Chapter 52

The wind was blowing hard. The jacket of the person standing in front of her was whipping in the wind. Her eyes stung as the wind blew and she had to narrow her gaze to see anything. Still, the best she could make out was little more than a shadow. Even so, she recognized him just the same.

There was another person standing behind her. His presence comforted her as she faced the other one in front of her. The boy behind her was the smaller of the two and younger by two years. But he was the one that she knew as her trainer.

The two boys were arguing about Pokémon, like they always did. Battle strategies and which Pokémon was stronger than another, that sort of thing. Flurry's mother, a kind Eevee, had taught her that all Pokémon were equal and each had a special place in the world. The boy that was her trainer seemed to want to believe that as well, but the other boy often made him reconsider.

They were standing on a cliff somewhere along Mt. Coronet. The height added a chill to the air that Flurry welcomed and even basked in. She only wished it was snowing, like it did in the north around Snowpoint City, where she had evolved into a Glaceon. Her trainer had made sure to teach her Hail so that she could call it whenever she wanted. But she was a good Pokémon and she didn't call it when it wasn't needed. Often it hurt her friends, which was a terrible side-effect.

However, with the way that the argument was going, he would let her make it snow very soon.

"I mean, seriously, a Glaceon?" the tall boy was scoffing at her trainer. It was an old argument, so Flurry didn't pay much attention, "you use a Glaceon?! Come on, man, there's better Pokémon than that."

"Don't make fun of her," a gentle hand was scratching behind her ear, "she works well on my team. I tell you, people underestimate Eevees."

"Whatever," the boy laughed. Flurry only came up to his knee, "she's always the first to go down. Ice is just not a good type, man."

"Like you and your Torterra can talk," Flurry's trainer argued back.

"Yeah, so what?" The tall boy laughed harder, "dude, half of your team is weak against Stealth Rock! You call that building a good team?!"

"I've beaten you, haven't I?"

"Hey, the record stands at twenty-seven wins for me, twenty-five for you," the boy flashed his fingers as he re-counted.

"It's the other way around," Flurry's trainer answered, "twenty-seven for me, twenty-five for you."

"You don't believe me?"

"You're the one who keeps a tally, not me. Check your records; I swear I've won more matches than you have."

"Dude, I will beat you senseless, right here and now," the tall boy pulled out a Pokéball and grinned widely. He was always eager for a Pokémon battle. There was no malice or ill-intent behind these contests. The boys had been fighting for months. It was how they had met. It was how they had bonded. Fighting was their friendship.

"Thought you'd never ask," Flurry's trainer stopped scratching her ear and stood up, "Come on, Flurry! Let's show Edward here what he's missing out on. Again."

"Don't call me that stupid name!" the larger boy shouted with no real anger, "At least call me, Ed. Anything's better than Edward."

Had that been a memory or was it just a dream? All of Flurry's memories from before she was part human were getting hazy. They were another life away. A life that felt less real with every day that passed.

Flurry woke up in a hospital bed. Her body ached all over and at first she couldn't remember why she was there.

Groaning, she started to sit up. As she did so, she remembered that most of her clothing had been burnt off. All of the important bits were there, but for modesty's sake she kept her bed sheet wrapped around her.

But burnt off how? She remembered the flames, but what else was-

Then, everything came back to her in a rush. Whisper's horrible, mocking laughter, the pain as the flames soaked through her body and somebody screaming in a voice that couldn't be hers, but was.

Flurry shivered violently and clutched the sheet around her. She didn't understand it. She was an ice-type human Pokémon. She never shivered.

"You're awake!" Ian was right by her side, clutching a Styrofoam cup filled with a steaming liquid, "here! I brought cocoa!" He thrust it out for her, almost spilling the hot drink onto his hands.

Flurry noticed that his eyes were puffy and red.

"Thank you, Ian," she managed to say, though the memory of the flames was still close by. Politely, she sipped on the drink, though in truth she would have preferred something cold instead. Heat was the last thing she wanted to feel, right then.

"Ian…" as the boy sipped his own drink, she noticed the bandages wrapped around his hands, "what happened to your-?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Ian waved it off, "they gave me a shot, just in case, but I'll be fine."

Flurry didn't like the answer, but she also realized that the boy didn't want to worry her. He was trying to be grown-up for her. In his own way, Ian was trying to make her feel better. It was sweet.

Still, Revives and Potions didn't work on humans.

"How long have we been here?" Flurry asked him, glancing around the room. She recognized it as a treatment room in the Pokémon Center. Ian must have brought her here after the match.

"Just an hour," the boy answered, "I ran you straight here after Tempest beat up that Zoroark. So, don't worry about him. Sky got him good."

"An hour…" the information did not comfort Flurry. It had not been an easy recovery for her. Ordinarily, it only took one Revive to bring a human Pokémon back to consciousness, but Flurry had been out for much longer. Had the shock hurt her that much? It was strange…

"Oh, Sky's here too," Ian continued, "I think they just finished patching Tempest up."

"Okay," Flurry nodded. But she barely heard him. Her hands started shaking and she put the steaming cup on top of the table next to her.

What was wrong with her? She had been hit by Flamethrower before. She had suffered countless injuries during Pokémon battles, before she evolved into a woman and after. So why did this one hurt so much?

But she remembered Whisper's eyes. That devilish intent, that drive to kill. He hadn't just wanted to beat her. He wanted to take her, dominate her, torture her and kill her. She wasn't a woman to Whisper, she was a toy. And she had been helpless to stop him.

"Flurry…" Ian was petrified, "you're crying."

"Huh?" Flurry wiped at her eyes and was stunned when the back of her hand came away wet.

"Here," Ian offered her a tissue. She dabbed at her eyes, but it did little to help. Her body still shook with the fear. Dear Arceus, why wouldn't it stop?!

The door opened, without any warning, and Flurry jolted upright. But it was PureBlueSky who walked through, followed closely by Tempest.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Flurry. The answer was obvious, but he never knew what to say at times like these. He was terribly inept at comforting people.

"I'll live…" Flurry hung her head, "I guess…"

Sky sighed and walked over to stand beside his human Glaceon's bed. He tried to crouch down so he was eye-level with Flurry, but the position was too awkward. Instead, he knelt and wound up being a few inches shorter.

Flurry smirked down at him, "you're weird, you know." She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes with the tissue, again.

"Sorry," Sky apologized off-hand. Weird was how he was made, he was used to it by then. On the upside, his awkward behavior had cracked a smile on Flurry's face.

"And I'm sorry about the fight, too," Sky continued, "I shouldn't have left you in there."

"You couldn't have known," Flurry pointed out, "it happens, doesn't it?"

"He almost killed you," Sky unknowingly confirmed Flurry's worst fear, "after you passed out he…tried to use another Flamethrower. You…wouldn't have woken up."

"But you stopped him?"

"Barely…" Sky shook his head, "I'm sorry."

"Stop it," Flurry turned away, "just stop."

"Alright…" Sky sighed. He really was awful at this.

"But, thank you," Flurry added, "thank you for caring," she closed her eyes, afraid to say what came next, "I didn't think you did, anymore."

"What?" PureBlueSky stared up at her, then he reached out to take her wrist, "Flurry, you're my human Pokémon. I will always care about you."

"Is that all we are to you?" Flurry sniffed back fresh tears. But she knew why she was crying those.

Sky didn't answer. What could he possibly say to that?

"Get some rest," he said instead, "I'm heading back to the room." He stood up and left, leaving Ian and Tempest alone with Flurry.

"I'm sorry, Tempest," Flurry sniffed, "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," the Salamence-woman nodded, "I agreed with you. He just needs a little more time."

"I know," Flurry nodded, "I just don't want him to run away from us, too."

The pain Flurry felt in her hospital bed was only minor compared to the agony that Whisper felt when he woke up inside his Pokéball nearly five hours later. He didn't know how long it had been, but he knew enough to realize that no one had used a Revive on him. The pain told him that. No one had taken him to a Pokémon Center and no one was going to.

Whisper forced his way out of his Pokéball. It was an easy task, but his body screamed in protest. He would heal faster if he stayed hidden, but he couldn't wait. If Alex wasn't going to heal him, that meant he was up to something.

The hour was so late and the night so dark that the bright flash did not wake his trainer. Whisper stumbled and dropped to his knees. His wounds had closed, but they felt as if they wanted to rip open again. Tempest had ripped dozens of cuts and gashes into his chest and his clothes were soaked with blood. But he had to force himself to move.

Suddenly, his instincts warned him he was being watched. Lying on the floor to his right, Coraline, the Banette-girl, was waking up. Ghost-types were always light sleepers, if one could say that they slept at all.

Whisper's hand struck out like a cobra and seized Coraline. Pushing aside the pain, he grabbed her around her throat and held her at arm's length, her feet dangling off of the ground. Whisper was so weak that if he was forced to fight this girl, he would probably lose. But he knew that and she didn't. It gave him the only opportunity he had. He tightened his grip around her neck to get her attention before he pulled her close enough to whisper into her ear.

"Make a single sound," he warned, "or fight me in any way and I will kill you and everyone in this room. Understand?"

The terrified ghost-girl nodded violently, but Whisper did not release her until he was at the door. He reflected that he probably should've killed her, anyway, but he doubted that he possessed the strength.

He stumbled down the hall, clutching to the wall for support. There was nowhere to run that he wouldn't be found. Despite his threats, Alex would be after him once Coraline regained her wits. He needed to move, but his legs felt like they were made of lead.

A large gash in his side re-opened and fresh blood began to trickle out. Whisper bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out, but he could barely contain it. Red spots began to dot the carpet as he staggered away.

Damn that Salamence-bitch!

Finally, he reached the elevator. He fumbled at the controls before finding the button that would take him to the ground floor. He pressed it with a shaking finger and promptly collapsed onto the elevator floor.

When it finally arrived, the door shut again before Whisper could even stand. The simple process of standing up and opening the door was agony, but somehow he managed it. The door tried to slide shut on him twice more before he was finally through.

Avoiding the main lobby, Whisper ducked to a side door. He burst out into the warm night air, but he didn't get far after that. He collapsed once more into the bushes planted alongside the hotel. He breathed in ragged gasps, wondering if he would pass out again.

Rest was the only way to heal himself, but it meant captivity. And captivity meant that he would be at the mercy of Alex and PureBlueSky. He couldn't know what they were planning, but Whisper would not be caged.

"I honestly don't know whether to clap or call you a fool," a man emerged through the darkness a short distance to Whisper's left.

The Zoroark-man snapped to attention, but it was a mistake that sent pain lancing up his side. He clutched it and bit his tongue again.

"Your name's Whisper, right?" the man walked up to him. He eyed Whisper with a possessive look that made Whisper's blood boil. No one controlled him.

"And just who the hell are you?!" Whisper snarled at the stranger.

"I'm Help, actually," the man smirked.

"Don't toy with me!" Whisper would rip his face off and feed it to him if he could move.

"Fine, fine," the man shrugged, "testy, aren't we? My name's Cal."

"That supposed to mean something to me?"

"No," Cal shook his head, "I like it better when no one knows who I am."

"Get on with it," Whisper tried to stand and failed.

"Well, the thing is Whisper," Cal began, "I'm from an organization called Team Deus. We're a small little operation with big plans for you, this island, and, well, the entire world really," he paused, "I'm here with…let's call it a job offer."

"Job offer?" Whisper grumbled laughter, "You want me to be a dog for your Team Rocket wannabe group?"

"'Dog' is so demeaning," Cal shook his head, "how does Wolf sound? Any better?"

"Go to Hell," Whisper tried to stand again and once more his knees gave way. If he could stand, he'd roast this man alive. His screams wouldn't be as pleasant as the Glaceon-girl, but they could be satisfying in their own way.

"Come on, now, Whisper," Cal was not deterred in the slightest, he still hadn't used his biggest trump card, "how far do you think you can make it on your own, hmm? How long before they catch you and make a special cage to keep you locked up? A Pokémon needs a trainer, Whisper."

"And what makes you think I'll go with you?"

It was the question Cal was waiting for.

"Because," his grin widened, "if you come with me, I'll let you kill."

Now that was interesting. It was true, even if Whisper could stay hidden this one night, it would be days, maybe even weeks, before he was at full strength again. Until then, he was helpless. A Pidgey could put him in the hospital. He looked around, trying to think of a way out. His gaze shifted upward and he could see a lighted window high up in the hotel. Alex's room, he was certain of it.

"Time's up, Whisper," Cal grinned, "what's it gonna be?"

Whisper tried to stand once more. Though his legs were shuddering under his weight, this time he succeeded. He brought himself up to his full height, standing three inches taller than Cal.

"I just want one thing straight," Whisper warned.

"I'm listening," Cal cocked his head to the side.

"You are not my master," Whisper growled, "no one ever will be."

Cal grinned once more at this information, "a man after my own black heart. Excellent."

He made no effort to help Whisper as the human Zoroark limped after him and the two new partners vanished into the night of Himitsu Island.

AN: Whisper will be back, don't worry. I've put far too much effort into his character to have him vanish like Tristan and Abe (both of whom I'd like to bring back at some point).

So, hope you enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

P.S. Audino, man. Audino