No sooner had Shadow left the den than Ember climbed to her feet, her entire body trembling. Frustration gnawed at her gut, and it was a struggle just to keep her claws sheathed so that they weren't digging into her paw. She clenched her jaw so tightly that her teeth started hurting, and her tail flame grew into a miniature bonfire.
Everything about the situation sucked, and there was only so long that she could endure so much crap piling up before it took its toll on her. The entire situation at the Solaceon Ruins had just been one frustration after another, between being forced into taking shelter from the rain, to navigating the maze-like chambers, to the group being lured towards, and manipulated by, an infuriatingly smug fire lizard. Just the mere thought of the Salazzle made Ember's blood boil, no matter how irrational her hatred might have been. If she had to try and justify the distaste, it was because Circe reminded her of Inferna in all the worst possible ways. She was strong, confident, smug, and breathtakingly beautiful, with enough sex appeal to literally bend males to serve her every whim. Even just being unscrupulous enough to take advantage of her siren-like pheromones resembled Inferna's approach. And Ember would know, considering the Charmeleon's willingness to act on such selfish impulses was the reason she even EXISTED.
A primal rage rose up within Ember's chest, and what little remained of her self-restraint shattered like uncooked spaghetti. Blue and purple flames erupted from her claws as she attacked the cave wall, cleaving away tiny fragments of rock with each strike, her mind numb to any pain. Hatred coiled within her stomach like a viper, and she lashed out with blind aggression, until at last, her energy exhausted, she collapsed to her knees, shaking with the echo of rage.
She had been rejected by her mother, just a short time after birth. Sorin had never truly neglected her, but he wasn't prepared to handle the task he had been given, and Ember had ultimately been the one to suffer for it. She never belonged. She was never wanted. She was a liability, and little more than that.
Kaito had reaffirmed this belief at the Ruins, and even if he tried to explain it away as misspeaking, it didn't matter in the Mew-damned slightest. If the Togetic truly had some grand, noble ambition of fixing the state of the world for the sake of those who suffered, then rejecting her was the ultimate hypocrisy. Who had suffered neglect and rejection from selfish individuals more than she had?!
And then Seraphina had tried to give her 'advice' in the hopes that Ember would one day be strong enough to knock her mother down a peg. By now, Ember was thinking the whole thing had just been a ruse to coax her into using Dragon Dance, and if that failed, to rely on provocation to get the results, just like Kuro had at the Ruins of Alph. Even if the Marowak was sincere in her wish to see Inferna trounced, there was little denying that her agenda was rooted in manipulation. Ember was a means to an end, not a individual with feelings. Rather than tell Ember what she wanted, or even have the decency to ask, Sera had deceived Ember by withholding her intentions until she had what she needed.
That was why Ember had to make the bitch pay. Why she had fought tooth and nail to wrest the Marowak's prize away from her. She wasn't going to let anyone else take advantage of her again, or allow someone to pretend to sympathize with her, or care about her, only to stab her in the back. She was done with that shit. The next person to betray or abandon her was going to die.
Wait...what?
Peculiar blue light flashed across the den walls, drawing Ember's eye to the stone she had stashed at the back of the cave. The stone was glowing softly, flickering on and off rhythmically, like the steady beating of her heart. Yet as she gazed intently at the stone, the pace seemed to quicken.
In spite of common sense telling her otherwise, the Charmander extended her left arm and clasped her paw around the stone. Warmth immediately spread through her body, rejuvenating her mind and body alike, and her expression softened as she gazed upon the gem's beauty. The stone glittered, even in the faint lighting provided by her tail flame, and she suspected it would look even more breathtaking under natural sunlight.
The blue hue of the rock brought to mind the color of flame invoked by her Dragon Claw technique, and without conscious thought, Ember channeled energy into her claws for closer comparison. Energy flowed through her body with unusual ease, yet Ember barely noticed. There was an almost intoxicating sense of power coursing through her, not unlike when she used Dragon Dance.
Ember took deep breaths, trying to relax by focusing only on the positive feelings she was presently experiencing, but in the brief moment of time when her mind disengaged from the gnawing frustration of the present situation, fresh anger blazed within her heart.
It began as a tiny spark of indignation, ignited by the memory of Shadow's matter of fact comment about her drooling in her sleep. Heat rushed to her cheeks, but instead of only feeling the passive discomfort of of shame, Ember felt an urge to scratch the Espeon's cheek.
She clenched her empty paw again, extinguishing the dragon flame and biting back the growl of discomfort as her claws dug into the weaker scales of her paw. There was no reason for Shadow to call her out for drooling in her sleep, least of all for him to teasingly play it off as her 'drooling over' him.
Fine, so she couldn't deny finding him attractive, but it didn't help how painfully obvious it was that Shadow was used to receiving such attention from females. He had to KNOW she was at least a little smitten with him, because no matter how shallow she knew the attraction to be, or how well she managed to keep from becoming flustered when talking to him, she was still a single female.
So either the Espeon was absurdly clueless how uncomfortable she was, or he was messing with her by casually suggesting they bathe or groom in close proximity to each other, or offering to be her pillow, only to then twist the knife by pointing out that she drooled in her sleep. If that wasn't one of the most mortifying things to be told by a gorgeous male, then...ugh, she didn't know, but it just pissed her off so much. She had way too much on her plate already without wrestling with conflicting thoughts, emotions, and desires, all while not knowing how to interpret any of the things the Espeon said or did around her.
Everyone in her life seemed determined not to give the Charmander any insight into flirting or relationships in general. She didn't know if Shadow was hitting on her, or playing it 'cool', or encouraging her to hit on him, and even if she was going to hit on him, how would she do that without looking pathetic or coming on too strong? Did she even WANT to make anything of this situation? She was still pissed at him for Teleporting them to the middle of nowhere!
And yet...how badly would she kick herself afterwards if she didn't at least make an effort? Even if rejected, she would still be more content with the knowledge that there was no future than with the agony of wondering what might have been.
On the other hand, the issue remained that Shadow was obviously a sought-after catch. His fur color was rather unique, and Raze made it clear at the Ruins that most females were drawn to him to the exclusion of most other males. He could probably have any female he wanted, so why would he be even slightly interested in a five year-old, half-dragon, unevolved, emotionally unstable fire lizard with absolutely no relationship experience, no charisma, and no future. She wasn't even fit to be a random lay.
The Charmander sighed, her anger fading away into depression. At the end of the day, she was worthless. Too weak to be taken seriously, and too unstable to want around. It was a miracle that Aureia even considered her a friend, considering the scar she had left upon the Vaporeon's body years earlier. Part of her couldn't help but wonder whether Blaze knew about that scar yet, while the other part of her brain immediately scolded her for the thought, and her moment of amusement deflated back into dejection.
Ember absently studied her claws, and experienced a jolt of alarm upon noticing that the back of her right paw was bleeding, and she impulsively stuck it into her mouth, sucking at the wound. She glanced at the cave wall, noting with a mixture of surprise and shame that her claws had carved visible gouges into the stone, meaning that it was going to be nearly impossible to conceal the results of her outburst.
Grimacing, Ember sat down, shifting her weight to adjust the position of her tail for comfort, and she withdrew her paw from her mouth to check the wound. The blood had been cleaned off, allowing a clearer view of the injury. The gash did not appear very deep, so when a fresh trickle of blood appeared, Ember spat a tiny fireball, sealing the scales closed.
She hated losing control of her emotions like this. Even after two years of being under Adrian's care, she still hadn't managed to overcome her fits of anger, and the frequency of the outbursts increased when she was stressed out. It was the main reason why March, the month serving as her species' courting season, took such a toll on her moods. As if the chaotic fluctuation of hormones and emotions weren't bad enough, the Charmander suffered from the crippling sense of inadequacy. Not like that really mattered...even if a male were to ever show interest in her during the heat season, she would probably obsess over boundaries to the point of scaring him off.
Ember wasn't like Inferna, and she was determined to fall short in that category until the day she died. Males weren't play things, or sources of entertainment to be dismissed and forgotten about once she got bored of them. She would rather endure the emotional hell of an unsatisfied heat than take the same approach her mother advocated, but she had reason to believe that adamantly adhering to this 'code' of behavior was stunting her own development.
Or, more accurately, Ember had reason to believe that Adrian suspected this to be the case. Ever since the rematch with Inferna, Adrian's one-on-one interactions with the Charmander touched upon how she was holding up or feeling in the immediate aftermath, and how she felt towards male Pokemon in her vicinity. Blaze had been a convenient example at first, and doubly so after he had evolved, but Adrian had also spoken with her about Raze and Sparky. Ember wasn't positive on what sort of information Adrian was attempting to gather from such questions, but she had a sneaking suspicion that whatever he was fishing for, her eagerness to stay behind and help Raze administer medicine to Shadow might have given him more to work with, and had they actually regrouped as planned, his interactions with her would have touched upon that subject with greater clarity. Even her warmer interactions with Cecilia in the entranceway of the Ruins might have been useful.
Frustration welled up inside her gut at the reminder of how Shadow's misfire had potentially jeopardized not only her trainer's job and plans, but also the progress she may have been making under Adrian's current efforts. The anger passed within moments, and Ember sighed deeply, wishing that banishing her negative feelings could be as easy as exhaling. She was a broken mess of a Pokemon, and to make things worse, she sometimes got the impression that Sorin blamed himself for how she ended up.
Tears welled up in the fire lizard's eyes, and she sniffled. Sorin wasn't a perfect parent, but he had cared about her, and did everything he could. He was a far better caretaker and role model than Inferna ever could be, yet it was Inferna whose footsteps Ember had followed in. Her cherished battle style had been inspired by Sorin's recollection of how strong the Charmeleon was, and because Ember shared the base species and gender of her mother, the resemblance was inevitable. Sometimes Ember wondered whether she had unknowingly offended Sorin as a kit by having so much reverence for the mother she barely remembered, rather than focusing her love and admiration on the father that raised her on his own. It must have been like a slap to the face to him, but the Altaria never let slip whether he was hurt by his daughter's fascination with Inferna.
A soft voice echoing inside her mind startled Ember from her thoughts, informing her of the Espeon's return, and she struggled to compose herself before Shadow walked back inside the den. His black fur was now shiny and glossy, and he came bearing several fresh fish in his teeth, one of which was still flopping weakly, which certainly explained why he had used telepathy to notify her.
"Brought something," the Espeon stated, setting the fish down on the den floor and puffing himself up slightly, as if anticipating praise. He blinked upon noticing her face, which Ember realized, a moment too late, was still glistening with tears of frustration and rage. His gaze then flicked towards the marks gouged into the cave wall, and his expression changed to one of wary concern. "Erm...are you all right?"
"Fine," Ember wheezed, having failed to clear the lump in her throat from the brief crying session, and she hastily wiped her eyes and face with her arm. "I'm fine," she repeated, incapable of meeting the Espeon's eyes.
"Okay," Shadow said, clearing his throat awkwardly, obviously willing to gloss over the uncomfortable situation. "Riley pointed me towards an underground lake," he explained, gesturing to the fish.
"Who?" Ember blurted.
"The Machop from yesterday. I got his name," Shadow clarified, nudging one of the fish towards her with his paw, and seizing the second one in his teeth. He didn't seem to need any assistance cracking through the scales of the fish, and within moments, he was voraciously consuming his meal.
Ember watched him eat with a mixture of disgust and awe. Shadow had admitted yesterday that he was used to eating his food raw, but Ember couldn't stomach the idea of doing that for fish. Turning her attention to her own meal, she used her claws to slice through the scales of her fish, and exhaled a tongue of flame over the exposed meat, rapidly cooking and steaming her portion. Once satisfied with the results, Ember greedily devoured her portion, savoring the fresh flavor. Almost every other time she had eaten fish, it had first been frozen or refrigerated prior to being cooked and served, and even Aureia tended to use an Ice Beam on the fish she caught in order to 'preserve the quality', if she wasn't eating it immediately. On second thought, it was possible that the Vaporeon froze fish on purpose to spite Ember. Aureia hated the taste of cooked fish, and whenever the Charmander tried to cook a frozen fish, she'd always either end up with something partially cooked in the middle, or something that looked overcooked.
Shadow passed Ember a second fish and tore into the one that remained, while Ember cut and prepared her second portion. As a result, the Espeon was done eating before Ember had even taken a bite from her second fish. He watched her cooking process with mild interest, and observed in silence as she ate the finished product.
"How are you feeling?" Shadow wondered, once she had finished eating. Ember opened her mouth to irritably retort that she was fine, but then stopped before her mouth could even form the words. She had been on an emotional roller coaster that morning, but right now, she just felt...drained. She had vented her rage, and powered through a brief bout of depression, but it would still take time for her emotional energy to recover and stabilize.
"I don't know," she sighed. Part of her hoped that Shadow would leave it at that, but he sat across from her in silence, patiently waiting for her to elaborate. "I don't know!" Ember repeated, adding a low growl for emphasis.
"Okay," Shadow said quickly, raising one of his paws placatingly, and he gazed idly around the den. "How was the fish?" he wondered. Ember blinked, surprised by the shift in topic, but welcomed it all the same.
"Delicious, thank you," she answered.
"You're welcome," Shadow replied with a small smile, but then cocked his head uncertainly. "I'm sorry, but am I in your personal space? I feel like I'm blocking you from getting up or going outside."
"No, you're fine," Ember insisted. Now that he mentioned it, though, she could see why he might have thought that. The den was fairly cramped, and with him seated across from her, she would have to get up and go around him in order to leave the den. Had they been arguing, or in a similar confrontational situation, it wasn't difficult to imagine her feeling trapped, and resorting to violence in order to escape to safety. Considering how jumpy Shadow had been around the human trainers back at the Ruins, it made sense for him to be conscientious of the issue applying to the den.
"If you're sure," Shadow said skeptically. "If you do feel the need to leave, just stand up, and I'll move out of the way."
"Okay. Thank you," Ember answered, absently examining her right paw again, taking a moment to confirm that the scales had sealed properly. She glanced at the Espeon again, and saw that his attention had returned to the gouges slashed into the rear wall of the cave. "What, are we going to talk about the Donphan in the room?" she deadpanned.
"Wha-?" Shadow blurted, his gaze snapping back to her, his silver eyes squinting in confusion. "Um...I don't actually know what that phrase means," he conceded, after a moment of floundering.
"Never mind," Ember sighed, massaging her forehead with her free paw. Truth be told, she barely knew what the expression meant, and only had a basic grasp of the context it was normally used in. "You obviously want to talk about something, though."
"Several things, actually," the Espeon agreed. "I still want to try and discuss our plans moving forward, but before we get to that, it occurred to me that we barely know one another."
Ember snorted. "Yeah, that tends to be the case when less than a full day has passed since you first met someone," she noted dryly.
"Granted, but under these circumstances, we need to be able to trust and depend on one another," Shadow pointed out seriously. "If we cut through the mountain to reach the bottom, we'll likely be passing through hostile territory the entire way, and won't have the luxury of private space, such as this den. We'll need to be comfortable communicating with one another, and looking out for each other. Out of necessity...we will probably have to spend most of our time in close proximity to each other, because if we are separated, we are more vulnerable."
Ember frowned. It wasn't that she disagreed with what Shadow was saying, but it felt like he was expecting an awful lot from her. Sure, she was familiar with looking out for and protecting those in her group - Adrian often called upon her for battle, and did the same with Aureia. Protecting her trainer and comrades was almost second nature at this point, but in those instances, she had a Pokeball that she could retreat into afterwards, and recharge both mentally and emotionally, without needing to constantly be on alert, or walk alongside her companions.
"So what are you suggesting?" she asked blandly.
"For starters, a more proper introduction could be helpful," Shadow said, shrugging. "I mean, we never even exchanged our own names. Raze announced mine to the room, and I only learned yours because Raze used it at the Ruins, when he asked whether you were returning to the surface with him and Leaf."
"So you want us to go through the motions to share information we both already know?" Ember deadpanned.
"Maybe I should start us off," Shadow suggested, rolling his eyes. "I'm Shadow, I'm a male Espeon, and I'll turn three years old in mid-June. I have a younger brother, Leaf, who is the only living family member I have left. I've lived in Sinnoh my whole life, but have only begun traveling a...little over a month ago," he said, his voice cracking slightly near the end of the sentence.
Ember winced, feeling the Espeon's sorrow resonate within the pit of her stomach. She had paid enough attention at the Ruins, when Shadow confronted Kaito, to know that his parents had recently died. It wasn't new information, yet it still pained her to hear his voice tremble and break when he spoke of the matter.
"My turn?" she asked, and the Espeon nodded, relieved for the opportunity to fully regain his composure. The Charmander took a breath, finding some solace in the fact that Shadow had gone first and provided an example for her to follow, so she wasn't stuck rattling off random trivia about herself in a misguided effort to share personal information. "I'm Ember, female Charmander, and I turned five this past December," she said tonelessly. Shadow blinked incredulously at the mention of her age, but Ember ignored the look. "I lived in Johto my whole life, and this is my first visit to Sinnoh. Can't say it hasn't been memorable so far," she deadpanned, crossing her arms.
"Family?" Shadow ventured cautiously.
"I'm an only child," Ember retorted waspishly. "And I already told you about Sorin."
Shadow's forehead creased uncertainly, but it was evident from his body language that he knew he was tip-toeing around a minefield. "How long have you had a trainer?" he asked, the question sounding surprisingly natural, considering how abruptly he was changing the subject.
"A little over two years," Ember answered.
"Was it hard to adjust to having a trainer?" Shadow pressed, and Ember noticed that the Espeon wasn't just feigning interest. He was leaning forward slightly, and his forked tail flicked with subtle enthusiasm. He genuinely wanted to know about her experiences with Adrian, despite not realizing the upsetting circumstances involved with him taking her in.
"Yes, but not for the reasons you might think," Ember sighed. Shadow looked appropriately puzzled, and the Charmander continued. "I wasn't captured to be on Adrian's team. He's not a competitive battler. His occupation is more complicated than that. He takes in and cares for Pokemon that have been abused, abandoned, or are otherwise in need of rehabilitation prior to being released back into the wild, or adopted by another trainer."
"Oh. Does he capture those Pokemon himself, or do they get assigned to him by someone else?" Shadow wondered, and Ember smiled weakly in spite of herself. It was oddly satisfying for the Espeon to take so much interest in the subject, and catch on to what sort of questions needed to be asked.
"Usually the second one. I was actually captured by him personally. He...saved me when I was being viciously thrashed in battle," Ember said, her smile vanishing. She didn't really want to go into too much detail about the circumstances. She just didn't feel ready to confide the source of her emotional wounds. "I was in bad shape, and after seeking medical treatment, he volunteered to look after me. The first few months were especially rough. I was...rather prone to lashing out in a fit of temper," she admitted, averting her gaze.
"I'm sorry," Shadow said solemnly.
Ember looked up at him, her expression blank. "What for?" she asked.
"I had the wrong impression of you," the Espeon explained, his tone quiet, yet sincere. "I assumed your trainer was similar to Marcus, and raising Pokemon based on competitive criteria. I had no idea that he dealt with troubled or damaged Pokemon."
"So what?" Ember asked, shrugging with a hint of impatience. "You don't have to apologize for not knowing that."
"It altered how I perceived you, though," Shadow insisted. "I didn't understand why you were invested in what Kaito was saying at the Ruins, or why you became so agitated when separated from your trainer, or why you were so moody this morning. It never occurred to me that your issues run deeper than they appear, and I apologize for misjudging you."
Ember was silent, taking a few moments to digest what the Espeon was saying. It was a strange thing to apologize for, and she wasn't sure how the lack of information might have affected his perception of her, but she didn't really feel like asking for clarification.
"It's fine," she muttered finally. "Just...don't pry."
"Would it be all right if I still ask you questions, but that you simply decline to answer if you object to it?" Shadow wondered. Ember rolled her eyes, but shrugged, not feeling strongly about the issue one way or the other. "There's one thing I was wondering about ever since we left the hidden chamber at the Ruins," Shadow said carefully.
"Yeah?" Ember asked, fixing the Espeon with a deadpan look. She had no idea what Shadow was about to touch upon, but she had a strong feeling that she was about to immediately take advantage of her right to veto questions.
"Cece made a comment after you left, and Kaito seemed overwhelmingly relieved that she hadn't said it to your face," Shadow explained carefully. "But I don't understand what might have been offensive about it."
"Was it a variation of how I need to get laid or something?" Ember deadpanned. Shadow blinked in surprise, and his cheeks flushed slightly. "No? Wouldn't have surprised me, honestly," Ember shrugged. "My species' heat was in March. I sometimes think that my acquaintances have an ongoing game of blaming all my mood swings on hormones, and then seeing how directly they can imply it to my face without getting maimed," she explained dryly. "Last time I saw Kaito, he was visiting the Ruins of Alph in Johto, and muttered something to that effect while hovering right next to me."
"That almost seems like purposeful provocation," Shadow noted with a frown. "Astrid tends to be a bit insensitive with her words at times, but I don't think even she would prod a delicate issue so...brazenly."
"Yeah, well, Kaito can go to hell," Ember growled. Shadow stifled a snort of amusement, but composed himself quickly. "So what did Cecilia say?" Ember pressed. "Just spit it out."
"Something about how your aggressive instincts would normally indicate you're about to evolve," Shadow said. Ember's expression darkened at once, and the Espeon flinched. "How is that offensive?!" he practically shrieked.
"I don't want to evolve," Ember growled dangerously, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Ever."
"What? Why not?" Shadow wondered.
"Because," the Charmander snapped, rising to her feet. Shadow twitched, but as promised, he moved off to the side so that her path to the exit was unobstructed. Ember made her way towards the den entrance, but then paused to look back over her shoulder at him. "Then I'd be just like her," she growled, placing venomous emphasis on the last word.
"Your mother?" Shadow guessed quietly. Ember stiffened, and then turned around to face him completely.
"Inferna renounced her maternity," she informed him coldly. "She didn't want me. I'm her daughter, but she's not my mother."
"I'm sorry," Shadow said softly.
"I don't need your pity!" Ember snarled, but her voice cracked, hinting at the pain hidden beneath the anger. Shame at her outburst was already beginning to well up within her chest, and she turned away from the Espeon, glaring instead at the nearby wall. Her tail flame burned with greater fervor, and her eyes stung with tears.
"It's not pity," Shadow said, speaking barely above a whisper, and he padded over to her. "Please, just sit down another moment," he said, patting the den floor with his paw. Ember shot him a glare, but complied with the request, leaning her weight against the frame of the cave's mouth and letting herself slide to the ground. "I realize I was prying just now, but it's only because I wanted to understand you better," the Espeon told her gently. "I wasn't trying to upset you by asking about evolution."
"I hate my emotions," Ember muttered, avoiding eye contact as tears ran down her face. "I wish I could just rip them out sometimes..."
"I understand how you feel. No, not the exact details," Shadow amended quickly, when Ember opened her mouth to object. "But I understand the burden of troubled emotions. My parents didn't just die; they were taken from me. Before I even knew for sure that they were gone, I feared for what might have happened. There were nights where I wondered whether things might have gone differently had I done something else. Nightmares plagued me, returning me to the situation again and again, but nothing ever produced a different outcome. I felt weak, and alone against the rest of the world. There was no one I trusted enough to turn to, and most conflicts only served to remind me that I was in over my head, and that I needed to depend on others to even have a chance to survive."
The Espeon paused to take a deep breath, and Ember sniffled, wiping her face with her paw. She didn't really know how Shadow's story was intended to make her feel better, but her tears were drying up. His situation wasn't even that similar to hers, because he hadn't been abandoned or rejected, or beaten to a pulp by someone he thought was a role model. Granted, he didn't know those details about her, but it still seemed like a stretch for him to launch into a monologue and expect it to work.
"There are no answers for how something might have gone differently," Shadow continued. "Not knowing the reason for why something happened was unbearably frustrating, and weighed on my mind for weeks. It still weighs on me to this day. Why did my parents have to die? I've never received an answer. The motive of the one who killed them is shrouded in double-talk and mockery. In his presence, all I feel is hatred and anger. That's why I needed to talk to Kaito at the Ruins. He is the one who unsealed the monster that took my parents from me, and I needed to know WHY. I needed to understand the purpose behind it all."
"Doubt you got much closure there," Ember muttered.
"Actually, I did," Shadow said solemnly, and Ember fixed him with a skeptical look. "The emotions and pain I carry have made me smarter, stronger, and more sympathetic to the needs and struggles of others. I was unambitious as an Eevee. I hadn't left home to find my own place, I had very little interest in improving as a battler, or traveling to see the world. Didn't even care too much about finding a mate and building a relationship. But after being forced out of my comfort zone, and shouldered with the task of looking after my brother...I've started to see things very differently. I've worked to grow stronger on my own, but also to build connections with others, while protecting and cherishing those bonds. I don't intend to oppose Kaito's goals purely for my own sake, because what I've lost can't be returned to me, but I can help others with their burdens, and protect others from needless pain."
"That's...noble, I guess," Ember muttered, her cheeks flushing. It really was a rather moving speech, but she wasn't in the proper emotional state to react more appropriately.
Shadow nodded, unfazed by the underwhelming response. "The other thing I learned is that the scope of Kaito's ambition far exceeds what I initially believed. Diablos' power will continue to grow, and the threat he poses to the world is too great to ignore. Even if I become stronger, it won't be enough to face Diablos and win. I need more support and stronger allies than the ones I have. I have no idea where to even begin searching, though, or how I'd convince anyone of the threat Diablos poses, when the Spiritomb operates from the shadows."
Shadow closed his eyes, briefly overwhelmed by his predicament. Ember was silent for a few seconds, weighing the matter over in her mind.
"So...you need me," she stated bluntly. Shadow opened his eyes and looked at her, his expression puzzled and slightly weary. "Kaito rejected me, and his rival wants to manipulate me," she explained with a low growl. "I refuse to keep being a pawn in their stupid game. So if you'll have me...I'll lend you my strength."
"Um, that's kind of you, but I thought you needed to regroup with your trainer," Shadow pointed out awkwardly. Ember snorted a wisp of smoke from her nostrils.
"I do, but we haven't done that yet," Ember countered. "If he ends up returning to Johto before we get back, it might be harder to reconnect with him. I don't know what will happen, or what hoops we'd have to jump through, but so long as I can find some way to inform him that I'm okay..."
The Charmander trailed off awkwardly. She didn't know what to expect in the future. There was even the painful possibility that even if she did find her way back to Adrian, safe and sound, his perceived negligence might result in her being passed to another handler. She wouldn't be able to bear that sort of separation after building such a strong bond with Adrian. The more pressing concern in her mind was that Adrian would definitely worry about her if he didn't know she was safe, even if she remained separated from him in the meantime.
"I see," Shadow murmured. "However, now's not the best time to discuss anything like that. We still have to get through our current situation, but at least I have a little more optimism that we'll be able to trust one another and communicate more openly. I have no doubt that we'll also still experience some hiccups in our interactions going forward."
"Understatement of the year right there," Ember muttered. Shadow chuckled quietly, and then leaned forward and lightly lapped his tongue against her cheek, cleaning off the traces of her earlier tears. The Charmander recoiled in alarm, lightly swatting at the Espeon with her paw, more bewildered than angry at the intrusion into her personal space. "The hell are you doing?" she asked, her cheeks glowing scarlet.
"It's...something my mom used to do for me, whenever she listened to my emotional or tearful rants," Shadow said awkwardly. "I don't know why I thought it'd help, sorry if that was weird..."
"It was weird," Ember acknowledged, wrinkling her snout distastefully. "Also, your breath reeks of raw fish."
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll go get a drink of water," he deadpanned, getting up and heading outside. Ember smirked slightly, before getting up and following after him. It was late enough in the morning that sitting around in the den ceased to hold any appeal. Besides, it was probably a good idea to do some training, or spar with someone, just to let out what remained of her negative energy.
