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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
- 3
- 4
- 5
It was like being reborn as they stepped out into the crisp, fresh air of Route 32. The breeze was a nice change from the stagnant air of Union Cave, and while not as bright as it had looked from inside, the sun still burned warmly on the horizon. It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her, the cave reminding her more of Wes' basement than made her comfortable. The dark, constant threat of Absol. Just the thought made her shiver.

Rob lead them at a relaxing pace along the path. The surroundings had changed considerably in the short span they were in the cave for. The trees were much less dense on this side and looking ahead it seemed like they gave way to sprawling hills of wild grass and shrub.

“Much nicer out here isn't it?” Rob asked, a content, carefree tone to which Cyndaquil quickly agreed. Hard to argue with that she thought sadly, had things been under different circumstances, she probably would have been very happy to be here. “Well I guess here is as good a place as any, and I wasn't expecting to get very far once we got out of the cave anyway,” and with that, Rob dropped his bulky pack and started to break out his tent.

The clearing wasn't as nice as the previous one, the ground was a little uneven and there were a few trees around but it would do. “Cyndaquil, Kirlia, you guys want to see if you can get some kindling for the fire while I set this up?”

“Sure!” Cyndaquil said enthusiastically followed shortly by Kirla's “As you wish.” Rob wouldn't have understood Cyndaquil's exact words but he seemed to get his meaning more often than not. Kirlia set off in a different direction than Cyndaquil to search for sticks. Neither of them were really built for this kind of work and Kirlia could only carry a few pieces of wood each trip, none of them being very large. If she could use her psychic power it would make the work a lot easier but to manipulate objects like that, psychic, was a much more advanced skill than she was able to accomplish.

Their pile of sticks grew slowly and Rob soon had the tent set up. “Hey guys come on over, I'm going to let Sandshrew out before it gets dark.” She heard Rob call out and headed back to their camp with a stick she had. Dropping it off on the pile she joined the other two who both looked eager to meet their new companion.

Rob had been waiting for his chance to make some grand gesture to release a pokemon and he figured he might as well get it out of his system now. It seemed kind of childish even to him, but he didn't let it didn't stop him.

“Go Sandshrew!” he called out, whipping the pokeball into the air. The ball arced high and released his newest pokemon in a bright flash of red light. The ball snapped back to his hand and he looked down at the released pokemon. Sandshrew wobbled for a second before falling over, Rob had kept him in stasis, and it seemed Kirlia's confusion attack hadn't quite worn off. He struggled to get up but Rob sat down next to him.

“Easy there, give it a second, you'll be alright.” It didn't take him long to recover though, and he looked up at Rob, still sitting. “Welcome to the team,” Rob told him and got a happy “Shrew!” and a smile in return. “Glade to have you,” said Rob, patting him on the head.

Rob introduced Sandshrew to the others after quickly introducing himself. After a bit Sandshrew turned to her with a smile. “That was quite an attack you hit me with,” he said cheerily. Kirlia stared at him for a second. She didn't know how to respond, he seemed to be happy to be captured, and didn't even harbor any resentment over her part in it. It wasn't just an act either, she could feel the happiness radiating from him.

“Uh, thanks,” she finally replied, unsure of how to take this. He gave her an inquisitive look but turned back to his new trainer after a second. Rob moved to the pile of sticks and began setting up the fire.

He had thought they would have gathered more in the time it took him to get that damned tent set up. “Kirlia you could have used your psychic powers to gather this stuff if you'd wanted.” Rob called to her, looking at her over his shoulder, trying to give her an inviting smile. She immediately dropper her eyes as his head turned.

“I'm sorry, that's beyond my ability,” she said miserably and spun, heading out back towards where she had been gathering earlier. Shit. Every time he tried to talk with her it seemed like he said the worst possible thing. He was pretty sure there was something wrong with him.

“Kirlia! You don't have to...” He tried to call her back but trailed off as she retreated, either out of earshot or just ignoring him, he couldn't tell which. He sighed and turned back to the fire, at least Sandshrew had turned out not to hate him. Now all he had to do was figure her out.

Kirlia walked further out this time, her hand trembled. She didn't understand why his words had hurt so much, she didn't care what he thought. Though apparently she did. Clenching her fist, she willed psychic energy to spring up around it. She concentrated, putting as much as she could into the attack and launching it at a nearby tree. The tree shook from the blow, a couple of Pidgey squawked at her as they took off into the darkening sky.

A leaf fluttered down and Kirlia tried to catch it, but it was like trying to use a hand made of smoke, the leaf slowing, but continuing inevitably downward. She tried again with the same result. I'm not useful to anybody. After gathering as many fallen sticks as she could carry, she laboriously dragged them back towards where a small fire now blazed, fighting back tears.

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Sandshrew watched as Kirlia walked away from the camp, his new trainer with his hands interlocked above his head. “What was that about?” he asked Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil gave the psychic pokemon's back a cold look before shrugging and turning back to Sandshrew.

“I have no idea, but that's how most conversations with her go. I don't think she likes Rob, or wants to be with us really,” Cyndaquil started to explain. “I've only ever heard her speak once, and that was when she yelled at Rob. He talks to her sometimes, but she must use her psychic powers since it always seems like Rob is talking to himself to me.”

“Hmm, so you haven't even talked with her? How long have you guys been traveling?”

“This is only our second day since leaving Rob's home,” Cyndaquil laughed. “But no I haven't talked with her. Rob tries to be nice and in return she's mean and cold. Mostly she just tries to avoid us though,” Cyndaquil continued, his eyes darkening at the affront to his trainer.

“Well maybe she just needs some time then, not everyone has the easiest of lives before being captured.” Sandshrew grew distracted for a moment, his eyes growing distant as he thought back. “But I'm with you guys now,” he said cheering up quickly. “And I want a rematch with you sometime without Kirlia having to come and save you.”

“Save me?” Cyndaquil spluttered playfully. “Haha, Rob was just afraid I'd do too much damage before he got the chance to capture you.”

“Yeah, there was really a danger of that,” Sandshrew jested back.

“I'll be glad to show you any time,” and with that Cyndaquil blew flames out into the fire pit Rob had set up, igniting the dry wood immediately.

Rob jumped back from the sudden intense heat and looked down at his two pokemon. “Alright you two, take it easy, you'll get plenty of chances to show off later.” The two laughed as they joined their trainer around the pleasant blaze. “Now, who's hungry?” He wanted to wait for Kirlia but for all he knew she could be spending the entire night out there. He dished out their meals with a sigh, he just might never understand that one.

After he doled the food out, even preparing an extra bowl for Kirlia, she returned. Cyndaquil and Sandshrew had already started in on their meals as if they hadn't eaten in days but Rob stood up as she approached. He couldn't tell if the sight was adorable or heart wrenching, probably a mix of both as he knew it was his fault she was upset. Kirlia struggled with the large bundle she was dragging to where the pile was, far too much for her small body to manage easily.

Rob walked out to her. “Hey, you can just leave them there, we've got more than enough. Why don't you come have something to eat? And I'm sorry for what I said earlier, I didn't-” She didn't look at him as she dropped her large bundle in a heap.

“It doesn't matter,” her voice wavered as she took the bowl from him, still not meeting his gaze. Rob cringed as the voice entered his mind. She had tried hard to maintain that icy, dispassionate tone but he could hear it falter. He thought about trying to join her where she sat down, away from the others, but he'd probably just end up saying something he'd regret again. And with her not even looking at him, he'd let her be for now.

He left the sticks where they were and went to sit down beside his other two pokemon, who were still eating and seeming to joke with one another. He ruffled their heads before leaning back to eat his own meal, this was more how he had envisioned his journey to be.

Kirlia ate slowly on the opposite side of the fire from the others. She wondered how long he'd keep it up, beating her down and then trying to be friendly, was it just to mess with her? She desperately wanted to not care, about them, or what happened, but it seemed the harder she tried, the harder it was to maintain the act. She wouldn't break down though, not here, that's probably just what he wanted, to see her misery.

The embers glowed warmly under her cold glare, they truly not caring about the world around. She had eaten everything in the bowl without realizing it, and was quickly taken in by the dancing flames, the heat uncomfortably warm against her face. The figure that approached her from the side startled her slightly as he sat down next to her. She was even more surprised when she noticed who it was though. She thought about getting up and leaving, or teleporting off into the dark, but if there was one person who might understand...

“You're an awfully quite one,” Sandshrew said softly, firelight playing off his dark eyes. Kirlia studied him, he was calm, it was easy to sense his emotions from this distance.

“Why are you here?” She asked him, speaking directly to his mind. It wasn't intentional if she came across as rude, and she didn't use the cold empty voice she tried to keep up around Rob. The voice that entered his mind was one of someone who had been utterly defeated, hopeless. Something he was familiar with.

“Because I've been trying to be here for a long time. I've been waiting months near the entrance of that cave in hopes that a trainer would come by and catch me. I'd fight as hard as I could, hoping to impress one of them enough that they'd take me along.” Sandshrew started in a somber voice.

“You wanted to join up with one of those twisted beings? A human?” Kirlia interrupted but Sandshrew only continued in his steady, soothing voice.

“I was defeated many times, I suffered through a good many brutal fights, only to wake up injured and left alone in the dark to fend for myself while weakened. But I continued until today, when I was finally able to catch the eye of someone who would take me with them. Someone who, in the small time I've been with, seems like a genuinely good person.” He paused, looking directly into Kirlia's crimson eyes. His presence had a calming effect on her reminiscent of Abra, she broke the gaze, unable to maintain it.

“But why?” She needed to know why he had put himself through that, just to end up in the same situation she was.

“Because, it's easier to move on when there are others around to rely on, people that you can trust.”

“There's no such thing,” she said immediately, she might not have traveled far, or even lived a very long life, but in all of the humans she had met, they used their pokemon ruthlessly for their sick pleasures and sport. They didn't care whether those fights left them maimed or dead.

“Humans and pokemon can be cruel, but the majority of both are good people, none of us want to see you suffer. If you keep it all locked up within yourself, it will destroy you.” Sandshrew stood and walked back to where Rob and Cyndaquil were swatting at each other, fixing a smile back on his face. She hadn't realized she'd started crying, and quickly wiped the hot tears from her face. He was wrong, and he was a fool for being so easily taken in by Rob's lies. He had to be.

Rob watched curiously as Sandshrew returned from his chat with Kirlia. The fact that she hadn't taken off or attacked kind of surprised him, maybe it was just him.

“I'm impressed, now if she only gave me the chance to talk with her,” he said half jokingly to his newest pokemon, though secretly hoping for any kind of insight Sandshrew glanced back at Kirlia who now had her back to the flames, his smile faded a bit but returned quickly as he gave Rob a pat on the leg and a consoling “Shrew.”

“You have quite the way with words there,” Rob said smilingly and patted Sandshrew on the head who beamed at the contact. Rob lay back on the soft grass that covered their campsite, enjoying the warmth of the fire and his new friends. It was almost hard to believe that he'd met Cyndaquil less than a week ago, and now Sandshrew had joined them. Maybe he'd cheated a little, using Kirlia to capture him but if he was happy to be with them then no reason to worry over it right?

Cyndaquil jumped onto him, taking his usual spot warming Rob's chest; and Sandshrew, looking left out was dragged close by one of Rob's free arms.

“It'd be a shame if we burned to death but I'm just so comfortable right now,” Rob yawned as he felt the haze of sleep falling over him. Cyndaquil murmured something equally as sleepily but Rob wouldn't have understood it anyway. And with that the three fell asleep right as they were under the stars, their tent unoccupied a few yards away.

Kirlia had a much more difficult time finding sleep. The fire burned itself out, giving way to the impenetrable darkness. She tried to settle down into the soft grasses but after the journey through Union Cave, every noise sounded like Absol sneaking up on her. It was late by the time she drifted off to sleep, where Absol waited for her in that realm.

Rob woke slowly and unwillingly. The warmth from the early sun shinning down on him as well as the sleeping fire type still on his chest making him feel way too relaxed. He opened his eyes to be greeted by an unfamiliar pair inches from his own, instantly vanishing his waking calm. He gave a shout of surprise as he sat up quickly and all hell broke loose.

Pidgey squawked and took flight as the Cyndaquil, whose head he had perched on, tumbled into his trainer's lap as the human sat up. Cyndaquil and Sandshrew both woke up at the sudden disturbance but Kirlia had them both beat despite sleeping further away. Rob wasn't sure if she gotten up or merely teleported to a standing position, but a psybeam lanced from her outstretched arm to knock the invading Pidgey right out of the sky.

“What a shot,” Rob muttered as he heard his other two pokemon noise similar sentiments of awe. They watched as the flying type crashed to the ground a ways off in the distance. He'd have to remember not to startle Kirlia in her sleep if he valued his well being.

“Kirlia that was... Kirlia?” She hadn't moved from where she had fired the shot but she had her free arm at her throat, breathing hard and eyes wide. “Kirlia are you okay? Kirlia!” His shout snapped her out of it and she whipped her head towards him. Rob cringed slightly, expecting a blast to be sent his way, but her haunted eyes merely narrowed at him. She seemed to calm herself down, outwardly at least and sat back down onto the grass, staring up at the sparse clouds overhead.

It didn't take long to break down the unused tent, and after making sure to clean up after their short stay, Rob had them back on the road, eating as they went.

“I just don't understand how you slept through it. He was sitting right on top of your head,” Rob directed at Cyndaquil, disbelief plain on his face.

“Yeah and we were both on top of you,” Cyndaquil muttered as Sandshrew snickered at his side. Kirlia had taken up her usual spot, walking a small distance behind the other three so they would let her be. She was still rattled from her dreams that night. She usually remembered her dreams vividly, and having spent the entire previous day in the darkness of that cave worrying about Absol...

Breathing steadily she fought to keep her anxiety under control. She hadn't even remembered attacking the Pidgey, her instincts taking over after being startled awake by the commotion. Rob's shout was the first thing she remembered after waking, her dreams replaying in her fear paralyzed mind in those brief seconds prior. She could still feel that blood red gaze watching hungrily.

It was a quiet morning as the group ahead of her chatted amongst themselves, but as the sun started to climb, more eyes seemed to watch them from the surrounding vegetation. The growing concentration of wild pokemon eventually culminated in a Bellsprout jumping out and blocking their path. Cyndaquil got ready but Rob stopped him.

“You've got the advantage in this one, I'm sure you'd have no trouble, how about we see what Sandshrew can do. He is at a disadvantage in this match up,” Rob said and Sandshrew stepped up smiling.

“I was going to save this for our match but I don't think I'll need any surprises,” Sandshrew boasted, him and Cyndaquil having become friendly rivals.

“All talk,” Cyndaquil replied offhandedly, crossing his arms as he watched Sandshrew.

“All right, Sandshrew go!” Rob called out and the fight began. Vines burst from Bellsprout and shit directly towards Sandshrew. He was at both an offensive and defensive disadvantage. Bellsprout's grass attacks would hit hard and Sandshrew's own ground attacks would do little against the plant. Kirlia hadn't really seen him use any ground based attacks in his fight against Cyndaquil, preferring to used up close attacks like tackle and scratch. So as long as he could get in close he might not be that hindered.

Getting close would be the issue though, Bellsprout's vines giving him a much greater range. That was all negated however as Sandshrew jumped, launching himself in Bellsprout's direction, the leap having no chance of making it to his opponent, but as soon as he made contact with the ground again he disappeared into it.

Bellsprout froze as he tried to anticipate when and where the dig attack would come from. He didn't have long to wait though and was prepared for it. Sandshrew bust up from directly below Bellsprout only to be met by a pair of vines blocking his claws from their intended target. The counter attack from Bellsprout sent a vine crashing into the ground type's exposed belly. Sandshrew let out a loud grunt of pain as the attack sent him rolling across the ground but he didn't have long to recover, Bellsprout following up his attack with a jet of spores.

Sandshrew didn't know what the intended effect of the attack was but he had no intention of finding out as he escaped quickly underground. He was underground longer this time, giving the spores time to dissipate and putting his opponent on edge.

Kirlia watched as the Bellsprout prepared to use his vines to block the attack again, if Sandshrew didn't change it up this was going to be a very short fight. Bellsprout must have felt the earth move because he blocked, but the ground below him remained firm. Instead, the earth behind him exploded, Sandshrew leaping from the ground to rake his small but sharp claws along the Bellsprout's back.

Bellsprout twisted in pain, trying to bring his vines around to knock back his assailant, but with such close range Sandshrew easily avoided them. Knowing he had the advantage now, Sandshrew continued his assault, his claws making quick work of the wild Bellsprout.

“Great job Sandshrew!” Rob said congratulating his new pokemon as the group rejoined the victor.

“I would try not getting hit next time, though that was an impressive attack” Cyndaquil instigated, but the praise was heartfelt.

“Yeah yeah,” Sandshrew replied, rubbing the welt that crossed his stomach as he walked back to them, unable to hide his grin from the praise showered upon him.

The journey continued like that for the rest of the day, more Bellsprout, Rattata and the occasional Mareep or Spearow. Rob tried to not use any type advantages that arose to give his pokemon a little bit of a challenge, and despite the occasional blow, they seemed to do pretty well. The intense training would help them grow quickly and the two never made the same mistake twice.

Kirlia was spared from fighting off the wild pokemon. It would be a trivial matter for her, being much more powerful than the locals, and even Rob had admitted that she was already tactically better at making calls in battle than himself. For the most part the three others left her alone, and she tried her best to enjoy the surroundings, trying to forget the nightmares from the night before. It almost worked, but by the time they halted for a short lunch and to let Sandshrew and Cyndaquil rest, clouds had covered most of the sky.

“It looks like it's going to rain tonight,” Rob said, not looking too pleased about it. “We should hurry up and get as far as we can before we need to bunker down for the night.” Cyndaquil and Sandshrew sighed in unison, they had been enjoying their temporary reprieve. Rob had quickened their pace and the group made good time, the wild pokemon seemingly well aware of the approaching weather and already seeking shelter, which allowed them to travel freely.

Once the wind started to pick up and the clouds blackened, Rob lead them off the road to begin setting up camp. He set his tent up under a wide, squat tree. It was short enough so it wouldn't risk being struck by lightning with all the others around but it gave enough coverage that the tent should have no problem keeping them dry.

Rob finished just as the first few drops of rain began to fall. The other three went inside but Kirlia remained where she was. The cool drops felt refreshing as they pelted against her skin, it was only the second time she could remember feeling rain. She had listened to it plenty of times from the confines of the basement, but the only time she'd ever been out in it was when it had started to rain during one of Wes' fights she'd been in.

The rain continued to pick up and it wasn't long before Kirlia was drenched from the increasing downfall. The refreshing quality soon turning into a frigid barrage. She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, the rain running down her face. She could have put a barrier up to stop it but why bother at this point. She would stay there until the torrent washed everything away.

Rob finished pulling a few blankets out of his pack and spread one of them out to soften the ground a little. It wasn't ideal but the tent was large enough for them all to sleep without being too cramped and despite not having a fire it was cozy enough.

“Seems like we made it just in time,” he said as the rain intensified its beating against the top of their shelter. Neither of his pokemon being fond of water quickly agreed.

Now all he had to worry about was how long Kirlia was going to stay out in it. In fact, she'd probably stay out there if he didn't call her in. “She'll be the death of me,” Rob muttered and his other two pokemon stopped what they were doing to look up at him with concern. “It's a figure of speech guys, I'm not serious.” Probably, thinking that last part to himself.

Moving to the entrance, he unzipped the tent flap and looked out into the darkening torrential rain. She was sitting on the ground outside the tree's protective shroud, huddled up on herself. “Kirlia!” he shouted out into the rain, hoping she was within earshot of him. If I have to go out in that to get her... “Kirlia come on in!”

“I'm fine out here” came her reply in a tone that made it surprising that the rain didn't freeze around her. Despite facing away from him and the pounding of the rain, her cold voice was clear in his mind, no need to shout like he had to.

“I'm not asking, come in out of the rain, it's freezing.” He didn't want to order her around, but if she wouldn't be reasonable then he had no choice. Not answering, she stood up slowly and headed for the tent, looking more miserable than usual with her hair clinging wetly to her face. She had a hard time glaring at him as she made her way to the tent, having to constantly blink to keep the rain from her eyes.

Noticing her wet and shivering as she stepped through the opening of the tent, he draped one of the blankets over her. He couldn't not smile as he watched her struggle adorably with the oversized blanket to one of the corners of the tent. Managing to get the blanket around her, only her face was visible from within the folds, her damp hair still a mess across her face.

Rob watched his three pokemon, the first time that they'd been gathered in such close quarters. Kirlia brooding in the corner, Cyndaquil and Sandshrew roughhousing as much as they could in the confined space. While he would have preferred to have spent a little more time traveling than the weather allowed, it was nice to just relax in the company of his best friends, even if the only he could fully understand refused to speak with him.

Kirlia sat in one of the corners, trying to take up as little space as she could with the oversized blanket wrapped around her. She fought to not be drawn in by their happiness. Sandshrew was wrong, he was just willing to be a slave for the humans so he could escape whatever troubles haunted his past. She wouldn't allow herself to do the same.

“If you burn this tent down we're all sleeping out in that,” she heard Rob threaten though he wore a smile and Cyndaquil only laughed. She drew the blanket closer around her, still trying to fight off the chill from her time in the rain, trying to hide deeper within its warmth.

After they had all eaten Kirlia had a hard time keeping her eyes open. Between the restless sleep she had gotten the night before and a full belly, she had to fight to stay awake. Abra had been the only one to show her compassion, to care for her, and the world had taken away the one who had loved her. Some corrupt human fake would never take his place.

Rob picked up on the mood that had fallen over the tent. Kirlia was curled up and facing the wall, but the occasional muffled sniffle gave her away. Sandshrew was also quiet, he sat staring off at nothing, his eyes looking inward as if deep in thought. Cyndaquil, while seemingly completely unaware, had settled down and took to laying warmly against Rob's chest.

It didn't take long for Kirlia's sniffles to turn to the steady breathing that indicated sleep and Cyndaquil also seemed to have passed out on top of him.

“Sandshrew, what were things like for you before you joined me?” Rob asked, turning his head to look at his newest pokemon. Rob knew he couldn't answer, not with words anyway. Sandshrew smiled though, eyes looking thankfully at Rob. “I'm glad you're here with us, sleep well,” Rob finished, feeling as if he had understood how Sandshrew felt. At least a little.

“Shrew,” the ground type responded softly, and the pair of them quickly joined their companions in slumber, the rain continuing to patter against the tent roof.

When morning had once again come around, the sky had gotten all of the inclement weather out of its system. With not a cloud above, the sun was allowed to beat down mercilessly on the earth below. Rob woke slowly, fighting the content of the heat that filled the tent. He prodded the sleeping Cyndaquil on his chest who woke much more pleased with the temperature.

Once Cyndaquil was off him he was able to get up and throw open the flap of the tent, letting the fresh air fill their enclosure, a gorgeous day outside. Sandshrew was beginning to stir with Rob and Cyndaquil moving around but there was little movement from the pile of blanket that was Kirlia. He smiled back at the glare he received from her when he woke her up; the fact that her irritability was at something normal, like being wakened from a comfortable sleep, rather than his mere presence was oddly comforting. That's what he was going to tell himself anyway.

He got them on the road quickly, once again eating on the move to try and recover some of the time they'd lost from the previous day's rain. He thought they were going to do well, but what he hadn't considered were the wild pokemon. They too seemed to be out in force and more than willing to challenge the travelers.

Rob was now using his type advantages to their fullest and even then it seemed like they'd barely finish moving away from one fight before they were confronted by yet another angry looking pokemon barring their path. By the time he decided to stop for lunch both Sandshrew and Cyndaquil were completely exhausted.

Kirlia watched the two other pokemon fall to the ground as soon as Rob let his pack down, both breathing heavy and rubbing a few minor injuries. “You guys must be starving after all that” Rob said, smiling at the exhausted duo as he prepared some food and brought it over to them. The pair were torn between not moving and the desire to eat.

Despite not having done any fighting, she too was hungry, and was also finding it hard to keep her usual defenses up. Cracks were beginning to form in the walls she had constructed. Rob brought a bowl of food over to where she was sitting a short distance away from the others and handed it to her with a placating smile. She couldn't even bring herself to glare, and even sent him a quiet “Thanks.” He returned to where his other pokemon were now practically inhaling their food, and began his own meal.

Kirlia ate slowly, allowing herself to take some small pleasure from the warm sun against her skin. If only she had been able to enjoy this with Abra at her side, her faint smile quickly fading to melancholy. There were many things that they'd never get to share.

Having finished their own lunch, Sandshrew and Cyndaquil had beet chatting with each other, though she had been ignoring their conversation until she heard her name being called.

“Hey Kirlia,” Sandshrew called to her. “I'd be eternally grateful if you maybe wanted to give us a reprieve for a bit, if you're feeling up to it of course. And Cyndaquil says you're an impressive sight when you battle.” His voice was friendly and upbeat despite Rob using him to fend off wild pokemon all morning.

Cyndaquil thought he'd seen her battle? She hadn't done anything close since meeting Rob, not like what she'd done for Wes. And if they even suspected the massacre she'd caused they'd probably try and killer her as she slept. It was unfair however that she didn't fight, and she didn't want the other two to suffer because of her.

“Sure I guess,” she replied to Sandshrew. Kirlia didn't sound happy, but it wasn't quite the hopeless voice he'd heard the night they'd spoke last.

“Thanks, we really owe you,” he beamed at her and even Cyndaquil gave her a halfhearted smile of thanks once Sandshrew had told him. The two laying back on the grass, once again chatting with each other.

As much as Rob wanted to get back on the road, he figured Cyndaquil and Sandshrew deserved a bit of a rest. He couldn't help feeling proud of them, they shrugged off his offers to rest all morning and they had fought great, the both of them getting stronger quicker than he would have thought. He'd have to do something special for them when they reached Violet City.

“Master?” The voice surprised him, low and quiet in his mind. He looked over to where she sat, their eyes meeting briefly before she dropped her gaze. Not having the luxury of telepathic communication himself, he rose and made his way over to where she sat on the ground, placing some distance between them to not scare her off.

“You can just call me Rob,” he said in his most inviting voice. “What's up?” She still wasn't looking at him, but it wasn't with the usual animosity or depression. She seemed uncertain of how to continue.

“I, I wanted to ask if I could help fend off some of the wild pokemon when we get going again, so the others can have a break.” Her concern for the other two making him smile.

“Sure if you want. Is that what they were trying to put you up to?” he laughed. “It will probably be pretty trivial for you but if you want to show them how it's done for a bit I'm sure they'd appreciate it.” He let the silence hang for a moment before continuing. “Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?” This was the first time she'd ever initiated a conversation with him, hopefully he was starting to gain her trust.

“No,” she replied, her voice neutral if a little distant. Rob considered for a moment, she seemed to be in one of the better moods he'd seen since capturing her and she had spoke to him first.

“Kirlia, what happened before I captured you?” and just like that Kirlia's defenses were back up, withdrawing in on herself again.

“Does it matter?” her voice was a mix of emotions, anger, sadness, fear.

“It's obviously tearing you apart, I don't know what happened, if your old trainer abandoned you, or even if he was the one who caused those injuries, it's over now and I promise that I'll never hurt you.” He made his voice as gentle as he could, trying to get Kirlia to open up to him.

“And why do you even care?” the anger in her voice becoming stronger. There were tears glistening in her eyes now, her fists clenched. He had to fight off the urge to hug her to him, knowing it would only push her away even more at this point.

“You don't have to go through this alone. There are trainers who are cruel, but I will never be like them, you will always have someone who cares about you.” He couldn't keep the tinge of anger from his voice at the last part.

That someone could cause so much pain to such an innocent creature roiled his stomach. The silence hung and when Rob felt like he wasn't going to get anything else from her, he returned to where the others were laying down, figuring it would be best to leave Kirlia alone for a while. It felt like the first conversation they'd had where she hadn't blown up at him or took off, he just hoped he was helping.

Kirlia couldn't stop a few of the tears from falling as Rob stood up and left her. She hadn't felt even the slightest hint of deception or insincerity in his words. And the anger she felt when he mentioned her previous trainer or those who would be cruel to her. He had to be tricking her somehow, he had to be.

Her fists shook at her sides, she was sick of it. Sick of how useless she was, sick of the constant confusion, not knowing what to do or what to do or think, even about her own feelings. Why, just once, couldn't something go right in her life?

Since Kirlia had volunteered to give the other two a break he decided that it was about time to get back on the road. While they weren't exactly bouncing with energy, the break coupled with a large lunch seemed to have restored a good deal of their strength.

Kirlia led the group as they continued down the path of Route 32. Rob never really felt like he got a good reading on her emotions and this time was no different. She hadn't spoken any more to him since their conversation, and when he called for their continue she just automatically stepped out in front and started walking down the path.

He couldn't help but think that it was the real Kirlia he was seeing as she walked briskly ahead of them. When she was in camp or walking behind them she always seemed to hide and make herself appear smaller, trying to vanish into the background. The Kirlia who was in front of them now though had a cool grace about her, as though she were willing her surroundings to accept her through mere presence. Confident, powerful, he hoped that their conversation was a step in the right direction.

Thoughts of Union Cave crossed Rob's mind as they walked, how Kirlia had refused to take action on her own, but in the mood she seemed to be in now; he was ready to shout an order but he didn't think it would be needed.

A Spearow burst out of one of the nearby trees and Kirlia affirmed that he wouldn't need to do anything. Rob hadn't even decided whether the bird was planning to attack them or was just flying by as a psybeam shot from Kirlia's hand, launching the Spearow back into the tree before it tumbled to the ground. She hadn't even stopped walking to fire the attack.

Kirlia let her anger and frustration fuel her as she walked down the road. It was the first time since being captured by Rob that she let anything but her sadness and self pity guide her. She couldn't take it anymore, her own worthlessness making her sick, it was an insult to Abra for his sacrifice to allow such a pathetic creature to live.

The Spearow that had jumped out at her had barely been worth the notice to get rid of, but she could still hone her abilities. If Rob was planning on using her then she could use him right back, she would get stronger.

The number of wild pokemon seemed to have died down a little from the morning but it was still fairly active, and soon a Mareep was trying to stare down Kirlia on the path. She halted, meeting her opponent’s gaze. She wouldn't get stronger by just sweeping these weak pokemon out of the way, she had to push herself without killing them. Abra had told her that it was possible to carry momentum through a teleport, it was time to find out if she could do it.

Charging a psybeam in her hand, she jumped into the air and disappeared with a ripple. Her reappearance was much more disorienting than she had expected and to both her and Mareep's surprise, they collided. More out of sheer luck than anything else Kirlia grasped Mareep's forehead and released her attack. Physical contact made the transfer of psychic energy much easier and the close quarters blast sent Mareep tumbling away from Kirlia, unconscious.

A jolt coursed through her as she had made contact with the Mareep and she crashed painfully to the ground. It had felt like a jolt of psychic energy yet more painful and causing her muscles to seize up. Her mind raced, panic beginning to fill her; she couldn't move and she had a hard time breathing. Numbness spread through her as the sounds of her companions running reached her through the ground her face was now pressed into.

She felt herself being rolled onto her back and saw Rob smiling down at her. “Are you okay?” She knew it, he was enjoying seeing her suffering and helpless.

“I-I can't move,” her body was still numb, though she could breath a little easier now that she wasn't facing the ground. Rob's smile slipped a little as he heard the fear in her voice.

“Haven't you fought electric types before? Mareep paralyzed you when you touched her, I figured you would have stuck to ranged attacks. Don't worry though, it should wear off soon.” He was right, feeling was beginning to return to her limbs already and she could move her fingers slightly. Her own stupidity astounded her again.

She had been so confident that nothing she'd find here could harm her that she hadn't even thought about how to engage them. Wes had never used her against an electric type, reserving her for when it would give him an advantage such as against poison or fighting types, or when her range would be useful.

“No, I haven't,” the words practically growled in Rob's mind. He gave her a searching look, no doubt he probably thought he knew what her past had been like. She pulled away from him and struggled to her feet, the paralyzing effects of Mareep's attack almost completely worn off.

“You sure you're okay? Cyndaquil and Sandshrew can take over if you want a break.”

“I'm fine,” the heat in her tone making Rob figure he might as well leave her be for the time as she stalked on down the path, hopefully it was just her pride hurt more than anything else. Motioning to his other pokemon they once again followed Kirlia along Route 32.

At the rate they were going, they should reach Violet City by about noon the following day. While they hadn't crossed paths with anyone since leaving Azalea, as they came closer to Violet City they started to see a few trainers around. Azalea wasn't exactly the most conveniently placed town but Rob had expected to see more people before now. He guessed that few who didn't live in Azalea went there unless they needed the badge from Bugsy.

He had seen a few people off the road either training their pokemon or just enjoying the day, but only passed one other on the path itself. He had waved to the man but the large Gliscor that walked beside him looked like much more than even his Kirlia could have handled. He was excited for his first trainer battle though, hopefully he could find one as they got closer to the city.

Since the incident with Mareep, Kirlia had been fighting flawlessly, perhaps even being a little over zealous with her attacks. Rob didn't think that any of the wild pokemon would suffer any lasting harm but they'd probably wake up with a nasty head ache. He decided not to interrupt her and let her blow off some steam. After a couple hours though she seemed to be slowing down, the earlier grace becoming less fluid and occasionally rubbing her head after dispatching a pokemon.

She hadn't stopped showing off though, despite holding back on the power of the actual blows, her attacks seemed to be tailored for much stronger opponents. Her teleports and barriers making sure that she controlled the field.

“You guys ready to get back in the action?” Rob asked Cyndaquil and Sandshrew after Kirlia finished off another wild pokemon. They had both been watching Kirlia in awe as she fought, probably a lot similar to how he'd been. They both nodded eagerly, the break from Kirlia allowing them a well deserved rest. He called Kirlia back and had Cyndaquil and Sandshrew lead on.

“That was incredible, I've never seen anyone fight like you before,” Rob said, trying to get her to cheer up a little. He did mean it though, she was impressive even in the one sided fights, better than even the matches that would be shown on TV.

Kirlia didn't respond to his praise though and as they started walking again, she fell into her usual spot, following a little behind. After being cooped up with nothing to take her mind off her problems, the exercise had felt good. A slight calm settled over her, the anger and frustration had burnt itself out.

Her mind ached from using so much psychic energy, the pain helping to keep her mind off the other thoughts that had been swirling around in her head the past few days. Though her opponents had been weak, she had still been able to practice some of her other techniques, using barriers and teleports in conjunction with her attacks. Doing that much over such a long period of time though had worn her out.

None of the pokemon had been a match for her, but she wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating a pokemon like that Mareep again. Despite having fought for Wes all that time, it was apparent now that she knew almost nothing about other pokemon and how they fought. She wished she didn't have to know.

Cyndaquil and Sandshrew were kept relatively busy with the wild encounters though as the sun started to sink towards the horizon, the rough countryside they'd been traveling through seemed to be thinning out, Violet City wouldn't be too far off now.

Setting up camp was a simple affair that night. Rob got everything set up and let his three pokemon rest as they'd been fighting all day. He had only watched and occasionally gave commands. Their performance and dedication had impressed him all day, none of them holding anything back and even Kirlia had asked to help out. It had been a good day, and he felt all of his pokemon were quite a bit stronger than they had started out.

Once he had a fire going, with the help of Cyndaquil, they were all sitting around it, Kirlia on the opposite side as usual. Rob decided to forgo putting up the tent with the night being so warm and not a cloud in the sky. And with the look of his pokemon, they'd probably all be asleep by the time he got it constructed.

Cyndaquil and Sandshrew were both quick to fall asleep on the blanket Rob had laid out for the three of them. Sandshrew spread eagle face down, while Cyndaquil had decided to curl up with his back against Rob's leg.

It took Rob much longer than the others to fall asleep however and he spent his time gazing into the slowly dwindling flames of their camp fire. As it burnt down to nothing but embers, he could finally see the sleeping form of his third pokemon, curled up on the ground across from him.

She seemed so small and innocent as she slumbered, all the ferocity and confidence that she seemed to embody when she fought now gone. Rob couldn't stop the anger that he felt rise like bile in his stomach at the thought of what that scum who had previously been her trainer had done to her.

Rob didn't know the specifics, or even a vague idea what happened really, but seeing how much she suffered he knew that if he ever met the person he'd be hard pressed not to kill them on sight. But then again, more violence wouldn't help Kirlia feel any better, he guessed the best he could do for her was to just continue to try and be there for her. Maybe someday she'd be comfortable enough with him to tell her story.

Without disturbing Cyndaquil he got up and laid a blanket over his sleeping psychic type before returning to where Cyndaquil rested to get some sleep himself. His thoughts of his pokemon as he drifted off to a calm sleep beneath the stars.

Kirlia woke wrapped in a blanket that hadn't been there when she had fallen asleep, not doubt Rob's doing. She didn't want to feel grateful but the soothing warmth wrapping her made her sink even farther into the encompassing folds. Before long though Rob was waking them all up and cleaning their campsite.

Kirlia struggled with the blanket to try and fold it back into a square like Rob did but standing only two feet tall, the blanket was much too big for her to get under control.

“Need a hand with that?” Rob's voice came from behind as she wrestled with the blanket. He smiled down, trying to hide a laugh at watching her efforts.

“Thanks,” Kirlia replied quietly as Rob took over the task and quickly got everything put back in his pack. The party continued down the path, and despite the early hour there were already people starting to appear on the road.

A majority of them were trainers battling their pokemon against the wild inhabitants of Route 32 and a few of them even had their own pokemon sparing with each other. “That reminds me, I haven't let you two duke it out to see who's the second strongest of our little group,” Rob said teasingly to the two pokemon who were at either side of him.

The two looked up at him and despite the fact that he couldn't understand the question they both threw at him, he seemed to know what those looks meant. “That is unless one of you wants to try and dethrone Kirlia,” a grin wide across his face. Kirlia was less amused with his levity over having them fight one another, but at the same time a primal urge rose in her; her natural competitiveness telling her that she'd defend that title no matter how ridiculous it was.

After a quick glance at Kirlia who was walking behind them, they returned to squabble and boast good-naturedly over who was the second strongest. Rob chuckled at his riled up pokemon as they continued to walk down the path. A lighthearted mood settled over them with their destination quickly approaching after days of traveling.

The surrounding trees completely gave out to rolling grass as even the number of wild pokemon dwindled to nothing, Violet City looming in the distance. While the wilderness was left behind, humans and their pokemon now dotted their surroundings, some even passing them on the road. And as they came closer to the edge where the Violet City outskirts started, one of them waved to Rob and called over to him.

“Hey, you look like a trainer, care for a battle?” The man who spoke was around the same age as Rob and also had three pokeballs at his waist. He didn't look like he was geared for traveling and was probably just from the city out looking for some excitement.

“Ya, sure thing, I've been waiting for a battle all day,” Rob called back as the two walked towards each other.

“Great, one on one, best two of three sound good?”

“Fine with me,” Rob said, the two of them moving away so their pokemon had room to battle.

“Good, I'll choose first than, Sentret go!” the trainer yelled, releasing his first pokemon in a flash of light. Rob sent in Cyndaquil, and with that, the battle began.

It was unlike any of the other fights Kirlia had been involved in. The two pokemon still fought, throwing attacks back and forth but it seemed much more civilized somehow. Neither of the combatants looked like they were trying to kill or maim with their attacks, their blows trying to force the opponent to yield. Even the trainers who were inexpertly calling out instructions were different.

From the trainers Kirlia couldn't feel any of the normal emotions of battling. Anger, envy, greed, none of these were present, unlike that of the crowds that gathered for Wes' tournaments. What was there was odd. There was determination and the desire to win, but there was also something holding those emotions in check. Concern, for their pokemon perhaps? Though that didn't make any sense. After reading the two she would have thought the two trainers friends had she not know they'd just met.

“Haha! Great job Cyndaquil, return.” Rob's voice came, snapping her attention back to the battle. Cyndaquil's fire attacks proving too much for the opposing Sentret, his trainer returning him to its pokeball. “You're up next Sandshrew.” The other trainer's face broke into a smile.

“You won't find my next pokemon to be such an easy victory, Finneon go!” and with a whip of his arm, a pokeball flew into the air, releasing the water pokemon.

“This isn't good Sandshrew.” Rob said, looking down at his next fighter. “You're at quite a type disadvantage, but we're already one win up and we have Kirlia as backup, just do your best okay?”

“Got it,” the ground type replied with determination and walked out onto the field. As soon as the two were ready and their trainers had stepped back, rain began to fall over the combatants. Kirlia watched as the match quickly turned even further away from Sandshrew's favor.

The rain dance attack further increasing the power of Finneon's water attacks against the already susceptible ground type. Sandshrew tried to avoid the onslaught of attacks by dodging and trying to surprise his opponent with dig, but after a couple hits from his opponent’s water gun, Rob was forced to recall him.

Sandshrew fell onto his back, panting as he lay next to where Rob had been giving commands, still soaked from the fight. Cyndaquil had come over to gently breath tiny flames on his fallen companion, trying to dry him off a little. “Just don't cook me,” Sandshrew told him in an exhausted voice, Cyndaquil only grinning wickedly.

“Alright Kirlia, you're a lot stronger than the others so unless he pulls a surprise out as his last pokemon, try to go easy on him.”

“As you wish-” but she was cut off by the other trainer's shout.

“Abra go!”
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An Uncertain Future