While it wasn't exactly surprising that a great number of Hisuians were afraid of it, that fact was still a bit disappointing. Ingo always made a point of demonstrating just how amiable Pokemon could be, and Gliscor was no exception; how could they think he was scary when you scratched his ears and his tongue poked out?

 

A mystery for the ages, because they certainly didn’t seem swayed.

 

Some of the children were receptive, though-- specifically those of the Pearl Clan who were accustomed to seeing the pre-evolution riding the air currents. Gliscor could spend hours catching the sticks or rocks they threw into the air, bringing the object back with a happy chirp and a thunk of his great barbed tail.

 

He was a wonderful companion when a clan meeting drew long and the commute to the Highlands stretched before Ingo, acting as a second set of eyes in the dark. There were times that Gliscor detected a threat and sent himself into battle before Ingo had any say in the matter, which might have been disconcerting if not for the fact that he’d headed off more than one Zoroark before it could get the drop on them.

 

Ingo counted himself fortunate to have such a loving, loyal companion, and did his best to take care of Gliscor in turn. They trained hard and Gliscor flourished, wearing his wide, sharp-toothed grin through even the toughest of battles. His typing made him incredibly resilient, the greatest hurdle to pass in Ingo’s team, but even when he was knocked down for the count, it was made better with the right medicines and encouraging words. Sometimes Ingo wondered if Gliscor didn’t enjoy being treated, just because it was a different form of attention.

 

What a ridiculous, remarkable Pokemon.

 

As the season progressed, Gliscor was happy to help gather for the months ahead, assisting with berries too high to reach or scoping out areas that hadn’t yet been picked over by the local Pokemon. For today, though, he’d only been needed in battle, fending off a Luxio too pushy for its own good.

 

The snowfall outside increased, and Ingo leaned on the foraging basket, watching from the mouth of the cave he’d ducked into. It was an unwelcome delay, certainly, but he’d just have to weather it. All of the signs suggested it would cease before nightfall, and he was best off staying as dry and warm as possible until then.

 

Leaving the heavy basket where it was, he retreated to the far end of the shallow den, considering his options.

 

The foremost pokeball on his hip began to shake.

 

“No.” He told it, “Please remain seated.”

 

Gliscor immediately sprung out, chittering up a storm.

 

Ingo sighed. “There’s no need to worry. The storm will abate before long, I simply have to wait it out. You’re far better off in your pokeball.”

 

Gliscor considered this, and then gently bullied its trainer so he was sitting, clambering happily into his lap. While it wasn’t at all what he’d been arguing towards, Ingo supposed that also worked, and automatically reached up to ease his fingers into the fur behind the bat’s ear.

 

There was a sharp, displeased click, so startling that Ingo froze in place. He raised his hand again, trying to get a better look, only for Gliscor to ward him away for a second time.

 

“Are you hurt?” He asked, growing more concerned by the second. Since when did Gliscor turn up an ear scratch? The behavior was completely alien coming from the cuddle bug on his lap-- which meant he had to be missing something.

 

Gliscor chattered again, shifting to find an optimal spot, and then used his wings to rein in any wayward limbs. Once he’d finished with that, he rested his head on Ingo’s shoulder, warmth pooling beneath it.

 

Ah, so that was what he was up to.

 

Ingo leaned in toward him, eliciting a raspy purr, and, without emerging from the safety the Pokemon had created for him, ran a hand along its inner wing. “You’re a wonderful friend, Gliscor. I fear I don’t tell you that enough.”

 

There was a brief, dissenting tug on his hair, and Gliscor shuffled that last tiny bit nearer, head bowed and wing lifted to offer just a bit more protection from the cold.

 

Someday, Ingo hoped, his fellow humans might know such a bond.