Chapter Six
The vaporeon that had joined them in the cold, sterile room trotted silently beside him glancing over every so often. She seemed fairly quiet and shy. Damon strode ahead with leggy strides looking straight ahead. He ignored his surroundings stiffly. Kolya realized that this must be how he acted to people outside his team. A grim prospect which made him wonder what the rest of the people around here were like.
"My name's Karis." The vaporeon offered finally. She turned and gave him a gentle smile. He hesitated with Damon's warning ringing in his ears, I'm Reidar.
"So what's your story? Or is it too painful to talk about?" She probed and he flattened his butterfly ears against his skull. This seemed a bit forward considering they had just met. She noticed his annoyance and her cheeks flushed with color, "Sorry, I'm so sorry. It's none of my business. I'm just hopelessly nosy. You see I grew up here. Born and raised I guess you could say. I've never been anywhere else, known anything else."
Never? He shook his head trying to imagine being stuck in these cold walls with cold people. His youth, well, childhood anyways hadn't been awful. Despite his surly and aloof attitude there had always been the Professor. And then there had been… He growled in frustration. Why couldn't he remember his trainer?
She heard his muted growl and glanced over quizzically. His temper didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, but then again considering she kept company with a jolteon it wouldn't.
"Did you have a trainer?" She asked disarmingly. He wanted to snap at her in irritation, but he realized that she was merely asking. She wasn't digging for information. He was being far too suspicious. Part of his mind argued that there was no such thing as too suspicious.
Damon suddenly turned to the right and pushed open a door.
I…
"Karis, leave him alone. God, do you have to interrogate everyone?" A slim flareon snapped as they entered a large, lavish room. She was reclining on a silk pillow with her fluffy tail spread out behind her. Instead of it being a solid yellow, flicks of orange and red twined their way through the sunshine fur. The effect was stunningly like live fire flaming up her tail. On her head the puff of fur was similarly colored, just slightly less extravagant. Her deep coat seemed to melt into the plush red cushion and her vibrant green eyes looked haughtily.
"Sorry." Karis muttered eyeing the flareon like she might be attacked at any moment. "I'm just…"
"Just curious. I know. We all know. Give it a rest will you?" The flareon snorted impatiently. She eyed Kolya with her probing green gaze and laughed, "This is our new teammate? He won't last five minutes out there. God, they're sending us children now."
Kolya bristled at her words and a silent growl rose in his chest. Before he could prove her wrong Damon stepped in between them. He fixed his dark glare on the flareon and remarked crisply, "Keep you're tongue to yourself vixen. They send us who they send us and it's not for you to criticize."
"So what's the beast's name?" She mocked her emerald eyes daring him to do something about it. She wasn't frightened in the slightest and seemed to enjoy being spiteful.
Reidar. Kolya replied trying not to grind his teeth together. Ever since he could hear others he found he was much more sensitive to insults and slights. It didn't seem fair to him that others could say such things and it burned to let them, but he wasn't completely at ease with his new social status. He wasn't sure how to behave, what was the proper reaction, or when to keep his mouth shut, And yours?
"Jyotika, but lowlifes like you may call me Jo. You have to earn the privilege to call me by my full name."
Kolya seriously wanted to belt her across the face. The female flareon seemed much worse than Katy.
"Give it a rest Jo." Damon snapped, "Find someone else to torment with your twisted tongue. This one's off limits until he recovers, understood?"
The flareon dropped her gaze and gave a slight nod. Kolya was beginning to understand that there was a definite hierarchy here, one that was strictly obey despite the individual's personal whim or agenda.
When Damon left the room she looked up straight at him and a wicked smile crossed her lips, "Until then sweet Rei, until then. If you last that is."
With a graceful, fluid motion she was on her feet and padding off in a different direction from Damon.
Karis sighed in what sounded like relief and turned to Kolya with another cheery smile. He was beginning to think it was permanently plastered to her face. "Sorry about that. Jo doesn't like newcomers brought in. Every time one's brought in it's because one went out if you know what I mean. She just got sick of it all. She's been on the team even longer than Damon."
Kolya had no idea what she meant about one coming in and other going out, but he remained silent. There was no sense asking what he didn't care to know in the first place. He had the feeling he'd find out soon enough as it was.
"Uh, well, you're room's over here." The aquatic pokemon motioned drawing back a royal purple curtain. "Sorry, there are no doors, just curtains. And Damon can come in anytime he wants unannounced. But don't worry," She reassured him at his startled look, "He doesn't abuse his power like some other leaders. He's really good about doing his job."
Kolya wondered about that. True, the jolteon didn't seem the type to flaunt or abuse power. He seemed snug in his role of leader as if he had worn the mantle of command for a long while although according to Karis he hadn't. Evidently he commanded ultimate respect from his charges by the way the vaporeon spoke so well of him and how the flareon obeyed his sharp command without a comment. This was strange company he had fallen into, but he didn't realize what strange was until a sleek, slender umbreon slid out of a room.
The eon was smaller than Karis although he was obviously male. His coat looked like that of a murkrow. Silky down as black as a volcanic rock and gleaming golden rings. Blood red eyes glittered under a heavily draw brow and he gave Kolya a vague grin. The whole time he stood there he muttered something under his breath. The espeon strained to hear it, but all he could hear was unintelligible words.
"Don't bother to try and understand Tynan. Ever since he got here he hasn't spoken a real word. Just his own made up language." Karis shrugged and corrected herself with a generous smile, "Well, it could be a real language, how would we know? Anyway, he understands orders and that's all that counts right?" Her face darkened at that last sentence and he could sense her contempt.
"Sorry, I'm bothering you, aren't I?" She stammered slightly and edged away, "You should tell me when I talk too much! It's just a nervous habit I have I guess. Or that's what people tell me anyway. See? There I go again. Um, you can go to your room, but not anyone else's unless you have explicit permission. And we take meals out here in the common room. Training starts really early in the morning so I suggest you sleep now. Tomorrow's going to be tough and probably the next day. Damon's a hard taskmaster, but he keeps us alive so I'm not complaining. Oh! Okay, I'm shutting up now. Sorry."
Kolya started to stop her from leaving, but changed his mind. He didn't mind if she chatted. It meant he didn't have to speak and her stream of information had been pertinent so far. She was far more open than Damon and much more friendly than Jo. It also felt nice to hear someone talk and understand what was being said.
He sat in the common room observing Tynan. The small umbreon was wandering around seeking something. He stuck his nose to the floor at the baseboard and moved down a ways. Casting Kolya a decidedly off balance grin he pawed at a loose board. The wood gave way easily as if it had been moved many times before. Curious, Kolya crept closer. Tynan saw his expression and waved him over the whole time muttering under his breath.
"Eh?" He asked Kolya pointing to a set of keys. Grinning with a none-too vacant expression all of a sudden Kolya realized he was nowhere near as crazy as he was pretending to be. Pulling out the keys he flipped them to Kolya. The surprised espeon caught them and studied them. They seemed normal enough. He could understand why humans made locks and privately he found it to be one of the more useful ideas they employed. The question was: What did these keys open? A slightly less important question was how had Tynan, a supposedly mentally insane eon, get a hold of them. Suddenly Kolya was very, very suspicious of the dark type.
"Oken?" The dark type muttered pawing at the silver collar around him neck. His sharp ruby eyes flicked to the keys. Gently, so as not to incur a nasty shock the dark pokemon rubbed a single claw across the opening. It was a mere slit in the otherwise slick steel and Kolya couldn't understand how the bulky keys were supposed to fit.
The umbreon was watching his face avidly. Seeing the confusion he shook his head then pointed to the keys. Then he pointed to the lock and shook his head again.
There are keys to the collars, but these aren't it? Kolya hazarded and was rewarded with a vigorous headshake up and down.
You know where the keys are, but you can't reach them. You need help? Kolya continued beginning to piece things together. The umbreon seemed surprised and happy that he picked up on it so fast. Nodding enthusiastically he then pointed to Damon's room and growled.
Damon has them?
The dark type shook his head casting about for how to make himself clearer. He pointed to Damon's room and shook his head no. He pointed to Jo's room and sneered. He pointed to Karis' room and shivered.
Kolya thought about it for a moment then guessed, Damon wouldn't do it because he won't risk his leadership right? A nod of agreement. And Jo wouldn't help you because she's… He wasn't sure how to be tactful about Her Bitchyness. Too selfish? The umbreon gave a particularly vicious smile and spat in her direction making his feelings on the issue all too clear. And Karis is too scared. Another nod.
Kolya sat back and stared at the small, raven pokemon speculatively. There had to be more to this. Perhaps, Tynan found him an easy mark because he was new. He didn't fully understand the challenge getting the keys present. He was merely going on gestures and half-articulate sounds, which was hardly solid information. Or maybe the dark eon wanted to get Kolya in trouble and make himself look good. Then again, possibly, he simply wanted to torment the psychic to fulfill some strange quirk in his warped mind. There were far too many possibilities for Kolya to trust this venture… but if the rewards were as rich as claimed then it would be worth it ten times over. Without a collar the man and Katy would have an incredibly difficult time trying to control him. Although he was new to his evolutionary form's impressive powers he most certainly hadn't forgotten the lessons he learned as a weak colorless. Strength and power were not the same thing and most certainly not interchangeable.
Cautiously he shook his head and addressed the impatient, fluttering creature before him, It's too risky. I need some time to think, do you understand?
The umbreon looked briefly disappointed then melted into the shadows. A slight gleam was the only testament to his presence. Then it was gone. Kolya didn't know if he had just made an enemy by refusing to go along with a half-known plan, but he hoped not. There was enough trouble in the corridor from Jo the jaded flareon. Not to mention the issues he was having mentally. Why couldn't he remember his trainer? And now that he could hear things were so complicated. He was now expected to be polite, tactful, mannered, and oh so many other things. Well, he was expected to be those things before, but now he was aware of those heavy expectations.
Shaking his head in annoyance he padded off to explore his room.
Reviewers:
Coffee Luv: Ominious words at best, ne? Well, here it is.
Paladin Dragoon: Yeah, I didn't know how else to describe it. I should have put fur color, that would have been a tip off. Oh, Damon is so loveable *dripping sarcasm*. Poor Koyla/Reider will just have to deal. Bite the noses!
Joeyz girl: I do my best to be original, I haven't read that much pokemon ff lately. The reviewers on the message board I post at love how it's pokemon-centered and each character is individualized. I love nothing better than a well rounded, 3-d character! And you guys just met some fun characters right there. *hands cookie* And you win a prize! (:::)
The vaporeon that had joined them in the cold, sterile room trotted silently beside him glancing over every so often. She seemed fairly quiet and shy. Damon strode ahead with leggy strides looking straight ahead. He ignored his surroundings stiffly. Kolya realized that this must be how he acted to people outside his team. A grim prospect which made him wonder what the rest of the people around here were like.
"My name's Karis." The vaporeon offered finally. She turned and gave him a gentle smile. He hesitated with Damon's warning ringing in his ears, I'm Reidar.
"So what's your story? Or is it too painful to talk about?" She probed and he flattened his butterfly ears against his skull. This seemed a bit forward considering they had just met. She noticed his annoyance and her cheeks flushed with color, "Sorry, I'm so sorry. It's none of my business. I'm just hopelessly nosy. You see I grew up here. Born and raised I guess you could say. I've never been anywhere else, known anything else."
Never? He shook his head trying to imagine being stuck in these cold walls with cold people. His youth, well, childhood anyways hadn't been awful. Despite his surly and aloof attitude there had always been the Professor. And then there had been… He growled in frustration. Why couldn't he remember his trainer?
She heard his muted growl and glanced over quizzically. His temper didn't seem to bother her in the slightest, but then again considering she kept company with a jolteon it wouldn't.
"Did you have a trainer?" She asked disarmingly. He wanted to snap at her in irritation, but he realized that she was merely asking. She wasn't digging for information. He was being far too suspicious. Part of his mind argued that there was no such thing as too suspicious.
Damon suddenly turned to the right and pushed open a door.
I…
"Karis, leave him alone. God, do you have to interrogate everyone?" A slim flareon snapped as they entered a large, lavish room. She was reclining on a silk pillow with her fluffy tail spread out behind her. Instead of it being a solid yellow, flicks of orange and red twined their way through the sunshine fur. The effect was stunningly like live fire flaming up her tail. On her head the puff of fur was similarly colored, just slightly less extravagant. Her deep coat seemed to melt into the plush red cushion and her vibrant green eyes looked haughtily.
"Sorry." Karis muttered eyeing the flareon like she might be attacked at any moment. "I'm just…"
"Just curious. I know. We all know. Give it a rest will you?" The flareon snorted impatiently. She eyed Kolya with her probing green gaze and laughed, "This is our new teammate? He won't last five minutes out there. God, they're sending us children now."
Kolya bristled at her words and a silent growl rose in his chest. Before he could prove her wrong Damon stepped in between them. He fixed his dark glare on the flareon and remarked crisply, "Keep you're tongue to yourself vixen. They send us who they send us and it's not for you to criticize."
"So what's the beast's name?" She mocked her emerald eyes daring him to do something about it. She wasn't frightened in the slightest and seemed to enjoy being spiteful.
Reidar. Kolya replied trying not to grind his teeth together. Ever since he could hear others he found he was much more sensitive to insults and slights. It didn't seem fair to him that others could say such things and it burned to let them, but he wasn't completely at ease with his new social status. He wasn't sure how to behave, what was the proper reaction, or when to keep his mouth shut, And yours?
"Jyotika, but lowlifes like you may call me Jo. You have to earn the privilege to call me by my full name."
Kolya seriously wanted to belt her across the face. The female flareon seemed much worse than Katy.
"Give it a rest Jo." Damon snapped, "Find someone else to torment with your twisted tongue. This one's off limits until he recovers, understood?"
The flareon dropped her gaze and gave a slight nod. Kolya was beginning to understand that there was a definite hierarchy here, one that was strictly obey despite the individual's personal whim or agenda.
When Damon left the room she looked up straight at him and a wicked smile crossed her lips, "Until then sweet Rei, until then. If you last that is."
With a graceful, fluid motion she was on her feet and padding off in a different direction from Damon.
Karis sighed in what sounded like relief and turned to Kolya with another cheery smile. He was beginning to think it was permanently plastered to her face. "Sorry about that. Jo doesn't like newcomers brought in. Every time one's brought in it's because one went out if you know what I mean. She just got sick of it all. She's been on the team even longer than Damon."
Kolya had no idea what she meant about one coming in and other going out, but he remained silent. There was no sense asking what he didn't care to know in the first place. He had the feeling he'd find out soon enough as it was.
"Uh, well, you're room's over here." The aquatic pokemon motioned drawing back a royal purple curtain. "Sorry, there are no doors, just curtains. And Damon can come in anytime he wants unannounced. But don't worry," She reassured him at his startled look, "He doesn't abuse his power like some other leaders. He's really good about doing his job."
Kolya wondered about that. True, the jolteon didn't seem the type to flaunt or abuse power. He seemed snug in his role of leader as if he had worn the mantle of command for a long while although according to Karis he hadn't. Evidently he commanded ultimate respect from his charges by the way the vaporeon spoke so well of him and how the flareon obeyed his sharp command without a comment. This was strange company he had fallen into, but he didn't realize what strange was until a sleek, slender umbreon slid out of a room.
The eon was smaller than Karis although he was obviously male. His coat looked like that of a murkrow. Silky down as black as a volcanic rock and gleaming golden rings. Blood red eyes glittered under a heavily draw brow and he gave Kolya a vague grin. The whole time he stood there he muttered something under his breath. The espeon strained to hear it, but all he could hear was unintelligible words.
"Don't bother to try and understand Tynan. Ever since he got here he hasn't spoken a real word. Just his own made up language." Karis shrugged and corrected herself with a generous smile, "Well, it could be a real language, how would we know? Anyway, he understands orders and that's all that counts right?" Her face darkened at that last sentence and he could sense her contempt.
"Sorry, I'm bothering you, aren't I?" She stammered slightly and edged away, "You should tell me when I talk too much! It's just a nervous habit I have I guess. Or that's what people tell me anyway. See? There I go again. Um, you can go to your room, but not anyone else's unless you have explicit permission. And we take meals out here in the common room. Training starts really early in the morning so I suggest you sleep now. Tomorrow's going to be tough and probably the next day. Damon's a hard taskmaster, but he keeps us alive so I'm not complaining. Oh! Okay, I'm shutting up now. Sorry."
Kolya started to stop her from leaving, but changed his mind. He didn't mind if she chatted. It meant he didn't have to speak and her stream of information had been pertinent so far. She was far more open than Damon and much more friendly than Jo. It also felt nice to hear someone talk and understand what was being said.
He sat in the common room observing Tynan. The small umbreon was wandering around seeking something. He stuck his nose to the floor at the baseboard and moved down a ways. Casting Kolya a decidedly off balance grin he pawed at a loose board. The wood gave way easily as if it had been moved many times before. Curious, Kolya crept closer. Tynan saw his expression and waved him over the whole time muttering under his breath.
"Eh?" He asked Kolya pointing to a set of keys. Grinning with a none-too vacant expression all of a sudden Kolya realized he was nowhere near as crazy as he was pretending to be. Pulling out the keys he flipped them to Kolya. The surprised espeon caught them and studied them. They seemed normal enough. He could understand why humans made locks and privately he found it to be one of the more useful ideas they employed. The question was: What did these keys open? A slightly less important question was how had Tynan, a supposedly mentally insane eon, get a hold of them. Suddenly Kolya was very, very suspicious of the dark type.
"Oken?" The dark type muttered pawing at the silver collar around him neck. His sharp ruby eyes flicked to the keys. Gently, so as not to incur a nasty shock the dark pokemon rubbed a single claw across the opening. It was a mere slit in the otherwise slick steel and Kolya couldn't understand how the bulky keys were supposed to fit.
The umbreon was watching his face avidly. Seeing the confusion he shook his head then pointed to the keys. Then he pointed to the lock and shook his head again.
There are keys to the collars, but these aren't it? Kolya hazarded and was rewarded with a vigorous headshake up and down.
You know where the keys are, but you can't reach them. You need help? Kolya continued beginning to piece things together. The umbreon seemed surprised and happy that he picked up on it so fast. Nodding enthusiastically he then pointed to Damon's room and growled.
Damon has them?
The dark type shook his head casting about for how to make himself clearer. He pointed to Damon's room and shook his head no. He pointed to Jo's room and sneered. He pointed to Karis' room and shivered.
Kolya thought about it for a moment then guessed, Damon wouldn't do it because he won't risk his leadership right? A nod of agreement. And Jo wouldn't help you because she's… He wasn't sure how to be tactful about Her Bitchyness. Too selfish? The umbreon gave a particularly vicious smile and spat in her direction making his feelings on the issue all too clear. And Karis is too scared. Another nod.
Kolya sat back and stared at the small, raven pokemon speculatively. There had to be more to this. Perhaps, Tynan found him an easy mark because he was new. He didn't fully understand the challenge getting the keys present. He was merely going on gestures and half-articulate sounds, which was hardly solid information. Or maybe the dark eon wanted to get Kolya in trouble and make himself look good. Then again, possibly, he simply wanted to torment the psychic to fulfill some strange quirk in his warped mind. There were far too many possibilities for Kolya to trust this venture… but if the rewards were as rich as claimed then it would be worth it ten times over. Without a collar the man and Katy would have an incredibly difficult time trying to control him. Although he was new to his evolutionary form's impressive powers he most certainly hadn't forgotten the lessons he learned as a weak colorless. Strength and power were not the same thing and most certainly not interchangeable.
Cautiously he shook his head and addressed the impatient, fluttering creature before him, It's too risky. I need some time to think, do you understand?
The umbreon looked briefly disappointed then melted into the shadows. A slight gleam was the only testament to his presence. Then it was gone. Kolya didn't know if he had just made an enemy by refusing to go along with a half-known plan, but he hoped not. There was enough trouble in the corridor from Jo the jaded flareon. Not to mention the issues he was having mentally. Why couldn't he remember his trainer? And now that he could hear things were so complicated. He was now expected to be polite, tactful, mannered, and oh so many other things. Well, he was expected to be those things before, but now he was aware of those heavy expectations.
Shaking his head in annoyance he padded off to explore his room.
Reviewers:
Coffee Luv: Ominious words at best, ne? Well, here it is.
Paladin Dragoon: Yeah, I didn't know how else to describe it. I should have put fur color, that would have been a tip off. Oh, Damon is so loveable *dripping sarcasm*. Poor Koyla/Reider will just have to deal. Bite the noses!
Joeyz girl: I do my best to be original, I haven't read that much pokemon ff lately. The reviewers on the message board I post at love how it's pokemon-centered and each character is individualized. I love nothing better than a well rounded, 3-d character! And you guys just met some fun characters right there. *hands cookie* And you win a prize! (:::)