Parental instinct
Fandom: Pokemon horizons
Characters: Friede, Murdock, Molly, Orla, Liko, Roy
Summary: Friede does something dangerous and the rest of RWT are not happy about it
They have to stay another day in town since they are waiting for a delivery. It's a nice day so they spend it outside. When it's time for dinner Friede goes to call the kids back. They are playing with a couple of Tangelas. Sprigatito and Fuecoco must have run off somewhere because they are nowhere to be seen.
The Tangelas seem very young. The older ones usually shy away from people but these ones seem very curious. One of them swings at Roy's raised arm. Another is happily accepting pats from Liko. Friede smiles to himself at the sight. They all are enjoying themselves. Something moves in the bushes. Friede narrows his eyes. Vines slowly extend in the kid's direction. The vines have a bluish shade. He looks more intently. There's a pair of eyes. They are pretty high up. It's definitely not another Tangela. The hair at the back of his neck stand as he realizes what's happening.
"Liko, Roy" They look at him. Surprise paints their faces as they hear his serious tone. "Set the Tangela back down. Slowly." He instructs. His vision doesn't stray from the bushes. The kids follow his gaze. They both freeze. The Pokemon is higher than Friede so it's very intimidating up close.
"Come on, put it down." He urges. Roy starts to slowly lower himself into a crouch. The Tangela makes a quizzical sound. When it touches the ground it doesn't let go. Neither does it let go when Roy is fully crouching. Roy sends Friede a panicked look. Friede sets his jaw. Nobody moves for a moment. The Tangela shakes its vines to indicate that it wants to continue playing. When Roy doesn't react it makes an annoyed sound and shakes its vines again. When that doesn't get the reaction it's expecting it lets go of Roy and curls its vines in frustration. Friede lets out a breath of relief.
"Now get up and back away. No sudden movements. Nice and slow." He directs. The Tangelas let out various cries of disappointment as the kids started to back away. A Tangrowth comes out of the bushes. The Tangelas cry out louder. Some sound sad, some angry. The Tangrowth lets out a soothing cry. The Tangelas answer. Friede hoped that the kids getting away would calm the Pokemon but the loss of their playmates had upset the Tangelas. Tangrowth glares at the kids. A few vines rise from the general tangle. It's reading for an attack.
"Friede?" Liko had also noticed that. Friede swallows. The attack is inevitable. The kids won't make it unharmed out of its range if they start to run. Unless...
He's so going to be yelled at after this.
"When I say 'run', run, okay?"
"Friede?"
"Okay?"
"Yeah." Their agreement is unsure but Friede doesn't really have time to convince them.
"Run!" He calls as he also starts to run. The kids give him startled looks as he passes them running towards the pokemon. He jumps to the side. The vine whip misses. Then he backs away. The next attack brushes his coat. He jumps to the other side. The pokemon lets out a frustrated noise as it misses again. Next it directs a wide attack to knock him out of his feet. He jumps, avoiding it again. When he lands he slips, loses his balance, half falls into a crouch. Just in time to avoid getting hit in the face. The pokemon attacks from upwards. Friede lunges to the side. Gets to his feet. He's not fast enough to dodge the next wide swipe. He at least manages to block it with his arm. Pain laces his whole forearm. He reels to the side.
"Friede!" The kids scream in alarm.
He wants to shout back that he's fine. But it dies in his throat as a vine wraps around his ankle and yanks. He falls, gets dragged at the ground. Rocks bite into his hands as he tries to stop it. Then he's flying just barely over the ground. Hits it again, rolls around and finally stops. It takes him a moment to realize that he's not being attacked. He opens his eyes. Looks at the Tangrowth who's very close to him now. His first instinct is to flee but he forces himself to stay still. Running will definitely get him attacked. He wrecks his brain. He ain't a professor for nothing. He needs to look submissive. He slowly, oh so slowly, lays on his back, exposing his belly, hands at his sides. He curls up trying to make himself seem smaller. The Tangrowth observes him with its unnerving eyes. The Tangelas call out. The Tangrowth turns halfway in their direction, glares at him and finally it walks away. He allows himself a breath of relief only when the pokemon vanish in the forest. He relaxes and takes a steadying breath, then another.
"Friede?" Right now he has to deal with that. He sits up with some difficulty. He's bruised all over from the ordeal.
"I'm alright." He assures with an easy smile.
The kids look relieved even if Liko doesn't look quite convinced.
"Hey guys, what's taking you so long?" Murdock calls. They all whip their heads in his direction. The cook's smile is slowly replaced by consternation as he approaches. They must be looking odd with Friede sitting on the ground and the kids leaning over him.
"Did something happen?"
Before Friede can even open his mouth Roy exclaims. "We got attacked by a Tangelrowth!"
"Tangrowth." Friede finds himself correcting.
"Oh, right!" The boy says unfazed.
"Are you all alright?" Murdock looks them all over, stopping at Friede, who's still sitting on the ground.
The kids nod.
"Sure." Friede says as he starts to get up. He doesn't get far as one of his legs lights up with pain. He clutches at it hissing through his teeth.
"Friede?" Murdock asks.
"Ok. Definitely not alright. Ow."
"Let me see." Murdock crouches next to him. His hands hover over his leg. He hesitates. He's not sure how to approach this without causing him more pain.
"Can you get Molly?" The cook askes the kids. They run to get her. Friede frowns. Honestly it's not that bad. Friede uncurls a little. He unties his shoe, struggles to get it off.
"Let me." Murdock says. He loosens the ties more and gently takes off his boot.
"Huh." Friede comments intelligently. His ankle is an impressive shade of red and already starting to swell. He tries to move it and winces.
"Don't move it." Murdock chides. Friede looks away from his worried expression. He observes the bushes.
"We should move away a bit." He says.
"Why?"
"The pokemon that attacked us might still be nearby."
He yelps as Murdock lifts him bridal style. He clings to him to keep balance.
"I can walk." He says with indignation.
"Sorry but I don't trust your assessment of that." Friede pouts. He still finds his cheeks heating up at the thought of the rest of the team seeing them like that. His dignity could survive a piggyback ride but this?
After walking a safe distance away Murdock starts to set him back down. Friede has other plans. He wiggles and Murdock has no choice but half set half drop him to his feet. He stands leaning on the cook for balance as he keeps his weight off his injured leg.
"Friede." Murdock sighs in exasperation. Fried just grins.
"Oh, I got you dirty." He says as he points at Murdock's neck. The cook wipes it with his hand. He frowns and grabs Friede's hand. Looks it over. His frown deepns. Friede looks at his hand when it's released from the other man's grip. It's grazed, smudged with dirt and a bit bloody. As if on cue it starts to sting. He looks at his clothes. No wonder Murdock looked so worried. They are dirty and torn in some places.
"Anything else?" Murdock's question gets him out of his thoughts. He would like to say no but Molly's going to check him over meticulously anyway.
"Yeah." He looks at where he's gripping Murdock's shoulder. "Uh, I will need both hands for that."
"Then maybe sit down?" As you should have from the beginning goes unsaid. He does sit up. With a bit of help. He rolls up his sleeve to check on his arm. And as he expected it's visibly bruised.
"Friede." Murdock says as if he knows he willingly got himself in a situation leading to this.
"What?" He asks more harshly than he intended.
Murdock mulls over whatever he's going to say. Friede doesn't get to hear it.
"Friede!" They both startle at Molly's call. She stomps in their direction. "You-" She searches for the right word. Doesn't find it. "Agh!" Friede sets his mouth in a hard line. Murdock looks between them in confusion. The kids must have told her what happened. When Molly sees Murdock's confusion she explains.
"He" She points at Friede "Set himself up to get attacked by a Tangrowth."
Murdock looks at him with a mix of disappointment and frustration. Molly's reaction made Friede want to fight to defend his actions but Murdock's made him want the ground to swallow him up. He tensed. He wanted to get up and walk away from this situation but the throbbing in his ankle reminded him that it wasn't an option.
Molly sighed, her anger visibly dissipating. "Come on, show me that leg." Friede relaxed a bit at that. She prodded at his leg, moved it a bit. He couldn't help it but hiss and wince through her ministrations.
"It's sprained." Molly informes. Friede cringed at the idea of restricted movement.
"What next?"
He shows her his hands. "Nothing some soap and water can't fix." She decides.
"Anything else? Or do I have to pat you down?"
Friede pouted at that.
"His arm." Murdock answered for him. After a similar assessment Molly informed that it was only bruised.
"I can't do more here. Let's get him back to the ship."
Murdock moves to pick him up the same way as before. Now that he's calmed down from the ordeal Friede is fast enough to protest. "No!" Murdock freezes.
"You can't seriously want to walk back to the ship." He says incredulously.
"No, I'm not stupid." Molly looks like she would like to argue about that. "Can we do it piggyback style?" When Murdock doesn't agree immediately he adds. "Please?"
Molly huffs a laugh. "Did you carry him from the forest bridal style?" She asks.
The cook nods. Molly laughs fully at that. Friede feels his cheeks heat up again. He hides his face behind his hands. Murdock pats his shoulder.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." He assures. Molly laughs louder. Friede groans.
"We can do piggyback if you're so adamant about it." Murdock says.
Friede looks from behind his fingers. "Really?"
"Yep."
Molly wipes tears from her eyes.
This wasn't that funny. Really.
Murdock crouches in front of Friede. He has to be a bit creative with his movements but he manages to climb on his back. He swings his hands around the cook's neck.
What was the last time I was carried like that? Friede thinks. Probably sometime in college when he was being silly with his friends. He smiles.
The rhythmic shaking and Murdock's warmth combined with the rest of the adrenaline flushing form his system make him sleepy. He fights it. Everyone had enough of a fright as it was. If he fell asleep they would probably think he's unconscious and that they missed something. He suppresses a yawn. Murdock looks at him from the corner of his eye.
"Tired?"
"Mhm" He admits. "You're comfy."
"Good to know." He chuckles.
"You didn't hit your head?" Molly asks.
Friede thinks about how he got dragged on the ground. "No."
"Good."
The kids jump them as soon as they are close to the ship asking a million questions. They all try to answer them and calm them down sufficiently. Then Friede's carried to the infirmary, his wounds cleaned. He suggests getting a shower before Molly bandages whatever needs bandaging. She agrees to it but insists he should sit through it. He does as he's told. She might have given him painkillers but they didn't alleviate the pain fully. Freshly showered and dressed in his more comfortable clothes he gets his leg bandaged. Molly spreads some ointment over his bruises. It spreads a pleasant cool over his burning skin.
The previous sleepiness has disappeared after his shower so they eat in the kitchen. When only the kids walk out after they finish eating he knows he's going to get scolded.
"So" Molly leans forward on the table. "Why did you think that aggregating the Tangrowth was a good idea?"
He squirmed in his seat. "It was going to attack them. If they had run they wouldn't make it out unscathed."
"But you ending up injured is fine?" Murdock asked. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"I- No" Friede bit the inside of his cheek. "I didn't plan to get hit."
"Then what were you expecting when you ran towards it?" It was Orla's turn to ask. She wasn't disappointed like Murdock or angry like Molly. She wanted to understand.
"I dodged some of the hits, thought that I could get away." He explained.
"I know that you're sure of your athletic abilities but rushing in without seeing how strong the pokemon is was beyond reckless." Orla said.
"So what? Was I supposed to watch as it attacked the kids?!" He couldn't help but raise his voice. "None of our pokemon were nearby, it was protecting its kids. It wouldn't let us walk away."
His anger was replaced by guilt.
"I should have made them stop playing with the Tangelas earlier." He muttered.
"You couldn't have known." Orla assured.
"I could!" He hit his palm on his knee to stress his words. "The Tangelas didn't act as fully grown ones do. I should have realized that their parent would be nearby."
"Stop right there." Molly said. "We're not doubting your abilities as a pokemon professor."
He crossed his arms "Maybe you should." Then he looked panicked realizing he said something he shouldn't.
That shut Molly up. They planned to talk him into taking more consideration of his safety not to touch an apparently deep seated insecurity. He never told them why exactly he didn't like being called a professor. It's even more confusing when he sometimes refers to himself as one. They know he finished the course. Orla had even seen his diploma. He's a walking pokedex so it's a mystery where it came from.
"Do you have any better ideas than what i did?" He changes the subject. They all feel a little relieved at that. They are not ready for that conversation. Neither is Friede apparently.
The thing is they don't have any better ideas for resolving this day's situation. They could argue that Friede should have called Sprigatito and Fuecoco over but if they have not arrived at the commotion then they must have run off pretty far. Friede did have the widest knowledge on pokemon behavior among them so if he hadn't came up with any idea to defuse the situation peacefully then neither could they. They couldn't really tell him that he was right and scold him for being reckless at the same time. They would have also put themselves in harm's way to protect the kids. It didn't stop them from being frustrated. Friede often shouldered everything himself and there were only so many times that they could believe he forgot to tell them something.
Murdock was the first to find the right words. "No." He sighed. "It isn't about today, honestly." Friede frowned at that.
"Can't you lean a little on us?"
"I am." Friede argued.
"You're really not. You ran off somewhere, not telling us where or what you've been doing. It's scary. We're afraid you're going to get in over your head and we won't even be aware there is any danger."
"I know how to pick my battles." Friede gets more defensive.
"We know you do." Orla cut in. "But you can't predict everything. Isn't it good when someone's got your back?"
"But you do."
It's so annoying that he doesn't get it.
Molly's temper sparkes. "Then how come you're ending up in my infirmary the most often?! Or when you get sick you let us know only when you can't deal with it yourself anymore. Actually it's like that with everything!" She threw her hands up. "We're supposed to be working together, not accept help only when we're unable to take care of something alone!"
"I'm not-"
"When was the last time you let us help before it was absolutely necessary?"
Friede opens his mouth. Closes it. Looks away setting his jaw.
"Exactly."
"I don't want to put you in danger."
"We don't want you to put yourself in danger. It's always safer to face difficulties together." Orla says softly.
Friede mulls it over. "I will try to reach out to you more." He promises.
"Ok. Let's put it to the test." Molly said. "Are you shaken up after today at all?"
He instinctively wants to deny it.
"Friede."
He deflates. "A bit I guess. I technically know how dangerous pokemon can be but being reminded of it is always scary. And I never liked Tangrowths."
"Yeah, they are kinda terrifying." Orla agrees. They share a smile.