Renee sat in the corner of her decrepit cottage home, silently crying to herself. She cried so quietly that only the her mothers Zigzagoon heard her. He looked up and angled his nose towards her in question. Her father was passed out from his liquor, a daily habit that had now all but extinguished her fathers soul. A cruel man fueled by crueler spirits. Her mother wasn't alive to hear anything, let alone hear daughters silent tears in the dark. She was alone except for Zig.

Their home if you could call it that was located in a perilous area of the bottom of Mt. Silver that was near unreachable for human feet. Exactly as her father wanted it. He was running from something. Renne knew, her mother had known it, but neither had asked. Now her mother was gone. All that was left of their broken family was Renee, Zigzagoon, her father, his three Golbats and the beast in the woods who was only loyal to her father.

Renee twisted her head up to look at the Golbats on the ceiling, wings twisted into sleep, their nasty shades of blue and purple glinting in the dark. She hated those creatures with such ferocity but if she said anything to her father she would get punished. They stole her things, ripped her hair out of her scalp as they flew over and they always stole her food, what little of it she couldn't protect.

And the beast. Renee had a special fear of the beast. The dark form that lurked in the woods, waiting for any who tried to come near the cottage. The dark Mightyena that protected her father and kept Renee locked in.

Putting her head down on her knees again, she continued to cry. It seemed there was nowhere for her to go. No way out.

Renee didn't know what was out there in the world, who was out there. All she knew was this miserable little shack and her father who seemed to have lost any kindness he had when her mother passed away.

Just then something warm and snuffling wiggled it's way into her lap. Zigzagoon could get into anything if he chose to, but he usually refrained from getting into too much. Father didn't like his prying. Zigzagoon wasn't immune to getting hit or kicked by the man either.

It hadn't stopped the little brown creature from sneaking into Renee's heart. She loved him almost as much as she had her mother. He was comfort in a place that offered her none.

She burrowed her face into his fur and took a few breaths. "Zig," she said as she tried to control herself, "I can't live her anymore. I hate it here. I wish we could get out."

Just then her father shuffled and grunted on the couch on the opposite wall. Renee could feel herself become paralyzed with fear. The alcohol wouldn't have worn off quite yet in these hours just after midnight. He'd drank more than usual today.

As he shifted and Renee waited for her fate to fall, something paper-like fell off of his chest and onto the floor. She looked at it for a moment but couldn't make what it was. As soon as she was sure he was back to sleep, she silently looked down at Zigzagoon with a question in her eyes. She had never seen anything like the folded up paper in their house before.

With sparkling determination in his face, Zigzagoon squirmed out of her arms and silently ran over to the paper. He snatched it off the floor, looked up at the Golbats for a moment and then ran it back without making so much as a peep. Legends knew how he did it, for if he had good hearing, the Golbats had better.

As soon as Zigzagoon got back to her, he squirmed onto her lap again and dropped the paper in her hands. It was hard to tell in this light, but she could just make out the words 'Hoenn Region' written at the top. It looked to be a map.

Renee looked at Zigzagoon again and then at the map. They certainly didn't live in the Hoenn region, but then what did her father have this map for? Who was he before he became her father? There seemed to be small scribbles all over the map and the edges felt worn down from continuous use. Renee stood and tucked the map into her belt. She knew she had made too much noise. The Golbats shifted and then blinked open their eyes. They stared down at her and blinked. Beady eyed freaks.

As showy as possible, Renee bent down to get the bucket for collecting wood. It was one of her many daily chores. The dumb creatures just stared at her, waiting for her to make a sudden movement. She wouldn't if she could help it.

As slowly as possible, she went to get the door handle, bucket in hand. They stared with eyes of menace. They knew she went and got wood every morning. Hopefully, they wouldn't disturb her. That hope was foolish.

One of them let out an ear piercing shriek. Renee threw the door open as her father yelled at the bats from his position on the couch. She was dashing through the dark, heart hammering, as her father finally saw the door was swinging open. She only heard him cry her name once in a fit of rage before she was too far into the dark.