Single post in Angel of the Shadows

The two Meowstic eventually fell asleep on her, and Angel couldn’t bring herself to remove them. One by one, her other Pokémon found a spot on her and curled up to sleep. Their weight on her both comforted and terrified her. Night Terrors were a common experience for her, including the ones that pinned her to the bed, incapable of movement. That wasn’t what terrified her the most about people or Pokémon on her chest. Her Pokémon knew how it made her feel and made efforts to avoid it as best as possible. However, Sylvie would do it in rare situations anyway. Usually, it was only when he felt it would help far more than it would make her uncomfortable, and she was actually grateful for those moments. It took a true friend to know when to force their affection and when to hold back out of respect. Dreamer could also regularly be found with his upper half on her chest. It was a compromise she allowed since it only made her partially uncomfortable. She felt movement and then heard a chirp beside her right ear. It was Sylvie, who then nuzzled his face against hers. She chuckled and lifted a hand to pet his face. At her movement, the two Meowstic finally stirred and awoke. It took them a minute to stretch and clean their eyes, and she groaned in pain when she could finally sit up. When it came to cats, there were very few circumstances where she would disturb them if they were comfortable. Typically, only if she’d gone numb or had to use the bathroom. “Did you have a nice nap?” Nap was an understatement since they’d been asleep for at least three hours. The male responded with an adorable purr, but the female turned to her and spoke. “Thank you. We don’t know how you managed to get us away from that witch, but we are eternally grateful. Topaz and I were taken from our friend in Kalos many years ago. His name is Jayden, and we would appreciate it so very much if you could return us to him.” “Uhm. I wish I could, but I’m doing something important at the behest of Giratina.” Their ears twitched and then laid back against their heads, and she couldn’t stand to see them cry. “Well…| Angel brought out her Pokénav and drew up an image of Primarcina. It looked like Kalos was only a few weeks’ journey from Kanto. It would be quite a way out of her way, but…She looked back up at the Meowstic, and her heart melted at the look in their eyes. “I’m sure Giratina wouldn’t mind if I helped you out. That said, I still need to do something first if that’s all right with you.” Maya. She still needed to see and confirm if she was alive, and if so, face her and question why she’d never mentioned her alliance with Team Rocket, even though she would have known that Angel was a member. Not just because of the stories she told but because, unlike Angel, she would have had access to that information. Angel remained silent as she watched the Meowstic speak amongst themselves. After a few minutes, they nodded. “It’s okay. We couldn’t have expected you to drop everything to help us.” “If it were something else, I may have. But, like you, I’m in search of a friend. Something may have happened to her, and I want to verify that she’s okay. Once I’ve done that, I’ll gladly take you to Kalos to find your friend.” At that, Topaz and his partner made a chirrpurr and began to knead their claws on the ground. Angel chuckled at how such a simple statement could make them so happy. The same could be said of people, too. Sometimes, a few kind words or a single small action could make a world of difference in someone’s life. She changed position to where her legs were at an angle from her body and reached out to pet the female. To her surprise, the female approached and stood against her chest as she rubbed her face against Angel’s. “My name is Amber, and my partner is Topaz. We have another request for you. If it’s not too much trouble, that is.” From the looks on their faces and their posture, it was clear they hesitated to ask. Angel knew that response. She recognized it all too well from looking in the mirror every day. It was the hesitance of someone who’d been abused. Deep down, Amber and Topaz seemed to fear she would be another Mally, even though her current actions so far said otherwise. It was not only understandable but expected. That was how people like Mally drew you in. They promised you a happy future and did everything to support and encourage you and make you trust them. All the while, they slowly separated you from your friends and family, making you dependent on them for everything. Once they knew you couldn’t make it on your own and had nobody to turn to, the true “fun” began. Where they chipped away at your soul, destroying you piece by piece. Angel shook the thoughts from her head before she spoke. “My name is Alexandria, but you can call me Angel. You don’t have to say anything if it’s too hard on you. All you need to know is that you will always have food and shelter with me. And I will make sure your needs are met before my own. I can’t promise that nobody will ever hurt you again. What I can promise is that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe until you’re reunited with your friend.” Amber and Topaz leaped into her arms again, and she hugged them tightly as they cried. “Dreamer, darling?” Angel spoke as she reached a hand down to rummage through her knapsack. The deftness with which she drew out her wallet, opened it and pulled out her credit card with one hand clearly showed how often she’d had to do things while carrying around an attention-seeking Pokémon. Once she handed the card to Dreamer, he ran off toward the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy would instantly recognize him, and know that he wanted food for the gang. There likely wouldn’t be enough food for all of them because Dreamer couldn’t tell Joy there were two extra mouths to feed. But she knew everyone would gladly take smaller portions to ensure Amber and Topaz had their fill. Angel turned to the Meowstic and sighed deeply. Her Pokémon laid their ears back at that, but not in fear. They were more concerned about her emotional state, as they knew that sigh meant she had something on her mind. “I’d rather you hear this from me and have time to think about it than throw it at you at the worst time. But…I used to be a member of Team Rocket.” When their only response was to lay their ears back, she continued. “Mally was as well. Or rather, is. And the friend I want to find might be, but I’m unsure. If she is, she hid it really well, for I didn’t catch on to it in all the years I’ve known her. It will bother me if I don’t find out the truth about if she’s alive and whether she’s with Team Rocket. Perhaps I can persuade her to end her association with them if she is.” Rosie nuzzled her head against Angel’s chest, who absentmindedly gave scritches to the Leafeon as she continued. “The only reason I bring it up is because, if she is Team Rocket, I didn’t want you to see her and think I was placing you right back into their hands. Although truth be told, Maya would be a much better owner for you than Mally was. You definitely wouldn’t be mistreated.” “Why?” Topaz asked, and Angel tilted her head, confused. “It makes no sense for us to question your actions and motives when everything we’ve known for the last few years has fallen apart. You promised to return us to our friend, and you smelled honest. We would be fools to think for a second that you meant to betray us.” “Besides,” Amber interjected, “Your heart is in the right place. You aren't a bad person just because you are a member of an evil group, and anyone who lives by that logic is a fool. Look at the most notorious trio in all Primarcina, and how they care for their Pokémon despite their obsession with kidnapping Pikachu. Then, look at people like Mally. What you do, not who you know or ally with, defines you. She averted her gaze to the ground. “I hate to tell you, but there are people in this world who will pretend to be your friend. Pretend to care for you and make you feel special or important. Only to not only stab you in the back when you least expect it but make you believe it was your fault.” Amber walked to where Angel stared so that their eyes met. “You seem like a cat person. What is the most important difference between cats and dogs?” When Angel shook her head, Topaz appeared and answered Amber’s question. “Dogs trust anyone, even when they shouldn’t. Though they can acknowledge when to end their loyalties.” Back to Amber. “Cats, on the other hand, aren’t very trusting. If a cat chooses you, there is no doubt in their mind that you are someone worthy. And unlike dogs, they will break ties at the first red flag. When they do, they are highly unlikely to trust you again unless you can prove it was an accident.” Her lip curled up in a smile, and she made a strange sound as tears filled her eyes. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m crazy for getting so worked up about this. Most of the people I’ve known in life have faked being my friend. In most cases, they were after a chance to meet with my father, hoping I could persuade him to contribute to their research or get an easy win at the gym, among many other things. When you’re always lied to, manipulated, and used, it becomes the only thing you expect. So, I never know how to react when people and Pokémon like you come along. Part of me is hopeful I found a genuine friend. While most of me is scared to open myself up yet again.” “It’s okay,” Topaz assured her as he hugged her. “Everyone has things that hurt and broke them. But it’s how you react that defines who you are. Not only do you keep going, but you refuse to let it take your ability to love. You haven’t allowed it to make your heart bitter. And you seem to be someone who is willing to learn from their mistakes. That’s more than what most people do. Whenever you feel worthless, remind yourself that you’re better than those who hurt you. Tell yourself that, even if you don’t believe it, because once you do, you can move forward.” “Pardon my interruption,” a male’s voice sounded from behind her, and Angel leaned her body back to look at the newcomer upside-down. He had striking blue eyes and curly blonde hair to his shoulders. It wasn’t until she saw the red “R” stitched on his shirt above his heart that she spun around in fear to face him. All her Pokémon, even the Meowstic, went between her. Strangely enough, the action made the man smile. “Didn’t you just get done telling her that not everyone from Team Rocket was bad?” Angel gasped at his words, only to realize that it made sense for him to understand the Meowstic pair if he was a member of Team Rocket. Then again, he should only be able to understand the Meowstic pair if he’d spent a lot of time around Mally. She scooted back a foot at that realization, which caused the others to growl at him. He approached anyway but stopped and knelt before her Pokémon. That was a smart move on his part. It let him put her at ease while ensuring they could bite him if he made a wrong move. “My name is Asher, and yes, I’m a member of Team Rocket. I heard the news, and I think it was courageous of you to do what you did. At least you could escape. I can’t. My mother’s grip on me is very tight. She probably wouldn’t even approve of me talking to you.” “Odds are, neither will anyone else. There or here.” Angel frowned, really concerned about what this man was up to. He shrugged at those words. “Like you, I’m a nobody. Mostly. I’m an Agent and can only go out in the field because of my mother’s station. I know what you plan to do and would like to help if you let me.” “Even if I could trust you to help, why should I? What’s in it for you? Do you plan to betray me when I least expect it? I hate to tell you, but if you want to get on my father’s good side, you’ll have to do that on your own, as there’s no way right now he would take me at my word for anything.” “Because I want to get to know you better.” He smiled at her, possibly hoping to put her at ease, but it only made her more uncomfortable. “I’ve followed your progress since the day you joined. At first, I despised you, thinking you had some goody-two-shoes act that helped you get the job done better than any other Agent. That you had a plan on shooting to the top. It wasn’t until the Silph Company I realized it wasn’t an act. You were yourself. After so many years as an Agent, you hadn't let Team Rocket corrupt you.” “So, I dug around a bit more and discovered some things about your past and what you went through. You’re amazing, and I wanted to be the one to help you see that.” “And you chose to seek me out like some stalker?” Angel was flattered by his words, but she wouldn’t dare tell him. Asher blushed and lifted his left arm to place that hand in embarrassment on the back of his head. “Yeah, well. No. I knew you’d been arrested, so I came to speak to you in the cells, but when I found out you’d been released, I figured you couldn’t have gotten far. When I saw Mally, I just headed in the direction she’d come from. So. What do you say?” He moved the hand from earlier and held it out for her to take but kept it in front of her Pokémon. Angel stared at the hand for nearly a minute as she contemplated what to do. A small part of her felt accepting his offer would be a mistake. But she was never sure if she felt that way because it would come to bite her or if she was simply scared. A glance at her Pokémon showed them as all calm. Yet, she knew that didn’t matter, as unless they felt the choice would be extremely harmful to her, they let her make all decisions on her own. Eventually, she inched forward, reached between Sylvie and Rosie, and placed her hand in Asher’s.