Raised apart from fellow comrades for most of his life, Imy had worried and pondered for days if bringing him back into the team now was a good idea. Stewie had been brought up by Ethan's grandparents in the day care centre since an early level, so that Imy could focus on training her stronger members without fear of hurting him. Tension was noticeable for the first few weeks and worry set in that putting Stewie in care for so long had effected their bond, but with time they grew just as close as when they had first met.
Stewie had hatched from an egg on route 32. Imy had been looking after the egg for some time, carrying it around with her on her travels, when she felt the tapping sensation through the eggs surface. As Stewie emerged, she held his warm body close to her for protection from the icy wind that swept through her hair. Regardless of the cold, an overwhelming sense of love and joy overcome her and everything seemed beautiful. The Caterpie and Weedle scuttled by happily in the long grass either side of the dirt road, the smell of morning dew from a cold, wet night hung in the air, and as she looked into her new team mate's eyes for the first time, she knew she had made a friend for life. "Tokepi!" chirped Stewie, nuzzling into her neck.
Her heart broke as she reminisced this initial meeting, their first hello. Maybe if things had been different? What if he hadn't gone into care and stayed with her regardless of the risk? Maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't be in this mess now. However, hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Tears fell from her face like rain droplets of an oncoming storm, the brutality of the situation sinking in the longer it was endured. Poor Stewie stood his ground, little legs trembling as he coughed up more and more blood from the dreaded curse. His white shell now had dark brown patches of crusty dried blood and his voice was hoarse as he struggled for breath.
Watching this cruelty and viciousness made Imy feel physically and mentally sick. She had healed his wounds once already with the potions she always kept on her, but how long was she going to watch him suffer? All hope was lost on this battle, both of them knew it, but it hurt her too much to admit this.
For a year and a half prior to the battle, Imy had spent one to one time with Stewie, a level 27 by now, she had hoped that he would have learned some offence type moves to complement his status effect move set, although this was met with failure. Even so, Stewie became a valiant member of the team, being sent in first to confuse the opponent and tire them with yawn, in which at this point a fellow member of the team would step in to finish the job. The plan worked! It was flawless! All training had led to continuous wins! Until today.
In the darkness of Ecruteak city gym, the smell of damp was repulsive and the floor was hard and cold like the heart of the trainer before her. All that was going through the young trainers head was the impending doom of her beloved Tokepi. "Have you no compassion!" She screamed, throwing herself down to Tokepi and holding him within her arms. "Its going to be ok…" Repeating this mantra over and over as she stroked tokepi gently on his head provided some relief, but the whimpering from her pokemon said it all. Rasping coughs rocked Stewie's body as blood splattered over Imys clothes.
"Are you fucking joking?" laughed the opponent. "Why give the poor dead weight false hope!" Belching laughter erupted from the trainer and his Haunter while muffled sobs were all Imy could manage. "Did you really think that vermin could beat us? Bit of mean look, curse and spite and you're DONE! You have nothing left! HAHAHA!" They roared with laughter as Stewie's lifeless body started to go cold.
"I'm so sorry" Imy snivelled, "I love you". She planted one last soft kiss onto her pokemons forehead as she felt his last breath brush her cheek. Throwing her head back in grief she screamed, loud heart breaking sorrow engulfed the gym adding to the already dark atmosphere.
Rising to her feat, withdrawing her fallen friend from battle, she glared coldly into the eyes of his murders. No longer grieving, but full of hated and pain, she took deep breaths as her opponents grinned devilishly feeling smug.
"YOU BASTARD!" Her screams echoed of the walls as she sent out Maisy her Raticate. "MAISY USE CRUNCH!" The desire to end this duel fuelling her every word. Maisy readied herself and pounced on the unsuspecting Haunter, Her powerful dark moves super effective against his weak ghost type fighting style. As the Haunter changed into a solid entity, fear and panic crossed over its face as Maisy sank her teeth deep into its eyes.
Both eyeballs exploded, sending a gooey substance down Maisy's chin, and the sounds of the eye socket shattering under the pressure were enough to make a grown Gengar wince. The Haunter shrieked in pain, shoving Maisy away so that it could claw at the space were its eyes used to be. It screeched and howled as its remaining life forced poured out of the newly made crevice in its face.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" wailed the opponent as he withdraw his pokemon. "Give me the money…now" demanded Imy, keeping as calm as possible considering the circumstance. "What money? I don't owe you shit" spat the saw looser of an opponent. "NOW!" bellowed Imy, Maisy bearing her blood stained teeth and following her friend's anger with a deep growl. "Ok, ok, jesus…" he stammered, shakily handing over the prize money.
"We've gotta keep moving Maisy" sighed Imy. "We need to get out of here, let's finish this."