Chapter 4: Farewell, Home Sweet Home

As we finally arrived in Hearthome City, Rosa squealed and rushed to a huge hall in the distance. We, of course, followed. I was still not quite sure what a Pokémon Coordinator was.

"So, what's a Pokémon Coordinator?" I asked Umbra, who was running next to me.

"A Pokémon Coordinator is a person taking part in contests held in various locations to show off their Pokémon's grace and abilities. The main idea is to utilize anything and everything the Pokémon have to offer in order to put on the most appealing show. Rosa's bets one yet has been the use of my Confuse Ray and Gale's Flare Blitz. My Confuse Ray sort of fused with the flaming tail of the Flare Blitz and gave Gale a long, flaming tail with various hues of purple emitting from it. It was quite a spectacle." I wasn't very interested. Showing off your Pokémon's grace? I'd rather be ripping my opponents apart. But, luckily for me, the contest had no more room for Rosa to enter. She slumped at the reception desk and I sat down, sighing in relief. I didn't want to be put on stage for everyone to see. Although I admit, my dazzling white fur would indeed impress everyone. But my place was in regular battles, not show business. Arian put his hand on Rosa's shoulder to comfort her. I was starting to feel a bit bad for Rosa. I mean, it had been pretty exciting for her. But then I noticed a poster on the wall. I didn't know how to read so I asked Umbra, since he seemed the most capable. Luckily, he knew how to and he translated for me.

"Coming in late? Fear not, for Kalos is has contests every week and you're welcome to join in on the fun! Ferries to Kalos depart on Fridays and Tuesdays. Don't miss the ferry and you won't miss the show!" Umbra translated. I poked Rosa's leg and she noticed me. I pointed my blade at the poster and she checked it out. After about five seconds she was jumping up and down for joy and, then, suddenly hugged me again. I pushed her away, not wanting everyone in the room to witness it. Rosa squealed again and started gushing over going to Kalos. She was talking about fashion, clothes and getting a haircut and all those things female humans seem to get excited about. I didn't understand but when she started talking about putting ribbons on me I regretted my decision to help her out. A lot.

It was Thursday and so Rosa and Arian booked hotel rooms for the night and Arian decided to go take on the Gym. Rosa told us we could roam the city on our own but that we should be back before sundown. I smirked. This was my chance to get away! I would run back to Mt. Coronet and never again would I have to hear from these people again! I was the first one to run off. Just as I was turning around, I could have sworn I saw a quite miserable look on Streak's face but I disregarded it, escape being the only thing to fill my mind. I ran through the streets, shoved small children and other Pokémon aside and focused on getting to the city gates.

As I ran, I saw a lot of things I didn't quite understand. There were boys and girls sitting on the side of a big water fountain. I saw two of them tossing a coin into it and then smiling at each other. I was confused at first but then I made the connection. They must have been a fresh couple. I didn't care much but I stopped to watch from a distance anyway. I was heartwarming, in a way. The boy pulled out a rose and gave it to the girl, who was quite surprised and embraced the boy tightly, who then returned the embrace. I shook my head, clearing it of all other thoughts aside from escape. But it wasn't long before I almost ran into a small child. He was wobbling around, probably still learning to walk, and he had a balloon in his hand. But he accidentally let it go and started crying. But just before the balloon went out of reach a man grabbed it and gave it back to the child, who stopped crying immediately and babbled something that no one probably understood yet. The man smiled and put the child in a baby carriage. Soon a woman came by and gave the baby a milk bottle. I was watching the situation very closely, without really meaning to. I was just mesmerized by the bond these three felt. But again, I cleared my head of any disturbances and started running again. But just before I reached the gates I saw one more thing. I witnessed a Crobat harassing another Pokémon. I took a closer look and as the Grobat moved around so I could see, it was a very familiar-looking Linoone… Streak!

"Hey! Cut it out, you creep! I'm not your dinner, ya hear?" She jumped up with a Headbutt but missed miserably. At first I was amused by her having trouble but then Crobat dove down and hit her hard with a Wing Attack. Streak fell on the ground, nearly unconscious. My amusement vanished and was replaced by confusion. The Crobat prepared its Poison Fang and slowly approached Streak, who was struggling to get up. I glanced around to find anyone else to help her but I didn't see anyone. The gates were right there. I could have easily left her there, to fend for herself. Then, images of what I had seen earlier that day flashed in front of me. The happy couple, the parents and the child… They all cared for each other, they were a… Family. That word drilled into my skull. I glanced at the gates, then at Streak. Would I escape and leave her, or would I pass up what might be my last opportunity to return to Mt. Coronet? I stomped the ground with my paw and gritted my teeth. I was having a war inside my own head. I didn't care for her! I wasn't a part of her family! It had nothing to do with me! She could definitely handle herself! But as I heard her cry of pain as the Crobat dug his fangs into her, something inside my head snapped. My face, which had been one of confusion and aberration, contorted into one of pure, unadulterated, and crystal clear infuriation. My blade glowed, or should I say quivered, with dark and murky energy, darker and murkier than it had been ever before. My eyes were filled with rage and my teeth grinded together like someone had scratched a blackboard with a fork. I growled with a booming, low tone and then, I struck.

I couldn't tell you the full details of what I did because it happened so fast, I still don't quite know what happened. One second I was behind the Crobat, the next I was in front of him. I turned around as his face became that of fear and horror.

"W-where did you come from?" He asked me. I just snarled as he finally felt the results of whatever I had done. He collapsed as the enormous gash on his side opened and blood soon made a large puddle on the ground under him. Streak tried to get up but was too weak and collapsed. I walked over to her, put my head under hers, of course making sure my blade didn't come close to touching her, and lifted her on my back. I carried her to the hotel/Pokémon Center we were staying and shortly after I scratched on the door with my claw, Rosa opened it and saw me carrying an unconscious Streak on my back. My blade was still surging with dark energy but it soon disappeared when Rosa started tending to Streak's wounds. The first thing she used was an Antidote, after which she gave Streak a Sitrus Berry. I stood there, making sure no one came any closer so Streak could get air. My face was, at that moment, stern and emotionless, like a bodyguard's. When night came I slept next to Streak, on the side of the bed Rosa didn't occupy. That night, I went to Darkrai.

As I entered the Ruins of the Night, I called out Darkrai's name. Soon after he rose from the ground. His voice was the same as last time, a very hoarse one.

"Ah, my child. It has been a while since your first visit. What has kept you from stopping by?"

"Nothing special. Just… Nothing special, let's go with that." Darkrai gave me a suspicious look.

"I doubt it's nothing special, my child. Earlier today, you were possessed by the energy we Darklings refer to as "Shaden". Shaden is a form of energy to which we Darklings gain access to through strong, negative emotions. You have merely had a taste of what Shaden can make you. It could make you into a transcendent being below whom even Legendaries are. But alas, Shaden consumes the user. No one can use Shaden without the inevitable side effect of losing their life energy. Prolonged exposure to Shaden is not to be advised, as it drains your consciousness as you use it. The longer you use it, the harder it is to stop using it. Power attracts even the strongest of minds, Riku." I was in horror when I heard just how much of a threat this Shaden could be. I needed to know more.

"Why do we even use it, then?"

"For various reasons. For us Darklings, it is the only power we can go to when we require power. In situations where we need power, even if we don't want to, we call upon the power of Shaden to aid us. That's why we Darklings are how we are, solitary and hesitant to attach to anything or… Anyone." He glanced at me when he said that. But now I had a different question to ask.

"How exactly did you know I have used Shaden?" Darkrai was silent for a second, but then he answered.

"My child, I have my ways of knowing. I have taken a liking towards you, and so I want to know everything that happens to and around you. But alas, we are out of time. I sense my nemesis is coming to hunt me down again. I'll see you soon, Riku. But remember, call upon Shaden only if you truly need it. If you use it without considering it first, you might find it in front of you once again. And if you do, don't bother running. You're already dead at that point." After he said those words he melted under the ground again. And, just like last time, the bright light woke me up from my sleep. I shot awake and glanced around the room. The first thing I noticed was Streak, snoozing quietly next to me, with a strange, big smile on her face as she slept. I figured it was her dream making her smile so I didn't pay it much attention. I lowered my head back into my paws and fell asleep again. But just before I did, I could have sworn I heard Streak mumble something in her sleep. But I was too tired to care.

…

"…Riku… Thank… You…"

…

The next morning was a real hassle. Rosa was packing, mumbling incoherent phrases that sounded something like: "Ohmygodwe'regoingtoKalosit'sgoingtobesomuchfun!" I didn't completely understand what was going through her mind but I wasn't too keen on finding out either. Any chances of me ever returning to Mt. Coronet were now officially busted.

"I just had to go and play the hero, didn't I?" I had been mentally kicking myself for the entire morning over what had happened the day before. Sure, I was glad Streak was alive, but I wasn't about to admit it to anyone, not even myself. But every passing day made it feel more and more pretentious to claim that I didn't want to be a part of Rosa's team. I realized I was slowly becoming what I never wanted to become: a tamed Pokémon. I needed some alone time before we departed for Kalos. I left the room and leapt on the roof of the Pokémon Center. It was relatively high so I could see Mt. Coronet in the distance. My head slumped and I let out a sigh and maybe, just maybe, a very silent whimper as I took my last look at my faraway home. I didn't cry, I can tell you that much. I still had my pride, of which I'd never let go. I didn't notice it at first but Streak and, surprisingly, Alpha, Arian's Mightyena, were watching me.

"Tell me, Alpha," Streak spoke, "what is it like to be a wild Pokémon under a human's command? I wouldn't know because I never experienced the wild, Umbra won't tell me and Gale is from a royal home. The only other one with a wild Pokémon's past in our team is Riku but I doubt he'd tell me." Alpha sighed.

"Streak, us wild Pokémon, especially us Darklings like Riku, myself and Umbra, see Trainers as captors who contain and control us. We have a need for freedom and being under a Trainer's power is very demeaning. I'm not quite sure what you mean you've never experienced the wild but I'll assume that means you're a bred Pokémon. I'm not as hooked on my pride as Riku, though I still find Arian is containing me too much, but I understand what he's going through. He's struggling between two choices, one of which is harder to accept but easier to attain, and the second one's the other way around. He's also weighing the pros and cons of both options. He'll be back in the wild where he's king and where he can do whatever he wants. But here he has a chance to become more powerful than he could ever be as a wild Pokémon, and, I think deep down, he also realizes that here he has a family that cares about him, and that he cares back. He just doesn't want to admit it. I think the best way for you to help him make his decision is by acting normally because if you try to sugar coat the option he's currently experiencing, he'll either be disappointed with what it actually is, or he'll become even more distant, diminishing his will to stay here. So act normal and just try to make him feel comfortable in a natural way. I know that, deep down, he wants to stay here because he has a family here. I don't know about the wild but if he had a family there, I think he'd be trying much harder to escape. He'd be running for the gates right now if he had a family waiting for him." Streak was silent after Alpha's explanation and, at this point, I noticed them. I hopped back down and walked past them without saying a word. Streak soon followed me, but not before thanking Alpha.

"Thank you for the enlightening words, Alpha. I'll try my best to make him comfortable with staying here."

I entered the room we had stayed in, only to be shooed out by Rosa.

"No time for anything else anymore, we're going to the harbor right now. We're going to miss the ferry if we don't hurry." I rushed outside with the rest, but I was secretly hoping that we would miss the ferry so I could still have a chance to escape back to Mt. Coronet. But I knew that if I attempted to escape now, Rosa would simply recall me in my Poké Ball and keep me there for as long as she felt necessary. When we reached the harbor the ferry was already boarding passengers. We hurried to the ramp leading up to the deck and got in. Rosa was panting but soon recovered. But then she noticed that something, or rather someone, was missing.

"Where's Arian?" She was looking around frantically. Though after a few minutes of searching a hand touched her shoulder. It was Arian, who had come to the ferry earlier than us, I figured. So we, or Rosa and Arian rather, headed to their cabins while we Pokémon were free to roam around the ship. Though I wasn't very interested in running around, so I sat myself at the stern of the ferry and just stared as the view of Mt. Coronet was getting ever smaller. I lay down on the deck and sighed. What mess had I gotten myself into? I kept staring at Mt. Coronet for as long as it was visible. I figured I'd never get to see it again so I took in as much of the view as I could. Or at least I would have if a certain Linoone hadn't interrupted my wistful moment.

"Um… Is this seat taken?" Streak asked. I sighed and moved to the side so she could also lay down. I didn't want her to be offended but I wasn't too willing to have another one of these conversations with her. But, instead of talking about the friendship she was so eager for us to have, she instead asked a question I wasn't expecting at all?

"You must really miss your home, huh Riku?" I was taken aback a bit by this question but soon pulled myself together and answered.

"Yes, Streak. I miss the one place I truly felt comfortable at. How is it so difficult to understand?" I was hoping my somewhat dull tone would drive her away but she just sneered and spoke again.

"It's not difficult to understand, I just don't have the same experience with a home as you do. I… I want to know just why you hang on to your freedom tooth and nail. And please, don't say it like it's obvious, you don't know where I'm coming from." I wondered just what she meant by that last sentence. But I decided to answer anyway, I might find out later.

"The reason I cling to my freedom so strongly is because of how I've lived my entire life, I feel most comfortable when I can make my own decisions and fend for myself. Where I lived I felt like a king. I felt unmatched and respected, or feared. Most likely the second one. I felt like I was on the top of the world. But then I had all that taken away from me and I was suddenly chained and I was required to listen to commands and wait for someone else to give me my food. I admit, I couldn't ever do what Rosa's brush does to me, but the delights of my freedom were, and still are, very difficult to let go of. And now I'm being taken away from the region where my home, my birthplace no less, is. I don't think I'll ever feel truly home under a Trainer's command. My home was also all I had. I… I didn't have a f-family in the wild. Don't ask me wha-", I was cut off by Streak's new question.

"What happened to your family?" I groaned and raised my voice a bit.

"And you think I'll just spill my morbid past to you? Huh? I'm not about to tell you anything about it! I've never told anyone! What makes you think I'd tell you?" My teeth were grinding together after I finished, and my eyes were angry. But Streak just answered.

"Maybe telling me about it would help. Sharing your problems with others is usually a big relief for your heart, it's like getting a huge weight lifted off of it." My angry face soon let up as my fake rage was obviously not doing its job. I sighed.

"Look, Streak. I don't want anyone to know about my past. It's painful enough to just think about it. But telling about it to anyone… It's harder than you would think." Streak rose suddenly and got up in my face, hers having shifted from her usual, happy-go-lucky one, into one of persuasive anger. I backed up slightly, as I was thoroughly surprised by her sudden change of mood.

"Listen here, Riku. You're not the only one with a troublesome past. Some of our team mates, including me, have pasts that aren't the usual. Just ask Umbra, his past isn't rosy at all, and neither is mine! So I'd advise you to tell me so I can help you deal with it." Then her face changed into a concerned look and I was starting to wonder if she had some sort of polar disorder. Then she lay down again and patted the space next to her for me to lay down on. I was cautious but still lay down next to her. She scooted closer, close enough for our sides to make contact. She pressed her head against my chest and then spoke.

"Please, Riku? I really do want to help you." I felt awkward at that moment but strangely, a part of me didn't mind. But I was still hesitant to say anything. Streak glanced up and looked into my eyes.

"Would it help if I told my story first?" I was blushing under my facial fur and I'm glad I have quite a lot of it because I sure as hell didn't want her to notice. I was out of words so I nodded instead. She lowered her head and spoke.

"Alright, I'll go first. I was born not in Sinnoh, but in Hoenn. In the vast forest surrounding Foretree City. But mere seconds after my birth my parents were shot by a group of poachers who hunted for Pokémon fur coats for money. I was still a Zigzagoon so my fur wasn't as developed yet. So the poachers just ignored me and left me there, to starve to death. They left, laughing as they had gotten two very valuable fur coats. My mother's and my father's. I was alone and helpless. I was crying. But then, like Arceus had blessed me for some reason, an old human picked me up and carried me to his house. He fed me and raised me until I was old enough to be taken to a Pokémon Adoption Center. I was immediately picked up by a young girl who called me cute and adorable and other similar adjectives. I was taken away from Hoenn to begin a new life here, in Sinnoh. I think you can deduce who that little girl was. I was raised mostly by her father, as she was still too young to become a Trainer. But when she was, I was her first Pokémon and not long after we started our adventure together, I evolved. We were very close. On the way we met Umbra and Gale, who was still a Fletchinder. His story isn't as interesting, he was just brought from Kalos to Sinnoh at the request of a royal family. But after Rosa helped the family fight off a gang of thieves they gave Gale to her as a gesture of gratitude. Gale evolved soon after, and not that long after that we came across you. So, I never knew the thrills of being a wild Pokémon, my parents were shot when I was a few seconds old and Rosa pretty much saved me from imprisonment at the Adoption Center." I was wide-eyed and my mouth was hanging open from hearing her story. I knew what it felt like to be an early orphan. She had had a lot of luck, though.

"So, would you care to share your story now, Riku?" She put her head under my chin and I finally gave in. She was good, I had to give her that much. I sighed and started telling my story.

You'll hear Riku's story in the next chapter. Please review as it's helpful to both me and you. This is the Lonely Riolu, signing off.