The girl shivered as she tried desperately to stretch the damp blanket over her skinny body, the rain should have stopped by now but it hadn't, thick wet raindrops pounded the concrete in a dull symphony, collecting in dark reflective puddles. She wasn't afraid anymore, not of the dark nor the rain and especially not of being alone, and the realization that she had nothing to fear was a small comfort, still tonight was different. Tonight. And in all honestly she didn't know what emotion was keeping her awake, not sorrow, she had mourned her losses to death, but there was a feeling. A lurking, wary almost animal emotion that begged her to stay conscious and alert. Leaning her head back against the Pokémon Centres wall she gazed up at the night.

The sky was a deep mournful black, completely starless, a flickering streetlight bathed a small area in front of her in a sickly orange glow, light glanced off of each raindrop that dared cross its path. The Eevee, the one with the ragged ear, had taken to sleeping beside her and tonight was no exception, it's small beige body was curled in a tight ball and huddled inside a damp cardboard box. Snoozing peacefully.

A noise inaudible to human ears ,and barely audible to Eevee, sounded to the left of the two vagabonds, and the little ragged Pokémon jolted awake, ears quivering, she uttered a low snarl in the depths of her throat and slunk out of her box and in doing so she alerted the girl child who was on her toes in an instant.

The girl was far from stealthy in this awkward terrified state, and her footfalls echoed against the night as she backed against the wall and tried to inch towards the right, her hand sought not a Pokéball, for she was not privileged enough to be a trainer, but an old butterfly knife, the cold steel refreshed her mind flight wasn't an option in the dark, so she crouched low and backed against the open plumbing of the Pokémon Centre, trying to disguise her slight form in the deepest dark, Eevee followed crouching in the black.

"Be my eyes" she whispered desperately, and the little creature licked her hand, promising her service.

The girl squeezed her own eyes shut and un-flicked the knife just as the tip of dark leather boot appeared in the circular streetlamps glow, glistening wet and shining with the orange of the light.

"Marco.." the voice was strong confident and threatening, and the girl shook with the cold and fear, she was exhausted, dirty auburn hair lay rain-slicked against her skin, skin pricked with goose pimples. "You're supposed to say polo" the tone was smug now, but the vagabonds still feared it. The figure moved a bit further into the light, and Eevee saw that it was a man, she saw his form, outlined with dark shadows, but no real features. He just stood, there not moving, scanning the area for any sign of what he had come to hunt and then he caught on, and a million things happened in the timeless eternity that followed.

As the man got close enough to them the Eevee let out a high pitched yelp and lunged towards him, the yelp told the girl he was near and she swung out with her blade, the cold metal tore through the mans jacket and bit soft flesh, dug deep. The resistance and the stench of copper told her she'd hit true. Eevee now on the opposite side of the man tried to run back to the girl but the staggering Grunt kicked her away and simultaneously slammed the girl child backwards.

"Koffing, Smog, we'll choke them out" bellowed the man yanking the knife out of his arm and casting it aside, the area was suddenly thick with a chocking, stinking bitterness. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't run either, darting out into the open made her an obvious target, so she climbed, hanging onto the heating pipes the girl dragged herself to the roof of the bungalow style building, and collapsed stealing lungful of fresh air from the night. Her knife lay glittering in a puddle, slowly turning the water red, didn't matter, she didn't need it anymore, she was safe. But, Eevee.

The small creature was backing out of the smoke, snorting and shaking it's little head violently, the man looked at it then looked away dismissively, and he didn't notice as she ran up and sunk her sharp little teeth into his leg, screaming he stumbled back into the light. Allowing the girl to see that his lower right arm was soaked with blood.

"Ekans, Tackle" this voice was different very female, but the girl couldn't see who it belonged to, all she saw was the snake like Pokémon as it darted from the shadows slamming Eevee into the wall then retreating. There was a low chocking growling sound, then nothing. Silence. Eevee did not re-emerge from the smog, the rocket man stood half in half out of the light smiling to himself, almost enjoying the pain that his wound was causing him, and the girl was in turmoil. Even as she was preparing to jump she knew it was stupid, a death wish maybe but she had no choice springing from the roof she immediately alerted the Grunt to her position, and upon landing in the smog she spun, reached out to grab the little Eevee and make a dash for it. Her fingers came into contact with cold damp fur and……

…she felt a huge hand snatch a hold of her arm and yank painfully backward and upwards, immobilizing her in an instant the pain was immense, and she could smell the blood on him.

"please,.. I.. Eev…"

"silence, Koffing send her to sleep."

"Koffffffiiiiinnnnggg" and suddenly there was a sweet sickly smell in the air, like rotten fruit, and the girl felt her eyes grow heavy.

"Please Eev"

"you wont see that thing again girl" snarled the mans voice as he lifted her up, by now she was to weak with sleep to argue, she was so drowsy she only picked out a few words, "thirteen" then there was mumbling that her half asleep mind couldn't understand, "give her to Giovanni" and with that the Sleep Powder attack took a hold of her and her mind blacked out.