3For the next hour and a half I would be subjugated to the nonstop talks of the Lucario called Aura. Even as we were going the speed of a Slugma, Aura recounted her encounter and capture.
"A year later I was cornered in a similar situation as Flametail and his trainer fought me. Even as the typing wasn't in my favor, I'm fairly certain I gave them a good run for their money!" If I could feel any minute amount of annoyance I'm fairly certain I would be clawing for release, but I continued to allow myself to be towed towards whatever torturous location Aura wanted to go to.
Wow this should be the easiest shiny I'll ever catch!
These voices were getting more and more insistent. Fifteen minutes earlier it was a discussion about bunking procedures. This raised a few questions in my fogged mind... was it possible for someone like me to go insane? Could I even be called sane?
"Man... Shyly's gonna want to check you out when we get back." Aura started talking about something else for once, something possibly important.
"Who is this Shyly?" I felt the fur around my neck, it was almost like a scarf. "Is he to be so intimidating as to make me speechless?"
"S-she... and I doubt y-you would fine me intimidating." A new voice responded from the forest, the underbrush next to us started rustling.
"Shyly?" Aura looked surprise. "What are you doing so far from camp?"
"F-Flametail came back, telling us about the p-peculiar Zorua you found." I watched a female Absol crawl out from the underbrush.
I disregarded the conversation that was proceeding to study this new … associate of Aura. Shyly never met Aura's eyes, instead the looked towards the ground. Her head was in a submissive bow, her legs crossed over one another as if this would hide her body and keep others from prying at her vulnerability. Even after all of that I didn't dare write her off as weak, she gave off an energy of life that was left unrivaled to all but herself.
"First Flametail now you?" I blinked as all focus shot back to the conversation which was turning into an argument. "Shyly, he's harmless!"
"P-please Aura you don't know what I do." Shyly seemed to sink a little more into the ground. "Things aren't always what they seem…"
"Everythings fine." Aura told the Absol with a cocky grin. "I have type advantage, and move advantage. What could anyone have to worry about?"
"A battle is not dependent upon type and move advantages!" The sudden mood change surprised even me, Shyly continued to berate Aura with ferocity gleeming in her blue eyes. "It is dependent on bonds,skills and strategy! Even as advantages may help, you must rely on the correct decisions Wyvern makes!" Ending with a hiss she finally stated. "My trainer did not teach you to believe in such folly!"
I felt the muscles holding me tense. I silently mused to myself the hidden strength this pokemon possesed, but her choice of words were quite different from before, almost as if Shyly had a different personality.
"That was uncalled for Shyly…" Aura raised a fist.
"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry…" Shyly fell into babbling mess, cowering from Aura's fist. "Please don't, please don't…"
Aura had the audacity to look shocked. She lowered her fist and shut her mouth, a retort to be held in for another time.
"Shyly?" Aura tried to touch the Absol's back.
"Go away!" Shyly screamed in some foreign emotion.
Aura reeled back in surprise before taking off, moving significantly faster than before.
The rest of the run was uneventful, but silent… it felt rather offputting to say the least.
"What is your plan exactly? " I don't know why but I started talking. "Sure you take me to your trainer, get some praise and possibly a cookie but is it worth it? The damage to your allies I mean."
My captor never responded, but I could tell I pushed some buttons. (It's called Psychoevaluation now hush young one!) Nonetheless, she continued walking… her sense of purpose a little more crippled.
Eventually we reached a clearing. Unlike the area I had fought the Krookidile in, this area showed what was living there. A picnic table sat nearby a campfire while a tent was set up a respectable distance away. I could make out some sort of Pokemon tending to the fire.
"Hey Passione!" Aura yelled when she walked a little closer to the fire. "Is Shyly back yet?"
The pokemon by the fire looked up. "Ah Aura it is only you, as to your question the answer is no. Neither Shyly nor Flametail has returned yet." Female… the accent in this bipedal fox pokemon's voice was something I had never heard before.
After a couple seconds thought I realized something. Shyly had told Aura Flametail had returned bearing news about me… yet from Passione just said Flametail hadn't returned yet. I was rushing myself though, he could've left long before we had arrived.
"Thank Arceus…" Aura muttered in relief before speaking up. "Have you seen Wyvern anywhere then?"
Passione nodded. "Oui, she went into the grotto to look after Volttail and Sparks."
"Thanks Passione, also can you make sure Flametail or Shyly don't show up?"
I saw the hesitation, the way she shifted a miniscule amount to her left.
"I'll think about it… Who is your friend here?"
"I am but a simple Zorua, humble maiden." A theatrical urge overcame me. "Who's eyes doth decieve him of the magnificent beauty that standeth in front of him."
"Oh…" Passione's face went a red color, easily visible on her white cheeks. "M-merci sir Zorua." *1
"The pleasure is all mine…" I nodded once.
"Well good luck Passione…" Aura started dragging me towards a small opening in the tree line.
"Yes… what to tell Flametail." I saw Passione shudder once before the forest allowed me to see no more.
PASSIONE
I closed my eyes in thought. That Zorua… was not normal. Fighting with my beloved trainer had taught me much, including the classification of 'doped' or altered pokemon. *2
"What do I do though?" With a frown I reopened my eyes. "Flametail finally trusts me again after all that happened in the lab."
"Passione!" A familiar yell sounded from the sky.
Looking up I could see Flametail diving in for a landing. Me- I stopped myself. My trainer hated it when I cursed, even in my own language. Instead I thought about other words like biscuit or croissant.
"Where is she?" Flametail's eyes were ablaze with anger… literally. "Where is that insensitive monster?"
What did Aura do to piss off Flametail? I shuddered involuntarily.
After I had collected myself in a few seconds, I looked back at Flametail. "Who are we talking about?"
"Aura!" Flametail bellowed "That heartless Lucario hurt Shyly!"
It made a lot more sense now… Flametail always had a soft spot for the soft spoken Absol.
"I don't know…" I inwardly winced at the lie. "I haven't seen her." After some quick thinking I tried to change the subject. "What happened with Shyly?"
"I… don't exactly know." Flametail conceded. "I found her huddled up, shivering and sobbing. When I tried to comfort her, she had another episode screaming and sobbing she begged Aura not to hurt her."
Poor darling… my heart ached for her at times.
"Are you sure it was all Aura's fault?" I tried to mediate the situation. "This could've been a whole misunderstanding."
"I… didn't think about that." Flametail grimaced "I guess I let my emotions cloud my judgement."
"Like apprentice, like master." With a chuckle I finally started tending to the fire again.
"She better be careful though… Shyly thinks it might be a shadow."
"Aura found… No Shyly has to be mistaken!" Even as I said that, doubt pricked the back of my thoughts.
He never smiled, nor did he ever speak with an ounce of emotion in his voice.I conceded. If he truly is a shadow...
"I might have seen someone enter the grotto…" I shut both of my eyes, waiting for the eruption.
"What!" Flametail screamed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
I never got to answer. Flametail took off into the sky, heading off further into the forest. I stood there, feeling horrible for selling out my friend.
*1: The way I envision a pokemon like Zorua and Zoroark do their illusions has partial acting to it. The only way you can fool others into believing you are what you are is to act like what you want them to believe. ( NEWSFLASH this made a lot more sense in my head.)
*2: I believe this is a racehorse term. Mainly to do with drugging your horse to improve it. Personally I wouldn't put it past some trainers to do something like this
Another chapter… about a month later from some revisions. *Sarcasm* So fast. My apologies though. Things are getting rather interesting now, hopefull I'll be a little faster on the draw next time.