Sorry everyone that this has taken so long! I am really truly sorry and I know it's terrible this is only the second chapter and it has taken months to write but I just started at a new school so I was really busy with that. My family is also really tight, arguments part of daily routine. With my brother almost ignoring us all for study, my other brother being a party animal and my mother walking full time. I can promise nothing on how long these next chapters will take but i will try to make them the best I can.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON. I DO NOT OWN HOUNDOOM OR HOUNDOUR.

"Mariah, Mariah wake up, it's dawn." Mariah opened her eyes and saw Iron leaning over her. She yawned and sat up.

"Thanks Iron. For waking me up." The Pokemon smiled.

"Thank you for offering to look after my eggs, and Red's pups." It was the teens turn to smile.

"I'll enjoy it." She replied.

"Do we have any idea when during the day they'll attack?" Iron shook her head.

"Fang thinks midday, but he's not sure. And he doesn't want to assume anything, overconfidence was his fathers downfall, so he's making sure not to make the same mistake." She smiled.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. I'll go introduce myself to the pups now and get ready." The teen rose to her feet and stretched on her way over to the pups. They were running around and squealing, much to the dislike of the preparing wolfs around them. They all hurried over, lacking caution as she sat down. "Who are you?"

"You smell funny."

"Will you play with us?" She smiled slightly at the volley of questions thrown at her.

"Settle down, settle down. I'll tell you who I am, the you tell me who you are." She began. "I am Mariah. I am a human with Houndoom blood. I am just visiting for a while, then I'll be going home. But I'm going to pupsit you guys a bit while your mum's busy." The pups nodded. "I'm Burnet." The boldest pup, the only male of the litter. "I'm Maple!" The biggest female announced with pride. "I-I'm Frost." The last, a timid she, stuttered. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. What's your favourite game to play?"

The four played for awhile. Mariah made sure to keep the pups as loud as she could so they couldn't hear the battle that was surly going outside by now. She felt a paw tap her leg.

"Mariah! My throat is sore and I'm tired." She looked down to see Frost looking up at her.

"Well how about we all have a nap?" The teen replied. She called over Maple and Burnet and settled them down near Iron's eggs. They yawned and curled up. Mariah heard a small voice bark.

"Can you stay with us please?" Maple asked. She smiled and nodded.

"Of course." And sat down beside them.

Mariah leant against the cave wall and twiddled her thumbs. She heard a loud howl of pain and a snarl.

"Mariah look out!" She spun around to see a bloody Houndoom approaching her. She scrambled with her hands behind her for anything that could be used as a weapon. A stone, a bone. The rival pokemon leapt at her and she swung what she had in her hand around and struck it. Her weapon was a stick, now slightly splintered by the harsh bash. The Houndoom shook it's head, dizzy from the attack and growled it opened it's jaw and Mariah could guess what it was going to use. A flamethrower. She jumped quickly out of the way as the fire scorched the wall behind her. She braced herself for another attack, but it didn't happen. Instead The fiend had gone for the pups.

The pups wailed as the Pokemon gathered them in it's jaw. With a raw of outrage Mairah swung her her branch. She brought it down on the beast's head and heard a crack. Dismayed at the thought of her weapon broken, she brought it up to her face, but it was till intact. Confused, the teen looked at her enemy and saw it lying on the ground. The pups had scrambled back over to the nest and curled around the eggs again, worried and scared stiff but brave enough to stay. Mariah stood there panting.

"Retreat! Northians retreat!" A pained howl sounded and Mariah watched as their enemies raced away. The southerners yowled in satisfaction and victory.