Alright, everyone, there is going to be a trigger warning for this chapter. I'll be upfront, it will contain severe child abuse and may require me to bump the rating to M. I think I'm just under the line, but this was especially tough for me to write as a parent.

Still, I think backstories like this are important and I am sorry if this does cause a trigger for anyone reading. Please be advised and I am always available to talk if anyone needs a shoulder.

Without further ado, please review/fav/follow and enjoy!

Chapter 21: Peridot City's Finest and Amethyst City's Worst

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The awkward tension in the air was palpable as both Axl and Erin sat on opposite sides of the jail cell they currently found themselves in. Erin was sitting with her back on the wall, staring at Axl with a million thoughts running through her mind as the otter that was on it was leaning against the steel bars, peeking at their guard.

Said guard, who happened to be the Octillery named Gurbo that Erin recognized from the wanted poster, was currently coloring in a photo of a tree on what looked like a child's drawing sheet. A definite far cry from what she assumed was a vicious criminal that had a decent level of threat to him.

She certainly wasn't expecting him to be sloppily trying his best to finish his 'masterpiece'.

Axl had his attention focused solely on that, if nothing else to avoid talking to Erin. "You know, you're supposed to stay inside the lines." He commented to the Octillery.

Gurbo hummed happily. "It's a reflection of the enigma in my head." He replied, kicking his tentacles in the air.

Axl cocked his head. "Why did you make the tree purple?" He asked, confused.

Gurbo narrowed his eyes at the otter. "Because it's my masterpiece. It's art." He countered.

"It looks silly."

Gurbo suddenly shot up and ripped it in half. "WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GOING TO BE A GIFT FOR YOU BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE CUTE BUT NOW…" He trailed off as he scampered out of the room, sobbing hysterically as he padded away.

Axl sighed as he looked at the torn pieces. "That would have looked perfect on Frankie's fridge, too." He said sarcastically, sitting back down with his back on the wall as well.

The cell they were located in was underneath the floor they were just on, with Axl's body and a struggling Erin having been taken there about twenty minutes ago. To Erin's surprise, they decided to not kill her as she was Axl's friend, and he was allowed one Pokemon to let live.

She had remained in an anxious state the entire time as while they managed to heal most of the bad damage to Axl, his arm was still grievously injured and would require time to get back to normal. He had woken up groaning in pain from it, but slowly stopped seriously complaining when he saw how worried his friend was.

Her thoughts were also on Karl, feeling relieved as she knew they wouldn't harm him, but worried nonetheless when she thought of the mental trauma the poor child had just endured.

If only I was stronger…

She fixated on Axl, who had his scarf back on, and felt a flurry of emotions. Part of her felt silly for not realizing sooner while another part of her was more curious than ever. It felt like the pieces of the mystery that was him was coming together, but she still wanted more.

She looked steadily at him. "Axl…can we talk?"

Axl returned her gaze. "Well, we aren't going to be doing anything else until the guild comes. I'm getting the hint you may have a few questions." He said sheepishly.

Erin made a face. "I would hope you got the hint the first eight or nine times I asked." She muttered to him.

Axl gave her a half-serious look. "Yeah, your little reaction to Karl earlier kind of was a turn off for telling you." He told her, causing her to sigh in shame as she realized he had a valid point. He continued, a little more softly. "Don't take it too personally. No one besides Franky, Pops and Sergei know about my mark."

Erin raised a brow. "Not even Ceren?" She asked.

Axl shook his head. "Not even Ceren." He repeated, drifting his gaze up to the ceiling. "We were partners from the beginning, and I managed to hide my mark from him for years."

Erin took this in and, selfishly felt a wave of relief that she wasn't the only one he was keeping secrets from.

A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Wait, if you have the mark that means you can increase your power five times as normal, right?" She asked, half wondering why Axl didn't use the free power up.

He smirked bitterly. "That's the thing, even if I wanted to, which I wouldn't by the way," He told her, sounding a little resentful. "I can't. Due to the shape of my mark, my mind would fracture if I tried to activate it and I wouldn't ever be back to the lovable furball you know and love."

Erin's eyes widened and she suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Axl in the forest about Karl having the same mark. Karl did have a differently shaped mark than Thorn and Trager did, with it having more of an upside-down star shape as opposed to the normal gem like shape she was used to on the Nidoking's bare chest.

"So…" She started, curious about something. "You really can't use it, even once?"

Axl looked down at his feet. "Unfortunately, no, not even once. Even one activation would send me feral, and I would go crazy on all of your butts." He joked before adding a tragic twist. "Plus…you'd have to kill me if I did according to the law."

Erin's blood ran cold. "Why is that?" She asked, almost not wanting the answer.

Axl laughed harshly. "Because they don't want to go through the trouble of treating us and finding a way to fix it. It's a complicated enough thing as it is without it being involved with Pokemon that the public aren't particularly fond of." He said, his eyes narrowing. "Besides, I made Pops promise to kill me if that day ever came, I would rather be dead than live a life like that."

Erin felt a wave of rage and sympathy, her emotions for Axl taking her by surprise. She just stared at him for a moment, taking everything, she was starting to feel for him in which took her by surprise. As annoying and difficult as he could be, Axl was genuinely a phenomenal guy and Erin still felt hungry to learn more about him.

Pushing herself upwards, she headed towards the subject of her powerful emotions and sat herself down next to him, making sure she met his eyes and put her hand on his.

Axl raised a brow at her. "Hey, hey, I know my trauma dumping is charming and all, but-"

Erin didn't let him continue. "Axl," She began gently, cutting him off. "Please talk to me, I know we honestly just met in the scope of things, and you have no reason to talk to me. I'm not good at battling or thinking sometimes, but I'm committed to helping others and one thing I am good at is listening. I'm not going to judge you; I'm not going to hate you and no matter what I will have your back. You don't have to hide who you are from me."

Axl looked a little taken aback, shocked by her kind words. He had met her gaze and seemed to be studying her a little bit to decide whether he should trust her or not. He let out a breath, and if it was anyone but Axl, Erin would think it was an anxious one. But she understood him more than that, and smiled gratefully at him as he laid his head back in defeat.

He chuckled at her. "This is why you're Peridot City's finest." He cracked, leaning his head back. "Fine, you win, allow me to disappoint you with the tale of Amethyst City's worst."

Erin said nothing but looked at him eagerly.

Axl took another breath. "Well, to start…. I am originally from Hisui Bay." He said, making Erin's jaw drop in astonishment. "I escaped when I was about nine years old."

Erin couldn't contain her surprise. "Escaped?" She yelped.

Axl scratched the back of his head. "Don't give me too much credit, I had a lot of help and certainly didn't do too much to help." His eyes suddenly down casted a bit. "My mother died in the escape trying to swim away with me on her back. The waters around the island get as low as -3, she only made it a few miles before the cold took her."

He looked far off. "I was saved by another prisoner who swam me thirty miles to land and dropped me off at an orphanage. He said he would come back one day, but I never know if he did or not."

Erin's heart shattered at the thought of a nine-year-old Axl watching his mother freeze to death, not even including the hell he must've endured before that.

Axl seemed unbothered, as though he had lived through the day a million times by now. "Anyhow, let's start with how I came to be Amethyst City's worst with my humble roots in Sapphire Orphanage…."

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"And if I catch you lot ever shirking their duties again, there will be extra beatings. Do I make myself clear?" The voice belonged to a large Bibarel who had their hands on her hips, contempt on her face as she glared down at the children who stood in a circle around her.

In the circle stood a Blitzle, Hippopotas, Girafig, Skiddo, Patrat, Cleffa and, of course, a familiar young Oshawott wearing a red scarf, much more malnourished than the others. They all stared at their feet, terrified of the Bibarel that was waiting for an answer.

"Yes, Gretta." They answered in unison, almost robotically.

"Good." She snapped, pacing around them in the large wooden bedroom they found themselves in. "Another thing. None of you riff-raff are ever getting adopted and you remember that. You are not needed or wanted by anyone. Especially the newest little parasite." She snarled this part as she stared daggers at Axl, who quietly looked away in order to avoid her gaze.

She spit on him, making him flinch. "Your kind are a disgusting curse placed on this earth, that makes you even more undesirable. Do you understand that? I pray for the day you are of age where I can cast you into the woods to die alone." She turned and smacked Axl with her tail, knocking the young Oshawott to the ground painfully. For a minute, a red haze started to fill his vision and he debated giving in to it.

However, he remembered the consequences of it and suppressed it, not wanting to accidentally activate his mark. So, instead, he silently cried and stayed on the ground.

Gretta looked at him, satisfied "Now, what do you all say for the mercy I'll give the rest of you tonight?"

The children bowed their heads. "Thank you, Gretta. You are too kind." They said monotonously again.

Gretta sneered. "Good, now go to bed you guttersnipes and make it quickly. Tomorrow, you will all be cleaning the entire house and will not be fed until it sparkles." She glared down at Axl and grabbed hm by the foot, dragging him across the room. "You, however, will not be tainting our bedsheets with your filthy body."

She opened a closet on the far side of the room, revealing a door that led directly to a wall with shackles on the top. Strapping his ankles in, Axl was dangled upside down and felt the blood pool into the top of his head.

She suddenly punched him in the stomach, making him vomit a bit that led to him earning another strike to the face. "That's for making me have to touch your cruddy body, you urchin." She snarled at him, pointing at his vomit. "And that will be your only meal tomorrow if it isn't cleaned up by the time I'm back." She didn't let him finish his sentence and slammed the doors on him, leaving the crying, afraid Oshawott alone in the closet….

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Axl opened his eyes, the door creaking open to reveal the kids he had met yesterday staring at him with malicious intent. He had been awake the entire night, unable to sleep with the constant blood rush to his head giving him a pounding headache. It didn't hurt bad, having suffered a lot worse as a laborer in his old camp, but kept him up, nonetheless.

The Patrat was leading the gang, chuckling darkly. "I heard we were getting one of them 'Hazaranmon' among us. You're as disgusting as the stories Gretta's told us." He sent a punch directly in Axl, making him scream in pain as the Patrat started beating him viciously.

Axl tried to block all the attacks, terrified, making the others laugh cruelly as tears were leaking down, or rather, up his face.

The Blitzle stepped up and started zapping him. "Crybaby!" He taunted him, making Axl almost pass out.

The Patrat had thrown a book at Axl. "Aw, are you crying?" He asked evilly.

The Hippopotas snickered. "I want to see his mark activate. Maybe he'll kill Gretta." He said, sounding a little hopeful.

Axl again felt the haze of his mark threatening to take over and had to fight with all of his might in order to keep himself sane. He reminded himself of his mother and a promise he made to never activate the mark no matter what.

The torture had lasted what felt like an eternity before the kids got tired of abusing him. Shutting the door on him, they laughed all the way to their beds.

"Let's keep him in there all day, I want to see Gretta make him eat his vomit.

Axl, meanwhile, started to break down, the trauma of his entire existence starting to tear him apart causing him to sob quietly as he begged Arceus for his mother or the prisoner that saved him to come walking in the door at any moment…

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"You are all about as useful as a wooden frying pan!" Gretta's screaming had woken Axl from his shackles, the otter having grown accustomed to the discomfort these past few months.

Another voice spoke up. "Gretta, your sister needs assistance, she can no longer live by herself."

Gretta snorted. "That loon does nothing but mooch off me. Money this month, food the next, now she wants to steal one of my brats and not even pay me for it. We haven't had an adoption in months, I'm this close to having a fire sale." She replied nastily. "We are going to have to start watering down the milk, I don't have the money as it is."

The voice sighed. "Gretta, this isn't up for debate. I will cover the fee if needed if you're going to raise that much of a stink about it."

A moment passed before Gretta huffed, stomping closer to Axl's closet. "Fine, I'll give you one of the riff-raffs. You can have the degenerate, surely my sister will have no issue with that?"

The closet door swung open, and Axl was ripped from his shackles and thrust in front of an elderly Linoone who had looked at Axl with emotionless eyes.

"He'll do."

Gretta snorted and pushed Axl forward. "Good news, brat, you're finally getting out of my hair forever to go take care of my crazy sister. Oh, Arceus how I wish you were a Mareep just so she would take you out herself." Axl cocked his head. "No matter, taking care of that loony bin is a fitting enough life for you. Enjoy yourself…."

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Axl looked around the small living room he had found himself in, glancing in wonderment at the pretty furniture and the weird large screen on a table. He hadn't seen anything like it in his life and wondered what type of use it had. Walking up to it, he placed his paw on the screen and felt the cool plastic on his paw.

The elderly Linoone had dropped him off, only letting him know he was to take care of her daughter 'Frankie', a Pokemon that apparently was struck with delusions about Mareep. All he had to do was help with errands and take her out in public.

Honestly, compared to his alternative, it didn't sound half bad. Not that he would let them know.

He squinted his eyes as he noticed a pair of glinting eyes reflecting on the mysterious screen. Turning his head, the air left his body as he was tackled to the ground. Another Linoone, albeit a much more obese one, had jumped on him, pinning him to the ground and sticking him there.

She was in his face. "Filthy vermin, what are you doing in my house?" She asked sharply, sniffing him.

Axl cowered, afraid. "Please don't eat me." He whimpered, shaking. "I was sent by your mom to help you."

Frankie didn't look convinced. "You can't trick me; I know those blasted Mareep sent you. I will not be tricked-" She cut herself off as Axl had comedically passed out, foam forming at his mouth as terror rendered him unconscious. Frankie scratched her head. "Hmm…maybe he is the one ma was telling me about…"

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Axl had woken up a little while later to scent of something that was making him drool. Finding himself on the couch that was in the living room, he glanced around the room and his eyes widened as he now saw Pokemon on the screen in front of him, almost like a picture except they were talking and moving.

Just as surprising, a steaming loaf of bread was set in front of him, having to restrain himself from snatching it.

"It's yours, you know." The voice almost made him jump and he scurried back as Frankie was sitting on another chair, watching him with kind eyes. "I don't think them Mareep would send someone as scared as you to take me out. I'm sorry about that, young un."

Axl nodded apprehensively, not entirely convinced.

Frankie gave him an encouraging tip of her head. "Eat, sweetie, you look like you haven't eaten in years." She told him, pushing him more.

Axl very hesitantly reached for the food and snatched it, mouth watering from the fresh food he had never seen in his life. Tears rolled down his face as he bit into it, ecstasy spreading itself on his tongue, unaware something like this ever existed in this world.

Frankie smile gently at him. "Do you like it?" She asked.

Axl nodded appreciatively. "Yes…. thank you." He said weakly, not having used his voice in months.

Giving a satisfied noise, Frankie pointed towards the screen. "This is a TV, right now I'm watching an interview with Nero Ortiz, the guildmaster of Amethyst City's Justice Guild."

Axl cocked his head, munching the bread hungrily now. "Justice…guild?" His voice was a squeak.

Frankie smiled. "Yes, they protect us from evil Pokemon and keep us all safe. They fight for all innocent lives, regardless of who we are and where we're from." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "I reckon them Mareep would've taken over the world by now if not for them."

He looked at her hesitantly. "…even Hazaranmon?"

To his surprise, Frankie didn't give look disgusted or angry at his comment. "Of course, all Pokémon of every background deserve a spot on this island and the Justice Guilds have given us a beacon of hope for a brighter future." She told him, resting back in her chair.

Axl blinked in amazement, turning his head to the 'TV', his eyes focused on the muscular Sawk that was on the screen, talking calmly to a Liepard. Occasionally, it would show recordings of him battling powerful Pokemon, making Axl's jaw drop in amazement and admiration.

Frankie gave him a warm look. "You like him?"

She asked humorously.

Axl nodded, unable to take his eyes from the TV. It was the most incredible thing he's seen in his life. And this Justice Guild? Helping others? Saving innocent lives? Did Pokemon like that really exist in this world, even those that defended Hazaranmon? Such a thing seemed like far away beacon of light, but..maybe….

He glanced at Frankie, who while definitely a little nutty, had shown him one of the only acts of kindness in his life. The bread was gone now, and his belly felt full for the first time in his life, making tears start to form again.

She glanced at him, looking worried. "Are you all right, dear?" She asked, sounding genuine.

Axl flinched out of habit. "I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean- "

To his great surprise though, Frankie wrapped her arms around him, and for a few moments he expected her to physically harm him. Instead, she pulled him in closer, letting the Axl cry out everything he had been through in his young life.

He glanced at the screen through her arms, feeling an emotion as foreign to him as the bread he just ate.

Could…perhaps….he become a beacon of light?