What-if: Let the Sorrow End Before It Begins
It was a normal day in a city. In a large park, trainers battled one another for fun and training. One such battle was between a woman with long brunette hair, wearing a red vest over a blue short sleeved shirt, and blue shorts, and a man with combed back black hair. He was wearing a black coat, with matching black pants and jeans.
Karen, the female trainer, 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, an absol and best friend of Karen, 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.
*****
Karen nervously bit her thumb, watching the doors to the hospital. Damien hadn't let her visit him so she could apologize for the incident. She had flirted with the idea of just leaving; sure they'd meet again so she could apologize than. But both she and Sky had agreed that such an action wasn't really saying they were sorry.
Karen had managed to find out that Damien was going to be released today, so now she just had to wait for him to leave. Sky was by her trainer's side, looking at the door just as anxiously. The two nearly jumped when the door actually opened. An old man walked out with what appeared to be his daughter helping. Both Karen and Sky sighed, both relieved and disappointed. They wanted to apologize, but they weren't sure how Damien and Scar would react.
They nearly had heart attacks when the door opened again, and Damien walked out. He had a pokeball in his hand, and held it out, calling out Scar. The Salamance, now with only one eye looked to his trainer. "Damien..."
The two males turned to look at the cause for their injuries, glaring. "What do you want Karen? Want my head now?"
Karen flinched, "I'm...really sorry..."
Damien scoffed, "Sorry doesn't put an ear back on my head...or an eye in Scar's face." The two began to leave. Karen stayed still, than clenched her fist, running in front of them, "No! I'm not leaving until you get it...we didn't mean for that to happen."
Sky nodded, saying the same to Scar. "I know...we're competitive Damien...but..." Karen was starting to cry again, "...but I'd never want to do that to you!" Sky was a perfect mirror of Karen, trying to make them see that it was a terrible accident.
Damien just looked at Karen for a long while, Scar looking at Sky. The partners looked to one another. Damien sighed, "Bah...being mad at you is a waste of time...you're hardly worth holding a grudge against." Damien smirked, "And I will make sure the next time we battle...it's a complete shut out for me." He walked past her, chuckling lightly.
Damien nearly fell on his face when he felt something hit his back, arms wrapping around his arms and chest. "Thank you Damien!" Karen cried into his back.
Sky looked to Scar, "Scar?"
The salamence scoffed, "Damien's right...you guys are too weak and pathetic to begrudge." The absol smiled, managing to get a lick to his cheek. The salamance blushed lightly, looking away.
Damien managed to get out of the hug, "Get off me...I don't want your sappyness to get on me." Despite his words, he was smiling lightly. "I'll defeat you in battle later Karen." With Scar beside him, the trainer went off.
"Damien?"
He sighed, "Now what?"
"Well...we're going to the same city right? Mind if...we travel together?" Karen was slightly red in the cheeks.
Damien sighed, "Would you listen if I said no? Alright...just don't keep us up." He waited, while Karen and Sky joined him and Scar, the two smiling. Scar rolled his eye, smacking his trainer in the back of the head with his wing. Damien grumbled, "Well would it matter if I had told them no? They'd have tagged along anyway." Scar wasn't satisfied, smacking Damien again, which got the two females with them laughing.
*****
A high pitched scream rang out in a forest. Somewhere along a path through the trees a swishing could be heard, along with several thuds. Damien was on the ground, hands over his head. Sky and Scar were mimicking the position, as Karen wildly swung a bat around, "Bugs! Evil bugs get away!" She screamed again and started running, scoring homeruns off any bug that came in range.
Damien sighed, "Is she always like that?" he asked Sky. The absol nodded, sighing herself as they went to catch up. Damien shook his head, smirking lightly as he found Karen on her knees, panting. "You okay?" he tried to suppress his chuckled.
Karen grumbled, "I hate bugs."
"Really? The whole screaming they were evil and wilding swinging a bat didn't tip me off." He was in a full blown laugh now.
She glared, blushing lightly, "Least I ain't afraid of water types."
It was his turn to blush now, "Hey...they're slimy, they wiggle around in awful patterns...and their best attacks require them to spit at you!" he crossed his arms, "I'm completely justified in finding water types disgusting."
Karen rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say Damien." She giggled, "Cause it your United States of Whatever!"
His eye twitched, "Stop saying that! I swear...every time you say that...I feel an urge to choke you!"
She giggled, "But you wouldn't...cause you find my company so nice." She got up and started walking again, "And you get to see my stunning beauty all the time."
Damien grumbled, following along, getting a chuckle from Scar. "Oh...go hump a rock!" Scar chuckled some more, rolling his eye at his trainer.
Sky had gone to her trainer's side, and rolled her eyes at Karen. "What? I was just stating a fact." She gave an indignant look, "If you think otherwise...than you're just plain crazy." Sky rolled her eyes again, smirking and letting out a giggle.
*****
Karen gave a happy sigh, "That was delicious."
"Thanks." Damien said impassively. This night, after a day filled with more walking to reach the next gym and city, they were greeted with a clear and starry night sky. Damien had cooked up dinner for all four of them, and the trainers with their pokemon partners ate around the fire.
Karen did have something new to see this night though. During her travels with Damien, he made sure that she was only on his left. Karen understood why...his right side was missing an ear now...thanks to her. But for the first time...he was to her left. She had a good view of the side of his head. He had covered his disfigurement by coming his hair over it; unless you knew, you'd never guess he was missing an ear.
The female trainer looked into the fire, a wave of guilt washing over her. The fact Damien hated his injury so much didn't help her get over the accident. Scar didn't seem to mind losing his eye that much, though since he didn't have hair to comb over it he had to just deal with it. But another aspect of Scar being able to deal with his injury was that salamances suffered injuries all the time similar to his. They fought one another for territory and a lost eye wasn't unheard of, so he'd have no trouble finding a female.
Damien was another story though; girls would find the missing ear a turn off. It'd be impossible for him to actually have a life outside of just being a trainer with what she had done to him. "Penny for your thoughts."
Karen was snapped back to reality by Damien's question, "Oh...uh...it's nothing...don't worry about it."
He shrugged, "Whatever you say." He stretched out, "So...Karen...umm..." he rubbed the back of his head, "What's your home like?"
She smiled, "Well...my mom's a total clean freak...and dad's a sports spaz." She chuckled, "They have two absols, Sky's momma and papa." She pet Sky's head, the absol smiling at her trainer. Karen continued to talk about her home and hometown. Damien and Scar listened to her every word, laughing at some of the incidents that took place.
Karen smiled as she finished up a basic overview of her home, "That's my home in a nutshell."
Damien nodded, "Sounds like a nice place."
She looked to him, "What about your..." she yawned, "Home."
He shook his head, "I'll tell you later...I think it's time for us to go to sleep now."
Karen sighed, but nodded, "I guess you're right." She got her sleeping bag and slipped in it, Sky snuggling into it with her trainer. Damien got into his own bag, which was, like everything else he owned, jet black. He leaned on Scar's flank, the salamence's wing acting as a blanket.
Karen cracked an eye open, smiling lightly at the sight. Damien may have his flaws, but he did have a good relationship with his pokemon. She giggled lightly to herself, before yawning again and falling asleep.
*****
"Well Damien?"
The trainer blinked, looking to Karen, "What?"
Karen frowned, "You said you'd tell me about your home." She poked his shoulder, "Don't try to weasel out of it."
He shrugged, "Sorry...well..." he crossed his arms and began to think of how to describe it. Once again they were sitting around a small fire, the night sky over their heads. "My mom and dad worked a lot. My mom had black hair, black as a raven. My dad had brown hair. Both of them combed their hair back. They sent me to a pretty good school; though it didn't have many other students...it was a private school."
He sighed, "I don't really have much to tell. I didn't really know many people. I never really saw my neighbors." He shrugged, "My parents spent most of their time working. I didn't see much of them really...and I haven't talked to them since I left."
Karen just stared, "Wow...that...umm..."
He shook his head, "It's not that bad...I came out okay right?"
She smiled, "Yeah...you're a bit too serious about things...but you are a pretty good guy." She giggled.
He chuckled lightly, "See...parents are overrated."
She rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't say tha...wait...you haven't talked to them once?" He shook his head, making her blink, "Not even after you lost your..." she blushed, looking away.
He shook his head, "Nope. What good would it have done? They wouldn't have been able to put my ear magically back on." He poked her shoulder this time, "If I ever go home than they'll find out."
She sighed, "Don't you think they'd want to know sooner rather than later?"
He shrugged, "I don't know...I'm not really interested in finding out too."
Karen shook her head, "Okay...they're your parents." She than pointed to Scar, "How did you find Scar?"
Damien chuckled, "He jumped off the school's roof and smashed into the ground. He got his head stuck in the dirt." Scar blushed, watching as Sky giggled at the tale. "I had to pry him out of it, it wasn't easy either...you'd think he was trying to learn dig with how deep he went into the ground."
Scar grumbled, as the two girls laughed at his expense. "After I got him out...we just stuck together."
Karen smiled, "That's really a cool way to meet."
Damien rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah...all trainers should meet their pokemon through a near foot shattering crash. Scar here nearly smashed my foot." Scar blushed, growling lightly from it. Damien laughed, "Oh calm down you big baby." He gave Scar's flank a pat, appeasing the salamance.
Soon the trainers became engrossed in their own conversation, Karen being the main talker, telling Damien of stories from her life. While they talked, the pokemon decided to have their own conversation. "Scar?"
The salamance looked at Sky with his good eye, "Yeah?"
"Are you glad you're partnered with Damien?"
He chuckled, "Silly question...of course I am. He's a great trainer." He smiled, "Damien is my best friend, and that won't change."
Sky smiled, "Cool."
"What about you? You happy with Karen?"
Sky nodded, "Of course. She's great. She's fun and kind and...just plain awesome."
Scar chuckled, "Yeah...you're happy with her." he chuckled some more, "Looks like they're becoming good friends."
Sky nodded, "Sure does." She giggled, "It's cute really."
Scar rolled his eye, chuckling, "I guess...you know...actually...Damien liked Karen when he first met her...he thought she was cute." He snickered. "He must be thanking arceus for this chance." Sky giggled at that, smiling as she watched the trainers. Damien was very interested in Karen's stories, no matter how silly and unimportant they seemed. He did like Karen; Sky could see that plain as day.
*****
Karen smiled, holding up her new badge to the sunlight. Damien and she had managed to each win two new badges during their travels, and she was ecstatic. "You did great Sky...we really showed that psychic gym who's boss."
Karen looked to Damien, "You were pretty good in your battle too Damien."
He nodded lightly, not looking at her, "Thanks."
She blinked, able to tell something was wrong with him. "Hey...let's take a break." She pointed to a small manmade clearing, "My feet are sore." Without waiting for an answer she went off, dragging the other trainer with her. Karen took a seat and whispered to Sky, the absol nodding and going up to Scar. In short order the two left their trainers for the nearby river. "Is something wrong Damien?"
He shook his head, "No." But she could tell otherwise from the blank expression on his face.
"I'm not stupid you know...something is wrong...and we're not moving on until you tell me."
"It's nothing Karen...you don't need to worry about it." He looked away from her.
"Come on Damien...we're friends...aren't we?" she gave him a pleading look.
He sighed, defeated, "...the last city we were at...when we split up to get supplies...this one girl just outside of the store started flirting with me..." Karen frowned a bit, but let him continue, "But before I could say anything...the wind kicked up and blew the hair off the side of my head." Karen could already guess what had happened.
"She took one look at my missing ear...than excused herself and walked off...she looked like she had seen a freakin monster." He sighed, the look on his face betraying the pain of the situation. "I shouldn't be surprised...who wouldn't think I'm a freak with my ear gone."
Karen bit her lip, taking in a deep breath. She gathered up any ounce of courage she had, and put her palm on his cheek. Forcing him to look directly at her, she lifted his hair up, and inspected the damage she had done. Letting his hair down again, she smiled, "I don't think you're a freak...I think...you're..." she blushed, her courage faltering a bit but it quickly gained back its strength, "I think you're very handsome."
Damien could only stare at her, his blush just as evident as, if not more so than, hers. His mouth hung open slightly, as he tried to put together enough sounds to form a word, but it didn't look like it'd happen any time soon. Karen decided to take the next move, since he was in shock. She leaned into him, and brought her lips to his. Her eyes slowly drifted shut as they shared a kiss; his eyes shooting wide open, before gently shutting like hers.
When their act eventually was broken, they just stared at one another for a long while. Damien eventually broke the silence, "You're...very...beautiful..." he was blushing fiercely, his eyes looking to the side.
She smiled, "Thank you." She took his hand, and had him wrap his arm around her. "I guess this means...we're a couple now...doesn't it?"
He blushed more, "Yeah...I guess it does..." he smiled lightly, "Thanks Karen..."
She giggled, "Welcome."
While the trainers sat together, their pokemon sat at the edge of the river. Sky had already asked and learned about Damien's lousy mood. The two sat in silence after that, watching the river gently flow along its course. Sky eventually broke the silence however, "Umm...Scar..."
"Yeah?" He tilted his head, looking at her.
"Umm...I...uhh..." she was struggling to find a good way to phase what she wanted to say. After a lot of thought she sighed, "Umm...this...might sound strange...but I'm..." she was a light shade of crimson, "I'm...kinda glad...I accidently took your eye."
He blinked, "What?" he wasn't mad, but he sure was confused.
"Well...it's just...if I hadn't...we...might not have...become such good friends." She looked up at him, with a smile. "And...I'm glad we got to know each other."
Scar blinked again, than thought about it, "You know...I'm kinda glad you took my eye too..." he smiled, "I'll admit...I'm pretty happy that I got a chance to know you Sky." He chuckled, "Not every day you get to be friendly with a beautiful absol." He chuckled some more, a light blush on his face.
Sky looked at him, blushing herself, a lot more than him. She looked down for a brief second than got up to him. With his eye shut as he chuckled, he didn't notice how close she was, until she sent a lick up his cheek. His eye shot open to look at her. Sky was crimson, looking down, "I uhh...really...really like you Scar."
The salamance could only stare at her for several seconds, registering what she really meant with that sentence, "I...like you a lot...too Sky...but...we're...different egg..."
"Do you care?"
He blinked, "What?"
"Do you mind if we're..." she looked down, blushing insanely, "incompatible."
He shook his head lightly, "Well...no..."
She looked back up, smiling, "I don't...either..." she looked to the side, "If we...ever wanted kids..." she blushed up more, "than...I'm sure we could just uhh...that human thing...adapt?"
Scar thought about it, "No...it's...adopt I think...you mean...take in a mon that...we didn't really..."
She nodded, "Yeah...I don't mind Scar...so long as...I can...call you my..." she bit her lip, her courage failing for several seconds, "M...mate..."
Scar just looked at her, "Sky..." he smiled, leaning his head down to nuzzle her, "My...m...mate." The absol smiled big from the words, tears of joy starting to fall from her eyes. "Thank you Sky...for taking my eye..." he chuckled, "I haven't been able to see so good in my life." Sky smiled, licking his cheek again, feeling a surge of joy rush through her, similar to her trainer.
Damien and Scar also felt joy flood their insides, having lost very trivial things in exchange for something whose value could never be measured by mortal means.Chapter End Notes:Please note: This isn't the real story of Sky's life, it's just a what if
Karen, the female trainer, 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, an absol and best friend of Karen, 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.
*****
Karen nervously bit her thumb, watching the doors to the hospital. Damien hadn't let her visit him so she could apologize for the incident. She had flirted with the idea of just leaving; sure they'd meet again so she could apologize than. But both she and Sky had agreed that such an action wasn't really saying they were sorry.
Karen had managed to find out that Damien was going to be released today, so now she just had to wait for him to leave. Sky was by her trainer's side, looking at the door just as anxiously. The two nearly jumped when the door actually opened. An old man walked out with what appeared to be his daughter helping. Both Karen and Sky sighed, both relieved and disappointed. They wanted to apologize, but they weren't sure how Damien and Scar would react.
They nearly had heart attacks when the door opened again, and Damien walked out. He had a pokeball in his hand, and held it out, calling out Scar. The Salamance, now with only one eye looked to his trainer. "Damien..."
The two males turned to look at the cause for their injuries, glaring. "What do you want Karen? Want my head now?"
Karen flinched, "I'm...really sorry..."
Damien scoffed, "Sorry doesn't put an ear back on my head...or an eye in Scar's face." The two began to leave. Karen stayed still, than clenched her fist, running in front of them, "No! I'm not leaving until you get it...we didn't mean for that to happen."
Sky nodded, saying the same to Scar. "I know...we're competitive Damien...but..." Karen was starting to cry again, "...but I'd never want to do that to you!" Sky was a perfect mirror of Karen, trying to make them see that it was a terrible accident.
Damien just looked at Karen for a long while, Scar looking at Sky. The partners looked to one another. Damien sighed, "Bah...being mad at you is a waste of time...you're hardly worth holding a grudge against." Damien smirked, "And I will make sure the next time we battle...it's a complete shut out for me." He walked past her, chuckling lightly.
Damien nearly fell on his face when he felt something hit his back, arms wrapping around his arms and chest. "Thank you Damien!" Karen cried into his back.
Sky looked to Scar, "Scar?"
The salamence scoffed, "Damien's right...you guys are too weak and pathetic to begrudge." The absol smiled, managing to get a lick to his cheek. The salamance blushed lightly, looking away.
Damien managed to get out of the hug, "Get off me...I don't want your sappyness to get on me." Despite his words, he was smiling lightly. "I'll defeat you in battle later Karen." With Scar beside him, the trainer went off.
"Damien?"
He sighed, "Now what?"
"Well...we're going to the same city right? Mind if...we travel together?" Karen was slightly red in the cheeks.
Damien sighed, "Would you listen if I said no? Alright...just don't keep us up." He waited, while Karen and Sky joined him and Scar, the two smiling. Scar rolled his eye, smacking his trainer in the back of the head with his wing. Damien grumbled, "Well would it matter if I had told them no? They'd have tagged along anyway." Scar wasn't satisfied, smacking Damien again, which got the two females with them laughing.
*****
A high pitched scream rang out in a forest. Somewhere along a path through the trees a swishing could be heard, along with several thuds. Damien was on the ground, hands over his head. Sky and Scar were mimicking the position, as Karen wildly swung a bat around, "Bugs! Evil bugs get away!" She screamed again and started running, scoring homeruns off any bug that came in range.
Damien sighed, "Is she always like that?" he asked Sky. The absol nodded, sighing herself as they went to catch up. Damien shook his head, smirking lightly as he found Karen on her knees, panting. "You okay?" he tried to suppress his chuckled.
Karen grumbled, "I hate bugs."
"Really? The whole screaming they were evil and wilding swinging a bat didn't tip me off." He was in a full blown laugh now.
She glared, blushing lightly, "Least I ain't afraid of water types."
It was his turn to blush now, "Hey...they're slimy, they wiggle around in awful patterns...and their best attacks require them to spit at you!" he crossed his arms, "I'm completely justified in finding water types disgusting."
Karen rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say Damien." She giggled, "Cause it your United States of Whatever!"
His eye twitched, "Stop saying that! I swear...every time you say that...I feel an urge to choke you!"
She giggled, "But you wouldn't...cause you find my company so nice." She got up and started walking again, "And you get to see my stunning beauty all the time."
Damien grumbled, following along, getting a chuckle from Scar. "Oh...go hump a rock!" Scar chuckled some more, rolling his eye at his trainer.
Sky had gone to her trainer's side, and rolled her eyes at Karen. "What? I was just stating a fact." She gave an indignant look, "If you think otherwise...than you're just plain crazy." Sky rolled her eyes again, smirking and letting out a giggle.
*****
Karen gave a happy sigh, "That was delicious."
"Thanks." Damien said impassively. This night, after a day filled with more walking to reach the next gym and city, they were greeted with a clear and starry night sky. Damien had cooked up dinner for all four of them, and the trainers with their pokemon partners ate around the fire.
Karen did have something new to see this night though. During her travels with Damien, he made sure that she was only on his left. Karen understood why...his right side was missing an ear now...thanks to her. But for the first time...he was to her left. She had a good view of the side of his head. He had covered his disfigurement by coming his hair over it; unless you knew, you'd never guess he was missing an ear.
The female trainer looked into the fire, a wave of guilt washing over her. The fact Damien hated his injury so much didn't help her get over the accident. Scar didn't seem to mind losing his eye that much, though since he didn't have hair to comb over it he had to just deal with it. But another aspect of Scar being able to deal with his injury was that salamances suffered injuries all the time similar to his. They fought one another for territory and a lost eye wasn't unheard of, so he'd have no trouble finding a female.
Damien was another story though; girls would find the missing ear a turn off. It'd be impossible for him to actually have a life outside of just being a trainer with what she had done to him. "Penny for your thoughts."
Karen was snapped back to reality by Damien's question, "Oh...uh...it's nothing...don't worry about it."
He shrugged, "Whatever you say." He stretched out, "So...Karen...umm..." he rubbed the back of his head, "What's your home like?"
She smiled, "Well...my mom's a total clean freak...and dad's a sports spaz." She chuckled, "They have two absols, Sky's momma and papa." She pet Sky's head, the absol smiling at her trainer. Karen continued to talk about her home and hometown. Damien and Scar listened to her every word, laughing at some of the incidents that took place.
Karen smiled as she finished up a basic overview of her home, "That's my home in a nutshell."
Damien nodded, "Sounds like a nice place."
She looked to him, "What about your..." she yawned, "Home."
He shook his head, "I'll tell you later...I think it's time for us to go to sleep now."
Karen sighed, but nodded, "I guess you're right." She got her sleeping bag and slipped in it, Sky snuggling into it with her trainer. Damien got into his own bag, which was, like everything else he owned, jet black. He leaned on Scar's flank, the salamence's wing acting as a blanket.
Karen cracked an eye open, smiling lightly at the sight. Damien may have his flaws, but he did have a good relationship with his pokemon. She giggled lightly to herself, before yawning again and falling asleep.
*****
"Well Damien?"
The trainer blinked, looking to Karen, "What?"
Karen frowned, "You said you'd tell me about your home." She poked his shoulder, "Don't try to weasel out of it."
He shrugged, "Sorry...well..." he crossed his arms and began to think of how to describe it. Once again they were sitting around a small fire, the night sky over their heads. "My mom and dad worked a lot. My mom had black hair, black as a raven. My dad had brown hair. Both of them combed their hair back. They sent me to a pretty good school; though it didn't have many other students...it was a private school."
He sighed, "I don't really have much to tell. I didn't really know many people. I never really saw my neighbors." He shrugged, "My parents spent most of their time working. I didn't see much of them really...and I haven't talked to them since I left."
Karen just stared, "Wow...that...umm..."
He shook his head, "It's not that bad...I came out okay right?"
She smiled, "Yeah...you're a bit too serious about things...but you are a pretty good guy." She giggled.
He chuckled lightly, "See...parents are overrated."
She rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't say tha...wait...you haven't talked to them once?" He shook his head, making her blink, "Not even after you lost your..." she blushed, looking away.
He shook his head, "Nope. What good would it have done? They wouldn't have been able to put my ear magically back on." He poked her shoulder this time, "If I ever go home than they'll find out."
She sighed, "Don't you think they'd want to know sooner rather than later?"
He shrugged, "I don't know...I'm not really interested in finding out too."
Karen shook her head, "Okay...they're your parents." She than pointed to Scar, "How did you find Scar?"
Damien chuckled, "He jumped off the school's roof and smashed into the ground. He got his head stuck in the dirt." Scar blushed, watching as Sky giggled at the tale. "I had to pry him out of it, it wasn't easy either...you'd think he was trying to learn dig with how deep he went into the ground."
Scar grumbled, as the two girls laughed at his expense. "After I got him out...we just stuck together."
Karen smiled, "That's really a cool way to meet."
Damien rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah...all trainers should meet their pokemon through a near foot shattering crash. Scar here nearly smashed my foot." Scar blushed, growling lightly from it. Damien laughed, "Oh calm down you big baby." He gave Scar's flank a pat, appeasing the salamance.
Soon the trainers became engrossed in their own conversation, Karen being the main talker, telling Damien of stories from her life. While they talked, the pokemon decided to have their own conversation. "Scar?"
The salamance looked at Sky with his good eye, "Yeah?"
"Are you glad you're partnered with Damien?"
He chuckled, "Silly question...of course I am. He's a great trainer." He smiled, "Damien is my best friend, and that won't change."
Sky smiled, "Cool."
"What about you? You happy with Karen?"
Sky nodded, "Of course. She's great. She's fun and kind and...just plain awesome."
Scar chuckled, "Yeah...you're happy with her." he chuckled some more, "Looks like they're becoming good friends."
Sky nodded, "Sure does." She giggled, "It's cute really."
Scar rolled his eye, chuckling, "I guess...you know...actually...Damien liked Karen when he first met her...he thought she was cute." He snickered. "He must be thanking arceus for this chance." Sky giggled at that, smiling as she watched the trainers. Damien was very interested in Karen's stories, no matter how silly and unimportant they seemed. He did like Karen; Sky could see that plain as day.
*****
Karen smiled, holding up her new badge to the sunlight. Damien and she had managed to each win two new badges during their travels, and she was ecstatic. "You did great Sky...we really showed that psychic gym who's boss."
Karen looked to Damien, "You were pretty good in your battle too Damien."
He nodded lightly, not looking at her, "Thanks."
She blinked, able to tell something was wrong with him. "Hey...let's take a break." She pointed to a small manmade clearing, "My feet are sore." Without waiting for an answer she went off, dragging the other trainer with her. Karen took a seat and whispered to Sky, the absol nodding and going up to Scar. In short order the two left their trainers for the nearby river. "Is something wrong Damien?"
He shook his head, "No." But she could tell otherwise from the blank expression on his face.
"I'm not stupid you know...something is wrong...and we're not moving on until you tell me."
"It's nothing Karen...you don't need to worry about it." He looked away from her.
"Come on Damien...we're friends...aren't we?" she gave him a pleading look.
He sighed, defeated, "...the last city we were at...when we split up to get supplies...this one girl just outside of the store started flirting with me..." Karen frowned a bit, but let him continue, "But before I could say anything...the wind kicked up and blew the hair off the side of my head." Karen could already guess what had happened.
"She took one look at my missing ear...than excused herself and walked off...she looked like she had seen a freakin monster." He sighed, the look on his face betraying the pain of the situation. "I shouldn't be surprised...who wouldn't think I'm a freak with my ear gone."
Karen bit her lip, taking in a deep breath. She gathered up any ounce of courage she had, and put her palm on his cheek. Forcing him to look directly at her, she lifted his hair up, and inspected the damage she had done. Letting his hair down again, she smiled, "I don't think you're a freak...I think...you're..." she blushed, her courage faltering a bit but it quickly gained back its strength, "I think you're very handsome."
Damien could only stare at her, his blush just as evident as, if not more so than, hers. His mouth hung open slightly, as he tried to put together enough sounds to form a word, but it didn't look like it'd happen any time soon. Karen decided to take the next move, since he was in shock. She leaned into him, and brought her lips to his. Her eyes slowly drifted shut as they shared a kiss; his eyes shooting wide open, before gently shutting like hers.
When their act eventually was broken, they just stared at one another for a long while. Damien eventually broke the silence, "You're...very...beautiful..." he was blushing fiercely, his eyes looking to the side.
She smiled, "Thank you." She took his hand, and had him wrap his arm around her. "I guess this means...we're a couple now...doesn't it?"
He blushed more, "Yeah...I guess it does..." he smiled lightly, "Thanks Karen..."
She giggled, "Welcome."
While the trainers sat together, their pokemon sat at the edge of the river. Sky had already asked and learned about Damien's lousy mood. The two sat in silence after that, watching the river gently flow along its course. Sky eventually broke the silence however, "Umm...Scar..."
"Yeah?" He tilted his head, looking at her.
"Umm...I...uhh..." she was struggling to find a good way to phase what she wanted to say. After a lot of thought she sighed, "Umm...this...might sound strange...but I'm..." she was a light shade of crimson, "I'm...kinda glad...I accidently took your eye."
He blinked, "What?" he wasn't mad, but he sure was confused.
"Well...it's just...if I hadn't...we...might not have...become such good friends." She looked up at him, with a smile. "And...I'm glad we got to know each other."
Scar blinked again, than thought about it, "You know...I'm kinda glad you took my eye too..." he smiled, "I'll admit...I'm pretty happy that I got a chance to know you Sky." He chuckled, "Not every day you get to be friendly with a beautiful absol." He chuckled some more, a light blush on his face.
Sky looked at him, blushing herself, a lot more than him. She looked down for a brief second than got up to him. With his eye shut as he chuckled, he didn't notice how close she was, until she sent a lick up his cheek. His eye shot open to look at her. Sky was crimson, looking down, "I uhh...really...really like you Scar."
The salamance could only stare at her for several seconds, registering what she really meant with that sentence, "I...like you a lot...too Sky...but...we're...different egg..."
"Do you care?"
He blinked, "What?"
"Do you mind if we're..." she looked down, blushing insanely, "incompatible."
He shook his head lightly, "Well...no..."
She looked back up, smiling, "I don't...either..." she looked to the side, "If we...ever wanted kids..." she blushed up more, "than...I'm sure we could just uhh...that human thing...adapt?"
Scar thought about it, "No...it's...adopt I think...you mean...take in a mon that...we didn't really..."
She nodded, "Yeah...I don't mind Scar...so long as...I can...call you my..." she bit her lip, her courage failing for several seconds, "M...mate..."
Scar just looked at her, "Sky..." he smiled, leaning his head down to nuzzle her, "My...m...mate." The absol smiled big from the words, tears of joy starting to fall from her eyes. "Thank you Sky...for taking my eye..." he chuckled, "I haven't been able to see so good in my life." Sky smiled, licking his cheek again, feeling a surge of joy rush through her, similar to her trainer.
Damien and Scar also felt joy flood their insides, having lost very trivial things in exchange for something whose value could never be measured by mortal means.Chapter End Notes:Please note: This isn't the real story of Sky's life, it's just a what if