FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Max slowly stomped down the snow-covered path, hands deep in his pockets in an attempt to get warm. Even with the thick clothing he wore, he felt as though he was in a freezer.

"It just had to snow, huh?" the freezing trainer grumbled. "This wasn't supposed to happen yet. Couldn't someone have been more careful about where they aim a Blizzard attack instead of playing with the weather?"

"Hey, it could be worse," his sole companion said. Max shuddered from the slight movement inside his coat. "At least you have this amazing shell to protect us with."

"Well, yeah Servine," he admitted, once again thanking himself for being prepared for such a scenario. "Why aren't you in your poké ball again? It's safer."

"True, and it's not at all uncomfortable, but you feel way better." Max blushed nervously from the bold compliment and shivered when he felt the snake-like pokémon squeeze him a little tighter than before. "Your chest just feels so warm. I'd like to be the one to shield you from the cold someday."

"T-thanks, I guess..."

"Your heat is all the thanks I need for now. Now keep going." Max shook off some of the snow and looked into the distance. Among the white he spotted something large and black.

"A cave! I hope it's not inhabited," he muttered as he shuffled towards it, being careful not to disturb his friend. The moment he was inside, he took out a flare and chucked it to the blackness. When there was no sign of a response he retrieved it and set up a campfire. Servine leaped out of the coat once he opened it and sat by the flame.

"You certainly are resourceful, Max," Servine said. "I heard that making a fire out of damp wood is next to impossible."

"I try." Max sat next to his pokémon and shivered as the cold grip the weather had on him slowly vanished. Servine stood up and leapt into his lap, curling up into the space quickly.

"You still feel loads better," she said quickly, interrupting his question. At that point, Max's mind wandered to the first day they met in Professor Juniper's lab. The snivy back then had given him a confident, bold smile that, to him, spoke volumes about a promising partnership. His decision had been quick and easy, the two connecting instantly. Max had thought nothing of the surprise hug that followed besides how friendly the act was and had returned it with a promise to treat her respectfully.

He had known about how snivy tended to act regarding new trainers and was initially paranoid that she would leave him at the worst possible moment. To prevent being abandoned, he broadened his knowledge whenever possible, making sure they took on simple challenges and moved along at a reasonable pace. Snivy had been a fair bit snooty and cocky, though she hadn't been as haughty as Max expected. On the contrary, she had been downright affectionate towards him, never once treating him with a hint of disdain. The affection only seemed to grow after evolution, with Servine pretending to be a scarf most of the time. She had even developed a habit of licking him from time to time, usually after a battle or before sleep.

"Max, how do you feel about me?" He snapped back to the present and realized he had been rubbing Servine's slender underside.

"I think you're a great friend," he replied somewhat nervously, staring into the fire.

"Do you like me? Be honest."

"Of course I like you, Servine. You're really pleasant to be around. You can be a bit of a snob at times, but that's only natural. Why the sudden question?" Servine suddenly grew silent and stepped off of him. The pokémon began walking to the darker part of the cavern. Max didn't follow, too distracted by the sudden possibilities going into his mind to be concerned.

"Oh, no," he muttered as low as possible once he was sure she was out of earshot. "Servine feels THAT way about me." The way she was walking away had all but given away what the Grass Snake pokémon was going to say. Max facepalmed, astonished as to how he managed to not notice the body language before. The guide he had even mentioned what to look for and how long he had to dispel those feelings if they came up. The idea of them becoming more than friends didn't really appeal to him, and he knew he would have to deal with some serious fallout if he didn't set the record straight immediately.

"But how?" he wondered. Max didn't want to outright say he didn't return her feelings, but he had no intention of making things awkward between them. "How do I tell her-- whoa!" He cried as he felt something thick wrap around his waist. Before long he found himself staring into a pair of red eyes.

"Tell me what, my dear Max?"

"Servine?" She let go of him, allowing him to step back and look at her. To his shock, she possessed a wildly different form than he expected. She stood on four legs now, her green paws possessing three smooth, dense claws and were adorned with small, dark green leaves. Her underside and the top part of her hind legs had the same off-white color as in her previous form. The tail became thicker and gained dark green leaves. Two yellow, rear "horns" stood near her hind legs. A yellow line ran down her back. A pair of barbels, tipped in the same dark green as the leaves, hung from the tip of her snivy-like snout. Perhaps the most startling of these changes, aside from the off-white pair of horns protruding from her head and the slight mane between them, was the pair of yellow-feathered wings attached to her serpentine back. She had an air of dangerous grace that left him awed and afraid at the same time.

"I believe I am Serperior, now."

"H-how? The guide never said... I don't understand..." He stepped away from the pokémon nervously as she walked forward with a smile on her face.

"Perhaps it's best not to, my pet." Eventually he backed into a wall and found himself with nowhere to go. "Do not be afraid." He tried to protest, but the moment she caressed his face with her new barbels, his concern died down. Max had nowhere to look except for Serperior's eyes. "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked sweetly.

"Nothing," he mumbled as he slumped against the wall, transfixed by her gaze. "Absolutely nothing." The new dragon beckoned him closer, coiling around him the moment he took a step forward.

"Oh, this simply will not do, Max. You and I know you have something on your mind. Come, tell me and let me ease your troubles." The moment she took her eyes off him, he felt his earlier thoughts return. Her gentle demeanor caused a mild panic in him.

"I don't feel the same way," he blurted out bluntly, only to quickly cover his mouth in shock. She chuckled amusedly at his action.

"I know, my pet. However, we are fated to be together. I can almost taste your anxiety." Serperior wrapped her barbels around him again and looked him in the eyes, forcing him to lower his hands and stare at her blankly. "And speaking of taste... do you trust me?"

"Yes," he said listlessly. Without warning she opened her mouth and engulfed him up to his torso. He did not struggle as she grabbed him and forced him down her long body. The moment his shoes dropped to the floor, however, he realized what was going on. "Stop!" He attempted to grip the walls of his dark prison but found them much too slippery to get any purchase. Max let out a few laughs and squirmed when he felt her tongue brush against his bare feet.

"Almost..." The squirming forced him deeper until he found himself sitting in what seemed to be an empty, soft space. He could barely see anything past the walls of flesh and wished he had a flashlight, at least. Fortunately there was a decent amount of room for him to stretch his limbs. "There we are! I must say, you tasted a lot better than I thought you would, even with your clothes on. I never told you this before, but you remind me of those delectable kelpsy berries."

"That is such a weird thing to say, even moreso after you just somehow swallowed me! Why?" He felt the walls tighten around him and realized she must have lied down. "I thought--"

"Remember what I said earlier about wanting to protect you just like you protected me? Let's just say I saw an opportunity and took it."

"Sheesh, I didn't think you meant it literally, Serperior." Max knew how she felt, but never would have imagined her feelings for him would drive her to do this.

"Just relax, my pet, and let me take good care of you." In the darkness, he could still see her bright red eyes concentrating on him. There was an unrivaled gentleness to them that he had never seen before, and as he continued to stare at them, he realized he loved how safe she made him feel. He knew she would let him out eventually, but even if that never happened, he would faithfully stay by her side, just as she did for him.

"Okay," was all he found himself able to say. "I trust you." With that, he promptly lied down and fell asleep, the tiredness of the snowy trek finally getting to him.