Chapter Two
"Why do you keep fighting him, Basield? Even when you know that he would beat you..." A Gardevoir asked the unconscious Pokémon on her lap as she used Heal Pulse, healing the worst of his wounds.
She was in a small hut made of logs and tar, while the inside was filled with the equivalent of a native doctor's accesories crossed with a pharmacist. There were vials and vials of toxins and poisons, as well as the antidotes for them. A few poison coated Iron Thorns and Silver Spikes were on a rack, slightly glowing purple. Behind the Gardevoir sitting cross legged on the grass was a small store of herbs and items including Smoke Balls, Mental and White Herbs, Poison Barbs and the like.
"Why do I feel that you aren't trying to prove yourself to him, not me, not anyone in the Shadows of the Forest, but to yourself? Is there really that much of conflict in you?" The Gardevoir continued, petting the grass type's head softly as she hummed lightly.
Feeling him stirring, she quickly replaced her soft gaze with a neutral one as the Basield got up and looked himself over.
"Thank you, Dawn Heart." He said, speaking her name in Heart-Speak.
"Y-you are welcome, Guardian Leaf." She shakily answered; most Pokémon had lost the ability to Heart-Speak, and the Shadows were nearly if not completely heartless. As a Gardevoir, she was inevitably able to use Heart-Speak, but a heartless warrior like Guardian Leaf should't be able to even feel the words!
She had to find out how he did it.
Stopping him with a light psychic hold, the Gardevoir looked into the yellow eyes of the Basield...
"Guardian Leaf, how can you speak using the words of the Heart?" She asked, thinking that it was a slight fluke that he was able to speak her name.
Oh, how she loved that name... Only her friends and family called her that name... It made her nearly shiver in delight whenever she heard that name...
She was snapped out of her thoughts by the Basield's eloquent answer.
"The Feral Pokémon have an advantage over you civilized ones. They ALWAYS speak with the words of the heart. I am neither Feral nor Civilized, and as such can speak with the Universal Language as well as the Language of the Heart. Your name came to me as easily as breathing, Dawn Heart. I thank you for all the times that you have shown me hospitality. I will try to to repay you in any way I can."
He turned around and something in her clicked that wasn't supposed to.
You need a friend. You need a hug. The voice told the Embrace Pokémon, who lightly shook her head; she was a member of the Shadows of the Forest! She couldn't let her Heart lead her actions!
He wants to repay you. Take a hug in exchange. You know you want one... The voice said, taunting her.
It's not that bad to ask for one, though... You... You may be right...
Of course I am. Now get a hug.
B-but what of he rejects the offer?
HE CALLED YOU DAWN HEART.
That shut the Gardevoir up immediately and she called out. "Wait!"
"Yes, Dawn Heart?"
Oh, Arceus he said it again... What is wrong with me! I am in a LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS AND NINJAS FOR ARCEUS' SAKE!
" I.. I... "
"Speak with your Heart, Dawn..."
"I... I want... A hug as payment."
The Basield was clearly intrigued by the nearly pleading Gardevoir's request, as he raised an 'eyebrow'. He knew that there were no Feral Gardevoir because they and Gallade could feel the Heart more than any other Pokemon on the face of the Earth. That was because he had seen them make colonies, little villages in sacred forests subsequently blessed by Celebi's time hopping travels. Their Life Fabric only regrow in places like that, and the Heart's powers were amplified, so it was logical, but they loved sharing the gift of the Heart with everyone.
Being a poison specialist assassin who struck her foes down from afar with no remorse was obviously hard on a Pokémon who thrived in the presence of emotion.
Wordlessly, the Bassield walked up to the fidgeting, shaky Gardevoir and carefully wrapped his arms around her. He chuckled when he noticed that Dawn heart had melted into the hug, squeaking a little. After a few seconds, he pried himself from her grip which was pretty hard to do and walked towards the door, smiling at her.
"Th-thank you, Guardian Leaf. " The Gardevoir squeaked, standing up and dusting herself off absentmindedly.
Nodding at her, the Basield turned his back and headed out to train some more...
...That is, he was going to.
A Psychic hook pulled him down to the Gardevoir's feet and pressed him down into the grass while not one, not two, but six of the deadly poison coated Silver Spikes hovered inches above his neck. Above him, he heard the telepathic voice speaking to him with calm, killer intent.
If I find out that you told ANYONE about this, then I will hunt you down, stab you in your plant genitals with my most corroding poison and torture you with it for days. Then I will kill you. Do we have an understanding?
" Yes, Leader Fauna." He answered curtly.
"Good, Syn. You may now leave." Fauna said just as curtly, releasing her psychic hold and walking back to place her weapons back into their rack.
Not wanting to waste any time, he jumped up and took off into the night sky, basking in the numerous opportunities the moonlight gave him. His Shadow pulsed wildly as it showed him numerous targets.
The hunt was on, and nothing would stop him until he had a pile of dead Pokémon at his feet.
This Chapter's a bit short, but I'm trying to post as much as I can with my limited window. Enjoy! I might not keep it as a one shot for long, anyway.
The Basield belongs to the makers of Pokémon Vega, a pretty cool fan game.