Training For Success, But Not Goodbyes
"Alright, now use slash!" called out a brunette long haired trainer. She was wearing a red vest over a blue short sleeved shirt, and blue shorts. Bolt smiled, shaking his head. He knew it wasn't likely, in fact, it was downright impossible, but one reason he loved his trainer was because she was so hopeful.
The trainer was in a gym, battling the leader. Her pokemon was an absol, and the opponent was a golbat. The flying type groaned out as it was struck, "Hang in there golbat! Use a wing attack!"
"Dodge it!" The absol nimbly leapt away, "And finish this up with razor wind!" The pokemon quickly called up the wind gusts, and launched the attack. Golbat, weak from all the other attacks that had landed, was knocked into a wall, out cold. "Golbat is unable to battle! Victory goes to Karen!"
"Alright! Way to go Sky!" The trainer leapt for joy, her absol joining her in her leap. The trainer and pokemon ran to each other, Karen kneeling down to hug and pet the absol. "You were great gal! Ha! That's our fourth badge!" The absol smiled, "Absol!" she nuzzled her trainer.
The duo took their badge, and headed to the pokecenter to recover. Karen was smiling happily, Sky mirroring her trainer's joy. When Karen's pokemon were returned, she got a room for the night, "You were great Sky."
"Absol ab." Replied her best friend. Sky was beaming, happy that her trainer was happy. Sky and Karen had been partners ever since Sky had been born. Sky's parents were pokemon belonging to Karen's mother, and so it was only natural that Karen would get the new born pup. Karen was a great friend, and Sky was glad she was able to help her reach for her goal.
Karen pet Sky, smiling, "We're going to be beating on the door of the Elite four before long." She grinned, "We'll take them down easy too." Sky smiled, "Absol!" Karen giggled, giving Sky some pokechow, munching on a sandwich herself. "You know Sky...I knew the moment I saw you...we were bound for great things."
Sky smiled, "Absol sol ab." She grinned, munching down some of her dinner.
Karen smiled, lying back, "I tell you Sky...nothing is going to stand between us and being the best of the best!" Sky grinned, letting out a bark of agreement. Trainer and pokemon than took some time to rest and recover, Sky snug against her beloved trainer.
*****
Karen grinned, "Alright! Finish her off Tornado, use rolling kick!" A hitmontop span into a meowth, knocking her away and out cold. "Alright! That's one down!"
The trainer standing opposite of her on the battlefield shook his head; "Not bad Karen...but you've got no chance." He aimed his pokeball, "Taska, return."
Sky watched from the sideline. Damien was the male trainer's name, and he was Karen's rival. The two were fiercely competitive, and this little battle wasn't out of the ordinary. Sky personally thought that Damien took things way to seriously, but he wasn't her trainer, so she didn't care that much.
She grinned, "Bring it Damien; you're the one without a chance."
Daren scoffed, and tossed another pokeball out, "Show yourself, Phantom." A sableye appeared, and took a battle ready pose.
Karen didn't like that she had to face against a pokemon with no weakness, but she had no choice. "Vulcan! Time to burn up the battlefield!" A magmar appeared, eyes immediately focusing on his opponent. The battle was on an in instant, "Vulcan! Lava plume!" The magmar unleashed the attack. "Detect Phantom!" the jewel eyes of the ghost pokemon light up as he dodged the attack with ease, "Follow up with Faint attack!" the sableye hit, Vulcan swiping his paw to push the ghost away.
"Hang in there Vulcan! Fire Spin!" The magmar unleashed a torrent of flame at the sableye, encircling the ghost. "Don't worry Phantom, use Nightshade!" the sableye unleashed the attack, striking magmar, who kept up the fire spin. For several second the two kept striking with the attacks, until the fire spin ended. "Now...Punishment!" Phantom leapt at Vulcan, and battered him with the attack. Vulcan groaned, but managed a counter from his ability, burning the ghost pokemon. Phantom leapt away, cringing from the burn. "Come on Vulcan; hit him with a fire punch!"
Vulcan obeyed his fist burning as he rushed Phantom. "Phantom Punishment again!" Phantom obeyed, taking the fire punch, than countering with vengeance. Vulcan groaned, stumbling back, struggling to stay up. Phantom wasn't doing much better though, the burn sapping his strength. "Lava Plume!" "Night Shade!" The two launched their attacks, both hitting hard. Both pokemon were knocked on their backs. Phantom groaned, getting to his feet, Vulcan was staying on the ground.
Karen sighed, "Darn...1 to 1, next fight wins it all."
Damien grinned, "And you don't stand a chance...Scar! End this with a victory." A salamance flew in from the sidelines, taking position in the battlefield. "What poor loser are you going to use?"
"The winner I'm using...is..." she snapped, "Sky! Show him how a real pokemon battles!" Sky grinned, leaping into the field.
"The absol? Whatever...this will be painful I assure you." Damien smirked. "Scar, Dragon Breath!" The salamence unleashed the attack, but the absol quickly dodged. "Not fast enough Damien. Sky, slash!" She came down, and struck the pokemon's flank, the dragon recoiling back, growling. It unleashed another Dragon Breath, blasting Sky back. "Come on Sky! Razor wind!" Sky charged up the wind as she skidded to a halt, unleashing the attack. "Dodge it Scar!" The dragon flew up, the attack striking the ground. "Now...Fly attack!" Scar swept down, barreling down on Sky.
"Sky! Jump!" The absol leapt up, "Now..." Karen grinned, "Ice beam!" Damien's eyes went wide, the absol's attack striking Scar's back, hard. The dragon fell to the ground in front of Damien, but quickly got up, though he was panting hard. "Sky! Razor wind!" Sky's attack charged as she went to the ground, and upon touching down, she unleashed it. Scar gulped, and tried to dodge it...but he wasn't quick enough.
A terrible howl of agony shot out, a second one quickly following. Scar's attempt to dodge hadn't removed his head from the attacks path...and it tore right through his right eye. A splash of crimson blood shot into the air, the salamence collapsing onto the ground. But the attack didn't stop there, but kept screaming forward towards the dragon's trainer. Damien howled out, blood spraying out as his ear was cleaved. Holding the spot that once had his ear in it, he fell to the ground, screaming out in agony.
Karen's hand covered her mouth, gaping in horror. Sky's expression was a perfect mirror of her trainer's. By some miracle an ambulance was passing by at the time, so both trainer and pokemon were immediately rushed off, Damien casting an unnoticed glare at the pair who had injured him and his pokemon. The other two just stood in shock, Karen having fallen to her knees. It took several minutes before the two got up and went back to the pokemon center.
When Karen had gotten into her room she curled up on her bed, "I...I don't know what happened Sky...I...I didn't think the attack would..."
Sky was crying lightly, ridden with guilt over what had happened. "Sky...c...come here." The absol reluctantly joined her trainer, burying her face into Karen's body. "It's okay Sky...it wasn't your fault...it was an accident...I know you didn't mean to do that." Sky dug her head deeper, not feeling any better.
Karen began to cry too, "It's okay Sky...it'll be okay." The two held onto one another, crying in quilt ridden pain.
*****
Sky sighed, walking alongside Karen. Damien and Scar hadn't wanted to see them...nothing else happened. It was an accident, plenty of people saw it. But it didn't make the guilt any less painful or unnoticeable to the two. With Damien refusing to see her, Karen decided that it would be best to leave that city and head to the next.
Karen shook her head, "There's nothing we can do Sky...I'm sure Damien will calm down enough to let us apologize the next time we see him."
Sky looked up to her trainer, looking slightly hopeful. "Absol."
The two smiled at one another, Karen petting Sky's head, "Everything will be okay, trust me Sky. Don't forget...great things are destined for us, and being weighed down by guilt isn't great." The absol smiled, her step getting a spring to it. "Absol!"
The two grinned, sure that the incident would be forgiven by the next meeting they had with the trainer. Karen smiled, "Now Sky...we need to focus on our next battle. We've got a badge to win!" The absol leapt up, grinning happily.
*****
"AHHHHH!!!!!" Karen screamed out, flailing about. "Get away from me!" A bat swing knocked a poor curious kricketot into the bushes. "Evil bugs! Stay away from me!" She was wildly swinging a bat, eyes shut. "Get away, get away!"
Sky was ducking for cover, as a volbeat, wondering what was causing the commotion, came into the scene and then a homerun swing sent him flying out of it just as quick. "AH!" Karen started running. "Why did it have to be a forest!? Why!?" She was blindly running, while still blindly swinging her bat. Bugs left and right were smacked and sent spinning. Sky followed at a distance, calling out apologies to the pokemon her trainer knocked away.
Karen eventually broke through the tree line, and finally opened her eyes. The trainer stopped, sitting down, panting hard. Sky cautiously approached, nudging her trainer. Karen jumped, raising the bat, but sighed in relief when she saw it was her pokemon. "Oh...hey Sky...sorry about that..."
The absol giggled, "Absol ab."
"What's so funny? You know that bugs freak me out." Karen grumbled, blushing lightly. She smiled lightly when her pokemon gave her a hug. "Thanks Sky." She sighed, "How about some dinner?" Sky gave a nod, smiling.
"Alright, come on out everyone...dinner time!" Appearing was the magmar Vulcan, the hitmontop Tornado along with a metang named Tank, a quagsire named Quira, and a carnivine named Ivy. All six pokemon smiled happily, seeing their trainer pulling out a bowl for each of them. When she filled all six bowls and handed them to the pokemon they began to dig in. Karen herself had a sandwich, smiling at her pokemon. She saw Quira doing the usual, hitting on Tornado, while Vulcan tried to woo Ivy. She giggled, petting Sky as she ate up.
Sky looked up to her trainer, smiling, "Absol ab."
Karen grinned, "I love you too Sky." The two went back to eating, grinning at the antics of the other pokemon. Karen gave a happy sigh, things were looking up, and the next gym meant a new badge and being one step closer to being a pokemon master. She popped open a can of lemonade, pouring some for Sky. "Here Sky."
The absol smiled big, "Ab!" she eagerly began to drink up. Karen chuckled, drinking up herself feeling quite happy after the past incident.
*****
Karen smiled, looking up to the starry night sky, feeling the movement of the absol sleeping next to her. Karen looked at Sky, smiling at the cute face she had while sleeping. Karen than began to remember the past, smiling. She was so excited when she started training with Sky, and the absol had shared the enthusiasm. The excitement had only grown when they finally set off on their journey.
Karen smiled, gently stroking Sky's fur. Ever since the two had become friends, they had never been apart. They were best friends no doubt, and Karen knew nothing would change that. After all, she knew that Sky was bound for great things, even Karen's mother could tell great things were in stored for the absol. Karen gave a happy sigh, closing her eyes and getting ready to fall asleep.
*****
Sky smiled a skip in her step as she walked beside her trainer. Karen was also very happy, "It's beautiful isn't Sky? Course...not as beautiful as us." Karen broke into laughter, Sky joining her joy. The two smiled, walking along a path on a plateau that was along a river, a very rough part of it that adrenalin junkies would love to raft down. The next city was in sight, and so was the next badge.
Karen smiled, "A new badge. It took a bit longer than I would have liked to get here, but I did want to hang around those mountains to train you guys." Sky nodded matter o'factly. Karen chuckled, petting Sky's head. Than the absol came to halt looking around. "Sky? Something wro..." Karen's sentence was cut off by the ground's sudden shaking. Not long afterwards, the cliff began to crack and give way. "Sky!"
The two began to fall with the cliff fragments, into the raging river. The two hit the water and were quickly swept away. A local bug catcher on the other side of the river had seen the event unfold after hearing the cliff crack lucky, and quickly called into the city to bring attention to the disaster.
But that didn't do much for the pair now, Karen struggling to keep afloat, smashing into some of the cliff debris, Sky doing much the same. Karen managed to swim to her pokemon, grabbing her and holding on tight. "Don't worry Sky...I'm here!" the two were swept down the river, "we need to...AH!" the trainer had smashed into a rock in the river. The absol coughed, trying to look around, "absol!" the trainer held tight, trying to swim to one side of the river, and hoping to god that the cliff sides would sink down so she could get herself and Sky onto dry land.
Her hopes were answered when the cliff took a sudden drop up ahead. Karen smiled, "We'll be okay SkAHHH!" The current had slammed her against the cliff side, tearing her back up against the rough rock. The absol looked to her trainer, worried. "I'm...okay...Sky..." The two had gotten to landable ground, but a very ominous sound rang in their ears. It was the thundering of a waterfall. Karen swam to the edge of land, managing to grab on. "Come on Sky...get...on!" The trainer lifted her pokemon onto dry land.
Sky turned, weak since she had taken a few rock smashes herself, to help her trainer up. Karen had already slipped though, and was barely hanging on. Sky's eyes widen in horror, as she went for her trainer's sleeve. Time seemed to slow, as the pokemon reached for her trainer, Karen dangling on the edge of land. Karen looked to her pokemon, tears in her eyes, "Goodbye Sky..."
Karen's strength gave out, and she was swept down with the water. Sky's grab met air, as she turned to see her trainer, her friend tumbling in the water, than vanish over the falls. "ABSOL!"
Sky rushed forward, but was met with a sheer drop. The absol ground her teeth, forced to find another route down. ~Please Karen...please...be okay!~ The pokemon finally found a way down after what felt like ages. She got down and quickly rushed towards the river, following it when she reached it.
Sky began to talk out loud, her heart racing, "She's just got to be okay...she's got to be." She sped up, despite her injury, "She said we'd be destined for great things! She's got to be okay!"
The absol skidded to a stop, eyes wide in horror. A bunch of humans had gathered at one spot in the river. Some were paramedics that Sky had seen before, and on one of their stretchers was a black bag. Sky had seen enough T.V. when she had been at home with Karen to know what was in it. "It...It...it's not...I can't be her..."
She feebly clung to any hope she had, but in an instant, the hope was dashed. Placed upon the body bag, was an all too familiar backpack. "N...no...no...it's not...it can't be true!" Sky shook her head, eyes glued to the horrible black bag and backpack.
One of the people shook his head, "Poor girl...she was so young. And she was trainer...her poor pokemon...they'll be devastated, and her family...gods...it's so wrong to die so young."
Sky felt everything in her world shatter with a loud smash. She wanted to scream out, to let everyone hear her agony...but she couldn't. She just stood there, frozen in grief. Her trainer, her partner, her best friend, the person she loved more than anything else in the world...was gone forever.
The paramedics picked up the stretcher and carried off the corpse. Sky just stood there, doing nothing. Night fell, and she only crumbled to the ground, legs to weak to support her anymore. The pokemon than began to let out screams of pain and remorse, her eyes becoming rivers of tears. Her heart was racked by pain, guilt, and regret.
Sky didn't know how long she stayed in that one spot, crying her eyes out. She didn't know when she had gotten up to eat, drink, and fulfill other bodily needs. She didn't know when she had begun walking. All she could remember was her last day with her trainer. Sky eventually woke from her trance, walking along a path that she recognized from her travels. She was headed back to the town where she had injured Damien and Scar.
She sighed, shaking her head, "Where am I going?" she looked up, wondering what to do. "Great things...being a pokemon master..." Sky looked down, "I...I'll keep trying for that...Karen...I'll...I'll keep going for your dream."
She looked up, noticing a fork. There was a quicker path, and the longer path she had taken before. Sky opted for the shortcut. Just like her sensing of disaster, Sky felt something coming from this path. She felt a future...she only hoped it would be a future that Karen would be glad Sky had. "I'm sorry Karen...I couldn't save you..." she looked up into the Sky, "But...I'll live for you." She chocked back a tear, vowing to herself that she'd be strong, if for no other reason than that she'd know that Karen would want her to.
The trainer was in a gym, battling the leader. Her pokemon was an absol, and the opponent was a golbat. The flying type groaned out as it was struck, "Hang in there golbat! Use a wing attack!"
"Dodge it!" The absol nimbly leapt away, "And finish this up with razor wind!" The pokemon quickly called up the wind gusts, and launched the attack. Golbat, weak from all the other attacks that had landed, was knocked into a wall, out cold. "Golbat is unable to battle! Victory goes to Karen!"
"Alright! Way to go Sky!" The trainer leapt for joy, her absol joining her in her leap. The trainer and pokemon ran to each other, Karen kneeling down to hug and pet the absol. "You were great gal! Ha! That's our fourth badge!" The absol smiled, "Absol!" she nuzzled her trainer.
The duo took their badge, and headed to the pokecenter to recover. Karen was smiling happily, Sky mirroring her trainer's joy. When Karen's pokemon were returned, she got a room for the night, "You were great Sky."
"Absol ab." Replied her best friend. Sky was beaming, happy that her trainer was happy. Sky and Karen had been partners ever since Sky had been born. Sky's parents were pokemon belonging to Karen's mother, and so it was only natural that Karen would get the new born pup. Karen was a great friend, and Sky was glad she was able to help her reach for her goal.
Karen pet Sky, smiling, "We're going to be beating on the door of the Elite four before long." She grinned, "We'll take them down easy too." Sky smiled, "Absol!" Karen giggled, giving Sky some pokechow, munching on a sandwich herself. "You know Sky...I knew the moment I saw you...we were bound for great things."
Sky smiled, "Absol sol ab." She grinned, munching down some of her dinner.
Karen smiled, lying back, "I tell you Sky...nothing is going to stand between us and being the best of the best!" Sky grinned, letting out a bark of agreement. Trainer and pokemon than took some time to rest and recover, Sky snug against her beloved trainer.
*****
Karen grinned, "Alright! Finish her off Tornado, use rolling kick!" A hitmontop span into a meowth, knocking her away and out cold. "Alright! That's one down!"
The trainer standing opposite of her on the battlefield shook his head; "Not bad Karen...but you've got no chance." He aimed his pokeball, "Taska, return."
Sky watched from the sideline. Damien was the male trainer's name, and he was Karen's rival. The two were fiercely competitive, and this little battle wasn't out of the ordinary. Sky personally thought that Damien took things way to seriously, but he wasn't her trainer, so she didn't care that much.
She grinned, "Bring it Damien; you're the one without a chance."
Daren scoffed, and tossed another pokeball out, "Show yourself, Phantom." A sableye appeared, and took a battle ready pose.
Karen didn't like that she had to face against a pokemon with no weakness, but she had no choice. "Vulcan! Time to burn up the battlefield!" A magmar appeared, eyes immediately focusing on his opponent. The battle was on an in instant, "Vulcan! Lava plume!" The magmar unleashed the attack. "Detect Phantom!" the jewel eyes of the ghost pokemon light up as he dodged the attack with ease, "Follow up with Faint attack!" the sableye hit, Vulcan swiping his paw to push the ghost away.
"Hang in there Vulcan! Fire Spin!" The magmar unleashed a torrent of flame at the sableye, encircling the ghost. "Don't worry Phantom, use Nightshade!" the sableye unleashed the attack, striking magmar, who kept up the fire spin. For several second the two kept striking with the attacks, until the fire spin ended. "Now...Punishment!" Phantom leapt at Vulcan, and battered him with the attack. Vulcan groaned, but managed a counter from his ability, burning the ghost pokemon. Phantom leapt away, cringing from the burn. "Come on Vulcan; hit him with a fire punch!"
Vulcan obeyed his fist burning as he rushed Phantom. "Phantom Punishment again!" Phantom obeyed, taking the fire punch, than countering with vengeance. Vulcan groaned, stumbling back, struggling to stay up. Phantom wasn't doing much better though, the burn sapping his strength. "Lava Plume!" "Night Shade!" The two launched their attacks, both hitting hard. Both pokemon were knocked on their backs. Phantom groaned, getting to his feet, Vulcan was staying on the ground.
Karen sighed, "Darn...1 to 1, next fight wins it all."
Damien grinned, "And you don't stand a chance...Scar! End this with a victory." A salamance flew in from the sidelines, taking position in the battlefield. "What poor loser are you going to use?"
"The winner I'm using...is..." she snapped, "Sky! Show him how a real pokemon battles!" Sky grinned, leaping into the field.
"The absol? Whatever...this will be painful I assure you." Damien smirked. "Scar, Dragon Breath!" The salamence unleashed the attack, but the absol quickly dodged. "Not fast enough Damien. Sky, slash!" She came down, and struck the pokemon's flank, the dragon recoiling back, growling. It unleashed another Dragon Breath, blasting Sky back. "Come on Sky! Razor wind!" Sky charged up the wind as she skidded to a halt, unleashing the attack. "Dodge it Scar!" The dragon flew up, the attack striking the ground. "Now...Fly attack!" Scar swept down, barreling down on Sky.
"Sky! Jump!" The absol leapt up, "Now..." Karen grinned, "Ice beam!" Damien's eyes went wide, the absol's attack striking Scar's back, hard. The dragon fell to the ground in front of Damien, but quickly got up, though he was panting hard. "Sky! Razor wind!" Sky's attack charged as she went to the ground, and upon touching down, she unleashed it. Scar gulped, and tried to dodge it...but he wasn't quick enough.
A terrible howl of agony shot out, a second one quickly following. Scar's attempt to dodge hadn't removed his head from the attacks path...and it tore right through his right eye. A splash of crimson blood shot into the air, the salamence collapsing onto the ground. But the attack didn't stop there, but kept screaming forward towards the dragon's trainer. Damien howled out, blood spraying out as his ear was cleaved. Holding the spot that once had his ear in it, he fell to the ground, screaming out in agony.
Karen's hand covered her mouth, gaping in horror. Sky's expression was a perfect mirror of her trainer's. By some miracle an ambulance was passing by at the time, so both trainer and pokemon were immediately rushed off, Damien casting an unnoticed glare at the pair who had injured him and his pokemon. The other two just stood in shock, Karen having fallen to her knees. It took several minutes before the two got up and went back to the pokemon center.
When Karen had gotten into her room she curled up on her bed, "I...I don't know what happened Sky...I...I didn't think the attack would..."
Sky was crying lightly, ridden with guilt over what had happened. "Sky...c...come here." The absol reluctantly joined her trainer, burying her face into Karen's body. "It's okay Sky...it wasn't your fault...it was an accident...I know you didn't mean to do that." Sky dug her head deeper, not feeling any better.
Karen began to cry too, "It's okay Sky...it'll be okay." The two held onto one another, crying in quilt ridden pain.
*****
Sky sighed, walking alongside Karen. Damien and Scar hadn't wanted to see them...nothing else happened. It was an accident, plenty of people saw it. But it didn't make the guilt any less painful or unnoticeable to the two. With Damien refusing to see her, Karen decided that it would be best to leave that city and head to the next.
Karen shook her head, "There's nothing we can do Sky...I'm sure Damien will calm down enough to let us apologize the next time we see him."
Sky looked up to her trainer, looking slightly hopeful. "Absol."
The two smiled at one another, Karen petting Sky's head, "Everything will be okay, trust me Sky. Don't forget...great things are destined for us, and being weighed down by guilt isn't great." The absol smiled, her step getting a spring to it. "Absol!"
The two grinned, sure that the incident would be forgiven by the next meeting they had with the trainer. Karen smiled, "Now Sky...we need to focus on our next battle. We've got a badge to win!" The absol leapt up, grinning happily.
*****
"AHHHHH!!!!!" Karen screamed out, flailing about. "Get away from me!" A bat swing knocked a poor curious kricketot into the bushes. "Evil bugs! Stay away from me!" She was wildly swinging a bat, eyes shut. "Get away, get away!"
Sky was ducking for cover, as a volbeat, wondering what was causing the commotion, came into the scene and then a homerun swing sent him flying out of it just as quick. "AH!" Karen started running. "Why did it have to be a forest!? Why!?" She was blindly running, while still blindly swinging her bat. Bugs left and right were smacked and sent spinning. Sky followed at a distance, calling out apologies to the pokemon her trainer knocked away.
Karen eventually broke through the tree line, and finally opened her eyes. The trainer stopped, sitting down, panting hard. Sky cautiously approached, nudging her trainer. Karen jumped, raising the bat, but sighed in relief when she saw it was her pokemon. "Oh...hey Sky...sorry about that..."
The absol giggled, "Absol ab."
"What's so funny? You know that bugs freak me out." Karen grumbled, blushing lightly. She smiled lightly when her pokemon gave her a hug. "Thanks Sky." She sighed, "How about some dinner?" Sky gave a nod, smiling.
"Alright, come on out everyone...dinner time!" Appearing was the magmar Vulcan, the hitmontop Tornado along with a metang named Tank, a quagsire named Quira, and a carnivine named Ivy. All six pokemon smiled happily, seeing their trainer pulling out a bowl for each of them. When she filled all six bowls and handed them to the pokemon they began to dig in. Karen herself had a sandwich, smiling at her pokemon. She saw Quira doing the usual, hitting on Tornado, while Vulcan tried to woo Ivy. She giggled, petting Sky as she ate up.
Sky looked up to her trainer, smiling, "Absol ab."
Karen grinned, "I love you too Sky." The two went back to eating, grinning at the antics of the other pokemon. Karen gave a happy sigh, things were looking up, and the next gym meant a new badge and being one step closer to being a pokemon master. She popped open a can of lemonade, pouring some for Sky. "Here Sky."
The absol smiled big, "Ab!" she eagerly began to drink up. Karen chuckled, drinking up herself feeling quite happy after the past incident.
*****
Karen smiled, looking up to the starry night sky, feeling the movement of the absol sleeping next to her. Karen looked at Sky, smiling at the cute face she had while sleeping. Karen than began to remember the past, smiling. She was so excited when she started training with Sky, and the absol had shared the enthusiasm. The excitement had only grown when they finally set off on their journey.
Karen smiled, gently stroking Sky's fur. Ever since the two had become friends, they had never been apart. They were best friends no doubt, and Karen knew nothing would change that. After all, she knew that Sky was bound for great things, even Karen's mother could tell great things were in stored for the absol. Karen gave a happy sigh, closing her eyes and getting ready to fall asleep.
*****
Sky smiled a skip in her step as she walked beside her trainer. Karen was also very happy, "It's beautiful isn't Sky? Course...not as beautiful as us." Karen broke into laughter, Sky joining her joy. The two smiled, walking along a path on a plateau that was along a river, a very rough part of it that adrenalin junkies would love to raft down. The next city was in sight, and so was the next badge.
Karen smiled, "A new badge. It took a bit longer than I would have liked to get here, but I did want to hang around those mountains to train you guys." Sky nodded matter o'factly. Karen chuckled, petting Sky's head. Than the absol came to halt looking around. "Sky? Something wro..." Karen's sentence was cut off by the ground's sudden shaking. Not long afterwards, the cliff began to crack and give way. "Sky!"
The two began to fall with the cliff fragments, into the raging river. The two hit the water and were quickly swept away. A local bug catcher on the other side of the river had seen the event unfold after hearing the cliff crack lucky, and quickly called into the city to bring attention to the disaster.
But that didn't do much for the pair now, Karen struggling to keep afloat, smashing into some of the cliff debris, Sky doing much the same. Karen managed to swim to her pokemon, grabbing her and holding on tight. "Don't worry Sky...I'm here!" the two were swept down the river, "we need to...AH!" the trainer had smashed into a rock in the river. The absol coughed, trying to look around, "absol!" the trainer held tight, trying to swim to one side of the river, and hoping to god that the cliff sides would sink down so she could get herself and Sky onto dry land.
Her hopes were answered when the cliff took a sudden drop up ahead. Karen smiled, "We'll be okay SkAHHH!" The current had slammed her against the cliff side, tearing her back up against the rough rock. The absol looked to her trainer, worried. "I'm...okay...Sky..." The two had gotten to landable ground, but a very ominous sound rang in their ears. It was the thundering of a waterfall. Karen swam to the edge of land, managing to grab on. "Come on Sky...get...on!" The trainer lifted her pokemon onto dry land.
Sky turned, weak since she had taken a few rock smashes herself, to help her trainer up. Karen had already slipped though, and was barely hanging on. Sky's eyes widen in horror, as she went for her trainer's sleeve. Time seemed to slow, as the pokemon reached for her trainer, Karen dangling on the edge of land. Karen looked to her pokemon, tears in her eyes, "Goodbye Sky..."
Karen's strength gave out, and she was swept down with the water. Sky's grab met air, as she turned to see her trainer, her friend tumbling in the water, than vanish over the falls. "ABSOL!"
Sky rushed forward, but was met with a sheer drop. The absol ground her teeth, forced to find another route down. ~Please Karen...please...be okay!~ The pokemon finally found a way down after what felt like ages. She got down and quickly rushed towards the river, following it when she reached it.
Sky began to talk out loud, her heart racing, "She's just got to be okay...she's got to be." She sped up, despite her injury, "She said we'd be destined for great things! She's got to be okay!"
The absol skidded to a stop, eyes wide in horror. A bunch of humans had gathered at one spot in the river. Some were paramedics that Sky had seen before, and on one of their stretchers was a black bag. Sky had seen enough T.V. when she had been at home with Karen to know what was in it. "It...It...it's not...I can't be her..."
She feebly clung to any hope she had, but in an instant, the hope was dashed. Placed upon the body bag, was an all too familiar backpack. "N...no...no...it's not...it can't be true!" Sky shook her head, eyes glued to the horrible black bag and backpack.
One of the people shook his head, "Poor girl...she was so young. And she was trainer...her poor pokemon...they'll be devastated, and her family...gods...it's so wrong to die so young."
Sky felt everything in her world shatter with a loud smash. She wanted to scream out, to let everyone hear her agony...but she couldn't. She just stood there, frozen in grief. Her trainer, her partner, her best friend, the person she loved more than anything else in the world...was gone forever.
The paramedics picked up the stretcher and carried off the corpse. Sky just stood there, doing nothing. Night fell, and she only crumbled to the ground, legs to weak to support her anymore. The pokemon than began to let out screams of pain and remorse, her eyes becoming rivers of tears. Her heart was racked by pain, guilt, and regret.
Sky didn't know how long she stayed in that one spot, crying her eyes out. She didn't know when she had gotten up to eat, drink, and fulfill other bodily needs. She didn't know when she had begun walking. All she could remember was her last day with her trainer. Sky eventually woke from her trance, walking along a path that she recognized from her travels. She was headed back to the town where she had injured Damien and Scar.
She sighed, shaking her head, "Where am I going?" she looked up, wondering what to do. "Great things...being a pokemon master..." Sky looked down, "I...I'll keep trying for that...Karen...I'll...I'll keep going for your dream."
She looked up, noticing a fork. There was a quicker path, and the longer path she had taken before. Sky opted for the shortcut. Just like her sensing of disaster, Sky felt something coming from this path. She felt a future...she only hoped it would be a future that Karen would be glad Sky had. "I'm sorry Karen...I couldn't save you..." she looked up into the Sky, "But...I'll live for you." She chocked back a tear, vowing to herself that she'd be strong, if for no other reason than that she'd know that Karen would want her to.