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“You know, you don’t have to give every other Pokemon the death stare.” Frankie was doing just that, of course, directing its gaze at the latest Starmie. It took some persistent petting from Annie for it to lessen its stare and watch her instead. “Honestly. I think the way you look at other Pokemon might make them nervous. Which is great if you want to fight them, but maybe… We should practice being a little friendlier. Welcoming. You can do that, right?” Annie put on a smile as an example. Frankie’s gaze was unwavering, but a slow nod eventually followed. At some point during the conversation, the Starmie had taken the chance to flee.

❤ wizz

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It was hard to tell, but the beast tried to listen sometimes. When another snowy Vulpix arrived, Frankie still stared, but seemed to be trying to make it less intense. It was hardly noticeable to a stranger, but Annie kept a close eye on her partners, especially the anomaly that was Type: Null. She’d seen enough to know when it was trying, and its effort drew a more genuine smile out of her.

The Vulpix stared back, curious but still wary of the giant. Given a few seconds, he would up and walk off, but it was less out of fear and more out of a disinterest in approaching. “Well, that’s… a start!” The wild one’s casual walk was a sign of progress to Annie, and for it Frankie earned a pat atop its back. It didn’t react – it rarely did -, but that wouldn’t stop her.

❤ wizz

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Another Vulpix? No. Frankie’s intense stares weren’t for nothing; it noticed the difference long before Annie did. Just like the other, the fox watched back, cautious but curious. After a long, hard think, Frankie decided to channel one of his fellow Campers. He couldn’t settle into the gesture as naturally as the Zorua did, but Frankie lowered its front paws, raised its back end and rested its head on the former. A play bow, in other words.

It worked, to both of their surprises, convincing the Vulpix to close the distance between them. Frankie remained near-motionless, as if it was the one with something to fear, as the little one sniffed and pawed around it. Only then did Annie notice its colour was slightly difference from the others they’d come across, and realised that Frankie had found them yet another rarity. She stepped in, silently offering a Pokeball to the fox. “You want to be friends, little dude? We’re on a permanent road trip, and I want you along for the ride.” The Vulpix didn’t shy away, and that was good enough for Annie!

With her final Safari Ball used, their time in the Safari was up. Annie gave her chimera a softened smile, which quickly became a grin from ear to ear, and then a tight hug and kiss atop its forehead. “Thank you, Frankie. I know these things don’t come that naturally to you, but you’re trying. You’re really trying, and I can see that! That Pokemon did too. I appreciate it. I appreciate you.” Frankenstein's Pokémon stared back at her. It remembered another act it'd seen from her other, more emotional Campers. It drew its head in and gave the girl the gentlest of nuzzles. It was, as far as it knew, a way to show that her words were reciprocated. That it appreciated her too.

Some would say that she babied the beast, and she couldn’t fault them for that, nor would she mind the comment. Frankie was… different, in many ways, but none of them had to be bad. They just meant that Annie had to spend extra time with the Pokemon, teaching it the right ways to approach situations.
More importantly, she still felt a tad guilty about the circumstances of its birth. Showing it love was one of the few ways she knew to compensate for that.

❤ wizz