some BULLLSHIIIT

After finding himself in the care of young Twig and Ribbit, Lycidas, a neurotic Absol, attempts to navigate his new role as a caregiver, face his demons and make amends with those of his past.

originally posted to Ao3 2023-03-25

lore

i started writing PMD:RaR in college because i was reading alot of xenofiction and dead dove stuff, playing PMD:EoS to keep me from killing myself and I reread Path of Destiny. i started posting it to Ao3 since i was into that at the time. shockingly i was on antipsychotics, SSris and attending college fulltime as a on-foot commuter when i started this out. i think its fun to write from the POV of an objectively piece of shit character

Chapter 1 - Outskirts

It had been a very long, wet, miserable week of weather, so the sight of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds was warmly welcomed by the Absol.

Taking in a long breath, the Absol made his roots in the grass beneath an old weathered oak. He had spent toolong walking the streets of Crescent City, finding himself overwhelmed by the traffic that the humid weather had brought out. While he did enjoy the sights that Crescent City provided, it was not exactly friendly to a Pokemon of his circumstances. To be one without status, a home, nor Poke made a Pokemon as good as the litter that clogged the drains. Thus, he resorted to sulking into forests to find solace. To the civilized, he was seen as an Untamed; a potential roadblock to the explorers who’d file through the outskirts in search for lost items or outlaws. Lycidas did all he could to stay out of these Pokemon way by scurrying deeper into the bramble, but there had been many times he’d taken hits from foreign teams who misjudged his mannerisms.

With his snout resting on his claws, the Absol sighed. Despite the beautiful weather, Lycidas was feeling as low as he had ever been. It was hard to believe any amount of sun rays could restore his spirit. He was hungry and bothered by his itchy, matted pelt. His claws ached and he’d been shouted at again for his scavenging. In a few hours, the sun would lower and force him back onto the streets of Crescent City for the same events to repeat. Defeat weighed him down as he shut his eyes. All he wanted was rest - a rest deep and long enough to free him. At least for a few minutes until a blood-curdling yelp broke the air.

Sitting up where he laid, Lycidas looked around. A family of Starly seemed to have been startled by the yelp too as they took to the air with irritation. Watching as they went, Lycidas got to his paws.

Civilized or Untamed, Pokemon refrained from killing one another. There were few circumstances which justified the act of taking another’s life, such as in self-defense or in cases of sacrifice, but in cases of bloodthirsty gratification, it was an insult to Arceus’s law. Lycidas was unfortunately familiar with a yelp such as the one he’d heard.

Sure, it could have just been a case of apprehending an outlaw gone wrong or a team taking the wrong turn, but Lycidas couldn’t sit and listen without seeing it with his own eyes. He had to.

Quickly, the Absol dashed to the source. It was not long before the scent of blood hit his nose.

Lycidas didn’t have plans on what he’d even do; his paws moved on their own as his pupils contracted. Would he attack? Watch? Warn others?

Panting, the Absol slowed down and dropped into a crouch as he’d found the source of the blood and squeals. The bushes rustled violently before him as a golden tipped tail swished from its leaves. To his relief, there was no bloodbath; just the heavy scent of gore riddled with sweetness. A steady growl countered the squeals, often broken up with a purr-ridden yowl.

Lycidas stood there for a moment, a bit confused before taking a few confident steps forward. The feeling of danger had faded as the sweet scent coated his nostrils. The calls weren’t anything that sounded threatening either.

He knew very well that the sounds of mating could be wild and all, but the amount of blood in the air was of particular concern. Peeking his head over the bush, he was met with the sight of a long furred Shinx biting into the neck of a Buneary. A small pool of blood bubbled beneath the limp rabbit as the small lynx mounted it, growling as it weakly squealed. For a moment, the rabbit opened its glossy eyes to look at Lycidas. Breathlessly, it whined:

“Help me.”

The Absol asked no questions. Stepping over the bush, Lycidas feverishly yanked the Shinx off the hare, tossing it into a decent distance. As he went to lower himself over the bloodied Buneary, he glared at the Shinx as it gathered its footing.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Lycidas spat.

“Get off of her!” The Shinx cried out, charging toward Lycidas with sparked fur. Quickly, the Absol shut his eyes as a barrier formed between him and the lynx, causing him to bounce back and cease his advance. With his Protect up, Lycidas was given enough time to examine the Buneary beneath him.

It was staring up at him with the same wide, horrified eyes.

“M-mister, you’re crushing me.” She breathed.

“Oh. Oh, shit.” Lycidas stood up quickly as the Buneary continued to lay there catching her breath. The Shinx had come around from the other side in an attempt to break through his Protect with no avail, shouting obscenities as he clawed at the wall. “Are you alright?”

The Buneary weakly sat up, panting lightly before giving Lycidas an disoriented look. “I’m o-okay.”

Shifting on his paws, Lycidas averted his eyes away from the hare. It was good to see she was in fact okay. The Buneary did have a gnarly gash on its neck, but nothing fatal.

“You don’t have to have that barrier up. Ribbit isn’t bad.”

“Huh?” Lycidas blinked, glancing at the Shinx that had given up and was fuming with raised haunches and glazed over eyes.

“Are you sure? You’re a bit…uh…battered up from him.”

“Uh-huh. It’s okay.” The Buneary licked her paw and wiped off some of the blood. “If you don’t let him in, he’ll start cryin’.”

Hesitant, Lycidas released his Protect. The Shinx’s ears twitched with realization and immediately charged toward the Absol with his claws out. Grimacing, he dodged the onslaught and left the Shinx eating dirt, placing out a paw to cover the Buneary. Dazed, the Shinx got back to his paws and advanced toward Lycidas with a snarl.

“Get the fuck away from her.” He spat. His fur was ruffled as a Twitch stook out from his pelt. Lycidas had to suppress a smile at the sight of the small lynx trying to intimidate him.

“I’m not sure if I should.” Lycidas muttered before looking down at the Buneary. “If I hadn’t intervened, you would have broken this girl’s neck.”

“No I wouldn’t! You don’t know shit!”

Lycidas looked the Shinx up and down. The sight of his small member made him chuckle. “I’m sure I know more than you. You barely look like a level 7.”

The Shinx was clearly offended by this comment as his fur began to crackle again.

“Ribbit, cut it out!” The Buneary stepped forward, blocking his view from Lycidas. “No more fighting!”

“Would you shut it and get over here?! If you weren’t screaming like a Whismur, this freak wouldn’t have found us to begin with!” The Shinx hissed, taking the Buneary’s paw into his maw and yanking her his way. This gesture was quickly met with a shriek and the bapping of paws onto his snout until he released and fell onto his butt.

“OOOWWWW! That really hurt, Ribbit!” The Buneary cried, taking her bitten paw to her mouth. “Yo-You-You’ve been being soooooo meeaaaan!!” A bubbly whine erupted from her throat before she began to wail.

“Wow, way to go, little guy.” Lycidas was amused. The Shinx looked so defeated as he stepped toward the Buneary, examining her paw nervously.

“Shut up!” He snapped at Lycidas before turning his attention back to the rabbit. “Twitch, it’s okay. Don’t cry, please. I’m sorry…”

The Buneary turned away from him, sobbing into the air. “Evwething huwwts! It huwts!”

Clearly unnerved, the Shinx gave her cheeks a couple of licks before attempting to clean her neck of the dripping blood. “Twitch, I’m sorry! I-I’m trying to fix it.”

For a Pokemon as small as her, the amount of blood she was losing could mean she’d keel over after a few more minutes. With a sudden thought, he untied the handkerchief from around his neck and pushed the Shinx out of his way to apply the cloth to the sobbing Buneary's neck.

“What are you doing?!” The Shinx whimpered.

“Stopping the bleeding. Do you know what a Heal Seed looks like?”

“U-Uh…it’s green and white?”

“Yeah, go find one. There’s a patch down a huge weathered oak where they sprout.” Lycidas tilted his head in the direction of the patch. “The quicker you come back with it, the better.”

“O-Okay!” The Shinx nodded without further questions and dashed off through the bramble.

Returning his attention to the Buneary, he used one paw to steady her and the other to keep a heavy pressure. The stream of blood was slowing down, but not enough to soothe his concern. She hiccuped violently, sputtering into her paws miserably as Lycidas attempted to comfort her.

“You’re alright. Your friend is gonna get a seed that’ll help get you feeling better, okay?” He tried to use a soothing voice, but he wasn’t very good at it. He actually felt stupid trying to be comforting because he wasn’t quite sure what comforting even looked like.

“A-Am I gonna die?” The Buneary whimpered, looking Lycidas in the eye.

“No, you’ll be okay. It’s just a few bites. A big one, but one I’m sure you can survive.” He smiled weakly. “Do you feel dizzy?”

The Buneary tried to catch her breath. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Take a seat, alright?” Lycidas steadied her back as she plopped down onto the forest’s floor. She wiped her eyes clear of tears, shaken with whimpers as Lycidas continued to hold the cloth to her neck.

“Now, what's going on with you and that Shinx?” Lycidas started, feeling slightly embarrassed. “The both of you are a bit young to be mating.”

“Huh? Me an’ R-Ribbit were just playin’ around!” The Buneary’s nose twitched.

“Playing?” Lycidas raised an eyebrow.

“Uh-huh. Tickle fight. Ribbit just get crazy sometimes. Our mama sent us to get some Apricorns but Ribbit wan’ed to play.”

Lycidas grimaced. The Buneary was definitely too young. “Ah. Okay. Has he bit you this hard before?”

She shook her head and wiped her face again. “Never ever.”

“Huh. Okay. What level are you two?”

“I’m level 9 and Ribbit is a level 13.”

Lycidas looked to the sky for a moment, his face unreadable. “Ah.”

The bushes rustled as Ribbit popped out, a bundle of seed sprouts hanging from his paw.

“Umfhgghg!!” He muffled darting up to Lycidas. Quickly spitting them infront of the Absol, he pushed them closer to him, completely out of breath. “Please…help Twitch!”

“I am, I am. Calm down. You didn’t have to rip up the entire patch, by the way.” Lycidas took a single seed between his claws and crushed it, leaving it into a powdery paste. Taking off the cloth from Twitch’s neck, he applied it gently, rubbing her neck in circular motions for a few moments. She whimpered at the touch before slowly relaxing as it kicked in, curbing the bleeding all together.

“How does that feel now?” Lycidas asked.

Twitch patted where the indents were and smiled softly. “It doesn’t hurt too much.”

“Oh thank Arceus.” Ribbit sighed, collapsing onto the ground.

“Good. Eat one too…it’ll help with the overall body aches you have.” Lycidas handed a seed to Twitch as she examined it. Giving it a lick first and approving of its taste, she began to nibble on it.

“Thank you, random dog guy.” Ribbit looked up at Lycidas with grateful eyes and a tail wag. “I was really scared that Twitch was super hurt.”

While Lycidas knew he was being genuine, he still squinted at him with disapproval. “Come on over here with me for a second.”

Ribbit blinked before shyly getting up and following Lycidas through the bush. They stopped at a distance far enough out of Twitch’s ear reach.

“What?” Ribbit looked over his shoulder to make sure Twitch was okay before looking up at Lycidas. “Why did you have me come over here?”

“Just to talk to you, guy to guy.” The Absol took a seat and sighed. “I know this is none of my business but you shouldn't be mating with a Pokemon that young in a forest like this. Even if you didn’t intend to take her out, another Pokemon could have come by and did it for you.”

Ribbit blushed, his tail retreating to between his legs. “But we weren’t mating.”

“The scent is still wafting off of you and her.”

Ribbit fur spiked. “R-Really?”

Lycidas snorted, shaking his head in disappointment. “Yeah. Which is kinda proving why you have no business doing anything like that.”

“L-Look, it…I…I don’t know what happened.” Ribbit stammered, shifting on his paws. “We were just playing around ‘cuz I was so bored looking for those stupid apricorns. I wasn’t trying to hurt or kill her with what I was doing. I dunno why I started biting. It just kinda happened and then you threw me.”

Lycidas grimaced. “I’m sure you know why you started biting.”

“I’m don’t, I’m being serious!” Ribbit cried. “It’s like I wasn’t myself! I never hurt Twitch like that! She’s my little sister.”

Lycidas went bug-eyed before clearing his throat. “Your…sister? You mounted your little sister?”

Ribbit blushed harder. “Different parents, you dingbat! We just live together with her parents.”

Lycidas raised his paws with a chuckle. “Okay, okay. Sorry, that’s still kinda weird if you call her your sister-.”

Lashing his tail, Ribbit pouted. “I didn’t tell her mom to take me in. She just did it and now stuff is weird!”

“Heh, okay. Well, next time you two…play…be a bit nicer, alright? Play is meant to be fun, not something that causes open wounds.” Lycidas got up and shook out his fur. “ And don’t play in a forest where the scary Untamed live. Not all of them will be as kind as me and they might eat the both of you.”

Ribbit watched him stand up, ears twitching. “Youre Untamed?”

Lycidas shrugged as he headed back to Twitch. “I…I guess. I mean, that’s what the city people say.”

“But you talk and stuff. Untamed can’t really talk as good as you.” Ribbit mewled as he trotted behind Lycidas.

Twitch had roamed off to stare at the dandelions, still finishing up her seed by the time the two quadrupeds arrived.

Lycidas crouched down to retrieve his bloodied handkerchief. Both it and he needed a trip to the nearest pond. “Well, I guess I’m special.”

“You’re like me then!” Ribbit bounced up and down behind Lycidas. “I used to be Untamed, but when Twitch and her mama found me, I learned how to talk all good and stuff! I’ve never met another Untamed like me before!”

“Really? Huh. Well that explains the sister fucking.” Lycidas teased.

Ribbit furrowed his brows. “What? No it doesn't. Fuck you.”

Chuckling, Lycidas shrugged. “Yeah, yeah. You two should probably get back home. Sun sets in a bit. I’m sure your mother is worried about what happened to you. Twitch will need some rest for properly heal from her wounds, too.”

“Ah…right.” Ribbit frowned. “Hey, Twitch! Let’s go home.”

The Buneary’s ears perked as she turned in his direction. “But we didn’t get any Apricorns! Mama is gonna be really mad if we don’t have any!”

“But the sun goes down soon and she said we can’t be out at sundown! Let’s just go home.” He looked up at Lycidas with a soft smile. “Uh…thanks again…uh…what’s your name?”

“It’s not important.” Lycidas stared away. “Just go and take care of yourselves.”

Blinking, the Shinx trotted to meet beside Twitch, nudging her forward with his head. “Come on, go. We have to hurry!”

Watching as the two scurried off into the distance, the Absol quickly retreated into a bush. While he needed to head to the City too before sundown, there was something that needed attending first. He thought he might die if he ignored it any longer.

Dropping the handkerchief to his claws, Lycidas squatted as he panted, salivating heavily. He couldn’t believe he managed to hold his composure that long. The intoxicating scent of the duo was taunting him with every second they had been nearby. The amount of restraint he embodied seemed to have evaporated as he ran his tongue across his stained chest. Shutting his eyes, he laid on his side and gave his belly a distressed look. His member had grown fully erect now, twitching for a warm release.

He’d tried rocks and trees in the past with no success, and mounting random Untameds was never fulfilling in the way he yearned for. He knew what he wanted, and he let it get away. Whimpering, he leaned over and began to sloppily lick himself off, whining weakly as he did so. It was his reward, he told himself. An extremely unsatisfying and frustrating one, leaving him to only feel more agitated as his member disappointedly retreated back into its sheath.

He stood to his paws tiredly, feeling utterly deflated as he had earlier. For the duration of helping the two youngsters, it was the longest he’d actually felt anything good in a long time. And just as quick as they came, they were gone.

They were gone, and now he had to go back to what he called his life. Scowling, the Absol sulked down the path back to Crescent City, wishing for a long, long rest.