---Espeon Day 11

What am I meant to say? How I'm feeling? My body, my mind was becoming weaker. The strength that I had once held, I had used, was withering away. I was lost. I hadn't realised before, but I was depending on Aiden and Flint more and more, to guide me. Without Aiden, I don't think I would've got to Mossdeep on time, but I had. We were there, the island was no longer just a shape in the distance.

This morning was one of the hardest to wake up to. I found myself clutching the covers tighter than when I was awake, and I was covered in a cold sweat. Aiden was asleep on his bed, snoring loudly. I didn't want to move, in case she was here, in case she had decided to wait.

For what?

She had run last night, she would hardly return just so that I was able to fight back. Focusing on the desk beside me, I saw the familiar red glint of a poke ball. I reached out slowly and pulled back the ball so that I held it close to my chest. I would not let go of it today, if she came anywhere near, I could set Flint out on her.

'Willow?'

I hadn't noticed the snoring stop. Aiden yawned, his question heavy with sleep. I was angry at him for leaving me alone, but I was happier he was awake, I felt more comforted. He looked at the poke ball I held then back at me.

'Willow, I-'

'The boat is arriving in Mossdeep within the hour. Please be ready to get off as soon as we arrive.'

The speaker boomed loudly in our room, I shook at the sound, nearly releasing Flint into the cabin. I calmed myself down quickly, but Aiden was already next to me, he seemed too ready for my sudden breakdowns now.

'I'm fine. Just, well, I'll get over it.'

Snap out of it! You're fine. Nothing happened. What has happened to you? Since when you have become the vulnerable victim? I was yelling at myself, the words so filled with venom I could feel each stab the words made to me.

Aiden watched me for a moment, but seemed distracted by something else. I smiled, trying to convince him I was fine, and he seemed to buy it. He stretched, his frame huge compared to my own. I sat up, carefully feeling the poke ball that fit easily into the palm of my hand. It could shrink, from the size of a golf ball to the size of a big tennis ball, did Flint ever feel that? The growth of his space?

Before I could think things through further, a knock banged on our door. I leapt to my feet, the ball ready. Aiden stopped me before I could order a flamethrower to burn the door, and whoever was behind it, to a crisp. He offered a hand to take the ball, but I held it tight to me. I wasn't letting it go; I'd just have to learn to be a little less... jumpy.

'You up yet? We don't have long now!'

A familiar voice boomed through the door, Lyle. Aiden opened the door and immediately the room was filled with the smells of delicious foods.

'You can read my mind.'

Aiden happily received most of the dishes off of Lyle, but I was a little more wary. I know he was the one who saved me last night, but that doesn't mean I can just take food off of strangers. And that was what I considered him as I didn't know anything about him.

'You any better Willow?'

I smiled weakly, but noticing Belle at his feet, I backed away to the comfort of my bed. I didn't want her to see me, she may still notice my unhuman like qualities, and I still felt a weird connection to her, damn Eeveelution link!

'Umm, I'm better. I suppose I could do with some food though.'

I joked lightly, and gratefully received a plate of breakfast. It was only a fraction of the amount Aiden was eating but it filled me up full. Flint's ball remained on the mattress next to me, but I kept glancing down at it every few seconds, in case she was there. Under the bed. Ready to take any weapons I had.

I didn't want to say her name, she was just she. Belle seemed to notice my tension, watching me with curiosity. I tried to cover my face but her stare... it was so strong I could feel it.

'Oh sorry, is she bugging you? Belle, come here.'

Lyle only seemed to notice when I, near enough, had my face in my food. The glaceon watched me a few more seconds before responding to the call, and by that time Aiden seemed to finally get the message that there was something wrong.

'Oh looks like we better go. Well, Lyle, nice to see you again. I wish you the best of luck.'

'Same to you, but where are you headed on such a small island?'

'Oh some people we know here, a surprise visit, I don't think she'll be up for it today though.'

She? She has a name. In fact, she is in this exact room. Why are they talking about me when I am right here? I can decide whether I can see them or not today. Well, truthfully, I didn't want to see those people at all, ever, and the fact that he called them some people 'we knew' put me off further. He did know them, through Hannah, but I didn't. To them, I was soon to known as the murderer of their daughter. Their little girl.

'Well, I'm not doing much today, I was just coming here to train and check out the Space Station, do you mind if I go around with you guys for the day?'

Aiden looked to me. I didn't mind Lyle, he was quite a nice guy, and I owed him a favour after he had saved me from her. But Belle. I didn't know what to think of her. Would it be so bad if she knew what I was? She seemed intelligent enough to find out but would she tell Lyle? Would she find a way without speaking?

'Yeah, of course. I mean like Aiden said, I'm pretty, well... shaken up and tired, but I suppose that just means we're going to have a relaxing day.'

I saw Aiden smile in the corner of my eye; did he know me too well? Would he know I wouldn't have the guts to face Hannah's family today? That I would be able to face another Pokémon? I knew barely anything about him, but maybe that was just me. Maybe I was too blindsided with my own issues at the moment to be able to notice anyone else's.

***

The boat was not as full as I had thought, there were barely more than the number I had seen last night in the dance hall. Surely there must have been a few on the battle deck? Otherwise Aiden would have just been out there alone.

We got off the boat quickly, soon realising that the boat had simply dropped us off on the beach off Mossdeep. They had no port here? It wasn't a long walk to the town but I was tired of walking around. This was meant to be my final destination; surely my biggest challenge would have been the emotional anguish I'd face soon.

'So, what do we want to do?'

Aiden walked, his arms rested on the back of his head. I was walking at a snails pace and I could see that both Lyle and Aiden were eager to move faster. I hadn't released Flint yet, too scared that she could attack me in the brief seconds it took for Flint to stable himself. I was getting paranoid.

'Well, I know we're not to be getting anywhere at this rate.'

Lyle raised his eyebrows at me, his mouth turned up in a smile. Strange, although he was a few years older than me, he was shorter. His height only about 5 ft 5 but his face gave him away, made him seem a lot more mature than me. I glared at him, deliberately beginning to slow my pace further. Aiden intervened quickly before I exploded and pounded the midget.

'Okay, calm down, Willow, why don't you just get a lift off Flint? He won't notice your weight and he needs some fresh air.'

I glared at him too, for taking Lyle's side, but called out Flint, the camel taking a moment to take in the scenario. Patting his deep red fur, I sighed and settled myself in between his volcano like humps. Strangely, despite his bulky physique, he was fast.

Lyle and Aiden, and even Belle, were eager to race, glad now they didn't have me slowing them down. This encouraged the camel and soon Flint was galloping over the shore, zooming ahead of the others. The sand rapidly turned to ground and that meant the town was near. Flint stopped; amused at himself for beating the two boys but Belle had managed to keep pace with us. She unnerved me; she was silent, hard to read, compared to Flint. What was she thinking?

'Okay, you beat us, but I came a close second!'

Lyle was panting, patting the side of Flint as he caught his breath.

'Actually you come, first, second, third... Fourth.'

I counted us, so smug that my eyebrows raised higher that his. He glared at me, our positions reversed, but Aiden caught our attention, walking slowly towards us.

'Yep, I come last in this race. But I just see it as an endurance run; we still have the whole day to go yet.'

He patted Lyle's back, who was now bent over, his face white with the prospect of walking for the rest of the day.

***

It wasn't until we reached a small patch of woodland, new to the town, that our troubles began. We had gone at a steady pace, I still relaxed on Flint, the boys chatting away about Pokémon, a subject they had in common. Belle was a little ahead of us; her interest had waned on me for now, so she was happy to lead the way. But she suddenly stopped, her ears pointed forward, her whole body frozen, concentrated on something.

'Search it out Belle, bring it into view.'

Lyle had managed to steal forward, next to Belle, without me noticing. They had obviously done this before, but I was too curious, too absorbed in what they were doing, to make a link. Before I could, Belle leapt into the undergrowth, the body sleek and silent. There were few sounds of rustling, but the one that finally made me see the connection was the surprised and pained cry of a Pokémon.

A Zangoose burst from the thicket, in the middle of punching its claws at Belle. She managed to avoid most of the attack, catching it briefly on the side, but fought back with an ice beam.

'Good, freeze it first, wear it down Belle, then we'll get it!'

I turned to Lyle in horror; I had never thought that this would happen. But Lyle was so calm, so used to this? His stance steady, his eyes now held a steely tone. Was this the joking person I had talked to before?

Belle was quick, avoiding the hits that the Zangoose threw at her, using so many attacks to hit him back. I felt pity for the creature. He was being beaten badly and my old instinct was firing me on to save him. But I couldn't. Even Flint wanted to be part of the action but I managed to control him.

Aiden put an arm on my shoulder. To comfort me? Or to hold me back? I turned my head to look at him but his expression was hidden, a mask I couldn't see through. I guess it was to hold me back, to stop me from raising any more suspicion on us.

I turned back to the fight and saw the Zangoose panting on the ground, the glaceon waiting for it to move, so she could attack again. Lyle pulled a great ball out of his pocket and tossed it at the zangoose. That movement was too casual, too natural a movement. It shook so many times, and each time I prayed for it to escape, but it was too weak and it didn't look like Belle was tiring.

'Well done, Lyle, that'll be a good fighter when it's trained.'

Lyle smiled back at him, admiring the ball he now held in his hand. How could Aiden act so natural? Was that not eating away at him too? I was furious at both of them but I stifled it with a smile.

This would be over soon.

---

Yay for lack of homework. This is more of a filler chapter, I am desperately trying to come up with these before the big events happen and it all ends. Hope you enjoy it and keep reviewing.

Thank You

MoonLynx