A Mightyena Named Wolf

I do not own Pokémon

This chapter has been edited in 2009.

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Chapter 8 ~ Wounds of the Past

Wolf and the Alpha got out of the factory, escaping into the cooling breeze of the forest. About a minute after that, the factory exploded, the sound reverberating loudly in Wolf's ears. He watched the explosion with a teary eye.

Why is it... when I get back a part of me, I lose another one?

"(I'm sorry about your loss...)" the Alpha said, standing by Wolf's side.

"(I'm sorry, too.)"

"(Stay strong, young one. Your life isn't over. You have to stay strong or that boy will not rest in peace. Be strong...)"

"(I know. I wish... I wish that boy never saved me... I wished he would let me die in the cliffs...)" Wolf stared at the burning factory. The explosion seemed to come from its core… there's no way Will could have survived that…

"(What happened to the pack?)" the Alpha asked, looking around as if expecting to see the pack members appear out of the bushes.

"(The new Alpha kicked me out.)"

The Alpha turned to look at Wolf, his mouth hanging open in surprise. "(Alas, my pack was a disaster,)" he said, hanging his head. "(I guess that means I'm no longer welcome too. That means that I no have a place to go.)" He sighed. "(The old Beta used to drop snide hints about how lousy of an Alpha I make.)"

"(I know where you can go... but for me... I feel like I'm lost again. When I found my mother... when I found you... I thought once again my life is back to normal. But now... Will was taken away...)"

"(Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Will would want you to be happy. Let's go.)"

The two left the scene, the fire still blazing wildly behind them.

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Wolf brought the Alpha to Alf's place. Alf was surprised to see two Mightyenas waiting for him when he opened the door. He recognized Wolf immediately, and let the both of them in. Wolf went up to his mother and greeted her with a lick before introducing the Alpha to her.

"(This is the guy who saved me after you got captured,)" Wolf told his mother.

"(I owe you my thanks,)" his mother told the Alpha.

The Alpha stood there looking at Wolf's mother with open jaws.

"(Um, Alpha?)" Wolf asked.

"(Uh? Uh, m-my pleasure,)" the Alpha stuttered.

Wolf suppressed a smile. The Alpha was always horrible around female Mightyenas. It was normal for an alpha male to have a mate in a pack, but Alpha never had one. He was no longer leading a pack though, and Wolf thought it was time for him to settle down.

"(You know, he was almost like a second dad to me,)" Wolf said.

Wolf's mother looked a little uncomfortable at this. Wolf gave a small sad smile and went to Alf.

"Alf," Wolf said.

Alf nearly choked on his own breath. "What?!" he gasped, "You can talk?"

"That's not important. I need to ask you a favour though... do you have room in your house for another Mightyena?" Wolf said, gesturing at Alpha.

"No problem! The more the merrier!" Alf said cheerfully. He still seemed a bit shocked at Wolf's ability to talk. "By the way, where's Will?"

Wolf looked away. "He... he is somewhere... somewhere nice..." He held back a tear and thanked Alf. Then he said goodbye to the two Mightyenas, promising he would return soon.

"(But where are you going?)" the Alpha asked.

"(I... have a little unfinished business I need to tend to.)"

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Wolf returned to Will's mansion, perhaps for the last time. With Will gone, there just wasn't any point in returning there anymore.

In it were Ed Bronx and Linda Bronx, Will's mother. Both seemed incredibly stressed. Will's father was pacing up and down the living room.

"Damn that Roland!" Ed Bronx kept repeating. He was holding a note, most probably the ransom letter from Roland.

Linda spotted Wolf and began to walk towards him. "Mightyena, did you find Will?" Her voice was soft and shaky.

Wolf hesitated. He then decided it was better to let the cat out of the bag.

"He's dead."

Linda and Ed gasped. They didn't even seem to care that Wolf could talk. They only cared about one thing... Will is dead. Linda began crying. Ed tried to comfort her, but seemed close to tears as well.

Espeon walked closer to Wolf.

"(Is Young Master really dead?)" Espeon asked.

"(Yes.)"

"(Sad… I was beginning to like him.)"

The Espeon then walked away slowly. Wolf decided for a moment, then chased after the Espeon.

"(Espeon! Do you think you can use your dream powers on me again?)"

"(But… why? What for?)" Espeon said, curious.

"(I just… need to know what exactly happened…)"

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Wolf spent one last night in Will's room. He had planned what he was going to do the next day. He would make a mark or something at the cliffs as a tribute to Will, and then he would live with his mother and Alpha…

He then prepared himself for the dream he would have. He was anxious to have the dream, and yet, terribly afraid of what he might see.

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Wolf was standing in the same room in which Will was trapped in. He watched as Will ordered him and the Alpha to leave. Will then began trying to pull himself free from the wires.

He tried and tried… he tried so hard… and Wolf was surprised when it actually did come free. Will then looked at the timer. Only two minutes left. Will tried to run towards the exit, but his leg got caught once more in the wires and he fell, though his feet were not tangled in the wires. Then it happened.

He crashed straight into a stack of boxes, and behind the boxes Wolf saw a flight of stairs. Will tumbled down the whole flight to the bottom. Wolf quickly followed. Right at the bottom, Will bounced out of a trapdoor, and into the outside of the factory. He then walked a few steps and then started to sway. It looked as if Will was going to faint, but he continued limping, a determined look on his face…

And then Wolf woke up. It was morning. Espeon was already in Will's room. Apparently, she was waiting for Wolf to wake up.

"(How was it?)" she asked Wolf.

Wolf stood up hurriedly, trying to remember the events in his dream. "(Will… he…)"

"(Yes?)"

"(He got out from the factory… through a secret passage… I remember Roland saying the factory was full of secret passages…)"

Espeon shook her head sadly. "(I'm afraid that is what did not happen, Mightyena.)"

"(Why?)"

"(One in fifty, remember? My powers aren't that great. What you saw has a forty-nine out of fifty chance of not happening. Just… accept it, Mightyena.)"

"(… I understand. Thanks, Espeon.)"

"(So, you're leaving?)" Espeon asked.

"(Yeah.)"

"(I… I'm gonna miss you.)"

Wolf was taken aback. "(What? We only met for a short while!)"

"(You'd be surprised at what can happen for a short while. Just… come visit us sometimes, OK?)"

"(...I will.)"

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Wolf was at the cliffs. He looked at the sky.

Is Will up there? Wolf thought.

Just before leaving the mansion, Wolf heard the police telling Ed and Linda Bronx about their investigation. Roland's body was identified, though badly burned with several limbs missing. Will's was nowhere to be found, but it was highly doubtful that he survived. Linda was sobbing throughout the conversation, with Ed looking pale besides her. Wolf slipped by unnoticed to the both of them. It was time for him to go.

He gazed down at his little tribute to Will. He had arranged several small stones to form the letters "W-E-E-L".

Heh, Wolf thought. Should have asked Will how to spell his name.

Wolf was never good at spelling.

Will has given so much to Wolf… and Wolf gave nothing in return… but what could Wolf do now? Will was dead. Dead, dead, dead. Wolf thought long and hard, and came up with an idea.

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The Rustboro Gym Leader looked out of her window. A strange sight fell upon her eyes. A lone Mightyena was walking into the gym. What could it possibly want?

The Mightyena walked up to her and sat down by her feet.

"Hello, Mightyena. What brings you here? Where's your trainer?" Roxanne bent down, staring intently at the grey and black Pokémon.

The Mightyena opened his mouth. "I... would like to battle."

What? A talking Mightyena? And it wants to battle? Roxanne has never received a challenge from a Pokémon without a trainer before… but this Mightyena has a strange determination in his eyes.

Well… if it's a battle he wants, then a battle he will get!

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Wolf went back to the cliffs with something in his mouth. He began to dig the earth next to the stones forming "W-E-E-L", his paws working speedily. Once he's satisfied with the deepness of the hole, he dropped the item in his mouth: the Rustboro Gym Badge. There. Will now has one badge, and so many more to go.

Wolf covered the hole and looked up into the sky.

Could he?

Could he gather all the gym badges for Will?

Yes. Yes, he could. And he would.

"Wolf!" a voice yelled from behind.

That voice… that voice…

Wolf turned around. Standing there, with a big grin on his face, was the human that he had known for a short time, and yet, for so long.

His body was never found, and now Wolf knew why.

It is because Wolf's dream had come true.

~ THE END ~