Chapter Twenty-Six - The Team's Newest Fish

Azurill wasn't sure what to do around the mareep and the big ampharos. They'd let her stick around the big metal bowl with the water, and when night came, the ampharos had picked her up and brought her into the pile of mareep to sleep.

Azurill thought that she wasn't tired anymore, but she fell asleep almost as soon as she sunk into the combined fur of three mareep sleeping close together. She'd woken up early the next morning, when the mareep were standing and starting their day.

The mareep had a simple morning routine. They woke up, shook themselves free of the static they built up overnight--which left Azurill sparking herself--then chewed on some early dew-covered grass.

A human came by in one of those human machines, pulling a large tub behind him that he used to refill the water bowl. He chatted with the ampharos for a while. Azurill spent that time hiding, waiting for him to leave, or for the ampharos to give up on her and hand her to the human. The farmer left first, and Azurill sighed.

The morning went on rather quietly. Some of the mareep offered her some nice, green grass, but she wasn't interested in that. Instead she hunted for little bugs that she could nibble on and drank lots of fresh water.

This was nice, she felt... safer than she had in a while, but not as safe as she'd feel if she was back home.

She missed her mom.

The ampharos came over and bent way down to pet her between the ears. "Amph, ampharos ros." There there, baby, it will be okay. We will find you someone to take care of you.

Azurill wasn't sure about that, but she wasn't about to spit in the face of her saviour.

When the mareep left to go graze elsewhere, she said that she would stay. She was still a little tired and she didn't care much for grass, not even fresher, nicer grass that hadn't been stepped on yet.

So she snuck back into the big metal water bowl and floated there for some time. It was the closest thing to home she had.

Azurill might have cried a little.

Then, after a few hours passed and the sun was high overhead, she heard a commotion. People were approaching, and it didn't sound like it was just the mareep.

"Amph! Ampharos!" Baby, there is someone you should meet!

Azurill spun in the bowl, then carefully popped her head up over the edge. She blinked at what she saw. A flock of mareep, the ampharos who'd been nice to her, and then three more pokemon and two humans. "Azu?" she asked.

One of the little pokemon hopped forwards. It was small and brown, only a little bit taller than Azurill, and that was only if she didn't sit on her ball-tail. "Buneary, bun bun?" You're not a rattata.

"Azu! Azurill!" I'm not a rat, or a fish!

"Bun?" Fish?

She glared at the little pokemon, then sank lower into the metal bowl.

"Hi Azu," the human in blue said. She smiled, and Azurill stared at her for a moment. She had a strange aura about her, the same as Azurill's mom. And her ears... but no, that was a human. "Miss Ampharos here was telling us that you were hurt?"

Azurill shook her head. "Azu azurill," she said. I'm not hurt. Leave me alone.

"Oh? You're not?" the girl said. "Well, that's good then. My name is Broccoli, this is Choco my friend, Jazz, my other friend, and she has Sage and Bellsprout with her. They're also my friends!"

"Azu... azurill." I'm Azurill.

"Hi!" Broccoli said with a big smile. She came closer, then when Azurill sank lower, stopped and carefully fell onto her knees. She was going to stain the front of her skirt in the mud that way, but she didn't seem to care. "Well, how about you tell us what's going on. Are you... a furless baby mareep?"

"That's obviously not a baby mareep," the other human, Jazz said. "I... don't know what pokemon that is. Well, an azurill, obviously, but it doesn't look familiar to me." She pulled out a small square machine and tapped it with her thumbs. Azurill poked her head out a little more, curious. What was that, and what did it do? "Oh, got it. It's the predecessor form of marill and azumarill. Those aren't super common in Johto. There are some around Mount Mortar, to the north, but that's it."

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Azurill perked up. That was good to know, she supposed. Though she didn't know where that was. More importantly though... she wanted that little square. Maybe it would tell her where momma was?

"That sounds like it's far away," Broccoli said, sounding a little sad. "So, you're far from home too, huh?"

"Azu?" Too?

Broccoli nodded. "I'm a bit lost as well. So is Choco, but he's taking it like a champ." Broccoli eyed Azurill for a moment. "Are you hungry? We have some food to spare. We can give you some."

"Azuu? Azumarill?" What would you want for it?

Broccoli shook her head. "Nothing. You can have it. You just look a little hungry is all."

Azurill considered it. Her tummy was a little rumbly still. "Azu," she said with a nod. Then she hopped out of the bowl. She didn't go any further than the edge of it, however.

Broccoli and the other human talked to each other and decided that this was a good spot to stop and have lunch. That meant taking out a blanket to sit on, and then laying out various little foods on it. Azurill hovered on the edge, not trusting them just yet.

Ampharos came closer and told Azurill about how they met, and how she felt like these humans weren't bad. Maybe they could help her? But Azurill wasn't so sure about that.

"Here you go," Broccoli said as she put a small bowl closer to Azurill.

"Buneary, bun bun, buneary," I don't know what rats or fish eat, so it's just pokekibble.

"Azu! Azurill!" I'm not a fish!

"Bun, buneary?" So you're a rat?

The first piece of kibble Azurill picked up was spat out into Choco's face.

Broccoli giggled, then helped wipe Choco's face, though it didn't wipe away his scowl. "Bun, buneary bun bun." I don't know if I want that one joining us. It's too blue and rude.

"Azu!"

"Alright, alright," Broccoli said. "It's not nice to fight over meals. Though I'm happy to see you're getting along with Choco, Azurill!"

Azurill paused, then huffed. She wasn't getting along with that... rabbit. "Azu." She took a piece of kibble and chewed on it, then another, and another. They weren't the tastiest thing she'd ever had, kind of bland, and dry, but they weren't that bad, and they were filling.

"So, Azurill," Broccoli said as she bit into some human food. Azurill might have been tempted, but it looked like a lot of green stuff and bread. "You seem like you're far from home. Jazz and I are going to Azalea City, did you want to come with us? It might be closer to your home."

Azurill thought about it, then shook her head. "Azurill, rill rill." Home is far away.

"Oh," Broccoli said. She turned towards Jazz. "Do we know other places Azurill could be from?"

Jazz pulled out her little human square and placed it down. Azurill craned her neck to see, but it was just scribbles to her. "Hmm, a few places. Apparently they're common in Hoenn? But that's... kind of far from here. Same continent, but a ways away by ship."

Azurill pointed towards the water, then explained that she'd been swept away from home and dragged over to here. Broccoli listened attentively the entire time, then used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe Azurill's face clean when she sniffled a little.

Wait, when had Broccoli come so close?

"Okay," Broccoli said. "How about a deal, then?"

Azurill perked up. Deals and domains were important. Her momma had told her so. "Azu?"

"Yeah. I'm lost too. Maybe while I find a way home, I can help you find a way home too? We're doing the gym battle circuit right now, to grow stronger and get more respect. If you want to help us, then I promise I'll do what I can to find out where you're from, and whether or not we can get you home."

"Azurill? Azuu?" What about my half?

"Of the deal?" Broccoli asked. At Azurill's nod, she paused and tapped her chin. "Well, how about, in exchange, you become our friend!"

Azurill thought about it, then nodded. That sounded like a good deal to her.

"Buneary, bun bun!" Welcome on the team, fish!

Fortunately, the deal said nothing about becoming the rabbit's friend. "Azu!" she said before impressing her friends with her Water Gun skill.

***