The plane on the air smells strangely sterile. It reminds Yamper of those rooms he was at before he met Sam. They were called a 'nursery', the small pokemon thinks. They always had treats there and everybody called him a good boy, so he liked those rooms very much.
Turning around to look at his trainer who's fast asleep, Yamper concludes Sam isn't giving him nearly enough treats. The boy isn't meeting the 'good boy' quota either. Still, Yamper likes Sam, he runs a lots with him, which is fun. And he helps with the electricity as well. Right, Sam helps him use his electric attacks, which Yamper really enjoys. The Nuzzle always felt like a tickle, which soothed the small dog. Although, he had forgotten to do that now, and has learned Thunderbolt instead. Yamper's not sure why he had to forget Nuzzle. Sam said something about game mechanics and physical limitations of Gameboy. Yamper had no idea what a Gameboy is, but he had hoped it was a treat. Perhaps it tasted nice. Thunderbolt felt good as well, like a surge of air and electricity through his body. Releasing all of that made the small dog feel very powerful. Though, Sam wasn't too happy with his power, which made Yamper kind of said.
He couldn't blame the boy. The small dog could sense his partenr wasn't feeling happy. Even now, while he was asleep on the plane, Sam looked kind of worried. Yamper licked his face softly, trying to chase away boy's worries. It was not very effective.
Yamper knew, Sam was unhappy because of the other four boys. The small dog didn't really know them. There was that one that had Riolu, he went for a run with him and Sam once, and gave Yamper treats a few times, so the electric dog liked him. He was not sure why Sam didn't. Maybe it was Riolu. Yamper talked to Riolu a few times, and the ffighting type was okay, but a little bit strange. There was that other boy as well, the one with blond hair, he was Yamper's favourite. He gave Yamper treats and pets, but only when nobody else was there. He also had a Rockruff. Yamper really liked Rockruff, he was friendly and fun, but the rocks around his neck were kind of sharp. They played a few times, but only when no one else was there. Yamper wasn't sure why the blond boy didn't let Rockruff play more. The other two boys were both dark and Yamper didn't know them too much. One of them had a Houndour, a pokemon Yamper was scared of. The other one had Absol, whom Yamper had seen only once, the day he met Sam. And Absol was not that talkative that day. Either way, Yamper was sure the other four boys were the reason his partner was unhappy.
After burrying his face into Sam's shoulder a few times, and realising the boy's not waking up anytime soon, Yamper decides he wants to do something else. Sam is stiing between two other people. One of them is an old man, and the other is a girl with long brown hair. She's sat next to a window, which Yamper really wants to look through, so he turns around to ask her for permission to sit in her lap.
"Hey, little one", the girl's voice is sweet and soft, "what's up, your trainer's asleep?".
Yamper barks in confirmation, wrestling his way out of Sam's arms and reaching for the girl.
"Oh, you want to come over here?", she asks with a smile, happy to let the small dog sit in her lap.
Yamper immediatly burries his head against the window, just to find the outside is all blue and white. The blue parts look faded, while the white ones look fluffy like cotton candy. Yamper wants to eat it. "Those are clouds", the girl explains. Yamper watches as these 'clouds' pass by them, as if they are trying to escape them. Maybe Sam would like these 'clouds', Yamper thinks, maybe he'd feel better if he saw them. Or maybe they'd be a good metaphor for his internal conflicts, confusions and clouded judgement. Even if the clouds were something bad, Yamper still likes them. Clouds were also a part of life, which made them worth loving, Yamper decided.
Turning around he licked Sam's face again, csusing the boy to shuffle in his place.
"He's probably tired", the girl says to Yamper, "are you bored because your trainer is asleep?".
Yamper gives a small bark in order to say: "yes, yes I absolutely am, wake him up and tell him to look at these 'clouds' with me, and also, to give me a treat".
The girl doesn't really pick up on everything Yamper wants but she shows him two pokeballs instead. "Here, I can get you some friends", she says with a smile as she presses two button.
From the blue light a small blue penguin appears, from the other one the little blue bird with fluffy white wings. "These are Piplup and Swablu", the girl says softly, "the three of you can go and play, but be careful, and don't bother anyone, alright?".
The small penguin waddles around, and the bird lets out a chirp, as they make their way away from the seat.
Yamper jumps out from the girl's lap, enthusiastically barking at the two new pokemon. What he's trying to say is: "Hi, I'm Bolt, the Yamper".
Swablu spreads its wings, making a small circle around the airplane, before promptly landing on top of Yamper's head. The small dog barks happily, glad to have made the new friend. The bird chirps in exhilaration as to say: "let's go for a walk".
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Piplup let's out a small growl, firmly flapping its small arms, as to remind them that the girl had told them not to cause any trouble.
"Us?", Swablu chirps, "trouble?".
"Never", Yamper barks.
Piplup places its flaps to the sides with a weak growl that translates to: "for some reason, I find it hard to believe the two of you".
Swablu keeps on chirping, ignoring the Piplup: "so what are we going to do?".
Yamper barks back at her: "I saw a women bringing treats from there". He nudges his hadns towards the doors. "Sam was asleep so I didn't get any", Yamper keeps barking, "we should go and get some".
Piplup starts growling frantically: "no, no, that's theft you guys".
"What's theft?", Swablu chirps in confusion.
"I don't know but maybe it tastes good, so let's go", Yamper barks away before happily jolting forwards with Swablu still on his head.
"Wait, no", Piplup growls as it tries waddling behind them.
Yamper's done a lots of running with Sam, so making it to the big grey doors is a piece of cake. He, however, didn't have a lots of practice opening doors. He saw Sam do it all the time, but Yamper had no idea how to do it. He was confident Sam used his arms for that. He looked around just to note neither him nor his new friends had any arms. This is a serious roadblock on their quest, he realises.
"Piplup, can you open the doors with your wings?", Yamper turns around to bark his new friend.
"No, no I can't", Piplup growl sternly, "even if I could, I wouldn't help you steal something".
"Cmon, Pip, let your moral compass loose", Swablu chirps merrily, "live a little".
"You are morally questionable", Piplup growls back, "I am not stepping over to the dark side just so the two of you could satisfy your gluttony".
"What if we ask nicely?", Yamper barks an offer.
"No", Piplup growls.
"Wait, let me try", Swablu chirps, flying upwards, and ladning on the handle. It doesn't budge. "See, this is exactly why I need to eat more", the bird chirps at the Piplup with a note of bitternes.
"Maybe I can Thunderbolt it open?", Yamper barks.
"No, you are aboslutely not doing that", Piplup face palms.
"Why not?", Yamper twists his head in confusion.
"Because I said so", Piplup growls firmly.
Yamper lets out a defeated bark, realising he would have to give up on his quest for food. Why couldn't Sam capture a friend with arms for him? Desperately, he looks around himself, and his eyes land on a pokemon sat on one of the chairs. It's a Mr. Mime, very serious looking, but more importantly, it has arms.
Seeing an opportunity, Yamper runs up to the pokemon, noticing its trainer is sleeping in the seat next to him. "Ahem, ahem, Sir", Yamper tries to make his barks polite and formal, "Sir, could you please open the doors for us".
Mr. Mime tilts its head to the side, without giving an answer. It doesn't want to help them, Yamper thinks. The pokemon raises its arm upwards, making it glow. Yamper hears something click behind him.
Swablu lands on his head and starts chirping frantically: "Bolt, Bolt, the doors opened, let's go".
Yamper realises the Mr. Mime is a psychic type. "Thank you, Sir", the small dog gives a quick bow before jolting off towards the door.
The three friends make their way into a small room, just to instantly realise it's filled with food.
"We are rich", Swablu chirps, leaping into the air, and quickly grabbing a few biscuits, dropping them down to Yamper and Piplup.
"We are criminals", Piplup wails, but bites into the biscuit regardless.
Yamper quikcly swallows one of the biscuit, then proceeds to do the same with a second one. Before he can get to the third one he hears a voice coming from the doors: "hey, who left this open".
Turning around he sees a woman, staring into three of them.
"No, I can't go back to prison", Piplup frantically runs between the woman's legs, but not before it picks up another biscuit from the ground.
"Adios amigos", Swablu chirps as it flies around the woman and exits the room as well.
Prison? No one mentioned prison, Yamper thinks. He doesn't know what it is, but he doesn't want to go there. Jolting, he runs between woman's legs as well, making his way to freedom.
"Stop it, you three", the woman yells behind them, but Yamper isn't turning around.
Thanks to his training, he's quick to make his way back to Sam, instantly jumping into boy's lap, and burrying himself inside of his hoodie.
"Um, what, what's going on", the boy yawns, only then waking up. "Hey, Bolt, what's up buddy", he asks grogily, noticing the small dog is trying to hide away in his clothes.
"They are coming for me", Yamper barks frantically.
"Oh, you wanna play", Sam's lips twirl into a smile.
"I'm a wanted criminal, you fool", Yamper keeps barking at him, "hide me".
"We're on a plane buddy", Sam says, "I can't let you run around like that".
"Hey, hey", the familiar voice rings behind Yamper and he knows his freedom is about to meet its end. "Is that Yamper yours kid?", the woman asks Sam firmly.
"Um, yeah", Sam says, still sleepy.
"And those two are yours?", she adresses the girl, gesturing towards Piplup and Swablu.
"Yes, they are", the girl says.
"Well, those three broke into the storage room and stole the treats", the woman informs them.
"What?", the girl says in surprise. Turning to her pokemon she said: "I said no causing trouble you two".
Piplup starts waving its wings around and complaining: "it's not my fault, I've tried to stop them, but the two of them are corrupted, it's beyond the point of return, I say, just let them drown in the life of crime".
"Oh, well, they were probably just hungry", Sam scratches his head, "did they break anything?".
"No, they just stole a few biscuits", the woman informs them.
"Well, is it alright if I just pay for those?", Sam shrugs, "how much are they?".
"One's 50pd", the woman says, "they ate like 5, I think".
"Oh, well, they are not that expensive", Sam says, "I can pay for that, can you bring a few more as well, I think Bolt's just hungry".
"Yeah, could you bring a few more for these two as well", the girl asks apologetically, "I kept them in their pokeballs when you passed, I didn't know they were hungry".
"Wow", Piplup growls, taken aback, "these two are big on permissive parenting, huh".
"Sure thing", the woman eases up a bit, "but please, don't let them roam the plane freely, someone could've gotten hurt".
"We won't, no worries", Sam says, petting Yamper's head.
The woman dissapears for a second, and Yamper realises, all things included, he's happy to have a partner like Sam.