There is no specific chapters to help you prepare for this one. Consider this one as a filler.
It answers the question, "What happened to Tyrone during these last four days?"
I've been trying to explain what Shishá are for over a year now, and I still haven't been able to do it.
I am planing to do so in a future chapter. Also don't worry about the "new" character. She's not staying.
National Suicide Hotline Number : 1-800-488-3000
There's no denying who you are, while arguing with your reflection.
"Derrick's back."
"Who?"
"Oh, right you don't know him," I thought for a minute, "he's a very bad man, who looks exactly like Tyrone. I need to find them."
I tried to get up again. This time I couldn't even lift my own head without falling down not even a second later.
I swear that I looked like a marionette with it's strings cut off.
"Little Miss," Margret came back sooner than expected, "you shouldn't push yourself just yet."
Margret placed the tray holding my meal next to the bed before she moved me back under the covers.
"I can handle myself, Margret," I growled.
"I know you can, Little Miss," she smiled, "but not on an empty stomach."
I grumbled to myself some cusses that I didn't think she'd hear.
Margret just smiled as she lifted the spoon full of hot soup, "we need to build up your strength again."
"Fine, but I'll feed myself," I lifted my arms worthlessly. I had to consign to being fed by Margret as if I was a human baby again. I was done with only a third of my meal before I bothered asking, "so how long will this take?"
"Three more days," Derrick reminded himself, after getting knocked down for the eightieth time that afternoon alone.
The last four days were not easy for him. After practically begging Bonny (or Nemean as he's now called) to train him in the ways of the Shishá, Derrick has had to fight not only Leo for the past few days, but keep Tyrone in a dormant state inside the back of 'his' mind while doing it. Just to add to his frustration, he could barely understand his three legged Arcanine teacher, even with the inner Growlithe's help. Despite it all, Derrick actually felt a spectrum of emotions that he hadn't felt before in his life. Admittedly, he's never had this much, 'fun' before. This 'hard work' stuff really wasn't that bad. Well, it was painful, but at least it couldn't get any harder.
"(Stop dozing off.)," Nemean growled, "(I thought you were going to take this seriously.)"
"I'm doing the best that I can," Derrick huffed, his health was almost completely depleted again.
"(If only you hadn't lost the Fire Rock Bracelet.)," Nemean had to remind him again, "(If you had it, then your inner Growlithe could have evolved and built up strength faster.)"
"How could I loose it, if I never had it," Derrick cursed to himself, struggling to get back to his feet.
"(I heard that.)," stated Nemean, causing Derrick fell over, not even able get up on his hands and knees anymore, "(It's been four days and we still haven't even started on your fire lessons yet.)"
"(Can't we give him a break, Rōjin?)," Leo whined, "(I'm tired too.)"
"(You haven't even broken into a pant yet.)," Nemean chuckled that roar of a laugh he had in his new form.
"(Just let him have a break, Rojin.)," Leo licked at the cuts that Tyrone's body had received, "(or at least an Oran Berry or two.)"
"Get me Sitrus Berries instead," Derrick huffed, "those Oran Berries are not nearly working anymore."
"(That's a good sign. It means that your endurance is building up.)," Nemean turned to fetch the discarded bag of supplies, "(not that it matters, you still can't face Leo in a fight.)"
"Well, I'm not going to be facing Leo in a fight," Derrick grumbled to himself.
"(You don't think that I know that!)," Nemean barked fiercely, which made every living thing that heard him flinch for a few seconds.
Well, except for one in particular…
"If only you could be this serious with everything else," Tyrone's dad, Gary, walked out of the brush.
"(Well, ain't you just an Ekans in the grass, son.)," Nemean grinned at his son, despite he wasn't happy to see him.
"You sure you want the pot calling the kettle black," Gary crossed his arms, "the school called me wondering why my son hasn't been attending classes and here I find him pretending he's a Growlithe."
"(Well, he is a Shishá. It's in our blood.)," Nemean took a moment to scratch himself, if only to tease his son, "(I'm surprised you remembered where our practice grounds were.)"
"Why would I forget where you liked to stretch 'your legs'?"
"(As I recall, you wanted to propose to your wife here.)"
"I was five then, but I've grown up," Gary glared at his son, "and I expect Tyrone to do the same."
~…Dad, please no,~ the inner Growlithe whined to himself. His metaphysical self hid behind Derrick's consciousness. ~not again…~
…Again?…, Derrick asked the inner Growlithe …has he done this before…
~When I was younger,~ he bowed his head, ~that man did everything to suppress me. We need to get out of here.~
…I can't move… no matter how much we both want it right now…
~Please don't let him order us to have me be suppressed again.~
"Get up Tyrone," Gary ordered, "I'm taking you home."
Without his command, Tyrone's body moved on its own. Not that it helped much.
Derrick could feel the pain that surged through the body in it's futile attempts to get so much as on it's hands and knees.
"(Stay down Tyrone)," Nemean ordered, "(and Gary stop giving orders to the boy.)"
"Why should I?"
"(Well, for starters, Tyrone is far too weak to be moving right now.)," Nemean frowned, he hated to used this power of his, "(Second, it's a direct order from me.)"
"I am not your pet, Dad."
"(No, but I am your superior by nature.)," Nemean offered, "(It's not open to debate, even if I order you otherwise.)"
"I have a mind of my own, Dad," Gary crossed his arms as he crossed the fields to pick up his son, "no silly commands can make me do anything."
"(Gary…)," Nemean growled to get his son's attention.
"I'm not listening," Gary said getting closer to his son, now noticing the fluffy tail between his legs. He made a mental note to schedule a doctor to remove it permanently.
"(Sit!)," Nemean barked, Gary landed on his rump before he realized it. Nemean chuckled at this.
"Be quiet," Gary got back up, "it's only a temporary set back. I wont fall for it again."
"(Sorry to laugh at you, son.)," Nemean's smile grew wide as he continued laughing, "(haven't done that since you and Norma were pups.)"
"Don't mention that name ever again."
"(I know that losing Norma was a lot for you, but it doesn't make you any less of a Shishá.)"
"I said (shut up)," Gary barked, then coughed to clear his throat, "stop doing that."
"(Doing what?)," Nemean was obviously playing coy, "(You can't keep acting like she didn't exist. Norma was and still is a big part of you.)"
~Who's Norma?~
… Obviously, Norma was your father's partner… you dumb mutt…
~well, I've never known dad to have had other pets besides Leo.~
…Hell, are you truly that dense?… your grandfather is a shishá, you are a Shishá…
…you both had partners… so what would that mean for your father who's also a Shishá?…
~Well, you don't have to be a jerk about it,~ the inner Growlithe stuck up his nose.
"Stop mentioning Norma," Gary paused, trying to suppress his emotions, "Stop trying to rile me up. I wont-"
"(Then, by all means, leave.)," Nemean sat himself down, "(but your son wanted training, so let him stay if he wants to.)"
"Enough with your orders, dad," Gary jerked his son up.
"(That wasn't an order, son.)," Nemean tossed a Citrus Berry from the bag, "(whether you believe it or not, I don't like giving orders.)"
Gary paused for a moment. He was questioned himself about giving his 'human' son a Pokéberry.
He knew that healing agents like this would only help in solidifying his son's Growlithe traits.
"(He came here of his own accord, and respecting your wishes I refused training him.)"
"Then why…?"
"I begged him," Derrick admitted, "because I have to fight Tenma and I felt I wouldn't be ready if I couldn't handle the full powers of a Shishá."
Gary's face was struck with fear. He knew his son had some how managed to beat Edward Ebisu, but Tenma was in a different league. Sure, Tenma was strong, but there was a darker secret that Gary had witnessed first hand.
"Against Smith you'll need a lot more than that," Gary gave his son the fruit, "you're going to need a damn good strategy as well."
"I can stay," Derrick asked, thinking it to be something that Tyrone would say.
"Yes. Now we're going to start with healing you up," Gary frowned, as his son was slowly revived, "followed by thirty laps with Leo snapping at your heals."
Half an hour later, Tyrone's body had only achieved five of his laps. His elders stood next to each other watching him pant bent over as he ran.
Leo was staying at his heals, but he was only pretending to snap at him. This wasn't left unnoticed by his father.
"Leo, I want to see his heals bleeding by the time he's finished his next lap," Gary shouted, "no more holding back! One! Two! One! Two! One! Two!"
Derrick had to pick up speed now that Leo was actually using his fangs. He ran with Leo snapping for blood. Watching this, Gary cracked a smile as he heard his father trying not to chuckle.
"Find something funny?"
"(Why the sudden change in attitude?)," Nemean asked his son out of Tyrone's earshot.
"Simple, you were being too soft, Rōjin."
"(Somehow I knew you'd say that.)," Nemean turned to look at his son, "(So how long has it been since he let you out, Norma.)"
"Truthfully? Seven years," Gary seemed to answer, "how's what is left of my father?"
"(He's a little angry that my son's keeping what's left of his daughter all cooped up, but he's happy to hear you…)," Nemean looked over his son, "(so to speak.)"
"Just so you know, I don't think that is Gary's son."
"(I know…)," Nemean laid down, "(the real Tyrone would ask more questions and 'Leo' wouldn't complain nearly as much.)"
"Then might I ask your reasons."
"(I believe that you already know the reason.)"
"It's Tenma right," Norma frowned, "as soon as that kid mentioned him, Gary let me out to train him myself. Whoever that bodysnatcher is, at least he's on our side."
"(So does Gary know what we suspect?)"
"No, he's being stubborn as usual," Norma smiled, "he's hidden himself in the back of his mind, shut the door and started playing Mozart full blast."
Looking back at Tyrone, one could see that Leo had succeeded in catching Tyrone's heel with his teeth, so Leo felt that he didn't have to chase his 'big brother' as hard.
"Do you think that he'll be ready in three days?"
"(Not if he doesn't pick up the pace!)," Nemean barked at them, then went back to speaking, "(but with your training he'll be ready for Fire training by tonight.)"
"Sorry, 'dad', but Gary says 'no'," Norma pet her father's mane, "he's still against his son becoming full Shishá, despite they need the power."
"(But what do you say?)," Nemean grinned at Norma.
"I say that we should have Leo start using Fire Fang on the next lap."
"(I agree)," Nemean nodded, "(it'd be much less messy.)"
I know that I shouldn't have done that. But don't worry, Norma is not going to be a continuing character.
But now you might know why Gary is so against his son becoming a Shishá.
For normal people, loosing a Dog is like losing a member of the family.
For a Shishá, loosing a Partner is like losing a part of yourself.
Losing an Aneki, is exactly like losing your wife.
Losing an Aniki, is like losing your purpose and…
Whoops! Have to hold off that information for a little while.
Anyway, don't forget to reveiw!