scattered about in the soil of the flower bed itself. Marci understood what the litten wanted her to do without being asked. Slowly, the next hour or so passed, the litten digging small holes and propping plants up in them as Marci compressed the soil. Some plants were damaged beyond real help, but they covered the roots anyway, giving it a chance to recover from snapped stems or stripped leaves.

“You’re really good at this,” Marci observed, looking over their work as the last flower was planted anew. It was a sad little garden with miserable, drowned out plants. But they did their best. “Is there anything else you need help with?”

“I didn’t need your help to start with,” was the curt reply. All that bonding, clearly wasted. Marci’s gut twisted with guilt. If she had not gotten lost or stepped on all the flowers… “There’s nothing you can do. Nothing…anyone can do.” The litten sat there, sullen, voice no longer filled with as much anger or spite. Its tail flicked as it stared at their handiwork, head low. Disappointed. “This…is my duty to fulfill.”

“Litten—”

“Now go home, you nuisance.”

The weak command had Marci nodding at last, casting one last look at the litten and the house. It was a very worn abode that looked just about ready to collapse in on itself. Nothing about it was warm or homey. The windows were boarded up and there was a strange paper sign on the door.

“Okay,” Marci conceded. “I’ll go home. Um. Thank you, again, for helping me. And sorry for ruining the garden.”

There was no reply.

She turned and walked away, her mind clear enough to recall the direction of home.

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Disappearing for half of a day likely would have been more noticed if not for the storm that left so much damage in its wake.

Marci nudged through the tall grass and peered at the main house and its accompanying little buildings. She was suddenly quite aware of the smell of fresh paint that lingered even after the heavy rain and the cheery brightness said paint gave the ranch. Older pokemon spoke of how, not too long ago, the ranch was in a state of utter disrepair and their trainer had been working hard to restore it. Marci eyed the fresh wooden boards and railings on the porch, yet to be given a finish. Then her gaze trailed to clean windows with curtains blotting out any attempts to peek inside—at least the glass was there and shiny, cleaned with care. She looked over the bricks that were faded from the sun but clean, no signs of rampant neglect remaining for an outsider to observe.

Such a stark difference from the litten’s home. Could it be called a home? It looked unwelcoming and drafty and empty of life. She had seen no humans or pokemon except for the litten. Thinking about both places in her mind, side-by-side, made her shiver. She couldn’t imagine living there. Surely litten had someone dry and safe to go? Right? A proper home…even wild pokemon had those.

Lost in her morose, wandering thoughts, Marci didn’t notice her friends approaching until Skipper nudged her shoulder, “Hi! Where have you been?! We looked all over for you after breakfast but you were gone!”

Fluffy’s eyes were a little bigger than normal as they asked in a hushed voice, “Did you go into the deep part of the pasture where the wild pokemon are? Did you see the King?”

“Ah, no, no, I didn’t go watch the King,” Marci assured them. The old, wild tauros on the property was a massive, scarred beast that kept his distance from everyone but his herd. Their trainer left them alone. Probably for good reason. He was a living legend, after all!

“You look like you’re thinking real hard.” Skipper was a shrewd one. That happy, innocent face masked a real clever cookie. Marci wished she was that smart. “What about?”

“You can’t tell anyone,” the mudbray began, noticing that her friends were now leaning in, very interested in what she was about to say next. “Like seriously. Nobody. Keep it on the down low or I’ll get in trouble.” She told them about playing by the tall grass when an oddish attacked her! And how despite fighting bravely, she was forced to retreat when it employed the dirty, despicable tactic of poisonous spores. “I was so sick and disoriented, I didn’t know which way was up! I had to flee.” And she went in the wrong direction. She couldn’t recall much of her journey, but she woke up to the smell of berries and met a litten. A hissy, spitting feline who was protecting a garden. One with sad eyes. Very sad eyes. “And…I kinda wanna go back.”

“WHAT?! WHY?” protested Fluffy. “That mean cat told you to go away and called you names.”

“And we’re not supposed to wander that far into the grass, much less leave the property,” Skipper added.

Marci lifted her chin, “It’s not like you two have to join me.”

The pair glanced at each other then back at her to declare in unison, “Of course we do!”

Skipper continued, “That’s what friends do. They look out for each other when they do stupid things.”

With a warmed heart, Marci nuzzled the goat and sheep, “You guys are the best. So, tomorrow?”

Tomorrow.

It was agreed. Albeit with some mixed levels of eagerness for sneaking off to help a grumpy cat.

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The trio set out after breakfast, making sure the responsible adults and any humans were otherwise occupied. One young pokemon vanishing for a few hours was easy enough to miss, but three was harder. They had to be especially careful. Mama mareep was the hardest to throw off their trail, but once they got her gossiping with the tauros’ and the prissy ponyta, they knew escape was feasible. Marci was certain one of the felines caught them sneaking off, but the prim glameow merely licked a paw in idle disinterest, as if she saw nothing at all.

Journeying to the other property took a while, especially as they had to be sneaky enough to avoid any wild oddish or mareep they spotted along the way. At one point, Fluffy mentioned seeing a flower floating past, but neither of the others saw a thing, so the trio dismissed it and continued their venture onwards. Eventually, they reached the fence and took turns squeezing through to the other side. Well, sorta. While Marci and Skipper passed through with ease, Fluffy got stuck when the wood caught on their wool, and had to be freed. The wooloo then rolled up into a ball and just…SMACKED into the broken length of fence. Once. Twice. Thrice! On the third hit, the fencing fully gave way and there was a proper gap for them to pass through. Fluffy preened. The other two cheered in awe.

Then it was back to business.

They trekked closer to the dilapidated house and hunkered down in the bushes to spy on the litten. It was Skipper’s idea. They would watch the feline for a while to determine how to best approach offering their help! Since the litten wouldn’t tell them voluntarily, they would need to figure it out themselves. Marci and Skipper applauded her brilliance and readied themselves for a long stakeout.

The first hour or so wasn’t super thrilling. Mostly, the litten paced the garden, occasionally pausing to pat down the dirt around a plant or moving around a small rock. But on occasion, a wild bird would land and the litten would fluff up and chase it off, its face wild with evident anxiety. Starly were the most common bird, nesting mainly in the wooded areas scattered sparsely through the farmlands. They could be quite bold in groups, but the single avians were easily startled away by the litten’s sharp claws and vicious pounce. At one point, an oddish wandered a little too close and the litten drove it off with fire. Marci maybe found a little too much delight and satisfaction seeing one of those awful, bullying plants shown a lesson!

Fluffy was starting to nod off out of boredom when a vehicle drove up a dirt road to the front of the house. It was a big, bulky truck that made a lot of noise as it tossed loose gravel about as it approached. Upon parking, two men climbed out, both wearing funny yellow hats and orange vests with shiny, reflective bits on them. One carried a clipboard and the other a tool bag. Marci strained a bit to catch what they were saying as they walked up the front steps.

“—real pity too what happened to the kid,” one of them said.

“Can you imagine growing up in this death trap?” the other shook his head, scribbling something on the clipboard. “Good thing that this place is getting demoed soon.”

Litten, who had been hiding under the porch when the men pulled up, suddenly emerged, launching itself at the men with claws outstretched and flames at the ready. It yowled a battlecry that sent chills down to Marci’s very core.

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Unlike the oddish and starly, the humans were not deterred by the feisty feline’s assault. One of them staggered back, holding the clipboard up in front of him defensively as the other stood his ground. Litten sank its claws into the workman’s upper thigh and tried to cut deep gashes on his leg, but the thick denim shielded vulnerable flesh and made it easier for him to shake the feline off. The fire-type growled and spat, breathing fire next, which the man did more actively side step, before looming over the little cat. He muttered a nasty swear before pulling back one leg and punt kicking the litten off the porch with a single, decisive, steel-toed strike.

There was an unsettling crunching sound and the small feline flew through the air, landing amongst the harried and broken flowers it so dutifully tended. Its body rolled a few times before going still and limp, its breath shallow. Litten was completely winded from the blow to its ribcage.

The man made to step down but the other grabbed his arm, “Dude, what the hell?”

“It attacked me!” He pulled his arm free.

Marci couldn’t just stand by and watch, hoping that the bully human wouldn’t hurt the litten again. She burst out from the bushes, braying as loud as she could and when she got close enough, she whirled to start kicking mud and rocks at the men. There was plenty of post-storm debris to sling. The men sputtered and shouted, shielding their faces. One rock even strikes the clipboard and cracks it in half. They don’t flee, at least not until Fluffy and Skipper burst from the bushes to join in. The wooloo curled up and rolled up the steps, bowling them over as the skiddo headbutted them every time they tried to stand. If they had partner pokemon, the pressure they applied must have made them forget, because as soon as they could get upright, they fled instead of battling.

Once the men piled into the truck and vanished down the road, Marci hurried to check on the litten. Amber eyes peered back at her through narrowed slits and it hissed weakly, “I didn’t need your help.” The feline tried to stand but winced, favoring one side as it breathed in slowly.

“Too bad! You’re getting it!” Skipper said cheerfully. “Fluffy, you’re on watch for more humans. Marci, you make sure your friend doesn’t do anything stupid until I’m back. I’m gonna go get some berries from the ranch.”

“Right!” Marci and Fluffy agree.

Skipper scampered off and the other two did as they were told. Skipper always had the best, smartest plans. So they stuck to it. The humans didn't return and Marci made sure Litten stayed laying down. It took some effort and a little pestering, but the feline eventually, reluctantly, complied.

In time, Skipper returned with a pilfered bucket full of berries she tugged off the bushes in the garden back home. The litten grumbled but ate, well aware that sitting there and suffering was worse than just accepting the healing.

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“You can’t stay here forever.”

Silence followed Marci’s declaration. Fluffy and Skipper were wandering around the house, keeping look out as Marci stayed with the litten. A single cloud passed over the sun, momentarily casting a shadow over them as the quiet drew out, lingering and awkward.

“Why not come with us?”

The offer is met with a huff and a flick of the tail, “No.”

“Why not?” Marci whined. “If you come with us, you can be dry and safe and well-fed. No mean humans will try to kick you!”

“No. I have to stay here. I have to protect the garden.” There was no waver in its tone. Just steadfast determination mixed with a little resignation. Like it was a lonely burden that it could not offload without great risk or harm. Marci knew the garden was important but…

“Why? What’s so important about this garden? You could always plant flowers somewhere else.” THAT earned a hiss. Nerves were struck. Hard. Marci’s ears flattened back and she dipped her head apologetically. “Sorry. I’m not trying to upset you but… I don’t understand why you have to protect this specific garden.” Her gaze trailed to the house. She recalled the mentions of the girl and the talk of demolition. She thought about how horrible and lonely this place looked, all hollowed out and decrepit, like it was rotting away before their eyes. “Does…it have something to do with the humans that lived here before? Were they your family?”

For once, the litten didn’t hiss. It just fell quiet again, staring at its mud-caked paws as it flexed its claws into the still sodden earth. Marci let the silence linger again, unsure of what to say that wouldn’t make things worse between them. She was about ready to give up on getting any answer when the litten looked up at that house with a forlorn stare.

“I have to protect the garden,” the feline repeated softly. “I made a promise to someone and I will see that promise through, no matter what.”

Marci felt a surge of enthusiasm and shot up to her hooves, “Then I will help you! I will do whatever I can to make sure those flowers get big and strong and beautiful!”

Litten scoffed, “You do not have to do that. Why would you want to do that? Just go home, nuisance. This has nothing to do with you.”

The mudbray pranced a little, “I wanna do it because it’s the right thing to do, and because we’re friends and friends help each other.”

“We are not friends.”

“Okay, maybe not friends yet, but I want to be! And I still need to make it up to you for accidentally stepping on them the other day. So you’re not getting rid of me!”

The glare was less effective this time.

Marci was filled with joy and a renewed sense of determination!

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Helping Litten with the garden became a daily affair.

Sometimes Marci’s friends would join them, other times not. If they all went missing too often, it would get suspicious and the pair could help cover for Marci while she was gone. Even if they couldn’t go too, they’d send her off with the latest ranch gossip and the occasional berry they swiped. The litten wasn’t very social, but Marci had enough words for them both on the quiet days. Eventually, when it became obvious that the mudbray would indeed be there daily, the litten put her to work in the garden, pulling out weeds and chasing off pests. One day, the litten even started to make the occasional request, such as to bring along a bucket of water when she visited next.

Time marched on at a steady pace—the days often warm and sunny, a few breezes bringing with them the distant promise of summer. When it rained, Marci squeezed under the porch with the litten and told stories, sharing all that fun gossip. About the latest eggs that hatched and the trainers that came to train in the pasture. How her trainer had a house guest that traveled a lot that popped in now and then and could actually hear pokemon and understand them! Apparently she was from somewhere super far away. Most of her pokemon were from some place called Paldea.

“She said mudbray were pretty common there,” Marci mused. “I wonder if I’ll ever see another of my species?”

The season dragged on and the garden grew greener and fuller. Some of the plants didn’t make it and had to be removed before the rot caused illness. But those that survived seemed even stronger for it. Marci was so proud of their progress and had nearly forgotten about the problematic humans…when they made a sudden return. Different cars. Different men. Litten almost seemed frozen upon seeing the vehicles pulling up the dirt driveway, so Marci took it upon herself to make those humans regret coming up here!

Careful to not barge in, hooves a blazin’, Marci terrorized the cars. Tires were popped. Dents were kicked into doors. Equipment was broken. And when someone spotted her, she brayed and slung rocks at their heads until she could escape. At one point, two of the men had her corner, but that was when the litten made its entrance. It yowled and flung itself onto one man’s back, knocking off his hat and setting his hair on fire.

Once more they drive the men off.

Marci bounded over to the litten and pranced, “Teamwork makes the dream work! Haha~ We did it! You were so awesome! You’re so cool and strong.”

Amber eyes regarded her with momentary suspicion before seemingly softening, “You’re…not too bad yourself…Living up to that reputation of being nuisance quite well.”

“HEY!” She was nickering with amusement, unoffended by the sly quip. “Just admit that you’re glad I’m here and wanna be my bestie~”

“Don’t push it.”

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Summer was nearly upon them.

Marci could feel the heat even in the early morning. Soon it would be wise to shelter during the hottest parts of the day and sleep until it was cooler. She hummed to herself as she carried a bucket of water in her teeth to Litten’s house, thoughts occupied by daydreams of refreshing mudpuddles. However, the bucket slipped from her teeth when she arrived at the garden, her jaw slack with awe. Water sloshed everywhere. She scurried closer.

The flowers were blooming. All of them! Everywhere! There were so many different colors and shapes. It was a dazzling rainbow of perfect petals against a lush backdrop of green. They did it. They managed to protect the garden long enough that the flowers could bloom.

She glanced excitedly at the feline, who just sat there, staring at the flowers in silent awe. The mudbray breathed in, calming herself, to go sit quietly beside them. For once, there was no need to say a thing. She closed her eyes and let the scent wash over her. Listened to the rustling of stems and leaves brushing against each other in an errant breeze. Felt the warmth of the sun settling on her hide.

To her surprise, the litten was the one who broke the companionable lull.

“I was so afraid that I would not be able to see this happen. You have my thanks.”

“Even if I am a nuisance?”

The litten huffed a bit and let its gaze trail to the ramshackle house. It was even uglier now with such a beautiful garden in front of it. The peeling paint and rotting wood panels were a stark, unpleasant backdrop, and hard to ignore.

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess with big blue eyes and curly blonde hair and a smile that could put the sun itself to shame,” the litten mused aloud. Marci pricked her ears forward, focus fully on the feline at her side. “She was walking to the bus on a wet, cold winter day when she saw a cardboard box on the side of the road that was completely soaked through. Most people ignored the box, but the little princess was curious, so she looked inside. There she found a young, injured litten who was all bones and battle wounds. It had escaped from a terrible, awful place and found the world outside of its prison much the same, just with fewer walls. That is…until it met her. The litten knew its life was about to change forever when the princess offered one of those sunny smiles and picked it up. She promised the litten that everything would be okay and placed it in her bag to take home.”

Litten slumped a bit, amber eyes glassy and distant, lost in a memory. Marci didn’t push. The feline would continue the tale in its own time.

---

WORDS: 484

[Pixel]

Marci sat in silence, as still as she could manage, for what felt like ages. Just basking in the beauty of the day. It was hard, because sitting still was the absolute worst, but it felt really important to not be too squirmy or disruptive. Especially while the litten looked almost reverent as it laid down next to the flower bed and gazed up at the blooms. Lovely and temporary. The heat of summer would probably wither them away within a few days. But for now, the litten had this moment. This memory.

The mudbray could respect that.

“The princess promised to take care of the litten,” the feline began again quite abruptly, as if unable to quell its own reminiscing, as if it needed another to hear its story to allow the weight to lift from its chest. “She promised to take care of it forever and ever. She did her best, making sure the litten was safe and fed and loved, but there was only so much she could do. That was because she was a very young princess, and in poor shape herself. She was often dirty, her clothes old and worn with holes and rips. Her hair was a tangled mess that she struggled to brush.

“Her parents—the supposed king and queen—were rarely around for the princess. And it was better when they were gone. Even if it meant being a little hungry.

“The king and queen often argued. They were loud and violent with each other. But the pretty princess comforted herself by taking care of the litten she rescued. She gave it all the love she never got from the parents that left her in rags.

“It was a cold, awful winter that year. Made worse by the fact that there were no lights. No water in the taps. But they got through it. Somehow…perhaps on the strength of her love for the litten, she endured with a smile. Then one day, when the snow was melted and it started to become warmer, the princess came home with a packet of seeds that she was so excited to show the litten. She said she got them from a nice neighbor lady who told her all about flowers and how to take care of them. The princess planted them as soon as it was warm enough and tended them dutifully until they sprouted.

“She then told the litten to promise her to protect the flowers no matter what. Especially from the birdies who would eat the seeds. That way…one day… they could look at the beautiful flowers together when they were in full bloom.”

The litten’s breath hitched and it curled into a tight ball, shuddering through a memory that came next, unable to be pushed down and forgotten now that the wellspring had been opened up.

“But that would never happen.

“One night, while the litten was outside, hunting for dinner, the darkness was suddenly filled with flashing lights. The litten ran back to the house, as fast as it could, heart filled with fear and dread, because it knew what those flashing lights meant. They meant terrible things had come to pass. It had to find the princess. Had to make sure she was okay. But the litten was too late. The king and queen were being put into the back of those cars with flashing lights on top and the princess was nowhere to be seen. No matter how much the litten looked, it could not find her. It even raced inside, hoping she was hiding, but…the smell of blood…told the litten all it needed to know.”

---

WORDS: 605

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The fire-type feline shuddered again, fighting down terrible emotion.

“Perhaps…I was just a fool, thinking, hoping, that she would come back home. That my princess, my rescuer, my angel, would return to see the flowers. Despite everything, I kept my promise, did all I could to protect those fragile sprouts. I kept telling myself that
I couldn’t let her down. She asked me to do this. After all she did for me, I could do this much for her. But… when more humans started coming around and putting up papers and talking about ‘condemned’ and ‘demotions’...I…I knew it was over. Deep down, I knew that I would never see my princess again. But…even so, I could still shelter her dream. I couldn’t fail her last request of me.
I couldn’t let her down!”

Marci moved to lay next to the litten, nudging it with her nose.

Comfort.

“Then the storm came. It almost washed away all the flowers. It almost destroyed all that was left…of her. And then you—” The litten made a raspy noise.

“And I came in and almost ruined everything that remained,” Marci realized. “Oh litten, I am so, so sorry, I—”

“Oh shut up.” The litten scolded weakly. “You…you can stop apologizing. You…you and your friends are the reason why the garden is the way it is now. I don’t think I could have delayed those human workers or fixed the uprooted plants if it weren’t for you and your merry band of nuisances. So. I must thank you. I guess.”

The feline slowly sat back up, “And now…it’s all over. I did all that I could, princess… I hope it was enough.” Its grief was evident—despair plain on its face. It had run out of energy to keep fighting. The litten was exhausted and so very sad. After all, there was no longer anything driving it to push forward and keep striving for the next day.

“The offer still stands, y’know.” Marci nudged the litten. “You don’t have to stay forever if you don’t wanna, but my home is safe and dry and there’s plenty of food. At the very least, you should come by and rest properly before you go on the next leg of your journey, whether that means becoming a part of the ranch or seeing the world. It’s the very least I can offer…and, thanks for trusting me with your story. I wish you had told me earlier, but I think I understand why you didn’t. Why would you tell the annoying baby all those things?” She looked down and the litten was already looking up at her, amber eyes considering.

“I think…I will take you up on the offer. No promises I will stay.”

“None required.”

“Just…one more moment before we leave. I need to say goodbye.”

Marci nodded and gave the litten some privacy, waiting by the fence as the feline lingered by those flowers a little longer. As Litten turned away, goodbyes made, Marci swore she saw a tiny flicker of color on a breeze. Like a small flower was being swept into the sky. It was tiny. Like a fairy. And in a blink, it was gone. Perhaps just a trick of the eye.

“Ready?” Marci asked as her new friend came to stand beside her.

“Yes. I believe I am.”

- FIN -

---

WORDS: 555
Notes: Word total ~7K, all seen pokemon are either in Adrian Hartt's Healing Hearts Ranch box OR are encounterable pokemon in his estate.

[Lamont]

Without a doubt a heart wrench-er. Why, it was like the universe was set against that garden. No doubt... oh dear I never got their name! Well, Litten's going to have a social shock with all the busy-ness around the Healing Hearts Ranch, but there likely isn't a more aptly named place for them to end up after all this.

Overall this tale follows the supplied points exactly with some extra side pieces to make it a little more than checking boxes. I can believe the delays and miscommunication within a surveyance group leading to repeated mistakes across different groups undertaking the demolition.

Marci is spirited and naive just as a new hatchling would be and, dare I say, grew up a little from the experience? Ho hoh! She was quite resolute.

GRADING

2 Creative Stars

Twinkling Star

---

Marci grew to Lv 4!
She learned Iron Defense!



A Litten (Lv 5) is hanging around Adrian's Ranch!
It seems to be friendly with Marci and doesn't have a registered trainer.

Will Adrian adopt it?

*If so, remember to spend a pokeball!
[img src="https://play.pokemonshowdown.com/sprites/gen5/litten.png"]
[b]Litten[/b]
Name: [choose]
Gender: [choose]
Level: 5
OT: Adrian Hartt
Moves: Growl, Scratch, Ember
Ability: Blaze
Nature/Personality: [choose]


[Pixel]

Adopting and spending a pokeball!