I've noticed that the majority of Ash's fire starters have been through some sort of trauma involving a trainer. Charmander with Damien, Cyndaquil with that asshole of a trainer constantly chasing it despite its clear reluctance to join him, Chimchar with Paul, Tepig with Shamus. I thought that it would be interesting if the Litten spotted in the new Sun and Moon series followed this trait (since it seems likely by the leaked concept art that it'll join Ash's team at some point). Note that this was written before the Litten episode came out.

Trigger warning: Physical and emotional abuse, blood, and near-drowning

Enjoy :3

Litten's life hadn't had a happy beginning.

She had entered this world alone. No family to be found, not even a mother warming her egg. Just her, trapped in a dumpster for days with nothing to eat but her own eggshells.

After she had finally escaped that hellhole, she had managed to bolt straight into the arms of a trainer. He had seemed nice initially, praising her for the strength of her Ember that had drawn him to her in the first place. He gave her the most delicious of Alolan food, learned her favorite places to be stroked, and trusted her to fight countless opponents.

At least, until she started losing battles.

The first lost battle hadn't been a huge deal. He had figured it was a fluke, simply a stroke of bad luck.

The second battle had had a stronger impact. He was so upset he forgot to feed her that night.

After the third, everything fell apart. He pushed her beyond her limits in training, withholding food when she refused to comply and threatening her with periods of isolation in her Pokeball.

Litten tried frantically to keep up, but he was always moving too fast, pushing too hard. Without food and proper rest, she began to lose even more frequently. The patchy clumps of what remained of her fur had lost its coat of oil that he had once kept so carefully managed, and she found herself unable to use Fire-type attacks.

She remembers vividly the first time he struck her. It was after a loss against a a Grubbin. The battle should have been easy; all she would need to do was cling to a tree and launch some Embers. It would have never been able to retaliate at such a distance, and even if it did manage to yank her down with a String Shot, she could simply use her teeth and claws.

But her dried up, matted fur provided no fuel for her flames, and when she managed to conjure them up at all (most attempts typically ended in her hacking up hairballs and smoke), they sputtered out only a foot or two away. In close combat, she was too weak to put much effort in her physical attacks or to speedily dive in and out of range.

After the Grubbin fled and she barely managed to scramble to her paws, he had yanked her by the tail, snarling insults and curses in her face. He practically threw her to the forest floor and kicked her so hard in the ribs that her vision filled with white spots.

She came to prefer solitude in her Pokeball over battles in the outside world. That was all she was ever let out for at this point. Battles and training.

During the final battle, she had seen her chance. Covered with bruises and scrapes, her tail permanently kinked and her ears ragged, her fur missing chunks and covered in mats, she had burst from her Pokeball dreading the beating she'd receive after yet another loss.

But she was his only remaining Pokemon against the savage Gumshoos looming over her. It barely spared her a glance, lip curled with disgust at the pathetic creature before it.

She knew she was his final chance. She had heard the lengthy battle from within her 'ball.

And so, Litten turned around and attacked her own trainer. She put the little energy she had and dove at his legs, spitting and clawing. When he dropped her Pokeball out of sheer shock, she had lunged for it and, using the best Bite she had performed in months, shattered it.

After that, she had sprinted away and never looked back.

Life was tougher than she thought. The Pokemon she sought out for help turned her away, either scorning her troubles or too preoccupied with their own to bother. She scavenged throughout the city, wolfing down garbage like it was her favorite Poke Bean and even picking at the most rotten of roadkill.

Eventually, she had turned towards the kind berry vendors that filled the streets, but she would never allow herself to be near enough to let them touch her. In her mind, letting any human close guaranteed pain, and she had clawed many human hands that had reached to pet her. She never returned to those that tried.

One day, she had been basking on the beach when a boy and his Pikachu came bolting across the sand. A stomp on her crooked tail had sent her yowling, although when she turned to face her attacker, she saw the two scrambling to apologize. She didn't care. She fired a flaming hairball right at that boy's face and fled.

She encountered him again but a week later, this time over by the Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy commonly fed her and always refrained from touching her, having her Blissey provide any care that Litten might need, and that made the Center a favorite of her spots. She had just been departing from her weekly lunch with Comfey and Blissey when the boy ran in with his wounded Pikachu.

Litten may have hated humans, but she had found the Pikachu to be friendly enough in his apologies during their initially meeting. Besides, she was curious as to what was going on, and so she peered in.

The boy was pleading with Nurse Joy to care for his Pikachu. The fear and worry in his face spoke wonders of the compassion he felt for his friend.

She watched until the Pikachu was safely returned, fully recovered, and then continued on her way, curiosity satisfied.

The third encounter was with the boy alone. She roamed the forests often, especially at night, where the pickings on Rattata were never slim. In the middle of a hunt, a nearby explosion had frightened off her quarry. Annoyed, she had stormed over to see what had caused such a ruckus, and what she saw surprised her.

A Pikachu - no, a Mimikyu! - was attacking that same boy she had seen twice beforehand.

Its eyes were seething with hatred, orbs of ghostly energy flying in his direction again and again as it pursued him.

The boy scrambled over roots and stones, screaming, "Pikachu! Where are you?!" between breaths. His voice was filled with panic.

"Pikachu... are evil... pathetic... unfit for existence," the Mimikyu hissed, the head on its disguise flopping wildly in its vigor, "You must... atone... for keeping such a... vile... creature."

Shadowy hands surged out from beneath its cloth and slashed the boy's calf. His agonized cry ripped through the air as blood spattered the leaf litter.

Litten had seen enough. She would never allow her hatred to consume her like this Mimikyu had, and to see it attacking an innocent trainer solely because he had a certain species of Pokemon...

Well, it was unforgivable.

She screeched as she leaped out of the brush, startling the Mimikyu and causing it to whip around. Flames surged from her throat as she set the Mimikyu's disguise ablaze in hopes to distract it.

Litten turned to check and see if the boy was okay. He had pulled himself unsteadily to his feet, clearly favoring the injured limb.

Run! Hurry! She thought frantically, digging her claws into the earth in frustration.

However, that's when she noticed the sudden opening behind him and the sound of rushing water.

The ravine!

A sudden volley of blows took her by surprise. She twisted and writhed, clawing at the air in desperation as the Mimikyu used Play Rough over and over on her.

A point-blank Shadow Ball ended the assault and sent her flying. The wind was driven from her lungs as she slammed into the boy's chest.

He was sent tumbling backwards straight over the cliff side.

The air roared in her ears as they fell. She didn't even have time to shriek before they hit the river.

Cold water swirled into Litten's lungs, and she thrashed frantically. She broke the surface briefly, gulped in air and spluttered on water, and was sent under once more.

Where was the boy? She saw nothing but the dark water when she opened her eyes, but as she tried to churn her paws more steadily, they brushed the fabric of his shirt. She dove down, grabbing at the cloth with her teeth, and hauled him up.

There was little hope of her being able to lift up the much larger boy, but dammit, she was gonna try.

She wasn't sure how much time passed, but eventually, her paws struck soil, and she dragged herself and the child as far inward as she could.

Black edged her vision, and once they reached the point where the boy was scraping the ground, she was too exhausted to make it to the dry sand just a few meters away.

But just as her legs began to give out, strong, furry arms wrapped around her torso, gently lifting her up and removing the burden from her mouth.

The next thing she knew she was on dry land, dull claws massaging her back until she coughed up a few mouthfuls of water.

She looked up and saw a familiar Gumshoos looming over her. Just as intimidating as last time.

With a hoarse hiss, she tried to jerk to her paws, but staggered and collapsed when she put weight on her right foreleg. Damned river rocks.

"Don't be frightened." The Stakeout Pokemon rumbled, her voice deep and smooth with concern, "I will not hurt you nor your trainer."

"He isn't-" She started coughing again, groaning and shaking her head. "...Is he alive?"

"He'll be fine. I've driven the water from his lungs. His leg is bleeding terribly though."

Litten looked to the Gumshoos pleadingly. "Are we near the city?"

"The human settlement is quite a ways away. There's an old burrow of mine just nearby where you and the human can rest for now."

"Thank Arceus- wait, the boy too?"

Gumshoos hummed lightly and walked towards his drenched, unconscious form. His hat was missing, and with his once bushy hair now slicked down by the water, he looked quite different than before.

"Of course. Where else would he go? Now come. I'll bring him there and collect a poultice to treat your injuries, but I must return to my children soon."

She complied begrudgingly, limping after the mustelid. After the mother Gumshoos dragged the boy to the cramped burrow and wrapped his leg, she turned to Litten, but the Fire Cat Pokemon shook her head.

"My leg's fine. Go to your kids."

"But-"

"I said go! Thank you for helping us, but I'll be fine."

"..." Though appearing reluctant, Gumshoos departed, leaving Litten with her newest problem.

When the boy finally began to stir towards dawn, Litten dove into the shadows, hiding until she could properly assess him as ally or foe.

He groaned and sat up, holding his head. "Ugh, where am I...?"

He went to stand, but he yelped when he tried to walk on his leg and fell back down. "Argh! Ugh, so much for going back to Kukui's..."

She shifted back as he moved, her hind paw cracking a twig and making her jump a mile.

At the sound of movement, he seemed to perk up, scanning the cave eagerly. "Pikachu? Is that you?"

When she didn't respond, he tried again, "Rowlet?"

Finally, Litten crept from the darkness, ears flat and fur bristling a bit.

He blinked at her in surprise, but then his face lit up cheerfully. "Hey, you're the one who helped me out when Mimikyu attacked me! Thanks for savin' me. Have ya seen a Pikachu or a Rowlet around? I'm kinda worried about them."

She stared at him unblinkingly, studying his body language for any signs of a hidden threat.

"Uhh, my name's Ash Ketchum, by the way. Do ya know how I got here?"

Content with her assessment, Litten straightened and padded nearer. She cautiously sniffed at his leg, checking for any sign of infection; she didn't need to deal with an injured and sick human.

"Hey, you're limping." The boy's-, no, Ash's voice was filled with concern, and she stiffened as he leaned nearer to her. "You wrapped up my leg, but you didn't bother to wrap up yours? Lemme see."

She bared her teeth and hissed at him as he extended his hand her, and he stopped mid-reach.

"Hey, there's no need to worry. I'm not gonna hurt you, I wanna help. Can I help you?"

She glared into his gaze, but she was surprised to find unbridled kindness and concern within his dark amber eyes.

"...Mrrrr..." Uncertainly, Litten allowed her posture to relax. He smiled at her reassuringly and slowly took hold of her injured paw. He examined it in the feeble pre-dawn light entering their little cave.

She couldn't stop trembling and her heart pounded in her ears, but she didn't pull away.

"It looks like a nasty scrape and maybe a sprain, I think," he mused aloud, "Not too serious though. Here, you can have some of the, uh, stuff on my leg."

He moved his other hand toward his leg, and she tried to keep her eyes fixated on both of his hands at once. He scraped a bit of the still-damp poultice from his leg and pulled off a few of the leaves the Gumshoos had applied to hold it in place.

"I'm just gonna put it on now, okay? It might sting a bit, but if it hurts too badly feel free to claw me."

She looked at him in surprise, but she could see amusement sparkling in his eyes. He smeared the poultice on her wound, and as he predicted, it did indeed sting a bit, but the pain wasn't terrible and it didn't last for long.

Afterwards, he released her paw and sat back. She flexed her claws, finding the movement far less painful than earlier, and she mewed gratefully at him.

"So, uh, I'm not sure if I can walk on this. Or if I should." Ash frowned thoughtfully and picked at the poultice on his leg.

Not wanting him to scrape off any more than necessary, she swatted his hand away automatically, but then she went rigid in fear when she realized what she'd done.

But he only laughed when she did that. "Alright, alright, I'll leave it alone. Man, you're a feisty thing, aren'tcha?" His hand fell upon her head as he moved to scruff her ears lightly.

She cried out when he touched her and jerked away from him, lashing out with a paw and scoring her claws down his fingers.

He gasped in surprise and recoiled, clutching his hand with his untouched one.

She snarled loudly and backed away, shaking and her fur bushing out. Tears blurred her vision and a pathetic, terrified, croaking wail emerged from her throat.

Ash looked at her in confusion and perhaps hurt, but his eyes softened immediately when he sees her expression.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, I won't do it again. I'm sorry- really, I'm really sorry I touched you. I didn't know that you didn't like it, but I won't do it again." As if to emphasize his point, he planted his hands firmly on the ground and leaned back into them, ignoring the fresh scratches on one of them.

She pressed herself as far into the ground as she can, memories of her old trainer and of hurt and hunger buzzing through her brain, and another fearful moan drawled from her throat.

"I'm so sorry, girl."

With several deep breaths and repetitions of extending and retracting her claws into the packed ground, she calmed down. She forced her fur to lie flat and started to shakily groom herself.

Ash was silent throughout this time, gazing at her apologetically. He had scooted back respectfully.

The brief moment of contact between the two of them hadn't been unpleasant. Litten had forgotten how nice human hands could be. They could reach any spot she couldn't, and the long fingers they possessed could ease the aches of any muscle and tease out the tangles of her fur.

She had forgotten that, remembering only the pain the bony knuckles and tight grasp could bring.

"...I'm really sorry."

When he spoke, she jerked her head up and fixed her yellow eyes on his face.

His eyes were shamefully downcast, chin tucked into his chest and shoulders slumped.

Litten eyed him a moment longer and then stepped forward, walking until she was only a foot or two away from him. Her body quivered with fear, so much so that she forced herself to sit in an effort to quell the shaking in her legs.

Ash blinked at her, his face surprised, but wary. "I didn't mean to scare you. It's just- I had no idea."

She leaned down, seeing the angry red lines she had drawn across his hands, and flicked her tongue across them gently. She licked at them until she was certain that they were clean; the boy didn't move a muscle while she did it.

When she finished, she sat up and looked into his face, trying to appear friendly by setting her ears forward and swishing her tail gently.

He smiled at her. "Thank you." He lifted his hand to examine the scratches, pointing his palm downward and checking his fingers.

With a deep breath, she abruptly padded towards him and butted her head into his open hand.

Ash was stunned for a moment, and did not react at first. But then he moved, running his fingers with the perfect pressure and speed down her spine in a smooth, pleasant stroke. He repeated the gesture, tangling his fingers in her thick, oily hide.

Initially, she ducked down a bit from being pet, but as he continued, she arched her back into him. A loud rattle rumbled deep in her chest, vibrating up her throat and throughout her body. Was she... purring?

As Ash pet her, he reached to scratch behind her ears and along her jawline, and she leaned into his hand. His fingers lingered over by her ears, and then towards her neck, where the more prominent scarring was.

"Someone hurt you before, didn't they?" It was a question that didn't really need an answer. "A human. It must be so hard for you to do this, to... to try and get over being hurt by somebody. I know how it feels."

His voice was tight with emotion. "Thank you, girl, for letting me pet you. You're such a brave, good Pokemon."

Her eyes filled with moisture once again, but this time, no matter how quickly she blinked, she couldn't dispel the tears.

A deep longing jarred her suddenly. All she wanted was to be held and praised once again. She didn't want the petting to stop, or to return to her lonely life.

Humans were all she knew, and if she could trust just one person, just one, then maybe...

A sob burst out of her and she leaped into his lap, burrowing into the warmth of his chest. He draped his arms around her, stroking her back soothingly.

"Shh, it's okay..." He held her so delicately, like she was as fragile as glass. His body heat washed over her, nurturing and healing.

For the first time in quite a while, Litten felt at peace.