FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

< Telepathy between characters >

-Computer Writing, or on Screen Text-

{Pokemon Speech}

example: "Ni nine tai tails ninetails ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

|| * * * | | | * * * || = End Chapter

* * * = Scene Change

// // = Major Scene/Time Change

A Story of Shadow, Part 2:

{Fight back you damned Umbreon!} A Weavile shouted, his claws raking the unresisting Pokemon along the flank, three lines of blood flying onto the floor. With another shout, the Weavile kicked around, catching the Umbreon alongside his head. Only a grunt left him as he flew to the side of the pit, slamming against the wall.

The Umbreon fell to the ground, seeing stars after the hit, and panting hard. The yellow rings along his flanks started to turn a sick orange color, the blue on his forehead dimming. The Weavile smirked, powering a shadow ball between his hands. {You're pathetic. Why they call you "Shadow," is beyond me.} He spat onto the ground before tossing the fully charged attack.

Shadow vanished though, the attack exploding against the side of the wall, reappearing two meters to the left and panting hard. His rings, including the blue ring on his forehead, had lost their orangish-red colorations. With a ragged breath, he leaned forward, charging with all his might.

The Weavile cackled, twisting to the side, and raking Shadow's flank with his claws. Shadow barreled by, still charging full-speed at the wall, and the Weavile cackled again, thinking that the Umbreon was starting to go crazy from loss of blood. With a laugh, he threw his head back, waiting for the sound of bone meeting solid concrete to sound out.

Instead, there was just the light patter of feet, and he snapped his attention back to Shadow. Too late though, as the Umbreon rammed the Weavile square in the chest, sending him flying against the far wall, a shadow ball following after him.

Moments after the Weavile slammed against the wall, the shadow ball hit him, sending a cloud of dirt and debris flying throughout the pit-arena. Standing there, panting, Shadow's necked twitched and he spun around, teeth bared.

{Whoa there, tiger,} a Zoroark said as he hopped into the arena, landing in a puff of dust. {Just came down to give you your reward,} the black-fox walked forward, reaching a paw towards Shadow. Only a twitch of the ear betrayed how nervous the dark type was, but he said nothing. With a chuckle, the Zoroark pressed a button, and the thin collar fell to the ground as it opened. {There now, that feel better?}

Shadow gave a silent nod, and the Zoroark laughed again. {They never do talk much at first,} he said to himself, looking at the ground as he shook his head. With a sigh, he turned around, allowing Shadow a glance at his ravaged leg as he walked past him. Padding over to the Weavile, he poked the motionless body a few time. A sigh of resignation left him, and he waved a paw, signaling to those above {poor bastard's knocked out, not sure how, though.}

A sling was dropped down into the arena, followed by two Sneasels sliding down the ropes. With a practiced air, they moved the body into the sling, tying it in. One stood back, lifting a clawed hand and spinning it around, one of the claws pointing towards the ceiling. A few seconds later, and the sling started moving up.

Once the body was moving, the Zoroark looked back at Shadow, nodding. {I think you're just about ready,} he smiled, padding back towards Shadow, and draped an arm over his shoulder. {Almost makes me wonder if you're like how my son would have turned out, if he'd been brought here.} He laughed again. {Sometimes, I wonder how he's doing, and then I remember,} he stepped onto a platform that'd been lowered, Shadow standing next to him, {just how important the duty I perform for Team Ater is.} He sighed again, looking up as the winch started working, pulling the platform up. {One day, I might be able to persuade the higher-ups to go get him,} he gave a dry laugh, {maybe even bring my mate along.}

Shadow said nothing, just standing next to Zoroark as he spoke. There was a soft lurch as the platform came to a stop, and the Zoroark stepped off, the few Pokemon that had been watching moving out of his path. Shadow followed him a half-second later, a step to the right and behind. Craning his head as he walked, the Zoroark motioned next to him, {I hate talking over my shoulder like this, hurts my neck. Come, walk next to me.}

Shadow had no choice but to obey a direct order, and he increased his pace so he was shoulder to knee with the Zoroark. They walked out of the room, the crowd behind them whispering to each other, even before Shadow and the Zoroark had made it out of the room. Shadow ignored them though, silently following the limping Zoroark as they made their way through a sliding door, and down a corridor.

Several more Pokemon were in this corridor, most of them having the same thin, silver collar that Shadow had been wearing around their necks. Those that had the collar on hugged against the wall, eyes kept to the ground and muttering {Sir,} or {Trainer.} Almost without exception, those wearing the collar were first evolution dark types, although there were some from other types as well.

Those that did not have the collar, mostly Weaviles and Mightyenas, gave the Zoroark a respectful berth, inclining their heads. The Zoroark returned the nods with a polite {thank you,} or a greeting of some sort. They continued down the underground-feeling hallway, until they came to another set of doors. Stepping up, the Zoroark looked at the number panel before punching in a series of numbers.

Shadow watched as the Zoroark did so, before jumping back when the doors opened. The Zoroark laughed at Shadow's reaction, hoping off the crates, and motioning for Shadow to follow him. Inside, there was a room, a large desk on the far side, and the inscription - Team Ater, Carving a path to the future - on one of the walls. Strolling past the Swipard that was standing guard, the Zoroark walked to the desk, and sat in the chair behind it. He looked down at Shadow, who was still standing in the doorway, and patted the desktop, {Come on up, I don't like talking down unless I need to.}

Blinking a few times, Shadow walked up to the desk, and jumped up. Bending his rear legs, he sat down, his ears twitching slightly as he waited. The Zoroark pulled out a file, smiling. {You've preformed admirably, amongst the best scores of all the recruits,} he set the file on the desk, and opened it. {So much so that I feel you are ready for higher level training,} he pulled out a piece of paper, and clicked a pen open. The Zoroark looked at Shadow, pen hovering above the paper, {What do you say?}

Shadow stared at the piece of paper, then looked up to stare at the Zoroark. Looking off to the side, he noticed a number of pictures hanging on the wall behind the Zoroark. Many of the pictures were of the Zoroark standing with someone, the -T.A.- on his chest noticeable in every picture. Shadow's eyes continued to flirt around as mulled the decision over. In a quiet voice, {What about my family?}

The Zoroark leaned back in his chair, placing the tips of his fingers together. {They'll continue to be kept as insurance. After all,} the black fox gave an evil grin {we can't let your motivation leave.}

Shadow turned his head sharply, looking away. {Would I get the brand?} he asked in a low tone.

{Yes,} the Zoroark nodded, {you would be required to get the brand if you take the next level of training.} Shadow's ears splayed back, and he hunched his shoulders. Seeing this, the Zoroark put a hand on the Umbreon's shoulder, {Once you realize what we are trying to achieve, you'll learn to accept us as your new family.}

Without saying anything, Shadow shrugged off the hand, dipped his paw lightly in the ink pad, and pressed against the paper. Leaning onto his right foot, he ensured that his mark was on the paper. Shadow then took a step back, sitting down again, and started cleaning his paw off.

Shadow continued to lick the bitter ink off with long, firm strokes of his tongue, even as the Zoroark started talking. {You made a good choice today,} he took his own pen, quickly scratching something onto the paper. {I will ensure that my superiors understand that joined the cause willingly, and make sure that your,} he paused a moment, slipping the paper back into the folder, and wrapped a string around it, {family, is well taken care of.}

Shadow blinked slowly, and didn't respond, simply continuing to clean himself off. With a small chuckle, the Zoroark reached under the desk, and pulled out a satchel. With a beckoning motion, he had Shadow stand in front of him, and he slipped it over his head. Gripping the straps, he tightened them with a sharp tug. {There now,} he muttered, {now, just get this in,} he continued, slipping the folder, which had a string keeping it closed, into the pocket that was situated over Shadow's back.

Doing a small bounce to situate himself, and settle the bag, Shadow gave a nod to show that it was comfortable. {Excellent, now,} the Zoroark said, getting Shadow's attention again, {you'll be part of a group. They're leaving in,} he looked at a clock that was on his desk, {four hours. Be at the hanger before then.} He spun his chair around, standing up, {Now get going, pack up any belongings, say goodbyes. I doubt you'll be seeing any of these Pokemon again.} The Zoroark walked over to a large door, but paused as his hand was on the handle. {It was a pleasure to train you, even if you are still resistant to our ideologies.}

With that, the Zoroark left the room, leaving Shadow alone with the Swipard. With a small huff, Shadow turned, and exited the room as well, never looking back. Once again in the corridor, Shadow looked both directions, before heading down the right tunnel. A few of the Pokemon in the corridor glanced at him, but none gave him an acknowledgment, so Shadow did not offer one.

Soon enough, he reached a door, and using his head he pushed it open. Inside, there were several dark types, all of them with a silver collar on around their necks. The door closed behind Shadow, a soft thwush as it swung back and forth for a moment.

After a moment to see who it was, excited chittering broke out through the room, and Shadow was soon swarmed by the mass of Pokemon around. All of them were asking him questions, jumping excitedly, laughing. The Umbreon did his best to answer the questions being thrown at him, the happy atmosphere infecting even his normally stoic demeanor.

Looking up, he saw one Pokemon that hadn't joined in the fray. Looking around the room, he held up a paw, saying {Listen, guys, I'll tell ya all about later.} A collective groan left the group, and Shadow allowed himself a chuckle, {Don't worry, I'm not leaving for a little while yet.} That elicited a cheer, and the group parted to allow Shadow through.

Stepping up to one of the bunks, he crouched, readying himself for a jump. With a powerful push of his legs, he leaped to the top bunk, landing lightly and bouncing the mattress a bit. A Zorua lifted her black-furred head, azure eyes filled with sadness, and she looked at Shadow. Not saying anything, he softly padded to her, sitting on his haunches, just out of reach.

She watched him, her crimson-tinted ears twitching slightly. When Shadow sat down, she slowly got up, softly walking to Shadow. Her eye was suddenly shimmering as a tear threatened to break through, a small sniffle leaving her.

With a sob, she leapt at Shadow, and he instinctively leaned his head over her. She was crying now, her large tears soaking both her face and his fur, but Shadow didn't care. Simply holding her, the Umbreon let her cry, squeezing his own eyes shut as they threatened to shed tears of his own.

Turning her head to the side, tears still running down her face, {Why do you have to leave Shadow? Why? Why you?} She asked, her eyes red from crying.

Shadow couldn't respond, knowing that if he spoke, all of the emotions he was trying to suppress would break through. Instead, the muscles on his back tensed, and he rested more of the weight of his head on the Zorua's shoulder. She could feel as he slowly shook his head, a new wave of tears forcing their way to her eyes.

Shadow's eyes were still clenched shut, and a single tear fell from his eye. As it ran through his fur, leaving a damp wake in its path, it reached his chin, where it hung for a moment. Then it fell, landing on the still crying Zorua's head.

The feel of a tear from Shadow made her look up, her eyes red from crying. Reaching up a little, she gave a single, small lick to the Umbreon's chin, his eyes opening in shock. When his eyes snapped open, several tears he had been forcing back stated to run through his fur.

The Zorua could see that his crimson eyes were not just their natural red color, the edges of his eyes also red from the force of the tears. With her own fur still matted, she slowly groomed Shadow's fur. Tilting his head, Shadow sat there, the Zorua still leaning against his chest, letting her clean his tears away. Her tongue worked in soft, gentle strokes, caressing the fear, the tension, the apprehension in Shadow away with each caring lap.

Staring into her large, azure eyes, Shadow let a weak smile onto his face, leaning down to return the gesture. Closing her eyes, the Zorua leaned in even closer to Shadow as his tongue ran along her head. A content sigh left her as stoke after soft, strong stroke covered her. Each time that his tongue ran along the top of her head, another care, another worry left her.

Soon, all the tears they had shed were gone, having been lovingly taken away by the other. The sadness was gone, the pain replaced by something infinitely more powerful. Leaning into each other, they both let the peace of the moment take them, basking in the presence of the other.

* * *

Three hours later, Shadow was walking down the hallways again, the Zorua trotting next to him. All the other Pokemon in the hallways gave them a wide, but respectful berth. Shadow ignored them all though, his attention focused on the floor directly in front of his feet.

The two of them were walking up a corridor that had not been traveled since they first came to the compound. At the top of the corridor were two Pokemon, standing guard, a Cacturn and a Houndoom, both with -TA- emblazoned on their chests. Both of them were grizzled veterans, judging from the scars, and missing fur on the Houndoom, that covered them.

Stopping a few meters away from the doorway, Shadow turned to the Zorua. His eyes glistened as he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Drooping his head, Zorua came close to him, gently nuzzling him. With a soft smile, {I know we'll see each other again Shadow.}

He looked up at her, a sad smile gracing his face. {Thank you....} Shadow suddenly gave her a small lick, just flirting her nose, {for everything.} A blush slowly seeped through the Zorua's fur, and she ducked her head shyly.

{C'mon! Hurry up already!} A gruff voice called down to them. {We don't have all day up here!}

Shadow ignored the voice, continuing to hold his forehead to hers. With a tear in his eye, Shadow slowly pulled away. Walking backwards up the hallway, he heard the Cacturn open the door, and could feel the slight rush of air as the outside wind rushed in. Still stepping backwards, he felt the cool air rush over him, all the while he watched the Zorua.

With a last raising of his paw, the door shut in front of him, a latch sounding as the double doors locked close. Shadow stood there, not moving for some time. Slowly, his paw came back to earth, and his head hung low as he whispered {Goodbye Sasha.}

Turning around, he marveled for a moment at the massive hanger. Humans and Pokemon scurried around, loading trucks, unloading them, most of them the massive cargo trucks. There were a couple though, that had the backs only made of heavy metal and canvas coverings. It was around this small group of four trucks that a gathering of human's and Pokemon stood, obviously waiting for something.

Taking a deep breath, Shadow made his way over to the trucks, doing his best not to draw attention to himself. One of the human's saw him though, and smiled, waving his hand, beckoning Shadow to come over. With his ears flat against his skull, Shadow padded over, stepping around two men that were carrying a wooden box.

"So you're the one we been waiting on?" One of the men said, standing up from leaning on the truck. "About time," he suddenly clapped his hands loudly, getting everyone's attention, "Alright people! Load 'em up! We're moving out in fifteen minutes! That's Fifteen minutes!" With that, the whole convoy became a beehive of activity, Pokemon and humans getting up and scurrying around. "You," the man said, turning to Shadow, "you're in truck three."

Nodding, Shadow quickly got away from the man, who was had started shouting orders to the people running around again. Walking to the third truck in the convoy, a light hop and he was in the back. Looking around, he got an idea of who else there was in the truck with him.

Most of the occupants were Pokemon, all of whom were settling down for a trip. One of them, an Absol, lifted his head, ebony blade jutting off to the side. {So you're the recruit?} He made a show of looking Shadow up and down, {Fit, nice muscle structure, good solid bones,} the Disaster Pokemon then tilted his head to the side, {Although I will admit, something about you is screaming at me.}

Shadow just shrugged his shoulders, walking on silent pads past the Absol, {Don't know what you're talking about.} The Umbreon then jumped on top of one of the many wooden crates that were strapped down. {Do you know how long this drive is going to be?}

The Absol narrowed his eyes for a moment before resting his head down again. Curling slightly, {It's a good couple hours until our destination.} With that, he tucked his head close to his body, making a circle, almost, with his body.

Sighing, Shadow turned around a few times before laying down. Once he was, he set his head on his paws, closing his red eyes. His breathing soon became deep, and regular, sleep coming to claim him a few moments after he closed his eyes.

* * *

=What in the hell?= was the first thing that came to Shadow's mind when he opened his eyes again. The truck was gone, the other Pokemon were gone, everything was gone from when he'd closed his eyes to sleep.

Growling, Shadow jumped up, the grass feeling soft and luxurious against his paws after so long walking on metal and concrete flooring. His head was on a pivot as he took in his surroundings, all the rings on his body glowing.

He was in a clearing of some sort, likely in a forest somewhere as there were massive evergreens around the perimeter of where he was. There were several deciduous trees interspersed throughout the other, taller evergreens, their vibrant greens doing much to make the clearing feel isolated. His head continued to pivot as he took it all in, the scents of the woods not helping him calm down.

Spinning around, he took in the fact that none of the grass in the clearing came above his shoulder. That's when he saw a massive boulder, glinting slightly in the twilight sun. Shadow immediately fell to his stomach, flattening himself against the ground when he saw the two occupants of the boulder.

Daring to peek his head up, Shadow saw that the two Pokemon had their full attention on the sunset, but their heads and shoulders were moving like they were talking. Taking a steadying breath, Shadow started moving closer, the training he had received the last few weeks paying off as he did not even disturb the grass as he moved.

As he got closer, Shadow tried to listen in to the conversation, hoping to get some information before confronting them. When he brought his gaze back up though, that's when he got a shock that was enough to make him gasp. The Pokemon on the left, which he now saw was an Espeon, was translucent. The sun, in all her glory, was shining through the Espeon as she sat there, her mouth moving and seeming to talk.

Now in complete shock, Shadow stood up, yelling {Hello!} He recoiled when neither the Espeon or the Umbreon sitting next to her reacted, both of them looking at each other with love in their eyes. They both were obviously talking to each other, as the Espeon laughed at something the Umbreon had said, even while the Umbreon blushed, looking down nervously.

Shadow backpedaled in shock, shaking his head in denial. {No, no, no, no, this can't be happening!} Scrambling, he started to run off, throwing up clumps of dirt in his wake. He ran fast and hard into the woods, bursting through the brush. Shadow ran and ran, never pausing, not noticing how a thick fog rolled in.

He ran straight, straight as he could, panting hard as he swung his head around. Slowing down, Shadow looked around him, his heavy breathing swirling the thick fog around him. His red eyes darted around, a nervous tension coming over him.

When he heard a limb snap, he swung around, throwing a hastily made shadow ball without thinking. A small explosion racked the area, and Shadow simply stared at where he'd thrown the attack, gulping audibly.

His eyes went wide again when he heard another branch break, and he snapped his head around. Backpedaling, Shadow started to power another attack when he saw the rings of another Umbreon walking towards him. {St-stay away!} Shadow shouted, throwing his attack at the figure walking at him.

A disembodied chuckle left the figure, its blue forehead-ring moving as it shook its head. Shadow watched in horror as the attack passed right through the shadowy figure. Another chuckle echoed through the are, {Doesn't feel good, does it? Knowing that your power has no meaning.} Stepping into what little light there was, the Umbreon revealed himself.

Shadow continued to retreat away from the other Umbreon, head shaking in denial. {What are you talking about?}

The other Umbreon continued to advance slowly, his eyes locking onto Shadow. {Nothing you do can free you from this place,} right as he said that, Shadow through another attack at the Umbreon. A deep sigh left the Umbreon, and he shook his head, {See what I mean?}

Panting hard, Shadow turned tail and ran, using every speed attack that he knew to gain ground on the other Umbreon. The trees became blurs, the thick fog leaving drops of water on his fur as he ran, but Shadow did not notice. Just a short time later, Shadow let out a startled shout as he bust through the wood line again, stumbling into a large clearing.

The dark, dim light of the forest was shattered by the twilight of the setting sun. Shadow looked around, his heart still beating like crazy. Looking over, he saw a large tree, and he walked over to it, curiosity having taken the place of his fear for a moment. When he got to the tree, he saw that it was right on the edge of a large cliff. Peeking over the edge, he saw that the entirety of the valley, save the very tops of the tallest pines were covered in the fog. One thing that drew Shadow's gaze though, were the strange, random patches of clearing scattered throughout the valley.

He never even heard the other Umbreon walk up beside him, but when Shadow turned his head, seeing him stand there, he jumped back. The other Umbreon was unfazed, simply staring out over the valley. {It's a curious thing, isn' it?} Glancing at Shadow, then gesturing with his head out over the valley. {You are a very lucky soul, you know.}

Shadow tensed when the other Umbreon turned to him, but stood his ground. {Why am I lucky?}

The Umbreon pointed with a paw towards the wood line, which had wisps of fog coming out of it. {Those who travel in the mist without a guide are often lost. This realm is not for those who are uninitiated.} Tilting his head, the Umbreon looked at Shadow, {and yet, I see that you bear the mark, but you know little of our land.} Sitting down, the Umbreon started to groom himself, {Why then are you here?}

Shadow looked around again, looking over the valley, its gloom highlighted and lightened by the twilight sun. {I don't even know where here is!} He suddenly cried out, laying down in a small puff of dust.

The other Umbreon looked at Shadow, curiosity painted on his face. {Truly?} When Shadow nodded, the Umbreon looked back out over the valley, {Interesting. Curious, as well.} He suddenly yawned, teeth showing for a moment as his jaw went wide, {Perhaps I shall tell you what this place is then?}

Shadow eagerly nodded, sitting up. {Before you do,} which made the Umbreon look at Shadow, {what is your name?}

Several moments passed before the Umbreon finally smiled. {I suppose that would make this easier.} He looked back out over the valley, sitting tall in the sunlight, {Kalen. My name is Kalen.}

Nodding, Shadow dipped his head down, {Thank you.}

Kalen smiled, waving a paw dismissively. {Perhaps I can tell you where you are?} Shadow nodded eagerly, making Kalen chuckle, {I thought so.} Taking a deep breath, Kalen closed his eyes, turning his muzzle to the sun, {Where you are, is a realm of dreams, if you will. A land between the waking realm and the eternal world.}

{The eternal world?} Shadow asked, cocking his head slightly.

Licking his lips slightly, {What might be called the afterlife. Although saying it like that diminishes its true importance.} Kalen glanced over, seeing that Shadow was still confused. {It is a place where the soul goes after the physical body dies. But it is not a, uh, eternal home. It is a place of transition, allowing the soul a chance to start anew in the waking realm.}

Shadow nodded, {I think I understand.} Taking a deep breath, {But what about this place then? You said it was between these two places.}

Kalen nodded, {Yes. This is a realm, not meant for those who have passed on, or those that have yet to pass on. Which is why your being here is so curious to me.}

{Why do you say that?}

{You caught my interest when you first came here as an Eevee, those few short weeks ago.} Looking back at Shadow, {You have mastered the power you were given. Not fully, of course, but more so than I would have suspected.} Tipping his head down, looking at the ground, {I will admit, there were some, selfish reasons for me lending you my power.}

Shadow looked at him curiously, allowing him to continue. {You see, I'm stuck in this world. A place that only the dreaming mind can see. What you saw, with the two Eeveelutions, is what I see every day.} Kalen let out a deep sigh, {That was why I was so eager when I saw you. Something as physical as me. Not simply a shadow of the waking realm, cursed only to watch as they live their lives.}

Shadow would have sworn he saw a glistening in the corner of Kalen's eye, but it was soon blinked away. Continuing on, {But when I lent you my power, I also imparted part of my being into you. I can finally see outside of this world, and feel more than a whisper of hope.} Turning to Shadow suddenly, {I can see now that I need your help. So what I have is a proposition for you. You allow me to remain a part of you, feeling what you feel, seeing what you see, smelling what you smell. In return, I shall grant you my power in your time of need, offer what help I may.} Sitting down on his haunches again, {You shall retain full control of your self, I shall not attempt to harm you, nor take away your free will.}

Shadow was taken aback by the sudden proposition, and he stammered a {yeah, sure.}

Kalen jumped up, shouting in joy. {Thank you! Thank you my friend! You shall not regret this!} Suddenly stopping, Kalen looked over towards the twilight sun. {Your time here is almost up.} Looking back towards Shadow, {Just remember, because I am a part of you, you are a part of this place. Now,} he said softly, his eyes flashing, {return back to the waking realm. Live your life, and experience the world in all its glory.}

Shadow did not even have a moment to react before the world around him was suddenly engulfed in darkness. The feeling of falling took him, and made him shout out into the dark...

* * *

Falling down, the first thing Shadow felt was the soft fur of someone catching him. {Damn Shadow,} he heard the Absol say, {Need to learn not to roll around so much in your dreams.}

Shadow looked around, still panting hard from his dream. That's when he noticed that the truck wasn't moving. {Why have we stopped?}

A Bisharp looked up from his bladed wrists, a whetstone in his hand. {We are getting new orders, grunt. Some sort of championship tournament is going on, and the bosses want the competitors.}

The Absol nodded in agreement, and Shadow stood up, fully awake now. {How long until we get there?}

Cracking his neck, Absol said {We're already here. One of the reasons I came over to wake you up.} Looking at the Bisharp, Absol nodded. Sighing, the Bisharp threw a small metal ring towards them. Nudging it towards Shadow, {Because we don't have time to mark you yet, You'll have to wear this.}

Shadow looked at bangle, sighing as he slipped his foot into it. {So when do we...}

He was cut off when a man came to the back of the truck, stepping up a touch. "Time to move. All of you, c'mon" As abruptly as he'd come, he left. All of the Pokemon in the truck stood up, moving to follow the man.

Shadow stuck near the Absol as they were led through the empty VIP halls of a massive building. They soon came to a door, flanked by two Bisharps, both of them with the letters -TA- emblazoned on their chests. Walking up to them, the two guards nodded, allowing Shadow, the Absol, and the other Pokemon into the room.

Inside, several humans were talking, but Shadow paid no attention to them. Walking to the back of the room, he saw the TV monitors showing a broadcaster, and reading the subtitles, Shadow figured out that she was talking about an upcoming battle.

Sitting down on his haunches, Shadow stared forward. In the back of his mind, he was praying that he was wrong about what was about to happen, that it was his paranoia playing tricks on him. Phasing out slightly, he did not even realize how much time went by. When he heard someone come up next to him, he turned his head to eye the newcomer.

It was another Umbreon, completely normal looking. Glancing down, Shadow saw that this Umbreon also had a bangle on his leg. Not wishing for any conversation, Shadow once again looked forward, ears twitching as he heard the humans talking about the attack. Every muscle in his body went tense when the order came, and he watched as the humans stepped out of the room.

The sound of glass shattering brought his attention forward again, and the Umbreon next to him no longer concerned him. Jumping out after the other dark types, Shadow looked around for a moment at the chaos in the arena. Looking to the side, he saw something that made his heart stop, the fires of hope that he'd long since suppressed suddenly flaring back to life. Three Eeveelutions were running up the stairs, and Shadow sprinted for all he was worth, ignoring the raging battle around him.

|| * * * | | | * * * ||

So, please visit 502nickster to see the continuation of this story ^.^

Comments, votes, both appreciated and encourged ^.^

Legal: Pokemon ain't mine.....you know the rest ^.^

Original characters, Shadow namely, are mine. TA, Team Ater, and the storyline is 502nickster's, please ask him before using the storyline, me before using my characters ^.^