Music Soothes the Wounded Heart

It was a beautiful day, albeit a few dark clouds gathered. The state of the sky mattered little to the residents of the Eterna forest. Certainly not to one certain baby Pokémon. The Starly flew overhead and the Kricketune sang and all was peaceful in the home of one little Budew. It paid no mind to much else other than its destination as it toddled along, happy as could be. Soon a large tree came into view, bringing a smile to the Budew's already happy face, and it picked up its pace. It ran awkwardly, bringing more of the tree and its details into view. The tree was very tall, and it held a wide umbrella at the top. Below, surrounding the base of the trunk, many flowers bloomed, and among them a Roselia walked, tending to the flowers as needed. As the Budew approached the Roselia raised its thorny head and gave a warm smile, raising its red-rosed arm in greeting.

"Welcome home little one! I hope you had fun exploring today!" Said the Roselia, reaching out to caress the young Pokémon gently. The Budew stopped and gave a curt nod to the Roselia.

"Hi papa! I had lots of fun! The Magikarp outside the forest are jumping and they all said very funny things!" It replied. Budew's father chuckled at Budew's words and ushered it back towards a small nest at the base of a tree where two other Budew and a Roserade sat, waiting for the rest of their family to join them. Budew jumped and fell inside the nest, crawling toward the Roserade while its siblings laughed. A firm glare from the Roserade silenced the laughing Pokémon before it turned towards its injured child, smiling softly.

"Open please." It said. Our friend obediently opened the bud on top of its head, allowing the Roserade to inspect it carefully.

"It feels weird mama. Like the petals are getting bigger. Does that mean I`m gonna evolve soon?" It asked. The Roserade smiled and gently pressed the bud closed, nuzzling the curious Pokémon.

"It's hard to say. Right now, your bud just has a little dirt caked in along the sides, so maybe that is why the petals feel bigger. Don't be in a rush to grow up though honey. Life is too short and yet it has much to teach us. A sweet little girl like you should take the time to enjoy it." She replied, nudging her daughter back. The Budew gave a yawn and settled in next to its siblings, closing its eyes for a midday nap. Roserade smiled at her brood before turning to the sky, her lips quickly turning down into a frown. She looked down and saw Roselia looking upward as well, and he turned back and looked at his mate.

"I don't like that sky. We're in for a big one I think." He told her. Roserade chuckled and stood up, walking over to her children and gesturing for her mate to join her.

"I agree, so come over here and help me shelter them. I won't save you if you get blown away. The Budew are far more important to me." She said in a false-serious tone. Roselia laughed as he stood up and made his way to the nest, huddling with his mate over his offspring and joining his rosevines with hers.

"There we go. All tightened up and ready to go. Even a hurricane couldn't break this binding." He responded, ignoring her comment about caring for his children more than him. The small grass family was not the only one preparing for the impending storm, as many other Pokémon could feel it coming as well. Combee rushed back to their hives, occasionally escorting Pokémon who could not get to their own homes fast enough. Starly and Taillow rushed to the safety of their nests while Buneary retreated to their burrows. By the time the storm came, all the forest Pokémon had bunkered down in the best way they could, bracing themselves for nature's fury.

The wind howled and thunder crashed, lightning struck the ground and the trees, and the residents of the forest could do nothing but hold on as unseen forces tried their best to push the Pokémon from their homes. Rain cascaded in a massive downpour, flooding the underground homes of the Buneary. Those who did not escape or build levies around the entrances drowned, though their friends had no time to mourn, for this was only the beginning. The storm raged onward, and one certain family of grass Pokémon were struggling to remain safe.

Roserade and Roselia held on tightly to their young, who stayed as still as they possibly could to help their parents protect them. Our Budew whimpered as she huddled closer to her brother and sister, a sense of dread consuming her. This was no ordinary storm, something truly dangerous was occurring, and Budew knew it would be lucky to survive this at all. Lightning continued to jab at the earth, striking the trees surrounding them. Thanks to Roselia's careful placement when he and Roserade built their nest, the family was safe as their tree shielded them from harm, standing true even though its neighbors crashed into it again and again. Nature seemed determined to eliminate this family, and Roserade felt something had to be done, for the lightning was striking closer and closer. She looked at her mate sternly, though fear was evident in her eyes.

"There must be something we can do?! The strikes are coming closer! If we don't stop it we`ll get struck!" She said, shouting over the howling wind. Roselia nodded as he looked up, determination and acceptance crossing his face. He looked at his mate and at his frightened children, and he nudged them all lovingly, as if for the last time.

"Whatever happens, you must survive! I love you all! He said grimly. Holding his mates rosevines tightly, he brought her arms as far around their brood as they could go and then let go of her, stumbling out of the nest and facing the elements. Roserade looked on in horror as her mate unleashed a powerful Petal Dance, shielding his family from the lightning strikes with a line of pink petals. For awhile, Roselia was able to hold off the storm, the lightning colliding with his attacks and bouncing back, and Budew thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would be ok after all. But then like the cruel monster it was, Nature stomped on the hopes of the young Pokémon. A bolt of lightning crashed down behind Roselia, knocking him farther away from the nest. He tried to right himself and run, but there was no escape. He gave one last smile to his family just as a sword of electricity struck him down, burning Roselia into nothing.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Roserade and her children cried out in anguish and held on tighter to each other, determined not to let Roselia's sacrifice be in vain. Unfortunately the storm was not quite satisfied just yet. It continued its assault on the forest as though the Pokémon within had wronged it gravely somehow, and more lightning bolts crashed down, smashing trees and incinerating any Pokémon who were not able to escape. Roserade, still reeling from the loss of her mate, sensed a great danger nearby, and she suddenly released her children, pushing them forward.

"Children, run! Now!" She commanded. Our little Budew complied quickly just as another bolt of lightning struck behind her. Thinking her family was right behind her, the Budew ran as the very tree that had protected them came tumbling down, the shockwave of the lightning impact throwing her forward. Budew ran as far as she could before stopping, turning around to find the safety of her family, only to find they were not behind her like she thought. She ran back to where their nest was, crying out in horror as she saw what had happened behind her. A little ways away from the tree, four underdeveloped rose petals laid in the earth, covered in mud. Budew carefully approached the fallen petals and scented at them, tearing up as she recognized the scent of her brother and sister, knowing where they were.

"Mamaaaa!" She cried, her sadness evident in her voice. First her father, now her siblings. She had to find her mother, she would make it all better.

"Mamaaaa!" She called again, searching the tree carefully. Forgetting the storm raging behind her, the Budew continued to hunt down her mother in desperation. She heard a groan, and Budew tried to locate the source of the sound.

"C-come here." A voice commanded. Her mothers voice! Budew ran to the source of the voice, relieved to finally find her mother. It wasn't until she had joined her side that she realized something was terribly wrong. Roserade laid broken, crushed between the tree she once called home and the flowerbeds her mate so carefully tended. Her eyes were hazy, struggling to stay open as she looked at her horrified daughter. Budew rushed over to her mother and nudged her, trying to make her stand.

"Mama, come out from there. Please, get up!" She begged. Roserade smiled weakly as she weakly reached up, caressing Budew with a rosevine as she slowly shook her head.

"Not this time honey. Listen to me, I don't have much time. Will you do me a favor?" She asked. Budew sniffled and leaned into her mothers touch.

"What is it?" She asked. Roserade took a deep breath, trying to prolong the inevitable.

"You have grown so much, and gotten so powerful, but you are not quite there yet. Listen to me Budew, you must find a trainer." Roserade told her.

"A Trainer?" Budew asked.

"Yes, your father and I won't be here to keep raising you, but a human will be just as good, if not better. A trainer will take care of you, keep you warm and fed, will help you be all you can be, but most importantly a trainer will be your friend, always there for you. Budew, I`m so sorry for leaving you like this, I hope your trainer is better to you. Than. I. Was......." With the end of her instructions, Roserade let out a shuddering breath, her eyes fluttering shut and her movements stilled. Despite all of Budews efforts, her mother was no more. Budew screamed her sadness as loud as she could, broadcasting the loss of her entire family to the entire forest. She cried hard, unwilling to believe what had just happened. Soon, she grew exhausted from crying, and had passed out next to the withered body of her mother. Arceus seemed to pity the poor orphaned Pokémon, as the storm calmed and dissipated. As quickly as it had come, the storm that claimed many Pokémon left just as fast. Nightfall brought an uneasy sleep to those that had passed this cruel test for survival. Friends and family alike were lost in this storm, but mourning could wait, and so the forest slept, and even the HootHoot and Noctowl rested their eyes, gathering the energy lost while weathering out the storm.

Morning came late for the young Budew. As she opened her eyes and sat up, she woke to find her home in ruins and many Pokémon quiet. She blinked as she tried to remember what happened the day before, and she quietly sobbed as the memories came back to her. She looked around to find that for the most part, everyone who made it with her had gone back to their usual routines, though a bit more slowly as they relived some of their most cherished memories with those that had been lost. Budew stood up and began to make her way to the path that humans used, giving her home and the remains of her family one last look before leaving it all behind forever on her quest to find the human her mother spoke of, her trainer.


On the very path that the Budew searched for, a tall man walked slowly, carrying a mew-shaped harp. He moved very carefully so as to avoid any muddy puddles and potholes made by yesterdays storm. The owner of the cabin he had stayed in during the chaos had told him that was the worst storm Eterna Forest had ever gotten, and that he wouldn't be surprised if it demolished the path. Strumming away on his harp, the green-haired man gave a small smile, pleased to know that the Pokémon of the forest seemed to be very glad the storm had left. He continued on his way when he heard a commotion in the forest. Tilting his head a bit, the young man strayed from the path to see what was happening.

He found his way to a clearing not too far from the path, finding a group of Ghastly surrounding a Budew. The Budew cried as the black and purple gas balls laughed mockingly at it, spinning around. Without another thought, the young man strode over to the group and leaned against a tree, playing a song on his harp. The Pokémon quickly calmed and listened to his music intently. When the song ended, the Ghastly floated away, leaving the Budew behind in silence. It looked at the man with his harp curiously as he put his instrument away in the satchel at his side before approaching the bud Pokémon. He carefully kneeled in front of it and gave it a charming smile, nodding his head in respect.

"Hello there little one. Are you alright?" He asked. Budew blinked and walked up to him, bumping into his knee and falling backwards. He laughed and carefully reached down to pick up the fallen Pokémon, helping it back on its cone-shaped feet. The Budew wobbled a bit before falling over again, still exhausted from the storm. The man frowned as he scooped up the Pokémon, cradling it against his chest. Budew looked up at him and gave a small smile, as if telling him it was ok. He returned the smile as he stood, making his way to the path again.

"You must not have slept well last night. I do not blame you, but perhaps you should be looked at, just in case. Is that alright with you?" He asked.

"Budew." Yes. Came the soft reply. The man chuckled and held Budew tighter as he made his way back to the path.

"Well, I know your name, so I shall give you mine as well. My name is Nando, and I am a bard. o/ I tell stories of history through my soft songs, in the hopes that we can avoid all of its wrongs. o/ He crooned. Budew sighed in pleasure, relishing in Nando's soft voice. She struggled a bit in his grip, moving up when he loosened his arms to place her head right over Nando's right breast, listening to his steady breathing and heartbeat. Budew yawned and closed its eyes, leaving Nando to chuckle at her tiredness and he walked on silently, not wanting to disturb her slumber.


After a long and silent walk, Nando and Budew finally exited the forest. By this time Budew had awoken from its nap and it looked into the forest with a concentration Nando had not seen before. Budew longed for the family she would never see again, and Nando set her down, smiling at her.

"You do not have to come with me if you do not wish to. You look fairly healthy to me, and I do not wish to take you from your loved ones." He told her, carefully stroking her back. Budew looked up at Nando, to the forest, and then back to Nando again and smiled, waddling toward him and rubbing against his leg.

"Budew bud, budew. budew budew?" You are so nice. Please let me come? She asked. Nando smiled and stood up, walking towards the Pokémon center that was in view and he ushered her over. Budew happily followed as they stepped through the automatic doors, walking to the front desk where Nurse Joy waited. Stepping in front of the counter, Nando bent down and carefully picked up Budew, setting her in front of Nurse Joy.

"Will you take a look at Budew please? I would also like a room." He asked. Nurse Joy smiled warmly as she handed Nando a key, taking Budew into a back room on a stretcher. Looking at the number on the key, Nando headed down a hallway lined with doors until he found the one that matched his key, and he stepped inside. It was a quaint little space. A twin-sized bed was against the wall on the left side of the room, a nightstand with a digital clock stood beside it. Looking to the right, Nando saw a small bathroom that had the basic sink, toilet and bathtub in it. Walking into the room, Nando set his satchel down on the bed and moved to the window, opening the curtains and seeing a darkened sky. Just as he thought, a storm like that couldn't just be a one-night thing. He felt bad for the Pokémon that lived in the forest but took comfort in the fact that his new friend was inside, away from such a terrible thing. Nando left the room after awhile, going back to the main desk to find Nurse Joy and Budew waiting for him. Budew greeted Nando warmly and leapt off the counter, landing in a surprised Nando's arms. Nurse Joy chuckled as she watched the scene.

"You must take good care of it, your Budew likes you a lot." She pointed out. Nando looked up and shook his head, holding Budew tightly.

"No no, I am not its trainer. I have not caught it in a Pokéball, I am merely accompanying it." He said. Nurse Joy tilted her head as she reached into her desk, pulling out a Pokéball and handing it to Nando.

"Well, for it's own safety, you may want to consider putting it into a Pokéball. If you want to stay with it and not let anyone else take it from you anyway." She said. Nando took the red and white object and studied it carefully, giving his thanks to the Pokémon doctor before retiring to his room, carrying Budew with him. Upon entering the room, Nando strode over to the bed, placing Budew on the pillow. He yawned in exhaustion as he carefully wrapped up the Pokémon, standing uneasily when he was done. Budew gave him a curious look, but Nando only smiled and shook his head.

"It's alright, I'm just tired. I`m going to go take a bath, you should get some rest." He said to it, picking up the pillow it was on and setting it on the nightstand. Nando nodded at his handiwork once more before retreating to the bathroom, looking forward to a nice, long soak. Budew jumped when she heard the sound of the rushing water, but was able to relax when she heard it stop after a few minutes, a low groan of relaxation exiting the bathroom. A bright flash in the room told her that another storm was on the way, and Budew had no desire to be alone for it. She struggled against the hand towel that secured her to the pillow before unwrapping herself, jumping down from the nightstand clumsily. She waddled over to the bathroom door and tried to open it, to no avail. She tried to jump up to grab at the handle with her bud, but that did not work either. Budew frowned and tapped on the door with her foot, calling for Nando, but he did not hear her soft cries. Out of ideas, Budew walked to the door that led into the hallway and started scratching at it with her foot.

Luckily for her, Budew would indeed get help in the form of a Weavile, who happened to be walking through the hallway with his trainer. They were making their way to their room when Weavile stopped, hearing a soft sound that was between a scratch and a tap, and his trainer gave him an odd look.

"What's the matter Weavile?" She asked. Weavile looked at her and gave her a soft smile, holding his claw out and patting the air.

"Weavile." Stay here. He told her. The trainer nodded her head as she leaned against the wall, curious as to what her Pokémon was doing as he walked over to a door, the source of the sound. He gently knocked on the door, startling Budew on the other side.

"Weavile, wea?" Is everything alright? He asked, wanting to be helpful. Budew smiled as she waddled up to the door again to respond.

"Budew, bud bud budew." I`m fine, but I need some help. She replied. Weavile tilted his head as he reached up, opening the unlocked door and stepping inside, much to his trainers surprise.

"Weavile, what are you doing?" She asked. Weavile gestured for her to stay put again and he turned to the young Budew again.

"Weavile, wea weevil." What do you need little one? He asked her. Budew ran over to the bathroom door, jumping toward the handle.

"Budew bud budew?" I can't reach, open it for me? She asked. Weavile smirked as he guessed that her trainer was in there, and the Pokémon was simply lonely. He nodded as he complied with her request, gently turning the knob and cracking it enough so that Budew could push through. He then gave her a friendly pat on the head and exited the room without another word, closing the room door and rejoining his trainer. He gave her a soft, reassuring smile before they continued on their way, the girl praising her Weavile for being so kind to a stranger.

Budew, in the meantime, pushed the door the rest of the way open, looking to see Nando laying his head back, letting the warm water unwind his muscles. Budew made her way to the tub and grabbed at his hand with her bud, causing Nando to wake and look at her. He blinked as he sat up, tilting his head at the small Pokémon.

"Budew? What are you doing? How did you get in here?" He asked. A rumble of thunder seemed to answer his question for him as Budew whimpered and held onto his hand tighter. Nando smiled and tightened his grip on her bud gently, understanding what she needed. He let go of her bud and pointed to the cabinet under the sink.

"I think there are towels under there. Could you bring me a washcloth please?" He asked. Budew waddled over to where he pointed, jumping up and grabbing at the handle with her bud, kicking the door to open it. She let go and dropped rather abruptly to the floor, making Nando cringe slightly. She was perfectly fine though, as she reached in and grabbed a small, rectangular object in her bud, carrying it back over to Nando. The man smiled as he took the cloth from her, reaching down and pulling the plug to drain some of the water. When the water level was only ankle-high, he put the plug back in and put the washcloth in the water, reaching over the side of the tub and picking up Budew. He gently lowered her into the water, adjusting himself so that he was kneeling in front of her, not caring that he was exposed to her. Budew looked up at him curiously as he began to splash water over her.

When he felt she was thoroughly soaked, Nando grabbed the small bar of soap from its cradle and wrapped the washcloth around it, rubbing suds into the fabric. He gently scrubbed Budew with the cloth, careful to avoid her eyes and mouth. As he traveled higher with the cloth on Budew, soft sounds could be heard outside, growing louder. The loud, pitter patter of rain could be heard as the storm arrived, making Budew shiver from fright. Figuring she was cold, Nando hurried to finish bathing her as he reached her bud, looking at her as he stopped.

"Will you open it for me? I promise not to hurt you." He said. Budew froze for a minute as she flashed back to her mother, who had made the same request to her once a day. Shaking the memory from her head, Budew smiled at Nando and nodded, opening her bud for him. Holding it open with one hand, Nando marveled at the blue and red patches on either extension, gently pressing his fingers to them to enjoy their softness. He looked down at Budew and smiled at her, rubbing the blue patch gently.

"You will be a very beautiful Roselia. I can tell from how soft the petals are." He told her. Budew crooned in appreciation at the compliment as Nando began to clean the bud, removing the dirt that had caked itself around the patches. For a moment, the storm was ignored as Budew allowed Nando to bathe her, perfectly content with his soft touches. Soon Nando had finished, and he carefully rinsed her off, setting her back on the floor beside the tub.

"If you get a towel out, about the size I used to wrap you with before, I will dry you off." He told her. Budew nodded as she waddled over to the cabinet again, pulling out a hand towel and dragging it over to him. Nando took the towel from her and picked her up in it, carefully rubbing the Pokémon to get all the water off of her. Thinking she was as dry as she was going to get, Nando set her on the toilet lid, placing the towel under her as a cushion. He patted Budew gently as he grabbed the washcloth, stretching his arms out.

"I`ll be out in a moment, I promise." He said, soaping the washcloth again and scrubbing his arms. Budew watched as her friend cleaned himself, reaching behind him to wash his back. Furrowing his brows, Nando gave up on the impossible task of scrubbing his back and brought his arms back around. Getting an idea, Budew stood up from her seat and jumped back on the side of the tub, surprising Nando as she grabbed the washcloth from him.

"Budew, what are you doing? I just cleaned you." He said as Budew jumped into the water. Pushing the soapy cloth to his back, Budew rubbed her friends spine, eliciting a groan from Nando as she felt pops under the cloth. Budew continued her ministrations until she felt the popping stop, Nando turning around to face her. He picked her up and took the washcloth from her, pressing her to his chest in a warm hug. Budew opened her bud and pressed her petal patches to either side of his chin, returning the gesture as he stood up, pulling the plug and exiting the tub. He set her back on the toilet as he grabbed two towels, drying himself off. Reaching for his clothes after finishing his hair, Nando pulled on his boxers and turned to Budew, picking her up and carrying her into the room. he set her back down on the nightstand, tucking her into her pillow once more. he then laid down in the bed and turned to face her, smiling before closing his eyes, falling fast asleep.

Nando was not asleep for long, as thirty minutes later a loud crack of thunder woke his Budew, sending her into a whimpering fit. Nando groaned as he opened his eyes, reaching out to pet the scared Pokémon. Budew leaned into his hand and fell into the bed. Nando sighed as he grabbed her pillow, placing it on the other side of his head and setting her on it once more.

"Alright, but just for tonight." He said as he turned back to go to sleep. He suddenly felt pressure on his back, and when Nando turned over to see what Budew needed she pressed herself into his chest, whimpering. Nando chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her, doubting this would be the last night he would sleep with Budew in his arms. He turned his head to look at the Pokéball on the nightstand next to the clock, and he smiled to himself before turning back to the cuddly Pokémon.

"I thought about what Nurse Joy said earlier. Would you like to stay with me and be my first Pokémon?" He asked. Budew looked up at Nando and gave a wide smile, cooing and burying her face into Nando's chest. The bard chuckled as he pulled the blanket over his new Pokémon, cuddling her tightly.

"Alright, but I`ll 'catch' you tomorrow, I think we should get some sleep before the storm makes it impossible." He told her. Budew nodded against him as she let his breathing and heartbeat lull her to sleep, knowing that what her mother said with her dying breath was true. She knew that the human holding her close would do his best to care for her and would never abandon her. From what she saw during their bath, with his inability to wash his own back that crackled under her touch, Budew knew she would have to take care of him as well, and that was perfectly fine by her.

 

@[member="Zero Sifr"] Fixed the typos, except for the o/. Those are supposed to be musical notes to indicate that he is singing XD. It's the one flaw of writing, not being able to convey sound.

As for the length, I don't really set a limit on how much I should write, I just start typing and when I feel I can end it, I do. The chapters in my long-running series Lola: An Underdog Story and it's sequel Life, Death, Rebirth usually, average between 2k-4k words, with filler chapters being less and really important chapters sometimes going longer *in fact, one chapter reached almost 10 alone*. It's not something I do intentionally, it just depends on how much story I feel like telling that can connect events together without draggin on or feeling short.

As for this particular oneshot, I just wrote it on a whim and didn't realize how long it had gotten XD.

 

@[member="Zero Sifr"] But would those show up on Fanfiction.net? They are incredibly picky about what you can and can't use on there, and how much. Like, before I figured out their border system I tried to make my own stylized borders that got erased by their automated spam-checker.

 

@[member="Zero Sifr"] It wasn't quite that bad, but yeah, they usually consisted of _-_-_- or a string of stars. Now that I figured out how to use their border I didn't see a point in pursuing that.

As for including the actual musical notes, I'll make those changes on here, but it's kinda pointless to do it on FF now, especially on the chance that a specialized character might get erased. That was literally the only time I ever included a singing character in my story, except for one chapter in Lola where I used a different format. But thanks for the string, I may use those in my posts on different places ^^

As for continuing the story, I don't really intend to. This was something of an "origin" story for an anime-only character and aside from a couple of follow-up oneshots *one of which is too raunchy for here lol*, I didn't intend on making this a "series". That's what my game-retellings are. ;3