Volume 1: A Second Chance

by tenshi.yudashi

The Pokemon world is filled with wonder. This story follows Kyle Bredeson and the unfortunate series of events that follows his recent encounter with a Mewtwo. Rated M for Gore, Sexual Content, and Violence. WARNING: Contains a scene of rape.

12. Chapter 12: A Bad Past and Shaky Future

Quick forenote: A lot of this switches between the "we" and "I" pronouns. During the flashbacks this is used to denote that both Kyle and Rose share a consciousness. A single line will be used to break up the different memories.

---

I followed her away from the cliff and towards an open field. Beautiful flowers blossomed all around as we sat across from each other. Inhaling deeply, I couldn't help but stare at her and be reminded of Katherine. My stalwart, coy and affectionate friend. I had lost her once, and with the battle looming ahead I only wondered how much more pain I would have to endure to protect them. Could I protect them?

Rose laid down, and placed one of the rainbow colored prisms into the palm of my hand. My heart rate skyrocketed as I stared at it. I was about to fully dive into her mind, and feel everything she had ever felt or would feel. She would be laid bare like a book for me to read. I only hoped my will was strong enough to endure the act.

"Kyle."

My attention turned from the item to her, watching as her body trembled. Her usually stoic face was contorted with fear. Her eyes were wide with anguish from a past she seemed afraid to share.

"There are many memories, and things I've done. I'm not proud of them at all. I don't expect you to stay."

"I'm here, Rose," I said, firmly. Despite my convictions to stay, a shred of doubt still lay deep in my heart.

"Kyle. You don't know what I've done. I'm irredeemable. A curse," she whispered. I stared at her before placing my hand on her paw.

"Let me decide whether that's true or not. Please?"

Her breathing slowed before she exhaled loudly. Her fur bristled for a moment as she relaxed with her head on her paws.

"As you wish. I've warned you though."

Her single black claw touched the crystal while she motioned for me to do the same. I touched my crystal with my index finger, and watched in awe as strands of light jumped from both prisms and connected to each other forming a barrier around me and her. Before I could speak, I was pulled out of my body and into a downward spiral. I screamed for air, as my lungs felt like they were filling with fluid, and tried to move but to no avail. I was a prisoner in this realm watching as darkness consumed me. My mind sought relief but was unable to find purchase on any thought or emotion. As I thought the shadows drove me mad, I was freed onto a black plain of nothingness. I remained motionless in the darkness calming myself. Staring into the darkness, slowly, my vision started to improve.. It was still pitch black but I could make out the shapes of my fingers and see colors in the dark. Turning around I was confronted by a giant white square. It floated by itself and was a blank canvas.

"This is where everything that happens will be conveyed." The voice came from my right side and I instinctively looked to see a translucent outline of Rose sitting next to me.

"Last chance to run Kyle. Are you sure?"

"Enough with the stalling," I replied, glancing back to the screen. A new image had formed of a familiar cave, albeit much larger and less weathered.

"Then touch it and see."

Placing my palm onto the screen, I immediately was repelled by the sensations I experienced. My mind rebelled as the slime like substance seemed to yank and pull on me. Dread filled my chest, but finally I conceded. I had to see...first hand. And like that, I was consumed into my Dark mon's first memory.

---

I inhaled as I entered the cave, at ease with where I was. My mind was still developing and I felt as though I was still learning the ins and outs of existing. Opening my eyes I came to the shocking realization that instead of merely being an observer to the situation I was inside of Rose's body. While I wasn't in control of her actions, I could feel, see and experience everything occurring in the current moment. Looking down at my now miniature paws, I felt excitement bubble up in my heart. I looked at two Pokemon who approached me slowly. A giant male Luxray and a shiny female Absol, who sat down slowly in front of me. I don't know how I knew, but I recognized them as my parents and knew that something major in my life had occurred. A drop of water from a stalactite above hit my head and I whined in discomfort.

"Hello, sweetie," our mother spoke. Her voice was clear as crystal and smooth like wine.

"Did it go well?" I asked, surprised by how squeaky my voice was. It was extremely high pitched and it took me a minute to recognize it as our own.

"Yeah. The runt came out just fine," the dad spoke. I looked at my mother to notice a small bundle of fur curled up at her feet. Glancing back to father I couldn't help but notice the large waves of discontentment coming off of him. I didn't understand why he was so distant to us, but chose to focus our attention on the newest addition to the family.

"What's their name?" I asked, watching as our Father stalked behind our Mom, with menacing intent. My eyes widened as he pushed her forward roughly. I whined softly in fear, afraid he might snap at us next.

"After much discussion, we decided to go with Katherine. While Lily had been the original plan, your father and I agreed to name her after his mother," Mom spoke. My tail wagged happily as I stared at the small bundle of fur, which slept peacefully on the ground.

"Now Rose. It will be your job to help raise and guide her. Teach her the ways of the world and the pack. Keep her safe and treat her well. As Leader, I'll be short on time. It doesn't mean you'll shoulder the responsibilities solely. I'll always be here for my girls to do whatever I can for them."

"OKAY!" I shouted proudly.

"Rose. You'll wake her-" my mom hissed, only to receive a blow to my head which made my ears ring, and my vision spin. I glanced up at the paw, coming face to face with my father. Fear filled my pit, only for a small growl to echo across the small space. Glancing at my mother I noticed her fur was on end, and her fangs bared ready to fight. She dug in moving forward menacingly. Even having just conceived birth she was

"You can do what you wish to me, but the moment you lay a paw on my daughters, you will lose what little manhood you have," she threatened. I had never heard her growl, in my short nine year life span, so for her to do so now, surprised me. Looking to my father, he backed away, his eyes wide with fear.

"My apologies. Won't happen again," he responded, glaring daggers at me. We had never had a good relationship. While his words were unkind, he had taught me quite a bit about the boundaries, and even spent time teaching me how to fight. I liked him. I don't know why but I felt like my mother was royalty, and I often got treated like a princess. She doted on me every minute of every day. The memory grew richer as I stood there, inhaling the scent of my sister, and staring at her. She was my sibling and my mother had placed me in direct charge of caring for her. I was so happy to no longer be an only pup, but on the other hand was fearful of upsetting my mother. Before I could think further on it, a small yip caught my attention and I whirled around to be greeted with a bundle of fur which sent us tumbling down a cave ledge. His teeth came towards my horn, which we dodged by kicking his stomach. His grasp slipped, and we rolled several more feet coming up at the same time. Using the back of our paw, we smacked the male Absol playfully. He slid down the floor, and we pounced. Our claws dug in pinning him down, much to his disappointment. He struggled for a minute before giggling.

"Again? Come on Rose! That's so unfair!"
"Hehehe," we giggled, letting our friend up and circling him once.

"So tell me. Are we gonna go to the field today?" he asked, stretching his back out and wagging his curved tail.

"I can't today Fang. Mom just gave birth. I gotta be responsipipible.," I said, heading back the way we came. He bit my tail playfully and I yipped out of shock. It didn't hurt but for some reason felt extremely good. I didn't understand why, and blushed out of embarrassment.

"Well whenever you get a chance, don't forget to hang out with me! Kay?" he said, running away, yowling as he went. I rolled my eyes and returned upstairs to see my parents in deep conversation. As I approached, Luxray glared at me. I lowered my head and moved towards Katherine, wrapping our warmth around her, and keeping her safe.

"Sean. Have I not been sweet and loving to you? Surely, this is not the time to break apart our family. I've ignored the abuse. I've served you loyally and slept with no male outside of you. I've provided you home and shelter," my Mom whispered. I tried to feign sleep, but her conversation reached our young ears. Despite not understanding the words, we knew that something was happening.

"No. You listen here Bitch. I'm tired of you. You're getting old and soft. You got the pups you wanted. So I'm done. Besides Natalia and I have been-"

The conversation changed tones, and before I knew what happened, the air became charged with energy.

"You ungrateful, bastard. I've given you a life of luxury, and been the ideal mate. All for you to turn your back on us? How dare you? ." The yelling got our sister to start crying, which in turn gave the male time to retreat before our Mother could pursue him, ready to shred him to nothing. Ducking my head down I tried to silence her cries to no avail.

I could barely hear the rest of the conversation, but shortly thereafter, I heard claws leaving the den. I blinked slowly, and looked to the opening as I watched Father leave. He looked back once, before departing without a word to me.

I remained motionless up until the point I heard Mama crying. We raised our heads concerned, and noticed she was wiping her eyes and trying to muffle her voice.

"Mama? Why are you-?"
She was next to me , nuzzling Katherine. Her cries faded away, and she soothed us with her melodic voice.

"All is well, my sweet child. Rest. Mama is here, and always will be."

---

Darkness pulled me free from the memory, returning to my human body and the realm where I had been prior to this. Placing a hand to my cheek, I was stunned to find small tears rolling down. I hadn't even been aware, but I recognized exactly what had happened and I knew Rose did as well. Her dad had left after cheating on her mother. To leave immediately after her conceiving was low, and cowardly. Nonetheless, there was a new memory presenting itself to me. Reaching out I repeated the process, and was pulled into a far more active and sinister memory. My eyes widened as I could practically taste the fear coming from the screen.

---

My eyes opened up to the warm suns, as I ran along the grass. No longer diminutive and weak, we were just starting to grow into a full fledged Mon, capable of combat. We dashed through the tall wheat fields, with Katherine right behind us. Our eyes glanced back to see her struggling to keep at our sides, and we slowed our gait so that she could keep up. Tackling her, we rolled for a minute and played, biting and scratching at each other. Katherine was still much smaller than ourselves, but we didn't let her leave our sides.

"Sis! Enough! I-I can't breathe," she cried out, and I let her horn go gently, standing up. We rolled onto our backs, head to head, and just laid there watching the skies overhead, as time passed us by.

"So Kat. Wanna grab some berries before we head back?" I asked, standing up slowly and shaking my fur out.

"Sure! But won't Mom get mad at us?"

It went against all the rules as the berry fields usually were outside of the boundaries Mom let us roam, but I was positive I could handle any potential attackers if it came down to it. Mon avoided our kind like the plague since we were known for predicting bad things.

"Only if she finds out," I replied, smirking happily.

We started back towards the den which was a good 2 miles away, taking our time to admire the other Pokemon. Granted if I was any smaller, then Mom wouldn't have allowed me to leave the den, for fear of our safety. Nonetheless the predators had left us alone, after the last fight I had almost ripped the eyes out of a Skuntank which had tried to pray on me. Suffice it to say, I had gone home stinky and a little battered, but otherwise fine. My opponent hadn't fared well at all. My mother was proud of me. I had killed in defense. She had praised me despite the guilt and sorrow I felt. We continued to trot towards home, when a single sound made every hair on my body stand on end. Stopping, my sister bumped into me, whining as she tripped. I shoved her face into the earth, as I examined our surroundings frightfully.

"Why'd you stop, Rose?"

"SHHH."

"Why? What's-"

"SHHH!" I hissed, grabbing her and pulling her to me. It was my duty to protect her, but we had strayed too close to the human boundary. Not that big a deal usually, but there was a group of kids who had wandered into our territory. My eyes took in their appearances, fear growing with each passing second. We were in the open, which meant at any minute they would see us. Listening to their conversation carefully, I waited patiently ready to fight if the need arose. Placing myself as a barrier between them and Katherine, I pushed us backwards towards the tree line. I had been stupid, and sweat poured down my brow. Everything in me told me that running would alert them, and make them give chase. Tuning into their conversation, I listened intently.

"Rose…" she whined at us.

"Listen to me. If they attack, you need to run. Go to the den and let Mom know what happened. I can hold them off, I think."

In my head, Rose and I both knew that five on one was disadvantageous and being so young and weak we didn't stand a chance. But at the very least one of the kids would be in a great deal of pain if they decided to try something.

The four boys and one girl were in the middle of a loud discussion.

"Where should we set these off?" one boy asked.

"I don't know Billy. How about you figure it out you big dope?" the girl responded.

"Oh come on now. We have to be smart about this. If our parents find out-" another voice spoke up. I focused more on the conversation, then the actual people, concerned with what their intentions were.

"Oh. Shut up Mac. You gonna go cry and tell your mommy we lit a Pokemon on fire?" he said laughing heartily.

His words struck me cold. They were going to light a Pokemon on fire? Why? That sounded awful and cruel. I didn't get a chance to think much more. Pushing Katherine with our bodies, we tried to slink further into the woods.

"What was that?" the girl asked.

"Ooooh! Is Mandy scared? It's the boogeyman," the one called Billy spoke.

"Hey! I see a shiny! Get her!" the girl screamed out.

My eyes widened frightfully, and without hesitation, I turned, and shoved Katherine.

"RUN!" I screamed at Katherine, taking off at a full sprint. I pushed her ahead of me, listening as the kids pursued without fear for their own safety. We dashed towards home, our hearts racing and bodies filled to the brim with adrenaline. I could hear them right on our heels, breathing hard, but not giving up. My pink fur had given us away. I had been so stupid, and didn't even realize it. We still had at least another quarter mile before home, when the unthinkable happened. Katherine tripped. She rolled to a stop, and slid, her face smeared in the dirt.

"KAT! NO!" I screamed. Whipping around, I noticed the kids were right there, and were about to grab her, but I placed myself in front of her growling menacingly. The girl smirked at me and stuck her tongue out taunting me as the others started to close the circle. If they closed it we would be in deep trouble. Wasting not another moment, I grabbed Katherine in our maw by the scruff and launched her as hard as we could towards home. Turning back around, the reality and fear of my situation set in, as the kids moved closer to me.

"It's kind of cute…"

"Are you sure you wanna do this to a shiny?" one of the boys spoke.

"Back up!" I shouted, growling deeper and snapping at one of the hands which reached for my fur.

"She's a fighter. I'll give her that."

Before I could react, a single item struck my face. A loud crack went off in my ears deafening and sending me skittering across the ground. I shook my head as another crack hit my right leg followed by searing pain across my thigh. I shook, and backed away, afraid of them. Another one of the items struck with a "Bang" on my tail and I cried out in pain. I tried to curl up to protect myself but the items burned and singed, snapping across my body with loud noises. I had to fight. Getting up I growled, and lashed out missing by a mile, as another item snapped on my forehead, singing fur and making me cry out in pain. I trembled in fear, as I stared at the kids.

And then in an instant it stopped.

A single roar reverberated off the trees, and earth. The sound filled my ears, filling me with relief and happiness. I recognized that sound. It was Mama! The kids scattered as she approached, her fangs bared menacingly. I tried to stand up, limping as my back leg refused to respond. A kid launched one of the items at her and she deflected it with an invisible barrier, before launching a single Psycho Cut. The attack missed the young boy entirely but bisected four trees sending them to the earth. The effect was immediate with the kids fleeing with shrieks of terror.

"Are you okay, Rose? I came as quick as I could," she whispered, sliding under my stomach. Before I could respond, she heaved me onto her back and started carrying me towards home. I sobbed into her fur, as the adrenaline died down, and the harsh reality of what had just occurred fully set in. I was so afraid. The pain and ringing in my ears remained, reminding me that the experience hadn't been an illusion.

"Shhh…"

"Why did they do that?" I begged, searching for an answer to anything that would explain why humans would just do such things.

"I don't know. You're safe, and I kept my promise right? I'm just glad I got there before they could do any more damage to you," she said. I remained plastered against her, and as we arrived at our resting area, I noticed that Katherine had made it back safely.

"I'm sorry, Rose!" she sobbed, rushing to me, as she sniffed at the burns on my fur.

"She'll live. She just needs to lie down and rest for today. You kids are going to be the death of me you know that? Just...please be careful next time."

Nodding my head, the toll of the entire fight took on me sucked me back into the darkness, and out of the memory.

---

Another panel emerged and I considered stopping, but knew that Rose was counting on me to push on. I was strong enough to take the pain. Pressing onward, the memory sucked me in and I arrived in the middle of a fight.

---

I struggled to stand, my body trembling with the effort as my sister opposite of me also rose up on shaky memory took place several years after the kids, and since then we had both fully matured. I still was larger than almost all of the Absols in our den minus Mother.

"Fight!" my mother commanded again.

Almost immediately my mind seemed to absorb the purpose of the sparring match. We were being tested to see if we were strong enough to gather resources for the pack. While many of the children were being given reprieve our mother had started our fighting matches earlier to help us mature faster. The ground was pockmarked with scratches, and blood. As I stared at my sister, I could practically sense it. She was at her limit. I could keep going a little bit more, but was unwilling to put her life at risk. Our Mother as leader had been sparring with us daily to prepare us for gathering resources and defending ourselves. The promise I had made to always keep her safe, was one that I had taken as seriously as the breathing I did daily. Letting my weight fall, I collapsed in a heap and submitted to Katherine. My mother's eyes narrowed, and I could sense her discontent, but remained silent. I'd accept the punishment I knew was coming later on. I sucked in air and looked at my guardian who placed an oran berry on my lips.

"Eat."

Biting into the fruit gratefully, I felt my strength return in a small flood. Not enough for us to keep fighting but enough I could stand up and move around unhindered. My sister also received a berry as we laid down submissively before our guardian.

"Good job. I think this next trip we'll all go together. While I'm wary to put you all in mortal danger I think it will be good if you get some experience.."
"Mom. Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked.

"Sweetie. We'll be fine. Just…stay close and I promise everything will be okay," she replied stretching out and yawning loudly. "The last storm made getting food extremely hard. The pack is running low on resources, so it is up to us to grab what we need."

I nodded quietly, when suddenly a member approached. One that I immediately recognized.

"Milady. Respectfully request permission to-"

"Fang. Really? Take Rose and Kat and go play. You know…if I had to bet you're trying to steal her from me aren't you?" she asked, grinning broadly.

"MOOMMM!" I blushed hard, glancing to Fang who shook his head.

"To be honest, she's cute, but you are drop dead gorgeous," he replied only to place a paw on his mouth. My sister and I met eyes with our maws open in shock before turning to our Mother. To our surprise, her eyelids dropped seductively, and her tongue ran over her teeth slowly.

"My my. Aren't we bold? I like my mates to be a little energetic. Unfortunately I have matters to attend to with our two Elders. They have some proposals concerning the coming disaster this month. The humans refuse to heed our warnings. I will see you around, cutie. Rose. Kat. Home by nightfall. Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," we both responded in a deadpan tone before chasing oru friend down the steps of the cave, to the outside.

"Did you really just hit on our Mom?" I asked, staring at my friend in disbelief.

"She asked me an awkward question. I was trying to return the favor," he replied, glancing my direction.

"But…it's not like you like my sister though…right?" Kat asked.

"Of course I like her. She's cool to hang with. And a good sparring partner. I could never see us getting together though, much less having kids," he said, sliding his back against a fur tree. "What are you guys in the mood to go play?"

I stared at him for a minute before Kat spoke up.

"Can we play fetch? I'd love to go for a run in the forest," she said, glancing at me. I shrugged nonchalantly and followed Fang as he picked up one of the tennis balls we had stashed in a tree for playing around. With a flick of his paw, the green orb sailed into the air, and we all gave chase. My heart sang happily in content at how life was going. Dad was gone, but we were happy. The memory ejected me slowly, as the Absols continued to play.

---

The image dissolved into a black mess and I struggled to see clearly. This next memory was in a forest that was dark and foreboding. I hesitated to reach out to it but was soon dragged in unwillingly. My heart sank almost immediately as the heart wrenching pain forced its way into my chest, making my blood run cold. Dread filled me as I entered as the world clarified itself. Almost immediately I knew somehow that this had occurred after the massive blizzard which had devastated Sinnoh. Food resources had been scarce but Mom had taken myself and Kat to go find some fish. Our haul had been extremely lucrative with us each carrying a sack of fish for the pack of 75 Absols. Hard rain made the return trip hard on us, but we persevered, avoiding other Pokemon.

"We're almost home girls. Come on. Keep it up." Mom called out to us, egging us forward.

"Mama….I'm feeling dizzy," Katherine called out.

Turning around, I shifted my satchel over a little, and slowed down so I could brace her as we moved forward. We had to get out of the rain, so we could rest. We had been hunting the past thirty six hours without rest, so getting home safely was our biggest concern. And then we heard it. A single snap before our mother howled out in agony. Turning we shifted our attention back to back, and moved slowly to our parent, fearful of whatever had attacked her. As we arrived, my nose caught the faintest odor of humans. Leaning down, I noticed a weird vice like structure had caught her leg. Fresh blood poured down her fur, diluted by the heavy rain. The scent of humans filled our noses, and almost immediately I recognized that we had been ambushed.

"Looks like we got a fresh one!"

"WOOOEEEE! It's a shiny too. Carrying fish. We're set!"

I whipped around, and let out a deafening howl, warning our attackers that such a fight wouldn't be advantageous. Time was of the essence. Remembering my mother's advice concerning traps, I knew getting her free was of the utmost importance. From there we would have to sit down and fight as best as we could. Back to back.

"Kat," I growled, keeping my eyes up, and searching around us. My heart rate raced as I realized that I couldn't see much due to the darkness, and rain.

"Mommy. Mommy!" she cried.

"Kat! I need you. Get the other side. Quick!"

Leaning down, I pressed on the right side of the hinge and pulled hard. To my credit, my sister reigned herself in and followed suit grabbing the opposite edge and yanking the mechanism away from her flesh. At first nothing happened but within a few seconds, she moved her leg out of the contraption. We let go and I watched the device snap shut with a sickening finality.
"Mom. Are you okay?" I asked, looking around. A flashlight swept towards my position, but she grabbed my fur, pulling me out of its reach.

"I'm fine. Take the pouches from me. I'll distract them," she whispered, in my ear. Leaning over her shoulder I did as she said, adding another twenty pounds to my back. I groaned from the effort, only to gasp as my eyes came face to face with the wound. Bones protruded at awkward angles, and one of her claws had been ripped free from her paw.

"Mom!" I cried out, noticing the look in her eyes. Before I could speak again, I was blinded by four males who approached with hunting rifles slung across their backs. Fear filled my chest, as my sister moved behind me. Bright lights filled the area, and I felt fear for the first time in years since I had faced the kids.

"A family of Absol's. Dang. That shiny'll fetch a high price, don't you think John? Might feed our families through the months. What ya think?" the male closest to us spoke.

"Oh don't be ridiculous. The other two would make great additions to any team. The younger they are the stronger they get."

"Girls. Pay attention to me now. This isn't a fight you can win. They have weapons…"

"But-" Katherine started, but I bit her tail softly to get her to listen.

I'm going to give you one opening. In that time you run and you don't look back."
My heart shattered at the words, but my promises to follow directions overwhelmed my desires to stay. Shoving Katherine, despite her screams, I nodded gruffly.

"Now play nice y'all or…"
"Just let us be. Please!" our Mother begged, moving closer to the men. I hoped that this would end peacefully. We continued inching away from Mama, aiming to sprint as soon as we were given the green light.

"They're trying to get away!" the third male shouted pointing at us.

"Get them!"

Time moved down to crawl as I watched in horror as our mom tackled the first guy, ripping his throat out with a swift effort, and slamming her claws into his chest. I shoved Katherine as hard as I could towards home. We pushed through the forest, in the general direction of home, when a single sound hit me, sending shivers up my chest.

BANG!

BANG BANG!

BANG BANG BANG!

I felt the urge to stop rise in my chest, but shoved it down, tears filling my eyes.

"SISSY! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!" Katherine wailed, and I ignored her pleas, pushing her back towards home. We came to a small impasse with her digging her claws in and refusing to move. Glancing over my shoulder frantically, our next sentence came out in a low but intense wave, sweeping away any resistance we had left.

"We need to get home. She's gone, Kat. I'm sorry. I'm sorry little sis. We have to go or we will be next!"

Shoving her again, I watched her eyes water up, as she dutifully followed my directions. Slowing our gait, we persevered the last five hundred yards, into sanctuary where we were greeted by one of the elders. Looking at my back, shame filled my stomach. I hadn't been paying attention, and knew that Mother would be upset, that I had left behind at least ten pounds worth of fish behind.

"What happened dears?" she asked. I recognized her from the council and immediately bowed out of respect.

"Milady," I responded, bowing submissively.

"Don't Milady me. What happened?" she asked, pulling a sobbing Katherine to her bosom.

"We got ambushed by some humans. They… killed Mom, I think."

Before I could speak again, I noticed she had waved to two of the males and I was immediately uneasy about the situation. Mother had always warned us that her position was highly desirable. Whileas blood we were royalty, taking us down meant that anyone could take the pole position or worse...rape us.

"Easy dearie. They are going to escort-"

"Me to be murdered? Kat, get back here!" I stated, immediately preparing for a fight. My mind immediately went into overdrive. I didn't stand a chance as long as the Elder had Kat. She could be exploited any way. Sighing in defeat, I waited patiently for her to make her intentions known.

"Rose. You have been a valued member of this pack, and my grandson adores you. That isn't what they are escorting you for. These are some of our strongest fighters. Go find her. Whatever condition she is in," she said, slowly.

Rationality and calm returned and I turned around dashing back out into the cold and the wet forest. Despite the rain, and darkness, I knew my way around and had memorized the path we had taken towards home. To our surprise, we arrived at the scene, where four bodies lay on the ground. Two men were covered by the mud, their eyes wide with surprise, but seeing nothing any more. Death had claimed them. One more was limping away, his leg completely shredded to nothing, clutching his rifle. He stared at the two males fearfully as they stalked towards him menacingly. His pleas fell on deaf ears. Moving to the last body, my eyes stung and I felt rage consume my every ounce of me. Our mother lay beside one of the men, her chest heaving slowly, and her eyes fluttering as she lost blood. Four holes carved a way through her body, while her horn lay broken on the ground. Robbed of her most precious weapon, she had been defenseless.

"Mom…" I whispered, sitting beside her. I kneeled down to stare into her eyes, and she weakly groaned, and tried to stand.

"Don't…don't…" I cried. I could practically hear the blood working itself into her lungs with each raspy breath. Her paw closest to me curled around my leg and I watched her lips struggle to form a word. Leaning in close, she spoke. Her final words filled my mind as I sat there.

".I love you both. Prote-protect Ka-"

She failed to complete her sentence, and I began weeping whole heartedly.

---

The memory faded and I was pulled gently out. I didn't realize it but my human form was kneeling on the ground. Reaching up, my eyes were soaked with water, and I clutched at my chest in pain. They had taken her mother. She was just starting to stand on her own two feet, but Rose's mother had been murdered. She had begged them to stop but all they saw was money and food.

"Why?" I asked, demanding an answer from no one. A claw touched my leg and I looked down to notice Rose was still there observing my reactions naturally.

"There is no reason why…It just is, Kyle. I mourned the loss of her for so long and asked the same question. I still don't know. Nonetheless we had to move forward without her. I was taken in by the two elders Kim and Longnose. They cared for us and groomed me to be the next leader including the political nature of the Pokemon who respected our boundaries. You'll learn more as time goes by."

"Are you the one picking these out?" I asked aloud, staring at the memory screen, afraid of what would pop up next. My voice cracked from the emotion and I felt the urge to run fill me again.

"Yes. I hate to pick the painful ones, but you need to know why I am the way I am. Go on…"

She faded from my perception and I moved forward to the image. This time it was a well lit cave. I placed my hand on it, and withdrew it immediately. The pain from before was nothing compared to this memory. It was isolated and rocked me to my core. I thought I might die from the sheer misery contained but knew that death wasn't associated with this memory. Steeling myself for the worst thing I could imagine, I inhaled and embraced the memory. It was part of Rose. I didn't expect the hell which I was suddenly submerged in.

---

We stood with our sister in a cave. We had both fully matured into combat ready Absols. While we were still slightly weaker than most, our experience more than made up for the difference in levels. As we searched the caverns slowly, I kept my eyes open and ready for any opponents who would approach us.

"Hey Rose?"

"Yeah?" I asked, glancing up at the light fixtures on the roof of the mines.

"So when are you going to settle down and find a mate?"

"How do you know I haven't found a guy yet?" I shot back, throwing a playful look over my shoulder.

"Wait! Have you been dating?"

"Of course not, sis. Not yet anyways," we said, tracing one of the walls. Our descent into the cave was slower than we would have preferred but I wanted to ensure that we arrived safely.

"What about Fang?" she asked.

My eyes widened at the question, as I considered the prospective male. While not exactly the biggest Absol in the pack, he was loyal, sweet and strong where it mattered.

"I don't knowwwww…"

"Oh come on! He's had the hots for you forever," Katherine exclaimed. I watched her fake a swoon and chuckled under my breath.

"You are terrible for me. You know that?" I responded in kind. Glancing around the cavern, a rumble from the earthy dirt above, caught our attention. We glanced up to dust falling from the roof of the abode.

"Do we-?"I remained calm and listened as another rumble echoed around us, the earth shaking from some unknown activity.

"Sisss…."

I waited patiently, aware of the possibility of a cave in. After a minute, the room seemed to stop, and I was left at ease for the time being.

"We should be…good." I whispered. My sister moved several steps in front of me, and I sighed a breath of relief.

"So are you a virgin?"

"That's kind of personal don't you think?" I responded, shaking my head as we continued to stand there.

"You can tell me Big Sis. I can keep a secret!"

"Sure you can," we jested, laughing loudly. "Kind of like when I told you about my favorite hobby and you told the entire den."

"That was one time," she replied, bumping me gently.

"For sure," came our response, rolling our eyes in. "Well...if you must know, I've been laid three times."

"No way!"

I stared at her incredulously as she pranced around me skipping gleefully.

"Yes way."

"Who?"

"I'm not telling you!"

She stopped in my way, with giant puppy dog eyes, and her lip quivering. She knew I'd break down. We sat there for about thirty seconds before I caved in.

"A loudred, a tyranitar and...shocker. An Eevee."

She giggled loudly snorting once or twice until a loud crack drew my attention upwards.

Time slowed to a halt, as I watched the rock above split and open up. The mine shaft exploded with smoke and debris. Before I could think, I shoved Katherine with all of my might away from me. The earth gave way beneath my paws, and I let out a scream as the pitch black hole swallowed me.

---

After what seemed like an eternity, I woke up in a damp tunnel. I blinked the dust off of my eyelids, and took stock of my situation. I noted the green crystals which emanated a dull light in the small cramped space.

I started to move, only to groan out in pain. The fall had sprained my rear ankle and my legs seemed to be pinned in place by a small rock. Shaking off more dust, I ignored the pain and heaved hard, sliding myself slowly from under the boulder. Although it hurt, within a few minutes, I was free and capable of movement. The ringing in my ears seemed to fade, until concern for my sister overrode all rational thought.

"KAT? KATHERINE? KATTT!" I screamed searching for my sister. She couldn't have fallen too much further from me, and yet she wasn't visible in the small area I occupied. I prayed heavily waiting as the sound echoed around me. Several rocks shifted and I groaned as my side exploded with pain. Glancing down I noticed that there was a large welt on my rib cage.

"Please be okay," I whispered, hoping to Arceus that he heard my prayer. My heart raced with each passing silent second. It threatened to break free from my chest when I heard her. Faint but growing in volume, her voice reached my ears. Finally, she spoke and my heart grew cold.

"Ughhhh. Sissy! My leg…my leg! I think it's broken!" she moaned. I could practically see what had happened in my mind's eye and felt my concern grow with each passing second.

"Don't move!"

"It's pinned. Couldn't move if I wanted to," she replied. A coughing fit overtook her ability to speak and despair filled my mind. I had to leave this space to try and get to her. Yet doing so, I would be breaking my promise. I would be abandoning my sister. I wouldn't lose her. Swallowing my pride, I shouted out my intentions, pressing against the physical barrier which barred me from my family.

"I'll be back Katherine. I swear I'll come get you. Stay there, and whatever you do, don't interact with anyone. Just hold out! I promise I'll be there shortly."

"Hey Sis...if we don't see each other again," she called out softly

"Don't talk like that!" I begged.

"Just answer one thing for me kay?"

I nodded silently to myself vowing to get her out. We were so in sync she asked regardless knowing I'd answer it.

"Who fucked you the best?" she asked.

Despite the situation, I couldn't help but giggle a little at her ludicrous nature.

"The eevee if you must know. He was sooooo soft. Hold on. I'm going to come get you…"

Turning around, I pushed through the opening into the unknown. My eyes took a moment to adjust to the lighting, but I was able to make out two paths in front of me. I took a moment to consider the odds that one of them led to a dead end or that both did. If that were the case, I would be stuck down here for an eternity. Dying in this cave would be excruciatingly agonizing. I didn't want to even think about starvation. Pushing myself onward, I chose the right path hoping upon hoping that I would arrive. Instead of treading carefully, I sprinted, determined to get to my sister at any cost. Concern for her life weighed us both down heavily, and despite being a passenger, I could feel every feeling, and sensation that Rose had felt at the time. Our heart rate was unnaturally high, and despite our efforts, it seemed we weren't making headway. As our claws reverberated off the stone, we caught a glimpse of a man made light ahead. Joy filled our heads, as it meant, that the pathways weren't completely for naught. However, getting to Katherine would be a chore, as we would have to back track from above and find a way down to where she currently was. If it was blocked then there would be no natural way down to her. Pushing aside our doubts, we stopped at what appeared to be two earthy ramps. One sloped upwards, and I immediately was drawn to it. It would bring us closer to the surface, and other Pokemon who might be able to assist. Down would lead us further into the unknown, and I wasn't exactly keen on going that way. Taking the path upwards, I got to the top of the ramp. As our eyes took in the new sights, fear set in. Panic took over all rational senses. Tons of Pokemon were fleeing from the center of this massive room. As I turned to speak to one of them, I noticed the threat too late. Four guys were approaching, but not with Pokeballs but actual firearms. I could practically taste the gunpowder, and noticed that a strong looking Steelix moved in concert with the group. My eyes met the first man's face. I took in every detail, as time seemed to crawl to a halt. His young face was framed with a red beard. Dark blue eyes seemed to pierce my very soul. He wore a black leather jacket, and blue jeans, with a white t-shirt. His muscular frame bulged against the clothes as he leered at me.

"Well, look what we have here. An Absol. I'll be damned. She'll make a fine contestant. Steelix. Get her."

His command reached my ears, and I turned around, looking to go back the way I came. It would lead to a dead end. Looking at Steelix, I pleaded with him for my sister's life. I backed up slowly, tripping as a Graveller shoved me none too politely.

"Please help me! My sister's trapped down below."

For a moment it looked like genuine concern filled his eyes only for his visage to turn wicked over the next second.

"Should have wished it was you, little Mon."

I considered fighting, however, I could practically taste his strength compared to mine. I didn't have a choice. Running was the only logical option. Turning tail, I started to run. Before I had taken three steps, I was blindsided by his tail which slammed me into the stone wall.

"Kat…" I whispered. My body ached, but I forced myself to my feet again, and took a step. And then…darkness. I passed out again, as the Steelix finished its task.

I awoke in a cage, surrounded by other species all fearful of the four men. We were on a mining vehicle which was rumbling down a pathway, at a rapid speed.

"Wha-" I groaned, as my head throbbed. The Steelix had done a good number on me. I was still wobbly despite sleeping for what seemed like forever.

"Don't move. You're in a bad way," an elder Pokemon's voice came to my ear. Glancing right I noticed there was a Gigalith watching me. His normally red spikes were teal and shone brilliantly in the dark. His head was right beside mine.

"Ughh…Katherine. I have to-"

"It's too late to worry about her. There's a lot of blood coming from that gash. How do you feel?" he asked.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I moved a claw. My jaw dropped immediately, and I recognized that there was tons of blood which had pooled at my feet. Backing away fearfully, I let out a scream, only for Gigalith to speak.

"You must not come in here often. Easy child. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our fates are sealed for now."

"What do you mean?" I cried out, hyperventilating out of sheer terror.

"The men who captured us participate in underground illegal gambling. It's a dark matter, and one that hasn't been stopped due to how they control these mountains. They try to keep it hush hush, but most of us rock and ground types are well aware of them and try to steer clear. My name is Josh by the way."

"Rose," I whispered, looking into his eyes. He rose his head up as far as he could in his metal cage and let out a heavy sigh.

"The wagers are on Pokemon battles that are forced upon anything they catch. However unlike normal Pokemon battles where there is a trainer to intervene…no one does in this fight. The people who participate want blood. The more the better. So unless you survive, they kill you," he said.

His words made my heart stop in its chest as the full gravity of my situation settled hard on my chest.

"It-it can't be."

"Rose…breathe."

"I won't make it out of here alive will I?" I asked, in a small voice. I was going to die. In a dark pit surrounded by Pokemon who neither cared for me, nor who would show me a shred of mercy.

"Easy now. Nothing is set in stone. My mate was taken down here. It's why I'm here. Hopefully, I get to find out what happened to her. However, you need to be strong," he whispered to me. The vehicle started to slow, and the next few minutes rushed by in a blur. Before it ended, my cage was dumped into a corner, as away from Josh. My heart sank as I curled around myself. The weight from above was cold and oppressive. I only hoped my sister had gotten away safely, as I prepared myself for an end I couldn't avoid.

"It's your turn, little girl. Do try to give the crowd an actual fight. No funny business, or it'll be more than the whip that you get," the red haired man said. As I proceeded out of my cage, I tripped. I hadn't eaten since we had departed home, so I was a wreck to say the least. Two days of no food or water. I had used the restroom twice, and my fur was a mess from the tumble.

"It's a shame that you're so beat up, and mangy. You might make for a cute pet given a few days comfort," the bearded man spoke up again, as he opened the latch. As he opened the door, I received a single strike from an object in his hand. It bit into my skin, and I howled out in agony. I fell against the bars, as he grabbed my neck and yanked me out.

"Good ole whip. It's good for keeping you Mon in check. The bigger ones I have to use the gun on, but a single strike from this baby and most you animals become pliant. Like babies."

His scent was most foul, and now that I was close to him I could see his teeth were yellow and rotting out of his mouth.

"Alrighty now. Let's go. I don't have all day to wait for you," he demanded. I grimaced in pain and complied, staring at the weapon in his hand. It looked to be a whip of some sort. Instead of a single ending though, there were several braids with metal spikes at the end of each. I kept my gaze down, and moved in front of him. Trying to flee would be futile. They knew the lay of the land better than I did and would knock me down before I had the chance to fight. As we walked down the passage, I looked into a nearby cage, and my eyes widened in shock. Josh lay at the back of his cage. One of his legs was crushed entirely, and his face cracked. Blood oozed off of him in waves, as he lay there panting. The only friend I had in here was on the verge of death, and I feared that he wouldn't last another day or two without proper care.

"Keep it moving!"

Another lashing from the whip, and I grit my teeth in pain. These people had to pay. I wasn't going to let them kill me. I had to fight. Ignoring my own discomforts and aches, I continued forward to a wooden gate. As he shut the door behind me, I kept my eyes forward. When the time came, I wouldn't take my beating like a little girl. I'd face it with the ferocity of my pack and make whoever attacked me pay.

My strategy failed. I didn't face another random easy Pokemon. It was the Steelix from before. Without any effective attacks, I was easily beaten and cast aside. Broken, and bruised I was returned to my cage. The crowd's roar had been deafening. The fight had been over in less than a minute. Despite my efforts to flank, or avoid him, he had been too fast. Too strong. One of my claws was barely hanging in its socket as I wept openly, and prayed that my sister's fate had been better than my own.

Days…

Weeks…

Months…

Time ceased to exist as a regular pattern set in and my life became a concert of broken bones, bruises, gashes and torment. I was fed a single meal of dry food and water a day. An upkeep cost to ensure that the "actors" were up to par for every fight. Medical care was never doled out, and everyone fought regardless of how they felt. I watched dozens of Pokemon die, including Josh. Despite my best efforts, and pleas to end it all, I was kept around. Apparently I was an anomaly as my appearance raked in more sales for the red haired man named Kilo. He was happy to keep me around as it drew crowds to see the freaky Absol. Every day he came by and praised me, despite my growing rage at the situation. The only changes to my situation was the length of my fights. Some went on for hours. Some went on for seconds. The Steelix was growing easier for me to combat and my strength grew everyday. Listening to the men who were in charge of keeping me, I had grown nearly thirty levels in the span of a few weeks. Nonetheless, I treated every fight as an opportunity to grow and survive. Shame welled in my stomach everytime I returned to my cage, aware of the lives I had taken. Regardless of the hopelessness I felt, I always prayed that my sister had survived. If she arrived in the arena or had been caught I would never forgive myself. It was that tiny strand of hope that helped me persevere. I listened daily to the news, and found out more about my surroundings. In fact, I was astonished to learn there was a small colony of about 100 People, and Mon minus the captives who survived underground. Nonetheless it was entirely cut off from the surface minus supply runs.

It seemed escape…leaving would never be an option. And then an opportunity presented itself to us, that we took.

"Get ir! Beat her down!"

As I stared at the undisputed champion again, I dodged his tail, with a small leap. As his tail whipped back around to hit me, I bit down with my hard fangs and rolled with the attack, taking literally no damage. We danced back and forth, tirelessly. Even the huge lumbering Rock type was starting to understand that I had caught up to him in terms of speed. He couldn't touch us. Not if he tried in a million years. We had been going at this for about ten minutes, but I sensed as though the insurmountable gap in power strength had finally caused me to leap ahead. I could sense the restlessness from the crowd. Then Steelix did something unexpected. He lunged forward. My eyes narrowed and time slowed to a crawl. Right before his attack could land, I ducked and charged my horn with every ounce of power I possessed. All of my rage came into full effect and with a growl, I slashed up at his throat with a quick effortless power. His body sailed through the dirt, and his head rolled to the edge. I sat there huffing for breath, as I recovered from the attack, my anger and rage still uncontrollable despite my head pounding from the recent fight. We had killed the beast which had tormented us and brought us down here. Step one of our revenge was complete.

"She flat out killed him. She's savage, I tell ya."

I was in my cage which had been moved up to Kilo's bedroom. With what had apparently been his friend now dead, he looked to me to take his place. A mistake which would cost him his life.

"Yeah. She ripped this steel Pokemon's head off like it was butter," the bearded man spoke as he walked back and forth in front of my cage, on a small device he spoke to.

"Nah. She's a good little pup. I've kept her alive all this time. She isn't the type to attack. I've dealt with all of these Pokemon this long. As long as I show them who's boss there isn't a single one that will even think of fighting me. Besides. With my gun I can kill it faster than it can blink. She won't cause any troubles will you darling?"

He addressed me, and I kept my gaze downcast and submissive. My mind had already construed a plan. One that would be his downfall. Now that I could accurately see the chains which secured my pin, I was going to shear them off. However instead of just escaping…they had to pay. All of the humans who existed down here along with the Pokemon who had injured me. Man. Woman. Child. I didn't care. We wanted blood and we would make the place swim with it. Our sister had been taken from us and we had been abused. Power was the only absolute, and exerting it was our intentions. As he settled down, and laid down in his bed, I made my move. I leaned down and leveraged the clamp on my chain to where I could readily slice it open. My horn shone with power, as I cut through the metal with a swift motion. Pushing the cage door so it clanged loudly, I snuck out of sight, well aware of where he had placed the weapon of choice. Baiting my moment, I remained patient. As the male woke up from his sleep, I spoke, watching as fear settled in his eyes.

"What the-"

"Human. I've had enough. Go for the gun…I know you want to. Make this interesting," I taunted, slinking closer to him unbeknownst. I could smell the fear pouring off of him in waves, as he scanned the room, and waved his arms blindly. I had been living in the dark for however long I had been here. I could see perfectly, despite the candles being blown out from earlier.

"What-what do you want? You listen here, little bitch. If you think…"

"Go for the gun. It's right there. You're almost touching it. If you don't, I'll prolong your suffering. I promise…" I hissed, brushing gently across his leg making him yelp. As he reached for my position, I jumped lightly out of reach, and watched him scream in shock. His noise would bring the others. I wanted a fight. I needed to kill.

"You-you coward!" he shouted. I sat down, as finally his hand inched towards the weapon on the drawer. Just as his first finger touched the handle, my right claw came down hard severing his appendage from the wrist up.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in agony, as I kicked the weapon away and landed on his chest with a smirk.

"You bitch! My arm! My fucking arm!"

My eyes gleamed as I reveled in his pain, severing his other arm with my horn. Blood splashed across my mangy and dirty fur. As his eyes met my own, I could see the realization flash across his face. My victory was short-lived as he kicked me off, and grabbed another small device from hsi nightstand.

"You think you're special? I've dealt with your kind before."

Searing agony filled my limbs and I collapsed, paralyzed by the small device he held in his hand.

"Shock collar. You dumb bitch!"

His foot slammed into my maw, and I listened to him gleefully smile. Only to cry out as I yanked him off balance, and dismembered his other arm with mine. He cried out in agony, and I moved forward until we were eye to eye.

"Fu-fuck you-"

My jaws closed around his throat and with a savage ripping motion, I yanked out his jugular, savoring the taste and flavor. Looking to the entrance where I could hear more coming to save their false leader, I prepared myself for the feast. I would enjoy this.

---

As the memory faded into a blur, I came face to face again with the shadowy figure of Rose who met my gaze with steely eyes.

"H-how many?" I choked out, feeling the blood drain from my face. The full realization of what stood in front of me, made me cold and fearful of her true nature. A murderer. A hunter. A savage who had felt no remorse.

"I don't know."

"You didn't stop…you didn't let them run…"
"I know Kyle," she said. I stared at the figure in horror as the face of every life stolen flashed by in rapid succession. I could still feel the after effects of the memory as I shuddered. I hugged myself as if a deep chill covered me from head to toe. The violence was abhorrent and unnecessary. Another image flashed by, and my eyes widened even further.

"The wo-women. The children! You slaughtered them. You massacred all of them," I whispered hoarsely, and fearful of what she would do to me.

"You wanted to know. You wanted to see. There it is. That's not even the worst of it. Now that you know though...going to go back on your word?" she demanded. I could sense the challenge, and while I felt drained by the memory, I couldn't help but acknowledge the hopelessness she had felt during such time.

Her words hit deep as I reflected on my promise. I'm not going to turn on you.

Yet here was irrefutable proof of the horrid crimes she had committed. Finally I asked the question that I dreaded the answer to most.

"Did you enjoy taking their lives? Would you kill me?"

Her eyes widened at my question, and I watched the shadowy figure look down.

"If you had asked me at the time, I would have said yes. I reveled in the bloodbath. In causing pain in a world that had beaten me down, and punished me for simply being existing. Now, I live with the shame daily."

In the one breath she spoke all of those words, I could practically taste the sorrow and angst she felt from her actions. I felt pity and immediately had to ask the next question, despite knowing the answer. I wanted to hear her confirm it.

"H-how long were you there?"

"Three years, six months and four days. I remember the day I lost my sister. When I came up to the real world, I was forced to accept that she was gone. That I was alone and that I had failed." she said, sighing slightly. Her voice trembled as I watched her relive the memories in real time.

"I was still immature at the time. Despite my newfound strength, and abilities, I still had much to learn. However, if you wonder why I hate humans, you can see why. However, there are three more events that I think I will show you, to explain the reason I don't associate with others. My sister and I used to joke about bad luck growing up. Iit never was a joke to me. It was a self fulfilling prophecy."

I nodded numb by her response.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry for it all. I wish I could have been there. I wish you hadn't suffered the way you have."

"I don't need your pity, human. I…Sorry. It's just hard. I need a moment. We both do. I can practically hear you screaming for this to be over with, and while I wouldn't mind just ending our session here I still have much more to show you."

"Let's continue?" I pleaded. Despite the painful memories I was sure I wanted to learn more. To see fully what she had become, and learn to understand her better. Perhaps through that I could work on building a foundation, despite my betrayal earlier.

"Kyle. Your mind needs to rest. I don't want to hurt you," she said. For the first time in all of our conversations there was genuine concern in her voice, and it stunned me silent. We remained sitting next to each other for a long moment before I broke the peace.

"Rose. I can't even begin to comprehend the why or the how about the things you've done. I'm still at a loss about that situation. Before we go any further...before you share any more, I have to state this. Your sister meant the world to me. I loved her and if it weren't for the anti pokephilia laws, I might have made a move. Nonetheless, I valued our friendship more than anything in the world."

"Kyle. I-"
"Shut up. Just... me finish!" I snapped, watching as her gaze turned solemn at my chastising. "It's for that reason when you asked to take her place I wanted you to feel like you belonged. I believed that you could replace her. I'm coming to accept that won't happen. It hurts deep down but I'm accepting it as this continues.. Nonetheless I made a promise to give you a good life, and that means that no matter what you show me from this moment on, I'm not...I'm not turning my back on you."

Turning to see her reaction I was astonished to see she had turned her back on me, leaving me unable to read her emotional state.

"Kyle. You're a fool. But...I'm grateful that you are."

For the first time in all of our time together, she faced me with a giant smile plastered on her face and tears running down her cheeks.

---

I awoke in her next memory, this one shrouded, with sorrow. With our minds linked, we entered the packs stony cave without a shred of fear or concern. Following our massacre of everyone deep in the cave it had taken almost one week to find our way home to the Absol swarm we called home. As we approached the den, we felt more at ease than we had in the past few years. After we settled down, we hoped that perhaps we would be able to find our sister.

"YOU DARE ENTER? OUTSIDER!" a male voice boomed over the caverns. Several of the pack members rose from their prone positions and growled threateningly.

"I have as much right as anyone to be here," we responded, in a warm threatening matter. Our eyes scanned the crowd and broadened as we recognized the adult form of our childhood friend. Fang stared at us, his jaw open in shock, even as a female Mightyena pressed against him. We glowered at the female, jealousy rising in a wave. We couldn't deny the emotion as it rose into the back of our throat, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Our eyes returned forward as we proceeded deeper into the cave. The pack seemed to vibrate with an overwhelming presence, as we approached the alpha of the pack.

"State your business."

"I am here to claim my rightful place as Pack Leader. My mother Sarah was a leader for almost forty long years. Everyone here should know who I am, based on my appearance. There aren't very many Pokémon like me."

The Head Absol stared at us for a moment, before dropping down. Our senses honed in as they approached threateningly. Each step gouged the dank cave earth leaving deep marks that made our ears ring. Finally he stood chest to chest with us, glaring us down. I could sense the superiority complex within him as he put a paw on my head.

"Bow."

Our tempers flared at the demand, as we resisted his physical efforts to make us submit.

"No."

"BOW! I-"

His words never finished, as in a swift motion, our claw came up and slit his throat. Crimson hot blood splashed across our face, as his eyes went wide. He fell back trying to regain some semblance, and understand exactly what had occurred. The other pack members stared at me, as I pushed him over, and moved towards the throne. I could sense their distress, even as I sat down on the throne. My eyes scanned the pack and noticed that many of the younglings were starving. The parents were weak, and tired from lack of rest and resources. Reflecting on my mother's teachings on being a leader, I immediately set my mind on getting us ready for the coming cold.

"As you all can see, I don't yield to anyone. You are welcome to stay, or go, as you please. I will not make anyone submit to my rules. However, it appears that things have been less than stellar of late. I assume that the other mon around here have made food and water a difficulty. The previous leader intimidated you, and that's not why I'm here. If you threaten me, I will cut you down. If you respect me, I will do the same in turn. Our first order is to get food. Tell me Elder Shira. Why are the young ones starving?" I demanded.

There was silence before our old caretaker spoke up in a raspy voice.

"My-my apologies leader. The male-male before you, used his influence, to eat well, and take from the pack. W-we had to listen to his orders for fear of retribution. As you may see, we lost several of the pack's stronger husband died at his paws."

My eyes wandered, and while we tried to feel something, all we knew was anger. Coldness. Bitterness.

"I see. I am going on a raid tonight. Fang, and two other males will accompany me. I promise that I will not touch any resources, minus what I can catch myself. I prefer to hunt anyway."

---

The scene faded out and returned almost three weeks later. The kids were playing around, and Fang approached us as we sunbathed on the top of the peak above the den.

"My leader."

"Approach," we responded, licking our claws slowly. We listened to him sit near us, and glanced over, feeling our heart rates skyrocket immediately. The male had grown into a marvelous member, and was strong and stoic in all the right areas. His kindness and playfulness still remained. While our ascent had been bloody, he had been supportive the entire time. His mate on the other hand, had been extremely protective of him, making attempts to rekindle our friendship nigh impossible.

"I finally got a few minutes away from Itsuki. She's been very demanding of late," he said, sighing loudly.

"Of course she has…I mean…" I sighed before recomposing my thoughts. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He chuckled at my comment, before picking up a stone and skipping it across the flat surface.

"I don't know how I feel about seeing you after so long. When others went looking for you and your sister, we were sure you were dead. Your sister was nowhere to be found and-"

"Don't-" we growled, the mere mention of what Rose had lost enough to make us see red. Five weeks. Countless hours. Having searched the cave from top to bottom, we had found nothing. Our endeavors in that wretched place had only yielded some TMs and two mega stones. Other than that, I had returned empty handed despite the widening circle. It was a sore topic and one that I avoided sharing with others. True to my word I had only eaten on what I could catch and kill. Hunting had become a great source of stress relief.

"My apologies. What I'm saying is…you aren't the same girl I used to know. It scares me a little."

Our eyes watered at his statement. Had we changed so much in those three years? The question was rhetorical and while we wanted to try and bridge that gap it was nigh impossible. We had closed our hearts long ago to being optimistic about the world.

"Would you say you haven't changed either? It seems she likes the Absol you are," we responded, grinding our teeth in anger. We didn't understand the sudden surge of anger, but gladly embraced it.

"She does. I've tried to be a good mate to her, but she isn't happy. Even though we are expecting, it's not like our life doesn't have its share of dangers."

His statement burned us on the inside, and our next sentence was out before we could stop ourselves.

"I hope it dies in her stomach!" we hissed, standing straight up in shock. Our paw went to our mouth and we looked away in shame.

"H-how cruel are you going to continue being? Everyone talks about how you won't let anyone near you. You're critical of everything. The kits. The women. Even the males who would die to protect their Alpha. I want to know why you are like this! I want to know what happened to the kit I used to love-"

Our eyes met in that instant, as water filled him. The agony of what I had done filled my chest and I wanted to bridge that gap and fix it. It was too late. Old emotions of happiness at our bond, returned in a wave, and I realized the rage was from jealousy. I wanted him for myself. My mother had been right, to see this male for what he was. Kat had seen the relationship which could have been and here I was cutting it down. I brought dishonor to her memory as that had been our last words together. They rang again in my head.

We raised a paw to move forward, but immediately our heart hardened. We remembered letting others near us in that three years. The broken bones from the same Pokemon who promised to protect us. Who promised they wouldn't attack us in the ring. Shifting our weight we stepped away, realizing the best way we could protect him, was to hide our own feelings. To be the cold winter that bit into you, to remind you that you were still alive.

"I can't be that female anymore. Like you said, I've changed, Fang. Go to her. I don't want you, and even if I did, there's no way I could ever make you as happy as she does. I wish you knew how much I car-"

Before I could speak again, he closed the distance in an instant, pressing up against me. His mouth found mine, and he claimed me hungrily. Passion filled my mind, and I immediately wanted him all to myself. To let him pin me down and make me howl like the female I was. To bear his child, and be one with my oldest friend. In that instant, I wanted nothing more than happiness. And as his tongue met mine, I realized it would never be mine. The deaths I had caused, turned this sweet taste bitter with the metallic flavor of blood. I pushed him gently away, and coughed slightly, only for my senses to warn me of the danger too little too late. A paw smacked into my face sending me sliding across the cave top.

"How dare you!" his mate cried out furiously.

"Dear…wait! She's…"

"Don't defend her. Either you're with me or with this slut," Itsuki stated. We rose slowly, and I felt my rage return in a wave. I wanted to tear her limb for limb for daring to touch us. In an instant we blitzed past Fang and slashed at the Mightyena whose eyes went wide in shock. Time crawled to a halt, as Fang placed himself in front of the attack at the last second. Before I could pull back entirely, my middle claw gouged his eye, creating a red line down his face. Horror filled my gut, as I jumped back. I had hurt him. I always was hurting the ones closest to me. First my mother, my sister, and now my best friend.

Before I could stop myself, I turned away and ran until we couldn't run anymore. We stayed out in the forest for a week. Each night we cried and screamed ourselves to sleep tortured by feelings we couldn't fix or do much about. Each day we wandered aimlessly, hunting for sport and food as needed. Finally, on the following Monday we made our choice to return. Despite our inability to be social, I recognized that the only way forward was to apologize.. As we entered the cave, we immediately approached Fang's designated area within the cave. He was lying there awake, with a small smile on his face as I wound on his eye was fully covered by herbs. Tenderly, I moved the poultice out of the way to see the damage I had inflicted.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"It's not your fault. I pushed up on you. . You…You are different and Itsuki's helped me realize that even if I was with you, things couldn't work.. I was stupid to think so. While we have our issues pining after a childhood crush was a mistake. I'll bear this scar as a reminder. I received some good news despite this minor hiccup. We spoke over it quite a bit. She's naming you Godmother and wants you to name it. Not as a slight towards you, but rather as a chance to connect with somebody. Something in this pack, that will love you unconditionally growing up. Itsuki realizes that circumstances have been hard on you."
Almost immediately, I began to sob unable to comprehend the gift that Arceus was giving me. Redemption was not possible. My undying anger flickered out as I comprehended this. It rendered me in half, and I tried to contain my fear. I couldn't be around anyone. I deserved death and was irredeemable. I was a blight. A sore. A cancer. This child would suffer just to be around me. It wasn't until her voice reached my ears, that I tried to regain some composure.

"Rose. I'm sorry. I couldn't help but be a bit jealous of you. When you returned, I could see the admiration, and happiness written all over his face. I was worried, I would lose him. So I grew to be more demanding. I hoped it would keep his attention away from you. I called you names and I'm sorry. It's not like me. I should be expecting in the next three to four months. Just one pup. The elders have confirmed it will be a girl."
I nodded slightly and for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I smiled.

"I don't…"

"Just accept it? Please?" Itsuki asked.

"It would be my honor...thank you."

---

As the memory faded, and we returned to the dreamscape, I noticed that Rose was smiling as well.

"So…you named her Lily. Like your mother wanted for Katherine. Where is Itsuki?" I asked, happy to have a memory that ended pleasantly.

"Dead. The birth was hard on her body. After she conceived, she grew sick. Complications from the pregnancy made her body frail and she withered away bit by bit. I begged Arceus to take me instead of her. I cursed his name as he took her but left me. Her pureness versus my corrupted soul should have been an easy trade. It was Yveltal's fault I swore. She passed away peacefully in Fang's arms. I blamed myself, but promised Fang to do the best I could. Lily's headstrong and smart like her Mother. She's tough and kind in ways I don't even understand. I've raised her like I would my own kit. Fang treats me like an old friend, but the scar on his face is a constant reminder of who I became after the cave in. He doesn't know exactly what happened. Around the others, I'm only a leader. I conceal everything to the point it's become who I am. Around Lily…my heart opens and the walls I erect are useless. She sees deeper, and knows me, without me telling her about my past. For one so young, it's amazing how intuitive she is. I remember the kindness given to me and do everything I can to protect it. I can't believe how lucky I was. She's my precious angel," she whispered.

Sadness filled my heart.

"Fang admitted that after that night he was angry at me. He hated me and I knew that the fight afterwards with Itsuki had been one where they had pointed blame at me. If I hadn't returned, their relationship wouldn't have changed. Everyone's always been against me, Kyle. Nobody protects me because I don't deserve it."

"That's…terrible and so so so wrong." I whispered.

Her eyes looked into mine, and I could sense she was hiding something. Something so big and obvious and yet it was just out of my reach.

"Yes. Terrible. Let's move on…" she said, almost absentmindedly. "Two more to go. The most important ones. I cannot help but warn you about this next memory. I made an error I can't take back no matter how much I would like to. So with that…"

---

We awoke on the side of Snowpoint City, with Lily wanting to explore the forest further.

"C'mon Mommy! C'mon! Let's go!"

I smiled as I watched her little body brave the strong blizzard which threatened to throw us down the side of the mountain. We pushed ourselves against Lily to shield her from the rain and snow as we made our way back to the home we loved and knew. As we descended down the mountain, I steered her clear of Abomasnows, Sneasels and Mamoswines who would cause her harm. It was a great comfort to be so close to the little Absol as she grew. I understood the concerns that my mother had had, and if anything so much as threatened my daughter, there would be hell to pay for it.

"Mommy? Can we stop b-by for some food on the w-way home?"

"We have hunting to do tonight. If you're good I'll see if I can nick us some Pecha berries from the Berry Catcher in town."

"YAY!"

Stealing had become part of our way of living due to the increased hostilities from Pokemon around our den at the time. Foraging also had become harder with our territory becoming harder to defend from the newer mon who occupied our Route.

As we cleared the snowy peaks of the mountain and made our way back into the forest, I noticed that the weather was still pretty chilly. Glancing up into the sky, we noticed that the moon above shone brilliantly amidst the clouds meaning that it was too late to make good on my promise. I considered reneging on it but instead diverted my plan to get her fresh berries if I could. We trudged through the forest at a brisk pace, concerned with getting our little one home safely. As we jumped down from a ledge, my eyes widened as I came across a space I had not ever seen before. Our teeth gnashed together as we stared at the log cabin which occupied the area. Our eyes homed in on a little girl, of around 5 who watched our approach with wide eyes. Gauging the distance we were approximately five feet away.

"Carrie! Get away! CARRIE!"

We turned swiftly, as a woman in fur coat and pants emerged from the door of the cabin at a breakneck pace. Glancing down to my little one,we nudged her back the way we came. It was a minor mistake and one that we sought to correct. This time though fate had a different hand to play.

Time slowed to a snail's pace when we saw it. Our hearts stopped, and rage filled our chest as a single rifle rose up in slow motion. As the tip of the barrel aligned with Lily, all rational thought went out the window.
"You won't kill her you stupid-"
Her words didn't matter.

Her actions spoke. She was going to shoot Lily. She was going to murder our daughter. Using my hind legs, I kicked Lily into the snow, and rushed the mother, who fired once. The round pierced my hind paw, and I winced but continued to move, as she manipulated the action again to fire another round. Before she could I arrived at my target, our claws ripping into her flesh without any restraint. Her screams turned to gurgles as I tore apart the woman. Our only concern was protecting our daughter. Rage filled our hearts and we continued to slash the corpse until it was nothing more than a mangled mess. Time returned to its normal flow. As the adrenaline wore off, and the pain set into my paw, I turned to my daughter. My heart ripped apart as I became aware of exactly what I had just done. Standing a mere inch from me was the young girl who stared at the body of her dead mother.

"Mama? Ma."

Tears filled my eyes along with instant regret as I stared at the terror I had inflicted. The child was now an orphan and would be wary of all Pokemon much like her parent had been. Glancing to Lily, I expected her to be angry. To snap at me or ask why. Instead, my daughter appeared saddened at the fate of the mother. She rubbed against me and walked to the little girl.

"Carrie…come on. We are going to get help. Come on."

"You did this to her!" the girl wailed hysterically, as my daughter pushed her towards the cabin. I could feel my heart ache as I stared at the woman. I wish I could take it 1back. I wish I could have prevented the death of anyone there. The threat had been there and I had taken action. I growled in frustration. How could I have been so naïve and stupid? Pushing my emotions down, I knew the best course of action, was to ensure that she would be well taken care of at this point. Turning around, I dashed down the mountain, weaving through trees and passing other Pokemon, until I arrived at the nearest Pokemon Center. All that time, my mind raced trying to come up with a story that would fit the situation, but my gut ached. I knew that if they tried me, I would be sentenced as guilty. It was murder. Nonetheless, I couldn't leave my daughter alone. As I slid into the warmth of the Pokemon Center, I noticed that the space was relatively clean. The humans stared at my unkempt appearance, as I shook the snow off onto the floor. Nurse Joy smiled, as I approached.

"There's a child. North of here. Her mother was recently slaughtered. My daughter and I fought off the attackers, but she's got no one else. Please! She needs help," I begged, watching as the woman nodded her head. We could tell she was immediately aware of the direness of the situation, as she stood up.

"Don't worry. I'll speak with the Ranger Outpost here, and have one of them sent up. Do me a favor? Can you grab one of our flying types and lead them to the area? That way the Ranger will know where she is? We will administer care and make sure she is fine. Don't worry about a thing," she said, patting my fur. I tensed under her touch, unwilling to accept it, and unwilling to attack. The walls came up, and a small growl came willingly out of my throat.

"Sorry, dearie. Chansey. Who's available at this time?" she asked.

"I have a Skarmory who can make the flight,' the fairy normal type responded.

"Alright. Have him summoned out front. Lead the Skarmory to the location, and you will be free to go," Nurse Joy said, bowing swiftly.

I nodded as we left, and awaited transportation.
Returning to the scene of the crime, I noticed my daughter was waiting outside for us, with a small cut on her cheek. Protectiveness surged up as I jumped off of the Steel Flying type and landed.

"Are you hurt? What did she-?"

"It's just a cut Mom! Chill out!"

I wanted to be angry, but fear for our lives, overrode that emotion. Pushing her in the direction of home, I noticed the Skarmory had popped a flare signaling to the Ranger where she would be. I only hoped that she wouldn't seek retaliation for what I had done.

---

The memory faded to nothingness. The shadow of Rose remained sitting there, as the last thought burned itself into our minds.

"You didn't have a choice. It was Lily or the mother-" I said, only for her to shake her head.

" I had a choice. I could have died. I should have died. I should have let her take my life, and made my daughter run. It-"
"The situation was bad. There's no way you could have anticipated that she would shoot," I tried to plead.

"KYLE! I've run this scenario over and over and over in my head. I overreacted. I attacked and killed the woman, who was trying to protect her family. I orphaned that child. I hurt everyone that gets close to me. Even you. Don't apologize or make excuses. What I did was wrong. That's final," she whispered.

Her emotions weighed heavily on me. I didn't know what to say or do.

"I have one final memory to share. The rest of the memories will fill in the blank. For now, let me share the happiest moment of my life in the past four years. I cannot share anything else past that as it would lead to me revealing the secrets that aren't mine."

I accepted her statement and bowed my head, as the last memory pulled me into it.

---

We were in a meadow now with Lily, training and playing with our daughter. Although dirty and tired, she had been relentless. Fang overwatched from a rock where he sunbathed.

"So Mom?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you think I'll ever get stronger than you? Do you think you'd ever lose a fight?"

I sighed at the question, and glanced over my shoulder.

"While-"

"ROSE. ROSE. ROSE! Delivery for Rose of Absol Bandits!"

The annoying voice caught my attention, and I turned my attention to the sky, where a Chatot fluttered down to land right in front of me. My daughter pounced at the bird, who jumped over her head, and giggled loudly.

"Nice try. You'll have to do better than that."

"What do you want from us, bird brain?" My daughter called out, grinning devilishly. As she went to pounce again, I caught her mid leap, with my left paw, and held her above the ground where she struggled.

"LET ME DOWN MOMMMMMM!"

"Sit. Sir. You have a message for me?" I asked, placing my daughter behind me.

"Yes, ma'am. There's an Absol currently residing in Unova who asked me to deliver a long message. Are you prepared to receive it?"

I nodded, as I glared at my daughter, warning her not to defy my orders.

"Very well. It goes as such.

Hello,

I know this message comes from a long distance, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to deliver it sooner. My name is Katherine. Your sister."

Our eyes widened and our heart skipped a beat as the bird continued to speak with her voice. My hopes and dreams returned in a wave.

"It's…it's been a long time. I should have sent this message earlier, I know. On that fateful day when we were divided, I was found by a group of Pokemon. They threatened to kill me and with my wounds as grievous, I thought for sure I would die. A human stepped in and not only rescued me. He offered me home, and I'm ashamed to admit, but I accepted happily. I thought that my life would consist of battling and constant struggling. Instead, Kyle has treated me like royalty. His care and devotion to his family and Pokemon is awe-inspiring. He's striving to become a Pokemon Ranger and I only hope I can help him achieve that dream. For now, we train daily and I've become really proficient at it. I'm currently level 40 and working towards 45.

How are you? I miss you dearly, and only hope this finds you well. If the bird comes back without a response I fear I might die a little on the inside, knowing my only family is gone too. I gave him your appearance and general location of the pack so hopefully that suffices to find you.

I really don't know what else to say. I'd come live with you, but I could never forsake Kyle and his family after all they've done for me.

I love you very much and when you get this know I am well and thinking of you constantly.

Your one and only sister.

Katherine.

PS. Send Charlie back IF you are okay. "

As the message ended, I collapsed from the weight of his words, and started to sob. She was alive. SHE WAS ALIVE! It was nigh impossible to believe but seven years ago I had lost my sister. I had assumed she was gone forever. Even the pack had informed me she had never returned. She was alive, and being taken care of. And then it hit me. The rage. The insurmountable anger. A human. A human had stolen my sister from me and she wouldn't leave because of HIM.

Glancing to the bird, I asked the first question that came to mind.

"Was she forced or is this an accurate speaking?"

"Happier than a lot of Mon I've seen. So well spoken and groomed, though really shy. Those words were from her and her alone."

I sighed, as Fang approached my prone form.

"She's alive? That's great news. This male seems-"

"I will never trust a human! I don't care how good he may treat her, he's still willing to backstab her at the first sign of danger. They are all evil. All of them."

He nodded knowingly. We had lost several pack members recently to Rangers, Trainers and Hunters. Our swarm had decreased in number and we had been hunted ruthlessly.

"Why not go there?"

His question hit a nerve, and although the temptation to take her home by force arose, I realized that she was happy there.

"I'm…a curse. So I don't want to ruin her chance at a satisfying life. I ruin everything I touch. It's best I stay here. Away from her. I belong to the pack. Simple as that," we responded. Desperation arose but we shoved it down without a second thought. Those feelings wouldn't help our situation. I missed her but I had to stay away.

"Is there any message you would like me to respond with? I can remember it up until I arrive and drop it off," the little parakeet spoke up to my delight. I contemplated my words carefully before drafting up a message that would convey everything I thought.

"To my dearest sister,

I am proud of you and miss you dearly. While I am alarmed to hear you are in the stay with a backstabbing human, I trust that you are in good health.

I love you and am holding up as best I can.

If ever you have a need of me for anything…I will always be here. Is there any way I could convince you to return to the pack?

I am a mother now, and my daughter has your original name.

Take care and stay in touch.

Rose"

I watched as he repeated it back to me in my voice, before squawking twice and taking off. As the bird left our view, I was pulled away from the memory and into the bright light.

---

We returned not to the void but instead to the grassy knoll. As the wind blew over me, I let out a loud groan. My body was on fire, despite having not done any actual exercise. every single experience she had shared flooded to my forefront, as I tried to stand only to collapse weakened.

"You need to rest. Mega Evolution connections take a lot out of both parties. I placed most of the weight of the link on you, so that if need be I could get you help. Take a minute and recover."

I laid there for an eternity staring up into the night sky. The soft breeze felt great and the stars twinkled brightly above. A crescent moon lit up the earth upon which we now sat.

"She always spoke very highly of you," she whispered to me. I shifted my weight and rolled over to stare at her beauty before asking a question.

"I've seen your past. Would you like to see ours?"

Her eyes narrowed at the statement. She appeared to be conflicted with thoughts before responding.

"Whose?"

"My memories of her of course. And my back story. It's only fair that since you opened up I do the same as well," I said, tenderly. She remained quiet for a minute, and I gave her the time necessary to draw her own decision.

"That…would be nice. I missed her for so long, and I've always wondered what happened when you arrived. The only things I heard were from her perspective," she said in a small sad voice.

Closing my eyes, I focused on Katherine to the extent of all else. Then when ready, I opened the dimensional rift again, connecting our minds together. We spent almost until sunrise going through each memory across the link. I could feel the connection between us deepen with each passing second.

As the final memory of her sleeping next to me in the hotel finished, we returned to the real world. Glancing down to my watch, I noticed we had been going at this for the past nine hours without rest.

"Kyle…"

Looking up at Rose, I noticed her eyes were red, and tears created tracks down her face as she stared at me.

"I can't even begin to make up for the love and care you've shown her. She lived a life where she was well loved, and taken care of. Grooming, fun and attention on a day to day basis. I couldn't have done more for her, myself. She lived a fulfilling life at your side. While I am envious, I would go through that hell again, just for her to have lived the way she did. I'm…glad. Especially grateful. Thank you. For sharing that with me."

I smiled at her words, and reached out to touch her fur. She bristled at first, but calmed down, as my hand rubbed her neck slowly.

"I'm happy she was a part of my life. And I miss her more than anything in the world," I said, glancing out to the sun as it started to rise signalling the start of a new day.

"What is a friend to you Kyle?"

Her question was random and I thought about it for a minute before throwing my response back.

"Someone who I would die for. Someone who has cared for me and I them, to the point that I wouldn't ever dream of betraying their trust."

She remained silent as my answer hung in the air, before letting out a low sigh.

"And if your friend…were to hurt you? Were to break that trust?"

Her words stirred an emotion in my gut. Unease filled my mind as the words seemed less hypothetical and more realistic. I could see the real question behind that one, and it made me anxious to invite an answer.

"I-I wouldn't be able to forgive them. They would have l broken that bond if they did it intentionally."

Her eyes narrowed at my comment before responding.

"Your bond is so easily broken? I thought for sure you were the forgiving type. It…it wouldn't be fair for me to ask you for friendship, if there is a guarantee I could lose that camaraderie over a simple mistake."

Her words made me shoot up, and guilt rode in my chest. Surely, she didn't think I would abandon her over any mistake she made as a friend to me. Did she? My hand ran through my hair and I stared at the dirt. Her words cut deep and I found myself questioning my own logic on what I had said.

"What would make you hurt me intentionally?" I asked, hoping for some clarity on the why or the how of the question. She shook her head for a minute before responding.

"The promises I made. If I were to reveal them, you would be livid. I can accept responsibility for my part played in this. When this is all set and done with Mewtwo, I will tell you the truth. I promise. You deserve to know why I've been the way I am. I have a bad feeling about this whole fight, and I'm worried that at the end of this path, I'll be left with nothing."

"Nothings set in stone though! We could kick his ass and go home heroes," I responded. She bit her lip tenaciously before responding.

"Or we could fail miserably. Metwo could get his wish. Or worse we could stop him but at a cost none of us are willing to pay. I fear the outcome of this battle more than I've feared anything in my life. I don't want this to end with tragedy. I have to be certain there is a chance for victory where we all win. If I can't have that then I don't know if I have the strength to see this through," she whispered.

Her words were hard as they echoed my own thoughts. I didn't want to believe there was a chance we would fail, yet I knew that with every chance of success there was the equal possibility of failure.

"We have to Rose. However in the end, if everyone I love survives, that's all I could hope for. Even if it means me dying."

"I won't have you throwing away my sister's sacrifice!" she growled at me. I tensed at the sentiment and let out a bated breath.

"I don't know Rose. We have to try though. We don't have a choice," I begged bleakly..

Silence filled the air as we each turned inwards for answers to questions we didn't have.

"I'm sorry I upset you," she spoke after what seemed like hours. Turning my head, I acknowledged her with a small nod of my head as my fears returned full force.

"It-it's fine.I think," I spoke in a soft voice.

"Let's head back for now. There's not much more we can do for today, outside of rest." She paused for a minute before speaking up again. "Kyle….I have one request to make of you."

I stopped as I started to stand and looked deep into her eyes.

"I want to accept your offer. For once I want to feel loved and like I belong, as you put it. But I can't take the chance. Not without some sort of collateral to guarantee my heart won't shatter. So...if I make a mistake. If I hurt you...intentionally or not. If I do something wrong, can you promise me that whatever wrong I've done, you will give me the chance to atone for it? To do right by you and explain myself?"

Staring at her deeply I could see it was a plea from the bottom of her soul. The emotions she had tried so hard to deny all of her life, had come to light due to my interactions with her. I could practically hear the underlying statement hidden in her request.

THIS IS MY FINAL CHANCE AT REDEMPTION AND HAPPINESS.

"I promise to you Rose. I'll give you that chance."

With that final statement she turned away and started towards the mansion. I pursued her, happy with the outcome of our conversation and troubled by our fears. And then a question unanswered popped up in my mind and I had to know.

"Wait...A Tyranitar? How does that even fit?" I shouted, making her shriek out and stomp on my foot. Immediately we fell into a fit of laughter as we walked together on a new exciting journey as friends.

---

From 5 miles high, a pink furry legendary stared at the odd couple. She giggled softly to herself as she watched fate weave strings around the pair. Her foresight into everything that would be coming through the following weeks, months and years made her hopeful for the ending she saw. However, she was curious as to if the costs would be too much for either of the beings below to bear. Only time would tell.

---

Whew. That was a long chapter. Sorry for the delay and thank you all for following my story. It's been a pleasure writing this and I intend to continue this over the coming weeks. I was sick the past month and a half and have started recovering which means I can start pushing out chapters at a much furious rate.

See you guys soon!