The Journey of a Thousand Steps
 

"What a day," James thought, as he looked up into the sky, seeing it was growing dark. He walked through the Floccesy ranch, jumping down a couple of ledges, as he neared the entrance. He felt his belt, touching Oshawatt's pokeball. "I'm a pokemon trainer," He thought, with a smile. He had only been a trainer for a few hours, and so far was enjoying it. True, he only had his starter pokemon, but that was going to change, just as soon as he got some pokeballs. Smiling, he quickly paused as he reached up, touching his head in pain. "Oww, what in the world," He said quietly. He had just felt a feeling, a rather strange feeling deep in his head. "A psychic wave," he thought, feeling it pull him towards something. "What is this," He wondered, going through some bushes, before gasping at what he saw. It was a blue pokemon, with canine ears, and a tail, with black stripes around his neck, hands and legs. It was clearly bipedal though, since its arms seemed to designed to punch and grab, not for walking. But it looked injured, lying on the ground, its eyes shut tight.

Anubis lay on the ground, curled up in an attemt to sheild his many wounds from the stinging air. He shivered in pain from a particularly deep gash by his groin and whimpered as he sensed a human towering above him. "H-Help...me....p-please."

James became wide-eyed seeing the creature, and even more shocked because he heard it. Well, he didn't hear it, but he could sense its thoughts. "You, you can speak," He said in shock, before getting on his knees in front of the pokemon, gently putting his arms under its spine, and legs, being very careful not to touch its injuries. "I got you," He said slowly and calmly, bringing the creatures small head against his chest, as he slowly walked back to the path. Making sure to avoid any tall grass, and the eye sight of any trainers, he slowly carried his little pokemon past everything, heading to the pokemon center.

The Riolu's blood coated James's arms as its vision began to dim and its voice grew weak. "Hurry...I don't...know h...h-ow much m..." Anubis fell unconcious from blood loss and trauma, but was still alive.

James felt the blood, frowning. "Who would do this to a pokemon," He thought, going into the pokemon center. "Nurse Joy," He said heading to the front desk. "My, my pokemon. He's hurt, badly. Can you please help him," He asked, not wanting to let go of him.

"What happened," She asked frowning, calling in a audino to bring a stretcher for Riolu.

"I'm not sure. I just found him in the woods like this. Please, help him," He begged, laying him gently on the cart.

"We'll try our best," She promised, as the Audino wheeled him away.

James frowned, looking down at his bloody hands, following them to the door of the operating room, standing outside since he wasn't allowed in.

Riolu moaned in his sleep as his bladder inoluntarily emptied, coating the stretcher in urine along with blood. He screamed and was torn from sleep as Audino tried to clean his wounds.

He could hear Riolu's screams, both mentally and physically. Knowing he couldn't so anything, he booked a room near his, and laid down for the night. Taking a shower first, he changed into Pajama's climbing into bed, and falling asleep.

The Audino saw the pain the pokemon was in, and injected him with several strong pain relieving drugs to knock him out. One wiped him clean of his mess, before prepping him for surgery.

Once the pokemon was asleep, and James was as well, the bond between the two began to form. In his unconsious state, their minds began to converge, meeting in a strange grassy meadow. James was sitting on the ground against a tree, when he saw the pokemon walking towards him.

Riolu looked around the meadow he had somehow appeared in. "I've never had a dream like this before." He then noticed the person who had saved him sitting by a tree and walked over. "Hello? Are you the human who saved me?"

He blinked, questioning how the pokemon was talking to him, but didn't say anything, figuring this was just a really weird dream. "I am. I take it your the Riolu from the ranch?" He had seen the name of the pokemon on Nurse Joy's clipboard. "What happened to you," He asked, frowning.

Anubis's ears drooped. "I was attacked by a Pidove. It would't just let me faint. I slashed me with its talons and gusts. I-I wouldn't have made it if you hadn't come." The Riolu held out its paw. "My name is Anubis, by the way."