joshthewriter
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- #22
Eternal War
Every day, Farmer Dan started his day by taking his customary stroll through his berry patch. He checked on those precious little moneymakers every single morning, watching for any early ripening and checking for any impurities that might affect the value of his crop. His other products all sold well enough, but none of them could even put a dent into the profit margins of his berry patch.
Battle-crazed trainers were positively starved for high-quality berries and would pay through the nose for competition quality items. It had been the latest business boom, taking his old family farm from a local produce farm to an international business recognized across the world. He'd had visitors from Kanto and Sinnoh in the last week, to go along with his usual local buyers from Hoenn's League. Business was absolutely booming and he couldn't be happier.
He wiped the sweat from his balding head and moved on to the next patch of berries, satisfied by the progress his lum berries were making. Already, the morning sun was beaming down and scorching him with its gaze. It wouldn't be long before he'd be able to start the harvest, plucking the sitrus berries before they ripened too much. He dropped to one knee as he reached the first sitrus plant and lifted up the leafy foliage. His jaw dropped, and the stream of obscenities erupting from his lips would have made his mother blush brighter than even the brightest razz berry.
He lifted the mangled corpse of the sitrus berry, mourning it and lamenting the loss of profit. The sour little fruit had been half-eaten and left to rot on the ground. Small paw prints surrounded the plant and led off towards the fence line. Dan rose to his feet, scanning the rest of the sitrus patch with a keen eye. More berries littered the ground under the leaves, their profits leaking into the dirt along with Dan's untarnished reputation.
He swore under his breath, following the trail to the fence line. It wound its way through several other berry patches, circling the pecha patch multiple times. He followed it up to the fence and scowled at the discovery. Something had dug a hole under the fence and pilfered a significant portion of his stock. Something, not someone.
"Ave some troubles now, boy?"
Dan rose to his feet. His hand dropped to his belt, to the one ball that still sat there. He looked up the small hill at the two figures standing in the trees. "Clear off now, Wilkersons."
Jeb and Donny Wilkerson sauntered from the tree line. Dan couldn't see their blasted swampert, but he knew it was out there watching the two brothers. Jeb began to jog down the slight hill. "Somethin' get into yer berries, Danny boy?"
He relaxed slightly, but kept his hand on Lena's ball. The old linoone wouldn't be much help in an all out brawl, but she was an effective deterrent if nothing else. "None of your business, Wilkersons." He looked up at Donny, watching the pudgy man struggle down the hill "Best clear off. Before one of you has an accident."
Jeb wheeled around, spinning back to his brother. "City boy has attitude, Donny."
"Ought'ta teach 'im a lesson," Donny replied, his voice far higher and softer than a man his size would be expected to have. "Maybe the 'vipers in them woods ought'ta pay him a visit."
He froze, his hand clenching Lena's ball tighter. "Seviper?" He asked in a low tone. Just the thought of the serpentine pokemon brought back memories that Dan wanted to leave buried. Memories of a war that his family had barely survived the first time. "Thought they cleared off years ago."
"Ah they're back every so often. Got a few o' dens round our property this year. They don't bother us too much," Jeb replied, clearly enjoying Dan's discomfort. "Course, you ought'ta know that seein' as yer Pa bought it last time they came round these parts." Jeb leaned on the fence, his stupid smirk burning into Daniel's mind. "Ain't that why yer just a farmer like us instead of yer fancy trainin' job? Ain't that why you came on back?"
Dan clenched his fists and remained silent. The Wilkersons were a threat to his business, but only like a magikarp was a threat to a dragon. They were little more than a petty nuisance, jealous at his success while their farming business lagged behind in a changing world. Dan had poured almost everything he'd made in his training career into the family farm, leaving less successful neighbours like the Wilkersons far behind. The seviper were the real threat. Just like last time. Just like when dad died.
"Shame yer not back in the city no more-"
"I said buzz off now, Wilkersons."
Jeb nodded and stopped leaning on the fence. "A'right, don' say we nev'r warned ya." He turned, pausing only to spit a large glob of snot and hork into the dirt.
The two Wilkersons slunk off, back to the swampy hellhole they called home. Dan watched them go until they disappeared in the trees. He stayed there for another half hour, watching the trees for any sign of movement. None came. Satisfied that the two yokels were gone, he turned back and headed for the farmhouse up on the hill.
Dan pulled the battered old rifle from the display case above the fireplace. He hadn't needed to use it since his Pa had died fifteen years back, not since the seviper in the hills had come down to the forest and overrun their farm in search of food. His mind flashed back to the day he had helped his father drive the serpents away. He gripped the rifle just a little tighter and tested the sights cautiously, praying he still had the strength to defend his family.
He closed his eyes and he was back at the edge of the farm, a scared little boy calling out for his father. A chorus of hissing sang at him from the woods, mocking him for his fear. Then he heard the screams. His father was crying out for him, screaming in pain as the seviper found him.
He moved through the forest like a ghost, losing all sense of direction in the woods. Their old linoone stood faithfully at his side. It had the same striped pattern as Lena, but was faded and grey. The pokemon barked and bounded into the darkness, leaving Dan behind in its hurry. He dashed after it, following the eruption of noise deeper in the woods. Lena ran with him, just a zigzagoon back in this memory.
Dan burst into a clearing, tripping over an upturned root and smashing his face off the ground. He groaned and forced himself up to a scene straight from a horror movie. Dan lifted the rifle and sighted the target, shaking uncontrollably. He closed one eye and squeezed the trigger.
"Hun?"
The memory came crashing down on him. He'd shot the seviper just in time. His father had nearly died that day. He had nearly died that day. He hadn't been there when the Seviper had returned, off on his trainer's journey like a selfish fool, and his father had paid the price.
Joanne's voice brought him back to the present day. She must have come in through the back, where he couldn't hear. He picked up the gun cleaning kit and frowned. "Sorry darlin'. Just a bad memory." He turned and slung the rifle over his shoulder. "Wilkersons came round this morning. Threatened me with Seviper again."
She dropped the load of groceries on the floor by the fridge and crossed into the living room. "Jeb again?" She asked. She knew the answer by the scowl on Dan's face. "I'll call Riley,"
"No," Dan replied harshly. He crossed his arms and his scowl seemed to deepen. "Lena and I can handle it."
Joanne brushed her auburn hair out of her face and smiled softly. Dan looked into her warm brown eyes and felt his frustration start to fade. She kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered into his ear. "I love you, Farmer Murphy. And it's because I love you that I'm calling my brother anyways." She pulled back and smiled at him. "You aren't a trainer anymore, Dan. Your team... they aren't around anymore. Riley finished top ten in the last conference, let him help you."
Dan sighed. "I know, I know." He turned away and shook his head slowly. "Getting old now, aren't I? I haven't been a young man for a long while."
Joanne smirked mischievously and kissed him on the cheek. She grabbed him by the beard and pulled him in close. "I prefer you with the experience," she said with a wink. She glanced over at the stairs and then back at her husband.
"And the groceries?" he asked knowingly. Try as he might, he couldn't hide the grin spreading across his face.
"They'll still be there when we're done."
Dan woke the next morning to more carnage in the berry fields. He'd still make a decent profit from his other berries, but the sitrus and pecha fields had been almost completely wiped out at night. The scarecrows hadn't worked evidently, and Lena hadn't woken to any intruders. They'd bypassed his expensive electric fence like it hadn't even been there
He'd spent the entire day reinforcing the fence and building a small bunker of soil to hide behind. He didn't know if the thief would be back again, but he wasn't taking any chances. He needed some profit on the crop, at least enough to tide them over for the winter. He could probably afford a loan if necessary, but he was loathe to do so. He'd lived that life when he was younger.
Joanne had appeared around dusk, carrying a plate of dinner for him. She told him Riley would likely arrive around dusk the next day and asked him to come inside for the night. Dan simply refused. He had a thief to catch. He would not leave his post tonight. Not for anything.
She prowled through the forest, her nose low to the ground as she followed the same path she had the night before. The pack was dwindling, losing more and more of their number each day. There were less than a dozen left, and half of those were gravely injured themselves. She'd even taken a seviper's tail blade to her shoulder that day, a cut that ran down to the bone and ached horribly even after the last of the berries.
The berries she'd managed to find at the new patch had stemmed some of their losses, but only for a night. She needed more, more even than the strange fenced patch she found had possessed. Still, it was the only source for eons around that was not guarded by the serpents.
She peeked out from the tree line, looking down at the fields. No movement caught her eye. She scampered down the hill, nose raised and ears perked for any sign of danger. A glorious smell greeted her, vegetable and berry scents mixing together in a heavenly aroma. It was faint, but evidently there. She put it out of her mind as her stomach protested with a growl. The pack needed her more than she needed to eat. She'd take whatever berry scraps were left after the pack was done.
She found her hole easily enough. Or rather, the loosely packed dirt where she had filled the hole. She shovelled aside the dirt effortlessly, remembering skills that her trainer had taught her a lifetime ago. It took mere minutes, the dirt still loosely packed from her last heist. She emerged on the other side of the fence and sniffed the air cautiously.
Something felt different tonight. The hole had been patched, hard dirt packed down at the end. A strange pile of soil blocked the path deeper into the berry fields. She sniffed again and caught the same savoury scent as before. Cautiously, she crept forward as her ears strained for any sign of danger. She froze as a human rose from the wall. She'd seen the strange device in its hands before. She knew what would happen to her if it went off. The hair on her back began to raise and she growled a deep warning.
Dan shouldered the rifle as silently as possible. He pulled back the bolt and chambered a round as a vague shape illuminated only by the light of the moon excavated the hole he had spent the entire day filling with rocks and dirt. The pokemon disappeared into the hole and Dan readied himself to pull the trigger.
Its head poked out from the hole and Dan felt his heart skip a beat. The thief was back. He rose from his makeshift barricade, lined up the shot and froze. The thing was looking right at him.
It was a sorry mess, blood matting its fur and staining it a mottled red-brown. One eye was gone, an empty patch of skin looking at him from where the eye should have been. A fresh gash on its shoulder was still leaking blood and every movement seemed to bring fresh pain in its step. It growled deeply, but even the growl seemed to be through gritted teeth.
Dan lowered the rifle. He glanced down at Lena and gently woke the aging linoone. "Go up to the house. Get the potions." He glanced back at the beaten and bloodied pokemon. "Quietly."
Lena disappeared into the night, casting a wayward glance at the intruder. She listened to her old trainer and disappeared up the hill towards the house.
Dan clambered over his barricade slowly. He moved carefully, taking great care not to spook the injured pokemon. He gently laid his rifle down against the barricade and slowly crossed to one of the sitrus plants. He picked a pair of berries and glanced over at the thief. "You know," he started. "I was a trainer once. Do you know what a trainer is?"
The pokemon made no move. She looked at him warily, teeth bared.
Dan inched closer. "I can tell you're in a lot of pain. I can help you, but you have to let me." He stepped closer, holding out the first sitrus berry.
The pokemon raised its head, sniffing cautiously at the tantalizing berry. It took a step closer and Dan saw truly how injured it was. It was a zangoose, her usually sparkling white fur matted with dark splotches of bloody brown. She approached the berry cautiously and took the fruit with a single paw.
Dan smiled. He crept closer, dropping down to one knee. He carefully reached out one hand, showing the zangoose he was no threat.
She looked away from the berry as Lena emerged from the darkness with a small sack clutched in her mouth. Her teeth bared and she growled a warning as her paw covered her berry.
Dan took the bag and dismissed Lena to her ball. He pulled out one of the potions and shook the small spray bottle. "This might sting a little bit, but your shoulder needs something a little stronger than some berry juice."
The zangoose lowered her shoulder and turned slightly as Dan dropped the second sitrus berry in front of her. She braced herself unconsciously as Dan began to spray the wound with the healing liquid.
The wound began to harden and seal before his eyes, skin knitting itself back together as the potion began its work. Dan slowly worked his way down the zangoose. Every scratch got a spray, every patch of bloodied fur was soaked thoroughly in the healing spray.
He leaned back, cocking his head to the side with a smile. "That feel better?"
The zangoose met his gaze with her good eye. They held there, man and mon studying the intentions in the other's eyes. The moment passed. The zangoose lowered her head and gently nudged her nose against his hand.
Dan smiled and rose to his feet slowly. "Look, I can't have you stealing my whole crop. I understand that you're hurt, but this is my livelihood." He leaned back against his barricade as his smile faded. "You gotta stop coming round here now."
The zangoose lowered her head. She glanced from side to side, looking at the waiting sitrus plants. She turned around and slunk back to the hole without a backwards glance.
Dan watched her go, waiting until the zangoose's shadow disappeared into the trees. He reached down and lifted his rifle. He slung it over his shoulder and began the hike back up to the old farmhouse.
The sun was barely up before Dan rose from the bed. He departed from the house with Lena at his side, shovel already slung over his shoulder. After a quick inspection of his crop, he made his way over to the hole. Lena lounged happily in the sun while he set to work filling in the hole and shoring up the base of the fence. It might not keep out a determined zangoose, but it might slow one down. He mentally kicked himself for not upgrading the fencing last season, resolving to fortify the earth beneath the fence however he could.
Joanne appeared from the house, two absurd oversized drinks in her hands. Slices of berries filled the glass of cold ice water, glistening in the afternoon sun. "Finished up with the pecha jelly and the last of the lum cream. Think there'll be enough of this crop left over for another batch each?"
Dan wiped away the sweat and shook his head. "Doubt it. We barely have enough to cover the existing contracts, let alone any local customers." He grunted in thanks and took the oversized drink. "I met our thief last night. Looks like a zangoose has been using the patch as an infirmary."
"Any idea how to stop it?" She asked.
Dan shrugged. "Figure I'd ask nicely. I'll keep the barricade up another night and stay out here just in case." His smile returned and he took the drink from his wife. "Maybe I should catch her. I was a trainer back in my day."
She shook her head, the ghost of a smile on her face. "It's not back in the day anymore, Dan. You think you can handle something like that?"
Again, he shrugged. "No way to know until it happens." He turned and looked off at the cloud front moving inland. "Storm's coming. Better call Riley and have him get his butt here before the road floods."
"He won't be coming by road," Joanne replied. "Was coming from Kanto, Saffron, I think." She looked off at the clouds. "He can handle a storm. Told me Oberon once flew him through a hurricane. A little rain won't stop that flygon if Riley asks him."
Movement from the trees drew their gaze. They came in twos and threes, most of them injured, most of them barely limping into view before collapsing. Then he saw her. Dan met her eye with his own. Then the one-eyed zangoose collapsed into the dirt.
Dan had considered half a hundred careers when he'd retired from training. None of them held the same lustre that training had held, but he liked the simplicity of berry farming. Even if it was forced, he enjoyed the calm retirement into farming. The memories of his training career and the twin tragedies that had ended it were never far from his mind. They came rushing back now, the deaths of his old team rushing back to the forefront of his mind as he patched each wound and injected each of the injured zangoose with antidotes.
They were ancient enemies of the seviper, foes locked in some terrible eternal war. They were losing. The zangoose were losing. Half the zangoose that had managed to crawl to the farm would likely never battle again, the other half was covered in more wounds that Dan had ever thought possible.
The one-eyed zangoose had been the worst. Dozens of fresh wounds covered her body and two deep punctures on one of her legs told him all he needed to know. She'd led her pack here, to him, hoping beyond reason that he would harbour them. He didn't refuse. He couldn't.
He picked the last of his spare sitrus berries and burned through his potions like he was an elite trainer. Each and every wound found at least some treatment, whether it be a natural poultice Joanne had made or one of his dwindling supply of potions. The sun was beginning to set by the time they finished with the pack.
"When's Riley getting here," Dan asked. "Could use his help with all this." He dunked his arms in the wash bucket, scrubbing at the bloody viscera. "Makes me nervous, darlin. Zangoose aren't usually scared of nothing. They're the type to fight to the end, especially against a seviper."
She shrugged. "Riley said he'd be here today," she said. "Nothin' we can do but help them. Seeing as you're too soft to drive them away and I've got a bleeding heart, this is what we're doing."
Dan nodded and dried his hands off on the towel beside them. He'd still need to shower later, but he was no longer covered in bloody fur. He sat heavily on the stool he had been sitting on, groaning in exhaustion.
She cast her eyes over to the one-eyed zangoose. "I think she's the mama," she started. "She's been protective of each of these zangoose, she led them here. It's like she's in charge."
"The pack mother?" Dan replied. "She seems too comfortable with us, too quick to respond to my questions. It's like she's used to humans."
"Think she was trained?" Joanne asked. "It would make sense."
He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I think she was. She dug through the ground like it was nothing. Zangoose don't typically learn to do that in the wild."
"What do you think happened to them?" Joanne asked.
Dan shrugged. "Battle, most likely. I'd bet anything that it was the seviper that the Wilkersons were threatening me with." He got to his feet, looking up at the storm. "They're going to come here," he said. "The seviper."
Joanne nodded. "I figured as much."
Dan looked over at her. "I have to do something. These zangoose… they're practically half-dead already. The Wilkersons will be back and they'll bring the Seviper to do what they won't. They'll kill both of us and the zangoose and be done with it."
Joanne nodded again. "You know what you have to do," she said. She looked away, fighting tears. "But I don't want you to do it."
He saw the tears at the edges of her eyes and brushed them away. "I'll be alright, love. I've got Lena."
She nodded. "I know, I know," she said slowly. She looked at him reluctantly, the air heavy with tension. "Don't die," she said, her eyes pleading. "Don't make me a widow."
Dan pulled her in close. "I'm always gonna be here, darlin'. Don't you doubt that." He held her close for a long moment. "I'll be back before sundown, I promise. I'm going to end this stupid feud."
They embraced for a long moment. Then the moment ended and the rain began to fall.
"I'll be back," said Dan. "Stay in the house."
She left, her arms up to shield herself from the rain. Dan looked down at Lena. He still had one pokemon left, still had his loyal starter. He lifted her ball, returning her. He pocketed the ball, slinging his father's old rifle over his shoulder and marched to meet an ancient enemy, a trainer once more.
The Wilkersons and the Murphys had feuded for centuries. Generations of farmers had warred over their speck of northern Hoenn, uncounted lives lost over decades of petty squabbles. He didn't know when it had begun, he didn't know what started it, all he knew was that it had to stop.
Dan had only been to the Wilkersons farm once, when his grandfather had made a trip over as a peace offering. The Wilkersons had accused him of poisoning the pie he had brought as an offering and thrown them off the farm. Two weeks later, his grandfather had disappeared from the fields. They'd found him after two nights, beaten to death in the woods.
He stepped through the dilapidated gates, avoiding the muddy swamp on either side of the road. The Wilkersons farm was not much better than he remembered it. The barn was still leaning dangerously and the swamp encroached on the little spit of arable land on each side.
"Hello?" He called. "Wilkersons?"
His voice trailed off and he turned his head. The trees were alive. The air was filled with the sound of hissing. The seviper were here. They were here, watching his every step.
The door of the small house swung open. "City-boy?" asked a surprised Jeb. "Whatcha doin out here?"
Dan clenched his fists, standing as proud as he could with the rifle slung over his shoulder. The seviper were coming, but he stood tall. He wouldn't give the Wilkersons the satisfaction of seeing his fear, wouldn't let them see what they'd done to him. "I want this feud over," he said. "It's gone on far too long."
The door swung open, Donny Wilkerson's muscled frame squeezing through. "Wot is it, Jeb?"
"Danny-boy wants a truce," Jeb said. "Wants our feud over."
"It's been long enough," Dan said loudly, interrupting the brothers. He kept his eyes on them, ignoring the serpents creeping closer. "Do you even remember why we're fighting? I don't!"
Jeb grinned coldly. "Wilkersons and Murphys always fight. Our Pa killed your grandpa. Your Pa killed our Pa, we killed your Pa for it. Now we're gon' kill you," he said. "It's in the blood, city boy. You can't change it no more than the 'viper can change." He leaned over the porch railing, the savage grin on his face widening. "It's our own war, just like the 'goose and the 'viper. 'Cept this time, the 'viper are gonna win."
"It doesn't have to be this way," Dan said. His hand lowered to Lena's ball, eying the seviper creeping towards him. He could see the Wilkersons swampert, watching from the water and even more serpents cutting lithely forwards. "We don't have to be like our fathers, not anymore."
Jeb stepped off the porch, regarding the seviper advancing on me curiously. "The 'viper don't like you, city boy. They really don't like you." He cracked his knuckles, looking up at me with a knowing smirk.
Dan's eyes widened and he realized that he was in mortal danger. "We don't have to like each other," he said. He unslung the rifle, holding it at his shoulder. "We don't need to kill each other, either. But I'll do what I have to to protect my family."
Jeb stopped in his tracks, curiously regarding the old farmer and his rifle. "You think you got the balls to shoot me?" Jeb asked. "You ain't never shot-"
Dan swivelled, sighting one of the encroaching serpents through the sights. He squeezed the trigger, painting the ground around the seviper with bits of brain and bone. Dan set the sights back on Jeb as the horde of serpents hissed furiously. "Try me," he said. "I've got plenty of practice killing seviper from the last time."
Jeb stepped back, raising his hands as Dan pointed the rifle in his face. "We'll leave you be," he said quickly. "No more shootin'."
Dan stepped backwards slowly, keeping his rifle trained on Jeb. "Good," he said, relief creeping into his voice. "Don't make me come back here." He kept moving backwards, feet carefully tracing the steps he had taken on the way in. He didn't turn away or lower the rifle until long after he had retreated through the gate and left the swamp far behind.
He trudged out of the forest, rifle slung heavily over his shoulder. His boots were covered in mud and his shoulders sagged with exhaustion. The zangoose looked up the hill at him, tired heads turning and pointing up at him. He stepped down that hill, tired feet tracing the steps back through the gate and up the hill towards the house.
Dan stopped in front of the pack of zangoose, looking down at the pack mother. "I don't know what happened out there, but you're safe here." He dropped down to one knee, putting himself level with the pokemon. "We been on the same side of a war that we didn't know about. We been fighting alone for too long." He smiled softly, thinking about his team. It'd be good for them to have some pokemon around. "We could stay together," he said with a calm smile. "One big pack." He looked up at the house, Joanne smiling at him though the window. "One big family, like I used to have."
Mama looked up at him, remaining eye searching his face for some hint that he was lying. She couldn't find one. The zangoose reached up at him, extending her claws and holding her paw out.
Dan reached down, gently brushing his hand against the zangoose's outstretched paw. She closed her paw and looked up at him, blinking slowly.
"Dan?"
The old farmer got to his feet, turning towards his wife as she came down the steps of the porch. "It's done, darlin. Wilkersons won't bother us no more."
She ran to him, wrapping herself around him in a fierce embrace. They were together, just like they should be. They were together and all was right with the world.
He rose at dawn, like he always did. Riley had arrived at some point in the night, half ragged atop his heaving flygon. They were exhausted after flying through the rainstorm. Dan crept past the door, sure to keep quiet.
He stepped outside, smiling at the morning sun. Movement from the fields drew his gaze, zangoose cubs frolicking through his remaining crops. Mama rose from where she had curled herself on the porch of the house, regarding him curiously.
"Sleep well?" Dan asked. "You certainly look like you're feeling better."
The zangoose growled, pointing down at her mottled brown-red fur. She pointed at the zangoose club closest to them, growling again and combing her claws through the cub's hair.
"You'd like to wash?" Dan asked. "I can fill the tub again."
He trudged over to the washtub he'd dragged out for the zangoose the night before. He filled it with fresh water from the well and stepped back.
The zangoose dipped a paw into the water, splashing it over herself. Dan turned, smiling happily as a trio of zangoose cubs bounded through his legs to play with the tub of water.
Joanne appeared in the doorway, a coffee mug clutched in her hands. "You missed this," she said with a smile. "having pokemon around. You're a trainer again, Farmer Murphy."
Dan grinned, climbing the stairs up the porch. "I did miss it," he said. He looked down at the zangoose. "We've got that big happy family that we always wanted."
Her cheeks went a bright red. "Yeah…" she started, trailing off. "About that…" Joanne's hand went into her robe, pulling out a small plastic rectangle. "I had to pee really bad, so I got up. And I remembered reading that these were more accurate if you used them first thing in the morning…"
Dan looked down, his eyes fixating on the little red plus sign. He glanced back up at his wife before a dumbfounded grin crossed his face. "You're pregnant," he said dumbly. "You're actually…"
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him. "Now it's the family I always wanted," she said.
He hugged her back, holding back the sobs of joy as he held her close. The tears fell freely, joyous emotion overwhelming him. He would be a father. He would not be the last of his line.
A week passed, a week of blissful happiness. His profit was practically a write-off this season, but they'd survive the loss of a single harvest with little difficulty. Dan found that even the prospect of financial hardship couldn't get him down.
Riley lifted the buckets of mulch, picking up the last of the fertilizer.
"Put that up by the tractor," Dan said, wiping sweat from his brow. "I still gotta fertilize the cheri fields, but we're just about done for the day."
Riley perked up, his shaggy black hair drenched in sweat. "Does that mean I finally get to try some of Joanne's farm fresh iced berry juice?"
Dan smirked. "I think I could go for that right about now."
Riley dropped the buckets beside the tractor and turned back to Dan. "I'm gonna wash up then, if you don't mind?"
The old farmer nodded, waving his brother in law away absentmindedly. He traipsed down to the fence, chuckling under his breath. A pair of the zangoose cubs were feinting at the electric fence, trying to see who could be the last one to move out of the way.
"That ain't too safe," Dan said with a grin. He knelt down beside them, scratching one of the cubs under his waiting chin. "Could get real hurt out here."
"Dan?"
He turned his head, smiling as he waved up at the house. "Yes, darlin'?"
"Riley says you sent him for juice?"
Dan couldn't help rolling his eyes as he chuckled. "Yes," he replied. "I sent him up there."
Joanne shook her head, a grin clear on her face. It died as she raised her arm, a look of utter horror on her face.
Dan heard the hiss as the world seemed to fall silent. All the other noise just seemed to fade away, leaving just the angry, hateful hissing.
He felt the blood drain from his face and followed his wife's finger. The hill leading down from the trees was alive, hundreds of serpents slowly advancing on his farm. The Wilkersons had arrived.
"Call Riley out here." He turned back to the trees as Joanne dashed off towards the house. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Get the rifle and cover me!"
Dan turned, two zangoose cubs and himself the only thing between the swarm and his family.
A man sauntered from the tree line, a malevolent grin plastered on his face. "Sounds like the 'vipers are angry," Jeb Wilkerson said, malevolence dripping from every word. "They been looking for those 'goose all day. Looks like they found 'em now and they found me a prize to go with 'em."
Dan's hands closed into fists. The rifle was up at the house. Lena was in her ball, also up at the house. Joanne was gone to get Riley, again up at the house. It was him against an army. Him and two little cubs.
The one eyed zangoose stepped out beside him, growling and glaring up the hill. Her eyes were fixated on Jeb, on the man who seemed to command the seviper. The rest of the pack fanned out behind him, all eight of the remaining fighters prowling back and forth in anticipation of the coming battle. The cubs retreated behind them, a few more of the young retreating towards the house with them.
"Well, they found 'em, Jebediah." Dan called. He crossed his arms, glancing over at the zangoose. He looked back up at Jeb. "We had words. You best leave them be now."
Jeb continued down the hill, larger serpents beginning to follow him out from the trees. "That ain't how this works, city boy. The 'vipers ain't gonna rest 'till all those 'goose are dead." He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders. "You stand with them and the 'vipers look at you like one of them."
Dan locked eyes with Jeb, scowling deeply. "The 'vipers or you?"
Jeb's smile seemed to deepen. He shrugged. "Ain't no difference no more, city boy." He smirked, cracking his knuckles. "I told you. Feud has to end in blood. It always ends in blood."
The hill was alive, dozens of serpents slithering down towards the farm. There were dozens, from small hatchlings to the pair of massive seviper as thick around as some of the tree trunks.
Dan glanced back, eying his makeshift army. The one-eyed zangoose met his eyes. He had been a trainer once. She'd had a trainer once. Dan wasn't much for fate, but he couldn't help but feel like their meeting had been the work of something greater. She nodded and turned back to face the horde.
"Alright," Dan roared, his voice coming to life as adrenaline pumped through his body. He grabbed a flat spade, holding it up as a makeshift weapon. "Keep an eye on the ground! They're gonna burrow through and come up at us from beneath."
He looked at Jeb as the Wilkerson lifted a ball from his belt. "Mama," he started.
She glanced at him, vengeful fire in her eyes.
"You're with me."
Then the world seemed to end. The seviper surged forward as Dan walked out to meet Jeb. The sea of serpents disappeared into the earth, burrowing their way under his newly reinforced fence. The fence toppled as the horde of seviper passed underneath. They burst from the ground and battle began.
Serpent and beast clashed with finality, both sides seeming to sense that the end of an eternal war was close to its end. Mama forged a path through for her new trainer, claws flashing as she cut her way through the serpents.
He heard the crack of rifle fire and watched a seviper that had been leaping for him shrink back.
Dan charged through the gap, ducking under the fangs of a lunging seviper as he swung his spade at another. Even a single bite from those fangs and he would be dead. One of the zangoose pack leapt from the fray to intercept the seviper, rolling away as he tangled with the serpent. Dan forged on, following the trail of carnage that Mama had carved. Jeb was the target, Jeb was the one controlling all of this.
He came to an abrupt halt. Mama was still, the shredded length of a seviper laying at her feet. Her chest was heaving and there were half a dozen new wounds marring her fur.
Jeb was staring at them with near glee. "City boy finally grew a pair. Took you long enough. I had to rile up every damn 'viper in the forest to get a rise outta you." He smirked and shook his head. "This is gonna be real fun, city boy." He lifted his ball, releasing the swampert inside.
Dan cracked his knuckles. Mama looked at him with a confident nod. It might have been years since he was a trainer, but the instincts never really left. A grin spread across his face. "Yeah, it is gonna be fun, Jeb."
He glanced down at Mama. "Taunt him. Keep that swampert on the offensive and stay out of its way until I say."
He looked back up at Jeb. "What say we settle this little feud once and for all?"
The Wilkerson's smirk faded and a scowl crossed his face. "Aro, take down!"
Mama bounded forward as the swampert lowered its shoulder. She ducked to the side, raking the swampert with her claws as it barrelled past. It skidded to a halt, trying to compensate and turn on a dime. Mama darted in and raked the swampert's rough hide with her claws again, barely drawing blood.
"Hammer arm!"
Dan glanced up, reading Jeb's body language in an instant. Not yet, it wasn't time yet. "Detect!" He shouted. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew that Mama knew what he wanted.
Mama looked impossibly small as Aro rose up on his hind legs. Her eyes flashed with anticipation. Then the hammer fell. Two fists slammed into the dirt where the zangoose had been standing an instant before. She moved in a flash, always a hair away from being crushed by the hammer arms. She ducked away one last time, the swampert overextending in frustration.
"Now, close combat!" Dan roared, seizing on the opening.
Mama struck back with all the pent up force and fury of a trapped animal. Aro withered under the assault, shrinking back as Mama pounded him into submission.
"Hydro pump!" Jeb spat, panicking.
His swampert reeled around, swinging wildly to clear himself some room. He opened his mouth, blasting a jet of water harmlessly into the side of the hill. Mud and water splashed high, splattering the field of battle in brown water.
Mama leapt away as a second hydro pump sailed into the sky over the farm. He didn't see it land, didn't care so long as it didn't hit the house.
The two pokemon glared at each other, both of them exhausted and battered though Aro had taken the worst of the exchange.
Dan stepped forward, ready to give the order to end the battle. He felt something prick his thigh and felt the instant seizure as his muscles contracted in shock.
"Dan!" Joanne called, her voice seeming to be far off in the distance. "Lena, go!"
The linoone was at his side, tearing the infant seviper off his leg in an instant. Dan felt his leg give out, felt himself crash to the ground as he toppled over. Lena crouched over him, growling at Jeb and protecting her old trainer.
"Dan!" Joanne shouted desperately. "Dan!"
Her voice seemed further and further away. He laid his head back as a strange floating sensation seemed to take over his body.
Mama was there, standing over him protectively as well. She growled a warning at Jeb and the swampert, joining Lena in protecting her new trainer.
A wave of earth rolled across the field. Berry plants went soaring through the air, fence pieces thrown into the air by the earthen attack. Riley's flygon swooped down, tearing a triumphant seviper away from a prone zangoose.
Dan closed his eyes. His leg seemed to stop burning. He let go of the pain and felt nothing at all. "Mama," he croaked, his voice failing. "Take care of 'em for me. Take care of her." He felt something nudge his hand. He knew she accepted. He felt himself slipping away. He heard the last rifle shot and saw Jeb fall to the ground. He didn't fight the end.
She looked up at the sky, watching the sun pass behind a cloud. The cold was coming soon, but there would be enough time for the man-cubs to finish the harvest. She turned back to the house, a pair of her own cubs prowling along the fence line.
It had been near ten winters since she had found the patch. Ten winters since she had found and lost her last trainer. Her pack was strong now, stronger than it had been when they had called the forest their home.
The woman emerged from the house, calling for the two man-cubs. They ignored her, as they usually did. They were brazen, reckless cubs much like her own. These humans and her young were more alike than they had ever realized.
The pack mother turned and trotted off into the berry fields in search of the man-cubs. She'd made a promise to a trainer once. She'd promised a dying man that his pack would be hers. She'd promised that she would keep them safe. She would keep that promise, no matter what.