HOME | DD

Description
Part 4 of 9 for pre-event 6.

Application: [link]

First: [link]
Previous: [link]
Next: [link]

*****

The rest of Anther’s trip back the village was rather quiet. As entered neared the village, he was surprised to see the progress that had been made since the previous day. Most of the debris had been cleared away, and damaged structures were beginning to be torn down. The combination of the construction crew and the merchants proved to be very efficient.

The awful stink that had hung in the air the previous day had also faded. Anther didn’t know what the cause of it was, nor did he want to know. One thing he did know, though, was that it was coming from the Trubish Dump, and the rogues were working on removing whatever the source was. He sure didn’t envy that job.

As Anther headed through town, a voice called out to him. He looked over to the remains of the fountain to see his mom and dad heading towards him. Staccato was in his usual spot, clinging happily to Ginger’s antlers. Anther had been so focused on going to see the base that he forgot that he arranged with his dad to meet at the fountain that morning.

“Ah, there you are!” his mother, exclaimed as she walked toward him. “I’m so glad you’re back! I was thinking about you ever since you left yesterday!”

“I missed you too mom,” Anther replied. He allowed her to snuggle him affectionately once she reached him. He really didn’t have time to miss her, but it always seemed to put a smile on her face when he said it.

“Staccato tells me you did a great job saving people on your mission,” she said with a smile. “But just remember that you shouldn’t push yourself, or take any unnecessary risks.”

“Dear, he’s a big boy, he knows this already.” Staccato chimed, shifting into a more comfortable position.

“I know, I know… I just can’t help it! Oh I would just be devastated if something were too… too-” Ginger had stopped in midsentence as her eyes focused on one part of Anther’s body in particular. “Wh-what’s this? Bite marks? These weren’t here yesterday…”

“It’s just a scratch mom…” Anther said, trying to brush it off as if it were nothing. He tried to turn the bite marks away from her, but it was already too late.

“This looks like more than just a scratch!” she said, moving around to get a closer look at it. “Someone bit you! You were actually bitten! What happened to you yesterday? Who did this to you? Staccato, you told me there was nothing to worry about! You told me he wasn’t in danger!”

“Honey, honey, relax,” Staccato said, holding his hands in front of him as if trying to lower the stress levels. “Just calm down. There was nothing to worry about, he was surrounded by friends, see he’s fine.”

“Staccato, you better tell me the whole story unless you want to sleep on the ground tonight.” Anther had heard his mom make this kind of threat before. And it always worked like a charm. There was a nice cozy spot on her head between her antlers that he liked to sleep, and whenever that was in jeopardy his dad would bend to anything.

“W-well, you see dear,” he began, clasping his hands together and shaking his head apologetically towards his son. “The thing is. There… there was a bit of danger the other day… A-apparently this kinda thing doesn’t happen too often around here, though. It was a rare event.”

“And what danger would this be?”

Staccato was about to answer, but before he could move his lips, Anther cut in. “It was a pack of Mightyena. We walked into a trap of theirs where they tried to make us their next meal. But we ended up driving them off and everyone ended up fine.”

“F… f-f-fine?” Ginger asked, he voice trembling in terror and anger. “Y-you call this fine? You could have died out there Anther! And then what would I have done? You’re my only child, I can’t lose you!”

“Dear, maybe you’re being a bit-” Staccato began.

“You are already in enough trouble as it is,” Ginger snapped, he voice as sharp as daggers. “I can’t believe I ever decided to let you leave home. I knew this was a mistake! Being a rescuer is too dangerous for you! I’ve decided, we’re going back home this instant.”

“But mom!” Anther protested.

“No buts!” she snapped. “You’re going home where it’s safe and that’s final! Come on now.”

“No…”

Ginger turned around. She had already started walking, but Anther hadn’t moved an inch. If she had been hoping that he wouldn’t protest, then she was sorely mistaken.

“I’m not giving you a choice Anther, I am telling you. You do not belong here, you belong at home, with your family.”

“I’m not going…” Anther replied, remaining defiant. “I’m staying here. This is my home now. I can’t leave now after all that I’ve done. After I’ve met so many mons.”

“You’ve been at this for a year,” she insisted, attempting to be persuasive. “Haven’t you had enough of these silly rescuer games? Enough is enough.”

“Haven’t you had enough of those silly rescuer games?”

This sentence was all he heard now, playing over and over again in his head. He couldn’t believe she had said that. After what he was prepared to dedicate his life to, after the promise he made with Haze. And his mom saw this as nothing more than silly games? He couldn’t hold it in anymore. He had to let his voice be heard.

“Is that what this is to you?” Anther shouted, startling his mom into shock. “You think I just run around playing games? That none of it matters? Well you’re wrong! This isn’t a game to me! I’m a rescuer! I save peoples lives! I do it because I care! Because this is important to me! Because at the end of the day, I know that I made someone’s life a little better!”

“If you cared so much then you would care about how I feel about you doing this!” Ginger cried back. “You don’t appreciate how much you mean to me! How I would feel if something were to happen to you! It scares me to think about what happened to you yesterday, what could happen in other missions! It’s too much! Now that I’ve seen what you’ve been involved with, I cannot let you stay any more! Not my little fawn! Can’t you see! I’m the one who cares! I’m doing it because I love you!”

Anther’s blood felt like it was boiling now. His eyes focused on the face of his mother. Nothing else seemed to exist besides the two of them. “Is that all I am to you mom? A fawn? A little baby who can’t take care of himself? A mon who needs his mommy to look after him? Because I’m not a hatchling anymore! I can take care of myself now! I’ve taken care of myself for a whole year already! I think you just can’t handle the fact that I’m not the cute little Deerling that you used to fuss over! You don’t care about what I want, it’s all about you! Well if that’s what you want then why don’t you just have another Deerling to you can pamper and spoil! Because I’m living my life the way I want to! And it doesn’t matter what you say, I’m not going to let you take this away from me!”

“All right, now stop right there,” Staccato barked, as he sprung to his feet. He had been sitting on the sidelines up until now, hoping the storm would pass. But he couldn’t ignore this any longer. “That’s going too far Anther. Apologize to your mother.”

That voice was what snapped Anther back to his senses. The heat he was feeling was beginning to cool down and his vision became focused as the fog of his anger cleared. It was now that he noticed his mother’s face. She wasn’t angry anymore, in fact, quite the opposite. She was on the verge of tears. Anther didn’t understand, he felt like he was in the right, but now his dad was siding with her.

“Right now, Anther,” his dad demanded.

“I… I’m not sorry.” He answered. “I meant what I said. I’m not going home with you. I’m staying here.” With that, he turned around and left the scene.

***

Pokemon belongs to Nintendo/Game Freak
Art and Team Trample belongs to me,

Description
Part 4 of 9 for pre-event 6.

Application: [link]

First: [link]
Previous: [link]
Next: [link]

*****

The rest of Anther’s trip back the village was rather quiet. As entered neared the village, he was surprised to see the progress that had been made since the previous day. Most of the debris had been cleared away, and damaged structures were beginning to be torn down. The combination of the construction crew and the merchants proved to be very efficient.

The awful stink that had hung in the air the previous day had also faded. Anther didn’t know what the cause of it was, nor did he want to know. One thing he did know, though, was that it was coming from the Trubish Dump, and the rogues were working on removing whatever the source was. He sure didn’t envy that job.

As Anther headed through town, a voice called out to him. He looked over to the remains of the fountain to see his mom and dad heading towards him. Staccato was in his usual spot, clinging happily to Ginger’s antlers. Anther had been so focused on going to see the base that he forgot that he arranged with his dad to meet at the fountain that morning.

“Ah, there you are!” his mother, exclaimed as she walked toward him. “I’m so glad you’re back! I was thinking about you ever since you left yesterday!”

“I missed you too mom,” Anther replied. He allowed her to snuggle him affectionately once she reached him. He really didn’t have time to miss her, but it always seemed to put a smile on her face when he said it.

“Staccato tells me you did a great job saving people on your mission,” she said with a smile. “But just remember that you shouldn’t push yourself, or take any unnecessary risks.”

“Dear, he’s a big boy, he knows this already.” Staccato chimed, shifting into a more comfortable position.

“I know, I know… I just can’t help it! Oh I would just be devastated if something were too… too-” Ginger had stopped in midsentence as her eyes focused on one part of Anther’s body in particular. “Wh-what’s this? Bite marks? These weren’t here yesterday…”

“It’s just a scratch mom…” Anther said, trying to brush it off as if it were nothing. He tried to turn the bite marks away from her, but it was already too late.

“This looks like more than just a scratch!” she said, moving around to get a closer look at it. “Someone bit you! You were actually bitten! What happened to you yesterday? Who did this to you? Staccato, you told me there was nothing to worry about! You told me he wasn’t in danger!”

“Honey, honey, relax,” Staccato said, holding his hands in front of him as if trying to lower the stress levels. “Just calm down. There was nothing to worry about, he was surrounded by friends, see he’s fine.”

“Staccato, you better tell me the whole story unless you want to sleep on the ground tonight.” Anther had heard his mom make this kind of threat before. And it always worked like a charm. There was a nice cozy spot on her head between her antlers that he liked to sleep, and whenever that was in jeopardy his dad would bend to anything.

“W-well, you see dear,” he began, clasping his hands together and shaking his head apologetically towards his son. “The thing is. There… there was a bit of danger the other day… A-apparently this kinda thing doesn’t happen too often around here, though. It was a rare event.”

“And what danger would this be?”

Staccato was about to answer, but before he could move his lips, Anther cut in. “It was a pack of Mightyena. We walked into a trap of theirs where they tried to make us their next meal. But we ended up driving them off and everyone ended up fine.”

“F… f-f-fine?” Ginger asked, he voice trembling in terror and anger. “Y-you call this fine? You could have died out there Anther! And then what would I have done? You’re my only child, I can’t lose you!”

“Dear, maybe you’re being a bit-” Staccato began.

“You are already in enough trouble as it is,” Ginger snapped, he voice as sharp as daggers. “I can’t believe I ever decided to let you leave home. I knew this was a mistake! Being a rescuer is too dangerous for you! I’ve decided, we’re going back home this instant.”

“But mom!” Anther protested.

“No buts!” she snapped. “You’re going home where it’s safe and that’s final! Come on now.”

“No…”

Ginger turned around. She had already started walking, but Anther hadn’t moved an inch. If she had been hoping that he wouldn’t protest, then she was sorely mistaken.

“I’m not giving you a choice Anther, I am telling you. You do not belong here, you belong at home, with your family.”

“I’m not going…” Anther replied, remaining defiant. “I’m staying here. This is my home now. I can’t leave now after all that I’ve done. After I’ve met so many mons.”

“You’ve been at this for a year,” she insisted, attempting to be persuasive. “Haven’t you had enough of these silly rescuer games? Enough is enough.”

“Haven’t you had enough of those silly rescuer games?”

This sentence was all he heard now, playing over and over again in his head. He couldn’t believe she had said that. After what he was prepared to dedicate his life to, after the promise he made with Haze. And his mom saw this as nothing more than silly games? He couldn’t hold it in anymore. He had to let his voice be heard.

“Is that what this is to you?” Anther shouted, startling his mom into shock. “You think I just run around playing games? That none of it matters? Well you’re wrong! This isn’t a game to me! I’m a rescuer! I save peoples lives! I do it because I care! Because this is important to me! Because at the end of the day, I know that I made someone’s life a little better!”

“If you cared so much then you would care about how I feel about you doing this!” Ginger cried back. “You don’t appreciate how much you mean to me! How I would feel if something were to happen to you! It scares me to think about what happened to you yesterday, what could happen in other missions! It’s too much! Now that I’ve seen what you’ve been involved with, I cannot let you stay any more! Not my little fawn! Can’t you see! I’m the one who cares! I’m doing it because I love you!”

Anther’s blood felt like it was boiling now. His eyes focused on the face of his mother. Nothing else seemed to exist besides the two of them. “Is that all I am to you mom? A fawn? A little baby who can’t take care of himself? A mon who needs his mommy to look after him? Because I’m not a hatchling anymore! I can take care of myself now! I’ve taken care of myself for a whole year already! I think you just can’t handle the fact that I’m not the cute little Deerling that you used to fuss over! You don’t care about what I want, it’s all about you! Well if that’s what you want then why don’t you just have another Deerling to you can pamper and spoil! Because I’m living my life the way I want to! And it doesn’t matter what you say, I’m not going to let you take this away from me!”

“All right, now stop right there,” Staccato barked, as he sprung to his feet. He had been sitting on the sidelines up until now, hoping the storm would pass. But he couldn’t ignore this any longer. “That’s going too far Anther. Apologize to your mother.”

That voice was what snapped Anther back to his senses. The heat he was feeling was beginning to cool down and his vision became focused as the fog of his anger cleared. It was now that he noticed his mother’s face. She wasn’t angry anymore, in fact, quite the opposite. She was on the verge of tears. Anther didn’t understand, he felt like he was in the right, but now his dad was siding with her.

“Right now, Anther,” his dad demanded.

“I… I’m not sorry.” He answered. “I meant what I said. I’m not going home with you. I’m staying here.” With that, he turned around and left the scene.

***

Pokemon belongs to Nintendo/Game Freak
Art and Team Trample belongs to me,