Chapter Text
As you walked through the forest, staring down at the map in your hands, you had to finally admit it to yourself. You had to come to the inevitable realization that you had tried to avoid.
You were lost.
No ifs, ands, or buts about it; you had no clue where you were. You had started out so confident, knowing exactly the path you needed to take in order to get to where you needed to be.
But things went south very quickly. Early into your trek, a flock of Taillows came flying after you, angry for some reason and taking their fury out on you. You were forced to run off the path you were following and find somewhere to hide. Luckily, you found a small cave tunnel. It was a little bit of a squeeze, but enough to fit through. And it deterred the Taillows enough to leave you be.
You quickly emerged from the cave after that, only to find yourself covered in about five Joltiks, crawling over you. You had to brush them off quickly before they could seriously shock you. They managed to give you a few zaps, but nothing dangerous, luckily.
After that you had to find your way back to the trail, hoping the map might help you with that. Unfortunately, instead of finding the path, you found a nest of Stunkies that were apparently very territorial. They chased after you for a good few minutes until you threw yourself into a pond. That made them give up and return to their nest.
At that point, you had been chased so far off course that you had no idea where you even were. You just started wandering around, trying to find a path that might lead you somewhere. Anywhere! Unfortunately, no such luck. You were lost for quite some time until you finally admitted it to yourself. And by that time, it was already getting dark. You started walking pretty late in the afternoon and by now it was already sunset.
You were kinda hungry. You hadn't eaten anything in a while. You were also tired, having to run quite a few times from angry Pokémon. You just wanted to go home. You didn't even care about getting where you intended on going anymore, you just wanted to get out of there. Back to your safe home with food and a bed.
As you were walking, shivering from your wet clothes, you suddenly heard a sound from behind you. Whipping around, you were met with the sight of a Pangoro, huffing and staring at you intensely. You froze for a moment, wondering if it too was the territorial sort.
A swift punch to a tree as it got up to approach you said everything you needed to know. You turned tail and fled, quickly pursued by the hostile mon.
As you were running again, you felt tears gathering at the corners of your eyes. You were so tired already, would you have the energy to keep running like this for much longer? Were you even fast enough to outrun it? What would happen when it caught up? You didn't want to die like this! Even if it didn't kill you, there was no way you were getting out of there if it broke one of your legs. You'd be dead either way. There was nothing you could-!
As you were crying in panic, you suddenly found yourself bumping into something, causing you to fall over onto the ground. You hurriedly shook the stars out of your eyes and looked up, surprised to find a person standing in front of you. They were looking away from you, so you couldn't really tell who they were. All you saw was blue and pink.
The growl of the Pangoro caught your attention, making you scramble to get up. But it was already closing in before you could, so you simply covered your head and prepared for an attack. But… nothing happened. In fact, Pangoro just… stopped. You dared to take a peek, seeing the large Pokémon standing there, looking almost… apprehensive?
You uncovered your head and slowly looked back at the human behind you. A woman, from what you could tell, wearing a white dress with blue and pink on it, matching her pink hair and blue hat. Most notably, she had a pair of sharp eyes that were staring intimidatingly at Pangoro.
Shockingly, that actually worked. Pangoro took a few steps back before it turned and walked away. You just stared in awe, not sure how she managed to do that. Must be one of those scare tactics.
"... I… I… thank you. Thank you so much. You saved my life."
She looked down on you, her gaze still as sharp as before, but less intense. You pushed yourself off the ground and brushed yourself off, taking the moment of peace to get a better look at her.
She was beautiful, probably around her thirties or so, give or take. She was tall and slightly curvy, wearing a long white dress and a pink blazer with long blue sleeves. The hat she was wearing looked like a witches hat, blue with a pink orb decorating it.
"Why are you here?"
You were caught off guard as she asked you that. You almost hadn't expected her to talk, she just exuded that type of mysterious aura. But you put yourself together and tried to answer.
"I uh- I-I got lost trying to get through. I was ch-ch-chased by so many Pokémon. I… I-I-I…"
You couldn't help it. Everything that happened was starting to really get to you. You were hurt, wet, tired and scared. You didn't want to be there anymore. You just wanted to leave.
"I-I'm sorry! I j-just… I'm so tired! I'm c-c-c-cold, wet, have small scrapes and burns! I… I just want to go home. But I can't find my way out."
"... … … They chased you?"
"Huh? Uh… y-yeah?"
Her expression seemed to shift into a sneer, like she was offended at the idea. "The gall of those wild beasts… they should know better than to do that…"
"Um… well they are wild Pokémon. I don't really expect much else. But thank you for the concern. So do you know the way out of here?"
She looked down at you, her eyes seeming less sharp as she did. They looked a little more gentle, helping to ease your worries a bit.
"... No. But I live here. I can take you to where I live and you can warm up and rest there."
"R-really?! Oh thank you thank you tha-"
"Please, calm down. You're giving me a headache."
"Oh… sorry."
"It's alright, just… don't get worked up. I need peace."
Without another word, the lady started leading the way towards her home. You followed her, feeling much less stressed, but still a little nervous about the entire situation.
*~*~*
It was… awkward.
You sat quietly on her couch, trying to warm yourself up by the open fire. She was doing something else in the other room. You weren't sure what exactly. Neither of you said much. The most she had said to you was, "take a seat. I'll light a fire." Then she left you after doing so, leaving you completely alone for over 20 minutes.
Thankfully, she soon came back with a small basket of nanab berries in her hands. She sat down beside you and put the basket in your lap quietly. You looked bewildered, shifting your eyes between her and the food.
"Eat" was all she said, sounding more like a command than an offer. You snapped out of your shock and thanked her softly before eating.
After you were full, you handed the basket back to her; but not before noticing her staring at you. Had she been… watching you eat?
"Um… thank you. I feel much better now."
"You do?"
"Y-yes! I was really hungry!"
"Oh."
…
…
…
More awkward silence.
"... So. Uh… nice- nice place you g-got here! Cozy little cottage and all."
"Is it calming?"
"Well… it's much better than being out there, that's for sure!" You laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Her face remained as stone-cold as it was when you first saw it. It made you shut up real quick and lower your head with a mumbled apology.
"... You didn't answer."
"Huh? Oh! I mean- buh- y-yes! It's really calming! I like it!"
She looked you up and down, as if she was checking that you indeed were calm. You found that weird. She was being awfully strange. You wondered if you made a mistake following her home.
"... … … You are still emotional. Stressed. Worried. Why?"
You sputtered, dumbfounded by her blunt, random and accurate observations and questions. She was just so… strange. That was the only word you could use to describe her. It made you feel your heart pound in your chest, both from worry and fluster.
As if able to hear your rising heartbeat, her face softened into something less cold. Into something that could only be described as… comforting. A gentle concern, saying that she really wanted to help you. It eased your tension a little bit.
"I… I'm just… I wanna go home. I want to feel safe. I want my bed, my Morpeko, my house."
She hummed softly and gave a nod, her eyes telling you that she understood. "I see. But I need you to be calm. No one can come here and hurt you. They wouldn't dare come near my house."
"That's… reassuring."
"Can I make you feel safer?"
"Uuuuh… I… I don't know. That's a big question."
"... … … Can I ask you to do something for me?"
You were surprised. But more so curious. This lady sure was a mystery; you had no idea what she might say next. It had you at the edge of your seat as you gave a nod.
"Close your eyes."
She took both your hands as she said that, holding them very lightly. Ok. Maybe she wanted to do some mental exercises to relax. That's not so weird. So you did as told and closed your eyes.
"Think of something safe. Think of the safest place in the world. Think of something that brings you comfort, makes you feel happy and relaxed."
You could do that.
"Ok… um… I'm thinking of my bed, back ho-"
"No. Think. Don't speak it. Your thoughts will be filtered if you put them into words. Just think it."
You fell silent, wondering if this lady was magical or has some ancient wisdom; she spoke like a grand magician.
But you complied, letting your thoughts wander off to somewhere comfortable and nice. First thing that came to mind, again, was your bed. But a very specific scene of your bed. It was you in it, but a younger version of you. You were half asleep, surrounded by plushies and covered in a soft heavy blanket. Underneath that blanket beside you, holding you close, was your family Zangoose. It had snuck in while you were playing in bed, avoiding going to sleep, and begged to cuddle.
You remember that moment very clearly. How nice you felt right then. It was the first time you didn't mind going to bed as a kid. You fell asleep without your parent's help. You really miss Zangoose. But you loved that memory. It always made you feel so happy and calm.
So calm, in fact, that you started feeling a little light headed. Your brain was getting a little fuzzy, along with that memory of yours. You let out a groan and blinked your eyes open, wondering what was happening.
When you did, you found yourself in your room. You were sitting in bed, looking around in confusion. It didn't look like your current bedroom, but the one from your childhood. That confused you even more. What was going on?
"Shhhhh~."
You heard a soft hush from your left. You quickly turned to see who made that sound, stunned when you saw a Hatterene standing by your bed.
"Wh-who are-?"
"It's ok, small one. It's ok. You are safe with me."
You blinked stupidly at her, not sure how to respond to that. Small one? Safe?
She reached out the hand stretching from her hat and gently rubbed your cheek with it. This action made you realize something; you were small. Her hand was huge on your face, able to cradle it fully without issue. It felt… good. Soothing.
"It's getting late. Aren't you feeling so tired, sweetheart?"
Now that she mentioned it, you were kinda tired. You were exhausted. But you didn't want to go to bed. Sleeping wasn't fun, it was boring. You crossed your arms with a small pout.
She smiled warmly and scratched your head, which felt really nice.
"Hmm… anything I could do to change your mind?" She gave a playful tilt of her head.
You thought about it for a moment, looking up at Hatterene as she smiled down at you. She gave off a sense of calm. A motherly safety you felt like you hadn't experienced for a long time.
Instinctually, you reached your arms up towards her and made grabby hands.
The Pokémon seemed to understand you perfectly. She nodded with a delightful giggle before getting into bed with you, pulling you in close to her chest. She wrapped you up in her long hair, which felt like a wonderful, warm, secure blanket enveloping you. But it also felt like a hug from your mom. It was an embrace and a covering at the same time. It made you feel at peace. At home.
"You're so calm. I can feel it. It makes me happy. You sweet little humans give off such wonderful energy when you get all comfortable."
You weren't sure what that meant, but you could only agree that you were indeed very calm and comfortable. Hatterene just made you feel so safe. And so sleepy. Your eyes were starting to slip shut.
"Just like that! Hee hee hee! Don't worry. I'll keep you safe. I'll keep you relaxed and happy. Nothing would dare bother you with me around. So rest easy, sweetheart~."
She ran her arms along your shoulders in soothing strokes, making your eyes grow even heavier. Her hair around you, protecting you from the world. Her body underneath you, providing a comfortable place to rest your weary form. Her voice, flowing through your ears and filling your head with sweet reassurance. It all just helped lull you into serenity.
You sighed heavily as your eyes were barely staying open, the pink light that was taking over them barely visible. Your face was totally lax and dazed, squished up to Hatterene's chest as she cradled you tightly. Your clothes were still a little damp from earlier, but the fire she managed to light had at least warmed you up a bit. She could deal with a little moisture.
The psychic type felt proud, seeing you get completely lost in the illusion she created for you. She could feel the pure euphoria radiating off you and it felt so satisfying, like a thirst that had been quenched. Your previous fear and distress had given her a massive headache. She had considered chasing you out of the forest, but then she got another idea.
Humans are such wonderful things to cuddle.
Hatterene watched as your eyes closed and you started snoring soundly, your arms lazily embracing her as you fell asleep. She cooed at your cute little face, finding it very sweet. Maybe having humans in the forest from time to time wasn't such a bad thing. She nuzzled your forehead before she settled down for a nice long nap with her new little friend.