Sinners

A/N: Not done with my Golden Sun one shot yet, but this had to be written before I lost my inspiration.



I made a little tiny piece of art for Sinners!



http://slashfirestorm.newgrounds.com/news/post/13848



'tis at the bottom of the post, heh. It's sucky, I know, but eh, I actually did a much better job on Kirlia than I thought I could. Of course, I had to have official art on the screen as I drew it, to get the body right. It'll take a lot more practice before I can do it from memory...



I'm currently trying to make a decent image of Kiako, but...we'll see. I'm not an artist; not only do I have no natural drawing talent, but it seems like I can't learn to draw, either. XD



Also, I decided what the 'official' theme song of Sinners would be...Chicago's "Will You Still Love Me", heh. Give it a listen if you want...it's on my Myspace page if you're interested (secondary player down the page, not the main).



Anyhow, this chapter will focus on Slash and Kirlia's increasingly-intimate relationship and the other Pokemon who make up his team. Also appearances from Team Aqua, Kiako, and Giovanni. ^_^



Enjoy!



-----------------------------------------



Chapter 11: Clouded Future







Over the next week, while Corphish was recovering from his injuries, the residents of Mauville were kept very busy.



The crossroad town had steady streams of trainers coming from all directions, and those coming from the northern desert and the eastern grasslands were often battered and bruised from the long journey. The badly damaged Mauville Pokemon Center had very little salvageable medical abilities; as a result, trainers needing emergency care were treated by the on-hand medics from Watson’s Gym, and those needing less urgent attention were referred to Verdanturf.



Although Watson told them that they shouldn’t feel obligated to help after their help in the battle with Team Magma, Slash and Kirlia refused to sit idly by. They helped escort weary trainers to Verdanturf for medical treatment, work on repairing the Pokemon Center, and stood watch at the northern entrance to Mauville whenever the flow of trainers lightened; it seemed that Team Magma wasn’t taking Maxie’s death lightly.



Luckily for the people of Mauville, Slash and his team were capable of fending off the Magma grunts who desired revenge against the town. When they couldn’t stand guard, other trainers, most of whom had traveled there to battle Watson, took over. Not a single Magma was capable of fighting their way through the borders of town.



All this work didn’t just help out the town; Kirlia was getting much more adept at using her psychic abilities, as well. In a single week, she’d gone from wildly flinging bursts of energy at targets to being able to handle much more delicate work, such as lifting roof material up to the workers at the Pokemon Center. However, even as her control of her external abilities seemed to tighten, her bond with Slash was becoming more powerful every day...and her mental shields were becoming more porous.



Not that it was a bad thing, not really; it was merely more difficult to keep thoughts and emotions private. She wouldn’t have minded one bit if it hadn’t been for...that one dream...that she’d had the day of their picnic. Slash hadn’t said anything about it, but Kirlia was terribly sure that he had indeed received it over their connection. Thankfully, he either assumed he’d had the dream (which, she supposed, could have been true), or was too embarrassed...or ashamed...to mention it.



Somehow, though, she didn’t think it was latter.



One good thing about all the time they were sharing together was that, indeed, he seemed to have chosen her to be his Kaishakunin; never once did he ask her to return to her Pokeball. After the past couple weeks of spending all of her time out and alone with her master, she didn’t have any desire to ever return. And from what she felt over their rapidly-intensifying bond, Slash was enjoying spending time with her. It made him feel...



...a lot like she did. Pleased to merely be in the other’s presence.



Likewise, Slash was having the same kind of experience with her. He was a little uncomfortable with their growing bond at first...humans typically desire privacy, particularly in their own minds...but was getting used to it. A few times he’d accidentally sent various feelings to Kirlia that he’d have preferred to keep private...thoughts and feelings that he hadn’t sorted out for himself yet...but overall, he enjoyed being able to feel how happy she was when around him. He’d never had many close human friends before, so for both he and his Pokemon, this was something new...and welcome.



It was just something they’d both have to try and get used to.



----------------------------------------



Eventually, Corphish had fully recovered from his injuries, and with the town’s repairs nearing completion (as well as a major drop in the number of Magma attacks), Slash decided it was time to get started working with his Pokemon.



They headed out to the fields to the west of Mauville...not far from where he and Kirlia had their picnic a week beforehand...and took in the area that would serve as their training grounds.



“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Slash asked, breathing in the clean, crisp air of the fields, so different from that in town (which still held the odor of smoke and burnt wreckage).



Yes, master. It reminds me of home. She paused for a moment, reconsidering her words. Well, where I lived before I met you.



(because now, home is wherever you go, and i wouldn’t have it any other way)



Slash gave her a little smile as she realized she’d accidentally sent the last part. She flushed a bit but did not turn away; it was true, wasn’t it? Not overtly...romantic...either. Nothing to be ashamed of.



“This will be a fine place to train. Lakes, flowers, trees, a town on either side...plus Watson tells me that the wild Pokemon around here are tough, but not too tough. It’s a good spot for training.”



I think so, too. But we still need to tame Electrike, don’t we?



“I intend to do that right now,” Slash said.



Reaching to his belt, he released his other Pokemon, all of whom looked happy to be outside. Geodude and Growlithe had helped Slash fight the Magma grunts who showed up in Mauville, but hadn’t gotten any fresh air in a while. Corphish had been laying in bed all week due to his injuries, and Slash hadn’t wanted to use Electrike in battle before getting to know him.



Leaning down to Electrike, Slash extended a hand to the creature, who promptly sniffed him, taking in his scent. During this time neither Slash nor his Pokemon moved; they did not want to frighten the new addition to their team, nor make him feel threatened.



“Hello,” Slash said gently, encouraged that Electrike hadn’t growled at him or tried to flee. “I’m Slash. This is Kirlia, Geodude, Growlithe, and Corphish. They’re also Pokemon I captured.”



Electrike gave each of them a curious look and a sniff, and then barked a question at them. Slash looked to Kirlia, who gave him a small smile.



He wants to know if I’m going to attack him again, master. I am the one who battled him before, after all.



“No, don’t worry,” Slash said gently. “We’re not going to harm you. I’m a Pokemon trainer...that’s why she battled you, because I asked her to. She won’t fight you unless you try to hurt us.”



“Electrike!”



He’s asking...if he’s a prisoner, Kirlia informed Slash with a frown.



“No, no, Electrike. We may have captured you, but that does not mean I own you. You are your own individual,” Slash said seriously. “I will tell the same thing to you as I did to all my other friends here. If you wish to leave, you may. I will not prohibit you from doing so. I’ll even bring you back to the fields where we found you if you want. But if you stay with me...with us,” he said with a gleam in his eyes, “you can have the chance to achieve greatness. As well as a chance to stop some very bad people from hurting a lot of humans and Pokemon.”



“Trike?”



The other Pokemon looked at their trainer as well. They’d heard the recruitment speech before, of course, but not this part; when Slash had captured them, his only goal had been the typical trainer mission: to become League Champion.



“When I set out on this journey, I wanted little more than to become one of the greats...to defeat all the Gym Leaders and go on to the Pokemon League. It seemed like an impressive goal...something to strive for.”



Slash's gaze darkened a bit. "But now, there are more important things to strive for. I’m on the prod for a killer who goes by the name of Kiako. He killed three people before my eyes, and I’d be a fool to think that he hadn’t killed many before then...and will kill many after. He nearly killed me, too."



He felt a wave of fear and anger trickling over his bond, and sent Kirlia a soothing pulse in reply.



"I’m not sure what his ultimate goals are, but we’ve got reason to believe he's after something big...something he thinks is worth killing for. Apparently he needs three artifacts...three pearls...to get it, and we know he has at least one. My goal is to find this bastard and kill him, so not only can we stop him from obtaining his dark desire...but also so those he killed already can rest in peace."



Geodude, Corphish, and Growlithe all nodded in agreement, and Kirlia lay a small hand on Slash’s shoulder, signaling that she too was willing to risk her life for this...and him.



Electrike looked down at the ground as he considered for a moment, before barking at him in reply.



“Kirlia?”



She smiled happily. He wants to stay with us, master.



Slash smiled and gently stroked Electrike’s fur, feeling tingling electricity run up his arm as he did so. “Great, buddy. Now, things won’t be easy...right now we don’t even know where Kiako is...but that’s okay. We have other objectives to accomplish, too. Right now, our goal is to use these fields to train until we have a fighting chance against Watson.”



Master, I know that we’ll get stronger training out here, but you know what Watson is capable of! He was able to defeat Maxie’s Camerupt without him or his Pokemon taking a scratch! How long do you think it will take to become strong enough to even stand a chance?



“I don’t know, but that‘s all the more reason to start trying to close the gap in power between us. And once I see you all train for the day...your base power levels and fighting styles and so forth...we’ll be better able to come up with a good strategy to use against him.”



He gestured to the wide open fields of tall grass and flowers, lines of trees and dotting lakes. “Well, go on now, guys! We’re burning daylight.”



You won’t be commanding us?



“Nope. I want to see all of you fighting naturally...the way you feel most comfortable with. That way I’ll get a better idea of what your physical limits are, and what abilities you’re best at utilizing. I’ll be keeping an eye on you all, taking notes and whatnot. If any of you get too hurt, we’ll jog to Verdanturf’s Pokemon Center...but try not to push yourselves too hard. We don’t want to spend half the day recovering.”



All five Pokemon nodded at Slash, turning and racing into the fields, eager to impress their trainer...



...and one of them was very eager to impress her master.



-------------------------------------------



Slash’s notes: Corphish



Corphish is going to have the hardest time against Watson, so I’m hoping to get him to be as high level as possible in the event that I’m forced to use him.



He’s doing very well in his training, at least. There are wild Roselia in the area, but Corphish is handling them with only moderate difficulty, preferring to rely on his Vicegrip. I’m starting to think that my Corphish is more inclined towards physical, direct combat than specialized fighting, although I’ll still try to get him proficient with both styles...I don’t want a repeat of what happened last week with Camerupt.



After a couple hours of fighting (and half a dozen antidotes...Corphish needs to learn that it’s not wise to directly touch a Roselia), he seems to have learned the Bubblebeam attack, which looks to be much more powerful than Water Gun. If he’d that ability during his fight with Camerupt, things might have been different.



I suppose, now that Corphish has learned such a powerful water attack, that I should stop him and Geodude from sparring. Not that I don’t have confidence in Geodude’s abilities, but looking at the type disadvantage, and the way Corphish fires off that Bubblebeam---even with his forte being physical brawling---makes the risk of severe injury just too high.



But the good news is, even if Corphish’s new skill is not needed fighting Watson, he’s become much stronger in a short period of time. Plus it’s good to see him running around and enjoying himself...I think he understands just how close he came to dying last week.



----------------------------------------



Slash’s notes: Geodude



Geodude, who will probably be the main player when we fight Watson, is certainly tough enough to stand a chance against anything he can throw at us. He’s got the Rock Throw and Magnitude attacks down fine...although the latter is unstable and difficult to control, even a weak quake will do major damage.



Like Corphish, his fighting style is certainly physical-based. Mauville has Flamethrower TM’s for sale (for a lot of money...), and I know Geodude can learn it, but I think I’ll save the cash and focus on his physical offensive skills.



I think that Geodude should evolve fairly soon. I have no way of knowing what level my Pokemon are, other than that Kirlia must be over level 20 since she evolved, and that she’s probably higher now after all that fighting...so I’d guess my Geodude must be in the low twenties. I’d like to have him evolved into a Graveler before we challenge Watson; the more power, the better.



I had to break up a few impromptu sparring sessions between him and Corphish, as both have new skills after their training and are eager to use them against each other. But, like I said in my notes for Corphish, the risk for severe injury is just too high.



Like Corphish, Geodude is very direct, in-your-face in his battles. He’s taken down more Volbeat and Illumise than I can count today (speaking of, I’d forgotten that Bug is vulnerable to Rock...been a long time since the academy), and the increase in power certainly shows.



------------------------------------



Slash’s notes: Growlithe



Growlithe is probably going to be on point when we fight Watson. I’m sure that the old man is used to trainers bringing along ground-types to fight him, and has some ace in the hole to deal with it. We can’t afford Geodude getting defeated at the start, so it’d be best if Growlithe went out first to scout.



He’s probably had the easiest time training today...the bug and grass types in the area try to avoid him now, after seeing his Ember attack used so effectively. I also need to remember to write my parents a letter thanking them for getting me that Return TM for my thirteenth birthday; it seems that ever since I was injured by Kiako, it’s a lot more powerful...nearly devastating, in fact.



In terms of fighting Watson, Growlithe probably will be as useful in battle as Geodude. He likes to keep his distance from his opponents, relying on speed and agility to dodge their attacks and firing off his own Embers. Then, when the enemy is weak, he lunges in for the kill with Return or Bite. I like that fighting style...it’s useful when the enemy uses distance attacks (like most Electric types), and especially when getting too close to the enemy might result in paralysis.



I’ve thought about pooling together all my money and buying a Flamethrower TM...and if I’m not confident in our chances of beating Watson after a few days, then I might do that. Growlithe learns it naturally, but not for a long time...and with a powerful Gym Leader in our way...as well as several very dangerous enemies in our sights...it might be better to learn it sooner rather than later. We‘ll see.



---------------------------------



Slash’s notes: Electrike



This is the one I was most worried about, but after seeing him fight for a few hours, all my fears have been eased. Electrike fights...like lightning, fittingly enough. He stalks an enemy and strikes fast and hard, combining his electric abilities with a wicked-hard physical blow. Offensively, it’s similar to how Growlithe fights, although Electrike seems to prefer stealth over prolonged confrontation.



It’s for the best, anyhow; after watching him train for a while, it’s become clear that Electrike’s ability to take a hit is significantly weaker than his ability to dish one out. We need to be very careful with that, and it’d be a good idea to try to toughen him up in the defense department, otherwise a single tough ground attack or whatnot could take him down.



I’ve done a little research, and discovered that Electrike has the special ability of drawing all electric attacks in the nearby area to himself, dispelling them entirely. I have a feeling that this will prove very useful against Watson. Not only does it give Electrike effective immunity against electric-based techniques, but also could potentially help cover the other Pokemon from those devastatingly-powerful attacks.



It’ll probably take a while before Electrike has the same level of trust in me as my other teammates do...judging from his fighting style, he seems to have led a rather independent life before I captured him...but that’s to be expected. All signs point to him being a very valuable addition to the group.



------------------------------



Slash’s notes: Kirlia



Out of all of my Pokemon, I’d have to wager that Kirlia is the highest-level, and the most powerful...not surprising, considering she’s been my main fighter since we fought Brawly. She’s sure come a long way from that scared little Ralts I found cowering in the fields near Oldale...and while I’ll always miss that simple, child-like wonder of her as a child, I will always value her new strength, intelligence, and companionship.



Training started out a little awkwardly today...she kept trying to read my mind to find out what I wanted her to do, instead of fighting on her own accord. It’s most likely instinctive, but in any case, she was able to stop herself from doing it and has spent the rest of the day training, using her own battle style and decisions...very well, I might add. I don’t mind her wanting my direction, either...it’s kind of comforting, knowing that, in an emergency, she could know what I wanted her to do without me having to actually say it.



She’s certainly an amazing fighter...it almost looks more like a dance than a battle...she flows over the fields so gracefully, striking down one opponent with one handful of energy while gathering another burst in the other hand, spinning and twirling and teleporting around, delivering pinpoint blows...yes, it is like a dance.



Her psychic mastery has greatly improved since last week...she’s able to gauge an enemy’s vitality and use just enough power to take it down, so she doesn’t waste any energy. She’s also able to teleport across a considerable distance...I’d guess a hundred yards or so. Kirlia isn’t fleeing with teleport, though...she’s using it to flash across the fields and take down wild Pokemon with amazing skill. She’d be ruthless if she wasn’t so damned beautif



--------------------------------------



Slash’s pencil stopped in mid-word. He read over what he’d scribbled down while watching Kirlia, and realized that, while his other notes where tactical summaries of the other Pokemons’ skills, his page on Kirlia was more...admiration.



No, that wasn’t strong enough of a description. He’d been in awe of her, entranced by her. Several times during his note-taking for her, he’d stopped writing, his eyes unable to take themselves off of the slim silver Pokemon as she danced across this verdant battlefield, trailing sky-blue psychic energy behind her.



What is wrong with me?, he wondered to himself. It’s been so hard to think...clearly...around her lately...



Which brought up another issue: it was getting more and more difficult for him to keep his private thoughts private from her. It wasn’t as though she were prying into his thoughts...or that he wanted her to hear them...but their bond was becoming much stronger, and their mental shields were becoming much weaker. How many times over the past week had he heard words from her mind, sometimes entire sentences? They didn’t always make much sense...often they were just random snatches of thought from her mind...but some of the words he got...and some of the feelings...



...they reminded him of that dream he had.



Slash shook his head, as if trying to physically shake his confusion from his mind. Was he sure he was the one who actually had the dream? He was almost certain that it had been shared over their bond, especially judging from her reaction when they awoke...but did HE actually make the dream, or did she?



It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy the dream...the sensations he felt in it, including the ones he’d mentally received from Kirlia within it, had been rather...pleasurable...not surprising, considering what the dream had been about. But he hadn’t ever had thoughts like that...sexual thoughts...towards her before then.



Sometimes he felt what he thought was more-than-Pokemon affection from Kirlia, and hadn’t been repulsed, angered, or disgusted by it. From what he’d read in the Pokemon Academy, it wasn’t uncommon for Kirlia to go through a brief period of attraction towards a trainer of the opposite sex, although it was usually very brief, ending within a few days. He’d been feeling vague feelings of...attraction...from her ever since she evolved, and even since the awkward dream they’d shared, it hadn’t diminished. Could it be that his Pokemon really did...feel that way towards him?



He paused, expecting his mind to suggest talking to her about it and dispelling any notions of romance that she had, but was a bit surprised to find no resistance or concern in his head. He locked down his mental shields, making sure that he wasn’t getting interference from Kirlia, and checked again; indeed, he didn’t feel anything negative about her crush. His mind was more neutral at the idea...no wait, that wasn’t true. It was...interested. As in, it was willing to entertain the idea of---



Slash sat back against the tree and thought back on the dream. He remembered her trying to overcome her shyness, remembered his dream self wanting her badly but being terrified of telling her. Did he, in any way, actually have any attraction towards her? She was his best friend, had saved his life...was a rather pleasant sight to his eyes...but did a part of him really feel the way he had in the dream? He plunged into his own mind, searching his feelings for her. When she was a Ralts, he’d almost felt like a father, and her, his daughter; she’d been so child-like, so devoted to him, that it was difficult to imagine feeling any other way towards her. But when she evolved, she’d changed significantly, becoming just as bright and intelligent as he was, just as mature. He certainly didn’t feel like a father to her anymore, but did he feel like...more than a trainer? More than a friend?



A dozen little memories floated across his mind; he was unaware that he was gradually, subconsciously lowering his mental shields again, letting tiny bits of Kirlia’s emotions into him.



He remembered her asking him about what love was, and the accompanying feeling he’d gotten from her when he told her that love was wanting to be with someone just for the sake of being with them. At the time, he’d ignored his own mental response, but now that he thought about it...



He remembered waking up to find her with one of his arms around her, stroking his face gently, intimately. She’d jumped away, shy and embarrassed, and he didn’t mention it afterwards. But did he really mind?



He remembered the more intimate parts of the dream, where his dream self had kissed her softly but passionately, wanting to show her how humans expressed love, wanting to show her a whole new world of happiness. Even now, awake and in control, he wanted to show her things beyond the small world she’d known as a Ralts. Wanted to make her happy. And the thought of kissing her...well, it certainly didn’t disgust him, or make him want to run to the nearest Jirachian shrine and ask for purification.



Then his thoughts turned to...the end of the dream. Where he slid his hands down her slim body, feeling her intense affection and arousal towards him, remembering how he, in the dream at least, had never been more turned on in his life as he moved his hands along her slicked inner thighs, and then...



Slash couldn’t deny that...that...part of the dream was a little appealing. He felt his sex stir in his jeans and crossed his legs, hoping fervently that Kirlia wasn’t feeling his arousal over their bond or looking at him and noticing how he was acting. He turned his thoughts back on that, trying to keep his mental shields tightly sealed. Did he only find that part of the dream appealing because of his horny little teenage mind, or because he really cared for her?



He turned his eyes back on her, admiring her graceful fighting form. She was magnificent, beautiful...and while her rapid movements made her skirt...thing...whirl around her, often exposing quite a bit of her, he didn’t find himself just getting aroused. He felt...



...something. Something beyond friendship. He wanted to go to her, wipe the dirt and dust off of her sweat-slicked silver skin, carry her back to their hostel, and kiss away the pain from every one of her minor injuries.



Slash gulped nervously as he realized how...clear...that mental image was. How could he be so unsure of his own feelings towards her, and yet have such vivid and blatantly romantic thoughts?



Should I...should I talk to her about this?, he wondered, not liking the way he was faintly trembling, but unable to stop it or the flush on his face. These feelings...both romantic and...intimate...are becoming very distracting. And judging from how shy she is around me, she must be having some difficulties, too. Maybe it’d be best for both of us to sit down and discuss it. It’s probably just an extreme case of the temporary romantic bond thing, and I’m feeling it because she’s broadcasting it so strongly. I’m sure it’ll go away with time.



Nodding to himself, he decided that the next time Kirlia asked about romance, or acted in a very...unusual...way around him, he’d have a talk with her. Get the whole thing straightened out. He was sure that once she realized that it was natural for her species to go through a period of affection for their trainers, that it would start to dissipate. And he was sure that his feelings...both sexual and...romantic...would go away, as well. It was likely just as temporary as these false feelings of love and desire.



Although...deep down, part of him didn’t seem quite so sure about that. In fact, it seemed to be laughing at him, daring him to try and tell that to Kirlia, to himself, and try to believe it.



Torn between trying to convince Kirlia that her feelings...and his own...were just a symptom of a temporary ailment...and confessing his love (love? I don't know if it's that...far...) to her, he decided to make a compromise.



I'll tell her both...both that I have...similar feelings...very strong feelings...and that it might possibly be nothing more than our bond acting up. Then me and her will decide where to go from there.



And now that deep down part of him...the part that already knew, without a doubt, that he loved her...settled down.



-----------------------------------------



...a thousand miles away, in a dimly-lit, ominously-quiet office, the Man With Demon Eyes and his dark master were holding council.



Atop of Giovanni’s desk lay two small, seemingly harmless spheres, one glowing soft red; the other, soft blue.



“You understand, then?”



“Yes, sir. Fallarbor Town...the final pearl is in the volcanic wastes. Sounds easy enough if a child has it.”



Giovanni shook his head softly. “Yes, it should be...but we cannot take any chances. It’s taken half a decade, millions of dollars, and hundreds of men to get these first two. And we cannot afford to lose the third.” He gave Kiako a stern glare. “I want you to go in and attack, full firepower. Kill anyone who gets in your way. Retrieve the artifact at all costs. Failure is not an option.”



“I understand, sir,” Kiako said, his red eyes flashing at the thought of getting to unleash unfettered destruction once again, without holding back any of his strength. He started to turn to leave, but stopped in mid-step. “What of the boy with the Kirlia? Should I check in and see if she’s developing as well as before?”



The dark man considered, then nodded. “Yes, but do not engage him. Merely observe him on your way to Fallarbor and do a quick power scan. See if they still look as promising as you made them sound. Whether they do or not, continue on and secure the Sky Pearl, and then head back to base...we’ll decide what to do in regards to them then.”



With a smile, Kiako acknowledged the orders and quietly walked out of the room, leaving Giovanni to revel in the sight of the new pearl and consider just how much he’d progressed in his plans.



----------------------------------------------



“Alright, guys, come on in! Time to eat.”



The Pokemon disengaged from battle and ran over to the tree where he was setting out their dinner on a picnic blanket. As Kirlia headed over to her master, she couldn’t help but feel a little déjà vu...it’d only been a week since she and Slash had a picnic under this very tree. She was surprised to also feel a little jealousy that, this time, the entire team was out and about, instead of just the two of them.



Slash must have felt her discomfort, because he motioned for her to sit next to him, instantly lightening her mood and putting a shy smile on her lips. She gently sat by his side and started eating.



As the group ate under the lowering sun, Kirlia tried to get a read on Slash’s emotions...he’d had his shields up for a good part of the day, to ease her training...but found she couldn’t really get a clear fix on how he was feeling. She felt pride, worry, discomfort...even a little arousal...flickering on and off in a turbulent storm.



She focused only on Slash, so that the other Pokemon would not hear her. Master, are you alright? You seem...a little confused.



He turned to her and locked eyes for a moment, and she was relieved to feel his stress immediately go down a bit...and felt a bit of happiness that she’d been the cause of it.



“I’m fine,” he whispered, gently ruffling her hair with his hand. She smiled back at him, and continued with dinner.



------------------------------------



Far away...although not as far as Giovanni...another dark man was finally getting the answers he was looking for. It had taken a week, and the lives of three incompetent grunts, to get them, but it was worth it.



“Archie, sir, we’ve got news!”



“Spit it out, already.”



The grunt nervously wiped his brow, gave a nervous look at his leader’s Mightyena and its bloodstained fangs, and nodded quickly. “We couldn’t identify the one who killed our men in Slateport, but we were able to find out about a trainer who was at the scene...and also at the Mauville Pokemon Center, where Maxie was killed.”



Archie’s gaze turned curious. “So this trainer, he wasn’t just where our men were killed, but also where the Magma leader was killed?”



“Yes, sir.”



“What’s the name of this guy?”



“Slash Firestorm, age sixteen. He comes from Oldale Town. Two badges...Pokemon team mostly unknown, except for a Kirlia and a Corphish that he used when fighting Maxie.”



“Interesting...” Archie drummed his fingers on his Mightyena’s side, considering. “Even if this kid didn’t kill our men, he was at both locations...and partly responsible for Maxie’s death. I want him brought in for questioning.”



“Do we ask him to come...or do we tell him to come?”



The Aqua leader smiled. “Invite him. Tell him that I wish to reward him for helping kill Maxie, and that I have a few questions about the incident in Slateport. If he refuses our generous invitation...force him to accept it.”



“Yes sir!” The grunt saluted, then ran out of the office. Archie nodded to himself, curious to find out just what, exactly, that this greenhorn trainer knew.



---------------------------------



After they were done eating, Slash put the others back in their Pokeballs, and started cleaning up their little encampment. Afterwards, the two of them sat against the tree, watching the sun drop in companionable silence. Kirlia was feeling much happier now that they were alone, and with the setting sun dominating the western sky, she felt an amazing sense of contentment...as well as a bit of giddiness at being with her master under such a romantic view.



Seeing his face illuminated in the pink and gold sunlight, she felt her heart swell up and her pulse quicken. He was just so...perfect...and the moment was so beautiful...should she...?



She didn’t know why, but part of her was insisting that if she ever intended to let Slash know how she felt for him, now was the time...alone, under a gorgeous sunset, at the same place they’d shared that...intense...dream.



M-master?



He turned to her with curious eyes, sensing a bit of her excitement and nervousness. “Yeah?”



Um...there’s something I want to...tell you. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. For a long time now, I---



“Heeey, what’s this?”



A loud, obnoxious-sounding voice suddenly shattered the silence of twilight. Kirlia and Slash turned to see a group of three trainers standing nearby, bikes at their sides, looking on at their conversation with amused jeers.



There’s something under those mean smiles, though, Kirlia thought to herself. Something darker just underneath, like a mask...



“You two out here, staring at the sunset together?” one of them asked. “Sounds awfully romantic!”



Slash gave them an annoyed glare, but said nothing. Kirlia tried to read him and found that she couldn’t; his shields were up to their maximum.



Another laughed, setting his bike down and started moving closer. “You two holding hands out here?”



The first smirked, looking Slash right in the eye. “Gonna slip it to her once the sun goes down, man?”



Kirlia suddenly startled, visibly jumping, making the three boys laugh. But it wasn’t what the punk had said that made her jump; it was Slash. She could feel a burning anger boiling inside him, spilling over his shields, and it frightened her a little; even when they’d confronted Kiako and Maxie, he hadn’t displayed this much rage in his mind before.



“Oh, looks like we got it right, look at the two of them,” the third laughed. “He’s pissed off and she’s scared shitless!”



“I don’t know if anyone told you, but we don’t take to Pokemon-fuckers around here. You best be leaving before we have to...purify...the area.”



Kirlia didn’t like what she was sensing from the three, and was growing rapidly more concerned with Slash’s anger.



Master?



No response, just the same seething rage. She was confused; why was he taking this so...personally? ‘Pokemon-fucker’ was a common insult; shouldn’t he just tell these three to go to hell and that’d be the end of it?



One of the guys got right up to Slash and pushed him a bit, his good humor gone. “You heard us, kid. You and your little Poke-slut don’t belong here. So you’d be best off getting up and---”



“Shut up.”



The punk’s eyes widened. “What did you just say to me?”



“I’m sorry, let me elaborate. If you and your friends open your ugly traps again and say one more word about my Pokemon, I’ll personally beat the living hell out of all three of you.”



Kirlia listened in amazement, stunned at what she heard, and tried again to read Slash’s mind. Yes...now she could read it a bit, and...he was, indeed, enraged that they were insulting her. He was...defending her? He didn’t have to, so why?



For a moment, she thought that maybe, just maybe, Slash had some of the same feelings towards her as she had for him; that would explain his actions. But before she could consider it any further...



“Touchy, ain’t he? Defending your little cum-bunny, how cute.”



Before she could blink, Slash was on him, forcing him onto the ground and pummeling him with both hands. The other two quickly pulled Slash off and began to retaliate, raining blows all over him while Kirlia watched on in shock.



He’s getting hurt over me, she thought to herself as she watched her trainer try to fight the three off. He was rather fit, certainly not weak, but not even he could handle three opponents at once.



He’s...getting hurt because of me!, she repeated to herself, ashamed and horrified. Slash was managing to hold his own, having knocked some teeth out of one of them and knocked down another, but suddenly the remaining thug reached into his pocket and pulled out not a Pokeball, but a switchblade. Extending the five-inch blade, he lunged at her master.



Kirlia cried out as she saw this, unaware of the psychic energy that suddenly began to rage around her. No! I’m not going to let him get killed because of me!



There was a sudden, massive flash of blue, and then all three of the attackers were flat-out on the ground. She tried to sense their minds and realized that she couldn’t; they were dead.



Slash looked down in shock for a moment, then turned and ran to Kirlia, kneeling down and embracing her, blood trickling down his face.



“Are you alright, Kirlia?”



She stared at him for a few seconds, taking in every one of his injuries, and then broke down in tears. I’m fine, master...but you---



“I’m so sorry, Kirlia...sorry they called you that, sorry they attacked us and you had to see it and---”



They attacked you, master, not me! It’s not your fault...it’s mine.



He held her silently for a moment, cursing the world in his head, angry that their happy moment had been ruined by those bastards. “No, it’s not your fault. They’re my people...their actions are my responsibility.”



But---



“No, Kirlia,” he whispered, gently stroking her hair and holding her small body tight to his. “You’re not at fault.”



(you must hate me for this!)



“No, I don’t hate you, either.”



She felt a wave of annoyance that her thoughts had slipped through their bond unintentionally, but was happy to hear him deny them to her. She gently, hesitantly, broke the embrace, looking on her trainer’s battered form, shaking at the thought of what would have happened if that last thug had got at him with that knife.



Let’s...let’s go back to Mauville and get you fixed up, master.



He nodded, wiping some blood from his face, and the two began to stumble back to town. The whole way, Kirlia was deep in her own thoughts, terrified and ashamed.



Regardless of what he says, I was the reason he got hurt, she thought to herself. And if they’d heard me telling him that I loved him...if ANYONE heard me telling him that I loved him...it could have been even worse. My...selfish desire for him is...a risk, to his safety and his happiness.



She stared down at the ground as the walked, tears running down her face.



Yes...for his sake...for his safety...I can’t ever tell him how I feel. No matter how much I want to. It’s...it’s for the best. That would...be the best course. He can‘t ever find out how much I love him.



Slash heard her quiet sobs, and, despite the pain he was in, reached down and put her on his shoulders, sending a soothing pulse over their bond. He was surprised when she reacted by crying harder, the sound of it and the feel of her trembling frame on his body making his heart break.



I’ll ask her about it when we’re all cleaned up and have had some sleep, he decided. The two walked into Mauville, battered, bruised...never had they been more sure of their love than this moment...and yet never had they been farther from telling each other.



---------------------------------------



...to be continued.



SORRY I ENDED IT ON A SAD NOTE. But I promise, there will be fluff...and maybe the big confession...soon!