Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon nor anything related to pokemon, etc

Chapter Three:
Recovery

Dark.

Everything was dark.

Then Shade's ebony world of sleep was pelted by voices. Sounds. Strange beeping noises he really didn't give a damn about as one word rang through his head.

Failure.

Heis a failure.

He, Shade, had somehow come into the mind set he had to protect that girl. A simple task surely.

And Shade had failed in that task.

Now everything was enjoying his shame, he could see them. Laughing at him now. He should have been like the others ... should have acted like them ... he should never have tri-

Shade's dark world suddenly exploded into light and he screamed, it felt like two forces were fighting over him and he didn't understand completely as darkness washed over him, then was pushed back and he was pulled towards the light.

He cried out in pain as it felt like the light was searing his skin. Burning him, why didn't it leave him to the shadows? There was no pain there-

'Pain means you are alive.'

If Shade's eyes were open, he'd have blinked them from confusion and slight recignition, that voice... it sounded .. familure.

'Pain is like love. Both hurt. Both show you're alive. Both are something almost everything hates to feel, but loves what it can mean. Never forget tha-'

"CLEAR!"

Shade's eyes snapped open when he heard that yell that shattered the dream, and a shock traveled through his system, and his heart which felt like it had froze in mid-beat suddenly came to life in a flurry, thump-thumping away. The young man gasped for air as he clawed at the substance, it hurt. Everything hurt. His mind was awash with the pain, and as his strength fled his body, Shade slumped onto the bed, eyes half closed as he lay there. Feeling like death warmed over.

"It's a miracle," he heard a nurse whisper.

'No,' Shade thought sourly to himself as he closed his eyes, 'I just can't die when I want too.'

Hours later found Shade alone in a recovery room, well, not alone exactly. A drugged up Ashura and a sleeping Midori accompanied him. But Shade felt like he might as well have been alone. For some reason .. everything seemed duller without that girl around. And it didn't help his pokemon weren't allowed out in the hospital. He could understand Typhoon, but his Espeon and Umbreon too?

Sighing Shade shut his eyes, but his peace was shattered as Ashura decided to try to sing a song. A very annoying Song. A song that normally made Shade shudder, but this made his skin crawl in his utter horror at how high pitched the pre-teen could sing. Had someone kicked Ashura in the balls? Shade found himself wondering.

After several torturous moments, Ashura finally stopped singing and just sat there. Staring into nothing.

"They took him." He said suddenly. And he didn't wait for someone to say 'Who?' as he started speaking almost imidiately after, "My Raichu. That theif in green stole my Raichu. I tried to stop him. But RaiRai was taken anyway. My poor RaiRai." Ashura murmured, slumping backwards onto the bed.

"... they took Midori's Donphan too. Donphan was her first pokemon, did you know that?" Ashura told the room in general. "I caught him for her. Because she couldn't catch a pokemon for herself, and no one would allow her to go on a journey. So we left together, and I caught that Phanpy for her. ... and they took him.

"Why are they taking our friends?" Ashura asked as he rolled over, a few sobs escaping him. And Shade clenched his jaw tight. Why hadn't he followed the damn rule of not getting involved?

Before he could let himself answer that, he slowly pushed himself up into a seated position, ignoring the fire flaring up in his abdomen region as he swung his feet off the bed and grabed the pokebelt from the table beside the hospital bed. Uncaring about the gown he wore, Shade stiffly walked over to where his other items lay, one hand holding his side while the other had a hold of the belt.

Silently he vowed to get that girl back. And if even one hair on her head was out of place...

Shade found himself thinking on what exactly he would do, and strangely, it felt good to fall back into the habit of beating the shit out of people.

Shade frowned slightly as he picked up his shirt. It was ruined, but there was no helping it as he pulled it on, then his cloak and pants after getting rid of the gown. No one ever said Shade was really modest, not that he wasn't. It's just to him, right now there was a more important thing to do then find a bathroom to change in as he turned and limped over to the window, fumbling with it for several moments before finally getting it open, panting heavily and gripping onto anything near at hand as dizzyness swept through his mind and sat there for several moments before he could fight it off.

Grabbing the heavy ball from the belt, Shade maximized it and pressed the button again, letting the beam of energy stream out of the window and unleash Typhoon into the world. The Aerodactly screamed loudly as he swung around, flapping akwardly but he managed to keep himself in the air and bring his head through the window for Shade to grab and climb onto the ancient dragon like pokemon.

And as he was doing this, the door open, and a yell from a person Shade knew all to well filled the air. But he was already on the Aerodactyl and Typhoon pulled his head back, glaring evilly at his former trainer before twisting and darting off. Typhoon took a guess as to where the half passed out human wanted to go. The same direction as the girl had been dragged off into. And if the pokemon's memory served him well, Typhoon knew where that would most likely have lead them.

To Pyrite.

To say Miror B. was brave would be something to laugh at, as it was far from the truth. And to pity him would be pity, or sympathy misplaced. For he got what he deserved most of the time, for he had underestimated Nascour. And he was paying the price.

Speaking of Nascour, the currently now statue like man stood a few feet from the somewhat cowering Miror B., holding the bridge of his nose as he sighed suddenly. And he moved, dispelling the illusion that he was something carved from stone as blood red eyes opened and silver/grey hair shifted as he turned his attention back to the cowering man. And in the back of his mind Nascour wondered how on earth Miror B. could stand having an afro that was about four feet wide at times.

"Let me get this straight," Nascour started, his gaze shifting from the Cipher 'Admin' to where a young woman lay on a couch, being attended to another woman older than the sleeping one by several years. "You, against Ein's wishes, and even Venus's advice, and trust me. Venus rarely gives good advice, but when she does, it's something you should listen too," Nascour continued, still not looking at Miror B., "went and gave away not one. Not five. But FIFTEEN of our Shadow pokemon to winners of your little Colosseum games. Plus you gave three to a trio of idiots that nearly ruined my plans." Nascour snapped, his red eyes cold and hard as he looked back at Miror B, and it was all the Admin could do to not squeal like a little girl and hide behind the golden sleeves of his guady outfit.

"I'm sorry Master Nas-"

"Shut up, you simpering fool." Nascour snaps out at Miror B. "You're job is to now guard that girl. Keep her safe. And if I hear you try to do anything to her ..."

Miror B. stood there for a few moments, waiting for Nascour to continue, and when the phantom like man didn't, he coughed, and asked, "And if you do?"

"It won't be nearly as bad as what I did when I found out what you tried to do to Clair. But it will be bad, you whimpering idiot. It will be bad. Because Clair doesn't mind if I get a bit .. bloodied, with my work."

Miror B. gulped and backed away from Nascour as said woman finally moved away from the young teenager, sighing mostly to herself. "Really Nascour," she started, violet eyes holding a tint of scolding accusation to them as she stared up at the much taller man, "You should know not everyone is made for this desert."

Nascour just let out a thoughtfull hum as he raised a hand and ran it over Clair's vibrant and dark blue hair, "I thought you were going to dye it green this time."

Clair rolled her eyes, but it was the closest thing to an 'I'm sorry for nearly killing the girl,' she was going to recive from Nascour is there was company. "You warned the singing pervert to not do anything I asume?"

"Yes love, I have. Now why don't you go outside, there's a pokemon out there for you," Nascour said, motioning for Clair to go, but her eyes were already lighting up, and she was asking what he got her, Nascour only laughed and pushed her forward with a hand to the small of her back, and the young woman was off like a shot, and only a few seconds later a loud cry of 'CUTE!' rang into the air. Nascour smirked for a moment, then glanced over at Miror B., his face going expressionless, "Remeber what I said." And with that he left, leaving a shaking Miror B in his wake.

Miror B. stood there, shaking and not moving for a minute or two, but they stretched out like an eternity. And when he was sure that Nascour wasn't coming back, he called for the two peon's of his that were female, "Reath, Ferma! Come here now!" He'd have them take care of the woman on the couch, he wasn't stupid like Dakim to invoke the wrath of Nascour more then once. Nascour was just a man you did not cross, and if you did, god have mercy.

Because Nascour won't.

"I'm doomed," Miror B. wailed as he left the room once Reath and Ferma appeared.

It felt like a thousand years of hell as Shade gasped in pain as Typhoon landed, trying not to jar his passanger, but failed. Crying out, even muffledly, Shade clenched his eyes shut, wishing the pain would stop, but it didn't, and somehow he knew it wouldn't. So grunting and bearing it, he half slid, half fell off Typhoon and onto his feet. Sand and small pebbles crunched under his boots as he recalled the Aerodactyl, and let out Violet, praying silently they had healed his pokemon. And for a moment when she formed, he feared they hadn't, but the Espeon was only asleep. Sighing in relief, he recalled her and knew that Hikage would be healed too. And most likely asleep like his sister.

'Atleast...' Shade thought to himself as he started to limp into Pyrite, 'I didn't lose everything.'

Shade paused in his limping gait long enough to pull the visors over his eyes, and stood up, pulling his arm away from protecting his side as he let his pain twist his mouth into a scowl. Shade knew of Pyrite. This was not a place to show weakness, or even hint at it, as the police force here was startling under-employed, and there was little in the way of order here.

'Hang on Amy,' thought Shade as he slowly entered the town, dead set on finding the girl, 'I'll find you. Wherever you are. However long it takes.' Shade vowed to himself.

To Be Continued In;
Chapter Four: Shadow Battles