 The
pound walls were cold and damp, a big wet tear ran down Barkhas cheek. He longed
for his mummy and somewhere warm to sleep...
Why? That was the only thing he could think of. It wasn't fair, it wasn't!!
If only he had been stronger. "Ooooooo that one is soooooooo cute!! Let me see
him!!" a girl cried. Barkhas heart lifted, but sank again when she set him down
again saying, "I want a pet with better stats, sorry."
She sounds just like Trainer he thought. Trainer had been his previous owner,
she had another name, but she never told it to her pets. He had one sister and
two brothers in his old home. BattleGoddess2000 was a red Peophin. She had been
the strongest. Then there was Fight_of_Fancy a yellow Kougra and his last brother
blood_red_gaze a green Grarrl.
Barkhas could remember his first trip home. "You'll meet your other sibs later,"
Trainer told him harshly.
Barkhas meekly asked, "Where are they?"
"BattleGoddess2000 is in the Stonedome fighting the Brain Tree, blood' is in
the Battledome fighting someone, and Fight_of_Fancy is on Mystery Island training."
Barkhas didn't see much of his siblings and he was kind of glad. They were
all huge and strong and intimidating. Most of the time they were battling or
training. They didn't read much; the only books he ever saw them read were ones
like When All Else Fails or Battle Ready! He reads a lot, Trainer
just never had much time for him. So, to pass the time Barkhas read. Sometimes
he would play, but he didn't have that many toys. Mostly Tyrannian battle plushies.
He had a blue Kacheek plushie that was his favourite. Her name was Tish.
Barkhas wondered why he was never trained or why he never battled. One day
he saw Trainer drop some papers. He went over to pick them up for her, "These
look interesting," Barkhas said softly to Tish. They were stats sheets, on them
were lists of battles as well as stats. He kept paging through them until he
came to his! They read:
- Statistics -
Name: Barkhas
Species: Shoyru
Colour: Blue
PetPet: none
Age: 90 days
Level: 2
Gender: Male
Height: 64 cms
Weight: 55 lbs
Hit Points: 6 / 6
Strength: frail
Defense: very poor
Movement: slow
Intelligence: total genius (57)
Notes: Barkhas does not have what it takes to be a Battle Master. Dispose
of him.
Barkhas didn't know what to think. 'Dispose of him' kept coming into his mind.
He was afraid. Barkhas didn't have the best life here, but it was a life nonetheless!
He didn't want to go! "Why!?" he screamed at Trainer. "It's not my fault I got
bad stats. Please! Please keep me!!" he pleaded.
Trainer looked at him coldly, "When you were created I kept re-rolling your
stats, but they continued to get worse!" Trainer was screaming now and Barkhas
was really scared, "I mean you talk to a plushie Barkhas, you've got to go!
I could never live down the shame of having a weak pet!" Then she picked him
up; Barkhas was crying so hard he didn't remember the trip to the pound.
The next thing he knew he was lying in a cage and he saw Trainer picking up
a big strong Lupe, "What's your name big boy?" She asked. "Sweethart72!! Not
a very promising name, but it'll have to do!" and she left without a backwards
glance.
"You didn't deserve her," said a Wocky in the next cage.
"B-but she was m-my mum!" whimpered Barkhas.
"No, Honey, she was your trainer. Not your mum," crooned a nearby Cybunny.
Days went by and no one came for Barkhas. He lost hope of ever getting an owner.
He wished he had gotten to keep Tish, he would have had someone to talk to then.
He sat facing the back wall of his cage when someone asked, "Why are you so
sad little Shoyru?"
Barkhas turned around and said, "You don't want me. I'm not very strong."
"With a little training you'll be great!"
"What's your name?" asked Barkhas.
"George," said George. "Do you want to be my pet?"
"Yes!" cried Barkhas. "But do you have any plushies?"
"I collect plushies," George said proudly.
"We're going to get along just fine!" Barkhas said as George picked him up
and carried him home.
The End | 
