Warning: Reader Discretion Advised. Pokémon x Human relationships. I do not own Pokemon.

Avery's Pokemon

Evangeline/Eva (Umbreon)
Gender: Female
Nature: Rash

Lady (Kirlia)
Gender: Female
Nature: Modest

Chastity (Buneary)
Gender: Female
Nature: Adamant

Dusty (Furfrou)
Gender: Male
Nature: Hardy

Sprite (Surskit)
Gender: Female
Nature: Quirky

? (Zoroark?)
Gender: Female
Nature: ?

Avery and Lady

Chapter: What We Fight For

"Are you nervous Lady?"

"Of course I'm not," the kirlia snapped, and Eva resisted the urge to sigh heavily. Always such a bad attitude. "Do you expect so little? It's just a practice battle."

"I-I… I just wanted to reassure you that I have your back."

Lady raised her face, glowering at the umbreon with a sneer. "As if that means anything to me, words are nothing!" She crossed her rail-thin arms on her tiny white torso over her crest, "You just focus on protecting me, just like Master said you should, and I'll do the rest."

Eva narrowed her eyes, a growl building in her throat as her hackles raised. "You expect to win this on your own? Two against one, you think you can handle that?"

"I can handle anything if it means protecting our Master."

"Maybe when it comes to human beings, but a strong enough Pokemon and neither of us will stand a chance. We're a team, Lady. Please, don't do this. If we're to win, we'll have to work together."

"You saw that cubone for yourself, he was pathetic. This human whore is nothing but a joke, and the rest of her Pokemon will just be more of the same."

Then and there, Evangeline gave up on the conversation. The two were on Avery's side of the arena, waiting for the two humans to finish talking. It was a brief conversation, and their trainer took his place on the makeshift spot marked for him. He put his hands in his pockets, and smiled. It was a strained grin, obviously forced. Eva wondered what they'd talked about… it must've gone terribly guessing by the look in his eyes.

"Alright girls, this is it. Cacturne is a grass-type, not strong against either of you, and dark-type. Lady, your psychic moves won't do any damage, and he's got a pretty impressive roster of moves. Probopass is rock-steel… Lady, you're weak to that. He might be a slow, hulking monstrosity but do not underestimate him. He's a powerhouse, you won't be able to take many hits, if any."

"If I tell you to use a move—even if your instinct is to use another—I want you to trust me. I'm not going to lord over you. We'll work on finding a good rhythm. I'll trust you to handle the basics, but if things get tough, just calm down and listen to my voice. I'll guide you through this. I can't promise we'll win, but I'll do my best to make sure she doesn't embarrass us."

Embarrass them?

Lady resisted the urge to scowl. They couldn't lose—if they did, Roxanne would win. Win affection, win precious time that should've been spent by Lady's side. The Kirlia closed her eyes, remembering the immense Conkeldurr she had been sure she could defeat. She had been wrong, and Master's comfort afterward had felt like poison.

She couldn't lose in front of him again. The first time had been the worst shame of all. Now, standing across from them was an elite Pokémon trainer, a Gym Leader. Their next goal was also a Gym Leader: Roark of Oreburgh. There could be no better training!

The immense bastion of steel and stone that hovered in the air before them was quite intimidating, and as Master said he had a type advantage over her. The mon's odd pupils were locked on Lady with grim resolve, but she was likely far faster than the rock-steel type, considering his size. She'd avoid whatever blows he levied against her, and press the attack on his partner, the one she had her own massive advantage over.

Both pairs of Pokemon sized each other up, keeping close to their respective teammates while pacing the chosen field; Lady tried to get a read on their moods, their thoughts… but the cacturne's mind was resistant. She could not press inside of him, no matter how hard she tried, it was as if there was a deep, dark void keeping her out, a wall. It was odd.

Lady remembered a time when she had been able to see the insides of Eva's vulnerable young mind, regardless of her dark-type matching… she didn't understand what was different now. Whether it was inability now, or something special happening back then, she did not know… but she was tempted to believe it was the former when, to her surprise the Probopass seemed equally resistant, the interior of its mind well-guarded against her probing.

The large-nosed creature rumbled out, "There is no use in that. Get out."

Lady did. With a tiny little gasp, she ripped herself free from the big-nosed creature's mind, glaring in surprise. "How did you do that? Force me out?"

The Cacturne's grin grew wider. "Do you really think my trainer would send us out against a psychic-type like yourself if we weren't aware of or immune to the kind of games you play?"

Lady despised the male's condescending tone, but wasn't as quick to snap a response back… because the voice that came from his hollow, stiff green form (so much like a human man but so different) sent a shiver running down her spine. It was a truly dreadful sound. She'd already been a little disturbed by him, by the way his limbs moved in a slow, predatory fashion when he walked, and all the holes in his body… not to mention that he did not have lips, his voice echoing vaguely out of the deep, dark pits spread in a smile across his face.

The little kirlia backed away slightly, heart hammering within her thin chest.

Eva could've mocked her, seeing that fear, instead she pressed her dark furry body against Lady, rubbing comfortingly up against her, much like a mother umbreon would its kits, and yet Lady felt an odd, twisting feeling in her belly. That she needed to be comforted at all was embarrassing, that it was Eva who soothed her nerves made it all the more shameful. But she accepted the comfort.

"Ready Avery?" Roxanne called, hands on her hips.

"Yep."

"Let's go!"

And just like that, the battle began.

"Sett, let's start this off with a sandstorm!"

The Probopass's body had begun to glow, and standing alongside him, the Cacturne stood eerily still – clearly on guard. By the look on his face, he was daring Lady to come close. She did not, merely observing, and Eva did the same. At first, there was only an odd, hollow whistle in the wind… and then it hit… a rush of wind. And the very earth itself erupted, great specks of sand rising from beneath the stone, surging into the air in a fiery storm.

A sandstorm!

"Weather moves? Really?" Avery asked incredulously.

Roxanne laughed. "Oh come on, I want to win. If I wanted to lose I'd let you face-off against a couple geodudes of mine… I told you I wouldn't be taking it easy on you, Mister Higgs."

"Damn, Rox, alright… don't you think it'll be kind of embarrassing when you put in all that effort just to lose, though?"

They were flirting!

Eva and Lady exchanged a dark look. The sandstorm whipped Eva's fur, making her seem far more wild, primal than usual. The dark-type flexed her claws in the earth. Lady felt an odd little shiver, seeing Evangeline so angry, so determined.

"Shameless. He really doesn't learn, does he?" Lady sighed, ruby eyes flashing.

"Mhm. He's making it so obvious. Right in front of us… and with a human."

Lady's fear had apparently receded in the wake of her jealousy, but the rest of it evaporated when she heard the pure acidic tone with which Eva spat the word 'human.' Perhaps she and Eva were more alike than she thought.

"The Talk," Eva murmured, "I have a lot to say to him. Not much of it he'll like to hear… but first, we need to win. Let me soak the damage, I'll get in their faces so they have no choice but to attack me."

Lady nodded. "Okay, then I'll attack from afar. Cacturne is more dangerous than his big friend, I think it's best if we focus him."

It was if Avery sensed her anxiety, the turmoil inside her. His voice filled her at the very moment she needed it, soothing her spirit.

"Don't worry you two," He called out to them, " it won't last forever, we just need to outlast it. Let's try not to battle for now – Lady, we haven't tried it yet but… your ability, trace… it lets you use the same ability as an opponent Pokemon. Cacturne probably has uhh, sand veil, since he's being paired up with a sandstorm Probopass. Rox is really putting her all into this, so we should too - did your mom ever teach you how to do it?"

Lady burned with embarrassment. She knew about her ability, but she didn't know how it worked.

Roxanne gave her a wink, and took mercy on her, "Avery, it's not something a Pokemon can choose to do. In a double-battle it's random, you won't know which ability you got - Sturdy, or Sand veil. Sturdy allows a Pokemon to survive one single strike at full health! And sandveil boosts a Pokemon's evasion every time it uses an attack move, or dodges one… also called a "turn." So, you better make each strike count." The brunette giggled, sounding absolutely delighted.

"Ahh, okay, thanks," Avery nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll make it easy on both of you?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry Avery, don't take this personally. Grook, use cotton spore! Sett, follow up with a Hard Press!"

"As if I'd let you! Lady, you go down if you take that hit. Stay as far away as you can. And Eva, get ready to protect her."

The Cacturne was exceptionally fast. It was unlike anything Eva had ever seen. His body completely disappeared, Eva didn't even get the chance to stop him from reaching Lady. The kirlia danced away from him, floating herself through the air, but the Cacturne had no intention of hitting her physically - instead he raised his hands. Out of his hand holes, spores began to float… only a few at first, and then many. They were impossible to avoid, swarming around Lady as the cacturne's body glowed. They settled on Lady's flesh, clinging to her, heavy as can be.

Humming loudly, the Probopass emerged from the heavy sand beside her, high in the air. He had launched himself downward and toward her, obviously intending to crush her with his body… Lady whimpered, trying to shed the cotton spores as she raced away, using psychic energy to wash her body free - but it was useless, the spores stuck stubbornly and the Probopass was still surging toward her - much closer now.

The longer the battle went on, the more Probopass's almost ridiculous appearance began to take on a terrifying hue. It never blinked, and despite being incredibly heavy, composed of rock and metal, its magnetism allowed it to be not only durable but moved with a surprising agility. Its mini-noses vibrated intensely, and uncaring of the desert winds, they pursued Lady - pure magnetic force driving them ever forward, and toward her, encircling the dark-type.

The little kirlia did her best to avoid all his powerful blows, glancing back and forth between the trio of magnets, leaping, darting out of their magnetic field. Unlike her foe, which didn't feel the effects of the horrible sandstorm, Lady felt it big time… and same with Eva – thick, dark fur feeling like a layer of cement across her body, her every action draining her energy; and aside from getting into her eyes, the sand also battered her so harshly that it hurt, even with her thick dark fur, especially her sensitive, wet nose.

Her protects were becoming unreliable, her dodges even more so - slowly traveling towards her, the Probopass was relentless in the most passive and inevitable of ways. Meanwhile, a few yards away, Lady's pointless battle with her personal opponent went steadily on.

"Kirl! Kirlia kirl!"

Dark fur a black blur, Eva just managed to block off "Sett" as it floated rapidly down toward the kirlia. Wretched sand ravaged her form, but her fur offered her enough resistance that it wasn't too unbearable, even as it buffered her body. She threw up a protect just in time, and gasped as she felt the sheer weight of the Pokemon as it slammed into her protective shield. The energy shield wavered, and she panted, chest heaving.

"Now, let's see if she's got sturdy… or sand veil," Roxanne exclaimed, grinning ear to ear, "Grook, use taunt on his umbreon! Sett, use another hard press!"

"Both of you, get the hell away! Lady, use teleport! Eva, split them up, go hard on the attack on that damn Probopass! Both are weak to fighting, so if they get close, use a double-kick. Once you're taunted you won't be able to do anything but attack moves, so don't bother trying!"

The cacturne smiled wide.

"You've been so loyally protecting your so-called friend… I wonder if she'd do the same for you. Somehow, I get the sense that… Well, you mean nothing to her. Perhaps you mean nothing to everyone?"

Eva hissed with rage, his words striking a weak spot in her heart. She'd take her anger out on the stupid Probopass, protect Lady on the offense instead! It wasn't wasn't true that she meant nothing to Lady!That's what she told herself as she raced toward the steel-type as fast as she could.

Now that the umbreon was a good distance away, Lady's eyes widened as a realization settled in: she was on her own. No way Eva would be able to protect her with her moves sealed away even if she was close. Turning, the kirlia began to run… and Roxane's Probopass pursued her, floating easily through the winds, entirely unbothered by the weather. He made an odd humming noise as he moved, it was almost disturbing, ringing over the heavy winds. She teleported a decent distance, breathing heavily… but the emerald mon kept up with her. Her body wasn't like Eva's or Chastity's, she didn't run when they trained, and on top of it the Cacturne's spores were all over her. He was far faster than her, easily overtaking her in the sandstorm, even with her teleports - and both of them were focusing on her, determined to destroy her it seemed. The rock-steel Pokemon floated directly above her once more, surging downward with a rush - Eva leapt into the air just in time, right in front of her, taking the blow with a fierce yowl. But she didn't let the pain bother her, instead she powered through it.

Hissing with rage, Eva put her all into a flurry of attacks. She slammed her front and back paws into the Probopass, determined to keep him away from her partner. It worked. Body ringing with the agony of being hit by his full body, bones aching, Eva didn't give the Pokemon a second to breathe - if he wanted to focus on Lady and ignore her, then he'd be punished! Again and again she slammed her paws into him full-force, growling and avoiding his huge nose as he swung it toward her.

"Don't let her attacks bother you, we can sustain them, just start using iron defense!"

"Probe!" The steel-type was eerily still.

She pushed him further and further away from Lady, separating the enemy just as Avery had instructed.

"Now, Sett, use body press!"

"Eva, get away!" Avery yelled.

But it was too late. He'd just been taking blow after blow, steadily raising his defense… and then suddenly he went full on the attack. Eva just wasn't fast enough to get away - and was far too close. Making an ominous heaving sound, the colossal steel type slammed down on top of her, crushing her little body into the earth.

"Eva!" Avery yelled, "n-no! I'm… I'm sorry, fuck!"

But Eva didn't even hear it. She was in too much agony.

She was sure she was going to die, that her body was broken… twitching, unsure of herself, she just laid there. Her head rang harshly, the red hot heat returning in brief second intervals, pain pulsing through her like a heartbeat.

'That Imbecile. Why did she get so reckless!?' Lady thought to herself, teleporting to Eva's side and grabbing hold of her, and then teleporting away again with the umbreon in her grip. Eva whimpered, and smiled at her in gratitude as they appeared a short distance from both their opponents… but the fierce sandstorm still pounded into both of them.

"Grook, use poison jab on the kirlia! Don't let up. Sett, catch up to him!"

"E-Eva, protect if you can!" An impossible expectation.

Before she could manage to gather her bearings and properly set Eva down, a green spiky fist slammed straight into Lady's face. Pure shock surged through her, and then the pain hit. Her mind went black, and she tried to bite back a scream as a second punch to the belly sent her lithe little frame rolling across the hard stone. She failed, voice ringing out shrilly.

So fast it was almost like he was teleporting as well, Grook appeared beside them, his prickly fist drawn all the way back for another fierce jab, glowing violet with poison. One more blow and Lady would go down, her body already coated with bruises… but it was the same for Eva. That body press had ripped away almost all of her health, but this wasn't through yet.

"N-No!" Eva cried, forcing herself up. With a flash of blinding light, she blocked the next blow that Cacturne intended for Lady.

"Grook, finish off that umbreon with a brick break."

Eva tried to throw up another protect, but when she tried to summon the strength to bring forth the shield… it failed her. His fist hit her hard, knocking her into the ground once again, where she lay wheezing. Her muzzle hurt where the spiked limb of the Cacturne had been thrust into it, blood dripping against her tongue, hot and coppery.

"E-Eva!? Are you ok?"

She just managed to lift herself up, swaying back and forth.

She'd won in the Depths of the Underground, perhaps because of her advantage of being cloaked in true darkness- and she certainly didn't have to face monstrous winds, sand smacking harshly across her furred body, filling her eyes and muzzle alike.

All she knew was that these Pokemon were obscenely strong… and Probopass was close again.

Spinning, moving with an ill-practiced, but somewhat natural grace, Lady yelled shrilly, raising her little hands. They glowed ultra-pink, fairy light bursting from her fingers with a dazzling gleam. The Probopass ignored it, rushing steadily toward Lady now.

"Grook, cotton spore, and another poison jab on Kirlia! Sett, use body press on Umbreon!" Roxanne cried.

"Both of you, g-get away!"

But it was too late. Suddenly, the stalemate shattered.

The grass-type slammed his fist into her frame, and at the same time flicked his immense, barbed fist downward, heaps of spore erupting from his body and wrapping around the elegant kirlia's legs, slowing her even more than she already had been.

Eva's breath came out, weak and shuddery - she only had enough energy for one more protect. She had to use it for herself… or for Lady. She smiled weakly. So, she wouldn't make it to the end, what did it matter? Yet it still hurt. She just didn't have much energy left in her, but she could at least make sure that Lady did. One last attempt to force this loathsome brat to feel her affection, she'd protect her until the end of the battle, just as she had when they first met.

And one day, Lady would realize Eva had always been at her side. Perhaps the issue was, Eva had never been entirely honest. She wasn't afraid to do so now. At the start of this battle, she'd decided she didn't care how Lady felt about her. If Lady was to be selfish, so would Eva.

The psychic-type seemed to sense the shift in Eva's attitude, from desperate, to a gentle calm. Like the flick of a switch.

The Kirlia smiled faintly, it wasn't a happy smile, it was almost frightened. "Why are you staring at me like that when we're both about to faint?"

Eva held her stare as the pair of enemy Pokemon descended upon them.

The ruby jewels Lady called eyes shimmered, cold and distant, and yet in their depths there was a fire burning. The psychic-type was both hot and cold, a seething bundle of inevitable chaos. She had only ever acted one way, was Evangeline crazy for wanting to believe there was something different in Lady? Love? In the lovely, freckled Kirlia's eyes there was so much cunning and frothing emptiness – regardless she would always keep pushing.

Until she really couldn't stand Lady anymore.

She leaned forward, pressed her puff into the little pocket of Lady's neck, and nuzzled softly, letting loose one of the purrs she only showed to Avery.

"You're so selfish. Even when you were a Ralts. You stole my precious nugget away, and "Master"- master told me to let you play with it, and so I did… and when you wanted him for yourself, I didn't mind. Sharing a mate with you… i-it would make me happy, if we did it properly, because I-"

Eva trembled. She wanted to say it, confess, and yet she couldn't. Was too frightened. But she had to speak up, this couldn't go on forever, this animosity, coldness between them. Watching Lady ride his face last night had been the final straw. She never wanted to wake up, feel separate from the magic that was their union with Avery, ever again. Even with her wounds, Eva managed to fight back her biting disdain, her fear, her desire to give up her affection for Lady.

The kirlia, emotionally on guard, was perfectly still, her hands crossed behind herself as she tilted her head, taking in every word.

"Because I love you, Lady."

The psychic-fairy's huge red eyes widened.

"I want… I want to be with you forever," Eva whispered, "with you and Avery. I-I liked it… when you kissed me, Lady. I don't want you…."

And now the umbreon burst into tears.

"I don't want you to be mean to me anymore. I want you to love me, I want you to feel for me what you feel for our human, but if you- if you can't stand to look at me, don't want me by your side, if I'm unworthy, then fine!"

"... but I can't fight on much longer. Don't let my sacrifice be for nothing - you HAVE to win."

"Eva, use protect, and follow up with a toxic! One last protect… please."

Eva grinned and nodded. She didn't need Avery's orders, she already knew what she had to do.

"Grook, another poison jab! She'll have to block it, switch focus after and use brick break again! Sett, one more hard press on kirlia now that you're close! Let's finish this!"

Eva threw up a final shield, soaking the poison jab. Lady used that opportunity to teleport away. Just as fast as his poison jab was his next flurry of punches, his fists attempting to break into her body. Eva cried out, tried to use protect, but it failed. As the Cacturne's fist broke through the psi-shield, it shattered with a splash of light.

Eva focused all her energy for one last move… and let the toxic fumes erupt from her body, soaking into the cacturne's fist brutalized her, poisoning the grass-type even as he pummeled her. Lady winced as she heard, not for the first time, her partner's miserable cry of defeat. Their opponent's spiked limb slammed into her body with a speed and force that she was utterly unprepared for, the destructive fighting type move sending a ripple of agony through her.

It was over. Lady saw it in the way her head fell back, her pupils flared, the way she crumpled; Eva's body fell.

Time seemed to slow down.

Eva didn't get back up. Her dark-furred body lay, lightless, in the middle of the field.

Any second now, she'd snap out of it, shake it off, and show Lady more of what she was capable of. But that didn't happen. She stayed down, her body battered and broken.

"Hehehe," The cacturne leapt away, fading back into the sandstorm. "And you're next, little Kirlia~!"

But Lady didn't say anything. She dropped to her knees, and held Eva's body in her arms.

"H-hey, get up," The kirlia whispered, "you love me? Why did you say that? You can't... you can't say such things and then faint."

But Eva didn't say a word. Eyes half-lidded, she smiled weakly.

"I can't fight on anymore, I'm sorry. I wish I could... I wish I could continue... to protect you. The way I always have."

"NO! Y-You have to win WITH me." But it was too late. Because Evangeline's eyelids shut, and they did not open.