"Sapphire, look at this!"
Several lengthy days of extensive traveling had brought the company back to a place that Rustfur and Sapphire knew all too well. An imposing ring of stones loomed in front of the Pokemon.
"This is where you first fought Dusk, isn't it, Sapphire?" Leafpool asked, standing alongside the two young Pokemon.
"Yes, it was..." she answered slowly, as if in a trance.
"I'll bet you could really give it to him in a fight now, huh?" Rustfur nudged the distant blue-eyed Leafeon.
"Huh? What?" Sapphire blinked and shook her head. "What did you say, Rustfur?"
"Are you feeling all right, Sapphire?" Rustfur asked, looking at her oddly.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just remembering the way things were when I was first brought here. Things were very different back then." she finished, winking at Rustfur.
"Yes, they were." the Espeon agreed.
"Let's keep moving." Needlefur called. "We still have a good couple hours to go before we reach the Daycare."
"She's right, Sapphire. We'll be safer there."
The Leafeon turned away from the stone ring. "Yes, you're right, Rusty. Let's go."
Another two hours brought them to the familiar fence surrounding the Daycare. Rustfur smiled as he recalled how his parents had had to carry him over.
One by one, the Pokemon jumped over the fence and down into the Daycare. Sapphire was second to last, and made the leap to the top of the fence effortlessly. She paused when she reached the top; her nicked ear twitched once.
Rustfur was about to ask what was wrong, when she hurriedly started to leap down. She had only just started, though, when a heavily weighted net came hissing out of the undergrowth and wrapped around her, swiftly and roughly carrying her off the fence.
Rustfur had already cleared the fence, and watched, horrified, as Sapphire tumbled, none too gently, to the ground. Before she could even begin to struggle, a harsh shock flew through the net, causing her to cry out in pain.
The Espeon was frozen with fear. Under the net, wincing with pain, he didn't see Sapphire, but his own mother. He was completely oblivious to everything around him, until Sapphire mentally called to him.
Rustfur! Don't just stand there! Help!
Rustfur blinked and saw the source of the net climbing over the fence. Six Team Galactic members, one carrying a large cylindrical device, climbed over the fence. The one carrying the device pulled their hood back. "Gotcha."
"Cyrus!" Needlefur hissed.
"Quick, get Sapphire out of the net!" Torrentpaw ordered.
Ravenpaw made as if to do so, but his mother stopped him. "Wait. The net is electrified. Let me."
"Form up around Sapphire and Needlefur." Torrentpaw called.
Rustfur was reminded of how the same had been done in protecting his mother. Only this time, he was helping.
"Hold on, Sapphire." Needlefur said calmly. "They'll electrify the net in an attempt to stop me. I'm not going to lie; it will hurt. Just hold on."
Sapphire nodded and squeezed her eyes shut.
Needlefur took the net in her teeth and began pulling. Sapphire ground her teeth together as electricity lanced through her body.
Rustfur winced; he felt a sharp pain flash over his telepathic connection with Sapphire. He knew he was feeling what the Leafeon was feeling. The pain continued, almost to the point of fainting. It also brought back terrifying memories of when he had been trapped under the net.
Finally, the pain subsided as Needlefur tore the net away from Sapphire. The young Espeon gasped with relief and staggered slightly. Before he stumbled too far, a sturdy shoulder caught him.
"Don't worry, Rusty. I'm all right. We'll show them why they haven't yet caught me."
"Wow, Sapphire..." he breathed. "Aren't you exhausted?"
"No, not really."
"Cyrus, I think we need to use our Pokemon. The net won't work." one of the members muttered to his boss.
"You're right. Bring out the Pokemon."
All six members cast their cloaks back, each revealing three red and white spheres.
"Oh no..." Leafpool quickly counted the Poke Balls clipped to the human's belts. Eighteen to ten. Not the odds she wanted to face. But, as she looked at the Espeon and Leafeon standing side by side, she knew she would have faced twice those odds, by herself, for them.
Eighteen flashes of light signified the appearance of eighteen fierce Pokemon.
Rustfur shivered; one of the Pokemon was a Weavile, and that reminded the Espeon of Dusk.
Sapphire felt him shiver and knew why, without use of their connection. She pressed against his side, in comfort and understanding.
The gesture of comfort didn't help Rustfur much, as Cyrus called out an order.
"Get that Leafeon!"
The Weavile, accompanied by a Honchkrow and Crobat, rushed the young pair. Rustfur's parents and grandparents fell in to protect them. Even as they did so, an additional half dozen of the remaining enemy Pokemon, headed by a Skuntank followed those going after the Espeon and Leafeon.
The four snarling adult Pokemon in the Weavile's way didn't intimidate it one bit. It gave a mighty leap and sailed over the Pokemon, followed by its already airborne partners, landing behind Rustfur and Sapphire.
The two quickly wheeled around and saw the Weavile already charging.
I'm done with this; I'm now able to protect Sapphire, and now I will.
The Espeon closed his eyes and projected a barrier around himself and Sapphire. He failed to notice the bright white glow radiating from the Weavile's three claws. The black-furred Pokemon swung at the psychic field...
"Aaaggghhh!"
...and it shattered, sending an intense thunderclap of pain through Rustfur's mind, causing him to cry out and collapse.
When Sapphire saw the attack wasn't stopped, she swung out with Leaf Blade. As the two attacks met, they produced a powerful shockwave.
The Honchkrow and Crobat came powering through the shockwave, right at Sapphire. She ducked the Crobat's dive, but the Honchkrow came in lower, claws extended.
The bird Pokemon's talons raked down the Leafeon's back, scoring several crimson lines in her pale fur. Sapphire didn't cry out, as hearing Rustfur cry in pain had brought her orphaned side back to the surface. In actuality, she hadn't even felt the strike.
Just as the Honchkrow had finished its pass, Sapphire spun around and leapt after it, landing on its back and grounding it. There was a fierce, terrifying light in her eyes, as harsh as the glow of her tail. She was about to deal a fatal blow to her enemy when she came out of her rage.
No, I can't kill another Pokemon...
"Aaghh!" Rustfur shouted as the Weavile's claws slipped down his leg, just deep enough to cause pain and draw blood.
Although I might have to! she though angrily. She looked up at the rapid beating of wings. The Crobat was again bearing down on her. Thinking quickly, she swatted the Honchkrow at the Crobat with the flat of her tail. The bat Pokemon avoided its teammate-turned-projectile, but Sapphire had expected that; she used Aerial Ace and met it halfway with a nasty blow.
Then she turned and went after the Weavile. Rustfur had it in the air with Psychic.
"Hold him, Rusty!"
Rustfur kept the Weavile suspended as Sapphire lashed out with Leaf Blade.
"I'm sick of Weaviles." Rustfur muttered.
"We're not done with this one yet, Rusty."
She was right; the Weavile was getting back up. Once more, it charged. This time Rustfur knew not to use Reflect. He started to make a Shadow Ball instead. He wasn't watching behind him, though, and took a powerful Cross Poison from the still-active Crobat. He fell forward, pain once more on his voice.
"Rusty!" Sapphire lost her focus for a split-second. The Weavile took advantage of this and hammered her with a Night Slash attack.
This time, she did cry out, attracting Leafpool's attention. Things rapidly deteriorated from there.
Leafpool spun around, now oblivious to everything else. "Sapphire!"
"Leafpool!" Fireheart shouted to warn his mate of the Mightyena bearing down on her. She didn't hear him, and now that his attention was divided, he fell victim to a Purugly's attack. Now that Fireheart and Leafpool weren't assisting Needlefur and Torrentpaw, they were separated and subdued. One by one, Ravenpaw, Swiftclaw, Frostpelt, and Rayne were also pinned down.
Swiftclaw struggled madly, shouting angrily. "Rayne! Let her up right now!"
No one, human or Pokemon, heeded his furious shouting.
Cyrus turned to his underling and issued another order. "Make sure that Leafeon isn't going anywhere. Give it a Poison Sting."
The underling nodded. "Dustox, Poison Sting!"
Two dozen purple needles shot towards Sapphire. Rustfur was horrified, but was too exhausted to form any kind of barrier. Swiftclaw started to, but a strangled exclamation from Rayne told him that if he went any further, the Absol standing over her would make him regret it. The blue glow left his eyes, leaving them saddened and regretful.
Finally, the needles reached their target and slammed into Sapphire's body. All she could do was whimper and squirm feebly as twenty-four sharp needles rained down upon her injured back. Sapphire winced in agony and glared angrily at the blurry image of the Weavile holding her down. She thought nothing of her blurring vision until she coughed harshly.
Oh no... she thought blankly.
What is it, Sapphire? Rustfur felt his connection with her wavering. What's wrong?
Rustfur, I think I've- She was interrupted by a bout of rough coughing. I think I've been-
Rustfur had an idea of what she was about to tell him, but fervently hoped he was wrong.
I've been poisoned.
_________________________________________________________________
Author's Notes:
The first attack Sapphire dodged is now the last one that hits her. Things have now
come full circle...
To those who don't feel like waiting to read chapters that I have not yet posted,
allow me to refer you to my deviantArt page under the same name; "Eeveexpert".