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This fan fiction is rated T for blood, gore, dismemberment, and suggestive themes. If you do not like the listed then do not read, I do not own Pokemon or associated Medias
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He who slept for forty nights

Vix stood in the middle of a vast mist covered field where several large stones stood as monuments.

"This must be Anthony's dreamscape," she observed as she placed her paw on the face of one of the cold stones; before her mind's eye she saw the stone give way to a crystal mirror that played a simple memory of her trainer scaling a vast wall of ice under the tuition of a mere wisp of a man.

"These must represent his memories," the Braixen breathed as she retracted her paw, "but where is Anthony?"

A small cry drew the fire-type's attention to the center of the field were three of the tallest and most pronounced stones stood.

"Hello?" she called as she neared the three monuments. Her foot splashed in a shallow pool of water; disturbing the mirrored surface.

"Hello, little Miss Vixen..." the pool replied; sending a large shadow of a Malamar to tower over the Braixen.

"Gah! Be gone from this place," Vix jumped back away from the pool and reflexively waved her wand to banish the shadowed Pokemon. The dark-type melted back into the pool; its dark mirrored finish returning to its surface.

"That pool must be tied to these stones," she panted as she tried to still her rapidly beating heart. The fire-type stepped around the dark water pool to examine the three standing stones it guarded.

"Leave, you are not welcomed here!" a feminine voice growled. Vix turned to the stone she touched to see a large pregnant Gardevoir carved into the surface.

"Tess..." the Braixen breathed recognizing the Pokemon.

"Leave! I will not have your trickery here," the stone effigy bellowed, its hollow eyes bearing down on the fire-type.

"She cannot hurt me, she's just a memory," she sighed remembering the advice given to her by Amidamaru, "but she must represent his first great pain from his youth."

Vix placed her paw against the monument to watch the memory it contained when its surface roiled angrily under her touch.

"I warned you," the psyche type growled.

"Wha!" the Braixen shrieked as the mirror pulled her into.

...

~ I said no Anthony, you can't keep her, ~ the pregnant Gardevoir snapped.

"But Tess she's hurt," Vix found herself saying in place of her trainer.

~ I don't care if she's dying, I will not have that... Thing any were near my baby! ~

"She won't hurt your kid Tess I promise,"

"Tess please you're being unreasonable, the only reason you're throwing such a fuss is she's a dark type," an Audino interjected.

"Back off Penny," the psychic type glared.

"No, I won't just back off this time, Tess you are going too far," the normal type spat.

"Ladies please!" Boomed a Chestnought, "Tess you need to calm down, Penny my dear this is a bat..."

The grass-type was cut short midsentence as a wave of psychic energy sent him flying into the far wall.

"Larz!" Penelope screamed; she turned back to face the Gardevoir to see the Pokemon's hand leveled against her.

"No! Tess, stop please," the Braixen stand-in cried; placing herself in between the enraged psychic-type and Audino.

~ Anthony move, ~ Tess growled.

"No,"

~ Fine, ~ she sighed with cold intensity as she lowered her hand. Vix cringed; powerless to move as the memory held her firm.

"That is enough Tess, you are quick to call us monsters and yet you were about to attack Anthony," A Houndoom barked as he stepped in front of the terrified Braixen, "and the only monster I see here is you."

His words cut into the Gardevoir far better than any attack he could have used.

"Oh... oh god... what have I done..." she gasped finally realizing the chaos she created and in an instant she teleported from the hall.

"Anthony! Are you alright," Penny gasped as she hurried to the fire-type place holder of the boy, "That was a very stupid thing to do, she could have hurt you."

"It's okay Penelope, I'm alright," Vix replied, she understood that her trainer was simply responding to the worried expression of the normal-type.

"Come on, let's go to Simon," the Audino cooed. The memory faded from the ruined hall to a darkened room where the Audino and Chesnought slept.

"Penny, Larz... Tess is gone," she cooed; gently shaking the smaller Pokemon awake

"Hm... what's that dear?" the normal-type yawned.

"Please Penny, Tess... she wasn't in her bed," Vix pleaded. The Audino quickly found her senses and turned to wake her mate.

"Larz, Larz wake up!" she urged.

"Huh wha, what's going on?" he murmured barely awake.

"It's Tess," Penny squeaked.

"Right, I'm up!" the Chesnought gasped as he quickly vacated the bed.

"Anthony stay here!" the Audino called before she hurried after the grass-type, but the fire-type felt herself dragged along; forced to see the memory to its end. Cold air bit at the Braixen as she followed the two older Pokemon to a short bluff that overlooked a steep cliff where a lone white figure stood at it's edge.

"Tess!" she screamed causing Penelope and Larz to jump at the sudden voice.

"Anthony!" the Audino gasped.

"Tess! Teleport to me please," Vix cried. The Gardevoir seemingly turned to face the three that stood on the bluff and vanished. The black mist washed over the Briaxen obscuring the sea, cliff and Pokemon for a moment before a stark white form stepped out of the fog.

"Hello Vix," the psychic type greeted.

"You... your Tess?" she asked.

"No, I am..." the Gardevoir paused, "I am a lock placed here by her."

"She tampered with his memories?"

"In a way yes, a truly terrible regret of hers, she didn't want him to see the monster she had become."

"Why did you drag me here?"

"I want you to release me... he... he is ready to face these painful memories, and his pain can drive away the darkness that has him trapped here,"

"Will he wake up after I release you?" Vix asked, hope welling up in her chest.

"In time we will see," the psychic sighed.

"I am ready," the fire-type nodded; drawing forth her wand and in a single swipe the normally pristine Pokemon melted to that of a near skeletal frame and a wide scar traced over her abdomen. The inky black mist shattered showing the true memory to the Braixen. Anthony watched the his mother's Gardevoir simply fall back over the edge, and Vix now freed of the memory's grasp saw her trainer supporting himself with a crutch.

"She dove off!" Larz gasped

"Anthony," Penny cooed; pulling the boy's face to her chest, "Don't look,"

Once again the world faded to black and Vix found herself lying in the lush field of her trainer's dreamscape. She sat up to be greeted by the gentle smile of a large heavy-set woman.

"Far better to remember a memory as it should be, than as you wish it to be," the woman spoke gesturing to large stone that loomed over the two. The monument no longer bore the likeness of an elegant pregnant Pokemon, but instead the gaunt frame of a Gardevoir clutching her abdomen.

"You must be Blossom," the fire-type assessed.

"Memories are... precious to a ghost, and to see such tampering with something so sacred... it sickens me," the humanized Gourgest sighed, "but seeing you restoring Anthony's memories... thank you,"

"I never expected them to be so painful," Vix found herself crying, "I guess that's why..."

"I know, pain shapes us into who we are... come let us leave and give his mind a chance to rest," the Ghost nodded.

...

The Braixen woke to the same damnable beep she's endured for the past month as her trainer recovered.

"Why were you in his mind Blossom?" she asked; wiping her face free of the tears that flowed from her sightless eyes.

"I could ask you the same for you," the Ghost smiled.

"I wanted to talk to him, try to coax him out of this coma," Vix explained.

"I figured you were in there to erase his memory about your little lie,"

"Right now I just want him to wake up," the fire-type sighed, "this past few weeks have been hard."

A gentle knock sounded at the door waking the snoozing purple-haired trainer that sat next to the bed, and alerting the Braixen that visiting hours were over.

"Sorry," April slurped, wiping the drool from her chin, "I've not been getting a lot of sleep lately."

"None of us have," the fox added before she left the room to start her shift at the center; the girl and her Gourgest seemingly followed, but once the door clicked closed April reappeared in the room along with her ghost.

"I'm sorry Vix but I am more experienced at this," she sighed.

...

The Girl hurried along the misty field until she found ruined standing stone.

"Good, Tess couldn't completely erase it," April smiled as she placed her hand to the largest piece of the shattered memory; joy flooded into her being, but no mirror formed on the stone's surface.

"Didn't you ever wonder why you felt joy here before Tess sent me away," the trainer muttered to herself, "don't worry I'll remind you."

...

Come on Anthony let's go play!" a Zorua cheered as she bounced before the youth.

"Wait up Fay, I'm not as fast as you are," he called back, "Papa O'kai is still fighting to get me a new leg."

"Well he shouldn't take you on those long trips if you keep breaking them," the dark-type mused as her friend finally crested the steep hill.

"He's training me to be a Pokemon trainer, and if I can pass his test on my tenth birthday I can be a trainer!" He smiled before turning to see Anistar City stretched out before him, "Wow... this is amazing Fay,"

"Heh I thought you might like it," she chimed; changing her form to that of a blue haired girl, "Here help me with this."

Anthony turned only to blush and quickly aviert his eyes from the nude backside of his friend, "Could... could you put some clothes on... or at least illusion them on."

"Aw but cloths are so stuffy," the Zorua-turned-girl huffed.

"I'm wearing cloths and I'm not at all bothered by them.

"Okay fine," she sighed as she created a simple white dress that covered her nude body, "there is that better."

"Yes, thank you," the boy chuckled, "now what am I helping you with,"

"This," Fay gestured to the large metal car hood that propped up the side of a makeshift nest filled with an odd assortment of gadgets and junk.

"Is this where you live?" he asked as he helped pull the car hood from its resting place.

"Yeah isn't it great, people just throw this stuff out, so I collect it,"

"But where's your clan, your parents?"

"I was banished because I am a shiny, Elder said I would attract unwanted attention." The Zorua shrugged, "but enough about my sad backstory, let's go sledding!"

"In summer?"

"This hood is thick and heavy, and there are hardly any rocks on the hill," Fay explained as she lined up the makeshift sled on the steep hill, "come on it'll be fun,"

"Okay," the boy gulped as he climbed onto the hood.

"Ready?"

"No..."

"Okay Go!" Fay cheered; pushing the heavy sled over the edge of the hill, before quickly jumping on herself.

"YEEHAW," the Zorua yelled as the car hood raced down the hill, but as they neared the tree line at the base of the hill she realized they weren't going to be able to stop the metal sled, "Jump!"

"What?!" Anthony shrieked when he felt the tiny weight of the Girl jump off the hood.

"I said Jump off!" the dark-type yelled, her illusion now dissolved. To her horror however she saw her friend crash into the thick bushes, "Anthony!"

"I'm good! I'm alright," he called back waving a broken branch, "but I can't find my leg,"

"Why didn't you jump off?!" Fay asked as she ran to help the young boy.

"My leg was hooked," he shrugged before he spotted what was left of his leg, "geez Simon is going to kill me,"

The Zorua tried to stifle a giggle as she watched the twisted prostatic get lifted from the bushes, "I'm glad I don't use a pin lock system... but that was fun,"

"Ha ha, that's the spirit!" the Zorua smiled, but the memory froze as it slowly began to melt. Pain washed over April as she noticed a white figure watching the pair.

"No... don't send her... don't send me away, I love him..." She cried as another wave of pain assaulted her mind. The purple-haired trainer felt herself get ripped from the memory to a lonely cave filled with crystal mirrors.

"Master You must LEAVE!" April heard her ghost shout, "You cannot handle his pain yet,"

Living pink threads entangled about the distraught Zorua and pulled her free of Anthony's troubled mind. The purple-haired Zoroark gasped as if she was just pulled to the surface of a deep lake.

"You should have waited," Blossom remarked; pulling the dark-type to her feet, "you will be lucky if he will even remember that,"

"Once he wakes up, I... I will tell him the truth," the Pokemon sighed.

"Oh as in the fact that I am the real April trying to avenge my own death," the ghost growled, "and I'm allowing you to masquerade as myself so you can relive old childhood memories,"

"Well... I... I'm sorry April, I just..."

"I'm sorry as well Fay," the Gourgest sighed, "but I must admit that it is rather comical to see a Zoroark dressed in a Bra, a Purple sweater, and Jeans,"

The dark-type simply stuck out her tongue as she formed another illusion to hide her true form.

...

"Now Vix are you sure you can handle the counter for a few hours?" the Nurse asked as she hurried around gathering last minuet supplies.

"Yes Nurse Joy I can handle it," the Braixen replied in a thick accent.

"Okay, I'm going to go change out of my scrubs, if my son walks in before I'm ready just tell him to wait,"

"What's his name?"

"Oh sorry his name is Dillon Mar,"

"What!? Your Dillon's Mom!?" the fire-type balked.

"You know him?" the Nurse asked.

"He blinded me, why do you think I have this scar," Vix gestured to the faint line that traced over her right eye.

"He did WHAT!" the mother bellowed, "Oh when he gets here he is going to be in so much trouble,"

"Eh hey Mom," squeaked a small voice from the entrance to the center, "how's it..."

"DILLON ALEX MAR, you better explain to me WHY you thought it was necessary to blind this Pokemon," the woman roared.

"I... I didn't do it on purpose, and I did pay for the damages," he gulped.

"That is a load of Taruas shit, you were going to attack Lucy, and all she was doing was having a mock battle with a Bagon," Vix countered, "and as for the damages, Tony had to threaten you with suspension to get you to even fork over the money."

"Young man, I want your Pokemon, trainer card and badge case, you are grounded!" Nurse Joy yelled, "And the first thing I want you to do is to apologize to this Braixen and her trainer once he wakes up,"

Dillon looked to his feet for a moment before he stepped up to the counter where the fire-type sat, "Vix... I'm sorry, I was only thinking about how strong Beo had gotten,"

She sat there in silence, dumbfounded by the sincerity of the apology from the red-head.

"I... I can accept your apology about blinding me, because if I was able to see in connection cave; Anthony and I wouldn't be here," Vix replied coldly, "But I cannot, and will not forgive you for nearly raping me."

The trainer flinched at the Braixen's harsh remark, but he remained silent.

"I'm sorry you had to endure that Vix," the red-head's mother sighed, "Now once Anthony wakes up I want you to apologize to him as well,"

"What do you mean 'when he wakes up'," Dillon asked.

"Anthony been in a coma for over a month, He has good brain activity but for the life of me I can't figure out what's keeping him under," the nurse explained

"Anthony's still in a coma?" called a familiar voice that Vix recognize as the ranger.

"Tony!" she cried leaping from the counter to hug the tall man.

"We're sorry we were gone for so long Vix, those poachers were very difficult to weed out it seems they were after a very specific fossil," the Meowstic added, "And I'm sorry that you had to learn English because of that."

"Has Simon managed to come out?" Tony asked.

"Yes, he visited last weekend, but he had to return to Anistar so he could fight with... insurance?" the Braixen sighed, "but he said that he'll be coming back out this Saturday."

"Tomorrow then," Tony supplied.

"Ah... I still haven't figured out how the weeks go yet, because everyone keeps saying it's a Friday or a Monday... on the same day!" she huffed, "and don't get me started about this hump day business."

"Heh you should tell them about the courtesy for the blind," Blair chuckled.

...

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Vix called out, "I cannot find the path, I'm lost!"

Darkness writhed about the fire-type as she searched for her staff, but as she clawed at the ground a single solitary beep shattered the silence and scattered the shadow revealing a pristine white room adorned with a solitary bed. Another beep pierced the air unsettling the fox as she crept to the bedside, but to her dismay the bed was empty and a single flat tone sounded.

"No... no he can't be..." Vix choked.

"I'm sorry Simon, but if his coma persists for much longer, his chances of waking up will be next to zero." She heard.

"I know," a gruff voice replied.

"I am afraid that you might have to start..."

"I... I know... please whatever you do don't tell his Braixen, I had to watch one Pokemon waste away... I don't want to see another," the uncle cried, "if it comes to that, I'll tell her,"

"I'll call if his condition changes," the Nurse sighed.

"Thank you,"

"No... you... you can't, he's going to wake up... he has to wake up..." Vix wept, "I... I couldn't live without him... I..."

The white room and bed dissolved to a high cliff overlooking a cold and bitter sea.

"No... he's not dead yet... I... I have to be strong for him... for everyone..." she turned only to see a Gardevoir standing behind her.

"I'm not like you... I won't become a monster," the Braixen spat. The psychic-type didn't answer as she looked up; startling the fire-type with an eyeless gaze. Vix stepped back from the horrifying visage, but her retreat halted at the cliff edge. She looked over her shoulder to see the jagged rocks that waited for her down below.

"I... I won't give up hope, He'll wake up... I... I know it," the fire-type stammered.

Still the Gardevoir didn't answer as she placed a hand to the Braixen's chest, and pushed. Vix screamed; her body racing to meet the rocky shore that broke the waves of that bitter sea, "NO, no, no, He will wake up; he must wake up, WAKE UP!!!"

The Braixen bolted awake with a cold sweat clinging to her brow.

"Vix... are you okay?" Lucy cooed, "you were having another nightmare."

"I... I'm fine," she panted as she slowly collected herself.

"Bull... Shit," Kris growled, "you've been having more and more nightmares, your fur is a mess, you hardly eat anything, and the bags under your eyes..."

"I will not condone that kind of language Kris," the fire-type bit back, "I am fine,"

The Braixen carefully stood and deftly jumped from the bed; grabbing her staff before leaving the room. Vix quietly made her way through the Pokecenter until she made it to the ward where her trainer recovered. Tears flowed readily as she carefully opened the door; inside her trainer still laid upon the bed with that damn machine beeping next to him.

"Hey Anthony," Vix croaked once she was next to him.

"I figured I'd come by and tell you how everyone is doing... heh, Lucy's scared as always... Kris... she... she doesn't understand what I'm going through, Arrow hardly eats, Amaru barely says anything these days... and me... I'm a mess... I... I can barely keep anything down without feeling sick... my fur's all matted... and the nightmares... they just keep getting worse..." she cried after she climbed onto the bed to hug her comatose trainer, "please wake up... I don't know how long I can keep going... please... I need you."

A soft and gentle cough made the Braixen freeze as a weak arm draped over her waist.

"I'm here," the teen spoke in the softest of whispers and Vix hugged tighter; her tears soaking into the trainer's patient's gown.

"I'm... sorry," Anthony breathed, "I'm sorry you had to wait for so long,"

"Thank you," she sniffled, "thank you"

Vix held her embrace until felt a tear strike the top of her head, "Anthony?"

"I'm sorry you had to wait... I... I should have listened to you... you wouldn't look like this if I listened," he wept.

"You're here now... I'll bounce back..." she cooed pulling back so her trainer could see her. Anthony gently cupped the Braixen's cheek with his hand staring into her sightless grey eyes, and without even thinking he pulled her close and graced her with a gentle kiss. Vix was surprised for only a moment before she melted into the kiss, but it broke all too soon for the fire-type. A soft buzzer sounded a few times forcing Vix to pull back to trace her Trainer's arm down to a simple box , and across the top in brail she read, 'Call'.

"You... you called for the nurse?" she asked.

"I love you, and I can't bare the sight of you so thin..." Anthony breathed.

"Vix did you sneak in here aga... Ah! Your... your awake!" Nurse Joy gasped dropping her clip board as she entered.

"Food... she likes fish and pickles, and a hairbrush," the teen requested.

"Ah... yes... yes I'll get those right away!" she nodded before she practically ran from the room.

"How long have I been out?"

"Over a month, I've been taking care of everyone," Vix sighed.

"He's AWAKE!" they heard from down the hall earning a chuckle from the both of them. Soon a huge commotion started outside the room, but Nurse Joy kept it from entering as the Braixen slowly ate the platter filled with nothing but fish and pickles while Anthony carefully brushed her fur until it was silky smooth. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning did the duo pass out from exhaustion.

"I'm sorry Mr. O'kai he's resting now," the woman placated, "But I assure you he was awake for a few hours, he even brushed his Braixen's fur,"

"He's alright?" Simon asked.

"Yes, but he is far from recovered, but now that he is awake we can start therapy,"

"How long will that take?"

"It's hard to say, but at the barest minimum four months of therapy to get him up and about, but it will take another seven months before he can safely strike out on the road again."

...

Okay... so that was an emotional chapter *sniff* heh heh I hope you all enjoyed that and I'll see you all the next chapter, which hopefully won't be as... tear jerky...
Sincearly
Kolofox