Pokemon (c) to Nintendo

The only things I own are the characters in this story.

Savior

City streets were always bustling as people walked their merry way, ignoring the bad things happening to others around them. It's why they fascinated him. How could humans just ignore the world around them like that? Better yet, how could the Pokémon they own ignore a fellow Pokémon's cry for help? They all disgusted Dusclops with their ignorance as he gazed out from the shadows of an alleyway, red eye darting to and fro as he watched the crowd go by.

Naturally they would notice the poor souls that lived hard lives, shaking their heads in pity. And then they would move on, as if they never saw the problem. Or they would extend their hand to help, only for them to yank it back and laugh at their misery. His eye narrowed in anger. Sickening, just absolutely sickening.

His gaze softened and filled with longing as it fell upon a little girl chasing after her Eevee, laughing at their little game. Innocence like that never lasted long, unfortunately. And even then, innocence had its own bit of cruelty to go with it. He turned his head away and plunged deeper into the shadows. Hmph, such a thing would quickly be extinguished in a dark world like this.

Dusclops groaned as he hobbled over to several trees planted near the hospital and lay down against their trunks. He hadn't meant to be caught so off guard by those pack of Rattata. Somehow they managed to be strong enough to know Bite, even under the harsh conditions all street Pokémon had to go through.

The ghost-type put a hand to his stomach as it growled. …When was the last time he had eaten? Several days, perhaps? He would have finally gotten something to eat if the Rattata had not chased him away from the scraps left in the trash. He shook his head. No matter, he was close to the hospital so there must be at least one dying soul he could consume. He closed his eye and concentrated with all his might. Ah, there was indeed a dying soul and on the first floor too! The Beckon Pokémon slowly got up and staggered to where the soul was. Ugh, he was getting weaker. Hopefully whoever was his next meal will remedy that.

He blinked in surprise once he spotted who exactly the soul belong to. A boy no more than twelve lay hooked up to various machines, expression pained as he tried to fight off whatever was killing him. Dusclops stared in awe at the shock of white hair the child possessed; he'd never seen anything like it. It was really a shame to devour the soul of someone so young and interesting, but he needed to eat something. He phased through the wall and stood beside the dying patient. The flames of his life gradually flickered lower and lower…

And then they suddenly flared, burning with such an intensity he nearly gasped. Ocean blue eyes snapped open and for a short time, they stared at each other in shock. Dusclops was intrigued; never before had he seen anyone pull off such a comeback. His head snapped towards the doorway as doctors and nurses came into the room, yelling at the Beckon Pokémon to get away. He fled from the hospital and away from the boy who wouldn't die.

The ghost-type didn't know why the boy interested him so much. Was it because of the hair or the fact that he didn't eat him? Or maybe the reason was because he was so close to death and yet he managed to come back. Whatever the case, Dusclops found himself visiting the albino whenever he didn't feel as tired or hungry.

He watched as the human slowly got better, first resting in bed, then taking a few small steps with some kind of bindings around his legs. The more he watched him the more he noticed how full of life the sickly twelve year old had. He was…annoyingly cheerful and liked to read books. However, the Beckon Pokémon could sense that the boy was a little lonely, for he always seemed eager to talk to the doctors or the people that came to visit him. Come to think of it, no one did other than two adults that he assumed were the parents.

Sometime he saw the ghost-type watching from underneath the shady grove. The boy would wave and call out to him, but he never heard what he said for he was long gone by that time. It embarrassed the Pokémon to be caught watching him like that, but he also felt the smallest stirring of happiness at the acknowledgement. Perhaps someone did care for him after all, shame it wouldn't last. And so a year passed of this "game" before finally coming to an end.

Dusclops tottered about until he collapsed under an elm tree. Winter was cold and harsh, completely unforgiving to the homeless. Not many creatures that lived on the streets made it and the ones that did were greatly weakened with hunger. He lifted up a flickering hand before dropping it back down. He…He was going to die, wasn't he? The Beckon Pokémon closed his eye. So be it. Perhaps if he left this cruel realm, everything wouldn't hurt as much…

A greeting made him open his eye and stop fading for a little while. Who in the world had the gall to approach a Pokémon like him? He blinked when he saw who it was. The boy was standing before him, holding a cloak in his hands while grinning that same damn grin from the hospital. Why was he here?

"Boy am I glad to have found you!" he exclaimed, yellow military cap nearly obscuring his eyes, "I thought I never would, though you're pretty easy to spot since you're a Dusclops and all." The ghost-type watched him fidget nervously, touching the leg braces, before stepping closer.

"Anyway, look! I got a present for you!" A present? How innocent can the child be? "It's supposed to be a cloak of some sort and I thought it would look good on you, plus you'd be a bit warmer when it's wintertime." …The sentiment was actually a little nice. He watched as the human stepped closer and draped it around him, feeling the slight shocks of static electricity. Next thing either of them knew, there was a bright flash of light and he felt himself changing, getting stronger. The next time he opened his eye, he stared at the open mouthed albino.

"Y-You…You evolved!" he stammered. The ghost-type looked down at his- arms? He examined his new body in wonder. Arms, a ghost tail, he hadn't seen those since…

"A-Anyway," the thirteen year old said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "That was supposed to be a thank you present for saving my life that day. You know, at the hospital?" The newly evolved Dusknoir stared at him in confusion. Saved him? He did no such thing; he was trying to eat his soul for crying out loud!

"I, uh, I guess I should be heading home," he said sheepishly, "Hope we see each other again sometime!" The ghost-type watched as the child clad in a blue jacket and black pants began to walk away, an impossible notion forming in his mind. He struggled to get up and, once he did, staggered after the child. He turned around.

"Oh, you want to come home with me?" He replied with a timid nod. The albino grinned. "Yeah, sure, you can come with me! I'll show you where my house is, come on!" He happily obliged.

Dusknoir hesitated for a moment before entering the abode. It felt so queer entering a house again after being homeless for so long.

"Go on ahead and make yourself at home!" the boy chirped, "You must be hungry; I'll make you something to eat!" He collapsed onto the sofa, glazed red and yellow eye watching the white hair disappear into the kitchen. Moments later, something sizzling could be heard and a wonderful smell filled the house. He groaned and shoved a pillow into his face. Knowing that food was so close and yet so far when you're starving was absolute torture.

"'Kay, I'm done!" The child marched out of the room and set down a plate onto the wooden table across from the couch. "Careful, it's hot," he warned, but warnings were the last thing on the Gripper Pokémon's mind. He winced slightly as he grabbed the steaming vegetables and opened his mouth.

Crunch.

Imagine both of their faces when the ghost-type opened his mouth on his stomach and chomped down onto the table itself, plate and all.

"Ack! U-Um, what do we do?!" the thirteen year old asked in panic while Dusknoir began to apologize profusely at the damage he had wrought. "H-Hang on, I think I got it!" He quickly rushed back into the kitchen and came back with a white tablecloth, throwing it onto the table.

"There we go, all fixed," he said cheerfully, "Good thing it was on the long side, otherwise it would've been harder to hide." His gaze seemed to soften a little at the worried Gripper Pokemon. "Just as long as Maman and Papa don't lift up the tablecloth, it'll be fine," he replied, "'Sides, they won't be coming home for a while since they're always busy…" He noted how the boy seemed to become sadder at the mention of his parents. He must have been very lonely indeed. Dusknoir finished the food left in his hands so he can awkwardly pat the little boy's back. He smiled.

"Thanks," he said, instantly becoming joyful, "Well since you're staying here for some time, I'll show you around the house." He grabbed the ghost-type's arm and dragged him across the house.

A week. A week he had spent in this blessed place full of food and warmth. During that time, the Gripper Pokemon learned much about the boy whose name he found out was Allen. He found that he was the son of two doctors and they were hardly ever home, causing him to do the housework himself. Though he was kind, he seemed to have no friends because the white hair marked him as an outcast with the other children. The child also learned during that time that wasting food around him was the worst thing he could do. He apologized afterwards, but the albino was still sporting quite a bruise from the experience.

Dusknoir sighed. Good things rarely, if ever, lasted and staying in such a blessed place was no exception. Soon enough, his parents will come and chase him out, living him to once again sleep in the alleyways… He heard the sound of a door opening and a happy cry that was Allen.

"Papa! Maman! You'll never guess what I made!" he laughed excitedly, "I made a new friend! He's in the house right now, you should see him!" The ghost-type hid in the shadows of the hallway, knowing that he'll have to leave once he showed himself. There were noises of confusion before a small pattering of footsteps made their way to his location.

"Hey, it's okay," the albino reassured him, "They'll like you, I promise!" He grinned and held out a hand. "Come on, come meet my parents!" There was a slight pause before the Gripper Pokemon began to follow him into the living room. The stunned silence that followed was broken by terrified screams and the boy's hand being yanked out of his, only to be shielded by his mother while the father commanded a Chansey and an Audino to attack with special moves. Dusknoir was caught off guard and took some of the attacks before fleeing upstairs into Allen's room. He hid himself in the closet, trying to calm himself.

So this was how it was going to end, he knew it all along. His heart ached and he found himself wiping his eye. So much for having a home. It was fine, though. He was used to rejection and heartbreak like this… His thoughts were cut short when the closet door opened and he stared right into the face of two furious humans with two normal-types, each preparing an attack. He squeezed his eye shut and waited for the beating to come.

"No!"

His eye snapped open as he felt something warm wrap around his body and looked down to see Allen hugging him, protecting him from his parents' wrath.

"I won't let you hurt him," he hissed, holding the Gripper Pokémon tightly, "He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Please try to understand, Allen. We're only doing this for your own good-"

"He saved me! He saved my life!" he interrupted his mother, "Papa, Maman, can't he stay? He has nowhere else to go and I want him. I want him as my Pokémon. So Maman, Papa, please?" The adults looked at each other uneasily.

"…Can we have a talk with him, alone?" his father asked. The thirteen year old's response was to squeeze onto the ghost-type tighter. "Don't worry, Beatrice and Pepin won't harm him." Dusknoir gently pushed the boy away. He gave him a reassuring smile before floating out into the hallway with the two doctors.

"My son has taken a liking to you," the mother said stiffly, "So for now we'll allow you to stay here." He couldn't believe his ears. He was allowed to stay?

"But," the father added, "If we catch you even harming one hair on his head, there will be hell to pay." He nodded. Like he was going to hurt the one that saved him just now! There was a whoop of delight and he soon found himself tackled onto the floor by a happy albino.

Dusknoir woke with a start, eye darting about in terror. He sighed in relief when he realized he was still in Allen's room and not being abandoned back onto the streets. It had been several weeks since he was allowed to stay and he couldn't have been happier. Now if only the nightmares would stop bothering him… He shivered and wrapped the blankets around himself. That same nightmare of his previous trainer leaving him to starve continued to haunt him. He just wanted to let go of the past and live with his new trainer.

He stopped and turned his head to the sound of sobbing. Was Allen also having a nightmare? He got up and floated over to the child. One touch of an icy hand was enough to wake him up.

"Oh, h-hey there…" he sniffed, wiping his eyes, "I had a bad dream…" The ghost-type could sympathize with that. "Did-Did you have one too?" He nodded. "…Come with me." He stared at the thirteen year old in confusion before following him all the way into the kitchen. By the time he reached it, his trainer was getting what looked to be packets of hot chocolate.

"I-I usually drink hot cocoa when I have a bad dream," he admitted, "But I've never really talked to anyone about them before and I really, really want to. So…can you stay and listen? I don't want to bother my parents." The Gripper Pokémon blinked at the strange request before nodding and sitting opposite to the albino. A few minutes later, both of them were holding a cup of hot chocolate.

"Alright, so where should I start?" he murmured, "Well…I was in this dark place and I couldn't see anything. Then I found you up ahead and tried to run after you, but no matter how fast I ran, I couldn't reach you. You turned around after a bit and looked at me before disappearing and I dunno where you went." He let out a sniffle. "You left me…" Dusknoir stared in shock. To abandon someone like his old trainer did and give someone the same feeling he felt that time…it was unthinkable. He gently laid a hand on Allen's in reassurance.

"Y-You sure you won't leave me?" he asked. The look on the Gripper Pokémon's face was answer enough. He let out a tiny smile. "Thanks…" He paused. "Are-Are you afraid of being left alone to?" The ghost-type looked down in sadness. "I see…" Silence. "Hey," he finally whispered, "Let's promise not to leave each other, never ever. Promise?" Dusknoir mulled it over for a bit before nodding. It seemed to cheer Allen up significantly.

"You know, I never gave you a name," he said, "I should do that." The Pokémon shrugged in reply. He was alright with being called Dusknoir, but perhaps a name change would signify the beginning of a new life. "'Kay then, how does Noir sound?" He shook his head. Too cliché. "Er, is Dusk be-?" He recoiled at the sound of that name. Not that, any name but that! "'Kay then…" An awkward silence filled the room before Allen began to grin.

"I got it!" he chirped, "Your name will be Xavier!" The ghost-type stared at the boy curiously. Why that name? "It's because you saved me when I was sick, you saved my life," he asserted, "That's why you're my savior. So, Xavier!" The Dusknoir facepalmed at the sheer irony of it. "So, do you like it?" There was a pause before he nodded in agreement. "Yay!" The child quickly clapped a hand to his mouth and giggled.

"Whoops, shouldn't be so loud," he whispered, gulping down his hot cocoa, "Finish yours up and I'll put them in the-" He stared wide eyed at the Pokémon's empty cup. "…How did you…?" Xavier let out a chuckle as his trainer pouted. "I'll catch you drinking it, just you wait!" he declared, putting the cups into the dishwasher, "…Hey Xavier? Can you sleep with me in my bed tonight? I'm scared of having more nightmares…" The Dusknoir nodded as they headed back upstairs.

Xavier had lived with Allen for seven years, watching him grow up into a charismatic young man. Both of them were there when he made his first human friends and when they enrolled into the army as medics. He was the one to comfort his trainer as he coped with the deaths of his first friends and he was there to make sure he did not spiral down the wrong path. The two of them were inseparable at this point; to see one without the other was nearly unthinkable.

Honestly, he was glad that he met his friend on that fateful day. Sure he felt guilty for trying to eat his partner's soul in the past, but he was thankful for it, in a way. Without the albino, he was sure he wouldn't be here. There were some moments when he feared that the dormant disease would resurface and claim Allen's life, but he always came back every single time. It reminded him that ghost-types lived much longer than normal humans and with how sickly his partner was, their time to part would be much too soon. He'll deal with it when the time comes. In the meantime, Xavier will continue to watch his savior for as long as he can.

I've been wanting to write this story for a really long time now, but writers' block got in the way. :'D This is basically a backstory to one of the characters I have. There's just something about the Pokemon side of things that interests me, maybe it's because they're so mysterious? I don't know. Hope you enjoy and critiques will be appreciated!