The Pokemon Philosophy

[Isabelle]

Hill over hill over hill, Lopunny leapt up the ashen mountains. Even the smallest incline would block the view, hiding how much more she had to go, making it aggravating and heart wrenching to conquer another incline only to find another ahead of it. She got tired of jumping from rock to rock. The constant movement and action was wearing her thin at this point; either that or the high altitude air was getting to her. Every look behind her was both a reassurance that she was actually making some distance, and a horrified realization how much height had been gained behind her.
Who knows how long it’s been since she left the Koopas. The sky as unnatural as it is, it was impossible to know what time of day it was. All she knew was that her stomach was growling at her, and the dryness in the back of her throat was getting more unbearable by the hour.
As she jumped up each mountain, she awaited that soothing comfort of another peak, and when she got it, she felt the harsh sting of disappoint when the mountain ahead of her was not Death Mountain. She’d see it in the distance, and it would get closer and closer each peak she crossed, but it did not bring her joy when the next mountain looked about as tall as the last one.
So she kept going, jumping from rock to rock, dodging every baby dragon she’d see flying around, and trying to ignore the heat oppressively pressing against her fur that seems to permeate from everywhere.

Then, a miracle happened. As she jumped up yet another steep incline, as uncertain as ever of what other inclines are waiting ahead, she reached over an edge. Rising up from the earth was Death Mountain, the next mountain over. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She thought the heat was making her hallucination. But no, it was real, and the only thing in her way was the trip down and the valley inbetween. She stood there, eyes filling with tears, almost wetting the giant smile on her face. After so many bland hills and mountains, the sight of that plateau of a peak reaching into the sky made her think it represented true beauty. Scaling a mountain range or two could make anyone a connoisseur.
After taking in the moment for a spell and regaining her breath, she set out sliding down the mountain, eyes focused on the land below. However, she screeched to a stop when something else caught her eye. Something glimmering lower down the mountain.
‘Water!’
She controlled her sliding to make sure she would wind up next to the pool. The area was vacant; no competing creatures of any kind ready to fight for it. A sign marked the area “Goron Hot Springs” but she ignored that. She dropped down to her knees and started chugging down water. It was hot, and she could taste the minerals from the ground, but she didn’t care. The feeling of fluid rushing down her throat was cleansing.

She heard the sound of flapping in the distance.
‘Great, another one of those small dragons.’ She thought.
But this one was different. The flaps were slower, sounded heavier, and were coming straight for her. Pulling herself from her drink, not even bothering to wipe the dripping spring water from her maw, she jolts around to see a giant bird, like an eagle, flying towards her at an advanced speed. Before she could even react, one of its gigantic talons grabs her around the waist and lifts her up into the air.
She wriggles and writhes against the might of its claws, but nothing seemed to work against the beast’s mighty grasp. It flew around Death Mountain, and towards one of the adjacent mountains. High up close to the peak, it brought her to a giant hole in the ground that looks like it has been dug up by the bird’s massive talons, and awaiting the beast was a little chicks, mouths open awaiting their mama’s arrival.
She felt herself being dropped into the nest. She quickly climbed to her feet, as the babies encroached on her. She didn’t want to fight back, these were but children after all, but they were getting closer and closer and those sharp beaks were gunning for her. Reluctantly, she threw a punch on the nearest chick, admittedly she held back a lot. It didn’t matter much, as it was enough to knock the poor like bird out. Upon hitting the floor of the nest, the other two immediately jump on the fallen chick, tearing into its flesh and ripping at its organs. Lopunny, shocked and horrified at what she had just done and what she was witnessing, backs away, not even noticing the edge she was walking over.
One step and she was sliding down the mountain. Re-positioning herself, she faced the valley below. Her mind spinning from the events that transpired, she hardly noticed the eagle mother approaching fast to enact its revenge. She broke out of her thoughts as she saw the talons moving in to grab onto her. Then, something crashed into the bird. Jolting her head around, she saw that a much bigger dragon like thing with only two legs had pinned the eagle against the slope of the mountain. It bit into the back of the bird’s neck, causing an audible cracking noise before Lopunny turned away, wincing.

After a while, she slid to the bottom of the mountain. Death Mountain was one short walk away, but it hardly felt like a victory. It wasn’t accustomed for a Pokemon to blame themselves, but the blood on her hands now made her feel horrid inside. She plopped down onto the ground face down in the dirt. Wasn’t crying, wasn’t showing any emotion at all, her heartbreak had broken her. She couldn’t face Medicham now. All she could do was lie there.
However, she saw, not far from where she was laying, a cave going into the mountain. She pushed herself back up. Dragging her feet, which burned from all the sliding, she carried herself closer to the cave. The light carried some distance, but the cave traveled far into the darkness.
“Hello? Any monsters in here?” She said, her voice echoing into the empty caverns.
She half expected the space to be occupied, but she waited a minute, three minutes, five, and nothing came for her.
‘Shelter is shelter’ she thought.
She slowly inched her way into the cave, and took salvation in the darkness, away from viewing eyes of any possible predators. She plopped back face down onto the cave floor; a bit more of a twinge of pain this time from the impact, but she did not care. She sunk into her thoughts.
‘I’m a monster…’ was the thought that resonated in her mind as she slowly fell into a deep sleep.