Bidoof Bamboozle
The early-morning sun cast long, strange shadows across the sad ranch house dining room. Its meager furnishings housed the equally depressed individual inside, slumped at the creaky dining table with head in hands. In the dim light of sunrise he had receipts and notes sprawled before him, calculator at the center. These were tight times, for certain but... Michal pushed off the table and clasped his hands behind his pink hair with an impossibly deep sigh. He had no idea how he was going to make ends meet this month. Repairs to the ranch were taking longer than expected, and he was finding yet more work needing done as he worked. Emergency repair after repair cropped up, causing more and more money to sink into this place. Besides, his... investment... hadn't had time to turn a profit yet.
"Tim?" Michal glanced down, where a tiny timburr sheepishly looked up to him.
"Hey, Nougat." For his pokemon, Michal put on a brave face and cracked a smile. He hoisted the creature up onto his lap. "Looks like we're in a real bind this month, bud," he sighed, looking over the receipts again.
"Burr," Nougat slumped. Guilt weighed heavily on the timburr's shoulders. He knew he was expensive. The ranch that bred him was well established, and charged top dollar for their purebreds and shinies. Although his coloring was only slightly different, Nougat was both, and his breeders milked that fact for every penny. But, Michal was in desperate need for a construction pokemon, and their ranch happened to be the only establishment to offer a suitable pokemon. As the runt of his litter, Nougat was very slightly discounted, and as such the only timburr Michal could afford. His smaller stature didn't affect his work though, and he made a great companion for Michal.
"Hey." A hand plopped on Nougat's head, stroking him consolingly. Michal smiled down on the pokemon as if reading his mind. "Let's not worry about this now. How about we go for a walk in town and take our minds off it, eh?"
"Timburr," Nougat agreed, happily sliding off his lap to the floor. Michal spied his other two partners, Percival and Blip sleeping in their pet beds. He decided against waking them. Nougat deserved some personal attention. He hadn't had much time to bond with him alone, yet. And just maybe, a peaceful walk in the park would reveal solutions.
"HELP!"
Their walk was not peaceful. No sooner had they gotten to the little grassy square did a woman in construction uniform come sprinting along. Not many people were out this early, and Michal was the only one to greet her.
"W-what's wrong?" he stammered suddenly, catching the woman in her tracks by her shoulders.
"Bid... B-buh... Bidoof," she choked out, panting heavily from the exertion. "They... they're eating all the lumber for... for the safehouses..." she began to collapse, and Michal eased her gently to the ground. She was having trouble breathing.
"Take it easy, easy," he hushed. Now crouched on the ground, she fumbled for an inhaler. One long huff, and a few calming breaths later, words came back to her.
"We can't afford to lose this lumber! Nothing we do can chase them off and they're too strong for our pokemon to battle! We're already behind on schedule and funds. These safehouses are extremely important to the town. If we can't finish this project, we'll lose our jobs... and... and..." Her breath came shallow again, if it was from exhaustion or the oncoming tears Michal couldn't tell.
"Hey, hey, it'll be okay," Michal consoled. He didn't know what else to say. "Who were you going to find? Can they help?"
"I was going to the town hall," she wept, "I hoped they could dispatch someone to help."
"That could take ages," Michal muttered aloud. "Okay, tell you what. Point me in the right direction and I'll see what I can do."
"What are you going to do?" she sniffled. Michal's brow set sternly as he glared into the sunrise.
"I have no idea."
"Think we passed it, Nougat?"
"Ti ti?"
"I dunno either. The construction woman just said "two miles east into the Wild Land." I feel like this is still the same way she pointed," Michal panted. The two were sprinting now on foot. (His car wasn't built for off-roading.) Unlike the heavily forested Wild Lands behind his ranch, the Wild Lands south of them were sparsely planted and barren. If there was a swarm of bidoof around the construction site, it was no wonder they'd decided to feast on a stockpile of lumber. There was nothing else readily available.
"Timburr! Timburr!" Nougat pointed ecstatically. Michal squinted into the distance where he pointed, spotting the shadow of a building. At least... the framework of one. It must be the construction site.
"Good eye, bud," Michal quickly ruffled his fur before adjusting course ever so slightly. It wasn't much longer before they spotted the bidoof. They were impossible to miss. The pests were EVERYWHERE, feasting on the lumber strewn about. A few construction workers were unsuccessfully attempting to shoo off the bidoof and an occasional bibarel, to no avail. Most humans were run off on sight. Noting this, Michal and Nougat ducked behind a construction truck when they arrived.
"Now what?" Michal groaned, peeking around the side. "I didn't think this far ahead."
"Burr burr," Nougat pondered.
"There's no way they'll leave a feast like this. There's barely any lumber for them out here." Michal scratched his cheek in thought, and Nougat rapped his foot absentmindedly. It was quite a conundrum. There wasn't much for them to chew on out here, and from the looks of it, their teeth were already far overgrown. As much as the construction crew needed the wood, he'd feel awful taking away their only source of wood in who knew how long. They were wild, after all, not as lucky as he was to have a loving home with proper upkeep. And there were far too many for them to find homes for, even if they'd be willing to try domestic life. Unless... they partnered with the construction crew!
"Nougat, wait!" Michal flailed to catch the runaway timburr but missed, only watching haplessly as Nougat ran out into the middle of the carnage.
"Tim! Tim tim, timburr!" he called. And suddenly, all eyes were on him.
"Excuse me," Nougat timidly cleared his throat, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but, umm... these humans really need this wood! And um, I was wondering-"
"These humans brought this wood into our territory! Its fair game out here pal, so scram!" One of the larger bibarels roared. Nougat hunkered down.
"I... I know you need the wood as much as they do. But I have a proposition for you, that benefits everyone! Why don't you come work for these humans?" The ensuing silence was deafening. Nougat's heart raced as he awaited their answer. The bidoof exchanged glances without a word until finally...
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" they all roared. Nougat flinched, devastated.
"What makes you think we'd ever team up with these fleshbags? They don't care about us, they're the reason we're out here! We don't owe em anything!"
"But if you help them, they'll owe you! They already need more lumber to replace what you've eaten. They can take you to a place with lots of trees. You can cut them down for the humans, they get to use the wood to build, and you can grind your teeth down to normal!" A couple bidoof now seemed intrigued by this offer, and Nougat's hopes soared. Their supposed leader though, wasn't having it.
"Not happening, pal," it growled, defensively arching over its hoard. Hackles raised, (extra long) teeth gnashing, he was certainly a terrifying sight to behold for a tiny timburr.
"Then... I'm really sorry about this!" Nougat dashed forth with unholy speed, yoinked the nearest half-eaten 4x4, and zoomed out of there before the bidoof realized what was happening.
"Nougat!" Michal hissed, sprinting after his partner.
"W-wha-? HEY! GET BACK HERE!" The fuming bibarel led the charge, and soon the entire party of bidoof were on their tail in pursuit.
"What were you thinking Nougat?" Michal panted, exhausted but fueled forward by the swarm of angry pokemon now chasing them.
"Tim burr!" Nougat chirped gesturing far into the distance.
"What? Lead em away? They'll just come back!" Nougat shook his head.
"Tim! BURR!" It finally seemed to click with his trainer.
"OHH! Nougat, you're a genius! Alright, let's just lead them around the town. We've gotta hit the forested Wild Lands soon enough."
Michal tried keeping their spirits up, but in truth he didn't know how long they could keep this up. They'd already sprinted two miles on foot to get here, and now to lead the colony of bidoof and bibarels around the town and to an unclaimed stretch of forested Wild Land... that could be another several miles! He certainly didn't have that kind of endurance. Nougat was still young and hadn't trained in much running at all, let alone long-term endurance. And Michal hated to think what might happen to him if the angry bidoof caught up with their extra-long teeth...
He was torn from such horrific thoughts when a jeep-turned-four-wheeler screeched in front of them. The driver he recognized as a local Wild Land ranger, and in the passenger's side was the construction woman from earlier!
"GET ON!" She beckoned, arm outstretched.
"Nougat!" Michal struggled to pick him and his log up without losing balance, and summoned all his strength into catching up to the jeep's speed. (It helped that the vehicle slowed for them.) He handed his partner to the woman, and satisfied that Nougat was safe, leapt in after them.
"We're leading them to the forest," Michal wheezed, slumping in the slightly-padded backseat as he caught his breath.
"There are ranches around the forest," the ranger protested, "we can't have the bidoof migrate into the town!"
"Then lead them around the ranches," the woman irritably snapped, not taking no for an answer. The driver sighed.
"Yes, ma'am." He veered the jeep sharply, deciding on an alternate route. Nougat, meanwhile, poked his stolen prize out the window, dancing and taunting the pursuing pokemon to keep their attention.
"Faster," the woman ordered, as bidoof began lunging at the offered log.
"Not so close, Nougat," Michal also reprimanded, catching hold and pulling him further in the vehicle. The jeep's shocks were worn and every bump on this off-road terrain could send the pokemon flying. It was nothing short of a miracle that any of part of their plan was working at all. Michal wasn't about to lose his partner to carelessness now. Nougat pouted, but obediently sat still in Michal's lap.
The drive felt like an eternity, and it wasn't easy keeping the bidoof's attention. An ornery, childish timburr teasing them with a lost prize wasn't much motivation for the entire colony. Only the leader was angry enough to continue the pursuit for actual miles on their stumpy legs. The rest began dropping off, disinterested. Fearing they'd return to the construction site, the driver had to circle back and try to corral them in the right direction a couple of times. It was a repetitive song and dance of taunting and dodging until at long last, they reached the forest treeline. The first bidoof to notice it stopped pursuit immediately, and chattered loudly to summon the rest, who likewise quickly lost interest in the jeep. Even the leading bibarel faltered in its pursuit upon finding such a wood-rich location. In that moment, the jeep took its opportunity to make a quick getaway, drifting into a skillful U-turn and heading back to the site. The passengers feared it would continue its chase, but after a moment of consideration and exhaustion catching up to it, the bibarel decided to cut its losses and join the rest of the group.
"I can't believe any of that just worked," Michal breathed, laughter rising in his voice. "Nougat, you're amazing!"
"Timm!" the rodent trilled, excitedly hopping on his lap.
"You both are!" The woman beside them exclaimed, hands clasped gratefully. "You two just saved all of our jobs!"
"I'm still not sold on the environmental repurcussions to the forest," the ranger mused, "but the bidoof are grateful, I'm sure. Seems they were overdue to grind their teeth."
"Yeah," Michal agreed. "They really need proper care."
"I'll gather some other rangers and handle them later," the ranger promised. "For now, I'll get the lot of you back to the construction site."
"Come with me to the foreman's office," the woman urged, turning back to Michal. "I'm sure he'll want to thank you himself!"
"That's really alright," Michal scratched his head. "We're already overdue to start work back home."
"Please," she insisted, "The foreman put up a reward for any trainers who could get rid of the bidoof! It would be worth your while." Michal and Nougat exchanged glances. Michal didn't want feel as if he were taking advantage of those good people, but... Thinking back to the state of their finances, he wasn't sure he could afford to turn it down.
"Timburr!" Nougat encouraged, beaming. It was true, it wasn't as if they hadn't earned it. Michal leaned back in his seat.
"Alright, thank you," he graciously accepted.
"Construction site it is." Loud roaring sounded from the engine as they took off, home free.
"Quite an adventure today, eh bud?" Michal unlocked their house door, allowing Nougat in first. Blip and Percival trotted out to greet them, curious where they'd been all day. Even after they finished at the foreman's office, which wasn't a quick pitstop mind you, Michal took Timburr directly into town to pay the ranch bills with their earnings. It was well into the afternoon by the time they had finally arrived home. "I'm already exhausted. Maybe we should take the rest of the day off. Goodness knows you've earned it."
"Tim burr!" Nougat proudly puffed his chest, eyeing the bag of dice Michal received. He'd always felt a bit guilty for coming from a pricey ranch, as if he were a burden to his new trainer. But now, he was finally able to pull his own weight! He would repay Michal for the kindness he was shown, and in more than just dice. They had learned a lot about each other today. And Nougat realized he could be more than Michal's pokemon, but a loyal partner and friend.
Michal threw himself into the creaky recliner, seconds before there was a knock at the door.
"You kiddin' me?" he groaned, reluctantly standing yet again. Nougat, who hadn't gotten comfortable yet (and the only pokemon with hand-like appendages) leapt for the doornob. It swung open as Michal reached it, to the construction woman and the leading bibarel!
"Ma'am," Michal respectfully greeted, before noticing the accompanying pokemon moments later. "Wait... is that?"
"Yes!" she cheerily confirmed. It was no longer angry, even docile! "After you left, the rangers headed back out to find the colony. But from what they told us, the bidoof found them! They'd cut down several trees and were carrying them back to us! I guess they found so much wood in the forest, they came to replace what they took from us!" She set a hand on the adjacent bibarel, who leaned into her hand. His teeth were already ground down- but from the looks of it, professionally, by a pokemon groomer. Its fur was brushed and no longer matted. It ducked its head sheepishly when it spotted Nougat.
"We, hmm, thought about what you said," he chattered. "When the colony found the forest and saw how much wood there'd be to go around, we figured it wouldn' hurt to fix what we broke from the humans. Then... they took our peace offering and cleaned us up in return. Gotta say, domestic life ain't so bad." He scratched his ear, fidgeting. "Seems like we're working with the humans now."
"That's great!" Timburr squealed, practically leaping for joy.
"That's great!" Michal unknowingly echoed, congratulating the woman.
"We just wanted to let you know the bidoof are going to be taken care of," she smiled. "And to thank you, again. I wouldn't have found my new partner if it weren't for you two!"
"Barelll," her 'partner' contentedly rumbled.
"It was all Nougat," Michal knelt to rub his head in praise. "You did good today, buddy. I couldn't be more proud to have you as a partner."
"Tim," Nougat's eyes shone. "And I you," he seemed to say. But Michal didn't need to understand him to know that.
It may have been the first of their real adventures together, but certainly wouldn't be the last. This was only the beginning.