Three Unlikely Friends

by Tiaa OwO

Another Day in this Nightmare

"GAAAAH! Run away! Run awaaaaay!" Clyde yelled. His hooves sounded like thunder on the ground as the burst out of the bushes and past the rest of the group.

"Jeez, could you be any louder?" Kobe growled. Specklepaw lifted his head and blinked groggily. He'd been napping while leaning on the Pokémon.

"Could you be any louder?" Specklepaw yawned. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"While leaning on me!"

"Hey, you're soft."

"Sorry to INTERUPT you lovebirds," Gilda said, causing Kobe and Specklepaw to blush, "but there are two grown Aluminai trying to kill us!" Clyde was far ahead of them but other than that, neither the Pokémon or the kitten saw anyone else.

"Where?" Kobe asked.

"There!" Two Aluminai, the same ones who had been tracking them before, burst end through the bushes and began snapping their jaws at any vulnerable flesh. Specklepaw didn't need to be told to run. He got up, suddenly wide awake, and bolted. It didn't take him long to catch up with Clyde and pass him.

"I told you!" Clyde called out.

"We've got to find someplace to hide!" Specklepaw panted. Kobe and Gilda were running behind them, the Aluminai on their heels and gaining. "If we don't, they'll catch us for sure!"

"We're heading out of the clearings and such. We'll be out of the forest and back into the town."

"No! Are you crazy?! There will be dozens of them, waiting to catch us!" Specklepaw exclaimed.

"My legs are killing me! Their gaining on us! Speed this process up some, idiots!" Gilda snarled.

"We have to think of something quick but it has to be smart." Kobe said. He was also getting tired. Specklepaw was starting to run out of breath and Clyde's chest was burning. They wouldn't be able to outrun them much longer. The town was coming into view and the Aluminai behind them were not slowing. Apparently, they were much more fit then their group.

"What do we do?!" Clyde asked.

"Kobe, do the thing!" Specklepaw blurted out.

"What thing?" Kobe raised a brow.

"He means the trick you did before. Do it!" Gilda clarified. "Hurry up! We don't have all day!"

"You mean my move? Leer?"

"Yea, yea, leer... whatever!" Specklepaw stumbled and nearly fell. "Huuurry!"

"What're you guys talking about? What move? What's leer?" Clyde panted, confused.

"I have to stop and face them to do it. I doubt they'll stop running this time. I've used it before."

"Try another one then! You said you had more!"

"KOBE DO THE FREAKING MOVE BEFORE I TRIP YOU!" Gilda roared.

"Okay! Jeez!" Kobe decided to use Scratch so he jumped as high as he could and came down on the male Aluminai first. He felt his claws make contact so he used his hind legs to catch the female. She yelped as claws raked her face.

"Asher!" she whined. Asher helped Sishae up and growled at Kobe. He had a gash at the base of his neck, between his shoulders. Blood dripped down and stained the ground. Sishae covered her right eye with her hoof. Blood oozed down her face from the gash that she'd gotten across most of the right side of her face. "He got my eye!"

"I'll kill you, you runt! You hear me?" Asher yelled at Kobe, who was now running away. He nuzzled his sister. "C'mon. They can't go far. We've got their scent and the forest isn't too big. Let's get you fixed up."

"Alright but right after, we're gonna find them..."

---

Clyde was the first to stop when he got to the edge of town. Specklepaw, Gilda, and Kobe slammed into him from behind and groaned.

"Next time, how about you don't stop suddenly?!" Gilda growled.

"Nobody told you to follow me!" Clyde scowled. "Aren't you supposed to be following your precious doggy leader?!"

"Yes you did! You specifically said, "follow me!" when we were running-"

"First of all, I'm not a leader..." Kobe interrupted, "...and who the heck are you calling a dog?!"

"My head..." Specklepaw placed his paw on his forehead and sighed. "Please don't start an argument."

"Let's go and kick some Aluminai tail! I say we should go to the chief ourselves and show her what's what!" Gilda said.

"I say we should find more help." Kobe suggested.

"That's so boring! We should go back to the original plan." Clyde stated. All three turned to Specklepaw.

"What do you think?" they asked. The kitten flattened his ears and said nothing.

"Don't you dare be Switzerland!" Kobe ordered. Gilda and Clyde gave each other confused looks. What the heck was a Switzerland? Specklepaw stared at him and the others before sighing.

"To be honest, I think all of you are mentally imparted. I can already think of several things that can go wrong with all of your plans. I think we should find a place to hide and stay for the night-"

"Stay the night?! Again?!" Gilda shouted. The kitten glared at her.

"You do realize it's getting late, right? I can see in the dark...so can Clyde...but can you two?" He gestured to her and Kobe. "On top of that, we can't go against any more Aluminai. Those two back there are barely grown and we can't take them. What makes you think the chief will be easier? We need a plan. A logical one."

There was a long silence. Gilda gave Specklepaw a look of respect and surprise before smiling and saying, "Alright. Let's go, then." Clyde turned and gave her a surprised look.

"What?"

"You've made a good point, Specks. Let's go find someplace safe." Kobe followed Gilda as she walked off.

"No way... You're listening to Egghead Scaredy Cat?"

"Pretty much." Gilda said, uncaring.

"You can't be serious."

"If you wanna stay here, go ahead. Don't come crying to us." Specklepaw said, his voice surprisingly even despite his nervousness. He was not used to speaking up for himself.

"Crying to you... What do you mean?"

"You're considered a traitor by your own kind, are you not?" Specklepaw thought Clyde had gone away when he was met with silence. He walked behind Gilda and Kobe with a frown.

"Aw, you're no fun when you're right, Eggy." Clyde's voice finally grumbled before he jogged up, next to the kitten. "Alright. We've got a hideout to find."