15
The next night came. And the next, and the one following that, and Markus refuses to talk every night. It has become so irritating that I have stopped having him come out of the pokéball. A pokémon can live for months on end just stuck in its pokéball, as so little energy is used, and so much is conserved, but I do it so he can't communicate with Abby anymore. She doesn't seem to care, but I believe they are in a relationship, and doing this to Markus probably hurts both of them. I don't tell Serena or Sakura about this, but I'm pretty sure they notice something so obvious.
The next few days, besides the lack of Markus, go normally. Abby is fine, and my eevee is as cute as ever, and still powerful. She takes down most trainers all by herself, with a few quick attacks, take downs, and a Technical Machine I found in my bag mysteriously for Shadow Ball. Thank you Draxik.
The next day, Serena comments that we are just a day away from Saffron, and that we'll be there the next day probably. This turns my mood up a bit, and I decide to forgive Markus. Hell, maybe he doesn't know much and is sorry he can't help me. I also decide that this is a good time to find out what my eevee's name is.
We make camp, and I decide to do this with everyone present. I release all my pokémon, and Sakura does as well. Sakura releases a Seviper, Roserade, Pidgeot, and a companion I have yet to see, a Vaporeon come out too. Great, more eevee evolutions. I think. We all just talk around a fire, having a fine time amazingly. We completely forget what we set out to do, until I ask about my eevee.
I turn to Markus and say, "Hey, could you do me a favor and ask my eevee what her name is? I don't like calling her eevee all the time, it sounds demeaning…"
He nods and says to her, Hey there. Your trainer is wondering your name… but I'm sure you heard him right? He stops, then nods and says, Heh, yeah, don't I know it.
"What are you saying?" I ask, irritation tossed into my voice on purpose.
Just a sec Raizu. Okay "eevee," what is your name then?
She barks her name and a few syllables, and Markus goes wide eyed. Do you know your mother's name?
She nods and says her name a few more times. Markus gets up off his log so fast that it goes rolling backwards. Serena and Vaporeon happened to be on the same log, and both fell over on their back. He just turns around, and starts crying and jumps away into the trees. I just get up and run after him. I don't let anyone else follow me, as I followed the main path after him.
I keep on running down the patch, watching him jump through the trees at an amazing speed, it can only be compared to a ninja or samurai. I eventually lose sight of him, but keep on running anyway and decide to turn into the trees. I just dash around, looking for a clearing that Markus might be in. After 30 minutes of looking, I almost give up hope that I am lost from the others and Markus. I can't find the path, and I said for my friends to wait behind. I don't want to be left out here.
I continue another half hour. THIS IS HOPELESS. I think. I'm lost in the middle of nowhere, a day or so from saffron and too far from Lavender. I decide to sit myself on a log and sit for a while, and realize how tired I am. Sprinting at night wasn't too good an idea. I almost fall over asleep when I hear a bark from behind me. "GOWLITHE!" It said, and I turn around to see one of such pokémon. I back up a little, and dodge just after a flamethrower is fired at me. I keep running through the forest in some direction, god knows that it is toward the main path.
I just keep running, until I come to face a cliff. I picked the perfect way to go… I think, thinking this is the worst possible place to be left for dead. I turn around and see the growlithe shoot a fire spin. I just place my arms across my chest and brace myself, as the fire hits me. I look up and see only the bright orange and swirling yellow of fire as it towers above me, and feel a heat tingling my skin. Actually, its killing my skin. I want to scream, but I doubt there is much oxygen in this little tower, so I just huddle down and hope that it ends. The fire keeps going, for a minute, then what seems like a year, and I'm about to pass out when the fire stops. I don't look, but just feel some water splash on me calmly. I look up and see Markus holding the limb body of the growlithe. Its eyes are wide open and is soaking wet. He tosses it into the woods and starts apologizing.
I'm, I'm sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen. I just needed to leave really quickly. I needed alone time.
"Is an hour enough for you?" I say, hardly able to get up. I try to stand, slowly rising to my feet, but burns on my skin unleash their fury onto me and I fall over, almost screaming. He catches me and smiles at me. I try to smile back, but just keep a plain face. He walks (with me hanging on arm on his back to stay up) with me to a clearing, and sets me on the ground. I turn my head slowly and ask "What happened? My eevee… what did she say?"
Her name.
"That makes you feel like running away how?
Her name… was Veera. When I was with Team Rocket, before I was your father's pokémon, they had some experiments. Mostly to test some theories their scientists had. And it involved breeding. Because Team Rocket was also studying how eevees evolved and their unstable genetics, they decided to have me mate with some, as I was a Lucario noticeably stronger than others who were as experienced as me. The female eevees were all given drugs to perpetuate their heat cycles… and you can imagine what happened. But, even though most of it was forced, there was one Epson that I liked, and fell for. Her name was Alexis. But, I eventually became regretful for what I was doing. I wasn't the only pokémon obviously, but I still hated it. I voiced my thoughts to a man who worked closely with your father, and he said he could escape with me. We did such, and I never even said good bye to Alexis. I only named one of our children, one who showed more hostility and power compared to the rest. Veera.
After leaving, I suppose your father sent an assassin after us, who must have been hired by the corrupt viridian to go after you as well, and met both of us. You know the rest from there… I'm guessing that, because my relationship with Alexis wasn't secret in the least, that your father gave Veera to Oak, for you.
I decide that it's a good thing I'm lying down, or I may have fallen over. What other horrible acts have you done father?… I think. I try to get up, and ask Markus if he knows where we are.
I don't know how we can get back, but I know the direction directly opposite of the mountain eventually leads to the main road. Tomorrow morning, we'll go.
I nod and decide to let sleep come over me, the burns only lingering pains by now.