Chapter 11: An Unforgivable Sin

"None of this was your fault, you know that right?" Staraptor stated almost bluntly.

I shook my head, "I know... Sometimes I just don't know who to blame anyone besides myself. It seems like the whole world is out to get me now. And now..." I punched the mountain beneath me, "I'm losing everything and everyone I love because of it. Sometimes I feel like I don't know who to trust anymore, Star! Team Plasma wants me dead, Team Alpha wants me alive for something and so does Mewtwo. I'm to the point sometimes that I wonder if all of this is worth it? I mean our friends our dying and its because they're protecting me, Staraptor. I... I... I don't want to lose you and the rest of the team. I already lost Blaziken and Lewis... And Sir Greninja. Maybe if I was dead this would all be over-"

Before I knew it Staraptor wrapped her talons around my throat and hovered over the cliffside. In a complete sudden turn of events, I would admit I was quite scared.

"You want to die? For all of it to be over? Is that what you want?! Because I can make it happen right now, Damian. Besides, it'll only be easier this way right? When you die Team Plasma is going to try and track down the many Pokemon that performed an assault on their base are they? Team Alpha isn't going to use your dead body to find Mewtwo are they? No of course not, because you're dead and they won't do anything to the deceased."

I stared into her now teary eyes before she threw me back onto the mountain, "You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. If Greninja were here he would smack you senseless, right? The fact is this, no one is making us protect you. We are Pokemon. We are our own living beings and we make decisions for ourselves. If Greninja wanted to die protecting you then that was his choice, if Lewis died helping you then he should be honored and not felt woe for. If..." she paused before replying, "If Blaziken didn't sacrifice himself we all would have been captured. And... I honor him for his choice. Did he deserve to die? Did any of them? No, but they died with honor and that's what matters. So here's what you're going to do from hereon. You're going to get your priorities straight, and avenge the loss of our friends. While myself and the others have your back the entire way. Understood?"

I stared at her with passion as she spoke, completely mesmerized by her performance. Standing up and wiping my eyes of any tears I may have shed I replied, "Yes... Madame Staraptor."

She couldn't help but grin, as could I.

"Now come on, I was supposed to get you for some of our own training."

I twisted my mouth from confusion, "Training?"

Staraptor flipped the crescent on her head, "Yeah. We were kind of interested to see if you could beat an actual Pokemon in a battle."

I couldn't help but almost laugh haughtily, "You guys against me? I dunno, seems a little unfair. Me against 5, you guys have some bad odds."

Staraptor rolled her eyes jokingly, "Please, we're nothing like Team Plasma's Pokemon. After all we learned from the best. Race ya back to camp?"

"Hey, you guys aren't gonna race without me are ya?" the familiar voice of Buniot interrupted.

I turned left to see him standing there with a two mile grin.

"Just try to keep up," and without another word I sprinted to the edge of the mountain and allowed myself to scale down it with ease, occasionally jumping from ledge to ledge.

And as far as I could tell at that point I was already in first place. As I hit the dirt with a soft thud, I bolted full speed back to camp. Only to then notice Staraptor dashing past me. I swore under my breath and continued moving. I'd gotten a lot faster with my training, maybe even faster than Buniot at this point. I moved swiftly through the trees and shrubbery, only just behind Staraptor as we continued through the forest.

But before I could even react I went face first into a large metal object. I winced and groaned as I rolled on the ground, pressing my paws hard into my now throbbing nose. I could hear Buniot behind me asking, "Hey, Damian? You okay?"

With a feint opening of my eyes I could see not a steel object, but a steel-type Pokemon staring me down. An Aggron leered at me in mild annoyance.

"Hey, watch where you're running kid," the Aggron snarled.

I put my paws to my side and lifted myself up to leer at him.

"Damian... Don't..." Buniot stated.

"I... I'm sorry. Me and my friends were racing and I wasn't watching where I was running," I muttered.

The Aggron smiled in understanding, "It's fine. Just be more careful. I think your mother went up that way."

I curled my mouth, "My... Mother?"

"Yeah. Better go catch up to her boys. Sorry for snapping at ya."

"Nah, don't worry about it," and with a nod the Aggron was gone.

Buniot just stared at me and asked, "You... Didn't fight him?"

I shrugged, "Nah... I would have brought him down in two hits. Not really worth my time."

Buniot made face, "You seem pretty confident about that."

I grinned, "Maybe three. Aggron's are big and slow. He wouldn't get to many attacks on me, not like you or..." I sighed.

It bothered me, even though I made it look like I was over him I really wasn't. His name is always going to be there, but I can't let him go in vein. I have to avenge him, and show him I can do well with what he's taught me.

I shook my head and Buniot and I decided to walk the rest of the way.

"Buniot...? About Sir Greninja... Doesn't it bother you?" I asked sincerely.

He sighed, "Greninja was my best friend besides you. I... I've lost so much in my life though that a lot of it doesn't matter anymore. Not saying he doesn't matter but it doesn't affect me that much. But then I wonder if it's the fact he could be alive even though I saw what happened. I... I cried when I saw it happen... I felt something I never felt before. I felt an urge to kill someone that day. I'm just trying to forget about it, but seeing one your best friends die isn't something you just push in the back of your head I mean..."

"Buniot... I feel you there. I... I... I almost killed that Sceptile guy. I could have done it. But I didn't because the guy who ordered all of this shit to happen told me not to. And the worst part is... I regret it. I regret not bringing that guy down because now I feel like he's going to target us now because I didn't take his life."

"Damian... I honestly don't know if I could be your friend if you would have killed him. No one deserves to die, not even him. He had orders and he was following them."

"But Mewtwo didn't order them to kill Sir Greninja! That was on their own doing! And... The way he mocked him. Mocking the dead... All I know is if I see him or his team I can't guarantee they'll be walking for the rest of their lives," I retorted.

"Then I guess that makes you no better than them does it? Damian, maybe you're not realizing something here. You're a good person, and you're letting anger and frustration take over who you really are. You've changed a lot since I met you. Not into something better... But something I'm scared of. Just stop worrying about revenge and focus on what's really important here. Our survival. You went a whole week without talking to anyone thinking Arceus knows what! If Greninja were here, ya know what he'd say?"

I turned away at the question.

"He'd say you're a fool. For trying to fight with your emotions and not your brain. After all that's what all those stupid training exercises were about. It wasn't even to teach you how to fight, it was to teach you how to fight without being so damn angry all the time. And all you did was get mad at him for making you do these things. I mean you came along but... It doesn't even matter. He's gone, Damian. And if you think going and searching these Pokemon out just so you can kill them is in going to change that then you're wrong. Greninja wouldn't want to be avenged, he'd want you to continue what he was teaching you. He told me some time when you were gone that he saw a lot in you like he did me. He never wanted to tell you because he knew if anything happened to him he wouldn't want that to crush you even more than it already would."

"He said we were the kids he never had. So tell me, Damian... Are you gonna look for revenge or are you gonna forgive and forget?"

Through slightly heaving breaths, I fired an aura sphere with one paw at a nearby tree, "I... I'll fight for what's right, Buniot. I just... I can't guarantee what will happen if I see that Sceptile or his friends."

"If that ever happens I'll step in and knock you out," Buniot chuckled.

I paused for a good long time. Knowing what to say, but unsure of how to say it. But it was something I'm sure he was already aware of by now. I sighed before saying what was on my mind.

"Buniot...? You're a great friend. Thanks for being there all the time, man. You always had my back when even Sir Greninja couldn't. I guess I owe ya my life sometimes."

He rested his paw on my shoulder, "You don't owe me nothing. You're a good friend too, dude. You can be an ass hat sometimes but I get over it. Just don't let Greninja being gone take over who you really are. Ya know, before I met you I always had a thing for not liking humans but being friends with you has kind of changed my whole concept on that. I honestly wouldn't mind being with a trainer someday and helping that human become the best trainer out there."

I smiled at his usual optimism. Buniot was right. And so was Staraptor and everyone else. I need to stop letting these things control my life. I need to stop being the boat getting tossed in the waves.