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An Uncertain Future	By : Twill Category: Pokemon > General Views: 12846 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
“Wake up.”
A firm hand was shaking her back to consciousness. Gardevoir’s vision was blurred as she opened tired eyes. Sleep had been so much nicer; just a few more minutes would...
“Gardevoir, wake up.”
She blinked to see Rob's face. “What is it?” she asked wearily. Maybe she had overdone it a bit. Every inch of her body begged for her to go back to sleep.
Rob pulled her to her feet. “Come on, there's someone hurt.”
Shaky legs barely supported her as she lurched upwards, clinging to Rob's hand. The world seemed to pull her downward more heavily than normal, but the tension in Rob's voice made her focus. Another human was stumbling down the path. Red stained his torn clothes. He had no pokemon out with him, but he looked like a trainer. As soon as she was on her feet, Rob and the others were already running to the human. Gardevoir followed as quickly as she could manage.
“Hey are you okay? What happened?” Rob asked as he approached the injured man.
“Got attacked. A whole pack of Nidoran. Never seen anything like it,” the man panted. He was probably close to the same age as Rob, though his torn and bloodied clothing might have made him seem older. “They just came out of nowhere.”
Rob turned to her as she caught up. “Gardevoir, can you take us back to the pokemon center?”
She shook her head. “I don't think I could make it myself right now. I'm sorry.”
“Don't worry about it,” he told her before returning his attention to the injured man. “Do you think you'll make it back to town? I can run ahead to get help if you need.”
“No, I'll manage I think. My pokemon were able to fend them off, and thankfully I wasn't poisoned myself. I'd appreciate an escort back though,” the man said, finally catching his breath a little.
“Yeah of course, let me grab my stuff real quick.” Rob ran back to grab his bags. While they waited Gardevoir looked closer at the man. While numerous, his wounds didn't look too bad. Most of the scratches were superficial. It was probably pretty painful, but he wouldn't be in any serious danger.
“Alright, let's go,” Rob said as he returned. “If you need to take a break just let me know.”
The man nodded and the group headed off down the path back towards Goldenrod. Rob's three pokemon, and Riolu, trailed behind the two humans. The sun had moved past its peak already as they walked. She must have been asleep for over an hour, not that it seemed to have helped much. As they walked Gardevoir tried to listen to Rob's conversation, anything to keep her mind off the fatigue that burned in her limbs.
“How far out were you? Is your team okay?” Rob asked.
“Yeah they're fine, a little roughed up but nothing serious. A few were poisoned but nothing a couple antidotes couldn't fix. I wasn't even that far out, and it was right off the path,” the man replied.
“That’s crazy; I had a similar incident myself few weeks back.” Rob kept them at a decent pace, but nothing the injured man couldn't handle. In fact Gardevoir might have been having the hardest time keeping up. Each step was harder than the last. If it kept up she'd have to ask Rob to return her to the pokeball, a less than envious thought.
“No kidding, Nidoran?” the man asked.
Rob grimaced. “Ekans.”
“Well, I guess we can count ourselves lucky then. One of the nurses warned me that travel along Route 35 had almost stopped completely, and that the pokemon were acting strange. Apparently a number of trainers have had a run in with swarms. I didn't imagine it would be this bad though. This wasn't territorial or anything, they just seemed angry for no reason.”
Gardevoir listened as the man spoke. He was right; pokemon didn't act like that, not usually. The foggy memories that she had, few and indistinct as they were, always seemed peaceful and happy. Hunting in packs like that just to kill didn't make any sense. It felt wrong. Listening to the conversation wasn't working anymore though, and she struggled to maintain focus on every step.
Color slowly faded from the surroundings as the group left the greens and browns of Route 35 and entered the maze of gray. Gardevoir was breathing heavier than the injured man beside Rob. She barely noticed the people and buildings passing by, all of her attention focused on Rob's back. As long as she kept him in sight, she would make it.
The familiar red and white building loomed ahead, its glass walls glistening in the fading sunlight. Soon she could be in bed, just a little longer. Their entrance caused quite a stir however. The injured man, followed by the small procession of pokemon, drew the attention of trainer and staff alike.
“My goodness sir, are you okay?” a nurse asked rushing up to them.
“I'll live,” the man said to the nurse before turning to Rob. “I really appreciate the help, maybe next time we'll meet under better circumstances,” he said with a grin.
“Hey don't mention it. I wasn't about to just leave you out there. Best of luck, and get better soon,” Rob said with a small wave.
“Will do,” the man returned the wave as he let the nurse lead him towards the exam rooms.
Gardevoir almost collapsed onto Rob's shoulder. “Can we go back to the room please? I'm so tired...” she asked, clinging to Rob to remain standing.
“Hmm? Are you-” but he cut off as he turned to see her. “Why didn't you say something sooner, you don't look well. I could have carried you back in your pokeball. You could have rested.”
“I don't like being in those things,” she muttered as her body was mostly supported by Rob. Strong arms held her up as his concerned eyes warmed her almost as much as his skin against hers. She could have fallen asleep right there. Her vision swam.
“Hey, easy there, we'll get you to the room in a moment,” he said beginning to lead her in the direction of the trainer rooms. They didn't make it uninterrupted though.
“Excuse me, but I'd like to talk with you a brief moment,” a hard voice called out, causing Rob to halt with Gardevoir leaned on his shoulder. It was the woman from before, the one who had asked all those questions about Rob. She could feel contempt radiating from the woman with her powers.
The officer's severe uniform was crisp, immaculately worn with each bit of metal polished to a mirror-like shine. “I'd like to know what your involvement with that man you walked in is.”
“I uh, just met him,” Rob said, taken aback at the suddenness of the officer's questions. “He was walking along the path. Apparently he was attacked by a swarm, but I'm sure he could tell you more.”
“And why were you with him?” the officer asked as she looked over Rob's other pokemon.
“I walked him back, just in case. Did I do something wrong or am I free to go? My Gardevoir needs to rest for a bit.”
“Didn't she just wake from a severe injury? And you're already pushing her hard enough she can barely stand? This is the second incident that fits with the pattern we've been investigating, I'd really like to-” the officer said, but Gardevoir had enough.
“You have no idea what you're talking about,” she growled at the woman. “Why don't you just-” but a gentle hand on her shoulder quieted her.
“Take it easy,” Rob said in a voice that soothed her anger towards the officer, his firm touch imparting her trainer's confidence. The officer gave her one more inquisitive look but turned a heated glare back to Rob.
“Don't leave town,” the officer said and stalked off.
“C'mon, let's get you back to the room.” Rub gave her shoulder a light squeeze before they moved off towards the room. Once inside Gardevoir moved straight for the inviting bed, half laying, half collapsing onto it. In seconds she was asleep.
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“Gardevoir, wake up.” Something was poking her in the side. With a yawn Gardevoir opened her eyes to the bright morning sunlight. Riolu stood over her smiling down. “Finally, I thought you were going to be asleep all day again.”
Gardevoir blinked to clear her eyes as she sat up. Someone had placed a blanket over her as she slept. “How long was I asleep for?” she asked. Her body felt rejuvenated, not a trace of fatigue left.
“All of yesterday, lazy,” Riolu teased. A quick glance around the room showed that the others were already awake. The soft patter of rain came from the other side of the wall, probably Rob. While she felt much better, her stomach growled. There were some boxes on the room's singular table that looked quite inviting, and Gardevoir moved to peruse their contents.
“Did Rob say what we were doing today?” she asked, poking through a few of the boxes looking for something easy to eat.
“Nope,” Riolu replied from the bed. “His aura has been a little off since yesterday though, and he disappeared for a bit while you were sleeping.”
Gardevoir frowned as she picked out one of the containers and popped a tangy piece of vegetable into her mouth. It was even better when not hot. “His aura is off?” Gardevoir asked as she sat back down on the bed, picking through the food.
“Mhmm, he seems distracted,” Riolu said, coming closer to examine what Gardevoir was eating. She knew very little of the young fighting types abilities. Rob's other two pokemon lay about on the other bed talking quietly about battling tactics. Some of their ideas were just silly, but a few might work. If nothing else it broke the silence as Gardevoir enjoyed her breakfast. The sound of rain stopped and a few minutes later Rob stepped from the bathroom.
“Oh, welcome back Gardevoir,” Rob greeted with a smile. “I was going to suggest we go somewhere for breakfast but it looks like you beat me to it,” he said as Gardevoir licked one of her green fingers.
“I could eat more; I only had a little...” She trailed off as she looked down at the empty container.
Rob laughed. “Well we're stuck here in the city for at least a few more days, so if there's anything you want to do just let me know.”
“What I want to do?” she asked. Gardevoir had no idea what humans did in their cities. At least a few days though, that meant she'd be able to meet with that pokemon who had spoken to her on the roof. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
“As long as you take it easy, I'm not going to let you kill yourself just because you're impatient,” he said. Gardevoir watched as he pulled a clean shirt over his head. Humans were weird with their clothing. Why did Rob even bother with the strange garments? He looked nicer without the dark blue cloth that now covered him.
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “And sorry about yelling at that woman, I didn't mean to get you in trouble with the other humans.”
“Don't worry about it,” Rob replied as he bent down to rummage through his pack. “I was speaking with some other trainers yesterday and apparently she's like that with everyone. Although I have seemed to catch her attention,” he sighed. “It should only be a few more days. And besides, the man we helped yesterday hasn't been the only one to be attacked. It might be best to wait until things calm down anyway. Once was enough for me.”
As Rob finished doing his usual human things, Gardevoir leaned back on the bed. There were so many strange rules to being a human; maybe she could have Rob explain some of them to her. Then again it might just be easier not knowing. Their rules didn't seem to make much sense anyway.
“Sandshrew, in two minutes you can warm up your claws on Quilava for a little morning practice,” Rob said as he began to pack his bag. His words had an immediate effect on the two sleeping pokemon, both jumping to their feet. Sandshrew eagerly waited, brandishing his claws with a predatory grin while Quilava backed away from his ground typed friend, eying Rob with sleepy reproach. “Don't look at me like that; the sun has been up for hours already.”
It was another pleasant day once they were out in the city. The streets were still busy, but they weren't crowded like they normally were. Rob had said that most of the humans were working. And with a stroke of courage, Gardevoir managed to walk beside her trainer for a change.
Her stride was shorter than his, but he walked at an easy pace this morning. The white gown that adorned her caught in the warm breeze and rippled about her, emphasizing her natural grace. Rob didn't say much as they walked, but the emotions she felt from her four companions were more than enough to keep her happy.
“What are we doing?” Gardevoir asked as they walked away from the pokemon center and deeper into the forest of buildings that towered around them.
“I dunno,” Rob replied, “just walking around a bit I guess. We can grab something to eat and then find somewhere to take it easy for the day. I keep promising we're going to rest for a while but things just seem to keep popping up,” he said with chagrin.
“Either way, I scheduled a gym match, but in a city this large, there's quite a waiting list. It's in two more days so we'll be here until then at least. Like I said if there's anything you want to do let me know, or if the others mention anything,” Rob added.
“I don't know. What do humans usually do for fun?” Gardevoir asked.
Rob shrugged. “I was always an odd human so I might not be the best judge of it. But it doesn't have to be human stuff. What kind of things do you like?”
“I've never really thought about it,” Gardevoir replied, looking inwards for a moment. “No one has ever asked.”
Rob winced at her words. “Sorry I didn't mean to-”
“No don't be,” Gardevoir said cutting him off. She didn't want to mar his good mood. They continued on in silence, Gardevoir continuing to just enjoy being near others who didn't hate or fear her. Friends.
After a quick stop at a food shop, Rob found them a small area with a few benches to sit down and eat. He passed each of them a paper wrapped morsel before taking one himself and opened it.
“I thought you might like these,” he said turning to Gardevoir as she tried to figure out the wrapping. “You're supposed to just eat them with your hands.”
She didn't know if it was the added bonus of not requiring a fork, but the food was excellent. A thick crusty bread surrounded hot egg and cheese that stuck to the inside of her mouth. It was well worth the effort of eating.
“There's a small lake just off Route 35 we could check out,” Rob said as he leaned back on the bench, finished with his meal. “Then there's the game corner, but you guys couldn't play, and we haven't exactly had much luck of late. Or I guess we could just wander around the city.”
They had all looked at him while he talked, but as soon as Rob finished, the others went back to eating. Gardevoir had already wolfed hers down so she just shrugged.
“Lot of help you all are,” Rob muttered. Clouds drifted in overhead and shaded them momentarily from the sun. Gardevoir watched as they floated above, puffy and impossibly out of reach. What the world would look like from up there? It was an odd though, something she wouldn't have entertained in the past. Brought up in such a hostile environment, even the quiet moments had been filled with fear and anxiety. But out here, amongst people she considered friends, this idle time was enjoyable. She could have just sat there on the bench, next to Rob, forever.
Waiting for the others to finish didn't take long, and as soon as they were done, Rob was once again leading them off down the gray-scale streets. Route 35 looked exactly the same as it had the day before. The strange transition from sprawling metropolis to open wilderness was abrupt, but Gardevoir couldn't tell exactly where one stopped and the other began. As they entered the dirt path and sparse trees, the city was easy to forget.
Walking to the lake didn't take very long, and it wasn't a very big lake, but its clear waters were surrounded by soft grass and the occasional wide trunked tree. Gardevoir followed Rob down towards the water's edge where he dropped his pack and sat down.
“You guys can do whatever you want; I'm just going to relax here for a bit.” Rob turned to her. “Just leave the trees alone, okay?”
Gardevoir blinked as Rob lay back on the grass, hands beneath his head. “That's it?” she asked.
“Hey, you didn't have any other ideas so we're going with mine. Besides, it's nice here. Go enjoy yourself,” Rob said, his voice relaxed as he rest in the spongy grass. A fragrant breeze carried off the lake, bringing the scent of water and summer flora. The other three pokemon headed towards the lake edge, but Gardevoir sat down beside her trainer, watching over him.
“You know it's kind of eerie with you staring down at me like that,” Rob said, opening an eye to look back up at her.
“Do humans do this often?” Gardevoir asked.
Rob shrugged from his reclined position. “There was a pond back where I lived that I used to visit all the time. This is similar enough. It was always a nice place to spend some time or think things over.”
“Think about what?”
“Whatever,” Rob replied with a chuckle. “Try it, lay back and just let your mind wander.”
She regarded him for a moment. It didn't sound like a relaxing activity, but then again his mind wasn't plagued by a dark past and an uncertain future. But it couldn't hurt to try. Gardevoir lay back and let herself sink into the soft grass. To her surprise, with the calm of the lake and closeness to her trainer, not even Absol stalked her thoughts. Gardevoir wriggled just a bit closer to Rob, almost touching his arm, and let herself relax.
The sun beaming down on her pale skin as the light breeze kept her cool, and only the human lying next to her was on her mind. Everything he had done for her, all of her problems he put up with. Surely it would have been easier to just leave her there on the ground to die, or keep her locked in a pokeball. He had even let Riolu tag along with her despite whatever rules it might be against with barely a question.
Her telepathic voice was quiet as she sent words to her trainer's mind. “Why do you do it?”
“Do what?” Rob's voice replied, lazy in the warm air.
“Everything. Put up with me, keep us all out of our pokeballs, let Riolu stay. You keep us company instead of spending time with other humans.” Gardevoir turned to look at his calm form lying next to her. “You saved me, and not just from death the day I teleported to your house.”
Rob didn't respond to her immediately, letting a moment pass before answering. The sounds of wildlife, and the other three pokemon, played a soft melody in the background.
“I guess you could say I've never really been a good human.” Rob's voice still held his usual lightheartedness, but it also contained a more contemplative note as well. “The reason I became a trainer was for things like this. To just get away from everything and worry about ourselves. I know that sounds selfish, but that seems to be the norm for us humans. I'm sure you know that better than me.” Gardevoir watched as Rob spoke, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling softly in the sunlight.
“Back in the academy, there were plenty of people who had nothing on their mind besides besting the Johto League and becoming Champion. The strongest trainer of the region. I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but some people saw pokemon as nothing but a means of getting there.
“A lot of the people I went to school with were like that, and that's something I never wanted to become. All of the training, the gym fights. If any of you didn't want to fight, I wouldn't mind giving it up. But right now it's something to do, and it's been paying well enough to live off, so why not right?”
Gardevoir turned to her side and brought a hand tentatively to his arm, brushing against the soft fabric of his shirt. At her touch Rob glanced to his side, looking back at her.
“All of you seem so innocent,” he said meeting her gaze. Green eyes held her own captive. “Every time your face lights up at some new food, or watching you look about the city all wide eyed, to think there are people who only see you as weapons. Even if it's only the four of you, I can at least maybe do some good. That seems like a decent enough reason to me anyway, more than anything else I could be doing with my life right now. And who knows what's going to come around tomorrow, maybe I'll find something better for us. But for now, hopefully this is good enough.”
Gardevoir didn't know how to respond. Kindness she had never imagined to hear, especially from a human. She pulled his arm towards her and hugged it. The soft fabric of his sleeve pressed to her face as she brought him closer to her.
Her psychic voice dropped to a whisper. “You're a good person. I'll do everything I can to protect you, even if it means giving my life.”
Rob brought his other hand to stroke her head. “Don't waste your life on such a foolish goal, but hopefully I'll never lead us into a position where that would be necessary again.”
Gardevoir ignored Rob's words as she clung to him. No matter what he said, she would protect him. His life was worth than hers. The world needed more humans like him; it didn't need more destruction, and that was all she was good for.
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Riolu shook her fur out, spraying the others with a light mist of water. Fighting always gave her such a thrill. It was the only time she truly felt free, her mind empty except for the enemy before her. Of course here it was only Quilava and Sandshrew, so they weren't enemies, but it had still been fun.
“Is that necessary?” Quilava whined as he shied away from the droplets freed from her fur. Riolu pounced on him, the pair of the rolling a few times.
“It's just a little water,” she teased, wrapping her arms around him.
Quilava struggled in her grip. “Get off me; you're all wet.”
Riolu buried her face in the soft fur of Quilava's chest. “And you're nice and warm.” She tightened her grip on the fire type and rest against him. His struggles stopped with a sigh of resignation. Heat built up in her friend's fur and warmth began to suffuse through her.
“What was it like being raised by humans for you?” Riolu asked as she relaxed, her arms wrapped around Quilava. Steam rose in faint wisps through her fur.
His voice was a little ruffled from her rough treatment, but it still held the kindness that had drawn her to him. “Hmm? Weren't you as well? I thought Gardevoir mentioned it.”
“I just want to hear about it. Where I was born was... Hostile.”
Quilava shifted a little underneath her, his arms running over her fur. “What do you mean, were the humans-” but Riolu cut him off.
“Please?”
With another sigh Quilava acquiesced. “I don't know what to say about it. Everything was provided for us, we got to live in a nice open place, and there were plenty of other pokemon around to play with. There were even lots of humans around, probably to get us used to them since we were being sent to new trainers. Nothing that I would call hostile.” Quilava's arms gripped her tighter, returning the impromptu hug.
Riolu smiled into his fur. Of the few humans she had met in her life, Rob had been the only one who didn't have a darkness in their aura. And until meeting him, she hadn't known it was possible. But maybe there were others, maybe they weren't as bad as she thought. Even Gardevoir was beginning to think so, even if she didn't say it. The ones who raised Quilava didn't sound so bad either.
Quilava nudged her. “You know that was the perfect opportunity to explain what you meant.”
“It's not important,” Riolu said with a deep, content breath as she nuzzled into Quilava's neck.
“Your coat is soft.” Quilava's compliment made her heart light as she pressed against him. Her kind might not be as good as psychic types, but even her small ability with aura was enough to sense the true feelings of others if they were strong enough.
She could get lost in his warmth forever. “Thank you – for being my friend, and for everything.”
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The rest of the afternoon was uneventful for Gardevoir. Neither she nor Rob had moved from their spot in the grass, much to Gardevoir's delight. She felt a safety being close to Rob, and a simple feeling of happiness. He had been right; this place was nice.
“We should probably head back to the pokemon center,” Rob said as he gently pulled his arm from her grip.
Gardevoir protested but sat up with him. “Why don't we do this more often?”
Rob chuckled. “So you ended up enjoying yourself then? We can take it a little easier if you want. I hope anyway; when we aren't on the run.” She frowned at him, but he only ruffled her hair.
As the group of them walked back into the city, the sky overhead began to dim. Light blue turned to a brilliant mural of orange and reds. Clouds moved in overhead to menace the human city below. As the city began to spring up around them, Gardevoir's mind turned to her meeting with the strange pokemon on the rooftop. The only problem was getting away from the others. Would Rob even let her go? She couldn't explain to him why she was leaving. Not yet, not before she knew what she was. Maybe not even then.
Rob stopped at a restaurant for a quick meal before they continued to their room at the pokemon center. Once they had made it back, the sky was almost the complete darkness of a cloudy night. She needed to get going as to not miss her chance to again speak with the enigmatic pokemon, and she stood in the room thinking. The others took their places in the room as Rob flipped on the light box he called a TV and went into the bathroom.
As her mind raced, the familiar sound of rain came from behind the closed door again, and an idea struck her.
“Rob? I know I can't hear you, but I'm going to leave for a bit.” Her telepathic voice would be heard clearly despite the walls. “I'll explain later, but this is important. Please trust me.” And with that, she teleported to the roof.
Dark clouds filled the sky above and blocked out any starlight that tried to shine down. The air was heavy with the impending rain, a storm from the looks of it. She had no idea when the mysterious pokemon would show himself again, but there was nothing to do but wait. Soon she would know what was wrong with her.
The brick pressed cold and rough on her skin as she sat against the roof's low wall. Any heat left from the day had quickly been absorbed by the chill night. Even the city was quiet compared to its usual bustle. If it started to rain, she could create a barrier against the water, and she doubted the incorporeal form of the psychic type would be bothered. He would be here soon.
Time crawled by as Gardevoir sat with her psychic powers feeling for any presence. Her tensed with anticipation.
Without warning, he was there. “Hello little one.”
Gardevoir jumped to her feet at the sudden appearance. “You came.”
“Yes, like I said.” The being's voice was clear in her mind with its ancient strength.
“Do, do you know what's wrong with me?” Gardevoir asked. Her breath caught as she waited for him to speak.
“I want to warn you. Do not purse this.” The being's voice didn't change as he spoke. “You will not find what you are looking for in what I can tell you.”
Gardevoir's throat tightened as a pit formed in her stomach. “I can't run from this. I need to know what I am.” She didn't breathe as she waited for a response.
“Are you positive?”
Her heart pounded. “Yes.”
“What is the earliest memory you have?”
The question caught Gardevoir off guard. “My earliest memory? I don't remember much from before I was caught by humans. There are a few of my parents, and I remember being captured but...”
“You have forgotten.”
“Forgotten what?” she asked the being. His cryptic words weren't making any sense; she had come here for answers.
“That is not for me to say. I can return your sight but no more. Before I do anything however, I give you this last chance to turn back. Once done, there is no undoing it. The truth will destroy you. You will not find happiness down this path.”
“I don't understand, what do you mean? My sight? I just want to know what is wrong with me. What is this power I have?” The hair on the back of her neck stood. This wasn't going at all like she imagined. Why couldn't he just tell her? The being remained silent as he waited for her answer.
“Fine, if you won’t answer me then I have no choice. I want to know what I am,” Gardevoir said. She had never felt as sure about anything in her life. Whatever the cost was, she would pay it; she had to know
The being began to move towards her. “So be it. Just remember, I tried to stop you.” A hand made of psychic energy reached towards her. On contact, numbness spread throughout Gardevoir's body, and darkness consumed her.
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Gardevoir woke. Or maybe she didn't, but awareness was returned to her. Black extended in every direction, infinite and absolute. No floor supported her, yet she stood, the strange lighting of the place illuminating her perfectly. She had been here before.
“You should have listened.”
Gardevoir spun. Behind her stood Abra with a wide grin across his face. A mirthless, predatory grin.
“But- You can't-” she backed away from his bloodied form. “What did you do to me? What is this place?”
“Idiot.” Blood dripped from that heartless smiled as Abra advanced on her. “But then again I should be thanking you. You are no longer blinded. This is good.”
Fear battled with anger inside Gardevoir. “What are you? What is this place? Answer me!” she shouted. “I just wanted to know what I am. You know what this place is. Tell me!” She raised her hand, reaching for her psychic powers. That thing wasn't Abra no matter what his appearance. If she had to beat the answers out of it, she would.
Nothing happened, and Abra's grin deepened. “Your powers are nothing here. Don't waste our time. You want to know what this place is? Then look around; you can see now.”
“What does that even mean?” Gardevoir asked as she backed away from the thing that wore Abra's face.
“Look,” Abra commanded. Intensity burned in the creature's gaze. “Truly look, and you will see.” His eyes gleamed hungrily, but he stopped moving towards her.
For a moment Gardevoir looked away from Abra and examined the blackness around them more closely, but there was nothing in the vast emptiness besides the two of them.
She brought her gaze back to Abra. “There's nothing there.”
“You're pathetic. Fine, I will leave as you clearly have no control over yourself. Look.” And with that, he was gone.
Gardevoir almost hesitated. Anything that monster wanted couldn't possibly be good, but at the same time if this would give her answers... Focusing on anything other than Abra's destroyed body was difficult, and the way it spoke sent chills down her spine. It knew something, whatever the creature was, and she needed to know as well. With her mind cleared, Gardevoir noticed a tiny spec amongst the blackness. It shone like the faintest star in the night sky, albeit solitary in the emptiness around here. She looked closer.
The spec of light grew rapidly. Gardevoir's stomach lurched as the strange place shifted around her. She was no longer in the empty void. Instead, the familiar walls of Rob's house stood around her. Wide eyed, Gardevoir examined the interior. Everything was just as she remembered it. Everything except for the colors. Once warm and inviting, everything in the house now took on a washed and unnatural hue. The house looked dead.
“Predictable.”
Gardevoir spun to find once again that Abra had snuck up behind her. “You. What is this?” she asked once again to her stalker.
Abra advanced on her. “You still haven't figured it out?” The crushed section of his chest glistened in stark contrast with the muted colors of the house. Blood dripped to the floor where it left brilliant spots of color. “Think. Look,” the creature said continuing his advance.
Gardevoir's back bumped against the wall behind her. “Why can't you just give me a straight answer?” She watched as the creature drew nearer. Eyes bore into her from above a drooling red grin.
Abra stopped inches in front of her. “Do something for yourself for once.” His voice dripped with disgust. “Always relying on others. You're useless. Back in the basement you relied on me to help you get by. After my death, you did nothing but brood while others took care of you. And now you want my help again,” he spat. A three fingered hand touched the horrific wound in his side and then pressed against her pale stomach.
Gardevoir shuddered as the warm, wet hand pressed against her. She could feel the thick liquid touch her, leaving a sticky red mark in the shape of Abra's hand on her skin.
“Look.” Abra's eyes burned. Eyes that forced her to look away, and she saw. The house was ablaze around them, not with fire, but with energy. She took a step forward, unaware of Abra as he moved out of her way, eyes filled with glee.
Every window was washed in blinding amounts of psychic energy. Doors throughout the house were similarly marked. Some were open, others shut. Gardevoir moved to one of the windows. Beyond was dark and hazy. Shadows moved around behind the glass, their indistinct forms unknowable through the thick psychic distortion. There was another window next to the first and she tried to look through that one. Again the view beyond was obscured, but the scene was different, almost pure white. The views from the adjacent windows were impossible.
None of this helped; there had to be something useful here. Gardevoir moved out of the kitchen and into one of the hallways. A door lit by the fiery blue energy shone against the color-drained walls, humming slightly, resonating with her mind. She placed a hand to the handle and opened the door. No closet lay behind beyond, but the infinite blackness, a different darkness than she had come from.
A noise came from the void, a familiar, haunting melody that she had never heard before. It called to her, calmed her racing heart and soothed her mind. Gardevoir almost stepped out through the threshold before stopping. She had no idea what would happen. What if this place could be dangerous? What if she couldn't get back? With a great deal of willpower she shut the door. The song stopped.
Gardevoir stared at the closed door for a long time. Energy still blazed around the portal to that strange place. For some reason she wasn't afraid of this imitation of Rob's house. She should be terrified of it, and yet it felt natural despite nothing inside being anything of the sort. An idea struck her. Gardevoir walked back through the kitchen and down another hallway. She stopped right outside of Rob's room. The door was closed.
It shone just like the other. In fact all of the doors shone in exactly the same way. With a deep breath Gardevoir put a hand to the handle and turned. The door didn't budge. She tried putting all her weight against the door, but once again it remained firm.
“It won't open,” a voice came from her right, and Gardevoir turned to see Abra watching her.
“Why not?” Gardevoir asked, but the creature only smiled at her.
“Have you still not figured it out?” he asked in exasperation. “Follow me.”
Gardevoir hesitated as she watched the pokemon walk away without waiting for her to follow. It couldn't hurt to at least see what he wanted to show her. They walked through the house until the pair of them reached the front door. Unlike the other doors though, this one was surrounded by crimson energy. The dark red light seemed to reach out towards her.
Abra stepped to the side so she had a clear view. “Beyond this door are the answers you're looking for. Open it.”
Gardevoir stood before the imposing red light. Her stomach warmed in its presence, and she looked down. The three fingered mark on her body blazed with the same kind of energy, almost as dark as the blood that had left it. She took a step closer.
“Open it,” a thousand voices echoed in her mind. The wings of a thousand insects whispered the command to her. A shaking hand reached out to touch the doorknob. “Open it.” The voices were louder, thundering in her mind, drowning out any other thoughts. Cool metal pressed against her hand as her fingers tightened around the knob. “Open it.” The booming chorus pushed everything from her mind as her body surrendered to the voices. “Open it.” She turned the handle.
As if burned, Gardevoir jumped back. “Stop!” she shouted and clapped her hands to her head. Silence.
“Open it!” Abra shouted, but the moment was gone.
Gardevoir panted as she tried to regain her composure. She trembled before the brilliance of the crimson door, unsure of what had just happened.
Her voice shook. “Why do you want me to open that one? What are you?”
A wild snarl crossed Abra's face. “Useless. This was a waste of time!” The crimson mark on her stomach scalded her skin, and the room faded to blackness.
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The light flickering from the TV went unnoticed as Rob waited. He trusted Gardevoir, but she had been gone for a while now, and it had started raining almost an hour ago. Riolu had indicated that she was on the rooftop once again, but what she could possibly be doing up there he had no idea. With a quiet snap his psychic pokemon was standing in the room.
Rob's eyes shot towards her and he jumped to his feet. “Gardevoir are you okay?” There was no response as she swayed on her feet. Water dripped to the floor as Rob moved to her. He hissed as his hands touched her skin. “You're freezing. Come on, let's get you dried off.” After grabbing a towel from the bathroom Rob draped it around Gardevoir, though she barely seemed to notice. Her eyes stared right through him.
“Are you okay? Say something to me. Do you need to see someone at the pokemon center? I can have them look over-” but his words seemed to get her attention.
Red eyes flashed up at him. “No.” Gardevoir's arms shot up to grab him, and her tiny claws sunk into his skin. “Don't leave me with them.”
Rob winced as the claws pierced his shirt. “Okay okay, just calm down, what happened?” The claws receded but he didn't get any further response. She just stood there. With a sigh Rob began to dry her off. It was always something. Gardevoir didn't give any indication of noticing even as he dried her hair, the towel covering her face. After he had finished doing the best he could he led her to the unoccupied bed.
She lay down with a little help from him and he pulled the covers over her. As he tried to move away she grabbed him again.
“Don't go.” Her voice was weak in his mind, and her hand was still frigid against his skin.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Rob said as he ran his free hand through her damp hair. “I'll be right over there.” He indicated to the other bed but she didn't let go. Sharp claws dug harder into his skin, and he relented. “Sure, I'll stay here with you for a bit,” he whispered and her grip on him relaxed.
Rob lay down on the other side of the bed. As soon as he lay down though, Gardevoir moved to wrap her arms around his middle. Her lithe form shivered slightly against him as she rest her head against his chest.
“What happened?” he asked again, but just as before he received no answer. Before long, Gardevoir's eyes were closed, and her back rose and fell in the gentle rhythm of sleep. Rob put an arm around her and sighed before he too closed his eyes.
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An Uncertain Future