Part III of IV: The Gang War
Chapter 15: Shadow of the Past
This is PrinceOfPuddles, for the first and last time I am going to list the next chapter at the start and not the end
Chapter 16: The Shackles of the Gangs
At long last, the harsh and cruel winter had come to an end. The ghostly silence gave way to the spring murmur of awakened life, a murmur that arose from all the land, fraught with the joy of living. It came from all things that lived and moved again, things that were as dead and hadn't moved in the months of frost. The sap began rising in the pines. Willows and aspens burst out in young buds. Shrubs and vines put on fresh garbs of green. Kricketot sang in the nights, and in the day, all manner of crawling, flapping things rustled forth into the sun.
From every hill and slope came the trickle of running water, the music of unseen fountains blending into the background of the wild. All things were thawing, bending, snapping. The region was straining to break loose the ice that bound it down. The land ate at it from beneath; the sun ate at it from above.
And amid all this bursting of awakening life, under the blazing sun and soft-sighing breezes, Ember and Absol, feeling stronger and more alive than ever, continued their expedition through the renewed region, ready to face the world once again.
"Well, Ember, we made it," Absol said jovially as they went. "I told you I'd get you through the winter."
"Yeah, spending it battling giant monsters and gangs certainly helped pass the time," she replied, hiding a smile. "So, where are we going today?"
Absol pulled out Umbra's map and scrutinized it. "If we keep going this way, it looks like we'll reach the route that will take us to the Battle Tower in a matter of days. We're almost done."
"That's good to hear."
Ember had tried to sound enthusiastic with the response, but for some reason, the thought of their journey ending gave her a hollow feeling in her gut. Until now, she'd accepted her life of traveling with Absol, facing whatever dangers life threw at them together. Returning to her old life would be very difficult, and she still had been unable to think of a solution to the problem of leaving Absol in the end.
"Ember? You listening to me?"
Startled, Ember turned to Absol. "Sorry, what?"
"I was just asking what you were planning to do with your life once this is all done," Absol said.
Ember thought for a moment, wondering if her life would go completely back to normal once she returned to Rose.
"I guess I'll be doing the same thing I always used to," she replied.
"And what was that?"
"I don't know. Obey my master and help my teammates in tournaments, I suppose."
Absol nodded. "Right. I guess there's not much to do in that kind of life."
It was then that the doubt first entered Ember's mind. For the next few miles, she couldn't stop pondering the way he'd said that, wondering if there really was so little to do in her life. She thought back, realizing that from dawn to dusk, she would either be in a Poke Ball, a PC, or a battle. She couldn't shake a slight feeling of apprehension toward the comment, even as the day passed by. Finally, she could stand it no longer.
"Well, it's not like I had no life before," she said defensively.
Surprised, Absol turned to her. "What are you talking about?"
"What you said earlier, that there's not much to do in my old life. That's not true, you know."
"Okay," Absol replied.
Ember wasn't satisfied with the response, or with Absol's tone. She still felt like he was in some way disapproving of her life with her trainer.
"I had my other teammates as friends, too," she added.
"Of course," Absol replied.
There was another brief pause.
"Rose was also a pretty good master."
"I'm sure she was."
As Ember picked up on Absol's concealed attitude, she thought back to all the times he showed disgust toward the way trainers acted. In most cases, he was right. She still shuddered when she remembered the first time she'd seen the effects of EV training, or the Pokémon trapped in the Day Care. She knew that Absol held a strong resentment towards trainers, especially competitive ones. She'd even begun to feel it herself lately. But Rose was different.
"Not all trainers are bad, you know," she said finally.
"Maybe," Absol replied. "But I've never seen one that wasn't, whether they knew it or not."
That was progress. At least she'd gotten past the short, emotionless answers.
"Well, my life wasn't a prison before," Ember asserted. "I'm not saying I preferred it to this life, but it's not like I have nothing to return to."
Absol didn't respond. Ember was satisfied she'd made her point. She glanced up at the sky briefly, noticing the sun was finally beginning to set. However, when she looked back, she suddenly saw Absol break into a run. She quickly ran after him, trying to keep up. Were they being chased by something? She had no time to ponder it as Absol increased his pace, bolting through the meadow ahead.
She chased Absol through the fields and into a small forest nearby, trying desperately to keep up, panting hard. She bumped into a tree as Absol made a sharp turn. She angrily shook herself off, fighting the pain and continuing to pursue Absol through the awakened wild.
Finally, as they reached the end of the woods, he stopped at the top of a large hill, looking out over the valley. Ember stopped next to him, winded and gasping for breath.
"What…was that about?" she asked between breaths. "Were we being chased? Was there a trainer nearby?"
"No," Absol replied simply. "But how far do you think we just went?"
"What are you talking about?"
Absol shrugged. "How much distance do you think we just covered?"
Ember glanced behind her, no longer able to see the meadow they were previously passing through. She then looked back at Absol.
"I don't know," she replied.
Absol smiled. "We probably just covered more distance in those three minutes of running than you ever did in your entire life with Rose."
Ember scoffed. "Yeah, right."
"Don't laugh. Think about it. How often did you get to run around on your own without being inside a Poke Ball or a PC? Did you ever get to walk or run anywhere near that distance?"
Ember paused and thought back. To her immense surprise, she couldn't actually remember the last time she'd ever walked outside her ball or PC while with Rose. Was it true? Did she really used to have so little freedom when she was with her trainer? The thought of it was simply unbelievable. She wondered if it was the same for all caught, bred, and\or trained Pokémon.
Seeming satisfied that his point had been made, Absol glanced out over the hill, seeing a flock of Delibird fly down and begin pecking at the ground near a large lake about a dozen yards away.
"Well, since we've got our blood pumping from that run, why don't we use some of that energy and catch some dinner?" he offered.
Grateful for both the change in topic and the prospect of a good meal, Ember took her place behind the Delibird flock, hearing a slight growling in her belly. Absol walked over to the opposite end of the lake, ready for his part in the ambush. As the Delibird continued mindlessly pecking away at the ground for Bug Pokémon, Ember smiled. They wouldn't have much trouble getting a large dinner tonight.
That night, under a full moon and a sea of stars, Ember and Absol cooked their bounty of caught game over their blazing campfire. Once Absol had scared the Delibird across the lake, Ember managed to snag six of them in one go. They'd feast tonight and easily still have enough for tomorrow.
There was still something plaguing Ember that she couldn't stop thinking about. When they were marching through the woods to face Tyranitar, Absol had told her to ask him about his tale after they'd beaten the beast. Ever since then she'd been watching and waiting for the right opportunity to ask, but so far, no suitable moment had been presented, until now.
After they'd exchanged a few light words regarding the meal, she waited for a long enough silence, then began trying to think of a way to start the conversation. Deciding the only way she'd get anywhere was by being direct, she hesitantly turned to Absol.
"So, uh, you remember when we were about to fight Tyranitar, I asked about your story, and you said you'd tell me afterwards?" she said.
Absol raised an eyebrow. "Did I? I don't remember that. Anyway, it's getting pretty late. Maybe you should try and get some sleep."
"That's not funny, Absol. I think I've waited long enough. You have to tell me. I'm your partner in crime, your teammate, remember? Have I ever kept anything from you?"
Absol chuckled, glancing at the fire. "Relax, I was just kidding. So, what would you like to hear?"
Ember shrugged. "As much as possible. I'm curious about why you were with the West Side and what your life was like before all this. I'd also like to know who Elsa is."
Absol's head suddenly whipped toward her.
"Where did you hear that name?" he demanded.
"When you were poisoned, you, uh, mumbled it to me in your delirium," she replied, taken aback by his reaction. "I think Houndoom also said it before. Is Elsa a friend of yours, or something?"
There was a brief silence. Ember held her breath, anxiously waiting for him to continue.
"You know, Ember, you're right," Absol said finally. "It is about time I told you everything. Like you said, you are my partner, after all. You might want to get comfortable, since this is a pretty long story."
"What kind of story is it?"
Absol smiled slightly. "It's a love story; a love story about two people finding each other at the pinnacle of their despair and loneliness, each looking for someone to fill the void in their souls; someone to give them the whisper of happiness without which there's no point in living. They met in the deepest, darkest depths of the man-made prison that most of us face sooner or later, destined to be together, and yet destined to be torn apart."
Ember was hanging on his every word. She was surprised at this side of Absol's character. The words he spoke sounded like poetry.
"Well, I'm ready," she said.
Absol stretched out a bit, got himself comfortable, and gazed wistfully into the fire.
"It all began about seven years ago," Absol began. "You're a clever person, so you've probably already pieced this together, but I used to be owned by a human too. He wasn't a competitive battler, by any means. He was just an average trainer who wanted nothing more than to conquer the standard regional Pokemon League, make a small name for himself, and go on from there.
"I was only a child at the time. My master had caught me about halfway through his quest. He took me from my family when I was barely a year old. I had parents who loved and raised me, and I grew up alongside two sisters and a brother. But of course, he didn't know or care. I was straying slightly too far from the path one day while playing with my siblings, and he found and battled me into submission with his Machamp and caught me easily. I was too young to fight back with any success. My parents tried to fight him and rescue me, but he defeated them too. I tried desperately to get out, but once the lock mechanism on my Poke Ball activated, there was no escape.
At first, I was aggrieved and furious at being captured, my heart broken at being taken from the family I loved so much. But as the months went by and I learned to accept I could never go back, I eventually actually began to enjoy my new life. I grew into a fairly strong battler, and I won myself a solid place on my master's main team. We went through many adventures and trials together, and we came out ahead each time. I remember there was even some kind of criminal organization called Team Galactic causing trouble, but my master and I helped defeat them and earned quite a reputation.
"It wasn't the best life, especially with most of my time being spent alone in a Pokeball, the memories of my family still strong in my heart. But I was content, and with time, I grew to love my trainer. Eventually we won the Pokemon League, and we went on from there, finding new adventure wherever it could be found. I was happy with my lot in life, and I was happy that I had pleased my master.
"And then, on one inauspicious day, everything changed.
"My master had just defeated the Elite Four for the ninth time, although he was using a different team than before. I was still on it, but without the support of my old, stronger teammates, I was knocked out very early in the matches and unable to hold my own against the enemy for long. Still, my master, with his nigh-endless amount of healing items, managed to prevail.
"Later, after a quick skirmish with his old rival, he entered the nearest Pokemon Center, obviously to heal us. However, once he was finished healing, he did something he had very rarely done before: he put me in the nearby PC containment system. I was sure he was simply reorganizing his team and that he'd come right back for me, so I waited patiently.
"I was in one of the standard, holographic chambers of the PC, and the background was of a small forest. Everything was artificial, from the trees and lakes to the very ground itself. At regular intervals, a machine would produce water and vitamin supplements for the Pokémon inside. It wasn't pleasant by any means, but it kept us alive. And it was here that I waited for my master to return.
"I waited, and waited, and waited. The artificial, holographic sun rose and set many times, providing no warmth for any of us. I occasionally spoke to a few of the Pokémon inside the PC box. They provided token conversation, but most of them were unfriendly, and with good reason. I guessed that they had been there for quite some time now.
"Still I waited for what must have been months. The other Pokémon had all lost faith long ago, but I believed in my master. I was a part of his team. I had traveled the region with him. I had fought under his command my entire life. I simply couldn't accept that he wasn't coming back.
"But as endless time passed by, I, too, was unable to escape the obvious truth. I slowly began to realize that my master had abandoned me, even after all we'd been through together. I was overcome by a depth of sorrow I didn't even know could be felt. From then on, every waking moment, I asked myself a question. No matter what, that question was always in the back of my throat, choking the blood to my brain, ringing in my ears as I put it to myself over and over again.
"'What did I do wrong?'
"At the time, I was unaware that my trainer had not only abandoned us, but had also moved on to another region entirely. He had learned the ways of competitive battlers, and began focusing on Effort Values and Individual Values, and we simply didn't make the cut. He was pursuing new adventures while we rotted in a holographic containment room for the rest of our lives. I couldn't understand why he would do such a thing. I had loved him, as did we all. I always thought he loved us back, but apparently, I was wrong.
"I lost track of how much time had passed while we were in containment. I'd already seen every square inch of the PC box, the dull and bland scenery becoming the only thing I knew. I had nothing to look forward to; no more battles, no more contests, no more journeys. There was nothing to do, nothing to think about. Even the company of the other Pokémon couldn't shake the immense monotony and hopelessness of our confinement, nor the deeper, inner sorrow I felt as each false day passed in what had become our lifelong prison.
"One day, however, the most amazing and wonderful thing happened.
"Just as I'd given up all hope, even as all purpose of living abandoned me, I was shrouded in a familiar iridescent red light. I felt myself pulled free of the PC box, thrust into an even smaller space. I was beyond shocked and disoriented. For so long, my entire world had been the PC box. To be suddenly taken from it and flung into an entirely different place left my mind reeling for quite some time.
"And then, as I began to recognize the vaguely familiar surroundings, I finally realized what had happened.
"My master had returned.
"I was overcome with such joy I felt I could use Explosion. I still didn't understand yet why he'd left me in the first place, but that didn't matter. He was back, and I never wanted to leave his side again.
"However, he didn't exit the Pokemon Center right away. Instead, he went into one of its higher chambers, one the humans used to communicate with each other over long distance. I was then placed into an odd machine I'd never seen before, except when my master was trading his other Pokémon.
"It was only then that the horrible realization struck me. I was going to be traded away! Flooded with a surge of panic, I cried and begged my master to let me stay, but it was then that I realized humans truly can't understand us. I'm not just talking about language; I mean that humans can never appreciate how we really think and feel. They don't think of us as companions, as equals. They think of us as convenient items to have around, to help them defeat opponents, while pretending to be our 'friends'.
"So, it should be no surprise that my pleas were ignored, and I was soon traded away to another human in the same region. I didn't want to obey him, but he had all eight regional Gym Badges, and I knew he could control my mind with them at will if I disobeyed. However, he didn't use them on me. In fact, he didn't use me to battle at all.
"You see, this new human didn't want me for my battling skills. I overheard the truth in a brief discussion my master had with this man before he left. In reality, this new trainer merely needed an Absol like me to add to his regional Pokedex.
"It was then that I found myself put back in the cursed PC once again, this time in a box with the holographic scenery of a wide open valley. The main difference, however, was that there were no other Pokémon around in this particular box. This new master had placed me in an empty box due to space issues. Putting a Pokémon in a PC box alone is a mistake nearly every trainer makes at least once or twice.
"I burned with deep hurt, anger, and indignation. My old master had dealt me two ultimate and unforgivable humiliations at once. Firstly, I hadn't been traded to a master who would care for me or travel with me. I was but a commodity used to fill an empty space in a recording machine. And secondly, he didn't even ask for me to be traded back. My usefulness had apparently either come to an end, or he had gotten a better Pokémon than me in return.
"In my anger, I tried desperately to escape, but there was simply no way out. Every time I reached the end of the holographic scenery, I merely ran into an impenetrable wall. The only way out was to be released by my new trainer, and he didn't seem to be interested in doing that. It was then that the first few seeds of total resentment towards humans began to grow within me, only to be strengthened later when I realized how many other Pokémon suffered the same way I did, how many other pokemon had been tossed aside or left to rot by the trainers they'd loved.
"My entire world had been reduced to a small green artificial valley. Not even my memories kept me occupied, as it is nearly impossible to remember very far back when there is nothing to think about each day, no changes in the mind. Soon, even my thoughts melded with the bland, unchanging box I was in. I spent so long in there I feared I would lose my sanity. Perhaps I did.
Sometimes, the old spark of inner rage would briefly catch fire within me, and I would roar and furiously launch attacks at the walls, cursing my trainer and all humankind, but my anger would always die back down again as the cold, unending silence of the chamber consumed me. I had nothing to live for, and yet I couldn't die.
"My hopelessness, however, was irreparably shattered the day I met her.
"It was the dead of night—at least, the artificial sun had set, so I assumed it was night—and I was merely lying in the middle of the valley as I always did, my uneaten food next to me, as I tried desperately to probe my memories, searching for the happier times buried within them. When I could no longer find them, I merely sighed and shut my eyes, having given up on my freedom, and my life.
"Suddenly, I heard a loud noise nearby. My head instantly shot up. A sound? I had heard nothing but silence for as long as I could remember, save for my own agonized screams. I shielded my eyes as a bright red light descended toward the bottom of the false valley. I was utterly amazed. Something different was actually happening. I stood there for a few moments in stupefied wonder before finally beginning to run toward the light, afraid it might go away and the cold, dead quiet would return.
"When I finally reached the source, my amazement reached its peak. There, lying unconscious on the ground, was another Pokémon. I was dumbstruck. It was so long since I'd seen another of my kind, I had no idea what to do. As I racked my tired, mesmerized brain for even the vaguest traces of memory left in me, I finally recognized the Pokémon as a Mightyena.
"My heart soared. I finally had a companion! I didn't care whether she was friendly or harsh, cheerful or cold, social or solitary. At least she would break the fathomless monotony that had enveloped my life. I nearly made a fool of myself in my happiness. Luckily, I managed to calm down before she awakened.
"When she came to, I noticed she'd been badly injured. My old anger towards humans threatened to boil back up to the surface when I realized they'd put her in the PC box after battle without healing her. I forced myself to remain as composed as I could. Her beautiful, shining amber eyes looked up at me in confusion.
"She first asked where she was, the standard question when one wakes up in an unfamiliar place. I told her we were in a PC box, which was one of the few things I could never forget, even with the passage of endless time. She was very distressed at first to be placed in the PC, as she'd rarely been left there before, especially after a battle in which she was knocked out.
"My sympathy for her situation was only natural for someone in my position. Our conversation became slightly awkward, since it had been so long since I'd spoken with anyone and I didn't know what to say. Having forgotten the arts of subtlety in my confinement, I merely asked if we could be friends while she was there. Looking back, I realize how silly it is to ask someone to be your friend when you first meet (or to ask at all,) but thankfully she didn't seem to mind. After all, any company is better than loneliness.
"She introduced herself as Elsa. I will never forget that name as long as I live. I told her my name, of course, and we began to talk about common, little things like past battles, adventures, dreams, etc. I was amazed to find some of my old memories coming back to me now that the monotony was broken.
"She told me that she was actually part of my new trainer's main team, and I felt a slight disgust at the mere mention of him. I didn't know if she would be there as long as me, but I resolved myself never to allow the loneliness that had once consumed me to capture Elsa in its gnarled, icy hands. Each day, I'd play whatever silly games she'd come up with, talk about anything she wanted, and do my best to cheer her up whenever she felt upset that her trainer left her there. I finally had a purpose again: to make my new companion happy, and enjoy the happiness she returned to me.
"I've heard that most humans dislike the appearance of the Mightyena species, since most of them appear to be hostile and aggressive, but Elsa was nothing like that. She had the sweetest, most gentle smile I'd ever seen, and the way her eyes would sparkle when she was happy, like two amber crystals under the light of the dawn…"
Absol's voice trailed off, a wistful look in his eyes as he stared into their dying fire. Ember, who had been listening intently to every word of the story—albeit feeling a pang of jealousy toward this "Elsa" character—was surprised at the interruption. She nudged Absol slightly to get his attention.
"Huh? What?" he muttered, snapping out of his trance. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ember. Where was I?"
"You were going on about Elsa," Ember prodded, doing her best to keep the envy out of her tone.
"Right, sorry," he continued. "Anyway, our days of confinement were the same as always, except the silence was defeated and we had each other. We played, talked, mock-battled, and even argued to pass the time. You might wonder what we could possibly have argued about in a place like that, and to this day, I laugh at the things we came up with to fight over. But our little spats were only a means of killing time, and they never changed our friendship.
"One day, a great trouble came to me. When I woke up one 'morning,' I couldn't find Elsa anywhere. I searched every inch of the dismal PC box, which didn't take long considering the bland wide open view, but she was simply gone. My only companion was once again the lifeless silence. I assumed that for whatever reason, her master had removed her from the box while we were asleep. I was happy that she was free, but returning to the empty void of loneliness was even worse than before.
"However, one night, when I was half in a dreamless sleep, I felt something warm and soft snuggle up against me. I opened my eyes and, to my unending joy, saw that Elsa had returned. She explained that her master still had a use for her on his main team as a means to catch wild Pokémon using False Swipe, so he would occasionally take her out of the box when he needed to use her.
"From then on, my heart was divided in two. On one hand, I wanted her to be free from this prison as long as could be allowed. On the other hand, I desperately needed her to be with me. She was the only one who understood what my life had been like, and undoubtedly the only one who cared. She'd given me a reason to exist, a way to survive my prison.
"Elsa had become the sunrise of my life, and whenever she was taken, it would set. I would always yearningly watch and wait for her to come back, and when she did, that sun would rise again for me. She sometimes liked to try and surprise me with her reappearances, usually by coming up on me from behind or waiting until I was asleep. I'd sometimes be sitting or walking around the 'valley,' usually daydreaming or some such thing, then hear a noise and turn around, suddenly finding myself wrapped in her embrace. It was hard to keep tears of joy from my eyes whenever that happened.
"I suppose it shouldn't come as much of a shock that my feelings toward her gradually escalated far above mere friendship as endless time went by. I grew to deeply love her and cherish every part of her beautiful personality. Even the worst things about her were wonderful to me. However, there was one thing I made sure of: that Elsa never, ever knew how I felt.
"Why? Because it would have been beyond selfish to tether her to me now, to my life of endless confinement. Her master still had a purpose for her, and therefore she had a chance to be free. How could I tell her that I loved her and make her feel awful for leaving? And what if she didn't feel the same way? I would never want her to be in such an awkward position, or to feel as though she were somehow obligated to love me back simply because we were trapped together.
"And so, I buried my feelings deep within me and contented myself with her friendship, never letting on that I wanted it to be more than that. It was enough for me simply to be with her, to enjoy her company and pass the time with her in whatever silly and ridiculous ways we could come up with. For the longest time, despite the prison we lived in, we were happy.
"Until one day, when both our lives were changed forever.
"One afternoon, when Elsa and I were having one of our pretend battles, we heard the familiar clack-hiss of the PC containment system activating. Suddenly, a Pokémon appeared in a flash of red light. Then another. And another. Soon, the PC box was flooded with wild Pokémon as our trainer no-doubt caught them by the dozen, probably on a very active route.
"Elsa and I were stunned, to say the least. We'd been alone for so long, and suddenly our world had been filled with dozens of our own kind. I even saw other Absol among the groups. Can you imagine looking at a Pokémon that's basically identical to you, let alone an entire group of them? All the Pokémon there looked disoriented, glancing to and fro at the new world they found themselves in.
"Elsa was utterly ecstatic to see so many other people join us. I tried to feign the same feelings, but deep down, I wasn't happy. We would probably never be lonely again, and that was wonderful, of course. But when I saw all the other Absol, I began to realize how truly worthless I was. I was just another Pokémon, just another face in the crowd. I was no different than any other Absol. What purpose could I possibly have?
"But that wasn't why I was upset. Since there were so many others, I was certain that I would lose Elsa's affection. After all, the only reason she'd ever had to so much as look my way was because we were alone. Now that we were surrounded by other Pokémon—better Pokémon-what reason would she have to spend time with me? I was just another Absol, after all. She probably wouldn't even be able to tell the difference.
"While Elsa fraternized with the other new Pokémon, I searched for any quiet, secluded places left in the box, but I found none. In the end, I merely lied down in as calm a spot as I could find and tried to think of other things, but it was a fruitless effort. I heard the sounds of the other Pokémon talking and fighting around me for the rest of the day. Even with the multitude of Pokémon speaking, I still clearly made out Elsa's soft, sweet voice among them.
"That night, however, when I was just about to doze off, I felt familiar warmth and softness on my side. Opening my eyes, I saw Elsa nuzzling up against me in that soothing way she always did. Her presence threw me for a loop. I was certain she would have already forgotten about me, and yet she had left the company of the other Pokémon just to be with me.
"That simple gesture spoke more volumes than words ever could have. Even with all the other Absol around, she still recognized me, and despite being surrounded by others of our kind, she'd chosen to be with me. I was enraptured by the thought that I was in some way different after all, and that Elsa could see it, whatever it was.
"That was the night that I could no longer keep my love for her a secret, and I finally worked up my courage and told her how I felt. It was also the night I learned that Elsa truly loved me too, and that she'd kept her feelings concealed for the same reasons. And it was the night that we shared our first kiss. I'll never forget that night.
"For a time, things couldn't have been better. We were finally able to be open about our feelings for one another, the rusty, jagged shackles of secrecy no longer restraining us. We were surrounded by companions we'd forgotten even existed. We had just about everything we could have wanted, and we made many new friendships with the wild Pokémon around us.
"But still, even now, fate had yet another life-changing twist to throw my way. It came entirely without warning. One day, the other Pokémon began disappearing. It was as simple as that. They would become shrouded in an odd, white light and vanish from the PC box in a way that was unfamiliar to us. Elsa and I watched in both horror and curiosity as all our new friends evaporated before our eyes, wondering if we were next.
"We were. I was suddenly covered in the eerie light, quivering slightly as it held me in place. I felt incredibly lightheaded, as though I were lifting off. I tried to reach out to Elsa, as did she to me, but I could barely move my arms. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Elsa becoming enveloped in the light as well.
"When I woke up, I felt an odd sensation I hadn't experienced in what must have been years. Fresh air. My eyes shot open as a cool breeze washed over me. When my dizziness finally faded enough for me to see around me, I gasped in shock. I was in a wide open field—a real one—surrounded by actual trees. There were grey and white clouds above me, and cool, green grass beneath my feet.
"I simply stood there, frozen. For a time, my mind simply couldn't register the sudden change in the environment. I looked around for the other Pokémon, but they were all gone. Since we were the last ones to be taken, I realized that the others had probably already awakened and left. Thankfully, I saw Elsa lying nearby, still unconscious. I immediately headed over to see if she was alright. As I did so, the truth of our situation finally dawned on me.
"Our trainer had released us. It was the only logical explanation. Since there were so many other Pokémon like us in the box, it was only natural he would release most of the identical Pokémon to free up space for new ones. A sudden surge of conflicting emotions swept over me. To finally be free from my prison after so long was both thrilling and terrifying. I was in an entirely new world, and I had no idea what to do.
"When Elsa awakened, she was even more disoriented than I was. I had already gone through the pain of being abandoned by my trainer, so this wasn't a tragedy for me, but Elsa was deeply heartbroken when she realized our trainer had released us. The same way I had loved my first master, she had loved hers.
"I did all I could to comfort her, since I'd already been abandoned by a trainer twice and could easily understand and empathize with her feelings. As I did so, I realized that I was now in my original home: the wild. Elsa had been with her trainer since birth, but I was born in the wilderness. I knew deep down that it was where I truly belonged. After all these years, I was home, free from the competitive, apathetic grasp of Pokémon trainers.
"Elsa wanted to go back to her trainer at first, certain that it was all some kind of accident. It was only by telling her what I'd already been through and of all the evils committed by humans that I finally managed to dissuade her from the idea. I knew if we went back, our trainer would simply cast us aside again, or even worse, change his mind and return us to the PC for some other use.
"We now had one of two choices: we could remain disoriented until we starved to death or were killed by some trainer or wild Pokémon, or we could survive. We chose to survive. Putting the pain of abandonment behind us, we turned our back on humanity and all its greed, apathy, and petty strife. With new resolve, we plunged into the wild, ready to start a new life together.
"For me, it had been a lifetime since I'd lived in the wild, and I'd forgotten most of the essential skills of survival. But my instincts were still as sharp as ever. Not even the humans could take that away from me. Elsa and I learned how to hunt, forage, and find shelter for ourselves. We learned all the tricks of nature, finding our place in the wild, where we belonged. We learned how to hide from trainers, and we honed our battling skills against other predators that attacked us.
"Seasons came and went, and we did alright for ourselves. For so long, I'd been looking for a purpose in life, and at last I had a clear and rich one. Elsa was now my mate, and I had to support her as she supported me, and protect her at all costs from whatever dangers life threw at us. She also began to find herself in this new and infinitely better world. She carried her weight every bit as much as I did, and she held her own in any battles we faced. I can't even describe how proud I was of her.
"I'd say it was at this time that my happiness in life peaked. Not only were we free of the shallow, unloving hand of Pokémon trainers, but we were carrying out the purpose we were made for. I understood now that Pokémon were never meant to be contained in capsules and forced to battle each other for the amusement of humans. We are wild creatures, meant to rule nature and roam free within it. It's our rightful place, our destiny. And no matter how many of us they capture or kill, trainers can never change that.
"However, despite all we'd achieved since our release, it seems all good things truly must come to an end. And the end came when a great famine struck the land. No one knew why at the time, but food became scarce at a frightening rate. Elsa and I were almost never able to find game anymore, and what we did manage to hunt barely kept us alive.
"For a time, we lived off the smaller game that was still around; the odd Deerling, a tiny group of Starly, and so on. But it wasn't enough. Each day, I felt myself becoming weaker and weaker from malnutrition. It tore at my heart to see the effects the famine had on Elsa. Her ribcage was becoming more visible each day, her beautiful black-and-grey fur sheen a shadow of what it once was. I probably looked even worse. We tried as hard as we could to survive, but in the end, we realized that death was inevitable.
"Surprisingly, Elsa didn't seem upset about any of it; in fact, she seemed strangely content. When I asked her about it, she merely said that she was satisfied with her life. She was glad to have gone through the adventures we did, and she didn't mind dying now as long as we were together. Deep down, I felt the same way, and I was more than ready for whatever new adventures might be in store for us in the afterlife.
"But it was not meant to be. Even as we prepared ourselves for a peaceful end, a Pokémon came to us and asked for a moment of our time. We decided to listen. After all, what did we have to lose? The Pokémon said that our fierce battling and survival skills had become very impressive, and that we were needed by his organization. When I asked how he knew about us, he replied that he'd been watching us for a very long time, and promptly introduced himself as Honchkrow.
"Honchkrow said that he worked for the group known as the West Side, an organization steadily growing in power and influence with every day that passed. He explained that their war with the East Side was becoming increasingly bleak, and that powerful Pokémon like us were needed in their army. Since we were both Dark types, we were doubly welcome, since Dark and Fire Pokémon are the dominant types in their forces.
I didn't know it at the time, but the appearance of the East Side was also responsible for the great famine we'd faced.
"Honchkrow asked us to join the West Side, promising us food and shelter, along with the chance to join the 'winning team.' Elsa didn't want to at first, but as her mate, it was my duty to do anything—anything—to keep her alive as long as I could, and so I convinced her to at least give them a fair hearing. When she finally agreed—and she only did so because I wanted it—Honchkrow gleefully led us to the West Side headquarters.
"It was there that I met the Pokémon who would destroy my life: Houndoom. As soon as we entered his lair, Houndoom greeted us enthusiastically and treated us like we were old friends. He did an admirable job of concealing the fact that he's a blood-sucking demon from the depths of hell. He told us fantastic stories about the greatness of the West Side, the evils of the East Side, and all the Pokémon we'd be saving if we joined his glorious cause. He said he'd get us through the famine, and that he'd help countless others do so as well.
"I don't really think his silver tongue fully convinced either of us, but as before, my priority was Elsa's life, and so I agreed to Houndoom's terms, and we soon became members of the West Side. In the end, my choice was technically the correct one. If we had refused, we both would have died.
"This way, only one of us did."
Absol's voice broke slightly. He turned away for a moment, his eyes tightly shut.
"I-I'm sorry, Ember," he said quietly. "It's just…this is very difficult for me to talk about."
"Then don't!" Ember quickly reassured him. "I didn't know the story would be so painful. I'm the one who should be sorry for forcing you to tell me."
After a brief, silent moment, Absol turned to her again, giving her one of the small, affectionate smiles that always seemed to make her heart beat a bit faster.
"Thank you, Ember," he said. "I'm grateful for your consideration, but I'll be alright. It's about time I got this off my chest, anyway. After all, you can't let the past haunt you forever, right?"
Ember still felt a little guilty for making him tell her the rest of the story now, and even more guilty for being so jealous of Elsa before.
"Well, alright," she said finally. "If you're sure."
"I'm sure," Absol replied. "Anyway, for the next few weeks, our whole definition of survival changed. Before, we'd been doing our best to stay alive; now we had to do our best to avoid being killed. Elsa and I did our best to protect each other, but I didn't know whether to fear the East Side or Houndoom more. We quickly learned that every decision has consequences, and that ours would be severe.
"Despite our best efforts, Elsa and I were often separated. Usually Houndoom or one of his commanders would send us on different missions, and I always felt a deep stab of fear in my gut whenever she was sent off into battle against some East Side camp or force. I'd be unable to rest soundly until I knew she was back, safe from harm.
"If any West Side commanders or agents ever abused or mistreated Elsa in any way, I made sure they wouldn't be walking back home, at least not on all their legs. I'm pretty sure the only reason I wasn't severely punished for that was due to my solid mission performance and strong battling skills, though I tried not to push my luck in other matters.
"I eventually learned that Houndoom had started the war against the East Side, but not for the reasons some people think. In fact, his idea was insidiously clever. Both gangs had started out as no more than minor groups of Pokémon, nothing large or powerful. But when Luxray's gang had entered the region, Houndoom seized his chance, starting a war with Luxray that would only make his gang grow in strength and influence as he convinced others to join him and help fend off the 'invaders.' From then on, both gangs had gotten so many recruits through propaganda and other means that they were nearly unstoppable.
"I was disgusted to be a part of it all, but I pushed my personal feelings aside, my only concern being Elsa's safety. I grew fiercely strong in combat, to the point where I never failed in any of my missions. Many of my tasks were cruel and heartless, and they wil tear at my conscience for the rest of my days.
"One day, Elsa and I were sent out to one of the camps closer to the front lines. I didn't know whether Houndoom was counting on our strength or simply trying to get rid of us, but we had been sent from the frying pan and into the fire. I didn't really care about Houndoom or Luxray's ideals—we were only there because of the famine—but each day we were struggling to stay alive while fending off whatever fiendish attacks the East Side sent after us.
"Still, they say there's always a silver lining between the clouds. This was where Elsa and I met Umbra for the first time. He was one of the top agents at the base, and he loved meeting any newcomers sent there. Let me tell you, he was every bit the goofy jokester he is today, but he quickly became our most invaluable friend. He liked us a lot, always calling us the 'cutest couple he'd ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on,' and we grew to like him a lot too.
"Whenever we were feeling depressed or strained from our duties, he'd always find some way to cheer us up. Surprisingly, he was also someone we could talk to, and he would be serious when he needed to be. Our magic little trio of awesomeness, as he liked to call it, managed to survive the gang wars for the longest time, and still stay in relatively high spirits.
"I'll never forget what Umbra did for us. If it weren't for his uplifting attitude, his unending good nature, and yes, even his bad jokes, I'm not sure we would have been able to stand the torture of working for the West Side. I still think he's the best friend a guy could have, especially for someone in our position.
"However, as the harsh days went by, Elsa seemed to be growing weaker and weaker. I couldn't understand why at first, but I assumed it was because of the cruel battles. Still, there came a time when she could barely walk. She seemed to be searching restlessly for something, but she couldn't find it, and the West Side guards certainly wouldn't let her outside the camp to look for it.
"I tried to help her in any way I could, but I didn't know what to do. Thankfully, Umbra recognized the problem as soon as he saw it. He told me that it was time for Elsa to have her puppies.
"At first, I was ecstatic at the thought of being a father. However, this joy was soon replaced by a deep fear. There was no way we could raise children in the middle of a gang war, let alone serving one of the two warring sides. I knew that Houndoom couldn't care less about our problems, and any children we had would be as good as dead here, even if the famine was finally coming to an end. And so, in the middle of the night, Elsa and I discussed our plans to escape the West Side.
"Surprisingly, Umbra found us and joined in on the conversation, saying he knew what we were up to and wanted to leave too. He said he was tired of Houndoom's rule, and he wanted to see the world now that the famine was over. He was also thrilled at the idea of being an uncle. We were more than glad to let him join us. We decided that the very next night, when it was down to a skeleton crew at the base, we'd sneak out into the nearby woods for cover, then keep moving and never look back.
"When I woke up the next morning, I was anxious to get through the day so we could carry out our plan. However, when I went to check on Elsa to make sure she was alright, she was nowhere to be found. When I asked Honchkrow where she was, he calmly informed me that Houndoom had already sent her out onto the battlefield on an assault mission.
"I was beyond infuriated and terrified. I demanded to see Houndoom immediately, and Honchkrow promptly told me that was impossible. But I was past the point of caring. I left the camp and marched straight into Houndoom's lair, ready to tear apart any guards that tried to stop me. Umbra followed me, trying fruitlessly to calm me down. Finally, I stood before Houndoom, who was unsurprised to see me.
"I told him about Elsa's condition, but he didn't care in the least. In fact, to this day, I'm certain that he already knew about it, and that he'd sent Elsa away to get rid of her since she was no longer of use. I wanted to kill him right then and there, but I knew that would only jeopardize Elsa's life even further. I begged Houndoom to send me out there with her, but he said I needed to stay behind and protect the camp. Yeah, right.
"As furious as I was, I had no choice but to return to the base in the end. I would have simply gone right out to find her, but they never told me where they'd sent her. For the next few days, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't even bring myself to eat what little food they gave me. Umbra did his best to reassure me that Elsa would be alright in the end and that we would still escape together, but nothing could come even close to easing my worries. Every day, I thought about the life Elsa and I had ahead of us, and every night, I thought about how close we were to losing it. But I held onto my hope that she would return, and we would escape this hell together and start anew.
"You know, I've always hated Honchkrow. I hate his disgusting, obsequious manner when dealing with his superiors, and his smug, apathetic attitude towards anyone beneath him. He was ecstatic to be high enough to guarantee his survival but low enough that he didn't have to make any real decisions. No matter how often I asked where they'd sent Elsa or if she was alright, he'd never give me anything more than a 'Sorry, that's classified information. Now get back to your post.'
"In fact, it was a full week later when I finally received the first piece of information about my mate's whereabouts. The assault force Houndoom had sent out finally returned to the camp, led by Arcanine. I looked anxiously for Elsa, but she was nowhere to be found. I quickly asked Arcanine what had happened to her.
"Arcanine then calmly told me that Elsa—my dearest, beloved Elsa, the love of my life—had been killed in action.
"It was as simple as that. He even said a quick, toneless 'my condolences' and walked off, leaving me standing there, dazed. My head swam as I tried to wrap it around the news. There had to have been some mistake. Elsa couldn't have been killed. Not her. Not now. Umbra was torn with grief, but I simply couldn't accept it. I wrathfully stormed up to Honchkrow, grabbing and holding the disgusting bird's neck in a death grip, ordering him to tell me where Elsa had been sent.
"Honchkrow, desperate to literally save his neck, told me the location without much of a struggle. As tempting as it was to kill him, Elsa's life was more important to me, so I merely threw him aside and ran out of the camp. Elsa couldn't have died, but whatever had happened to her, I would save her. I was done waiting. We were leaving, and no one would stand in my way.
"I ran out onto the battlefield without a moment's hesitation, the ever-faithful Umbra following me and trying to restrain me from the suicidal move. Not many soldiers came at us since the battles there were nearly over, and any that did come I ripped through without mercy. No one could stop me from reaching Elsa, let alone what little enemy forces were left in the sector. In a few hours, I finally made it to the area Honchkrow told me about."
"When I arrived at the location Honchkrow gave me, I saw only one living Pokémon in the area. It was the vile leader of the East Side himself, the most wicked and monstrous Pokémon to ever walk the earth. I was face to face with Luxray.
"Beneath him, I saw the dead carcass of a Pokémon, though it was too brutally mauled and torn apart for me to recognize at that distance. A pool of blood nearly five feet wide soaked the ground around the body. I nearly gagged in revulsion at the sight of it. Luxray was eating the pokemon's carcass, and the way he did it showed a level of sadism I didn't know could be achieved. It wasn't like eating game for survival. Luxray was practically playing with his food. He'd ripped the body to shreds in so many ways that I couldn't even bear to look at it.
"Luxray nonchalantly glanced up from his meal at me, and I found myself staring into the depths of his soulless, demonic yellow eyes. He barely even acknowledged my presence before taking one last, large bite out of his victim. He then gave me a cynical, uncaring stare and walked off.
"I heard Umbra curse angrily at Luxray, but the East Side leader didn't even turn his head. When Luxray was out of sight, Umbra and I decided to bury the body—or what was left of it—if only to spare anyone else from the grotesque sight, not like anyone in either gang would care. We reluctantly approached the body, and I finally got the stomach to take a closer look at it.
"My heart stopped. Air abandoned my lungs as I looked at the carcass. My legs became weak as water as I stared down at the mangled Pokémon before me. I saw spots appear as my mind finally registered the truth. Finally, my brain simply shut off, my legs giving way as I blacked out, hitting the ground hard.
"The shredded, mangled body was that of my mate. Luxray had murdered Elsa.
"When I woke up, I saw Umbra cleaning himself off at a nearby lake. I groggily called out to him, and he quickly came running toward me. I desperately hoped it had all been a lucid nightmare, but when I asked him about it, I saw the lines of grief on his normally smiling, cheerful face. He reluctantly told me the truth, and that he'd buried the body himself so I wouldn't have to look at it anymore.
"There was no escaping it. Elsa was gone, as were our children within her. In the space of a single day, I'd lost the only family I knew. Both the loathsome gangs had taken her from me. Houndoom sent her off to her death, and Luxray carried out the execution. I looked out once at the valleys and meadows around me. They still looked lovely, even with the gangs ravaging the lands. The world should have been cold and dark. Nothing should look beautiful.
The worst part was that I never even got the chance to say goodbye. I never got to thank her for the life she'd given me, for the love we shared together, and from all she'd helped me overcome. I never got to tell her how much she meant to me, and how much I'd miss her. We were supposed to be together, but she'd ended up dying by herself out there, alone and forsaken.
"Now, you might think that I immediately fell into the black abyss of despair. But for some reason, I didn't. In fact, I couldn't even cry for her. I didn't know it at the time, but all these emotions and more would come to me in full force much later. But at that moment, I felt something else.
"I felt anger. Fury slowly boiled deep within me. Elsa was dead, and she shouldn't have been. Wrath began to explode inside me like Lava Plume. The gangs had done this to me. The West Side tricked us into joining them, then used and manipulated our lives and treated us like tools. When Elsa was no longer of use to them, they'd discarded her like trash, and Luxray had murdered her like just another nameless victim.
"Umbra tried to console me, but I didn't want consolation. I wanted revenge. I wanted to destroy the gangs. I wanted to murder Houndoom and Luxray. I wanted to write Elsa's name on her grave with their blood. Looking back, it frightens me how angry I became, how much control I'd lost. I knew I couldn't reach Houndoom, since he would be expecting this reaction and would either have temporarily left, or placed guards everywhere to be ready for me. In fact, I think the only reason he hadn't killed me in the first place just to be safe was because he'd had to deal with this risk many times before.
"But there was one Pokémon who wasn't ready for me. Once the prospect of revenge on Houndoom became impossible, my mind focused entirely on Luxray. I wanted to mangle and tear him to shreds the same way he'd done to Elsa. My rage flooded every fiber of my being until my entire existence was devoted to ending his. My sole purpose in life had become to annihilate Luxray.
"To this day, I scoff at people who spout clichéd phrases like 'revenge doesn't solve anything.' Idiots who say things like that have never truly experienced tragedy like this, and merely want to sound wise and profound to others. They would never say those things if they'd had their dearest love and all their children mercilessly slaughtered by a sadistic tyrant.
"Umbra's best attempts to try and calm me down were utterly useless. As the days passed, I was no longer able to think about anything other than Luxray's death. That should have scared me, but I can honestly say that I had gone insane at the time. As if taking Elsa away from me wasn't enough, he had mercilessly slaughtered, mauled, and torn her apart for fun. There would be blood to pay.
"And so, I began to hatch a cunning and insidious plan for revenge. When I told Umbra of my scheme, he tried to talk me out of it, saying I'd get myself killed. But I didn't listen. I couldn't listen. I was past the point of reason, and I was fully ready to carry out my plan with or without his help. Umbra was desperate to save me, but I refused to hear him anymore.
"Finally, Umbra said that if I went off to carry out this plan, he would leave me on my own. I called his bluff, preparing to leave anyway. Turns out, he wasn't bluffing. Umbra abruptly walked off in a different direction as soon as I said I was going. I believe his words were 'When you've come to your senses, I'll meet you in the valley we talked about.'
"He obviously meant the one we were planning on escaping to before Elsa died. With that, Umbra stormed off, leaving me to my own ends. I didn't return to the West Side camp. Instead, I carried out my original plan and escaped the West Side for good. I think the only reason they let us out so far in the first place was because we'd probably be killed anyway. However, I didn't simply leave. Instead, I went right for the East Side.
"To reach the other side of the region, I had to cross through Rypherior's cavern. The Rock leader himself confronted me and demanded I leave. When I refused, Rypherior threatened to have his minions kill me. For that, I said he was a weak coward who hid behind his soldiers to do his dirty work for him. That wasn't true in the least, but my words had the desired effect. He said that he would face me in a one-on-one, and if I was victorious, he'd let me pass.
"I agreed to the challenge. After all, I had nothing more to lose. Rypherior and I faced off, circling each other and firing a few attacks back and forth. Rypherior was far stronger than me physically, but I had two advantages. One, my training with the West Side, while grueling, had molded me into a fierce warrior in combat, and I was easily a higher level than him. Two, while serving with the gang, during a battle with the East Side, I had found one of the most powerful held items in existence: a Life Orb.
"By keeping my distance, using the Life Orb to my advantage, and balancing my attacks while avoiding his, I soon defeated Rypherior in battle. True to his word, he allowed me to pass through his cavern. I exited the cave, and entered the east side.
"I searched high and low for my enemies, and found them far sooner than expected. As I drew nearer toward their current main base, an Electivire and a Jolteon stopped me, demanding to know who I was. I simply introduced myself as a former member of the West Side. My calm, matter-of-fact answer surprised them. It surprised them even more when I said that I'd come to join the East Side.
"Of course, they didn't believe me at first. But when I said I had detailed information on the West Side and all its plans and locations, they quickly changed their attitudes. I asked to speak with Luxray in person, and I'm not surprised they declined. After all, I could easily be an assassin from the West Side sent to kill their leader.
"Instead, they let me speak with Luxray's current second-in-command, a Scrafty. We were surrounded by guards, of course. I offered to reveal the locations of all of Houndoom's bases, battalions, commanders, and allies in exchange for a position of power in the East Side. After all, why should I care about what damage befell the West Side after all the awful things I'd seen them do?
"As a start, I revealed the location of one of the West Side's supply bases. After sending a few hidden Ghost-type scouts to the coordinates I'd given them to check if the information was valid, Scrafty eagerly agreed to my proposal, and I soon became a chief lieutenant in the East Side. It was then that I set my plan into motion.
"As I gradually revealed more and more information each day, my standing with the East Side grew increasingly firm. The East Side also won more and more battles against the West Side, but I didn't care. When I felt I'd sufficiently gained their trust, I requested my first meeting with Luxray.
"They allowed the meeting, although Luxray would still be protected, for obvious reasons. When they mentioned he'd be guarded, I wondered aloud why Luxray goes to the front lines to fight with Pokémon he hardly knows, yet he refuses to come face-to-face with a core component of his army by himself. My comment was ignored, of course.
"I soon entered one of the large cities they'd taken over, and a few guards escorted me into an incredibly large Pokemon Gym. Once inside, I was greeted warmly by the bane of my life himself. We had a relatively normal conversation—at least, as normal a conversation as a defector and a tyrant can have.
"I revealed crucial information to Luxray, and he was more than glad to pay me for the valuable knowledge he'd received. He still questioned why I would leave Houndoom, obviously trying to figure out if my intentions were sincere. Or insincere, anyway. I merely told him that I'd moved from the West Side to the winning side. He actually laughed a bit at my pun before dismissing me, satisfied with my answer.
"The fact that Luxray believed me only proves how heartless he truly is. Anyone else would still be suspicious of me, but Luxray obviously believed that everyone was just like him: always looking out for number one. He believes there is no right or wrong, and that everyone only cares about themselves in the end. So, when I told him that I'd selfishly abandoned the West Side just for my own personal gain, he accepted it as the obvious and logical truth. And so, I'd fully won his trust.
"He would pay dearly for his mistake.
"I waited as long as I could, managing to keep my deep anger and hatred concealed, buried within me. With infinite subtlety and patience, I steadily blended in with the East Side, but from then on, I'd always give any information to Luxray personally until my meeting with him became a regular occurrence. Nobody questioned it.
"And one day, when I was certain the time was right, I carried out the final phase of my plan.
"Scrafty came to me again and requested more information on Houndoom's top battalions before they attempted a raid on his forces. I merely replied that I would give the information to Luxray personally, as always. However, this time, I requested to meet with Luxray privately, in a time and place of my choosing.
"Scrafty instantly became suspicious, so I said that this time I would not only give Luxray the information on the West Side battalions, but I would also reveal the most coveted secret of all: the location of Houndoom's lair.
"With an offer like that, Scrafty couldn't simply refuse. And so, he wisely chose to relay my request to Luxray himself. Luxray agreed to my terms without hesitation. I could tell that he was entirely confident in his own abilities, and he almost saw the guards' protection during each of our meetings as an insult.
"That night, I made plans to go find that valley Umbra mentioned after I was finished with the East Side. It was as good a place as any to flee once I'd settled my account with Luxray. I only hoped Umbra would still be there, and that he'd forgive me for my stubbornness.
"After a good night's sleep, I finally headed off into a nearby forest the next morning to meet with Luxray. I already knew exactly where he would arrive, so I prepared myself, warming up my muscles for battle. I knew I couldn't wait in ambush for him, since his eyes could see through any solid objects. Instead, I merely waited for him in the clearing, finally allowing my inner rage to boil back up to the surface once more.
"Luxray soon stepped into view, and I stepped forward to meet him. I faced my antagonist with nothing but bitter, deathless anger in my heart. He calmly asked me for the information I promised. I did not even awnser, I mearly struck like a Serperior at its prey.
"Somehow, Luxray almost instantly reacted to my charge, moving to the side just in time to avoid being knocked over, which would have allowed me to bite into his throat and end the fight before it began. With that, we leapt at each other, beginning our battle to the death.
"You've been through many tournaments and seen plenty of battles, but none of them were like this. My fight with Luxray wasn't a simple contest between two Pokémon, each taking turns and exchanging standard moves. This was the longest and most savage, bloody, vicious battle I've ever had in my life. For at least forty minutes, we tore at each other, all our combat instincts in overdrive, all my hatred bursting from me as I tried in every way I knew to kill the head of the East Side.
"Now, each of us had an advantage over the other. Mine was that I had absolutely nothing to lose, and that my only desire was to end his life, which allowed me to stay in the fight until the end, no matter how many injuries I received. Luxray's advantage, however, was the reason why he was the head of the East Side. He is both a natural born survivor, and a natural born killer. I was an opponent, and he'd fight me to the death without hesitation.
"We clawed, bit, slashed, burned, shocked, and mangled each other for what seemed like an eternity, our savagery in its prime. We used all our moves with abandon, our blood staining the ground beneath us as we continued to circle each other, pounding away with our best attacks until we ran out of Power Points and could only use Struggle in our duel for dominance.
"We were nearly evenly matched for most of the death clash, and we fought for the slightest advantage with each moment of combat. I no longer even felt pain from his attacks. Most of my body was numb from my injuries, and I forced it to continue, blow after blow as attack and counter attack was exchanged. My body was merely my tool for ending Luxray's life now, and I pushed it far past its limit, no matter how much it was damaged. I could tell that Luxray was doing the same.
"In the end, however, even with all my training in the wild, the human world, and the West Side, I still wasn't able to triumph over Luxray. His mind worked too quickly in combat. He knew exactly when and where to strike, when to dodge, when to press his advantage, and how to throw off the enemy. Step by step, he outmaneuvered me as our struggle finally drew near to the end. I'd put up a good fight—a fight that would have made Elsa proud—but I'd lost.
"Worse still, even as I felt the reserves of my blood draining from me as Luxray pounded my dying body relentlessly, I heard voices and footsteps through my ringing ears. No-doubt the East Side was worried about their leader since we'd spent far too long out here, and they would kill me the instant they saw what happened.
"But I wasn't quite finished yet. Luxray had destroyed my life, and I wasn't going to let him get away that easily. Even if I couldn't kill him, he was still going to pay for what he did to Elsa. And so, as we charged at each other for the final struggle, with the last reserves of my strength, I took my Life Orb and drilled it into him.
"Luxray staggered back in confusion, but I stayed with him, latching my claws onto him as I shattered the Life Orb against his body. The shards dug deeply into him, the same way they did with Tyranitar. Even though I'd failed to kill him, I'd dealt him an equally grueling justice. He roared and cried out in agony as the Life Orb shards stabbed and embedded themselves irremovably into his body. I knew now he would feel eternal pain, just like all the pain he'd caused millions of other Pokémon.
"With that, while Luxray was still wailing and thrashing about, I pushed my half-dead body one last time and ran out of the clearing, hoping my blood trail wouldn't be too visible. At least I'd had the luck to face Luxray during the heavy rain, which would probably wash most of it away. I managed to elude my enemies once again, hearing Luxray barking angry orders at them.
"Even with all the pain and agony I struggled with, I managed to reach the valley Umbra told me about, but that was it. I collapsed the instant I set foot in the safe haven, completely drained. To my great joy, Umbra was still there. I can only imagine his surprise when, on one normal day, he suddenly saw a beaten, dying Absol stumble into his valley.
"Umbra was mortified when he saw my condition. He quickly used as many healing items on me as he could find, and while I'd still lost too much blood to move at the moment, he managed to heal some of my serious injuries.
"He asked if Luxray was dead, and I sadly told him I'd failed to kill him. But I was satisfied that I'd given him a kind of revenge for what he'd done. For every ounce of pain he inflicted on others, he would now feel pain as well. It wasn't entirely what I'd wanted, but my anger and fury finally began to fade.
"Umbra and I were both tired of the gangs, the wars, and the heartless leaders. And so, with some small justice finally served, he and I left the valley, leaving behind the East and west sides for good as we searched for some other refuge. As we looked for homes of our own, I slowly began to heal, but in body only. Umbra eventually led me to a small island off the coast of the main region with the help of one of his old friends, and we found the perfect Hidden Grotto to live in.
"Now, at long last, with my anger no longer there to shield me from it, all the grief I hadn't felt before finally came. It started slowly, but as the days went by, it gradually took hold of me. It was a large void in me, a hole in my existence, a nagging sense of incompletion that never died and only grew worse as the days went by. The horrible truth was that it was my fault too.
"My life had such purpose when Elsa had been there. But what did I have to live for now? All the tears I'd never cried for her came now, and I drank far deeper from the well of despair than I ever thought possible. I'd wake up some mornings expecting her to be there by my side, but quickly remembering that she was gone, and that I'd never feel her gentle touch or see her sweet smile ever again.
"Some mornings, I couldn't even to even get up. I don't mean that I was unwilling to; I was simply unable to force myself to rise. A maddening, perpetual headache tortured me each day without rest. I'd sometimes forget even the simplest things during the day. Umbra might ask me to bring him a Sitrus Berry from a nearby forest, and I'd go find one and bring it to him. Shortly after, I'd go looking for one again and then be surprised when he told me I'd already done it.
"But the unending headaches, the difficulty getting up, and the failing memory were only the beginning. At night, I would be unable to sleep. I'd merely drift through semi-consciousness, the pounding, throbbing headache tormenting me every minute of my 'rest.' And when I woke up, I found the days to be identical to the nights. It made no difference if the sun in the sky was up or down; the sun within me had set all the same, and would never rise again.
"Many, many times I thought of ending my life. The only things that kept me alive were the thought that Elsa wouldn't have wanted it, and my dear, loyal friend Umbra. It's thanks to him that I stayed alive to tell you this story. Whenever I'd be unwilling or unable to bring myself to eat, drink, or walk, he'd always force me to in the end. He was determined to help me get through the sorrow and depression alive, no matter what the cost. And if I ever tried to take my own life, he'd stop me with a ferocity I didn't know he had in him.
"One day, I asked why Umbra was so loyal to me. He merely brushed my question aside and continued trying to nurse me back to health, both in body and spirit. I think that Umbra truly believes in a deeper sense of morality, and that beneath his lighthearted, Darkrai-may-care attitude, he cares profoundly for others, especially his friends.
"Eventually, I decided I wanted to leave the region. There was too much sorrow there for me, too many painful memories. Besides, the gangs were ruining everything, and I wanted to get as far away from them as possible. When I told Umbra my plan, he said it was a great idea, and that it would be good for me to get away from the region and see the world.
"I'll never forget the day we had our falling out. You see, I felt incredibly guilty about always dragging Umbra down. I felt he could have a much better life if I wasn't there to be a burden to him. I was so grateful for all he'd done for me. I wanted him to have the very best, and traveling with a ruined Pokémon like me wouldn't be a good life for him.
"And so, when the time came for us to leave the region, I said I thought it would be best for us to part ways, and that he should live his own life. Sadly, Umbra didn't see it the way I did. He thought I simply didn't want him with me, and he was deeply hurt that after all we'd been through and all he'd done for me, I was telling him to go away.
"I tried to tell him I was only thinking of what was best for him, but he was too pained and upset to listen. I really don't blame him. I guess the fight was my fault in the end. Ironically, to him, it must have been exactly like when he left me, only in reverse. That was when we parted ways, him heading back into the region, and me preparing to leave it.
"I have to admit, thanks to Umbra, my depression was no longer strong enough to overpower me. Oh, yes, it was still there, and I felt the pain every day. But I could rise on my own in the mornings, I didn't forget my way through the region—at least, not too often—and the headache was bearable at times. As I crossed the country, my main enemies were always hunger and loneliness.
"I finally reached the edge of the region some months later. I had no idea what I would do once I was out. I had plenty of experience avoiding trainers by then, and I could easily survive in the wild due to my training. But what was the point? Even as I ducked into the tall grass to avoid the sights of a trainer passing by, I wondered if I would ever truly be happy again. I was certain that joy was nothing but a memory I would never taste."
Absol took a long pause, sighing deeply as he stared at the dying flames of their campsite. Finally, he turned to Ember, giving her a fond, gentle smile.
"And then I met you," he said.
Ember had been listening in dumbstruck awe at the tragic tale. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for him to face that kind of sorrow. She felt a lump in her throat at the mere thought of it. She began to understand what Absol meant by the truth being more painful than not knowing it.
"I…I'm so sorry, Absol," she said quietly. "I don't know what to say. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose someone you love like that. I wish I could help somehow…"
To her great surprise, Absol actually chuckled at her comment. It was the last thing she'd expected to hear after a tale like that.
"You already have," he replied. "You don't need to console me, Ember. Just your kind, outgoing attitude and your amazing personality have already done that. When I met you in that forest, it was the first time in years I actually found myself laughing and smiling. You've eased the grief of losing Elsa to the point where it no longer hurts me. I'll always miss her, but you made me happy again. So, don't ever feel like you need to do something more for me. You've already made my life so much better."
Ember felt herself returning Absol's smile, her heart fluttering at the thought that she'd made him so happy after all that.
"Well, you've made my life better too," she replied earnestly. "I was lost and alone in the wild, and you protected me and guided me through it. I'd be dead already if it weren't for you."
"It was worth it," Absol replied. "I'll always be there for you. You've made my world much brighter."
Ember smirked. "You make it sound like I rewrote history."
Absol laughed a bit at the irony. "Well, maybe not that, but I'll be there for you all the same."
Ember thought for a moment as she glanced at their caught game, which had gone cold as the fire died.
"I'm really glad to be there for you too," she said finally. "But am I the only good thing in your life?"
Absol shrugged. "No, you're not."
Absol walked over to the dying fire, attempting to rekindle it with what firewood they had left.
"But you are the best," he added over his shoulder.