Called into Question

By ShinobiWolf

Chapter Two: Healing and Babysitting

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            How long had it been since she had changed? She honestly didn't know. A couple of days, or maybe more. She was so hungry, and her shoulder was starting to get infected. Kai stopped in her tracks to sit and think. Her change left her dazed and confused, so organized thoughts were a rare commodity.

            She was on a dirt road, probably in the middle of nowhere. In her blind run a couple of nights ago, she never paid any attention to landmarks or road signs. There was hardly a tree to be seen for miles, so she must have been somewhere between Goldenrod City and Coperton. That wasn't very helpful, though.

            In the wild, umbreon were mostly foragers or fishers, and that was her problem. There was nothing to forage or fish for. Kai was starting to think destiny had something against her.

            Feh. I can get along just fine.

            Unfortunately for Kai, she was in denial, and denial wasn't a good place to be when your stomach was empty and your shoulder burned like hellfire.

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            The pain in her shoulder vanished, but Kai knew better than that. No longer could she not feel the pain, but she couldn't feel anything else in her shoulder or most of her leg for that matter. And by now it gave her one nasty limp. She wrinkled her nose, cursing herself for not having the ability to plug it. Her shoulder was starting to stink something terrible.

            Kai happened upon a city, her only stroke of good luck in the past few days. When night came she would be able to scavenge for food, but until then she would need to rest, somewhere where people wouldn't trip over her or where stray Pokemon wouldn't be giving her any trouble. Kai entered an alleyway and sniffed the air. She was still unaccustomed to her heightened senses. New smells and sounds seemed to flood into her brain all at once. But amongst this jumbled mess, there were no signs of another Pokemon living here. Kai mentally slapped herself. She was not a Pokemon… She was not one of those disgusting animals… It was all one big, cruel nightmare.

            She found a dry spot behind some boxes and tried to lie down, but her injured leg gave out from underneath her. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in, but she really had no choice. She hadn't the strength to get up, or roll over for that matter. Her head felt so hot, feverish almost. No, feverish definitely. Her infection must have spread into her bloodstream…

            Kai happily closed her eyes for some much needed rest.

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            Kai tried to raise her head, but she couldn't. It hurt so badly. And her shoulder- that hurt too. But she was warm, almost cozy-like, wrapped in a blanket near a fireplace. How had she gotten here?

            She noticed a little girl sitting in front of her. Curly blonde hair framed her freckled face.

            "Daddy, Daddy, she's awake."

            A tall, well-dressed man walked into her view. Kai reluctantly let him touch her head.

            "Her fever seems to have dropped. Run and get a bowl of warm milk, and we'll see how her appetite is."

            Kai quickly slurped down the milk as the father changed her bandages.

            "Will she be okay, Daddy?"

            "The infection's gone down, but it will leave one nasty scar."

            Not that I'm all that concerned for beauty; at least I haven't lost my leg.

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            Kai stayed at that house for no longer than she needed. Her shoulder nearly healed and her belly full, she left after the girl and parents went to bed. Staying in that home as a pet wouldn't get her any closer to being human again. She would find that white espeon, even if she had to journey to the ends of the earth to find it.

            The streets were dark, but she had begun to master her improved night vision. She jumped when a trashcan toppled over.

            It was only a young sneasel… Kai glared at it with contempt before continuing on her way. Soft footfalls followed behind her. I don't have any food, so you can just beat it. But still the baby sneasel continued, stopping a few short feet away. He seemed to only know her general direction, and could not lock his eyes directly on her form. So he's blind. Kai deduced after observing his cloudy eyes. She started to walk again, but with every step she took, something pulled harder and harder at her heart. Pity? Or maybe it was guilt that made her turn back. She sighed as she lowered herself to the ground, allowing the baby sneasel to climb onto her back. At first the thought of having one of those nasty little things on her back made her skin crawl. But Kai found herself unusually relaxed when he snuggled into her fur for warmth.

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            Kai promised herself that at the next stop they made, she would leave the young sneasel behind to fend for itself. But here she was, two days and five stops later, still with the little one on her back. Every time she tried to leave him behind, that feeling of guilt would come over her. Why was she having this feeling now? Kai had no qualms about shooting a Pokemon before, so one little sneasel shouldn't matter. Nevertheless, she continued to let him ride on her back and share her meager food finds.

            She stopped again to rest at a pond, and caught them each a fish to eat. She told the little one how she had formerly been human, minus the "Pokemon hunter" part. She seemed to be surprised that he had no fear of her.

            I used to have a human… The sneasel said between bites. But I did something wrong and he didn't like me no more.

            His trainer must have abandoned him because of his blindness, Kai thought to herself. She no doubt would have done the same, had she been in his trainer's shoes. But now, for some unspeakable reason, she was telling herself she wouldn't have.

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