1997
Four years later
Wes barely groaned as he opened his tired eyes.
"Get up, runt. It's time for morning rounds."
Wes sighed softly as he sat up from his bunker. He looked over to see his two Eevee watching him worriedly from one of the cell's corners.
He smiled slightly. "Good Morning, guys," he greeted cheerily.
His two pokémon eyed him worriedly.
"Eevee. Eevee Eevee."
"Vee Eevee."
"I'm fine guys, really," Wes said as he stood to his feet. As soon as his feet touched the ground his legs buckled and he dropped to one knee.
His Eevee hurriedly ran over towards him.
Wincing from the pain in his right ankle, Wes lightly squeezed his calf through the bandages to try to relax some of the tightened muscles before exhaling slowly and grinning at his pokémon.
"No need to worry, guys. I'm fine, see?" he warily stood to his feet and limped on his right foot.
His Eevee exchanged worried glances as they followed their trainer out of the cell and to the training grounds.
The sun was bearing down heavily on Eclo Canyon. The hot dark brown sand burned the soles of Wes' feet. The gel-padded inner gloves with hand wraps and fist bandages did little to protect Wes' hands from Agrev's hard, unyielding blows. With each punch and kick that Wes blocked, he felt shockwaves reverberating throughout his entire body. His limbs shook with weariness as Wes tried his best to hold his own, never managing to lay a blow to Agrev and only being able to muster the strength to defend.
As Agrev raised his gloved fist to strike him once more, Wes crossed his arms and took another defensive position. He was able to block the attack yet again but was sent back a considerable distance as he rolled and skidded backward on the ground. His Eevee cried out frantically from the sidelines.
"Pathetic," Agrev uttered.
Wes laboriously tried to pick himself up of the ground when a shadow loomed over him and he could sense the threatening presence of his superior. Lifting his head weakly, Wes saw Gonzap towering above him, smoking a cigar as his ferocious eyes stared him down.
He took the cigar out of his mouth and blew a heavy cloud of smoke into the air. "That's it? You're done? It's barely dawn, and you're already out of commission."
"Gon…zap…Sir –"
"Don't you whine to me, boy. I'm about tired of these lackluster results. You shame your pokémon not being able to hold your own in a fight. How do you expect to bring out the best in your pokémon if you can't even protect yourself? How are they supposed to rely on you to give them the right orders and guide them if you don't even know how to fight for yourself? You can't win a battle by always defending and even that you are barely able to do."
Wes breathed heavily as he tried to force himself up on all fours, his arms and legs shaking and burning from the blows he'd taken. It was a struggle just for him to hold himself up.
"Battling isn't just about being able to give orders to your pokémon. Suppose you come against a foe who will not stop just at a pokémon battle? Suppose they want to fight you instead? It isn't just about strategy. You've got to hone your body and work just as hard if not more than your pokémon since you don't have any special powers or abilities. If you don't fight for your pokémon, no one else will. Get up and fight, Wes. Show your pokémon you've got what it takes to protect them. Show me I didn't waste my time taking you in all these years and that you can contribute to our cause as I believe. Stand to your feet, boy! Get up!"
Wes felt like his heart as going to shoot right out of his chest. His breathing was heavy as he tried to do as his boss asked. He tiredly pulled himself to his knees, and after taking a moment to stabilize himself through his throbbing headache, he pushed himself up off the ground and wobbled to his feet. His cried out as a sharp pain shot through his right ankle which was terribly bruised from the previous days sparring, but he forced himself to stand up through the pain.
"Go." Gonzap ordered.
Wes barely had time to react as Agrev ran towards him and tried to kick him on the side of his head. Wes tried to grab Agrev's foot to stop the blow but wasn't fast enough and he was sent flying back, crashing into the side of one of the canyon's walls.
"Ee Vee Vee!"
"Vee Ee!" his pokémon cried as they ran towards him.
Gonzap put his cigar in his mouth and took a long draw before holding it in his mouth and blowing out another large cloud of smoke.
"Agrev."
"Yes, sir?"
"Go ahead to the mess hall and get something to eat."
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
Gonzap walked closer to Wes. The young trainer barely opened his eyes when he saw the shadowy blur of Team Snagem's leader hovering above him. His Eevee parted to the side of him, one cowering and the other growling slightly.
"It would appear you are not broken enough. Let's see what we can do about that."
Wes languidly entered Team Snagem's mess hall, his gait slow, his legs buckling and trembling as they forced each foot forward, each tentative step shocking his aching feet, causing him to falter; his body heaving over and nearly dropping to the ground, his legs barely able to support his small body weight in their exhausted state. His back arched, unable to fully bring himself up to a more proper posture, his arms and head dropped as he crept to a table. He tried desperately to control his movements to afford him the least amount of pain and even as he endeavored to gently lower himself down to his seat, his legs screamed for mercy and wavered, plopping him down on the metal seat, sending a horrendous shockwave from his backside up his spine to his neck. Wes quivered in pain.
"Looks like the runt finally made it," Biden snickered.
"Was I too tough on you, half-pint? It's not easy hanging with the big boys, huh?"
"Leave the pipsqueak alone, Agrev." Responded Wakin, "He's already taken a lot of damage. No need to try to kill his spirit too."
Wes' Eevee appeared beside him, one carrying a tray on his back and the younger one a can of soda in her mouth. They hopped on the table and placed them in front of their trainer. Wes merely eyed the white rice topped with Nattō on his Styrofoam plate.
"Why you feel the need to defend him all of a sudden? Feeling some sympathy for the baby here?"
"It's not a matter of being sympathetic. This kid is essential to the Boss' plans. We don't want to do anything to hinder his progress."
Agrev crossed his arms. "Humph. If you ask me he's doing that himself. You not even taking your training seriously, are you punk?"
Wes lifted his right arm slowly. His right hand hovered over his chopsticks. "I am taking it all seriously, Agrev. This isn't a game to me obviously."
Agrev chuckled. "Coulda fooled me. The way you were stumbling around out there. Maybe if you got rid of this pink, frilly cloth you carry around all the time –" he began as he reached for the pink scarf wrapped around Wes' neck.
Wes' eyes quickly flared. He somehow summoned the strength to pick up his chopsticks and quickly smacked Agrev's hand with them.
"The hell!?"
"Don't touch it! Don't you dare touch it!"
Agrev lowered his arms. "What did you say?"
"You heard what I said. I work twenty times harder than any of you! I follow the rules, I do what I'm told, I've stayed in line. I don't ask for nothin' in return and I don't expect nothin' because I have my own reasons for being here. And Gonzap sees it too. Just because you are bigger than me, doesn't mean you are better than me. Of course you can overpower me. You're a full-grown man wailing on a ten-year-old. Do you like that? Getting all your frustrations out on a child?"
Agrev quickly stood up. "I definitely will enjoy fixing you a new face if you don't shut your trap, runt!"
"That doesn't bother me. You all despise me anyway. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how any of you treat me. The only ones I care about are my mama and my Eevee. I don't need your respect or kindness. Because I have something you don't. The love and adoration of my pokémon. Can you say the same thing?"
A loud holler erupted from Agrev's mouth as he launched his fist forward at Wes. He didn't have the strength to even try to dodge the attack, but he didn't have to. Before Agev's fist could make contact with his face, his Eevee had wedged themselves between them, using their Tackle to block the attack on their human.
Wakin stood up. "That is enough, Agrev."
Agrev pulled his fist back. "You coward. Hiding behind your pokémon because you're too weak to fight your own battle."
"Nobody's hiding. I think it's more cowardice to not utilize the support of your teammates. Because you don't know that they will be there for you, right? You feel you always have to use your fists to get your point across. Not having the strength to rely on others. That's weakness."
"You little shit!"
"Agrev, I said that is enough!" Wakin ordered. "Sit down and eat your food."
"You ain't the boss of me!"
"As second-in-command, I most certainly am. This pipsqueak isn't worth getting so worked up over. Only Gonzap can discipline him. Only Gonzap will discipline him. Sit your ass down."
"Don't worry," Wes muttered. He laboriously stood to his feet, dropping his chopsticks on the table, "I don't have much of an appetite anyway. You all can stay. I'll go."
He slowly started to limp out of the dining hall.
"You're getting it majorly hard next round, runt!" Agrev threatened. "You're damn lucky Wakin saved your ass!"
Wes tried to best to remain calm as he exited the dining hall, but the tears still broke through his façade as they streamed down his face. His heart racing and body trembling, the fear and intimidation from his older Snagem members finally revealed themselves as he hobbled out of the room with his Eevee closely behind him.
Wes quietly closed the gated door to his cell and limped agonizingly to his bathroom. He filled a small bucket with warm water from the sink and hobbled back over to his narrow bed and sat down gently on his cot. Slowly he undid the bandages that were on his wrists, legs, feet, and ankles. Several contusions and abrasions could be seen all over where the bandages were covering but his right ankle was the most swollen of them.
Gingerly, Wes reached inside the bucket and pulled out a foam bath sponge that was resting at the bottom bucket. The water was sudsy from the bar of soap that had been resting inside as well. Wes gritted his teeth as he ran the high-density sponge over the sore and heavily bruised parts of his limbs. Even when barely touching his skin, the heat and pain from his injuries radiated throughout his body, filling the pit of his stomach with an intense nausea. After he finished rubbing his sore spots, Wes reached underneath his cot and pulled out a box of gauze bandages. He delicately applied them to his arms, hands, legs and feet, and was especially careful with his badly injured right ankle. When he was done, he tucked the box back underneath his cot while his Eevee took the bucket back to the sink. When they returned, Wes had already prepared two small bowls of pokémon food for them and was seated back down on his bed.
His Eevee looked at the food, then looked back up worriedly at him.
"Vee Eevee?" The older one remarked.
Wes followed his gaze to see his Eevee were staring at his trembling hands.
"You noticed that, huh?" Wes replied as he held his hands in his lap and tried to still them.
Even though he was in the safety of his room, he could still feel the fear and anxiety within him from his confrontation with Agrev. It wasn't like Wes to mouth off at his Snagem members. They certainly had no qualms beating him if they felt like it. And Wes usually did all he could to avoid fights. He just got so angry when Agrev reached for his mother's scarf. He reacted before he even had time to think.
Wes gently touched the scarf that was around his neck and gingerly pulled it off. He lightly caressed the fabric. The scarf was the last thing he had of his mother. It was dear and precious to him. The other grunts knew that. But they so enjoyed teasing him about it. As if having a pink scarf subverted their masculinity or something. But it didn't matter how much grief Wes got over it, he was never gonna get rid of his mother's scarf. Until he saw her again, he was going to hold onto it and cherish it so long it was still together. As long as he had this scarf, he could carry a piece of his mother with him wherever he went, and she was still linked with him.
Wes sighed softly
"I'm sorry guys," Wes apologized to his Eevee. "I'm sorry I got us in this mess. But don't you worry. I promise I will get us all out of here."
"Eevee?"
"VeeVee."
"We just need to get what we need from Gonzap and then we can go. Or at least give him the results he wants. He is making us stronger. It's grueling, to tell you the truth. Most days I just wanna quit. But Gonzap's made it so that isn't an option…Oh well, I guess….Sometimes you just gotta wait for the storm to pass before you can move on and pick up the pieces of your life. Guess that's what we'll have to do."
He looked at his worn bandaged hands.
"To tell you the truth, guys, I don't really remember much of my life before Team Snagem. I remember my mom and how she tried so desperately to hide our struggles from me. And I remember bits and pieces of the town. But it's been so long, I'm sure I'd hardly recognize it…Mama…She was the one who wanted me to become a Trainer. Because of her I got to meet you both. I owe it to her to get you out of here and see her. Nevermind the state I'm in, it'll all turn around for the better…In time, you'll see…I hope…We just gotta dig our feet in the dirt, hold firm, and hope we can press on forward. Right?"
Wes' Eevee jumped on the cot on either side of him. He petted them both gently on the head as they nestled themselves beside him.
"One day at a time. That's all it is. Once we've helped Gonzap get what he wants, he'll be sure to let us go. Then we'll be done with all this training and finally find our way back to Mama."
A/N: I know this chapter is super short. Things are pretty elevated and stressing for me right now, and I really wanted to update this story. I will try to have the next chapter be more sustaining. Until then, I hope this can suffice for the interim. Love you all so much and appreciate your support!
Please don't forget to review,
XyKPfan
